himself until she did so to
avoid scaring her off.
Leah lifted her eyes to
his. "D-do you think I c-could get a glass of w-water?" she asked, thinking
that if she wanted to actually talk to him she needed to do something about her
dry mouth, which was getting worse by the second.
He chuckled softly at
her request, let go of her hands, and stood. "I think I might be able to
manage that. Wait here and I'll be right back." He considered summoning a
servant to fetch the water, but knew instinctively that Leah needed some time
to get herself under control so he left her alone, making his way down to the
kitchen.
Filling a glass with
ice he pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He thought about
offering her something stronger, since it was apparent she needed it, but he
wanted her clear-headed when they began their discussion. He made it a policy
not to mix alcohol with business, whether it was business business or personal
business, doing so invariably led to bad decisions, and he didn't want Leah to
regret anything she might agree to.
As he walked back
upstairs to his study with the glass and bottle of water he found himself uncertain
how to start the discussion that was to take place; he hadn't experienced such
uncertainty before and found himself wondering at the cause of it.
When Rhett had left the
room Leah stood and began pacing the study, trying to calm her nerves. She told
herself that it was just a meeting, and she shouldn't freak out, part of her
degree course had involved mock meetings to get her used to such experiences, but
part of her wondered if he was going to want to have sex with her when the
meeting was over and she worried about that. She wasn't sure she was ready for
that, even though she knew sex was a large part of what she was there for.
In opposition to the
thought that he would want to have sex with her when the meeting was over was
the thought that he wouldn't. Leah wasn't sure which possibility was worse.
She had no idea what
was going to happen, either during the meeting or after it, and not knowing was
making her a nervous wreck.
"Are you going to
touch me tonight?" Leah blurted the question the moment Rhett re-entered
the study, her hand flew to her mouth the instant the words were out, shocked
that she had voiced what was on her mind.
He chuckled deeply and
held out the glass, which he filled from the bottle when she took it from him.
"I'm glad you found your voice, Sweetheart." He smiled as she took
the drink and took a long sip. "Why don't we sit and talk about it."
He had expected to have to coax her into opening up; it made things much easier
having her blurt out such a question.
Leah took another sip
of water, surprised that she was able to hold the glass without dropping it,
her hands were shaking that badly. Although she was embarrassed at having
blurted the question, now it was out in the open she felt less nervous.
"Sorry," she whispered as she returned to the couch and sat again.
He joined her, resting
his long arm on the back of the couch behind her. "Don't be sorry. Tonight
I want you to be completely open with me, I want you to ask and say anything
that comes into your mind. This is why we're here, to discuss things and to
negotiate." He was pleased to see that she kept her eyes on him as he
spoke and didn't try to look away. "To answer your question, no, I am not
going to touch you tonight, unless you ask me to that is."
Leah's eyes widened at
his words, she hadn't expected him to give her a choice. "I'm
confused." She felt a little more confident and it showed in her voice,
which didn't waver as it had when she asked him about being touched.
"What are you
confused about?" Rhett smiled indulgently, happy to let her lead the
conversation for the time being.
"I thought you
would be in control of what we did." She took another quick sip of water,
feeling her tongue loosen and her confidence rise as the water moistened her
mouth.
"If you accept my
terms tonight
avoid scaring her off.
Leah lifted her eyes to
his. "D-do you think I c-could get a glass of w-water?" she asked, thinking
that if she wanted to actually talk to him she needed to do something about her
dry mouth, which was getting worse by the second.
He chuckled softly at
her request, let go of her hands, and stood. "I think I might be able to
manage that. Wait here and I'll be right back." He considered summoning a
servant to fetch the water, but knew instinctively that Leah needed some time
to get herself under control so he left her alone, making his way down to the
kitchen.
Filling a glass with
ice he pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He thought about
offering her something stronger, since it was apparent she needed it, but he
wanted her clear-headed when they began their discussion. He made it a policy
not to mix alcohol with business, whether it was business business or personal
business, doing so invariably led to bad decisions, and he didn't want Leah to
regret anything she might agree to.
As he walked back
upstairs to his study with the glass and bottle of water he found himself uncertain
how to start the discussion that was to take place; he hadn't experienced such
uncertainty before and found himself wondering at the cause of it.
When Rhett had left the
room Leah stood and began pacing the study, trying to calm her nerves. She told
herself that it was just a meeting, and she shouldn't freak out, part of her
degree course had involved mock meetings to get her used to such experiences, but
part of her wondered if he was going to want to have sex with her when the
meeting was over and she worried about that. She wasn't sure she was ready for
that, even though she knew sex was a large part of what she was there for.
In opposition to the
thought that he would want to have sex with her when the meeting was over was
the thought that he wouldn't. Leah wasn't sure which possibility was worse.
She had no idea what
was going to happen, either during the meeting or after it, and not knowing was
making her a nervous wreck.
"Are you going to
touch me tonight?" Leah blurted the question the moment Rhett re-entered
the study, her hand flew to her mouth the instant the words were out, shocked
that she had voiced what was on her mind.
He chuckled deeply and
held out the glass, which he filled from the bottle when she took it from him.
"I'm glad you found your voice, Sweetheart." He smiled as she took
the drink and took a long sip. "Why don't we sit and talk about it."
He had expected to have to coax her into opening up; it made things much easier
having her blurt out such a question.
Leah took another sip
of water, surprised that she was able to hold the glass without dropping it,
her hands were shaking that badly. Although she was embarrassed at having
blurted the question, now it was out in the open she felt less nervous.
"Sorry," she whispered as she returned to the couch and sat again.
He joined her, resting
his long arm on the back of the couch behind her. "Don't be sorry. Tonight
I want you to be completely open with me, I want you to ask and say anything
that comes into your mind. This is why we're here, to discuss things and to
negotiate." He was pleased to see that she kept her eyes on him as he
spoke and didn't try to look away. "To answer your question, no, I am not
going to touch you tonight, unless you ask me to that is."
Leah's eyes widened at
his words, she hadn't expected him to give her a choice. "I'm
confused." She felt a little more confident and it showed in her voice,
which didn't waver as it had when she asked him about being touched.
"What are you
confused about?" Rhett smiled indulgently, happy to let her lead the
conversation for the time being.
"I thought you
would be in control of what we did." She took another quick sip of water,
feeling her tongue loosen and her confidence rise as the water moistened her
mouth.
"If you accept my
terms tonight
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