Chapter 4

"But-you don't do serious relationships."

Tricky point. He didn't. With reason. And she would be no different. He loved her, lusted to the nth degree for her, but he wasn't in love with her. He was pretty confident he was incapable of the emotion. If he couldn't fall in love with Raven, he was lacking the genetic makeup to do it at all.

"You don't enter into relationships either." He'd yet to see Raven with a man. He knew she'd had them, many by his calculation based on their conversations, but they were short lived and she always walked. She was only in it for the release. She'd also been extremely unsatisfied with her sex life. She'd said so herself.

Oh, the things he could do to her.

"What is all this about then, Noah?" A hard glint lit her eyes. She was bouncing back from the shock. Good. "Letters and a private dinner and rogue secrecy. What are you after?"

Now they were getting somewhere. He barely had time to register the relief. When all was said and done, he didn't want to lose what they had before she learned the truth. He took a sip of wine, holding her gaze. "What I'm after is visceral. Basic. You and me, giving each other pleasure."

Her pupils dilated as warmth hit her cheeks. There was an unmistakable hitch to her breathing as she leveled him with a look bordering on carnal. "You want to risk ten years of friendship for a short-" She waved her hand. "Fling?"

If he thought for one second that was the case, he wouldn't be here. He could count on one hand the number of people he trusted, and she was one of them. "We're a different breed of people, Raven. You and me, we're not like everyone else. We can keep the sentiments out of sex." He took in her beautiful features and grew semi-hard. "One month. That's what I'm after, what I'm proposing."

She reared back, eyes wide once more. "Is this the part where you bust out a contract? Set hard limits and give me a safe word?" Her eyes narrowed. "I'm no submissive, Noah."

Interesting how her thought train stopped at that station. No. A sub she definitely wasn't. "Are you a dom?" he toyed.

She glanced away, not answering.

He stilled.

Oh, hell no. No way. Did he have her all wrong? That certainly changed things. Even though he wasn't a submissive, would never be, his shaft responded, thickening against his inseam. "I'm not into BDSM. Handcuffs maybe. Toys definitely. But whips and flogging and collars? Not even a little." Not that there was anything wrong with that world, it just wasn't his thing.

Returning her gaze to his, she let out a breath, relief relaxing her features. Why didn't she just deny the suggestion if she wasn't a dom?

Her gaze searched his. "What then? Why one month?"

A quiet clatter came from the kitchen. His gaze darted to her plate and back to her. "I tell you what. Let's eat, and we can get into specifics after."

Her lips thinned. "You expect me to eat?"

"Yes. I wouldn't want to insult Gino after he went to all this trouble. Besides, knowing you, you haven't eaten or slept much since my agent walked into your office on Tuesday. Am I right?"

Just like that, she was back to old Raven. A twist of her lips and she picked up her fork. "Touché."

Taking a sip of wine, he dug in, suddenly hungry after all the heavy junk was out of the way. She was still here. Nothing would come between them. They were solid.

After swallowing the last bite, he wiped his mouth on a napkin and was pleased to see she ate half her meal. Raven never did have a large appetite, so it was decent work for her.

The waiter came and cleared their plates, asking about dessert. Since Noah was pretty sure Raven wasn't on the menu, they declined.

He topped off their wine and leaned back. "Back to my offer. One month, you and me, and then it's done. We go back to friendship and Friday night dinners discussing everything from our businesses to politics." In his experience, anything longer than thirty days got the heart involved. He didn't think Raven was like other females in that regard, but he wouldn't risk it.

She shook her head. "Sex changes things."

He raised his brows. "Has it ever before? For you? Have you wanted to get married and breed perfect little dark-haired children after sex with any of your partners?"

He knew the answer was no. Any other possibility and she'd be barefoot and pregnant. Every guy she set her sights on would capture the moon in a box if she desired such a thing. Her not being the other half of someone's whole was because she didn't want to be.

She sighed. "You know I haven't. But we know each other. Don't you think that makes this different?"

The most interesting fact about this conversation, this entire night up until now, was she never denied interest. Not once did I'm not attracted to you spring from her lips. Scooting his chair back, he grabbed the arms of hers and drew it flush, trapping her knees with his. When her breath caught, he leaned closer and inhaled her scent in the curve of her neck where her pulse beat wild.

Rain. She smelled like rain. Through the years, he wondered how she mastered that, and he'd yet to watch a storm where he didn't think about her.

Her hand landed on his forearm, warm and steady, fingers tightening. "Noah?" Her hot breath fanned his cheek, catapulting his erection from hard to painful.

"I want you. And I usually get what I want. I had to wait too long to have you already." He lifted his head, the rasp of his shadow filled the quiet as his cheek brushed hers. Her lashes fluttered to half-mast, cementing his belief she wasn't unaffected. "You live inside your head, where all the power is overruling your ability to enjoy. It's why you've been unsatisfied with your partners. I want you, and you need to learn to let go."

He leaned in to whisper against her mouth, until even a tremble couldn't come between them. "It'll be so good, Raven."

A noise trapped in her throat. Desperation? Frustration? Didn't matter. He'd made his point and she understood.

Slowly, he rose and set a stack of bills on the table. He waited for the desire to clear from her eyes while he shoved into his coat. After several beats, her questioning gaze lifted to his, her fingers tightening over the chair arms.

He buttoned his coat, hiding all traces of her affect on him. "You need time to process. When you make your decision, come to my condo on Friday night. One week. I'll cook for you for a change." He paused, shoving his hands in his pockets so he didn't touch. "Please wear that dress. It does things to me you can't begin to understand."

Grinning when her eyes widened, he nodded and walked out.