Page 12 of One Hot Deal

"Of course I am.I'm on duty."

"But you look…" She shakes off her shock and reverts to her usual stoic attitude."You didn't need to be so formal."

Time to enact my plan.

I back her up to the entryway wall."You like me in a suit.Said so yourself.I've seen the way you look at me and lick your lips when I'm dressed for work."

"Please.You are nothing more than an employee."

"Wrong.I don't work for you.We have a contract between our two businesses."I move even closer until my body brushes against hers."After last night, you can't deny we have chemistry."

"That is irrelevant.And I don't need you here today."

I hook a finger under her chin and lift until our gazes meet."It's my job to guard your body, Diana."

Her chest heaves, and seemingly without intending to do it, she traces her tongue over her lips.Yeah, she wants me.I want her too, but I realized early this morning that I can't be her baby donor and then walk away from my own child.I know Diana and I could have something together, but she's afraid to let anyone in.Maybe I have relationship baggage too, but I need to find out if Diana and I could have something together.To do that, I need her cooperation.I have a plan to show her what I believe she really wants and ease her into the rest.

I'm taking a big risk.She might panic and shut me out completely, but I have to try.

So I lower my head to within millimeters of her lips."I'm accepting your deal."

Her eyes go wide, which makes her seem so innocent and sweet that I want to hold her.But I need to take this one step at a time.

She stares into my eyes while hers remain wide."Why would you do that?"

"Because you asked me.I said yes, Diana, so you might want to thank me."

"I am…grateful for your participation."

Can't help chuckling."Participation?That's cute."

She puckers her lips and squints at me.

I pin her to the wall with my body."Let's get started on the baby-making right now."

Though her cheeks have turned pink, she tries to square her shoulders and give me a mulish look.But she only half succeeds."No.We will do this on my timeline."

"Which is what?Next month?Might as well get going right now."I palm her breast."I guarantee you'll love the way I knock you up."

"I don't appreciate your crude language."She takes hold of my hand and peels it away from her breast."My timeline."

"Uh-uh.I'm the one doing all the work in this arrangement, so I get to set the pace.We start right here, right now."

"Not in the entryway."

"Okay.Where, then?The bedroom sounds good to me.A nice, soft mattress…"

She manages to straighten her spine at last and lifts her chin."No bedrooms."

"How about the sofa?That would be hot too."

"I don't care if it's hot.Perhaps we should go back to your original idea—the turkey baster method.Then we wouldn't need to argue about where to do this."

Damn, she's sexy when she makes dumb-ass pronouncements.I hadn't been serious when I asked if that was how she planned on getting pregnant, but naturally, she latched on to it out of desperation.Yeah, she desperately wants to stop me from taking her in the bedroom or any comfortable, relaxed location.But I can adapt.

"I'm not arguing," I say."I'm negotiating."

She squints at me again, with her lips puckered again.

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