waited for her reply.
Gillian curled her fingers into her palm and tried to still the racing of her heart. There was nothing she could do about her trembling voice. “You may not take such liberties.”
“Of course you’re right.” Moving away from the car and bending his knees just a little, Drew met her gaze at eye level. Speaking oh so softly to her, he said, “Know what I think you should do about it, Gillian?”
The way he kept using her name was as effective as his touch. “I am not quitting.”
“Good.” He straightened and, still holding her wrist, stepped closer. “I don’t want you to. Not anymore.”
He didn’t? “Then . . . what?”
Close to her ear, his jaw brushing her cheek, he whispered, “I think you should come by my house tonight so we can get all this sexual tension out of the way. What do you say?”
Yes. “No.” As much to convince herself as to deny him, she shook her head. She had a job to do, an important, well-paid job that would enable her to start her own company wherever she wanted. “It wouldn’t be ethical.”
Putting his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face. “And ethics are the only thing keeping you out of my bed?”
How could she answer that without further exacerbating the situation?
When she said nothing, his eyes darkened. “You’re telling me that you’re as attracted to me as I am to you? If we weren’t working together, you’d be saying yes instead of no?”
“Drew . . .” Floundering, Gillian lifted her shoulders. “The fact is that we are working together and getting personally involved with you would discredit me to my employers.”
“Well, damn, woman.” He cupped her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I’m going to have to see how I can remedy the conflict.”
Gillian started to say something—she had no idea what—and his cell phone rang.
After a hesitation where he visibly struggled with himself, responsibility won out and he glanced at the caller ID.
“Damn it, I’m sorry. I need to answer this.” Taking a step away from her, he said, “Give me just a second,” and he opened the phone.
Still unnerved, unsure what to do, Gillian stood there. Maybe she should just get the sexual tension out of the way. After all, they were both adults, both free of romantic commitments. If she lost this opportunity to explore the hottest sexual attraction she’d ever experienced, wouldn’t she regret it later? How much harm could it really do . . . ?
No. Putting a hand to her brow, she turned away from Drew. What in the world was she thinking? She was a rational, reasonable woman. She was not a woman influenced by base desires.
At least, she hadn’t been that kind of woman before meeting Drew Black.
Drew’s voice rose with an edge of urgency, reclaiming her attention.
Judging by his expression and tone, it was not good news. It’d be best if she excused herself now and gave him some privacy for his call.
But when she gave a short wave and started to ease away, he reached out and caught her hand. He didn’t look at her, and frustration showed in his stiffened shoulders and the set of his jaw. But his hold on her hand was gentle, a request rather than a restraint.
Gillian subsided, willing to wait for him to finish the call.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in . . .” He glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes or so, give or take traffic.” He returned the phone to his pocket, drew her close, and kissed her, but it was a quick kiss of frustration. And then he just frowned at her.
Gillian sputtered. “What . . . ?”
“I like you, Gillian Noode. Hell of a predicament, isn’t it?”
“I, ah . . .”
Releasing her, Drew ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I don’t suppose you could change your plans tonight?”
If she had any sense, she’d take him to task over that careless kiss; the man truly knew no boundaries. But at the moment, a bad foreboding got the better of her.
Gillian let out a breath. “What’s
Gillian curled her fingers into her palm and tried to still the racing of her heart. There was nothing she could do about her trembling voice. “You may not take such liberties.”
“Of course you’re right.” Moving away from the car and bending his knees just a little, Drew met her gaze at eye level. Speaking oh so softly to her, he said, “Know what I think you should do about it, Gillian?”
The way he kept using her name was as effective as his touch. “I am not quitting.”
“Good.” He straightened and, still holding her wrist, stepped closer. “I don’t want you to. Not anymore.”
He didn’t? “Then . . . what?”
Close to her ear, his jaw brushing her cheek, he whispered, “I think you should come by my house tonight so we can get all this sexual tension out of the way. What do you say?”
Yes. “No.” As much to convince herself as to deny him, she shook her head. She had a job to do, an important, well-paid job that would enable her to start her own company wherever she wanted. “It wouldn’t be ethical.”
Putting his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face. “And ethics are the only thing keeping you out of my bed?”
How could she answer that without further exacerbating the situation?
When she said nothing, his eyes darkened. “You’re telling me that you’re as attracted to me as I am to you? If we weren’t working together, you’d be saying yes instead of no?”
“Drew . . .” Floundering, Gillian lifted her shoulders. “The fact is that we are working together and getting personally involved with you would discredit me to my employers.”
“Well, damn, woman.” He cupped her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I’m going to have to see how I can remedy the conflict.”
Gillian started to say something—she had no idea what—and his cell phone rang.
After a hesitation where he visibly struggled with himself, responsibility won out and he glanced at the caller ID.
“Damn it, I’m sorry. I need to answer this.” Taking a step away from her, he said, “Give me just a second,” and he opened the phone.
Still unnerved, unsure what to do, Gillian stood there. Maybe she should just get the sexual tension out of the way. After all, they were both adults, both free of romantic commitments. If she lost this opportunity to explore the hottest sexual attraction she’d ever experienced, wouldn’t she regret it later? How much harm could it really do . . . ?
No. Putting a hand to her brow, she turned away from Drew. What in the world was she thinking? She was a rational, reasonable woman. She was not a woman influenced by base desires.
At least, she hadn’t been that kind of woman before meeting Drew Black.
Drew’s voice rose with an edge of urgency, reclaiming her attention.
Judging by his expression and tone, it was not good news. It’d be best if she excused herself now and gave him some privacy for his call.
But when she gave a short wave and started to ease away, he reached out and caught her hand. He didn’t look at her, and frustration showed in his stiffened shoulders and the set of his jaw. But his hold on her hand was gentle, a request rather than a restraint.
Gillian subsided, willing to wait for him to finish the call.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in . . .” He glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes or so, give or take traffic.” He returned the phone to his pocket, drew her close, and kissed her, but it was a quick kiss of frustration. And then he just frowned at her.
Gillian sputtered. “What . . . ?”
“I like you, Gillian Noode. Hell of a predicament, isn’t it?”
“I, ah . . .”
Releasing her, Drew ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I don’t suppose you could change your plans tonight?”
If she had any sense, she’d take him to task over that careless kiss; the man truly knew no boundaries. But at the moment, a bad foreboding got the better of her.
Gillian let out a breath. “What’s
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