Page 33 of Black Heart

“I don’t have a choice?” Tristan drawled, cocking an arrogant brow in her direction.

“No, you really don’t,” Marty said, keeping her gaze locked with his.

When Tristan only glared, she cleared her throat and-

“Fine,” he said, taking her by surprise.

“I’m glad we have an understanding,” Marty said, simply because she couldn’t resist rubbing it in as she walked around the desk to take a closer look at the folders.

“Oh, we definitely have an understanding,” Tristan said as he grabbed hold of her arm when she tried to grab a folder.

“I’m helping,” she reminded him with a pointed look at his hand.

“Yes, you are. But I need the files over here,” he murmured softly, that calm tone alone sent shivers down her spine even as warning signals went off in her head.

“Okay, let me get my chair,” Marty said, trying to pull her hand away.

“No need. There isn’t enough room over here for two chairs,” Tristan explained while Marty looked pointedly at the large space behind his desk. He gave her arm a gentle tug that had her falling onto his lap. Before she could react, he wrapped his arm around her. Her hands shot out to grip the desk as he shifted the chair forward, trapping her between the desk and his large body.

“That’s better. Now, let’s see what we have here, shall we?” Tristan asked in a casual tone that had her swallowing hard.

“I-I can do this from my desk,” she mumbled.

There was a heavy sigh and then…

“There isn’t enough room at your desk for both of us, Marty. Would you please focus? I’d like to get some work done if you don’t mind,” Tristan said casually, but she could hear the humor in his voice and that pissed her off.

“Fine. Let’s get to work,” Marty said, purposely shifting on his lap. His reaction was rather pleasing. He sucked in a breath and tensed beneath her. A moment later, she rethought the move when she felt him harden against her bottom. She swallowed hard as he continued to grow. Were all men this big? Marty had to wonder.

She could practically feel his smug smile when he realized that she could feel him. The bastard. Deciding that she wasn’t going to be intimidated, Marty opened her mouth to egg him on, which, of course, she knew was stupid, but it really couldn’t be helped.

“Tristan, do you mind?”

“Mind what?”

“Do you mind shifting? There’s asmalltube of Chapstick in your pocket poking me.”

Maybe she shouldn’t have emphasized small. Guys were kind of sensitive about that sort of thing, right?

CHAPTER12

“Iknew there was a reason why I liked the lass!”

Tristan’s jaw clenched as he watched his best friend fall off the damn couch as he laughed his ass off. “Small tube of Chapstick!”

Tristan went back to glaring at Marty’s back. She was stiff as a board on his lap as she sifted through the files. If she wanted to play that game, that was more than fine with him.

He gripped her waist, picked her up, and placed her more firmly on his lap. Her gasp was reward enough, almost. He leaned forward so that his stomach was pressed against her back and his mouth was next to her ear.

“Is that better?” Tristan whispered softly in her ear.

“It’s fine,” Marty said, shrugging it off as he watched her grip tighten around the file.

“Fine, huh? Mysmalltube of Chapstick isn’t bothering you anymore?” he drawled.

“No, I can’t even feel it anymore,” Marty said with a careless shrug.

Why that little…

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