Read Under My Thumb (Serenade Series #1) for Free Online Page B

began. I couldn’t handle that. Living in this city and working in this business, beautiful women were easy to come by. But they were nothing compared to Prudence. She was elegant and classy, talented and smart, humble and fun. God, I couldn’t lose her. I barely knew her and I was obsessed to the point of insanity. A beautiful gem had come into my life, and I wasn’t eager to let it slip through my fingers and disappear into the sand.
    She fidgeted with her hands, prolonging the rest of her sentence. I was clenching my fist under the ta ble, anxious for her next words but fearful at the same time.
    “I’m not looking for a relationship.”
    What? Did I hear her right? I was not expecting that. I assumed that’s all she wanted. She seemed too refined to sleep around with strangers, or be intimate with someone unless she was in a committed relationship. It was exactly what I wanted, but I expected to have to convince her to give in to me. This never happened before. Most of the time, women begged for something more. But she was different… “I see.” I hid my happiness and played it cool. “Why is that?”
    Her awkwardness continued. “It’s a long and boring story. Not a tale worth telling.”
    I liked how she chose her words. They always seemed to rhyme slightly. She was a true musician.
    She clenched her fingers together in her lap then avoided my gaze. A look o f dark despair overcame her. It was momentary, but I noticed it. And it hurt. I immediately wanted to know her story, which was a first. Normally, I couldn’t care less.
    “I’m so sorry if I wasted your time. I would have called but I didn’t have your number.”
    “There’s no need for an apology,” I said gently. “And I would have wanted to see you anyway.”
    “Really?”
    “I love good company.”
    Her cheeks tinted.
    “I’m not looking for a relationship either.” I had to play this right if I wanted to get her. I treaded carefully, waiting for her response.
    “Oh.”
    That wasn’t much to work with. “It seems like we both desire the same thing, albeit for different reasons.”
    “How would you know unless you knew what mine were?”
    “I’m eager to know.” I sipped my wine while I stared at her. My statement was also a question, but that depended on her interpretation of it.
    “So, what did you have in mind when you arranged our meeting?” Her voice had changed slightly. I couldn’t tell exactly what that meant. She seemed slightly annoyed.
    “I wanted to have a conversation with you. That’s all.”
    “No expectations?”
    “None.”
    The waiter brought our dinner and set it down. The veggie Alfredo didn’t look appetizing to me, but I didn’t make the comment. My meal looked delicious. My steak was red in the middle like I preferred, but I didn’t care about my food. I wanted to eat something else, something with brown hair, blue eyes, and long legs.
    She folded her napkin in her lap then held her silverware like a princess. She had good manners, which I liked. I hated slobs. Prudence was too good to be true. She must have an imperfection somewhere.
    “What did you have in mind when I picked you up for dinner?” I cut into my steak and studied her face.
    “Nothing. I just wanted to eat.” She smiled at me then placed the pasta into her mouth.
    I’ll give you something to eat.
    I shook my sinister thoughts away before they got out of hand. I liked her easy-going personality. I could tell it was her dominant attitude, but right now it was hidden because she was nervous around me. But I liked when she was nervous. I had control of the relationship.
    After talking about a lot of nothing and a few somethings, I wanted to get to the point of our meeting.
    “I’d really like to go out with you again.” I grabbed the tab off the table and slipped the cash inside. I left a hundred dollar tip on the table. I wanted Prudence to see it.
    She eyed the cash then returned her gaze to me. I patiently waited for her to