picking him up. In fact, they were dropping her off. Dinner was at his place and he was the chef, although he had staff to wait on them. He greeted her in a grey silk suit with a raspberry tie. His suit matched the color scheme of her dress exactly. It was as though they were on the same wavelength and they dressed in complimentary attire. They took a moment to check each other out.
“It’s a little weird,” he said.
“It is,” she agreed.
He led her out to the terrace, which overlooked one of the deep slopes into the canyon. At one point the drop was almost straight up and down. It was a breathtaking view and Dionne’s breath hitched, it was that spectacular. The periphery of the simple slate inlaid patio was draped with strands of white lights. A small wrought iron table was set for cocktails. Upholstered outdoor furniture off to the side. There was an overstuffed chair and wide chaise with a plump mattress. She was so attracted to Stan that she didn’t feel safe being anywhere near anything resembling a bed. Regret sank within her. She could not work with this man. She had an overwhelming urge to sleep with him. She had to tell him. But he sensed it.
“What?” he asked bluntly.
“I don’t think I can work with you,” she admitted.
“Because of the heat?” he replied frankly.
“Yes,” she said.
“Do you want me to dismiss everyone and fuck you?” he asked.
She was an unconventional girl for sure and that question probably should have offended her, but it in fact, turned her on. So much so that all she could do was stand and stutter. He dropped his height to look at her because she was frozen with the stunning effect he had on her.
“Is that a yes?” he smiled slightly.
Was it a trick question? She couldn’t work with a guy she slept with and vice versa. The needs seemed to be equal at this point and she wasn’t sure which way to go.
“I wish I knew what to do,” Dionne muttered.
“Would you like someone to tell you?” he asked pointedly.
Dionne blinked. What was he talking about? Game playing? Role playing? A little domination and submission?
“I am not going to trick you,” he remarked intuitively. “If you want something, be honest. That’s a ground rule. I wouldn’t lure you into bed and then spank you for being there.”
His language was getting dicier and dicier. Dionne loved to play, but the brief encounters didn’t allow for much of that. That required knowing each other for more than an hour or so. It was the nuance of being able to make it seem real that made role-playing so hot.
He had her stuttering, she was so aroused. “Do you?”
“But we can’t work together and have sex. We wouldn’t get much work done and…” Dionne went to the wrought iron table and fished a cigarette out of her handbag. She stuck it in her puckered lips and lit it.
He casually but firmly took the cigarette away from her. “No,” he said.
“I am nervous,” she said. “Or confused. Work…”
“We haven’t sign anything solidifying our partnership. I promise you I did not invite you here to seduce you but maybe…”
“One more for the road?”
He lifted the wine to her lips and she sipped. Once she swallowed he took her jaw into his fingers and kissed her.
“You need a job and I need you. I can’t do this alone. I have to have your talent. I have a project I want to launch. I’ve already pitched it to three different companies. They all know that I’ve pitched this simultaneously and it’s a first come first serve proposition. I have the connections and the money and I know I’ll get a hit, but I would prefer to have a partner.”
“Then why did you go through a head hunter?” she asked.
He smiled. “I found you didn’t I? You’re going to tell me you’re not partner material? You must have thought so or you wouldn’t have tried to hire yourself out the way you did.”
He was right about that. Her biggest frustration was that she knew she could make a much