Need.
I grab the empty stool next to us and sit her on it before I do something stupid.
“That was intense.” Carys moves next to Daphne and calls out over the music, “We’re gonna dance. You coming?”
Daphne shakes her head without breaking our stare. “You go ahead without me.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Becket being drug out on the dance floor with the girls, but my eyes are locked on the beautiful woman sitting in front of me. Her chest rises and falls with each stuttered breath she takes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nods, then slowly reaches out and grabs at my shirt, pulling me toward her hesitantly.
My hands grip the bar on either side of her, caging her in, and we stand locked in this bubble.
The thick tension-filled air grows heavier with every heavy beat of the bass.
Neither of us are willing to break the spell of this moment.
She tugs again, trying to get me where she wants me. But this time, I don’t budge. “Daphne... You’re a beautiful woman.”
A gorgeous, pink flush colors her chest, working its way up to her cheeks, and I desperately want to see how far down her body it goes.
“We shouldn’t do this, Miss Brenner. You work for me.” The words feel like acid leaving my mouth as everything south of it rebels at the idea of rejecting her. But I refuse to be the guy who takes advantage of the situation.
She untangles her hands from the front of my shirt and runs them up my forearms. Her fingers trace the lines of my tattoo. Her dark-purple nails are a stark contrast to her pale skin.
Nails that would feel amazing scouring my back once we’re both stripped of our clothes.
“I do work for you, Mr. Kingston. And you know what the one good thing my piece-of-shit father did for me was?” Without giving me a chance to answer, she leans closer, bringing her lips to the shell of my ear and dropping her voice. “He gave me a twelve-month contract. You can’t fire me for an entire year. We might as well have some fun. I promise you, nothing needs to change. You’ll still drive me crazy Monday morning.”
“I’m not looking for a girlfriend, Daphne.” She’s saying all the right things. But when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
“Good. Because the last thing I need is someone else who thinks they have a say over the way I live, Max. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.” Her eyes dance between mine. “And I’m not looking for it now.”
I move closer, erasing any space between us. “Are you sure?”
My entire body riots at the idea that she could change her mind. But I ask it anyway because it’s the right thing to do.
Daphne nods her head with a beautiful smile on her lips.
“Words, Miss Brenner. I need to hear the words.”
Excitement is hot.
But consent is fucking sexy.
Her fingers tighten on my arms. “I’m sure, Mr. Kingston. Now get me out of here.”
I reach into my pocket and pull three hundred-dollar bills from my wallet and throw them on the bar. “Hey, Sawyer.” I wait for him to look up. “Can you tell Becks to catch an Uber back?”
Sawyer looks between Daphne and me and raises a brow. “Yeah. I’ve got ya covered.”
I frame Daphne’s face in both my hands. “Do you need to text your friends?”
“I’ll do it from the car.”
“No, baby. You’re going to be doing other things in the car. Text your friends.”