Lick & Devour (Monster Novelette) by Francette Phal Read Free Book Online Page B

were our plan. She’s known about this for the past two weeks. I’m sure she planned accordingly.”
     
    “Two weeks?” she asked incredulously. “I had no idea!”
     
    Dominic chuckled. “Then she played her part perfectly.”
     
    The conversation veered off, tapering to comfortable silence that had Eden drifting dreamily, only to come awake with a jolt when Dominic inquired about work.
     
    "Work?" She blinked, wondering why she was suddenly so nervous, but then the name Ethan Blake flashed in her mind and she was given a reason.
    She didn't know why she was so hesitant to mention what happened to Dominic. It wasn't like she did anything wrong. In fact she'd been more disgusted by Ethan Blake's come-on than anything. But still...she knew she should say something. Out of respect for their delicate relationship.
     
    "Work is fine," She began. "Uh, Dom?"
     
    "Hmm?"
     
    "Women flirt with you all the time, right?"
     
    There was a monetary lapse. "Yes..?" It was a slow response and Eden didn't fail in hearing the slight infliction in his voice as if to ask whether it was a trick question or a trap.
     
    "And I'm sure some have even been bold enough to ask you to sleep with them...?"
     
    She felt him tense beneath her, his arm around her tightening a bit. Eden could practically feel the frown she knew was now etched between his dark brows. She didn't expect him to sit up or pull her from his side the very next second, but he did exactly that in a swift move that drew a small gasp from her.
     
    He grasped her upper arms and made sure she met his gaze, "I would never cheat on you," he said with conviction.
     
    Eden leaned in to touch her forehead to his with a smile. "I know you wouldn't. And I'd never be unfaithful to you either." She sighed. "I had a client, well he wasn't really my client, but that's beside the point. He came on to me yesterday and it made me really uncomfortable."
     
    "Are you ok? Did he try anything?" For moment a shadowed look flitted across his face. It was intense and frightening, but gone before Eden could make sense of it.
     
    "Yeah," she uttered with a frown of her own. "Yeah, I'm okay and no he didn't try anything. He just wanted me to sleep with him. Kennedy wants me to continue working with him until I close on this deal..."
     
    "No."
     
    "Dom..."
     
    "Either you tell her you're no longer available to close this deal or I will. Either way you're not spending another goddamn second alone with that man."
     
    "This isn’t how this works." Eden pulled away from him but remained close reaching up instead to frame his face in her hands. "I love that you want to protect me. I love how you take charge sometimes and make decisions for me. But this isn't one of those times. You don't get to make decisions for me when it comes to work, Dom. You're my fiercest protector and I love you for that, but you don't get to browbeat me into doing what you want just because you think you can." She looked into the depths of his gaze and found his soul reflecting back at her. Tracing his bottom lip with her thumb, Eden whispered, " It doesn't work that way, my love." Ever so gently her mouth found his, her tongue moving past her lips to seduce his to play. Dominic responded with hungry fervor drawing her onto his lap to deepen the kiss.

    "I hate that you won't let me help you," he murmured roughly against her swollen lips.
     
    "I know, but I can do this on my own."
     
    He stared at her for a long moment, in the silence there was nothing but the sound of their quiet breathing. Eden stared back, her head tilting slightly to the side in an attempt to figure out what was happening beneath his poker face, but unfortunately found no hint of what he was thinking. "One of the things I've always admired most about you is your ability to take care of yourself, so as much as I wish to lend a hand, I will grudgingly defer to your better judgment and not interfere."
     
    Eden smiled, knowing how hard it was for