"Anything else?"
She caught her lip between her teeth and then released it. He watched the movement and wanted to kiss her some more, to feel those lips open under his again.
Those lips had slid over his cock. He felt himself starting to harden at the memory.
"No flirting," Sophie said.
"I don't flirt."
"You flirt all of the time."
Lucien frowned. He didn't flirt. He just made it clear what he wanted. There was a difference.
"I can't promise not to do something I don't do anyway."
"Okay, let me put it another way," Sophie said with exaggerated patience. "My name's Sophie, not Ms. Black. Don't ask me to kiss your envelopes. Don't buy me lunch."
"Friends can buy each other lunch."
"Lucien, we just ended up snogging on your sofa because of lunch," Sophie pointed out.
"Snogging? Could you be any more English?" He rolled his eyes. "I don't snog. I kiss, Sophie. I've practiced kissing for a long time. I'm good at it."
It was Sophie's turn to roll her eyes. "Fine. Well, that's another thing. No kissing."
"But snogging's okay?" He knew he was winding her up, but the pleasure of seeing the fire return to her eyes was worth it.
"Lucien, please! I'm being serious. No kissing, no snogging... call it what you like. No anything that involves your mouth touching mine."
"Not even mouth to mouth if you're dying?"
She looked for a second as if she wanted to actually hit him, but the way her eyes flickered momentarily to his mouth gave her away. She could talk the talk, but walking the walk was much harder.
"Okay, okay. No kissing. No touching. No flirting." He touched his fingers to his forehead in mock salute.
She was asking a lot, and he wasn't certain he could abide by her rules twenty-four seven. The plain fact was that this thing between them wasn't just basic chemistry. It was lethal, combustible dynamite, and it was only going to be made ten times more difficult by denial.
But he'd try. For Sophie Black, he was willing to try.
Chapter Six
Summer had well and truly given way to autumn, and Sophie was glad of the warmth of her cherry red winter coat as she made her way into work several Mondays later.
So far, so good. Lucien had kept to his word as far as their new rules were concerned, although she’d noticed that he'd been out of the office more than in it since she'd returned. She wasn't sure if it was deliberate or a coincidence, but either way it made it easier to settle back in.
That morning, he was already at his desk when she walked into his office, and he glanced up and studied her. He looked for a second as if he was going to say something more than his usual greeting, but then seemed to think better of it.
"Sophie."
"Lucien." She smiled lightly as she unbuttoned her coat. "Good weekend?"
"Nothing unusual."
Sophie had no idea what conclusion to draw from that, because she had no idea what Lucien did for pleasure. Her own experience of spending leisure time with him had been far removed from any normality she’d previously experienced. Surely he didn't live his life permanently at that intensity? Her week by his side had been a whirlwind of new experiences and sexual highs that had left her exhausted in both body and spirit.
The instant message alert popped up on her screen as soon as she switched the computer on.
'Red looks good on you.'
Sophie's breath caught in her throat as she replied.
'I think that's classed as flirting.'
'Blame your coat. It reminded me of...'
Sophie closed her eyes for a second before replying.
'Lucien, stop.'
Several moments passed before he responded.
' Stopped.'
'Thank you. I won't wear it here again.'
'Please do. I like it. Not flirting. Just honest.'
Sophie sighed and decided not to pursue the point.
'Coffee?'
'You read my mind, Ms. Black.'
'Sophie'.
'Sophie. Can you bring the diary through when you're ready please? There's something we need to discuss.'
Sophie stared at his words for a second. What did he need to discuss? And why did she get the distinct feeling that it was something that involved her? Smoothing her skirt down, she set about making coffee so she could go and find out.
"I need you to clear the diary for a trip to Paris, please Sophie."
She opened the diary, pen poised.
"When for?"
"End of next week. Wednesday through Friday, ideally."
She flicked the pages and made a note, nodding.
"And I need you to come with me."
Her heart stopped. "I don't think..."
"I do."
The message couldn't have been clearer. He wasn't giving her a choice. He was telling her that he needed his PA at his side for this trip, and she sensed that refusal wasn't an option. And how could she argue, in reality?
Aside from his reference to her coat that morning, he hadn't overstepped the line once in almost a month. He'd given her no reason to doubt him. Was it Lucien she doubted, or was it herself?
The idea disconcerted her and she sighed heavily. Paris. Could it have been anywhere more classically romantic? It was a city she'd always wanted to visit, but Dan had never been keen. The idea of wandering those tree-lined avenues with Lucien, drinking wine in a cafe... She gave herself a mental shake and refocused her attention on Lucien in the here and now.
"Don't look so worried. Sophie. I'm opening a club over there. This is business, not a lovers’ tryst."
She felt mildly foolish, but justified in her reticence nonetheless. Lucien had offered similar assurances before he'd taken her to visit a new Gateway Club all those weeks ago. She closed her eyes for a second, engulfed by the memory. Their affair had begun that evening in his private suite at the club, and then spiralled swiftly into the most mind-blowingly erotic week of her life.
He could spin this as business-related all he wanted, but the truth was that it was a massive temptation that she wasn't certain she would be strong enough to resist.
It was odd that she knew that the power lay in her hands. She sensed that Lucien would happily mix business with pleasure again if she gave him the green light, but also that he respected her red light enough to hold back. And therein lay the problem. If she were to waver, to flicker amber for even the merest moment, it would open the floodgates. She didn't see how she'd ever find the strength to swim against the tide.
Chapter Seven
Sophie made herself a cup of tea, more for something to do than because she actually wanted one.
She'd already scrubbed the house from top to bottom even though it didn't especially need it, and she'd tried and failed to concentrate on a glossy magazine left over from Kara's visit the evening before.