I was more attached to her.
12
Fletcher
The goddess of death and hot sex—I really fucking hoped—finally accepted my invitation and she brought along her own version of blank-faced, dead-eyed bodyguard, who looked perfectly capable of snapping me in half.
Where did she find him, "jacked-are-us"? Still, she was here and I had wine and food. His empty stare would make me nervous, but I'd survived two plus decades of Reed family holiday gatherings that could double as corporate retreats meet Survivor. Besides, I wasn't exactly unarmed this time.
"Wine?" I offered even as I poured her a glass. If she wanted to give one to Fido, she could do that herself. I had a feeling any hand I extended in his direction would come back a bloody stump.
"This is business, Fletcher," she chastised me in that fuck-me-into-oblivion sex voice of hers. Whether she strode in like the avenging warrior-goddess and tore apart Dion like it was easy, or was sitting there next to me in that prim and proper dull outfit that just begged me to strip it off and free the woman beneath, my cock was one hundred percent on board.
Not that my cock made the best business decisions, but I had a feeling fucking her would be worth a pound or two of my flesh. Especially if she let me pound into her the way I'd been fantasizing.
"Are you sure I can't kill him?" The politeness of his snarl didn't make it any less entertaining. If anything, it just heightened my interest. Clearly, I wasn't the only man ready to throw myself into the fire with her.
Yep, that was me, making the best life decisions. "Take it easy, Kong, Drew is hardly Faye Wray. I'm not going to steal her away." Yet. I didn't say it. But he heard it. For one moment, we locked gazes and yeah, he got the message.
Manicured nails tapped the table once, and broke the visual standoff, with him glancing at her a micro-second before me.
Okay, maybe we looked at the same time. Amusement flickered in those golden eyes of hers. "Are you done trying to show off?"
"Me?" I said slowly. "Never. But I did plan a lunch and I do intend to feed you, and since you brought Fido along, I can feed him, too."
The barest shake of her head had me cutting a look to where Fido's muscles flexed under the cut of that suit jacket. It was casual, but there was no mistaking it barely fit his arm bulging physique. Either he'd been putting on muscle or she hadn't taken the same care with his appearance as she had her own.
No. She had taken specific care. "I can mingle business and pleasure," I informed her as I rose. My knee could have brushed hers, but I had some class. I made a point ofnottouching her. "In fact," I continued, extending my hand toward the guard dog. "I insist. I'm Fletcher. Who are yougoingto be?"
I tapped my tongue piercing against the roof of my mouth. It helped me collect my thoughts. Or at least not shoot off my mouth. Sometimes. The moment stretched out as he studied my hand, then me. With care, he pushed his chair back and rose. Damn, the guy seemed even bigger with only the table and Vienna between us.
But height wise?
We were dead even.
I grinned and kept my hand out there. Come on puppy dog, sense that I'm not a threat... The mental encouragement didn't get me anywhere as he looked ready to fold his arms.
How long we could hold this pose seemed to be our next test of wills. Fine by me. Winning took patience and finesse, two qualities I possessed in abundance.
"Rick," he said all of a sudden and then clasped my hand. "My name is going to be Rick, Fletch."
"—er," I finished for him as he tried to break my hand with his firm grip. I returned the favor. I had cousins who loved to try and prove their dick length by how hard they could grind my bones together. "Fletcher. Fletch is a bad movie that I'd prefer not to be identified with."
"Too bad, you seem like a Fletch."
A soft clearing of the throat dragged our attention down to the woman who now leaned back in her chair, arms folded, with one leg crossed over the other. The faint shift of the tablecloth told me so much.
"Uh oh," I murmured to my new enemy-ally or maybe my ally-enemy—either way, he was competition and I could either make him my friend or get rid of him, but how remained to be seen. "We're in trouble."
"No," my new not-friend informed me. "You're trying her patience." He gave my arm a solid yank and it pulled me forward a step. Fuck. "Stop."
"Thank you, Rick," Drew said in a breathy little whisper that had my cock snapping sharply in her direction. My compass finding my magnetic north and it pointed right into the depth of darkness and danger housed in her eyes.
Well, you only lived once.
Mostly.
He finally released my hand and only pride kept me from trying to shake feeling back into it. Rick retook his seat and I glanced at Drew, we'd been dancing a merry verbal tango for days, she gave nothing away as she studied me.