The Dare Collection July 2019. Nicola Marsh
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not nervous.” Nervous was a strange, prickly sensation, and Cameron had stinging bees swarming in his stomach.
“You’re the very definition of nervous. If you think I’m not capable—”
“It’s not that.” He couldn’t just leave it at that, no matter how little he wanted to deal with this entire thing. Damn you, Aaron. “Nikki and I...had a short fling a couple years ago. It went sideways pretty fast, and while it shouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, I can’t guarantee that it won’t affect how she treats this meeting.”
Trish sighed. “That would have been good information to have before we started this whole process. I suppose you said something that pissed her off and she dumped you?”
He couldn’t even bristle because it was exactly what had happened, but the exasperation in Trish’s tone said she wasn’t surprised in the least by this turn of events. “We never got far enough for someone to be dumped. There was a first date and the next morning, one minute we were having a conversation that skirted into work, and the next she was kicking me out in only my underwear.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She was all false sympathy and smiles. “You didn’t happen to tell her that her company’s cybersecurity is inferior or something along those lines?”
That was exactly what he’d told her. Cameron poked at his food. “She asked a question and I gave an answer.”
“Oh, you poor thing.” Trish’s laughter pealed through the room. “You wouldn’t know tact if it clobbered you over the head in a dark alley. How long ago was this?”
“A couple years. Three...no, four? I think four.” Shit, he couldn’t remember. It had been just another failed dating experience and he’d moved on with his life, assuming that Nikki would do the same. He still wasn’t sure that she hadn’t moved on with her life.
Trish gave him wide eyes. “You don’t even know. God, what was Aaron thinking, sending you over here? I’m assuming he knows.”
“He knows.” They hadn’t hashed out details, but considering the power Concord Inc. wielded, it wasn’t something he could keep to himself.
“That’s something at least.” She shook her head. “Let me deal with Nikki. You keep your mighty opinions to yourself for the duration of this, unless there’s a need for you to offer specific technical information.”
Though Cameron wasn’t much a fan of being handled, he could admit that he liked the way Trish assumed power without thought. It wasn’t until she ordered him about that he realized she’d been...muted. No, not muted, exactly, but she held herself back normally. Toned herself down. He’d recognized that the sunny disposition was a mask, but he hadn’t realized the depth of the deception she offered the world.
Did she even know herself?
Not my problem.
You made it your problem the second you laid eyes on her.
“I can have a conversation without pissing off everyone in the room.”
“Prove it,” she fired back. “This account is important, and it would reflect badly on both of us if we botch it. You know as well as I do that the second Aaron heard the bad news, he’d be on a flight over here to rectify the situation, and that would upset both him and Becka. We can handle it—we just need to handle it. That starts with you learning when to keep your opinion to yourself.”
“You’re handling me.”
“Damn right I am.” Trish pushed to her feet. She wore a simple black pencil skirt with a deep blue blouse that made her eyes almost glow. It was toned down for her, but he could barely look at her without wanting to slip his hand under her skirt and give her a distraction they both needed.
She pointed at him. “Cease and desist this second.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He stood as well and rounded the table to capture her hips. The height of her heels put her mouth kissably close to his and he found he liked being able to look into her eyes without making the muscles in his neck twinge. Cameron skated his hands over her hips to cup her ass and bring her hips flush against his. “You look devastatingly beautiful today, Trish.”
“I... What?” Her perfectly painted pink lips parted. “You can’t just go and say something like that! I’m in work mode, and you’re flustering me with your pheromones.”
“We haven’t left the suite yet.” He pressed a slow kiss to the pulse fluttering in the hollow of her throat. “Ten minutes won’t make much difference.”
“Oh no you don’t.” She smacked his hands and ducked out of his grip. “Focus, Cameron. This is important and you wouldn’t be making eyes at me if you were thinking with the right head. Focus.”
He huffed out a breath and tried to think past the blood rushing to his cock. She was right. He was better than this. The sex might be outstanding, but it was just sex. It had to be. If he couldn’t compartmentalize, he had no business climbing into her bed to begin with.
“Sorry.” He gave himself a shake. “Give me a minute.”
“Take it. I have to get my purse.” She ducked into her bedroom, leaving him wrestling for control of his reaction to her.
Cameron never lost control. He sure as fuck never lost sight of a work goal to pursue his own pleasure or interests. This morning, he’d done both. Hell, last night he’d done both, too. He’d crossed lines, and there was no way to take those actions back.
He was a selfish bastard because he didn’t want to take it back.
Last night had been the first time in as long as he could remember where his brain had shut off entirely and he’d been functioning on feel alone. It felt good to be with Trish. The sex, yes, but he’d had almost as good a time teasing her about her apparent love for horror movies as he had coaxing her orgasms.
She was a joy.
And he couldn’t have her. Not in any permanent sense.
If he was smart, he’d cut this thing off before it went further. It would hurt her feelings and he’d be walking around pissy as hell about it for a while, but better a little hurt now than to have the situation blow up in both their faces later on. She might not be happy with him—that reaction was all but guaranteed—but she’d understand.
He stood there and made himself imagine how that conversation would go. The hurt flaring over her face, pooling in her deep blue eyes, the way her bottom lip would quiver for the breath of a second before she got control of herself. The sunny smile she’d give him to cover up...
No.
Fuck no.
He might not have her for keeping, but he had her for the time being. And she had him. Cameron wasn’t going to give up a single second with Trish until he had to. If it meant she dealt a blow unlike he’d ever felt when she left...
So be it.
* * *
After Cameron’s cryptic words about Nikki Lancaster, Trish hadn’t known what to expect. A fire-breathing dragon, maybe. The woman that approached them as they walked through the doors of Concord Inc. didn’t fit any of her preconceived notions.
Nikki looked like a warrior goddess. She had her black hair pulled back into a businesslike coif thing and her pantsuit showed off curves for days. It was the glint in her dark eyes that gave Trish the most pause. A fighter scoping out an adversary.
She turned an identical look at Cameron, before she gave him a tight smile. “O’Clery.”
“Nikki.” He touched the small of Trish’s back, urging her a step closer. “This is Trish Livingston, our newest addition.”
Nikki took her in with those witchy dark eyes and Trish