Chapter 6

　　That night, in her apartment, she opened Dark Pleasures to advance the correction.

　　He read three pages.

　　Then he remained motionless.

　　One sentence in the manuscript matched almost word for word something Nathan had said that afternoon.

　　Emma looked at the pseudonym on the cover.

　　Luston.

　　Her heart skipped a beat.

　　And for the first time she wondered if the man who invaded her dreams was also hiding behind the book that was waking her up.

　　I spend most of the workday with a pit in my stomach that only grows as the time to go to the radio station approaches. Madison told me at breakfast that she went to the station but couldn't meet up with Mr. Blake, so all she did was leave a recording of herself answering the questions Nathan had prepared. So I can't say I'll have her to back me up in the meeting with the gorgeous man, which is getting closer and closer. I try to clear my head by proofreading the book "Luston," but all I manage to do is imagine myself starring in all the erotic scenes I'm reading with Mr. Blake. I'm reading a paragraph for the fifth time when my phone's reminder ringtones announce that it's time to leave for the meeting. I sigh loudly and give myself a quick once-over before heading out.

　　Upon arriving at the building where the radio station is located, my hands are sweating with anticipation of seeing Nathan again. I try to walk with a firm step as I approach the secretary's desk. After greeting her cordially, she informs me that Mr. Blake has instructed me to enter as soon as I arrive without needing to announce myself. So I go to the large wooden door, slowly turning the knob. Before entering the office, I glance at the secretary with a smile, which she returns warmly. As soon as I close the door behind me, I catch a whiff of a masculine cologne in the air, the kind you want to inhale all day. Then my eyes meet the owner of that scent, and I know from his gaze alone that I'll end up a mangled mess on the office floor today. "Miss Harper, it's good to have you back here; however, I expect you to come unarmed this time," he says in that husky, low voice that sends shivers down my spine as he circles his desk and heads toward where he's left me, his intense gaze fixed on me. "Mr. Blake, how are you?" I reply, looking at the ground and ignoring the hint about the attack I gave him with the tack two days ago.

　　"Well, of course not as well as you, because let me tell you, you look beautiful today, Miss Emma," he says, taking my hand and, just like two days ago, placing a long kiss on it while gazing at me in a way that leaves me mesmerized. "I was thinking that since we're going to be working together for a long time, we could use the first names. What do you think?" "Mmm, yes, I think that's fine. That way it won't be so formal," I reply as he leads me to one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Well, I suppose your boss must have told you that she's already submitted the answers for the contest we'll be doing on the radio show tomorrow afternoon." "Yes, she did, so all that's left is to organize our schedules so we can book upcoming appointments and meetings. And, well, for the website promotion, they told me the official announcement would be ready in a week at the most," I reply, taking my planner out of my bag to write everything down. "That sounds great; "But we have a problem, Emma," he says, his gaze shifting between my eyes and my lips, which makes me blush. I try to hide it by looking down as if I'm searching for something in my bag. "And what would the problem be, Nathan?"

　　"I ask him, glancing at him discreetly, and I notice on his face that he likes being called by his first name, because a smile of pure delight appears on his lips. "Well, the truth is, it's lunchtime, and I don't want to starve since I haven't even had breakfast… So tell me, do you want to have lunch here, or would you prefer I take you to a restaurant nearby?" His suggestion throws me off balance, because I was expecting a problem with the contest or something like that, not him inviting me to lunch. How embarrassing! I should have come later; I hadn't thought about the date coinciding with lunchtime. "I… I really don't want to bother you. How about I let you have lunch while I go to a small shop nearby and grab something light?" I say as I gather my planner to put it in my bag and leave.

　　"Don't you dare leave this office, Emma. I told you we'll have lunch together and we won't discuss this anymore, so it's settled, we'll eat here. I'll order Chinese food from a place that makes delicious stuff, and don't even think about arguing with me. I can be very persuasive when I want to be," he adds when he sees me about to protest, leaving me speechless when he finishes with an intense look that makes me shudder. Well, it seems we will have lunch together then. I start looking around while he orders our lunch on the phone, and my gaze falls on the beautiful library that amazed me the first time I came here. Almost instinctively, I go over to it to glance at the books. I find historical novels, mysteries, detective stories, even classic romances from the oldest books, but what I see most of are sociopolitical books. Wow, this man, it seems he likes to stay informed about the world. I'm so engrossed in gossiping about what kinds of books there are that I don't notice Nathan approaching me until I try to step back to look up and bump into his firm chest, which freezes me in place. I feel him subtly brush against my waist as he moves his hand to rest it near one of the books I was looking at, which makes me shudder.

　　"Find anything interesting, curious girl?" he asks, bringing his mouth close to my ear. "You!" I want to say, but all I can manage is a shrug. "I, on the other hand, do see something I like, and it's not exactly a book." Dear God, someone scrape me off the floor from his closeness and his sexy voice. I feel his fingertips start to brush against my right arm, and I think my knees are going to give out any second. God have mercy on me, and if this is a dream, please don't let me wake up. My mental pleas are interrupted when I feel his large hand grip my waist, and I bite my lip hard to avoid moaning and being embarrassed in front of this giant. He slowly turns me around until my gaze is at the level of his chest, and I slowly raise my eyes, gasping for breath at the sight of his fully dilated pupils. He begins to descend, bringing his mouth closer to mine as I observe his fleshy, pink lips.

　　But desire had already crossed the line.