Page 23 of Love to Hate You

“Welcome to your new office,” I say and push the door open. I hit the light to reveal a desk which takes up 95 percent of the room. It’s dim and smells faintly like disinfectant because there were cleaning supplies in here.

Nash arches a brow and leans in to check it out.

“C’mon in and I’ll give you a tour,” I say, unable to hide the amusement in my voice.

The moment he steps inside, I realize that inviting him in was a huge mistake. The area is far too small for the both of us and I skirt around the desk, trying to make some room between us. Nash pushes the door out of his way, almost but not quite shutting it, so he can walk in further.

“You’re funny,” he says, eyeing me like some sort of prey that he wants to devour.

I take another step back, my thigh bumping into the desk, as he stalks forward. “It’s just a joke,” I say, voice lower than I intend, unable to look away from his lips. They’re not too full or too thin. Just delicious looking.

Nash corners me and I feel my heart kick up a notch. All night long I had dreams about him and the unspeakable, wicked things he did to me woke me up so hot and bothered that I had to grab my vibrator out of the nightstand drawer. And, God, I put it to good use. I hadn’t come that long or hard since…well, probably ever. Picturing his cobalt eyes and pretending he was deep inside me left me shaking with multiple orgasms.

Now, though, with the actual man right in front of me, so close that I can practically feel his body heat, I clam up. I’ve never been the seducer and sex has always just been a way to release tension. It’s never been emotional for me, only physical.

The sexual tension hanging in the air between us now is off the charts and when he steps right in front of me, blocking me in with his big body, my chest heaves as I struggle to draw in a breath. His hand lifts and cups my jaw, and I freeze at his warm touch. “You never used to make jokes,” he says, voice so low and deep that I almost have to strain to hear him.

When his finger traces my lower lip, my mouth drops open and I have to stop myself from sucking it inside. “What’re you doing?” I ask, tone husky.

“Telling myself that I have no business doing what I’m about to do,” he says and slowly lowers his head, lifting my mouth up to meet his.

The moment his soft lips sweep over mine, I am lost to sensation. I wrap my arms around his neck and savor the feeling. It doesn’t take long until he’s coaxing my mouth open, and his tongue invades, sliding against mine.So damn hot.He tastes like coffee, black and strong, and as the kiss deepens, I moan, pushing against him.

We haven’t even been in here long and my vanilla perfume mixes with his sandalwood aftershave, filling the small space, and the smell is intoxicating. Nash is making me want to do all sorts of things that I shouldn’t, and my body seems to have a mind of its own as it wraps around him and I shamelessly push my hips against his.

Nash tears his mouth away, breathing hard. “We’re playing with fire,” he rasps.

I let out a shaky breath. As if I don’t know that. “There’s no way we’re having sex,” I tell him.

“Never,” he affirms, fingers toying with my chignon.

“Ever.”

Our gazes lock and then our mouths collide again.Oh, God, this man knows how to kiss.He has perfected it into an art, and I love everything about it. From how he uses his lips and tongue to how he tastes. One of his hands moves back to cup the side of my face again while the other plays with my chignon, loosening it.

“Nash? Charlie?” The door opens.

Shit.I yank away, nearly falling back on the desk, and Nash reaches out to steady me as Ivy appears. I blink and stand up straight, smoothing my skirt down. We must look guilty as hell.

“Sorry to, um, interrupt, but Jordan Lowe is on line one and wants to talk to you, Charlie.”

“Yes, right.” I try to step around Nash and the area is so small I’m having difficulty getting past him. He grasps my hips, pulls me flush against his front, and turns with a wicked grin. There’s no way to miss the hard bulge in his pants and my stomach drops.

I push away and make a shooing motion for Ivy to step back so I can get the hell out of here. “Line, uh, one, you said?”

Ivy nods.

“Great, thanks,” I say and jog down to my office, swiping a finger around my lips to wipe away my smeared gloss. Once I reach it, I close the door and sink against it for a moment.Oh, no. What did I do?I catch a glimpse of my dazed reflection in a mirror on the wall and see my hair is falling out and I look a mess.

Actually, I look like a woman who was just kissed really well and thoroughly by a man who specializes in lip action.

Shit, shit, shit.

Pushing off the door, I walk around my desk and sit in my chair. After I compose myself, I grab the receiver and hit line one. “Hello, Mr. Lowe,” I say. “How are you?”

“I’m well, Charlie, and please call me Jordan.”

“Yes, of course, Jordan,” I say. Jordan Lowe is a potential client who has a nice voice and is handsome as the devil. Even though he’s flirted with me a few times, I’ve always kept him at arm’s length. Our official presentation to his firm is coming up fast and I hope everything is still on track with him. “We’re still on your books for our meeting, right?”

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