Chapter Fourteen: Game
Lincoln
"Remind me again why I'm just now finding out about this girl?"
I follow Archer down a crowded street in downtown Manhattan, cursing when two bikers almost hit us as they race around the curb. Even on a Monday night, there's hardly any room to walk. It truly is the city that never sleeps.
"Because she didn't want people knowing," he replies, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "It took everything I had to convince her to come tonight. A double-date is less pressure."
"Whatever," I grumble, unable to shake my anger from this morning with Sienna, "you just better hope the friend she brought is hot."
We continue walking past a Chinese restaurant, an antique shop, and then a furniture store before I finally ask, "What's her name, anyway?" He called me last minute to ask me to come out to dinner with him and this new girl he's really into but failed to mention the most important part.
"Carmen," he beams, and at the mention of her name, I gulp. Loudly. There has to be more than one Carmen in New York. It can't be the same Carmen who is best friends with Sienna. There's no way the world is that small.
"Okay, and what does she do for a living?"
We round another corner, and a woman walking three dogs collides with us. I apologize and reach down to pat the Golden Retriever's head before moving on.
"She owns this insanely cool flower shop on the Upper East Side with one of her friends. They provided all the arrangements for the station's gala. I was there when she made the delivery."
Fuckity fuck fuck.
"And the friend she's bringing? What's her name?"
He shrugs. "No clue. She just said she was bringing someone."
I pray it's Riley. I seriously hope that is who Carmen's bringing for this double date tonight and not Sienna. After earlier today, I know I'm the last person she wants to see, and despite me wanting to beg and plead for her to reconsider, that's never been who I am, nor who I will become, and I need her to help my company more than I need her in my sheets.
"There they are." Archer points and waves to the two women standing by the restaurant doors, and as soon as my eyes lock with Sienna's, I mutter a slew of cuss words.
"You've got to be kidding me," Sienna seethes and shoots her friend with visual daggers. "You totally set this up, didn't you?"
Carmen throws her hands up. "I swear I didn't even know they knew each other. He didn't tell me who he was bringing!"
I scan Sienna from head to toe, withholding any sexual remark I want to make. She's wearing a strapless black mini dress with sparkly gold sandals, her white painted toes looking as beautiful as ever against that silky skin of hers.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Archer glances between Sienna and me, noticing the tension.
Sienna is still glaring at me with her arms crossed in front of her chest, Carmen stepping between the two of us to give Archer a hug. "Uh, Archer, this is Sienna, Sienna, Archer." She tilts her head toward the restaurant just as Archer lets out a laugh.
"Ah, Sienna," he says and flashes me a knowing look just as she raises his brow at him, "what a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Let's go inside," Carmen urges to spare her friend the embarrassment. "You look nice, Arch."
He smiles bigger than I've ever seen him. "You're beautiful as always, Carmen."
I open the door for us all to head inside, but Sienna lingers back, scowling up at me as Archer and Carmen check on our reservations. "You knew."
I shake my head. "I didn't."
"And why don't I believe that?"
"Do you want me to go and ruin your friend's date?" I ask. "I'm not going to remotely hit on you tonight, Sienna. Not after what you said today. If I had known it was you coming with Carmen tonight then I would have bailed. My company means more to me than fucking you, alright? So, let's go inside, act amicable, and then we can go back to being business partners with third parties present. Sound good?"
I don't even give her the chance to respond before I storm into the restaurant to find our table.
***
The entire dinner I proved true to my word. I only spoke with Sienna about work and opportunities for Nash Enterprises while Carmen and Archer couldn't stop staring at each other. Truthfully, they didn't need Sienna and I as buffers. Not when they were practically cuddling on the other side of the booth.
Our plates of Italian food vanish within the hour, and after Archer and I split the check, I let out a sigh of relief that I can finally go home and forget this sorry night ever existed.
Sitting next to Sienna the entire night was torture. Her thigh kept brushing against mine multiple times, and after the third, I was convinced Sienna wanted the contact.
How am I supposed to forget her naked body? Am I supposed to ignore the charge that runs between us when I'm next to her? I need her help with my company more than anything, but is it worth it if I lose my sanity, too?
She's pushing away our connection, and for what? Because I'm her client? So fucking what?
"I want to go dancing," Carmen says excitedly.
Archer grins. "Yeah? We can do that."
They both glance at Sienna and me, but I quickly shake my head. I can't look at Sienna anymore tonight. I can't be reminded of the fact that what happened between us isn't going to occur again. "You guys go ahead," I say, "it's a Monday night, and I have to be up early tomorrow."
"Didn't peg you as the type to fall asleep early," Sienna challenges. I finally look at her, only to see those eyes running along the tattoos on my arms exposed from the black t-shirt I'm wearing.
What does she want?
I'm so damn confused. So fucking confused, yet I'm already baring a half-chub just from the expression on her face. She looks like she wants me to pull her into the bathroom right now and fuck her senseless. If only she'd let me.
"Fine," I tell them, staring directly at Sienna, "let's go."
Archer and Carmen step a few feet away to call a cab, leaving Sienna and me by ourselves. "I thought I was just your client?" I ask.
"You are," she replies.
"Not if you're going to continue staring at me like that. If this professional thing is going to work, it has to go both ways."
Sienna blinks once, twice, before Archer and Carmen are at our sides again. She's staring off into space as if contemplating what I said as the cab pulls up and we climb inside. Carmen gets the front, and Sienna climbs into the back first, followed by me, then Archer. We're squished together as the driver pulls away to head towards a popular dance club, and again, that familiar tug pulls me toward Sienna.
I fight it, even with our thighs touching. It's pitch black outside, just the lights from the city shining a faint glow into the cab. I sigh in frustration, thinking I'm crazy when I feel Sienna's knee brush against mine, but then she does it again, and I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She's staring out the window, but her teeth are biting on her bottom lip.
Oh, fuck.
Archer is enveloped in a conversation with Carmen about her business, not paying a single lick of attention to us. I pull my phone out of my pocket to try and give myself a last-ditch effort of saving this company. I'm trying to have self-control, but Sienna makes it impossible. I'm looking through emails, trying to distract myself from the contact until Sienna's knee touches mine again.
Fuck it.
If I lose her business by taking this risk then fuck it.
Still looking at my phone with my right hand, I bring my left hand down to gently graze against her knee. She sucks in a quiet breath, and then her legs open slightly, asking for access.
I try to hide my smile as I trail my fingertips up slightly further, rubbing tiny circles on her inner thigh now as Carmen asks Archer about his favorite music. I don't look away from my phone as Sienna pushes her legs open wider, begging me to go higher.
I do as she wishes, moving underneath the fabric of her dress now to touch higher up her thigh. Only then do I sneak a glance at her. She's staring at my tattoo-covered hand underneath her dress, scanning all of the artwork as her chest rises and falls.
Finally, I brush against the lace of her underwear, and her hips buck up to meet my fingers before Carmen starts to turn to look at Sienna. I immediately pull my fingers away before she notices what I've been doing to her friend, and I hold back a chuckle as Sienna breathes in deeply through her nose, then out her mouth.
After Sienna answers Carmen's question, I lean into her ear to whisper, "Looks like a third and fourth party can't stop us, Sienna. You're a horny little thing for me, aren't you?"
"Shut up," she snarls, "and put your hand back."
"Are you going to give me the cold shoulder tomorrow if I do and threaten to drop me as a client again?" I tease.
"Put.Your.Hand.Back," she hisses under her breath.
"Not until you agree," I purr.
"I'm not going to agree, Lincoln. You're just a client, who happens to be very good at—" I put my fingers back on her inner thigh. "Oh god, yes," she whispers, the sound traveling straight to my dick.
"I want you very, very badly, Sienna," I groan into her ear, "but I also need to make sure my company's contract won't be voided if I do this. If you agree that we'll continue to be in business together, then this..." I grab her hand and place it over my throbbing cock, "will be yours whenever you ask for it."
She squeezes over my jeans, feeling the heartbeat and pulsing of my erection for her, but the entire time she wears a smile as she whispers, "I'm not agreeing, Lincoln." Then she lets go of my erection, leaving me hard as a rock as she fidgets in her seat.
So, this is a game for her. She has no idea how good two can play at this. How good I am at getting others to agree with me, especially women.
Whatever challenge Sienna just presented, it's one that I'm going to full-heartedly win.