and…” she sighed. “I’m sorry,
but Claire really needs me.”
“And I don’t?”
She grimaced, but was relieved that there didn’t
seem to be any rage in his voice. Just disappointment.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Well, taking care of your friends is part of your
charm.”
There was a long silence. Serena held her breath
and finally had to speak.
“Are you angry?”
“Not so much angry as disappointed.” He sighed. “I
had quite a night planned.”
She closed her eyes and whimpered slightly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Perhaps now would be a good time to set some
ground rules,” he said slowly.
“Such as?”
“First, before you make future commitments, you
will contact me. Obviously, tonight wasn’t something
you could expect. I heard something had happened to
Claire. Not the details, of course. Men don’t usually
concern themselves with the details of a relationship
unless it’s their own.”
“Wait a second,” Serena interrupted. “You heard?
You do work in the building then? Or even the
company? I thought so, otherwise you wouldn’t have
been able to put the books on…” Her voice trailed off.
The second book had been inside her locked desk
drawer. Maybe five people knew for certain where she
kept her extra key. Maybe another five could make
educated guesses. “How the hell did you get the book in
my desk drawer? Who are you? What do you want from
me?”
“I’ll answer only the last question.”
“No, I—”
“Serena, I have very good reasons for not telling
you who I am. I realize it’s a lot to ask, but I need you to
trust me.”
“I want to,” she forced the words out. “But I haven’t
had much luck trusting men.”
“Bad relationships?”
“Yes.”
There was a slight pause.
“Personal or professional?”
Serena felt her jaw drop. Was he psychic? Who was
he? How on earth could he even guess that? She
couldn’t think of anything at work that would even hint
of an issue with men. None that had become public
knowledge, at least.
“Serena? From your silence, I’m going to guess that
it was a bit of both.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Serena, I can tell you’re dying to ask me
something. Ask it.”
“Do I know you? Do I see you every day?”
“Yes, you know me.”
Serena pulled her legs up and wrapped her free arm
around them. This man was someone she knew.
Someone she worked with. There was no telling what he
knew about her. Or, she realized, what she knew about
him, if she knew who he was. Shaking, she rested her
head on her knees.
“Are you involved with someone? Are you in a
relation—”
“No,” he answered abruptly. “I owe nothing to any
woman. Or man,” he added, considering what she had
said about Claire. “I understand your fears, Serena.
Let’s go through a few basic questions so I get a better
idea of where things stand. I don’t want to assume
something
about
you
and
frighten
you
or
unintentionally hurt you. I need to know just what
sexual experiences you’ve had. All right?”
“Yes,” she whispered, feeling slightly reassured.
“First question?”
“Have you ever been blindfolded or bound during
sex?”
“No, nor spanked or—”
“Let me ask the questions.”
“Sorry,” she winced, although he sounded more
amused than irritated.
“But I’ll make a note of that,” he murmured. “So
you’ve really only been involved in vanilla sex.”
“What does that mean?”
“Mostly you on the bottom, him on top. Every now
and then, you would be on top. That about describe it?”
“Except for me being on top. I’ve only had sex with
two men. Once in high school and neither of us knew
what we were doing. And,” she exhaled noisily, “the last
one told me I wasn’t very good at sex. He said I didn’t
seem to enjoy it or know what to do or anything.”
“Did he know he was practically your first lover?”
“Yes.”
“In other words, he threw
but Claire really needs me.”
“And I don’t?”
She grimaced, but was relieved that there didn’t
seem to be any rage in his voice. Just disappointment.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Well, taking care of your friends is part of your
charm.”
There was a long silence. Serena held her breath
and finally had to speak.
“Are you angry?”
“Not so much angry as disappointed.” He sighed. “I
had quite a night planned.”
She closed her eyes and whimpered slightly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Perhaps now would be a good time to set some
ground rules,” he said slowly.
“Such as?”
“First, before you make future commitments, you
will contact me. Obviously, tonight wasn’t something
you could expect. I heard something had happened to
Claire. Not the details, of course. Men don’t usually
concern themselves with the details of a relationship
unless it’s their own.”
“Wait a second,” Serena interrupted. “You heard?
You do work in the building then? Or even the
company? I thought so, otherwise you wouldn’t have
been able to put the books on…” Her voice trailed off.
The second book had been inside her locked desk
drawer. Maybe five people knew for certain where she
kept her extra key. Maybe another five could make
educated guesses. “How the hell did you get the book in
my desk drawer? Who are you? What do you want from
me?”
“I’ll answer only the last question.”
“No, I—”
“Serena, I have very good reasons for not telling
you who I am. I realize it’s a lot to ask, but I need you to
trust me.”
“I want to,” she forced the words out. “But I haven’t
had much luck trusting men.”
“Bad relationships?”
“Yes.”
There was a slight pause.
“Personal or professional?”
Serena felt her jaw drop. Was he psychic? Who was
he? How on earth could he even guess that? She
couldn’t think of anything at work that would even hint
of an issue with men. None that had become public
knowledge, at least.
“Serena? From your silence, I’m going to guess that
it was a bit of both.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Serena, I can tell you’re dying to ask me
something. Ask it.”
“Do I know you? Do I see you every day?”
“Yes, you know me.”
Serena pulled her legs up and wrapped her free arm
around them. This man was someone she knew.
Someone she worked with. There was no telling what he
knew about her. Or, she realized, what she knew about
him, if she knew who he was. Shaking, she rested her
head on her knees.
“Are you involved with someone? Are you in a
relation—”
“No,” he answered abruptly. “I owe nothing to any
woman. Or man,” he added, considering what she had
said about Claire. “I understand your fears, Serena.
Let’s go through a few basic questions so I get a better
idea of where things stand. I don’t want to assume
something
about
you
and
frighten
you
or
unintentionally hurt you. I need to know just what
sexual experiences you’ve had. All right?”
“Yes,” she whispered, feeling slightly reassured.
“First question?”
“Have you ever been blindfolded or bound during
sex?”
“No, nor spanked or—”
“Let me ask the questions.”
“Sorry,” she winced, although he sounded more
amused than irritated.
“But I’ll make a note of that,” he murmured. “So
you’ve really only been involved in vanilla sex.”
“What does that mean?”
“Mostly you on the bottom, him on top. Every now
and then, you would be on top. That about describe it?”
“Except for me being on top. I’ve only had sex with
two men. Once in high school and neither of us knew
what we were doing. And,” she exhaled noisily, “the last
one told me I wasn’t very good at sex. He said I didn’t
seem to enjoy it or know what to do or anything.”
“Did he know he was practically your first lover?”
“Yes.”
“In other words, he threw
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