Page 21 of Tempting Her Forbidden Boss

‘This is only a two-bedroom town house, sweetheart. Mine is just up those stairs there.’

So he’d be sleeping above her. She was not thinking the naughty about that.

‘There’s a pretty high-tech security system I switch on at night,’ he said. ‘If you go outside, you’ll set off all the alarms. Even the balcony.’

‘Are you telling me I’m a prisoner in here?’

‘No. I’m telling you that if you go outside, you’ll set off all the alarms. If you want to go out you can, just call out to me first and I’ll disarm them.’

She relaxed a smidge. ‘I won’t want to go out.’

‘Great.’

He moved into her room and she followed, looking about at the light walls and rich coverings on the fantastically huge bed. She didn’t expect him to just drop the bags and turn so that she nearly bumped into him.

They both made like statues.

Except on the inside Dani’s vital organs were at war—her brain was shutting down while her heart was pumping faster than the pistons in a Formula One racing car.

When he was close like this all she could think about was kissing him again—and doing a whole lot more.Why don’t you?The little imp whispered inside her head.

Dani looked into his widened green eyes, teetering on losing herself in their mesmerising depths. He was so close and so aware.

Why didn’t she? Because it would be too easy. And Dani had never been one to take the easy option. She would neverbethe easy option—for all her tarty talk to him. A simple few minutes now would mean complicated mess later—that she did know. She was her mother’s daughter—susceptible to over-emotionality and that spelt weakness. Time after time she’d seen her mother’s softness used against her. And when Dani had finally opened up to someone, she’d been trodden over too. Independence and clear-headedness was all—she needed to reclaim both right now.

The defence Dani had learned was to challenge, to say something smart, even issue a sting. But only millimetres from Alex, it was taking everything she had to stay in control. That made her nervous—and in turn that increased her determination to succeed. Her body went even more rigid.

One, then two, long seconds passed. His mouth was clamped shut and his eyes narrowed. Then he laced his fingers together, put them on his head as if he were an apprehended offender, and stalked from the room.

FIVE

Danidragged herselffrom bed—havinggot to sleep only when the birds started their pre-dawn ‘say hello to each other’ chatter. She tugged up the trousers of her flannelette pyjamas and thudded down the stairs in search of coffee.

His tablet was on the breakfast table and the radio was blaring. Dani blinked, struggling to adjust to the light, all the activity and the smell of fresh cooking. Alex was dressed in another devastating suit, sitting at the table with a giant glass of juice and halfway through demolishing an omelette already.

He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth as he looked her over. Dani held her head high—okay, the pink-pig-stamped pjs were indefensible, but at least they weren’t sexy.

‘You want one?’ he asked. ‘Won’t take me a minute to whip it up.’

‘No, thanks.’ She turned her back on his blistering brightness. The wordswant oneandwhip it upcoming from his mouth made her thoughts go squirmingly naughty.

‘Not a morning person?’

Not when the night had been so long and she hadn’t had her necessary six solid hours and a couple more in the doze-zone. She hadn’t been able to move on from the doze-zone. Because the semi-conscious dreams she’d had there had been rampantly X-rated and out of control. So, no, she wasn’t athismorning person.

He made a small movement and the radio went silent. ‘What about cereal? There’s a selection in the pantry there.’

‘Got coffee?’

He stood. ‘How strong?’

‘As strong as you’ve got.’

Dani looked at the pantry while he pushed buttons and got the oversized coffee contraption working. The pantry was oversized too—not just a cupboard you opened and filled the shelves of, but a small room that you could actually walk into—complete with its own butler’s sink and small bench space. But despite her wanting to explore all the interesting-looking packs of foodie things on the shelves the space was just that bit too confined for her to feel comfortable. She walked out and inhaled.

‘Nothing you like the look of?’ Alex noted her empty hands.

Dani picked up the steaming mug he’d put on the table for her and told herself that there were plenty of other things in the whole entire world to like the look of. Not just Alex Carlisle.

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