Tell Me You Want Me Read online

  “I could buy you a thousand times over.” My voice is harder than I’d like but I’m through with this little back-and-forth. “If I say we can stop to buy you whatever the hell I want, it’s not because I wish to spoil you or show off. It’s to save time and for your comfort.”

  My statement must have come off harsh, because her jaw clenches. I add, “I couldn’t care less what you wear.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be seen with someone like you, showing off your recent conquest.” The bitterness to her tone might as well slap me across my face.

  Is that what she thinks this is? Is that who she thinks I am?

  Invading her space, I tower over her and say, “When did I give you the impression you were something to conquer? I want you because I want you, and I couldn’t care less what anyone else thinks of that.”

  All that anger, all that resentment—it all vanishes the second I exert any dominance over her. It’s addictive. It’s heaven and hell, a concoction I’d gladly get drunk on every second for the rest of my life.

  “I am one thing in the boardroom. I’m another outside of that. If you can’t compartmentalize, tell me now.”

  “I’m sorry,” she says and her doe eyes fall to my chest. She’s on the verge of running and that’s the last thing I want.

  “I don’t want you to apologize,” I say, gentling my voice, tipping up her chin so she’ll finally look at me. See me. “I want you to come to dinner with me.”

  Suzette

  What the fuck just happened?

  I’m not certain how I made it downstairs from his office with his hand splayed across my lower back, in front of anyone who dared to look. My legs are weak and there’s an odd mix of satisfaction and nervousness that has my head clouded.

  Adrian Bradford just fucked me across his desk like I was his personal toy. The feel of him between my legs is all I can focus on. How effortlessly he destroyed every wall I’ve built and fucked me like he had every right in the world to ruin me.

  I’m barely with it as he helps me to his car until he speaks to his driver, who politely greets me before opening the back door. Adrian says something to him that I don’t quite make out because I’m still catching my breath from the sex.

  The cool spring air brings me back to the present as I thank his driver. He’s an older gentleman with a lean frame and silver hair. His wire-rimmed glasses and black suit complete his polished look.

  “Thank you,” I say, barely getting out the words before I’m left alone in the back of the car, until Adrian climbs in on his side.

  It’s a Mercedes, one of the new ones from this year, and it smells like he just drove it off the lot. Adrian’s driver rolls up the divider that separates the spacious back seat from the front the moment he gets in.

  Adrian sprawls out on the seat next to me as the driver navigates the city streets. He’s on his phone like nothing happened and I try to act like nothing happened too. I’m having a bit of trouble with that. He seems casual, swiping at the screen and no doubt answering emails, but there’s tension crackling between us. No matter how hard he tries to make this into nothing, it’s anything but.

  Gaining a semblance of balance and sanity, I peer up at him and say, as clearly as I can, “I’m not a toy to be played with.”

  He glances at me, then slips his phone into his back pocket. “You seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.”

  My face reddens. “I did. But that doesn’t mean it can continue or that my job …” my voice trails off and I can barely swallow. What the fuck did I just do?

  He studies me with his pale blue gaze. “Would you like it, though?” There’s far too much space between us in the back seat of his car. Adrian’s taking care not to touch me. It feels deliberate. He doesn’t move his body toward me or reach for me, but I can still feel his hands on me from just a moment ago. I can feel where he gripped my ass and held me close for a kiss by my neck, and where he stroked between my legs. “Would you like it if I toyed with you again?” he asks, his voice low and his words sinful.

  The rest of my body feels as hot as my face. Now that we’re out of the office and away from the moment, I can’t believe it happened. What was I thinking? I can’t answer him, because I’m not sure of myself enough to speak. It’s all too much and far too fast. Suffocating.

  “I’d like an answer, Suzette,” he says and his murmur is laced with something different. Concern.

  Swallowing thickly, I admit, “I enjoyed it very much, but now—”

  “I enjoyed it immensely and I intend to toy with you, to fuck you until you’re as limp as a little ragdoll, and to walk back into the office tomorrow knowing full damn well you may give me hell.”

  The leather groans in protest as he leans back, moving farther away as he studies me. “Nothing that just happened will interfere with our work,” he reassures me.

  With a jostle of the vehicle, the driver pulls the car to the curb, and I blink at the scenery outside my window. The Waldorf, another public arena for his games … and a far too expensive one at that. I murmur, “You should take me home.”

  He’s silent for a moment, just watching me. “If that’s what you’d like. I believe I owe you more than just a drink, though, Suzette.”

  Hearing my name from his lips like that … like every syllable rolls off his tongue as if he was the first to utter them, turns me even hotter. It also makes me speechless, which isn’t like me at all. None of this is like me at all. I don’t get swept up into anything.

  Adrian holds me in place with his piercing gaze. “I’d very much like to play with you, Suzette. I’d like to kiss you. I’d like to fuck you. And not just because you’re a pretty little thing who stormed into my office making demands you have no authority to make.”

  With every word, he inches closer to me until he’s close enough to kiss me. The proximity is comforting in a way I don’t care to admit. Adrian actually leans down and does it. He kisses me full on the mouth, his lips steady and confident. When he pulls back I have to keep my hands in my lap from grabbing his shirt.

  “It was a brutal day, and the only thing that kept me grounded and kept me looking forward to tonight was the very idea that you were coming to my office to do exactly what you did.” His admission shocks me.

  “Adrian …”

  “You may see me as ruthless and heartless, and you may not like what I do, but I’d like to see you again. In and out of the office.”

  It’s strange for him to admit this to me. Most men won’t ever acknowledge they’re aware of other people’s feelings. Men like Adrian aren’t supposed to care what anyone else thinks. It’s possible he doesn’t care, but at least he’s aware of it. It causes a shift in the way I see him. The hatred softens and becomes something else.

  “When the workday is over, there are other things we must do. And then there are things that we want to do.” He leans in closer, whispering at the shell of my ear, “I want you.”

  His hand comes down on my knee and without hesitation he pushes it up between my legs, forcing my skirt up as his fingers brush against my slit. It’s the softest of touches and my eyes close, my lips parted and my head falling back. Adrian lets out a groan, the tip of his nose running along my neck, teasing me. “You didn’t put your panties back on.”

  I shake my head, unable to speak. I didn’t. I tucked them into my purse, not liking their condition after … well, after what he did to me. Adrian dips his head again, close enough to kiss, and I want it so much that tears come to my eyes. I’m not even sure what they mean. Adrian seems to know.

  “You,” he says, “are exactly what I want.”

  He takes a deep breath and then exhales, the warmth of it lingering as he pulls away slightly. Trapped in his car, every sensation feels heightened, knowing how easy it is for him to admit his desire. I become aware of his hands. One holds the seat behind me, just above my head, and the one that was between my legs is now braced against the door, like he must hold on to something to keep him from touching
me. From doing whatever it is he so desperately craves to do. Adrian’s eyes close for a moment and when he opens them, he seems steadier than before. “If you’d like to go home, I’ll take you home. I’ll have my driver take you wherever you need. Though I’d very much like to take you to dinner.”

  “I’m not dressed for this place.”

  “We could go somewhere else.”

  “You have reservations,” I say and my pulse races, not wanting me to deny him … or myself.

  “That’s a weak excuse, Suzette.” Disappointment flashes across his face, and surprise grips my heart. I’m surprised I care about his disappointment and I’m even more shocked that I want to go to dinner with him. He feels dangerous, like he could crush me if he wanted. Yet I find myself wanting to be under his thumb, wondering what he’ll do to me.

  I don’t know where I’m supposed to draw the line, though. This is … this is something that could certainly destroy me, and then what would I have left?

  I imagine how it will feel to have the car pull away from the curb and drop me at my place. And then I imagine what it would be like to let him help me out of the car and take me inside this restaurant. Both options leave me wanting, but only one feels safe.

  “Is it a business dinner?” I ask, keeping my voice low and even.

  A grin tugs the corners of his mouth upward. “No. It’s after six.”

  “If someone asks?” A bit of desperation creeps into my tone, and I can’t stop it. “Could it be a business dinner if someone were to see us?”

  “You’d like to be discreet?”

  I have to be discreet. I don’t even know what this is. A hate fuck turned into a dinner date? There’s no telling what I might want to keep hidden later.

  “Yes,” I answer. “Please. It would make me feel better.”

  He seems to consider it, searching my expression as we sit in the back of the parked car. “Would you like to see me again after tonight?”

  There’s a pressure in my chest, like a balloon getting filled up with helium. It reminds me of the excitement I felt when I was young and dumb and dating. Before I got married and everything went to shit. There was a period in my life when it seemed like anything could happen. That woman would revel in this moment. But that woman got her heart ripped out long ago. She’s long dead and buried.

  “It depends,” I finally make myself say. “On how our discreet dinner goes.”

  Adrian smirks, charming and seductive, making him all the more handsome. It sends a shiver of desire down my spine. I already want him again. Even at this point there’s so much heat between us and it seems impossible to turn it down. Above all, I want to see him smile at me with approval. I’ve never been a people pleaser. I’ve always been about making change, and change is often uncomfortable for others. Part of me still wants to please him. I want to hear him call me his good girl again.

  “So you’ll come to dinner with me and then decide? That’s a fair deal.”

  Adrian stares at me across the table of our rather private curved booth. His gaze is fire; everything about him is possessive, but in a manner that’s effortless. Every little thing, including the way his touch never left me when he escorted me into the Waldorf, is dominating yet in a way that’s gentle. I could have walked faster or simply pulled away from him, but there was never a moment where I considered such a betrayal. Both to what he obviously desires, as well as my own.

  Tucked away in the corner of the restaurant, with fine leather upholstery covering the padded wooden frame, it’s easy enough to peek out at the other guests, although they feel miles away. It feels like they’re all staring at us, though they’re not. I shift in my seat. If they’re looking over here, they’ll notice I’m underdressed.

  “I love seeing you squirm,” says Adrian in a low voice.

  “About the meeting today …” I begin.

  “We’re off the clock,” he says simply, ending the conversation without breaking my gaze.

  I bite my lip and try to keep from bringing up work again. It would be so easy to fall into that.

  The tension is still there, and I do my best to not so nervously lay the napkin across my lap as the waiter presents the menu to us.

  I let the menu fall as Adrian orders for me. He’s quick and confident, as if we already know each other.

  “Would that be all right?” he asks and inclines his head toward me before the waiter can leave. Nodding, I give my seal of approval.

  I wait until the waiter has stepped out of earshot before I speak to him. “You’re lucky you chose what you did.”

  “I guessed right? Or are you just saying that?” His eyes on mine seem to see right through my dress, as if he’s remembering earlier at the office.

  “You did guess right.” My fingers slip along the stem of my water goblet.

  “If it’s not to your liking, I’ll have them bring you something else,” he says, and I feel myself blushing with a sudden shyness I haven’t felt in years. Not since I was a girl. There’s no place for shyness in a business career like mine. Adrian puts a hand to my face and runs his thumb over my cheek.

  “You get to me, Adrian.”

  “That seems fair, since you get to me as well.” Butterflies stir and I can’t help it. “Are you always like this?” I question but all I’m rewarded with is a charming, knowing smirk before we’re interrupted.

  The waiter reappears, and there’s distance between us again. In his starched black uniform, the waiter sets out a wineglass. Then he shows Adrian the bottle, and at Adrian’s nod he opens it and pours a sip or two. Adrian tastes it. The waiter watches him the same way I’m watching him. Probably too closely. He lets the wine linger on his tongue before swallowing it and giving the waiter a nod.

  He fills my glass and places it in front of me, murmuring his replies to our thank-yous, and Adrian curls his fist around his own glass. Whiskey, on the rocks.

  I watch him take the first sip and notice the way his shoulders relax.

  “Is this how you are with all your employees?” I ask.

  Adrian raises an eyebrow. “I haven’t slept with an employee ever, actually.”

  “Why do I find that hard to believe?” I arch an eyebrow, leaning in, trying to flirt with him.

  He answers me in an utterly serious tone. “Because you don’t trust me and seem to hold a rather low opinion of me.”

  I jerk back a few inches, shock settling in. Is he really offended by this? We just had sex on his desk, in his office, at work. The only boundary was that it was slightly after 6:00 p.m. “I didn’t mean to imply that I think poorly of you. And for the record, it’s because you exude sex appeal so I imagine you could sleep with anyone you wanted.”

  Adrian chuckles, his rough short laugh a baritone rumble in his chest, and it breaks up the tension. “You do seem very hesitant around me. Is there something I can do to ease that?” His words fall slowly, drifting to the pressed and starched linen tablecloth as his eyes drop to my breasts. “To break the ice, perhaps?”

  “You have a reputation, Adrian.”

  “Everyone does, Suzette. It doesn’t mean that’s who we are. One person could tell you I’m loyal to a fault, another that I’m a miserable asshole. Both could very well be honest impressions of me. So, believe them both.”

  Before I can even respond, we’re interrupted yet again.

  “Excuse me, sir.” The waiter steps to the side of the table and passes a folded note to Adrian.

  With Adrian’s nod we’re alone again, although I might as well not exist.

  He reads it, tucks the thick white note card into his pocket, and checks his phone.

  My stomach drops. “Is everything all right?”

  His phone goes back into his pocket. “As all right as it always is.”

  My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I gather my courage for the next question, which I should have asked before I fucked him. “There isn’t another woman, is there?”

  “No.” The answer comes quickly and d
ecisively, and I believe him. “I haven’t had a sexual partner for the better part of a year.”

  The handle of my fork rests in my fingertips, but I drop it back down to the empty small plate again. “No other man?” he questions in turn.

  “No.” It’s a relief to hear that. A bigger relief than I would have thought.

  “And we’re to be discreet?” Adrian finishes.

  “Yes,” I say.

  “Work during the day, and play at night?”

  “Yes,” I answer.

  His eyes narrow. “I like when you answer me like that, a single word rushing out of your perfect, parted lips.” His gaze burns. “I’d like to see those lips when I—”

  Adrian gets another text and curses under his breath. He’s not the only one. My phone buzzes too.

  It’s from Maddie: Hey! Are you coming?

  “Oh … I’m so sorry.” I push my hair back from my face and brace myself with both hands on the table. “I’m supposed to meet a friend tonight. I completely forgot.”

  Of the three women I’m closest to, Maddie is like my little sister. She’s also going through a breakup and relying heavily on company to keep her from texting the asshole when she feels lonely.

  “I can’t believe I forgot.”

  “No time to eat?” he questions, not pressuring me in the least. His phone buzzes yet again before I can even answer, and he closes his eyes, visibly annoyed.

  “I’m sorry, I really have to go. She’s a good friend of mine and I don’t know how it could have possibly slipped my mind that we had plans.” I swallow down the horrible feeling of failing her, knowing exactly how I came to forget about anything other than the man seated in front of me. “I’m going to take a cab.”

  “If you insist.”

  “I’m afraid I do, Mr. Bradford.” As I speak, I stand and he mirrors the motion.

  “No longer Adrian?”

  He holds his hand out to me and it takes me a minute to understand what he wants. “I’ll walk you out.”

  It’s almost unreal what a gentleman this man is after hours. “Will you be so kind to me tomorrow?” I question as if it’s banter, but the truth is obviously buried there.