As soon as he retreated, Nathan’s date angrily muttered, “I told you I’m not hungry. Can’t you just take me home?”
If any other woman had spoken to Nathan Callis in such a way, he would gladly have her escorted out of his life for good.
But this was Alyx, and she was different. Her stubborn pride was a strange source of delight for him, her feistiness a major turn-on---
Alyx’s stomach let out a loud, sudden growl.
---plus the fact that no matter how hard she tried, she always ended up doing something delightfully embarrassing in his presence.
He saw Alyx’s cheeks turn a becoming shade of pink, and his lips compressed in a straight line.
Catching sight of it, she snarled, “Stop laughing!”
“I’m not.”
“Ha!” She glared at him. “I know you want to---” Another loud growl from her stupid stomach interrupted her.
Nathan asked politely, “May I smile this time?”
“I hate you.” But even as she spoke, she was already reaching for the cutlery. “I still haven’t forgiven you for locking me up in solitary confinement.” She aggressively speared a fry with her fork and pushed the entire thing into her mouth.
He watched her lids drift close involuntarily, watched the way her mouth dramatically slow down its movement.
Ah.
How fucking good it would feel, he mused, if she savored having his cock in her mouth the same way?
When her eyes slowly blinked open, he drawled lazily, “That good, is it?” The speed in which his words wiped all expression from her face almost made him laugh out loud, but he managed not to.
“It’s okay.” Her voice was noncommittal, but even so she couldn’t seem to stop feeding herself with the fries.
How delightfully proud she was…and how foolish, if she thought that she was actually fooling him with her tough-girl stance. He ate slowly, more interested in the rare sight of Alyx devouring her food with gusto.
This was the sight she had made him miss, Nathan thought with regret.
Alyx stilled, her pierced slice of burger poised mid-air. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I was thinking what a cruel girl you are,” he answered honestly.
She choked. “Did you just say I’m cruel?”
“Yes.” Leaning forward, he took her by surprise by stealing her fork from her hand, along with the pierced bit of food.
“Hey!”
The sound of pure anger made him smile, but it didn’t make Nathan relinquish his piece of stolen property. “Why did you stand me up that day?”
Her eyes widened. “Why are you asking me that now?”
“Just humor me.”
Her gaze turned knowing, and she asked sweetly, “Why? Did it hurt your poor little ego?”
Nathan laughed. “And you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” And now, it was his turn to look at her slyly. “But you know that can’t be it.” His voice lowered. “If I were that easily crushed, then you wouldn’t find me so attractive.”
“You---” The word was expelled in a furious hiss, a look of affront falling on Alyx’s lovely face.
Nathan’s lips curved in a taunting grin. “There’s no need to lie, sweetheart.”
“Your ego knows no bounds---”
“Which is exactly how you like it,” he purred.
And he looked at her, making no attempt at all to hide what he felt…and knew.
He wanted to make a sex slave out of her, and she would want him to.
When Alyx jerked back in her seat, he said soothingly, “It’s alright, sweetheart.”
“I d-don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Okay then.” He popped her food into his mouth. “You don’t.”
Her eyes flashed. “Stop treating me like a baby!”
Laying her fork down on the edge of her plate, he asked mildly, “Then shall we go back to what we’re talking about? Why did you stand me up?”
“Because I didn’t feel like meeting you.” Her voice was tight, but she couldn’t meet his eyes as she flung the words at him.
Ah.
She wasn’t ready then. Nathan had thought they could get that particular thorn out of the way immediately, but he had obviously miscalculated. Her feelings for the other man were much stronger than he anticipated, but even so he didn’t see how it would pose a problem.
All he wanted Alyx for was her body, anyway.
“You break my heart with your words.” He reached for her fork again.
Alyx snorted. “Tell that to someone who believes you have a heart.” Her brows met in a suspicious frown when she saw him spearing a fry from her plate. “What are you doing?”
“Feeding you?” As Nathan brought the fry to her lips, she pulled away, so quickly she almost toppled back on her chair, and he grinned. “Careful, sweetheart.”
She righted herself, cheeks burning even as she glared at him, hissing, “What the hell, Nathan?”
“It’s just a little piece of fry,” he cajoled. “Go on, sweetheart.”
Her eyes shot sparks at him as she shook her head vehemently. “No!”
“Come on…or I throw this away.”
Her eyes widened.
“That’s right,” he purred. “Did you think I wouldn’t do the slightest bit of research on a woman I’ve been wanting to fuck for months?” For several years now, Alyx had been actively supporting a local church’s program that sought to educate the population about the need for conserving resources.