Page 8 of Seductive Hearts

She rolled her eyes, throwing a withering look my way. “Don’t press your luck. That’s all I’m going to say.” She didn’t have me fooled. I could see through her. She was trying her hardest to resist me. Any number of women could have told her that was pointless, but it’s not like I wanted to waste time getting in touch with any of them. Not when I had her in front of me, standing gracefully to return to the cart for a bottle of water.

Something shot me out of my seat. I had no idea whether I was more interested in being close to her or observing the effect my nearness would have. No way did she mean it when she was cold, distant, and dismissive. I refused to believe it. She was a red-blooded woman like any other, and no one could ever resist me when I had them in my crosshairs.

“Excuse my reach,” I murmured, leaning over the cart to grab a bottle of Perrier.

People did it all the time, placing a hand against the back of the person beside them as they crowded in. I kept it light and casual until our hands brushed. The spark that leaped from her hand to mine was a far cry from the clammy handshake I’d received earlier.

Rose stiffened with a gasp. “Sorry,” she whispered, pulling her hand back. “Take what you want.”

Well? She’d asked for it. I was only doing as I was told.

Her sharp intake of breath paired well with my needful groan when I used the hand on her back to pull her closer. “I thought you’d never ask,” I murmured with a grin.

She tipped her head back to search my face, her green eyes swirling with surprise and confusion. “What are you doing?” she asked, her tone breathy as she went stiff against me.

“What you said. I’m taking what I want.” With my free hand, I hooked a finger under her chin, studying her face. One hundred Renaissance masters could not have captured her almost perfectly symmetrical features, her peaches and cream complexion, and the faint sprinkling of freckles she tried and failed to cover up. They told the story of her life, how she tried to hide her true self in favor of who she thought she had to be.

This had started as a little bit of fun, a way to throw her off-balance and remind her who was in charge, yet now I struggled not to lose myself in her beauty.

“You shouldn’t do this.” Her voice was firm but soft. All the indignation she’d thrown at me when we first entered her office had drained away. It encouraged me, and so did her choice of words.

She didn’t say no, did she?

“Shouldn’t do what? This?” Tracing the curve of her jaw with my fingertips left her closing her eyes and swaying closer. “Or this?” My thumb brushed over her pouty lips. What I wouldn’t give to feel them wrapped around my cock while her golden head bobbed.

“It’s not right.” Her eyes opened slowly, but there was even less resolve in them now. Her voice sounded pretty damn weak too. I knew it. She hadn’t changed, no matter how she pretended otherwise.

“Since when has that ever stopped me?” I asked with a soft chuckle, lowering my head, prepared to taste her tempting lips.

Before I could, her eyes went hard. I’d made a mistake. Before I could correct myself, she placed a hand against my chest and pushed. “Colton.” She was barely breathing, gasping for air like she had come back from a run or finished coming on my tongue. “If we’re going to work together, we need to get something straight. This is a professional relationship. I don’t mix business and pleasure, ever.”

“Neither do I,” I reminded her, snickering. “But that’s usually because I don’t give a fuck about business.”

She didn’t find it funny. No, in fact, her frown deepened. “I’m serious. This isn’t going to happen. Besides, I’m… involved with someone.”

Idiot. Fucking idiot. Just like that, the moment was over, and I released her before taking a backward step. “You might’ve saved me a lot of time and told me that in the first place.”

Dammit.

What was I doing?

Rolling her eyes, she retorted, “I didn’t think I’d have to since I don’t normally announce my relationship status to people I work with.” She made a big deal of straightening her suit jacket, though I hadn’t done a damn thing to it. She even ran her hands over her blonde bob to smooth it down.

I didn’t know what pissed me off worse, my assumption or the fact that she made a point. She had no reason to announce she had a boyfriend until I forced her hand.

If I were going to prove Dad wrong, I couldn’t afford to fall into my old traps. Rose Goldsmith may as well have been wearing a sign with the word Trap written in neon across her tits.

“My apologies.” That wasn’t the first time I’d been rejected, even if this particular rejection stung in a way none of the others had. But I was an adult, and so was she. It was better not to shit where I ate, anyway.

Returning to my chair, I picked up what was left of my sandwich. “So let’s talk scheduling. I understand we want to start on Monday. What do you think about me going out there sometime this weekend to get a look at the existing structure?”

She trained her wary gaze on me as she found her seat and lowered herself slowly. “What about Sunday? We could meet there.”

“Works for me.” I glanced her way and found her arching an eyebrow. “Don’t worry. From now on, we’re all business.”

Now, if only somebody could give my dick the memo.

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