dropping her head back and closing her eyes for a moment. Her neck and shoulders were stiff as hell, already, and her head was pounding. The pain killer wasn’t doing a bit of good.
“You’re not feeling so hot, are you?” Gabe asked as he entered.
She didn’t bother opening her eyes. “I’m fine.”
“You’re a bad liar.”
She listened to his footsteps approach. As each one grew closer, her nerve endings prepared for the shock of his touch. Where would it be?
Her shoulders.
At first she flinched. But as he kneaded the sore muscles like a pro, she started to relax. “Oh…yeah…” She groaned. She moaned. “God, that feels good.”
“Just relax, trust me. I took a class or two, wanted something to fall back on if the marketing gig fell through.”
“You wanted to be a massage therapist?”
“Sports trainer, actually.”
She opened her eyes, and he smiled down at her.
This was not a comfortable position. With her head flopped back, she had no choice but to meet his gaze, and that gaze was mighty hot. Then it dropped a little and she found herself looking down to see what he was staring at.
Her shirt—correction, her chest. From his vantage he had a nice view of rounded cleavage miraculously enhanced by her black lace Wonder Bra. “Like what you see?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Sure do.” He licked his lips. “What’s not to like? Two firm, round breasts, just the perfect size to—”
“Okay, Hound Dog, off!” She shrugged her shoulders and slumped forward, temporarily out of his reach. “I need to get to work.”
“Sorry.” He stepped away, and she felt a chilly cloud settle around her. He slumped into his chair, his back to her.
Peace. At last. So, why did she feel so rotten? Why did her legs itch to carry her over to that tippy desk? Why was only one thing on her mind?
What had he done? Hypnotized her?
She spent the rest of the morning shifting papers from one folder to another, and doodling on her note pad. Didn’t accomplish a single thing. Nadda.
This was not going to work! She’d be staring at a pink slip in less than a week if she didn’t get her act together. Pronto. At lunch time, she passed Duncan in the corridor. He gave her an empty smile and asked her how the new arrangements were working, but he didn’t stick around long enough to hear her answer.
Yep, she would have that pink slip by next Friday at the latest.
Gabe disappeared at lunch—probably had a friendly meal with Miss Plastic Surgery—so she ate alone at her desk.
Alone. Lonely. Funny, in one day he’d turned her life upside down. The office felt empty, lifeless, too silent. She used to always eat alone at her desk before. It hadn’t felt lonely then.
He returned on the hour, flush-faced. Had he…? Oh, she didn’t want to know. For some reason, imagining his hands on that…that fake woman with Pamela Anderson lips and boobs…grrr!
Why was she jealous?
He returned to his desk, spun his chair around and crossed his arms over his chest. “Have you had enough silence for a while? If I have to sit here for another four hours without speaking, I’m going to chew right through this desk.” He looked so utterly charming, basically pleading with her to talk to him. What an odd character! A curl flopped over his forehead, striking a spark in her belly. Damn, he was cute.
“Yes, I’ve had enough silence.”
“Good.” He jumped from his chair and was at her side in two long strides. He returned to massaging her shoulders. “How’s the hangover? Gone yet?”
She closed her eyes, lost in the sensations pummeling her. The smell of his cologne. Yum! The way his fingers put just the right amount of pressure on her tense muscles. The growing tingle between her legs.
What had he asked? “Mmmm…” was all she could muster.
“Guess that means it’s gone.” He moved up to her neck, fingertips walking up and down both sides. “Feel good?”
She slumped her head forward. “Yeah.”
He worked
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