and held while time suspended itself.
An eternity of
awareness passed between them in the mere second it took Michael to take a
quick step back. He frowned. From the look on his face, he’d surprised himself
as much as her.
Looking away, he
shoved his hands in his pocket. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
Jordis turned. An
odd sensation tugged at her, stemming from the coincidence of him caressing her
hair when moments earlier she’d daydreamed about what it would feel like to run
her fingers through his. She tamped down the emotion. “That’s not necessary.”
The clipped tone of
his offer made it less than appealing. She didn’t think he really wanted to
walk her to her car.
“Yes, it is. The
parking garage will be abandoned this time of night.”
“Security
will—”
“I’m your security
for tonight.” His jaws tightened into a don’t-argue-with-me position.
She stared at him.
From the moment he’d touched her hair, his demeanor had gone short and gruff.
What was his problem?
He headed for the
door and picked up his briefcase. “If you’re ever here this late by yourself
again, make sure someone walks you to your car. The security desk is too far
from the garage for them to be of much help if someone decides to make mischief.”
He waited for her to
respond.
She made her way to
the door, annoyed by his demeanor and his tone. “You know, I’m a big girl
and—”
“Yes . . . you are .”
He gave her a long, slow perusal, making it clear he appreciated all the grown
parts of her. When his eyes made it back to hers, he stepped to her, placed his
hand at the base of her throat, and rubbed his thumb along the line of her jaw.
In her three-inch heels, she could nearly look him directly in the eyes. His
voice dropped to a bedroom whisper. “But you do realize big girls get accosted
all the time?”
His
cologne—something woodsy and seductive—seemed familiar as it
permeated Jordis’s senses and stirred her underworked sex drive. Those magnetic
gray eyes held her, and her heart began to pound. Self-preservation mandated
she step away from him, but she couldn’t get her legs to move. She had an
inkling of what a Cobra’s prey must feel like, held paralyzed by eyes that
hypnotize even knowing a fatal strike was imminent.
“I expect you to be
careful. No case is worth your safety. Okay?”
She wanted to tell
him to stop treating her like an idiot; that, of course, she paid attention to
her safety when she left the building. That’s what she would normally have
done. She didn’t like being told what to do by anyone, let alone by bossy macho
types. Right now, however, she struggled to keep her concentration on something
other than his lips. Their shape fascinated her. When he spoke, they were
almost sensuous in movement.
As she became
conscious of her thoughts, warning bells clanged loudly in her head. Having a
pissing contest with her boss about safety precautions late at night seemed
foolish when a whole other dynamic appeared to be at play. She needed to end
this confrontation before she did something stupid, like lean up and press her
lips against his.
“Okay,” she agreed
in a voice softer than she intended.
His gray eyes
darkened to the color of cumulous clouds. Her voice had come out breathy and
flirty. The thought made her cringe internally. She didn’t do breathy and
flirty. What was this guy doing to her?
Michael held her
gaze for a long moment, his thumb rubbing seductively against her skin. When
his eyes dropped to her lips and then to the pulse beating rapidly at the base
of her throat, she broke contact and reached down for her tote.
His expression
shuttered. He mumbled, “I’ll take that.” He lifted the bag from her and merged
it into his left hand with his own briefcase. “Let’s go.” He placed his free
hand at the small of her back.
After the moment
they’d just shared, they were both acutely aware of the location of his hand.
Jordis looked over at him after a
An eternity of
awareness passed between them in the mere second it took Michael to take a
quick step back. He frowned. From the look on his face, he’d surprised himself
as much as her.
Looking away, he
shoved his hands in his pocket. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
Jordis turned. An
odd sensation tugged at her, stemming from the coincidence of him caressing her
hair when moments earlier she’d daydreamed about what it would feel like to run
her fingers through his. She tamped down the emotion. “That’s not necessary.”
The clipped tone of
his offer made it less than appealing. She didn’t think he really wanted to
walk her to her car.
“Yes, it is. The
parking garage will be abandoned this time of night.”
“Security
will—”
“I’m your security
for tonight.” His jaws tightened into a don’t-argue-with-me position.
She stared at him.
From the moment he’d touched her hair, his demeanor had gone short and gruff.
What was his problem?
He headed for the
door and picked up his briefcase. “If you’re ever here this late by yourself
again, make sure someone walks you to your car. The security desk is too far
from the garage for them to be of much help if someone decides to make mischief.”
He waited for her to
respond.
She made her way to
the door, annoyed by his demeanor and his tone. “You know, I’m a big girl
and—”
“Yes . . . you are .”
He gave her a long, slow perusal, making it clear he appreciated all the grown
parts of her. When his eyes made it back to hers, he stepped to her, placed his
hand at the base of her throat, and rubbed his thumb along the line of her jaw.
In her three-inch heels, she could nearly look him directly in the eyes. His
voice dropped to a bedroom whisper. “But you do realize big girls get accosted
all the time?”
His
cologne—something woodsy and seductive—seemed familiar as it
permeated Jordis’s senses and stirred her underworked sex drive. Those magnetic
gray eyes held her, and her heart began to pound. Self-preservation mandated
she step away from him, but she couldn’t get her legs to move. She had an
inkling of what a Cobra’s prey must feel like, held paralyzed by eyes that
hypnotize even knowing a fatal strike was imminent.
“I expect you to be
careful. No case is worth your safety. Okay?”
She wanted to tell
him to stop treating her like an idiot; that, of course, she paid attention to
her safety when she left the building. That’s what she would normally have
done. She didn’t like being told what to do by anyone, let alone by bossy macho
types. Right now, however, she struggled to keep her concentration on something
other than his lips. Their shape fascinated her. When he spoke, they were
almost sensuous in movement.
As she became
conscious of her thoughts, warning bells clanged loudly in her head. Having a
pissing contest with her boss about safety precautions late at night seemed
foolish when a whole other dynamic appeared to be at play. She needed to end
this confrontation before she did something stupid, like lean up and press her
lips against his.
“Okay,” she agreed
in a voice softer than she intended.
His gray eyes
darkened to the color of cumulous clouds. Her voice had come out breathy and
flirty. The thought made her cringe internally. She didn’t do breathy and
flirty. What was this guy doing to her?
Michael held her
gaze for a long moment, his thumb rubbing seductively against her skin. When
his eyes dropped to her lips and then to the pulse beating rapidly at the base
of her throat, she broke contact and reached down for her tote.
His expression
shuttered. He mumbled, “I’ll take that.” He lifted the bag from her and merged
it into his left hand with his own briefcase. “Let’s go.” He placed his free
hand at the small of her back.
After the moment
they’d just shared, they were both acutely aware of the location of his hand.
Jordis looked over at him after a
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