Chapter 15 #2
Something else grew more pronounced, too. The hard and undoubtedly large evidence of how much he liked what I was doing pressed into my backside.
A knock echoed on the door.
I flew off his lap like a cat thrown into water.
He didn’t move. He stayed where he was, his head tipped back, his eyes closed, and his hands fisted on each side of him. The air around him shimmered.
“Don’t run,” he warned as I stood beside him, considering just that. “It would be safer for whoever is outside that door if you stayed right where you are.”
The door opened, and two servers came in. One carried a large tray with covered plates. The other carried drinks.
“We’ll eat over here,” Konni said without opening his eyes.
They set everything out on a low table in front of the sofa. The one server’s gaze flicked to the unmistakable bulge in Konni’s suit pants. Her lips twitched, but she kept it together.
I was so focused on them that I jumped a little when Konni’s fingers captured mine. His eyes were still closed when I glanced at him.
“Use the call button on the tablet if you need anything,” the server said. “We won’t be back to check on you.”
I nodded, waited until the door closed behind them, then said, “I’m hungry and don’t want to sit on your lap anymore.”
The direct approach was something I’d learned from my friend Wrenly.
Her mate’s strong desire for her—and I meant strong—would crumble with one little pout and a rumbling stomach.
Her needs always trumped his. Not because he didn’t prioritize himself but because he loved being the reason she was blissfully happy.
While I would rather remain ignorant of Konni’s level of devotion to me—liar!—I needed to do something to keep some distance. If I landed in his arms again, I’d end up mated for real. What he was packing was no joke, and I wanted a taste badly.
He opened his eyes to look at me. The pure gold was so pretty I could have climbed right back into his lap to stare at it up close.
“Okay. Eat. I promise to behave.” He patted the cushion next to him.
“Trust is like time. Once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.”
“I know.”
Since he seemed to take me seriously, I sat next to him. He pulled one of the plates toward him and uncovered a delicious-smelling steak, artistically resting on a small pile of glazed mushroom risotto, with asparagus stacked prettily against it.
“Cutting your steak doesn’t count as feeding you, right?” he asked as he picked up the knife.
“I can cut my own steak.”
“I’d rather not give you a knife.”
A surprised laugh popped out as he quickly cut my food for me.
“I’m not mad at you. We both know I started that.”
“This isn’t about you touching me. You can do that any time, anywhere, and I will never be angry with you or stop you. Actually, I want that very much.”
He passed me the plate with the cut-up steak and a fork, then uncovered his own meal.
“I want you to stop doing so much for yourself and let me do things for you. Simple or hard, it doesn't matter. I want you to let me in.”
“And letting you cut my food up for me is letting you in?”
“It is.”
I hadn’t viewed it like that, but now that I knew what he was doing, I wasn’t sure I should allow it.
“Nothing good will come from leaning on you the way you want me to, Konni. I’m not wired like a normal person when it comes to accepting help. I keep a mental tally of how much I receive. If it starts to add up to too much, I’ll either feel the need to pay it back—”
“You don’t owe me anything, Sophia.”
“—Or I’ll feel like I'm using you. And I refuse to use people.”
“Because of your father.”
I nodded.
“You’re not your father, Sophia. You didn’t approach me with a hidden purpose. I approached you. I pushed to fill a vacant position I knew you were qualified for at Steele because I wanted you close to me. I’m the one who’s been asking Miranda for information about you behind your back.
“You’ve been honest with me from the start. Letting me do things for you isn’t using me; it’s giving me what I desperately want—a chance to be a part of your life within the boundaries you set.”
It didn’t sound so horrible when he said it like that.
He finished cutting his steak, and we both took our first bites. The food melted in my mouth, and I made an appreciative sound.
“If letting you cut up my food means I keep getting food like this, you have a deal,” I said.
He chuckled, and I could feel him watching me take my next bite.
“Which did you like better? The lasagna or this?”
“Mmm, I think this, but that lasagna was really good too. Where was it from?”
“Home. I asked someone to pack it up for us.”
I paused eating to look at him. “Do you seriously have a chef?”
“Would you like to see for yourself?”
“Are you asking me to come home with you?”
The gold, which had been fading, flared to life again. “Yes.”
Are you testing me, Sophia?
Possessed by some unnamed inner demon, I asked, “And would you feed me there?”
A soft rumble accompanied the next “yes.”
“Would you let me sleep there?”
The rumble and affirmation were louder.
“Would we share a bed?”
“Yes.” The S was drawn out on that one.
“Then, no thanks.” I went back to eating my steak, aware of his fixed focus.
“Sophia, I wouldn’t recommend teasing me too much.”
“Or what?” I asked between bites.
“Or you might find yourself bent over this couch for the spanking you seem to be silently asking for.”
I choked on my risotto and grabbed for my wine. It burned as I fought to catch my breath, and my face heated.
His hand settled on my back, rubbing it soothingly. It made my flush worse, though, when my mind suddenly painted a different picture.
Me bent over the couch.
Konni standing behind me, rubbing my backside in the same circular motion before his hand slipped between my—
“I’m fine,” I rasped, leaning forward to dislodge his touch. “When is Felix getting here? We should talk about what my dad is probably going to try to pull.”
Thankfully, Konni didn’t try to keep touching me.
“What do you think your father will do?” he asked.
“Back out of the contract in some way. Either he’ll say he forgot the papers, or if he has them, it won’t actually be the contract for the shares.
” I paused and made a face as another thought hit me.
“I wouldn’t put it past him to have marrying Hestian as part of the contract to get the shares, actually.
Until the data email, getting me to agree to that was the only reason Dad contacted me. ”
“Felix will spot anything like that quickly.”
“Is there any chance the lawyer and I can be in the room Dad booked before he arrives? I wouldn’t put it past him to tell the staff that only I’m allowed in the room if he finds out someone else is with me.”
Konni reached for the tablet and tapped a button to request a manager. The woman who’d welcomed us entered a few minutes later.
“Is there a problem with your meal, Mr. Steele?”
“No, the food is delicious. Ms. Elmantas has a meeting with her father in his room at six thirty. What time is he due to arrive?”
“Six-fifteen. He asked for drinks to be served immediately.”
Prompt courtesy from Dad made me extra nervous. He only did that when he was trying to impress. Konni already stopped the lawsuit. There was no reason to impress.
“I’d like you to escort Ms. Elmantas and her guest to the room before he arrives.”
“Is the guest expected by Mr. Elmantas?”
“No. Ms. Elmantas is bringing her lawyer for the contract Mr. Elmantas asked her to sign. He won’t cause any trouble or incur any expense for Mr. Elmantas. And I’m willing to compensate Mr. Elmantas privately if he finds any issue with her lawyer’s presence.”
She hesitated for a moment. “I apologize for this, but I’ll need you to sign the membership waiver before I can honor your request.”
“No apology necessary.”
She picked up the tablet from the table, typed for a moment, then handed it to Konni, who signed.
“Thank you, Mr. Steele. As always, it’s a pleasure to host your family at Seventeen Twenty-One, and I hope that continues for generations to come.”
He nodded, and she left.
“What did you sign?” I asked.
“A promise to surrender our room for breaking the rules, if your father demands it.”
“What rule are you breaking?”
“Entering another member's room without permission and asking the host to facilitate it.”
“I didn’t know the policy here was that strict.”
“It’s what keeps these rooms elite and sought after. But I'm not worried. Based on what you’ve told me, he’s unlikely to do anything to alienate himself from my family.”
Finishing my last bite, I nodded. “Even if bringing the lawyer screws up his plan, he wouldn’t blame you.
At least, not publicly. Actually, if he knew it was your lawyer, he’d probably celebrate and start asking how close we are.
It would be a dream come true for him if I even had a chance at marrying into your family. ”
“Would it stop him from pushing Hestian at you?”
“Oh yeah. Definitely.” I realized what I’d said and held up my hands. “Not happening.”
His slow smile undid all the calming I’d done.
“No,” I said.
“What exactly are you saying no to?”
“Whatever is making you smile like that. It won’t end well for me.”
The sound of his chuckle was doing things to me. Or more specifically, my libido.
“How do you know unless you try it?”
“Smart people can see a bad idea from a mile away without trying it. Like cliff diving without a parachute. Bad ending there, too.”
“Not with me around. I’d never let you fall for long.”
That scent was teasing my senses again.
“If you can stay focused on the real reason we’re here—”
“A date.”
“—I’ll let you drop me off at the office instead of taking a rideshare there.”
“Deal.”
I felt the weight of my mistake in his immediate answer.