Page 53 of Defying Her Arrogant Boss

‘It’s possible all right. Especially if she’s a tall, willowy type with big brown eyes and hair like golden honey.’ The words came out angrily, as if they were being forced out.

She turned to look at him as she registered the repetition of how he’d described her that first night. She hadn’t forgotten and now she knew he hadn’t either. He was still pale, still tense; his eyes flashed a message she was terrified of believing.

‘It’s possible.’ The heat in her cheeks became unbearable. Her heart thumped so hard she thought it might burst from her body. But she took her courage in both hands and jumped. ‘Especially if he had wickedly gleaming green eyes and a smile high-wattage enough to melt the Antarctic.’

The tension broke to a tentative dawn. He leaned a little closer, the vestige of one of those smiles playing at the comers of his full mouth. ‘Are you going to lay your cards on the table, Lissa?’

‘I thought I’d let you go first,’ she whispered, unable to stop leaning towards him too, unable to stop the hope burgeoning in her heart, breathing deeply for the first time in days.

He spoke quickly, intently. ‘I can’t go falling in love with someone else, Lissa, because I only have one heart and it’s already been taken.’ He reached out and took her chin in his hand, the touch light and yet it kicked her desire level sky-high.

‘I fell in love with you the minute I saw you stepping out onto the balcony that night. I couldn’t stop myself following you, wanting to meet you, find out about you. At first I put it down to sheer lust, but I was deluding myself. It’s always been more.’ He inched closer. ‘I love you.’

He drew her closer still, so their lips were almost touching.

‘I love you too, Rory.’ The admission whispered out just as he moved to close the gap entirely.

He pulled back instantly. ‘Say that again.’

‘I love you.’

He gripped her upper arms, squeezing as if checking she really was there. ‘Thank God.’ And then he kissed her. Tiny kisses over and over, all over until she begged him to kiss her properly. And when he did she felt sure she’d died and gone to heaven.

‘We have a lot of talking to do,’ he muttered before claiming her mouth again.

None of it got done in the cab. The rest of the ride back to his flat was spent indulging in lush kisses that soothed and inflamed at the same time.

He made her wait while he quickly lugged her bags inside. She could hardly contain her excitement, didn’t want him disappearing from view for even those few seconds. Returning to her, he took her hand as she stepped out and then swung her into his arms.

‘No more snowboard-style?’ she teased.

‘Hell, no!’ He laughed. ‘At least, not for about eight months or so. Besides, I’m practising.’

‘What for?’

‘The whole over-the-threshold thing.’

He carried her indoors, marching straight to his bedroom.

‘I thought you might need a lie-down.’

‘Oh, absolutely.’

He stood her on her feet, but still cradled her to him, his hand sweeping down her back in long strokes. She flared, wanting to be with him, wanting to make love.

Then his stomach rumbled.

She giggled.

‘I didn’t have lunch.’ He grinned back ruefully.

‘So what do you fancy, then?’ she asked.

His smile was immediate and broad. ‘Well,’ he said, musing slowly, ‘I thought I’d have this for starters.’ He traced his finger around her lips, pulling the lower one down a little and brushing the inside. A ripple of excitement went through her. He lifted his finger from her lips and she licked them in anticipation.

‘Then,’ he continued softly, not taking his eyes from hers, ‘I thought I’d have these for main.’ He took one breast in each hand and with his thumbs stroked slightly. She was sure he was able to feel the taut nipples through her sweatshirt. She smiled, liking the idea so far.

‘And then—’ he was smiling with a devilish glint now ‘—I thought I’d have this for dessert.’ He slid a hand down and brazenly rubbed across her belly and curved into her pelvis.

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