“You’re not leaving again.” Nick climbs off the bed and stops me from getting dressed. “I’ll get you a robe. Feel like a drink?”

I plant my feet on the floor and reach to pick up my shirt. He folds his arms across his chest, daring me to defy him. I think about arguing, about doing the same thing I did the last two times. Fuck and run. It’s simple.

So why don’t I leave this time?

“Fine,” I grumble.

“That’s better… makes it easier.”

“Makes what easier?”

“Letting you suck me dry, again.”

I pull at my hair. That’s on me.

He leaves for the kitchen section of his suite, and on his return with a bottle of wine and an opener, he plunks down on the bed next to me. “How crazy would it sound if I told you I don’t believe we’re not really competitors for Tapped?

Anger starts to flit across her face. “This again?”

“Will you relax and listen for a second? Or do I have to have this conversation while I’m fucking your brains out? It can be arranged, just so you know.”

“Go ahead.”

He turns to look at me, working at the label on the bottle while he talks.

“We should work together.”

I sputter. My attempt at talking turning into a laugh. “Us?”

He nods.

I study Nick for a moment, trying to figure out if he’s being straight with me or not. “You and I?”

“Yes.”

I let out a breath. “Look, we’ve had a lot of fun today, but this wasn’t supposed to go beyond the first time at my front door. Whatever you’re thinking about from a project perspective, well, it’s already a bad idea…mostly because we don’t exactly get along.”

“Yes, especially as you’re quick to judge and slow to listen.”

I square my shoulders. “And you’re an arrogant ass who expects the world to just be handed to him! In fact, you had such a good time with me that you’re just trying to figure out a way to take me with you, like some trinket you’d pick up at the souvenir shop.”

His nostrils flare. I’ve hit a sore spot. “I have my flaws. Maybe they include wanting to get to know you better, and possibly showing you a few things.”

I grind my teeth and look away.

“You act like you want to matter, but the truth is you’ve been selling yourself short since you left each of the big four consulting firms.”

“Okay. Fine. We both have flaws.” I let my eyes slip back to his. “But what are you proposing, exactly?”

“This.” He pops the champagne. White froth bursts from its lip, overflowing and headed for the carpet. Snatching up a wine glass from the counter, he catches the sweet bubbly liquid just in time. “Let’s put our meetings with Tapped on hold and design something together.”

My brows knit together. “I don’t know.”

It sounds too good to be true. Working with a top seed company like Nick’s can position me for bigger, better projects later on. Still, there are just too many questions.

He fills up two cups and brings them back to the bed. “What do you need to know to be as decisive as when you invited me back to your room earlier?”

“Please tell me you’re not seriously comparing sleeping with you one time with working with you for as long as a year. Are you?”

“How is it any different from what you were expecting from Tapped today?”

I slowly take the cup offered to me. “Us. Our dynamic. I mean, how are we supposed to get past it?”

Nick takes a drink of champagne. “More touching and less talking.”

I groan. “I’m being serious.”

“So am I. You won’t work directly with me. I’m more hands-on in business development. Which is why you can help on the software development side.”

“I think I get it, but honestly, it already sounds complicated.”

“What part?”

“Working for you by day and letting you rule me at night.”

He grins. “We have a connection. A synergy.”

I gnaw on my bottom lip. “True…in the bedroom. Tell me precisely why you believe that my working for you, benefits you at all. And I’m talking about your company.”

Nick is quiet for a minute. Either he’s thinking really hard or he has no answer and is about to retract his offer altogether. I really hope it’s not the latter. “Easy,” he finally says. “You have fresh ideas and experience with project management in traditional firms. I have insider experience.”

I take a drink of champagne. Can partnering with him actually work? Business and pleasure together? It sounds messy.

“Can I think about it? Say, over the holidays. But I’ll let you know right after New Years. You won’t have to wonder about my decision for too long.”

He smiles. “Definitely. If you’d like, I’ll fly you out to our offices to meet some of my team before you decide.”

“We’re going to have to keep things professional between us.”

He shakes his head. “Not gonna happen.”

Does this guy ever listen to reason? “You’re offering me a position that’s conditional on my sleeping with you.”

Nick laughs. “No. I’m offering you a private contractor agreement, first of all. You’ll work for yourself, not as my employee. And yes, I’ll work hard to keep you…with perks I can only give you from my bed.”

I tap my finger against my cup and think about it some more. It’s bound to fail. Never mind that he has made a memorable impression on my womb.

My mouth twists. “Is Tapped your end game at all?”

He nods. “That’s the question I was waiting for.”

“Okay, is it, or isn’t it? All this roundabout cryptic-speak is making me dizzy.”

“Here’s what I suggest. Fly back with me. Meet my team. We’ll flesh out the details after Christmas. You can decide then.”

The offer sounds good. Excellent.

Now I’m really excited. “You think we can do it? Get Tapped?”

Nick raises his cup. “They’re the tip of the iceberg but yes.”

I knock my plastic cup against his. “Deal. I’ll come check it out.”

His grin lifts. “And here I thought you’d need to sleep on it.”

“Sleep on a non-decision?” I slide up his leg and let it come to rest on his cock. “I thought you’d much prefer for me to sleep on this.”

He’s on me again, dragging me down into the perfect push and pull, pleasure and pain mess that’s the two of us.