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Authors: Mallory Kane
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her robe to touch a scrape on her cheek.
He moaned deep in his throat.
She blinked. She’d heard him.
Get it together, he admonished himself as she clutched the robe together more tightly.
She moistened her lips. It was a nervous gesture, since her face and mouth were still damp from the shower. The sight of her tongue nearly sent him over the edge.
He had to get out of there before he embarrassed himself. He clenched his jaw and took a step backward, as if being a foot farther away from her would break the spell of desire she’d cast over him.
“I wanted to thank you…” Breathless, he stopped, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look. I’ll leave so you can dress.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to thank me. I did what anyone would do.”
“No. Two of my trusted employees were there, and yet the only person who protected Ben without thought to her own safety was you.”
“I scared him.” Regret pooled in her eyes like tears. “I didn’t mean to—”
A thin drop of blood trickled from just above her wrist. Without thinking, he stepped close to her and pushed up the sleeve of her robe. Ugly red scratches covered her arms. He ran a finger along her forearm. “Some of these are bad. We should get them bandaged. There’s a first aid kit in the bathroom. In the cabinet.”
She looked up at him.
“This is my room,” he said with a shrug.
She’d suspected it. Although his clothes were gone, there was a stark masculinity about the room. And of course, he’d sleep next door to Ben.
But he’d put her in his room, and now she was sleeping in his bed, using his shower, standing nakedin the same room where he’d stood naked. The vision that accompanied her thoughts was vivid, erotic…and impossible. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the delicious, dangerous daydreams.
“Let me help you with those scratches—” He stepped closer.
“I can take care of them,” she murmured.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
A drop of water fell from her lashes to her cheek, and a spear of longing pierced him.
“Your son is very special,” she said.
He nodded.
She lifted her head a fraction of an inch, her pale lashes making her eyes seem wider and greener. He traced his thumb across her wrist.
She stiffened and pulled her hand away.
Suddenly jarred out of the mesmerizing haze of desire, he was embarrassed at how natural and necessary it had seemed that he touch her.
He backed away. “Okay then. I’ll leave you to dress.” He turned on his heel. At the hall door he stopped. “By the way, your equipment is here.”
“I’ll get right to work. I was on my way to the lab.”
Dylan disappeared through the door.
Natasha’s hand flew to her mouth. She sucked in a long, shaky breath as she looked down at herself. A sharp, thrilling shiver tightened her thighs. She’d been practically naked, with Dylan Stryker’s blazing eyes on her—on every part of her.
She wiped her face with both hands.
Concentrate, she admonished herself. She didn’t have time for an adolescent crush on the handsome doctor. She had to get her new equipment installed and catch a hacker.
F OURTEEN HOURS LATER Tom’s fist squeezed the phone. He’d listened to enough babbling. He was sick of it. “Shut up! I just want to know one thing. Are you ready?”
“Yes, but—”
“Good, because it’s going down right now. Are you sure the west door is unlocked?”
“I checked it myself, an hour or so ago. I almost got caught. I heard somebody on the back stairs.”
“At three o’clock in the morning? Who?”
“I didn’t see them.”
“And they didn’t see or hear you, right?”
“Of course not.”
“You’d better hope not. Call me as soon as you can. Remember, we’re not expecting this to cause any real damage. We just want to convince Stryker that his kid’s not safe there. That news helicopter fiasco should make it even easier.”
He hadn’t missed the significance of the video
He moaned deep in his throat.
She blinked. She’d heard him.
Get it together, he admonished himself as she clutched the robe together more tightly.
She moistened her lips. It was a nervous gesture, since her face and mouth were still damp from the shower. The sight of her tongue nearly sent him over the edge.
He had to get out of there before he embarrassed himself. He clenched his jaw and took a step backward, as if being a foot farther away from her would break the spell of desire she’d cast over him.
“I wanted to thank you…” Breathless, he stopped, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look. I’ll leave so you can dress.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to thank me. I did what anyone would do.”
“No. Two of my trusted employees were there, and yet the only person who protected Ben without thought to her own safety was you.”
“I scared him.” Regret pooled in her eyes like tears. “I didn’t mean to—”
A thin drop of blood trickled from just above her wrist. Without thinking, he stepped close to her and pushed up the sleeve of her robe. Ugly red scratches covered her arms. He ran a finger along her forearm. “Some of these are bad. We should get them bandaged. There’s a first aid kit in the bathroom. In the cabinet.”
She looked up at him.
“This is my room,” he said with a shrug.
She’d suspected it. Although his clothes were gone, there was a stark masculinity about the room. And of course, he’d sleep next door to Ben.
But he’d put her in his room, and now she was sleeping in his bed, using his shower, standing nakedin the same room where he’d stood naked. The vision that accompanied her thoughts was vivid, erotic…and impossible. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the delicious, dangerous daydreams.
“Let me help you with those scratches—” He stepped closer.
“I can take care of them,” she murmured.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
A drop of water fell from her lashes to her cheek, and a spear of longing pierced him.
“Your son is very special,” she said.
He nodded.
She lifted her head a fraction of an inch, her pale lashes making her eyes seem wider and greener. He traced his thumb across her wrist.
She stiffened and pulled her hand away.
Suddenly jarred out of the mesmerizing haze of desire, he was embarrassed at how natural and necessary it had seemed that he touch her.
He backed away. “Okay then. I’ll leave you to dress.” He turned on his heel. At the hall door he stopped. “By the way, your equipment is here.”
“I’ll get right to work. I was on my way to the lab.”
Dylan disappeared through the door.
Natasha’s hand flew to her mouth. She sucked in a long, shaky breath as she looked down at herself. A sharp, thrilling shiver tightened her thighs. She’d been practically naked, with Dylan Stryker’s blazing eyes on her—on every part of her.
She wiped her face with both hands.
Concentrate, she admonished herself. She didn’t have time for an adolescent crush on the handsome doctor. She had to get her new equipment installed and catch a hacker.
F OURTEEN HOURS LATER Tom’s fist squeezed the phone. He’d listened to enough babbling. He was sick of it. “Shut up! I just want to know one thing. Are you ready?”
“Yes, but—”
“Good, because it’s going down right now. Are you sure the west door is unlocked?”
“I checked it myself, an hour or so ago. I almost got caught. I heard somebody on the back stairs.”
“At three o’clock in the morning? Who?”
“I didn’t see them.”
“And they didn’t see or hear you, right?”
“Of course not.”
“You’d better hope not. Call me as soon as you can. Remember, we’re not expecting this to cause any real damage. We just want to convince Stryker that his kid’s not safe there. That news helicopter fiasco should make it even easier.”
He hadn’t missed the significance of the video
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