AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Take this away and bring me a porterhouse steak, medium, with a baked potato and string beans,” Lincoln ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The waiter, quick to obey, tapped the order into his handheld device and cleared away Victor’s plate. As he walked off, I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. I took a slow sip of my wine, savoring the moment.
“How many glasses have you had, Erika?” Lincoln asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“This is the third,” I replied, lifting the glass in defiance.
“Make it your last,” he said, his voice firm.
I bristled, flicking my hair over my shoulder. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
Lincoln’s gaze swept over me, his expression critical. “I don’t like that dress on you.”
I raised an eyebrow, incredulous. “You have a lot of nerve, Elliott. Do you always order women around?”
“I order women around who I’m interested in,” he shot back, his tone unapologetic. “That dress doesn’t suit you. You’re demure and sexy—your clothing should reflect that.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms. “I wore this so Victor wouldn’t get any ideas.”
“Another jerk. Where do you meet these guys?” he asked, his tone dripping with disdain as he grabbed a roll from the basket of bread, tearing into it with his teeth.
“He’s an agent from Farley’s New Jersey office. I thought he was nice,” I replied, my voice tinged with regret.
“And how did that work out?” Lincoln challenged, his intense blue eyes locked onto mine as he chewed.
“Not well,” I admitted, taking another sip of wine to mask my embarrassment.
Before I could react, Lincoln reached over and took the glass from my hand, downing the remainder in one gulp.
“Help yourself,” I quipped sarcastically.
“Thank you,” he said with a grin.
“You’re a smug bastard,” I muttered, though there was no real bite behind the words.
“But there must be something about me that you like, because if there wasn’t, you wouldn’t have responded to my call,” Lincoln countered, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smirk.
“You’re so sure of yourself?” I challenged, my eyes narrowing.
“I am. Now eat your steak,” he ordered, his tone firm but playful.
“I told you not to tell me what to do,” I snapped back, though there was a hint of amusement in my voice.
Lincoln leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear. “There are a lot of things I’d like to tell you to do.”
I almost groaned, feeling my core clench several times. I was sure my black lace panties were now soaked with arousal. My nipples hardened, and I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hide the evidence beneath the thin jersey fabric.
“You may never get your chance,” I taunted, my voice trembling slightly.
“We’ll see,” he replied with a confident smirk.
I leaned back in my chair, keeping my arms crossed while Lincoln casually grabbed another roll and helped himself to my water. The silence between us was thick with unspoken tension until his meal arrived. I watched as he sawed off a large piece of steak and shoved it into his mouth, his eyes never leaving mine.
“What are we doing after this?” I asked, breaking the silence.
Lincoln raised his eyebrows, swallowing his bite. “This isn’t a date, Erika. If you’d called back, I would’ve asked you out.”
“Then what is it?” I pressed, leaning forward slightly.
