as well as his body. His arms remembered her slender, warm body cradled softly within them. His gaze was lost once again in the soft blue eyes smiling up at him in dazed confusion. Those luscious lips of hers pressed gently against his own insistent ones, the warmth of her sweet mouth welcoming his tongue as he slipped it inside...
“Damn it, woman! That never happened! Get out of my head!” he growled through clenched teeth, adjusting himself discreetly under his desk. As if cursing her out loud would chase the visions away. As if he could stop thinking about her. For someone he knew so little about, a woman he’d never even officially met, he sure was wasting a lot of his valuable time on her. Women! The last thing he needed or wanted in his life was to be worrying about a woman, especially one who couldn’t take the heat! No, Patrick Day had no room in his busy life for this nonsense!
If his stormy relationship with Caroline had taught him anything, it was that being Mr. Nice Guy would get him nowhere fast. Being a “nice guy” would leave his heart trampled and abused. Patrick had tried to include her in his hopes and dreams for their future but Caroline had casually dismissed them all, as if they were worthless… nothing. In the end, she’d dismissed Patrick just as easily. Oh yes, he’d once had lofty hopes and dreams. He’d cared about many things and many people, but not anymore. He’d learned his lesson well.
Nevertheless, and to his chagrin, he was forced to admit saving Brittany had somehow, at least momentarily, triggered some of his long buried need for friendship, caring and…love? Something about her had made him want to hope again, to believe in dreams again, if only for one precious moment.
Thank God, some punk kid had tried to mug him on his way to the office this morning. That had brought him crashing back to reality in a heartbeat. Patrick had shown the punk his gratitude by smashing his face in with his own pistol and having his sorry ass arrested.
Swiveling his chair around angrily, he glared out of his office window. New York! The only place in the world where that old adage, “what you see, is what you get,” applied to everyone. Hatred, greed, anger and selfishness…that was reality, it was life, it was what made the world and the human race go around. Money was all that mattered, so screw over anyone and everyone to get it! All that other fluffy stuff was a load of crap. Well, he had more money than God now and he’d be damned if he’d let some doe-eyed, helpless, female make him forget that lesson.
Patrick stared through the mist dampened window at the forest of skyscrapers, yellowing smog and backed-up traffic. The tips of his long fingers steepled under this chin in contemplation as he remembered everything Susan Brenton had told him about Brittany. His mind slowly drifted from awareness of his surroundings. New York faded to nothingness as his thoughts began focusing once again on Brittany…nothing more and nothing less.
“Mr. Day?” his secretary’s voice came over the intercom. He jerked his head up, surprised to find himself back in his office.
Patrick swiveled around in his chair to face his desk. “What is it, Marie? I told you NOT to disturb me,” he snarled.
“I know, sir. I’m sorry, sir. Your ten o’clock appointment is here, sir.”
“Well, don’t just sit there stammering…do your job and send them in. For God’s sake, it’s not difficult.” Patrick barked.
As soon as the poor bastard waiting to see Patrick entered his office and shut the door, Marie stuck her tongue out at the intercom. “You hateful little shit!” she muttered beneath her breath.
“That bad, huh?” Liam chuckled, standing nonchalantly in the doorway of Marie’s office.
“Liam!” she squealed. “You scared me half to death!”
“Sorry, Marie,” Liam apologized. “I couldna help overhearin’ ya moanin’ about tha boy.”
“He’s in a foul mood, Liam, even for
“Damn it, woman! That never happened! Get out of my head!” he growled through clenched teeth, adjusting himself discreetly under his desk. As if cursing her out loud would chase the visions away. As if he could stop thinking about her. For someone he knew so little about, a woman he’d never even officially met, he sure was wasting a lot of his valuable time on her. Women! The last thing he needed or wanted in his life was to be worrying about a woman, especially one who couldn’t take the heat! No, Patrick Day had no room in his busy life for this nonsense!
If his stormy relationship with Caroline had taught him anything, it was that being Mr. Nice Guy would get him nowhere fast. Being a “nice guy” would leave his heart trampled and abused. Patrick had tried to include her in his hopes and dreams for their future but Caroline had casually dismissed them all, as if they were worthless… nothing. In the end, she’d dismissed Patrick just as easily. Oh yes, he’d once had lofty hopes and dreams. He’d cared about many things and many people, but not anymore. He’d learned his lesson well.
Nevertheless, and to his chagrin, he was forced to admit saving Brittany had somehow, at least momentarily, triggered some of his long buried need for friendship, caring and…love? Something about her had made him want to hope again, to believe in dreams again, if only for one precious moment.
Thank God, some punk kid had tried to mug him on his way to the office this morning. That had brought him crashing back to reality in a heartbeat. Patrick had shown the punk his gratitude by smashing his face in with his own pistol and having his sorry ass arrested.
Swiveling his chair around angrily, he glared out of his office window. New York! The only place in the world where that old adage, “what you see, is what you get,” applied to everyone. Hatred, greed, anger and selfishness…that was reality, it was life, it was what made the world and the human race go around. Money was all that mattered, so screw over anyone and everyone to get it! All that other fluffy stuff was a load of crap. Well, he had more money than God now and he’d be damned if he’d let some doe-eyed, helpless, female make him forget that lesson.
Patrick stared through the mist dampened window at the forest of skyscrapers, yellowing smog and backed-up traffic. The tips of his long fingers steepled under this chin in contemplation as he remembered everything Susan Brenton had told him about Brittany. His mind slowly drifted from awareness of his surroundings. New York faded to nothingness as his thoughts began focusing once again on Brittany…nothing more and nothing less.
“Mr. Day?” his secretary’s voice came over the intercom. He jerked his head up, surprised to find himself back in his office.
Patrick swiveled around in his chair to face his desk. “What is it, Marie? I told you NOT to disturb me,” he snarled.
“I know, sir. I’m sorry, sir. Your ten o’clock appointment is here, sir.”
“Well, don’t just sit there stammering…do your job and send them in. For God’s sake, it’s not difficult.” Patrick barked.
As soon as the poor bastard waiting to see Patrick entered his office and shut the door, Marie stuck her tongue out at the intercom. “You hateful little shit!” she muttered beneath her breath.
“That bad, huh?” Liam chuckled, standing nonchalantly in the doorway of Marie’s office.
“Liam!” she squealed. “You scared me half to death!”
“Sorry, Marie,” Liam apologized. “I couldna help overhearin’ ya moanin’ about tha boy.”
“He’s in a foul mood, Liam, even for
Similar Books
