His dark eyes turn into a sly understanding. “You don’t play fair, Coraline.”
“If anyone isn’t playing fair, it would be you, the man who would make me orgasm but never truly touch me. That was torture.”
“Was it?” he deadpans. “Because as I was choking down fishy peas, you were orgasming. Tell me how that’s worse?”
“Because I was the one being tortured.”
His head falls back, showing the thick of his neck as he laughs. It’s a delicious sound, carefree, full of true joy, and in this moment, I realize the Pike I’ve been living with is the same man I’m having dinner with right now.
Nothing has changed other than now I can start to lower my wall and open up to him. And appreciate him. Rather than resist him.
When I first met him, he was aloof, distanced, but since he let me into his world, I can see he’s anything but that. He’s sweet, charming, and a good man. He takes his relationships seriously, even the ones with his friends. That’s evident in the way he treats Keiko and protects her.
We take a few minutes to look over the menu, marveling at the varied dishes, and decide to split each of our entrees so we can have a taste of the two dishes we were trying to decide between. We also ordered some waters, skipping the alcoholic beverages tonight—for obvious reasons. I don’t believe I’ll be drinking anything anytime soon.
Once we’ve ordered, I cross one of my legs over the other and rest my hands on my lap. “You’re so far away.”
“Missing me?”
“Do you really think I would admit to something like that?”
He rests his large hand on the table and my eyes go to his thick fingers, fingers I’ve felt deep inside me, curving, pulsing.
“I would expect you to admit to something like that.” His jovial disposition switches into a commanding one, drawing my attention quickly to those devilish eyes. “After all that you’ve put me through, I expect more from you now.”
I wet my lips, turned on from the authoritative lilt. “What else do you expect from me?”
“Are you looking for a list?”
“Are you offering one up?”
The cashmere of his sweater stretches across his thick chest as he shifts in the booth, his hand resting on the table now bringing his glass to his mouth. Dressed in a five o’clock shadow, his jaw is sinister, caked in scruff and pulled tight from his demanding stare.
Cockiness in his every move, he says, “I have one if you’re actually going to listen.”
The smallest of smirks pulls at the corner of my lips. “I’m listening.”
“Good, because I will not repeat myself.”
My nipples grow hard, pressing against the thin lace of the demi bra I wore specifically for Pike so he’ll be enthralled when taking it off me later tonight.
“Is this the asshole side of you showing?”
His eyes bore into me, capturing my attention. “This is what you get when you’re married to me. The fun, the demanding, the caring. This is the demanding side.”
I lean in close to him, my voice a whisper as I say, “I hope this carries into the bedroom, because with every word you speak, you’re turning me on.”
“Foreplay is in everything you do. Remember that.”
Noted.
He sets down his glass, and condensation remains on his fingers, and I watch as he slowly rubs his fingers together, his thumb smoothing over the tips until the water disappears.
“When you’re sharing a bed with me, you’re either naked or wearing my shirt,” he starts. “You should be well aware of this by now.”
“I am. Trust me.”
“I expect you to be honest with me. No games. Just you and me, nothing between us.”
“Given how my previous marriage went down, I would enjoy the same in return,” I say.
“You’ll get nothing but honesty from me, Coraline. And Keiko told me that you were divorced. I hadn’t realized that, so I’m sorry if my determination to stay married rattled you.”
I shrug, then smile and stretch my hand out to him. To my luck, he leans forward and takes it, intertwining our fingers, his large ones making my fingers look tiny in comparison. I’m not ready to talk to Pike about the disaster that was my first marriage.
“No more pranks, no more trying to push me away.” His eyes bore into me, like steel, pinning me straight. “You have given yourself to me, which means I get all of you, the past, your thoughts, your baggage. I want all of it. No holding back.”