The unknown factor was how she’d respond to a deeper connection. Could she accept his lifestyle? Did her father warn her to stay away from him? Sure, they’d talked on the phone, but those conversations weren’t even the tip of the iceberg. He wanted so much more from her than friendly conversation.
Not that he spent his every waking moment committing crimes, because he didn’t. In fact, less than ten percent of his day had anything to do with that side of things. If it were up to his uncle, he’d take over the business in another couple of years. His goal was to do anything except that.
“Tristan?”
The sultry tone of her voice reached him from across the room. Turning to look at her, he took in her attire and almost smiled. Her hair was in a loose bun of some sort on top of her head. That beautiful face he’d dreamed about so much over the past five days was smudged with dirt or wood dust, he couldn’t quite tell. Today she wore a gray short-sleeve T-shirt, light blue jeans that hung low on her hips, the hem of her jeans were half-tucked into the lip of a pair of well-worn tan work boots.
She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.
“Hi, Camille.” Now that he was here, he wanted so much more than to just have a conversation. He wanted to grab her face in his hands and kiss her until the taste of her was embedded in his taste buds.
“I didn’t know you were stopping by today. You didn’t mention it when we spoke last night. Um, is there something I can do for you?”
He knew she was confused by his presence. “Do you have a place where we can talk?”
With a sudden flutter of her hands, she looked around the lobby, as if she’d forgotten what her own office looked like. Flashing a smile in his direction, she nodded. “Yes, my office. This way.”
Passing by the reception desk, she called out to the young woman still staring at him. “Close your mouth, Rebecca. Something’s gonna fly in there. Oh, and let Tim know I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Shaking his head at her bluntness, Tristan couldn’t help but appreciate her no-nonsense approach to things. Camille was unlike any woman he’d ever dealt with before. He found he was looking forward to the challenge.
Once they made it to her office, he wasn’t surprised to find the masculine feel of her space. Dark wood, clean lines, sturdy furniture. There were pictures of her and her family on walls, along with her degrees and other certifications.
It seemed the more he learned about the woman Camille was, the more he wanted to know.
“So, what brings you to my door? Especially since we’ve talked almost every night.”
Her voice was made to drive him crazy with desire. Every time he heard her speak, his mind conjured up visions of her underneath him. Her voice moaning out his name as he stroked inside her body. His cock thickened in his pants as he conjured up a vision of her body naked and covered in sweat.
“Go out with me,” he demanded.
She smiled. One of those smiles meant to calm down psychotic men who pressed too hard for a date or catcalled at them in the street.
“Um…Tristan, I—”
He knew she was going to refuse. Something he couldn’t allow.
Stepping closer to her, he repeated his request. “Go out with me, Camille. I tried to stay away from you. Wanted to stay away. I thought our phone calls would help me resist coming to you. I really did want to give you space. Hell, I couldn’t even make it through a week.” He looked down at her hands, which she held in front of her, before he grabbed them within his own. His thumb rubbed along the roughened skin. Tristan smiled. His future woman was no wilting violet. “Sweetheart, I’m not the kind of man you need in your life. If I were a good man, I’d leave and never come back. But I’m not a good man. I go after what I want. I may not be the one you need, but I’m damn sure going to make sure I’m the one you want.” He laughed under his breath after he said the words because Tristan knew he wouldn’t let this chance slip by. “There’s something about you. I can’t seem to walk away. Give me one night to show you just how good things could be with us.”
“My dad told me I needed to be careful when it came to you. I usually try to do what my father says.”
Capturing her gaze with his, he nodded. He knew the words her father said were true. She needed a man who worked a job with regular hours. One who didn’t require bodyguards, special alarms on his house, or who had the blood of so many on his hands. Yes, her father was right to tell her to stay wary of him. But even with that knowledge of the truth, there was no way he could stay away from her.
“But you still want to go out with me,” he nudged. They both knew it was true. His attraction was not a one-way street, and he wouldn’t let her deny it. He saw the way she looked at him.
Stepping closer, he came within inches of her body. While he stood in his impeccable, tailored to fit suit, she was the total opposite of him with her dust and dirt-smudged face and dirty work jeans. Yet, no woman had ever enticed him more. Her natural, soft scent was just noticeable under the smell of oak and cedar.
It took everything in him to not grab her up by the arms and bring her body flush against his. Tristan wanted her to know how she affected him. On the other hand, Camille wasn’t some young groupie he could treat like she wouldn’t matter the next morning.
This had to be done the right way. If he made the wrong move, it could ruin all the plans he’d created over the past few days.
“But…” she smiled up at him. That one word came out in a soft, breathless tone. She wasn’t as immune to him as she wanted him to believe.
“In this situation, I need you to take a chance. Since the day I saw you, I’ve wanted you. My mind is telling me I should leave you alone. Stay away from you. On the other hand, other parts of me are telling me if I don’t do my damnedest to make you mine, I’ll regret it. So will you.”
She didn’t move back from him after that bold statement. If anything, she leaned a bit closer. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise,” he responded.