I stand and walk to the window, then back again. She watches me from where she is, almost like a cat. Some things that I’ve noticed—she reacts half a second before I speak sometimes, she asks questions that are too precise, and she holds her ground like someone trained to.
I sit beside her and rest my hand on her thigh. She doesn’t flinch. “I like fucking you,” I say plainly.
Her lips curve. “I gathered.”
“I like your body. I like how you move. I like how you don’t try to shrink in a room.”
She tilts her head slightly.
“And your mind,” I add with a dry smile. “That’s what complicates it.”
She nods. “You think I’m hiding something,” she says.
I consider the question momentarily. “I think everyone is.”
“Even you?”
“Especially me.”
That makes her laugh softly. I lean closer and brush my nose lightly against her hairline. “I don’t do chaos,” I whisper. “I think predictability is what keeps men like me alive.”
She angles her head toward me. “And I’m not predictable?”
“No.”
Silence settles between us. I could push her, corner her with questions, dig until something cracks. But for the first time, I’m enjoying this game, relishing the prospect of hunting downher secrets and watching her fold beneath me, literally and otherwise.
“I’m taking a chance,” I say.
Her eyes flick up. “On?”
“You.”
She doesn’t respond immediately.
“That’s new for you, isn’t it?” she asks finally.
“Yes.”
I run my hand through her hair and tuck it behind her ear. “You want to know why?” I ask.
She nods once.
“Because I’m tired of being only one thing.”
She studies my face like she’s trying to see if I’m serious.
“I’ve been running this city since I was barely old enough to drink,” I continue. “Every move calculated, decision measured, relationship strategic.”
She cocks a brow at me. “And this isn’t strategic?”
“It might be,” I admit. “But it doesn’t feel like it.”
She shifts closer without thinking about it, and her shoulder presses against mine. I stand and offer her my hand. She takes it. “You’re coming to lunch tomorrow.”
I pause briefly. “To meet my family.”
For the first time since she’s come here, I think I see a hint of surprise in her eyes. I chuckle inwardly because she’s pretty quick at hiding it. “You have family dinners?” she asks.