Cage is fuming. It’s in his eyes as he drills me with his gaze. It’s in the clench of his jaw, the tense set of his shoulders. It’s in the way he looms in my peripheral vision as I offer a lame smile to Mr. Vasiliev, whose eyes have begun to sparkle at the news of the most eligible bachelor in New York’s “girlfriend.”

Oh, boy, I’ve blown it, and I really didn’t mean to. I should’ve just told Mr. Vasiliev my name and that’s it, but my nerves took over and I became Motor Mouth.

“A girlfriend,” the delighted man says, squeezing my hand between both of his. “I have not seen news of this in the society pages, Cage. Why have there been no pictures of this lovely woman with you?”

“I’ve kept her under wraps,” Cage says.

His double entendre isn’t lost on me. It’s a reminder that I’m his gift, and I’ve stepped way out of my job description.

Why didn’t I just smile and shut up?

Mr. Vasiliev is still holding my hand, patting it. “You must tell me your secret, dear girl. After all, no woman has been able to pin down my friend here thus far.” His eyes light up even more. “We shall meet for dinner together before I leave town next week, yes?”

If Cage wasn’t furious before, he sure is now. But I wonder if I’m the only one who can see it since Mr. Vasiliev doesn’t seem to notice.

“Yes,” Cage says. “I’ll arrange a time and place with you, Igor.”

“Splendid. But now I see that my grandchildren are already out the door. I promised them a visit to the Central Park Carousel, and they mean to hold me to it.”

As Mr. Vasiliev gives another gentlemanly bow to me, I smile again, keeping my mouth closed so I don’t do any more damage. Meanwhile, I pray for a hole to open up in the black-and-white tiled floor and swallow me so I won’t have to deal with the hell that’s about to rain down.

After all the goodbyes are said and Mr. Vasiliev has left, I brace for Cage to lay into me. But he shocks me by staying silent, sliding our ice cream treats onto a table, and pulling out my chair.

I sit, gauging his mood as he takes a seat across from me. My gut tells me that I’m still in hot water.

“Eat,” he says.

He doesn’t bark out a command. It’s more like a firm suggestion, and that worries me. In fact, he’s so cool that it’s even worse than being yelled at.

My stomach is so curdled that I can’t eat a thing. I only use my long spoon to play with my sundae, and every time I look at Cage I try to let him know how sorry I am for my dumb mistake.

As everyone else in the shop laughs and has a grand old time under the sound of vintage music, his silence gnaws away at me. Then the dreaded moment finally arrives.

He leans forward only slightly, fixing his raging gaze on me. “You told Igor Vasiliev that we’re seeing each other.”

I only nod.

“Why?”

His tone rubs me the wrong way, instinctively getting my defenses up, just like yesterday when he was such a prick to me about my dead phone.

I calmly put down my spoon and fold my hands in my lap. Then I lean toward him so I can whisper back. “Would you have preferred that I said I was a paid escort?”

Oh, he doesn’t like that. If there’s such a thing as beyond-pissed, he’s it. But he’s still controlled, even now. The burning rage in his gaze is like a cold fire that seethes inside of him.

“Listen,” I say. “I was nervous and put on the spot. If I could take it back, I would.”

“There are no do-overs in this scenario.”

Bummer, because I could sure use one.

“Karini,” he says evenly. “Igor Vasiliev is very important to Bryant Industries. He’s considering partnering with us for many, many millions of dollars with my recruiting business in Russia.”

“Okay. But he seemed happy with you when he left. Wasn’t he?”

My naiveté does not charm Cage.

He ignores my optimistic comment. “This is a deal that needs to go through, or my business will take an enormous hit. My investors and board of directors will lose faith in me if things go south with Igor.” He’s still leaning toward me, and I can even see shards of silver in his blue eyes. “I’ve promised everyone this deal on a silver platter, and now it’s at risk.”

“How?”

He leans back in his chair and bars his arms over his wide chest. One of his fingers taps as if he’s counting to himself, bringing down his temper number by number.

“Is there anything you noticed about him?” he finally asks. “Anything that stood out to an observant person such as you?”

It’s a cut disguised as a compliment, and I fist my hands in my lap. “He seems…nice. And very understanding.”

He only gives me a look like I’m gum on the bottom of his expensive designer shoe, and it’s as condescending as hell.

My own temper bucks up again. “He was courteous, gentlemanly, and kind of…old fashioned.”

“Very good, Karini. You’re right—Igor is extremely traditional, and that includes his views. He’s been a bit reluctant in his dealings with Bryant Industries, in large part because I’m not married and I don’t have children. He considers such men to be unstable, and it’s taken a great deal of wooing to even get Igor to the point where he’s considering a partnership.”

“I still don’t—”

“Understand? You saw how approving he was at the mere thought that I had settled on one woman.”

“Yes.”

“So what do you think will happen if Igor never sees you again?”

Oh.

Oh.

Now I’m starting to get it.

I nudge the sundae away from me. It’s getting runny, and I can’t even think about how yummy it might’ve been if I hadn’t freaked out and thrown out the word girlfriend to Mr. Vasiliev.

Cage is still tapping his finger. “Let me paint that picture for you. If you don’t show up to our dinner, Igor will believe that I’ve dumped you—just like he thinks I do to all the women I go out on the town with. He’s going to see me as untrustworthy. He’ll rethink the deal. That’s how his mind works. To him, a family man is the only man he wants to have a business relationship with.”

“So you’re saying that I’ve undone all of your hard work, is that it?”

His silence once again speaks volumes.

One stupid word—girlfriend—is causing so much trouble. And it’s all my fault. I own this, but there has to be something I can do to improve matters.

“I’m going to make this right somehow,” I say softly.

Cage lets out a long, rough breath. His tapping finger goes still, and he uncrosses his arms. Then he leans forward again and lowers his voice to a harsh whisper so no one around us will hear.

“I’ve already decided that we’re going to continue the ruse of being a couple. We’re going to make a dinner date as Igor expects us to.”

Guilt presses down on my chest. Some gift I am. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“But it did. You were thoughtless.”

His rudeness makes me flinch. If he was a prick yesterday, he’s double the fun now.

I stand out of my chair, my back stiff. “You don’t have to be such a pill about it.”

“A pill. Like aspirin? Because I’ll need some of that with the headache you’ve given me.”

“Aw, poor baby.” I’m starting to see red. He just brings it out in me—from zero to sixty in a hot moment. “It’s beyond me how you manage a billion-dollar industry if something like this makes your delicate head hurt. Surely you’ve dealt with worse.”

He slowly brings his gaze back to me, searing me with it. Now he’s really good and pissed, because my backtalk has obviously rubbed him the wrong way. I’m not sure people generally talk to Cage Bryant like this, and something makes me a little proud that I’m the one who’s dared to do it.

Then something changes in his eyes. He’s not just angry at me. It’s like a switch has been flipped on in him, and he…

Good god, it’s almost as if he’s thinking that I need a good spanking.

And he’s the one who’d dearly love to do it.

My instincts have me rushing away from the table, heading toward the restrooms where I can shut myself in until he gets a hold of the urge I saw in him—a dark, powerful sexual attraction that doesn’t make sense to me.

But my body sure understands it. That’s why I’m making such good time weaving through the tables of chattering people, my adrenaline screaming and pulsing with a desire of my own that scares me just as much.

I hurry into the hallway, then nearly breathe a sigh of relief as I open the door to one of a few unisex single restrooms and—

Cage’s hand reaches over me and pushes open the door. Before I know it, he’s pulling me inside by my dress, then locking the door behind him.

The crazy heat in his gaze is still burning, sizzling into the very center of me and making me go liquid inside…and outside. In my belly…in my pussy. Temptation bubbles until my clit hums with the heat.

As I back away from him, my breathing cuts through me, and when I hit the tiled wall, I feel trapped.

An insane laugh wells up in my chest, and I realize something about myself.

I like this.

Cage takes his time approaching me, and the closer he comes, the more my heartbeat rages.

“You want to get a rise out of me?” he asks grittily. “Then keep giving me more attitude.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I say breathlessly.

“Oh, yes you do.”

He pauses a few tense feet away from me, and a naughty buzz begins to saw through all of me.

“Give me that sass again, Karini,” he murmurs with that darkness in his eyes. “And let’s see what happens.”