telltale pulse that jumped in her throat, and a tiny smile tugged at his mouth.
"And you're incredibly beautiful," he said in that soft, purring rasp that made her insides jump crazily.
"That has nothing to do with my job or how well I do it." Dani meant to sound severe, but her voice came out breathless and quavery. She stared at Jason's rugged face, her chest so tight she could barely breathe and wondered what was happening to her. No man had ever affected her this way.
"True." To her shock, Jason lifted his hand and ran the backs of his knuckles over her smooth cheek. Dani's heart jerked and took off like a rocket. "But it doesn't hurt, either," he added in a low murmur, staring fixedly at her mouth.
For a moment Dani was positive he was going to kiss her, and she waited breathlessly, too mesmerized to move. But finally he raised his eyes to hers and smiled. "Now, why don't I get out of your way and let you get settled. If you need them, the others are right across the hall in the conference room." Before she could gather her wits he turned and headed for his own office. Dani stared after him, feeling confused and unsettled, and before he reached the door she stopped him.
"Jason, is that really why you insisted that I run this project? Because you think I can do the job?" she asked bluntly.
He turned, and the look in his eyes was hot and blatantly sensual. The slow, suggestive smile that curved his mouth made Dani's breath catch. "Why, of course," he drawled. "Why else did you think?"
For a long time after the door closed behind him, Dani stood perfectly still, staring at it. The trouble was, she didn't know what to think. About Jason St. Clair. About herself. About anything. Jason's eyes and deep seductive voice told her one thing, but his words told her another.
Dani circled the desk and sat down in the leather chair. Leaning her head against the high back, she stared pensively at the ceiling, a slight frown between her arched brows. She had been so sure he had been about to kiss her. And yes, she admitted honestly, despite feeling foolish and a trifle uneasy, she had wanted him to kiss her. So what had stopped him?
Her breath came out in a gusty sigh and she shook her head. Maybe she had misinterpreted the situation. Maybe he hadn't wanted to kiss her at all. After all—what did she know?
For all her twenty-eight years, her high-powered degrees, her important job and her whiz-kid brain, Dani's experience where men were concerned was practically nil. During her schoolyears she had been too wrapped up in her studies to get involved with anyone. And in any case, the young men at the university had seemed so terribly immature—more like boys than men. In recent years she had gone out occasionally. Men were attracted to her physical appearance but once they got to know her, once they realized just how bright she was, most grew uncomfortable and nervous in her presence, and after one or two dates she never heard from them again. Except for Phil, she hadn't had a chance to know any man well enough for something serious to develop.
It had not bothered Dani. But then, she admitted to herself with her usual pitiless self-honesty, none of them had ever affected her the way Jason did. She had never experienced this kind of breathless excitement, this dizzying awareness, this indefinable yearning. For the first time in her life she was helplessly drawn to a man, physically, mentally and emotionally. And Dani wasn't at all sure she liked it.
Despite the exciting feelings he aroused in her, the thought of becoming involved with Jason made her uncomfortable and wary. In her experience, love, affection, even simple friendship, always carried a price. And some were just too high to pay.
Sitting forward, Dani pulled her briefcase across the desk, snapped it open and removed some forms and a pad and pencil. It's perfectly foolish to worry about a problem that may not even exist, she told herself stoutly as she rose and
"And you're incredibly beautiful," he said in that soft, purring rasp that made her insides jump crazily.
"That has nothing to do with my job or how well I do it." Dani meant to sound severe, but her voice came out breathless and quavery. She stared at Jason's rugged face, her chest so tight she could barely breathe and wondered what was happening to her. No man had ever affected her this way.
"True." To her shock, Jason lifted his hand and ran the backs of his knuckles over her smooth cheek. Dani's heart jerked and took off like a rocket. "But it doesn't hurt, either," he added in a low murmur, staring fixedly at her mouth.
For a moment Dani was positive he was going to kiss her, and she waited breathlessly, too mesmerized to move. But finally he raised his eyes to hers and smiled. "Now, why don't I get out of your way and let you get settled. If you need them, the others are right across the hall in the conference room." Before she could gather her wits he turned and headed for his own office. Dani stared after him, feeling confused and unsettled, and before he reached the door she stopped him.
"Jason, is that really why you insisted that I run this project? Because you think I can do the job?" she asked bluntly.
He turned, and the look in his eyes was hot and blatantly sensual. The slow, suggestive smile that curved his mouth made Dani's breath catch. "Why, of course," he drawled. "Why else did you think?"
For a long time after the door closed behind him, Dani stood perfectly still, staring at it. The trouble was, she didn't know what to think. About Jason St. Clair. About herself. About anything. Jason's eyes and deep seductive voice told her one thing, but his words told her another.
Dani circled the desk and sat down in the leather chair. Leaning her head against the high back, she stared pensively at the ceiling, a slight frown between her arched brows. She had been so sure he had been about to kiss her. And yes, she admitted honestly, despite feeling foolish and a trifle uneasy, she had wanted him to kiss her. So what had stopped him?
Her breath came out in a gusty sigh and she shook her head. Maybe she had misinterpreted the situation. Maybe he hadn't wanted to kiss her at all. After all—what did she know?
For all her twenty-eight years, her high-powered degrees, her important job and her whiz-kid brain, Dani's experience where men were concerned was practically nil. During her schoolyears she had been too wrapped up in her studies to get involved with anyone. And in any case, the young men at the university had seemed so terribly immature—more like boys than men. In recent years she had gone out occasionally. Men were attracted to her physical appearance but once they got to know her, once they realized just how bright she was, most grew uncomfortable and nervous in her presence, and after one or two dates she never heard from them again. Except for Phil, she hadn't had a chance to know any man well enough for something serious to develop.
It had not bothered Dani. But then, she admitted to herself with her usual pitiless self-honesty, none of them had ever affected her the way Jason did. She had never experienced this kind of breathless excitement, this dizzying awareness, this indefinable yearning. For the first time in her life she was helplessly drawn to a man, physically, mentally and emotionally. And Dani wasn't at all sure she liked it.
Despite the exciting feelings he aroused in her, the thought of becoming involved with Jason made her uncomfortable and wary. In her experience, love, affection, even simple friendship, always carried a price. And some were just too high to pay.
Sitting forward, Dani pulled her briefcase across the desk, snapped it open and removed some forms and a pad and pencil. It's perfectly foolish to worry about a problem that may not even exist, she told herself stoutly as she rose and
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