When we arrived at my apartment, Graham walked me to the door.

“When will I see you again?”

“Well, tomorrow is Saturday, so I suppose maybe Monday on the train.”

“Have dinner with me again tomorrow?”

“I have plans.”

His jaw flexed. “With whom?”

We embarked into a lengthy stare off. His gaze was hard. When neither of us gave for a few minutes, he grumbled Christ under his breath, and before I realized what was happening, my back was against the door, and his mouth was on mine.

He kissed me as if he wanted to eat me alive. Before releasing my mouth, he took my lower lip between his teeth and tugged. Hard. With his lips vibrating up against mine, he spoke. “Don’t push me to my limit, Soraya.”

“Why? What will happen?”

“I’ll push back. And I’m trying not to do that with you.”

He was being honest, and I realized I should appreciate that. “To my sister’s house. It’s my niece’s birthday party. That’s where I’m going tomorrow night.

He nodded. “Thank you.”

It took every bit of my willpower to go inside and shut the door behind me. I leaned my back against the door, unable to remember the last time I was so hot and bothered. Maybe not ever. His mouth was sinful; the thought of what he could do with that wicked tongue other places on my body kept me in a state of arousal that bordered on frenzied. But it was more than that. The way he was so dominating and controlling, yet exercised restraint to respect my wishes, was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. The man stimulated something that had been sleeping inside of me. I needed a glass of wine and an orgasm. Not necessarily in that order. If I was going to be firm on my stance that we get to know each other and not have sex, then taking things into my own hands was absolutely essential.

In my bedroom, I stripped out of my clothes. I didn’t sleep naked every night, but tonight was definitely a bare evening. As I slipped into bed, my cell rang.

“Is phone sex on the table?” Graham’s voice was a needy rasp. Whatever cooling off my body had done since I left him on the other side of the door was instantly reheated. His voice could definitely speed things up for me. But…

“Sex is off the table. That should probably include all types of sex. Intercourse, oral, phone.”

He groaned. “Oral. God, I want to taste you. And feel that metal tongue ring on my cock. You have no idea how difficult it was to control myself tonight every time I caught a glimpse of that metal when you spoke. It’s like you’re taunting me with every word. What are you wearing, Soraya?”

That voice. I needed to record him saying What are you wearing, Soraya? So I could play it over and over again in a loop when I needed to satisfy my own needs. “I’m actually not wearing anything. I just got undressed and slipped into bed.”

“You sleep naked?”

“Sometimes.”

He actually growled. “Touch yourself.”

“I plan to. But I think I’m going to need both hands tonight. So I’m going to hang up first.”

“How long do you plan on driving me crazy, Soraya?”

“Good night, Graham.” I hung up without waiting for him to respond. Even though my body physically ached for the man, I wasn’t ready to open that door with him just yet. Although as I glided my hand down my body alone in my bed, the only thing I could think of was God, I wish it was his hand.

CHAPTER 8

GRAHAM

I DIDN’T HEAR FROM HER ALL DAY Saturday, not that I’d expected to. Soraya Venedetta was intent on driving me fucking nuts. I’d never been in this position before. I’d relentlessly pursued business ventures that I wanted until they inevitably gave in when I sweetened the pot and gave an offer they couldn’t refuse. But pursuing a woman was new to me. Sure, there were a few who made me chase for a first date. But by the end of the night, I was always certain what it was that made them tick. They wanted to be wined and dined, flattery, a business connection, a certain lifestyle. It wasn’t ever difficult to figure out. Until now.

What makes you tick, Soraya Venedetta?

The more the woman pissed me off, the more I wanted her. By ten in the evening, I couldn’t resist any longer. I was turning into an aggrieved pussy.

Graham: How was your party?

She responded a few minutes later. It gave me some sense of peace that she wasn’t so enraptured with someone she met that she stopped checking her phone.

Soraya: On the train home now. Have I mentioned I don’t like clowns?

Graham: You haven’t. But I think that is a pretty common phobia.