“Of course not.”

  He closed the laptop and stood. He needed to put some space between them before he said or did something else insane. “Thanks.”

  He was almost to the door when she called his name. He faced her, and she looked down for a moment before catching his eye again.

  “I agreed to six months,” she said. “But I would consider staying longer if…”

  He cocked a brow. “If?”

  “If I had more keeping me here than…just a job.”

  He silently warned himself not to say the words trying to force themselves up this throat. “You mean like…friends.”

  The corner of her mouth lifted. “Friends are good.”

  “And…a better apartment.”

  “That would be nice.”

  “Maybe you could join a club or volunteer somewhere. That would help you meet new people.”

  “That’s one idea.”

  “And we could scour the classifieds. Find you a better apartment.”

  She rounded the table and stopped in front of him. “How long are we going to play this game, Graham?”

  “This is no game, Andi.”

  “What is it?”

  “I have no idea, but it worries me. Something this hot is bound to burn. Don’t you think?”

  “So for the next six months or more, we stare at each other through the window? Sit close enough to touch but never do? That’s got to be just as dangerous, don’t you think?”

  As always, he saw her logic. But what was he supposed to do? “I’m your boss.”

  “That’s a terrible excuse.” She pulled the door open just enough to slip out, taking her heat, her scent, and temptation with her.

  Holy hell. Had she actually insinuated that she’d be willing to stay in Texas if Graham screwed her? Andi closed her eyes and groaned with embarrassment. She’d kept her back to him the rest of the afternoon, not daring to get caught in one of their intense stare-offs. Resisting the urge hadn’t been easy, but she’d managed to not openly lust after him for a good two hours.

  He was offering her everything she ever wanted out of her career, and she was going to blow it. Again. Only this time, it would be her lust instead of her ego that got her in trouble.

  He had drawn the line Saturday night. Why hadn’t she just respected that? Why hadn’t she abided by his clear statement that this thing between them wasn’t going to happen? He’d been perfectly clear, but did she listen? No. In true Andrea Davidson fashion, she ignored the flashing neon signs and jumped in headfirst.

  “Damn it,” she whispered.

  And the worst part was she could swear his stare was boring into the back of her head. She seemed to have a sixth sense for when he was looking at her. How else could she explain how they always seemed to get locked in a battle of longing gazes? She could barely breathe under the weight of her humiliation.

  Finally she grabbed her purse. She wasn’t going to get anything done the rest of the day anyway. She poked her head in his office long enough to say, “I’ve got to take care of some things. I’ll be back.”

  “Andi,” he called.

  She popped her head back in. “Hmm?”

  “What things?”

  She wasn’t prepared to answer that, so she shrugged. “Things.”

  The sunlight warmed her face as soon as she stepped onto the sidewalk. In the middle of the afternoon, the town square was quiet. Peaceful. She could get used to this, actually. In a place like this, there wouldn’t be a top to claw her way to.

  There weren’t any big scoops to be had.

  But what was here? A newspaper she could rebuild and a man willing to let her. But what about that man?

  She was going to get in over her head with him if they crossed that line. She was going to drown in him. He seemed to fear the same could happen to him. She couldn’t understand what it was between them, but she knew he was right. One of them was bound to come out on the losing end.

  Considering her track record, she would guess it’d be her. She didn’t want to lose anymore. She didn’t want to give up her dream again. She walked into the coffee shop, the scent of freshly brewed coffee enticing her to the counter. By the time she reached the smiling barista, Andi knew what she did want: a large café mocha and a second chance at her journalism career.

  Drink in hand, she marched back to the Gazette and into Graham’s office. She closed the door behind her and dropped into a seat across from him, trying not to notice how the closed blinds made his office feel even more intimate.

  “That didn’t take long,” he pointed out.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “I’ll stay. I’ll be full-time. Permanent. And this thing”—she gestured between them—“whatever it is, is just…not going to happen. Like we said the other night. Just not happening.” She forced away the embarrassment that was creeping up on her as he sat blank-faced across from her. “So. That’s…that’s what I’ve decided.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.” Standing, she took a breath and pulled her shoulders back, confident in her chosen path. “By the end of the week, I’ll have a solid plan for how to transition distribution and a new layout. We can start planning to implement the changes at the beginning of the next quarter.”

  “Okay.”

  She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but she was hoping he’d say more than just that one word. He didn’t.

  “Okay,” she repeated and turned toward the door. Before she could open it, she sensed his heat closing in on her. His palm rested against the door, stopping her from opening it. Turning slowly, she looked up at the raw desire in his eyes.

  “Being your boss isn’t an excuse. It’s a fact we can’t change. Getting involved with each other on a personal level could prove disastrous.”

  She swallowed as his breath whispered over her cheeks as he exhaled. “I agree.”

  “We need to…”

  “Get it out of our systems,” she suggested without thinking.

  “I was going to say keep fighting it.”

  “Oh. Well then, maybe you should take about three steps back.”

  His eyes skimmed her face, focused on her lips, and then he put some space between them. Except when he lowered his hand from the door, he ran his fingers down her arm and grasped her hand. With one firm tug, he yanked her against him and slithered his arm around her waist.

  Her heart sank and soared at the same time. Some crazy mixed emotion filled her so suddenly she had to gasp for a breath.

  With his other hand, Graham took her coffee cup and set it on his desk. Focusing on her, he searched her eyes, as if seeking out any reservations she might have.

  She didn’t have any. Not one. Not a single hesitation. She let him know that by offering him a sly smile.

  “I like your idea better,” he said. “But I have to know that you’re in this with me. Tell me you want me as much as I want you.”

  She could barely find her voice but managed to whisper, “I want you, Graham.”

  He crashed his mouth against her, and she felt as if she could finally breathe again. She dug her fingers into his hair as he thrust his tongue into her mouth and kissed her with the desperate passion that had been building for the last two weeks. He responded by turning their bodies and taking several steps until he could lift her onto his desk. They both ignored the cup of pens that scattered across the floor.

  She parted her legs, and Graham moved between them. Though her skirt had already ridden up several inches, he pushed her hem higher until he could pull her body snugly to his. The heat of his body surrounded her, enticing her as it had done so many times before, only now she wasn’t going to back down. She wrapped her legs around his thighs and kissed him harder.

  He ground against her, pressing his crotch to hers. She broke the contact between their mouths to gasp for oxygen as electric waves rolled from between her legs and made her entire body rock. The moan that rose from his chest almost sounded like a wild animal. She dropped her head back as he grasped her breast, holding tight as his other hand kept her pressed against him.

  Dear God, fucking this man was going to be glorious.

  She wanted him to tear her clothes away, take her right there on the desk, and she probably would have asked him to if the phone next to them hadn’t started ringing. He didn’t answer it, but it was enough to break the spell. Breathless, Andi rested her forehead to his and dragged her hand over his chest, wanting to feel every inch of him.

  “This is crazy,” Graham panted.

  “Mm-hmm.”

  He dropped his head and suckled her neck. “Things are so up in the air for both of us.”

  “I know.”

  “We are insane to even think about getting involved.”

  “Yes.”

  Graham chuckled as he leaned back and stroked her hair. “If I had known that kissing you would make you so damned agreeable, I’d have done it the day I met you.”

  “Think of all the trouble you’d have saved us.”

  He brushed his thumb along her cheek. “This could be a horrible mistake.”

  “I know.” She wiped the grin from her face. “We don’t know each other very well, but clearly we need each other. You can’t run this paper without me, and no one else in his or her right mind would ever give me this chance. The logical thing to do would be to pretend like we aren’t attracted to each other, but…I think we’d both slowly lose our minds, don’t you?”

  “I’m already losing my mind.”

  She laughed softly. “That’s just not having what you want. Seeing the cookie on the plate but not being allowed to eat it. Denying yourself only makes temptation worse.”

  “So we should just…get this out of our system,” he suggested, repeating her solution.

  “Couldn’t hurt to try. You know, there is a really good chance that you’re lousy in bed and I won’t ever want to sleep with you again.”

  He rested his hands on her parted knees. Staring into her eyes, he kept just enough space between them that she could feel his breath but his lips didn’t touch hers. Lightly tracing his hands up her thighs, he tickled her skin and sent those electrical waves coursing through her core again. His hands stopped at the hem of her skirt, which was now high enough that just a hint of light pink panties peeked out.

  He brushed his thumbs on either side of the undergarment. Not touching her center but close enough that her breath hitched. He did so again, and the third time, he leaned down and brushed his nose along her neck. She swallowed the whimper that was rising in her but couldn’t stop herself from sighing when he dragged his lips along her neck. The warmth of his mouth moved higher until he gently sank his teeth into her earlobe.

  As he did, he firmly dragged his thumb over the area that he’d been teasing. “I guarantee you’ll want me again.” He stroked over her. “And again and again.” Every time he said the words, he rubbed the bundle of nerves that had come alive with his teasing.

  “I think you’re right,” she breathed.

  He chuckled quietly. “Say that again.”

  “Oh, you’re right.” She tilted her hips, desperate to feel more of his touch. Gripping his shoulders, she clung to him. “I will tell you anything you want to hear if you just never stop doing that.”

  “This?” he asked, flicking her clitoris again.

  She moaned from deep in her chest. “What are the odds that you’ll have sex with me right here, right now?”

  “Not good, I’m afraid. I might be lacking some serious morals by making out with my employee in my office, but we have to draw the line somewhere.”

  “No,” she said with a pout. “No lines. We don’t need lines. Boundaries are for losers.”

  He cupped her face, kissed her again, and then helped her down from the desk. Pushing the hem of her skirt down, he took a deep breath. “Would you like to come home with me?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  10

  Graham walked at a fast clip. So fast that Andi was very nearly trotting beside him. He didn’t care. If she needed him to, he’d pick her up and carry her. He just had to get to his apartment and finish what they’d started.

  Neither spoke as they rushed along and finally turned to a hidden staircase beside the bakery. He grasped her hand and pulled her along as he climbed toward his door. Toward paradise.

  He could still smell her excitement. Her scent had filled his nostrils and made silent promises that had him hard and ready to explode. He didn’t bother putting his keys on the table near the door. He just tossed them down and yanked Andi against his chest. Digging his hands into her hair, he held her as he kissed her hard while they stumbled toward the bedroom.

  He lifted her just enough that her feet left the floor so he could situate her on the bed. Leaning over her, he tugged at his buttons. “You too,” he instructed when she lay still, watching him undress.

  That was all the motivation she needed. Sitting up, she worked on getting her shirt off. She parted the front, and he had to swallow. The lacy bra holding her breasts high on her chest was damn near see-through. The outline of dark areolas made his mouth water. Using his toes, he pushed his shoes off one at a time as he unbuckled his belt.

  “Keep going,” he insisted.

  She grinned and reached behind her back. Then there was no barrier between him and the mounds of flesh he fully intended to memorize. Shoving his pants and boxer briefs down in one swift motion, he opened the drawer of his nightstand, grabbing a condom as she pushed her skirt over her hips.

  He yanked away what was left of her clothing as she leaned back. Like the hair on her head, the thin patch between her legs was dark and inviting. Putting his knee on the edge of the bed, he dove in, putting his mouth against her center, finally tasting what he’d been denying himself.

  She fisted his hair, tugging and pushing at the same time as she rolled her hips up to meet him. She responded to him like a finely tuned instrument, moaning and moving as if he’d been strumming her strings all their lives. Sliding his fingers into her waiting body, he rolled his tongue over her clitoris, and she whimpered.

  She was more than ready for him, and he couldn’t wait a minute longer. Tearing the condom open, he was covered and between her thighs in seconds. Meeting her gaze, more than familiar with the heat that passed between their eyes, he shoved his hips forward.

  She rolled her eyes shut as he entered her in one smooth move. Goddamn it, she felt like home. Like this was where he was meant to be. He had been hell-bent on slamming into her, on making her scream his name, and for once bending her to his will instead of the other way around, but his body didn’t obey.

  He eased back from his initial thrust and slowed his pace. This wasn’t just a means to an end. This wasn’t just a quick fuck to ease the tension. Something deep inside told him this was much more.

  Fate wasn’t a word he’d ever use, but in that moment he was certain every step he’d ever taken had been to bring him here. Putting his mouth to hers, he kissed her with far less passion than they’d shared just moments before. He was tender, gentle, taking his time to absorb each sensation.

  Her heat. Her taste. Her scent.

  Moving deeper into her body, he stroked her hair and whispered her name. She opened her eyes, and he saw the same emotional turmoil he was feeling. He wasn’t alone in this crazy sense of serendipity. She was there too. Right there with him. Like she’d been since the moment she’d stormed into his life.

  She didn’t seem as content with the feeling, however. She leaned up and kissed him hard before bucking him off her and pushing him onto his back. She straddled his hips and picked up the pace, returning to the frenzied need that had brought them here.

  He didn’t fight the change. In fact, he gripped her hips and helped her stay balanced as he thrust harder and faster into her. She braced her hands on his chest and stared into his eyes as he ground into her. He knew she was getting close by the way she bit her lip and moaned. It amazed him how well he knew her already.

  Slamming their bodies together brought quick relief for her, and he almost thanked her. He couldn’t hold on much longer, but damned if he was going to finish before her.

  With one final shove, he buried himself deep inside and grunted as he came. She collapsed onto his chest, and he hugged her to him. He laughed quietly when she heaved a huge sigh. He kissed her long and slow before rolling to sit on the edge of the bed. “Shower?”

  “Pizza.”

  “Shower and then pizza.”

  She looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling as she smirked. “Shower, pizza, and then more sex.”

  “Oh, there will be more sex.” He walked into the bathroom to get the water started.

  Andi jolted when, out of nowhere, Mick Jagger started screaming about being a beast of burden. She opened her eyes enough to watch a hand reach around her and grab a phone. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling as Graham turned off his alarm and pulled her against his chest.

  Content to stay snuggled with him all day, she pulled his arm more tightly around her and pressed into him. “Well, good morning to you too,” she teased at the feel of his erection against her.

  “Shh. I was having a fantastic dream about you. Don’t ruin it by talking,” he mumbled.

  “Hey.” She swatted at the hand that was around her, and he tightened his hold in response.

  He pressed his face into her hair and inhaled deeply. “God, you smell good. No wonder I’ve been dreaming about you all night.”

  She knew the grin on her face was goofy, but she didn’t care. “You dream about me every night.”

  “That’s true. We have to get up,” he said, even though he was the one holding her to him. “We have to get ready for work.”

  Rolling over, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the warmth of his chest. “Just five more minutes.” The few minutes before his alarm went off for the second time weren’t nearly long enough, and when it did she moaned with misery. “Five more minutes.”

  This time Graham rolled her onto her back and braced himself over her as he turned off the alarm. “We’ll be late.”

 

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