rule, but the no-orgasms thing may be a dealbreaker. I just can’t live that way.”
“Well, that saves money on chastity devices. Those things can get...” He let out a low whistle and shook his head. “I do have another piece of jewelry for you. This one, you’ll have to keep.”
She raised both eyebrows at him. Wait—was he upset she hadn’t taken the pearls? No, she was reading way too much into it. No way John was that sentimental about anything .
Through the rest of their lunch, she turned over the issue in the back of her mind. It was only when they’d paid up and said their goodbyes that the easier-to-decipher implication finally hit her, and she sat up ramrod-straight, every muscle in her body tightening.
This one , you’ll have to keep .
She’d have to check the contract, but she was pretty sure piercings were out. That left...oh God.
Own it .
She unclenched her legs and remembered to breathe.
Chapter Seven
“Not yet, not yet!” Robin cried out when she breezed through the door, raising both hands to her throat to block the string of pearls John was holding up for her.
His face must have fallen as he withdrew them, because she reached out to cup his cheek in apology.
“No, nothing like that. We’re still on. But I forgot to tell you something earlier. Well, actually I forgot to tell you everything earlier, you kind of distr—why’s there a board on your window?”
“Jim tried to get in. And do you remember that orchid I had for two years? He ripped through it looking for a key, and it’s on life support right now.” He sighed, although he really didn’t give a damn about the orchid now that Robin was here.
“Oh no...” Robin murmured. “Where is he now? He’s not here, is he?” When John dangled the pearls in front of her face, she laughed. “No, I suppose he isn’t.”
“I would have told you about it, but I guess I got distracted too. It doesn’t matter anyway. So tell me your news.”
She startled, but gathered her composure quickly. “Well, you remember Al?”
“Al Steelhammer, you mean?” He could guess the good news, but didn’t want to spoil her reveal.
“Yes, him. He called me today. He wants me to come look at his collection!” She lurched, as if she was about to hug him in joy, but then her eyes fell on the pearls clutched in his palm and she shrank back again, shy. Her body was so expressive. He had plans to bring that quality out more, very soon. “Oh, and he wants you to come along. I—I’d like that too. If you want.”
“To look over his never-before-seen Irina Mareau collection? Are you kidding me? Is that even a question? Yes!” This time it was his turn to step forward for a hug and then draw back at the last second. The in-between effect threw him off balance, like a sound wave too low for human hearing that still vibrated in his bones. He knew what it was, but he didn’t like compensating for it.
Robin seemed to sense his discomfort, because she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, lifted her chin and said softly, “I’d like to put on that necklace now.”
Yes , yes.
Her huge, patient eyes invited him in, as if she were a hypnotist’s subject in a silent movie, speaking all in subtle flickers and trembling. He stepped forward, the pearls drooping between his fingers, and pressed them to the front of her throat as he reached around the back of her neck and fastened them at her nape. They fell, dormant but not inert, to rest on her collarbone.
“You look like her,” he said. “Not physically, but just the way you hold yourself. Your aura—if you’ll forgive me getting a little new age on you—is old-fashioned. Coquettish. Like her.” He traced the necklace with the edge of his finger, wondering if the pearls felt cold against her throat.
“Thank you.”
He raised his finger from the necklace to her lips, almost touching but not quite, and made a ssh sound. Her eyes narrowed at the assumption. Then widened again with
“Well, that saves money on chastity devices. Those things can get...” He let out a low whistle and shook his head. “I do have another piece of jewelry for you. This one, you’ll have to keep.”
She raised both eyebrows at him. Wait—was he upset she hadn’t taken the pearls? No, she was reading way too much into it. No way John was that sentimental about anything .
Through the rest of their lunch, she turned over the issue in the back of her mind. It was only when they’d paid up and said their goodbyes that the easier-to-decipher implication finally hit her, and she sat up ramrod-straight, every muscle in her body tightening.
This one , you’ll have to keep .
She’d have to check the contract, but she was pretty sure piercings were out. That left...oh God.
Own it .
She unclenched her legs and remembered to breathe.
Chapter Seven
“Not yet, not yet!” Robin cried out when she breezed through the door, raising both hands to her throat to block the string of pearls John was holding up for her.
His face must have fallen as he withdrew them, because she reached out to cup his cheek in apology.
“No, nothing like that. We’re still on. But I forgot to tell you something earlier. Well, actually I forgot to tell you everything earlier, you kind of distr—why’s there a board on your window?”
“Jim tried to get in. And do you remember that orchid I had for two years? He ripped through it looking for a key, and it’s on life support right now.” He sighed, although he really didn’t give a damn about the orchid now that Robin was here.
“Oh no...” Robin murmured. “Where is he now? He’s not here, is he?” When John dangled the pearls in front of her face, she laughed. “No, I suppose he isn’t.”
“I would have told you about it, but I guess I got distracted too. It doesn’t matter anyway. So tell me your news.”
She startled, but gathered her composure quickly. “Well, you remember Al?”
“Al Steelhammer, you mean?” He could guess the good news, but didn’t want to spoil her reveal.
“Yes, him. He called me today. He wants me to come look at his collection!” She lurched, as if she was about to hug him in joy, but then her eyes fell on the pearls clutched in his palm and she shrank back again, shy. Her body was so expressive. He had plans to bring that quality out more, very soon. “Oh, and he wants you to come along. I—I’d like that too. If you want.”
“To look over his never-before-seen Irina Mareau collection? Are you kidding me? Is that even a question? Yes!” This time it was his turn to step forward for a hug and then draw back at the last second. The in-between effect threw him off balance, like a sound wave too low for human hearing that still vibrated in his bones. He knew what it was, but he didn’t like compensating for it.
Robin seemed to sense his discomfort, because she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, lifted her chin and said softly, “I’d like to put on that necklace now.”
Yes , yes.
Her huge, patient eyes invited him in, as if she were a hypnotist’s subject in a silent movie, speaking all in subtle flickers and trembling. He stepped forward, the pearls drooping between his fingers, and pressed them to the front of her throat as he reached around the back of her neck and fastened them at her nape. They fell, dormant but not inert, to rest on her collarbone.
“You look like her,” he said. “Not physically, but just the way you hold yourself. Your aura—if you’ll forgive me getting a little new age on you—is old-fashioned. Coquettish. Like her.” He traced the necklace with the edge of his finger, wondering if the pearls felt cold against her throat.
“Thank you.”
He raised his finger from the necklace to her lips, almost touching but not quite, and made a ssh sound. Her eyes narrowed at the assumption. Then widened again with
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