thinking wearing those for any length of time? The silver spike was at least six inches.
‘Fine, my office.’ He turned and took a step away.
‘Castillo, what part of my feet are dead didn’t you understand? I can’t walk!’
Agitation twisted in his stomach, but he turned back to her and there it was again. The expression that questioned his sanity. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes then counted to ten. When he opened them, he felt calmer, but Alexa had bent over again. Her backcombed bob upturned and her bottom up in the air like a perfectly rounded peach. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he asked, ‘What are you doing?’
‘Extracting the Jimmy Choos in the hope of resuscitating my poor feet.’
‘For the love of—’
‘Gimme a minute.’
He watched as she reached for the strap at the side, fumbling from her upside-down angle. Irritation and impatience warred with the swelling heat in his groin. She still struggled with the strap when his patience expired.
Reaching down, he hauled her up by her shoulders.
‘What are you doing?’ Ric ignored her glare and pulled her off her feet. ‘Put. Me. Down.’
Her breathless reply made him far too aware that every curve of hers was pressed against him. Ric prayed the blood pulsing in his groin would slow before he embarrassed himself. Taking off in the direction of his office, he tried to remember the state of his development drenched by a foot of muddy water and held on to his sour mood as best he could with Alexa wriggling against him.
When he reached the elevator, she looked up at him, her eyes shone with fury. ‘You know in Britain this could be construed as sexual harassment in the workplace.’
‘It’s lucky we’re not in Britain, and that I’m not interested in you sexually,’ he lied.
His body pulsed to life when she was around. Whether it was anger, exasperation or a draining-the-head-of-blood feeling, he always felt something. And earlier in his office—when he’d lost his mind under the pressure of the negotiations for the new design and build contract—he’d been lost in the temptation of her. Ric thanked god for another interruption, because getting involved with Alexa would lose him the respect he’d worked hard for years to achieve.
‘Really?’ she asked as she leaned back against the elevator. ‘So today when you almost pawed me in your office – that was all in my imagination, was it?’ Her arms folded across her chest like she dared him to deny it.
Ric dared. ‘I was under pressure and you didn’t help by adding to it. What happened in my office will never happen again.’ He made sure his face was as serious as he was. ‘I don’t have time to date any more, and I certainly don’t have liaisons with people like you. Forget this afternoon. I have.’
‘ People like me? ’ Perfectly curved brows rose over wide eyes.
Ric ran a hand through his hair. The elevator doors opened and he ushered Alexa in, giving him a second to think about how to reply. She winced and stumbled on her heels. Grabbing her by the waist, he carried her to the far corner so she could support her weight on the bar.
‘Turn around,’ he ordered.
She did and held onto the metal bar with both hands. He sunk to his knees and lifted her left foot. ‘What are you thinking trying to walk in these ankle breakers?’ Shaking his head, he unbuckled the strap and slid it off. He almost rubbed the soles, but remembered his earlier comment. Rubbing her feet would surely give her more ammunition.
‘They’re gorgeous. Do I need any more reason than that?’
‘I’m sure if you asked your chiropodist, he’d have a few.’
Alexa’s lips quirked as he removed the other heel. ‘Like I said. I’m twenty-three, not forty.’
Ric straightened and handed her both shoes. She accepted them with a smile that swiftly morphed into a scowl. ‘People like me?’
‘Alexa, you’re irresponsible, childish and in the papers every other week. To
‘Fine, my office.’ He turned and took a step away.
‘Castillo, what part of my feet are dead didn’t you understand? I can’t walk!’
Agitation twisted in his stomach, but he turned back to her and there it was again. The expression that questioned his sanity. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes then counted to ten. When he opened them, he felt calmer, but Alexa had bent over again. Her backcombed bob upturned and her bottom up in the air like a perfectly rounded peach. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he asked, ‘What are you doing?’
‘Extracting the Jimmy Choos in the hope of resuscitating my poor feet.’
‘For the love of—’
‘Gimme a minute.’
He watched as she reached for the strap at the side, fumbling from her upside-down angle. Irritation and impatience warred with the swelling heat in his groin. She still struggled with the strap when his patience expired.
Reaching down, he hauled her up by her shoulders.
‘What are you doing?’ Ric ignored her glare and pulled her off her feet. ‘Put. Me. Down.’
Her breathless reply made him far too aware that every curve of hers was pressed against him. Ric prayed the blood pulsing in his groin would slow before he embarrassed himself. Taking off in the direction of his office, he tried to remember the state of his development drenched by a foot of muddy water and held on to his sour mood as best he could with Alexa wriggling against him.
When he reached the elevator, she looked up at him, her eyes shone with fury. ‘You know in Britain this could be construed as sexual harassment in the workplace.’
‘It’s lucky we’re not in Britain, and that I’m not interested in you sexually,’ he lied.
His body pulsed to life when she was around. Whether it was anger, exasperation or a draining-the-head-of-blood feeling, he always felt something. And earlier in his office—when he’d lost his mind under the pressure of the negotiations for the new design and build contract—he’d been lost in the temptation of her. Ric thanked god for another interruption, because getting involved with Alexa would lose him the respect he’d worked hard for years to achieve.
‘Really?’ she asked as she leaned back against the elevator. ‘So today when you almost pawed me in your office – that was all in my imagination, was it?’ Her arms folded across her chest like she dared him to deny it.
Ric dared. ‘I was under pressure and you didn’t help by adding to it. What happened in my office will never happen again.’ He made sure his face was as serious as he was. ‘I don’t have time to date any more, and I certainly don’t have liaisons with people like you. Forget this afternoon. I have.’
‘ People like me? ’ Perfectly curved brows rose over wide eyes.
Ric ran a hand through his hair. The elevator doors opened and he ushered Alexa in, giving him a second to think about how to reply. She winced and stumbled on her heels. Grabbing her by the waist, he carried her to the far corner so she could support her weight on the bar.
‘Turn around,’ he ordered.
She did and held onto the metal bar with both hands. He sunk to his knees and lifted her left foot. ‘What are you thinking trying to walk in these ankle breakers?’ Shaking his head, he unbuckled the strap and slid it off. He almost rubbed the soles, but remembered his earlier comment. Rubbing her feet would surely give her more ammunition.
‘They’re gorgeous. Do I need any more reason than that?’
‘I’m sure if you asked your chiropodist, he’d have a few.’
Alexa’s lips quirked as he removed the other heel. ‘Like I said. I’m twenty-three, not forty.’
Ric straightened and handed her both shoes. She accepted them with a smile that swiftly morphed into a scowl. ‘People like me?’
‘Alexa, you’re irresponsible, childish and in the papers every other week. To
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