“Depends on the proposition.”
“I skipped my routine last night; you skip yours now.”
Skye laughed. Again. “It’s all or nothing with you, huh?”
“Damn right it is.”
“If you think you can make it worth my while...,” she teased.
“We have a deal.”
I hadn’t known Skye for long, but one thing was clear: with her, I wasn’t in control of myself. I wanted her in my bed. Last night we’d just slept there, but now, I wanted to sink inside her.
Laughing, she clasped her arms around my middle. First on the agenda, I was going to worship her body. We went up the stairs, straight to the master bedroom. I immediately reached for the hem of her dress, but she pushed me away. My biggest priority right now was to have her naked. She looked up at me, eyes wide and playful, clearly with other thoughts on her mind. She walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, her hand on my belt.
“I like where this is going,” I said. I liked watching her take charge.
She took her time undoing my belt, tugging down my pants. I took off my shirt, watching her face as she smiled, tracing a finger down my chest, slowing as she continued farther down. I was already hard, my erection just in front of her. She moved her finger up the length of it, right to the tip.
Lowering her mouth to my cock, she took it all in, wrapping her hand at the base. I rocked back and forth, gritting my jaw so hard that my teeth were grinding. The urge to claim her escalated instantly.
I drew my fingers up her neck to the back of her head, moving my hips. I was going to explode, and I wanted to be buried deep inside her when that happened.
“Lie on the bed,” I said.
She didn’t, ignoring my request as she just licked around the tip, her eyes playful.
“Skye. Bed. Now.” I was losing control and needed her obedience.
Pouting, she leaned back on her elbows, watching me hungrily. Then she sat back up, taking off her dress. I couldn’t decide what was sexier, Skye in that white lace, semitransparent bra and panties or Skye naked.
Instinct took over. I barely remembered that we needed protection.
“I have condoms in my bathroom. I’ll get them. Stay here.”
“Not going anywhere.”
I was excited at the prospect of spending the whole weekend with her, happy she and Tess were delegating both days to their sales associates. I was usually happy with keeping everything casual and not defining the parameters of a relationship. But now, I wanted more with Skye, and I wanted to shed my old ways. They felt like a suit I’d outgrown.
Chapter Sixteen
Rob
On Monday, I kick-started Restaurant Days with a board meeting. Frowning, I glanced around the table. I’d lost my train of thought. Again. Everyone in the boardroom was giving me strange looks, because this was very unlike me. I didn’t lose focus, didn’t forget what I was talking about while talking. I was known for my sharpness and shrewdness. I had to stop rehashing the weekend in my mind, incredible as it had been. Skye was occupying my every thought. Usually, I had no problems leaving my personal life at the door before stepping into the office. But things were changing—I had to pull myself together before I made an ass out of myself in front of everyone. I didn’t want to lose credibility in front of the team. Once again, I’d gathered management as well as chefs and sous-chefs to discuss the week and our goals for the event.
“I’ll be making the rounds at the different restaurants in New York these two weeks,” I said. “My schedule will be sent to all of you so you can keep track of me. Keep an eye on the ones where I’m not, make sure everything runs smoothly—that means that the critics are pleased, but more importantly, that customers are happy. Got it?”
Quite frankly, I didn’t care much about critics. They’d always find something to criticize, but customers were our bread and butter. When they thought about their favorite restaurant where they were guaranteed delicious food and a great time, I wanted them to visualize one of ours. Restaurant Days always took place at the end of July. It was a staple in the city’s life, and I wanted everyone to remember that we were the best.
“Do you want the chefs to stay behind the scenes or also mingle with the customers?” Tatiana asked. She was the chef of our largest restaurant and had been with the company for as long as I had. She’d even been in LA for a year but then came back here, declaring she was too much of a New Yorker to be able to withstand the LA scene. She’d also been the one to blow the whistle on Walter when she’d caught him banging another chef.
“Play it by ear. Tell the staff to feel out the mood.”
“Got it.”
“Okay, that’s a wrap, everyone,” I declared.
There was a screeching sound as everyone pushed their chairs back. I arranged a dislodged cuff link as everyone filtered out.