coats in his arms. She wished desperately that she could steal a bit of his calmness, but then he wasn't affected by her the way she was by him. No man had ever made her senses come alive the way Brandt did.
Joan felt the need to speak, but the impulse died in her throat as Brandt glanced at her and smiled, a lazy smile that seemed to understand her schoolgirl apprehensions. She chided herself for worrying. It was all one-sided.
Rising to her feet, she helped him drape the coats over the side chairs so the inner linings would be exposed to the heat. When that was completed, she clasped her hands together, holding them above the heater as if they were cold.
"I almost wish we'd decided to use your office today so at least the room would be warm." Her mouth curved weakly into a smile.
"If the sofa wasn't so heavy and cumbersome, I'd move it in here." Brandt's gaze was centered on the middle point between her shoulderblades. She could sense it as surely as if she had eyes in the back of her head. "In a few minutes", he continued in that same quiet, assuring voice, "I'll take the heater in my office and get the worst of the chill off the room."
If there had been a clock in the room, Joan didn't think its ticking could have drowned out the sound of her heartbeat. Last night there hadn't been any real opportunity to dwell on the thought of sleeping with Brandt. There had been no premeditation involved. Now, knowing that within a few minutes she would be walking into the office, slipping off her shoes and lying down on the sofa to wait for Brandt to stretch his form beside her, she feared she would betray her intense awareness of him.
She started visibly when Brandt stepped forward to remove the coats from the chairs. Except for a darting glance, he made no comment as he wrapped the jackets together to retain their heat. Behind the veil of her lashes, she watched him pick up the heater and carry it into his office.
When he hadn't returned in a few minutes, Joan knew she couldn't wait any longer. Her nerves were already scraped and raw. Extinguishing all but one candle, she draped the coats over her arm and picked up the remaining lit candle.
"Leave the door open." Brandt said, not even glancing up when she entered the room.
He was bending over the heater and she could only guess that he was turning it off. She sat the candle on the table beside the sofa, not letting her gaze be pulled by the magnetic attraction of his presence. The air in the room was still decidedly brisk, but much warmer than it had been.
"I'll go and shut the window in your office while you get ready." His voice came from the direction of the open door.
"Okay," acknowledged Joan, since there seemed to be a necessity for a reply to his clipped statement.
Taking up her position along the back of the sofa, she arranged the coat over her legs and was trying to keep an ample amount of the top coat available for Brandt when he softly entered the office. There was an electric quality about the air, like the charged moments before a thunderstorm.
The candle was blown out, draping the room in darkness. For a moment Joan was completely blinded by the lack of light. Then there was the supple controlled movement as Brandt's weight was lowered on to the cushions. Instinctively she held her breath, bracing herself for the contact with his hard form. There was no hesitation in the way he familiarly settled himself beside her, adjusting the curves of her body to fit his. Her breathing, when it returned, came in fitful spasms of blissful pain at being so near and forcing herself not to reveal the effect he had on her.
"Comfortable?" he asked with a deep husky quality to his voice that caressingly moved the air near her face.
"Yes," Joan breathed with difficulty.
"It's warmer than last night." The light tone was supposed to relax her.
"Yes," she answered again, but it was the heat in her cheeks and neck that was causing her the most discomfort. A fire seemed to have
Joan felt the need to speak, but the impulse died in her throat as Brandt glanced at her and smiled, a lazy smile that seemed to understand her schoolgirl apprehensions. She chided herself for worrying. It was all one-sided.
Rising to her feet, she helped him drape the coats over the side chairs so the inner linings would be exposed to the heat. When that was completed, she clasped her hands together, holding them above the heater as if they were cold.
"I almost wish we'd decided to use your office today so at least the room would be warm." Her mouth curved weakly into a smile.
"If the sofa wasn't so heavy and cumbersome, I'd move it in here." Brandt's gaze was centered on the middle point between her shoulderblades. She could sense it as surely as if she had eyes in the back of her head. "In a few minutes", he continued in that same quiet, assuring voice, "I'll take the heater in my office and get the worst of the chill off the room."
If there had been a clock in the room, Joan didn't think its ticking could have drowned out the sound of her heartbeat. Last night there hadn't been any real opportunity to dwell on the thought of sleeping with Brandt. There had been no premeditation involved. Now, knowing that within a few minutes she would be walking into the office, slipping off her shoes and lying down on the sofa to wait for Brandt to stretch his form beside her, she feared she would betray her intense awareness of him.
She started visibly when Brandt stepped forward to remove the coats from the chairs. Except for a darting glance, he made no comment as he wrapped the jackets together to retain their heat. Behind the veil of her lashes, she watched him pick up the heater and carry it into his office.
When he hadn't returned in a few minutes, Joan knew she couldn't wait any longer. Her nerves were already scraped and raw. Extinguishing all but one candle, she draped the coats over her arm and picked up the remaining lit candle.
"Leave the door open." Brandt said, not even glancing up when she entered the room.
He was bending over the heater and she could only guess that he was turning it off. She sat the candle on the table beside the sofa, not letting her gaze be pulled by the magnetic attraction of his presence. The air in the room was still decidedly brisk, but much warmer than it had been.
"I'll go and shut the window in your office while you get ready." His voice came from the direction of the open door.
"Okay," acknowledged Joan, since there seemed to be a necessity for a reply to his clipped statement.
Taking up her position along the back of the sofa, she arranged the coat over her legs and was trying to keep an ample amount of the top coat available for Brandt when he softly entered the office. There was an electric quality about the air, like the charged moments before a thunderstorm.
The candle was blown out, draping the room in darkness. For a moment Joan was completely blinded by the lack of light. Then there was the supple controlled movement as Brandt's weight was lowered on to the cushions. Instinctively she held her breath, bracing herself for the contact with his hard form. There was no hesitation in the way he familiarly settled himself beside her, adjusting the curves of her body to fit his. Her breathing, when it returned, came in fitful spasms of blissful pain at being so near and forcing herself not to reveal the effect he had on her.
"Comfortable?" he asked with a deep husky quality to his voice that caressingly moved the air near her face.
"Yes," Joan breathed with difficulty.
"It's warmer than last night." The light tone was supposed to relax her.
"Yes," she answered again, but it was the heat in her cheeks and neck that was causing her the most discomfort. A fire seemed to have
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