Page 10 of Take the Bait

Scowling, he threw the lock on the main door and then, alarmingly, resumed stalking toward her.

Her heart was not racing. She was not suddenly feeling very breathless and very, very unbuttoned. Her hand started up toward her blouse to clutch the silk closed. But a tiny spark of defiance buried deep beneath the chorus of holy craps ringing in her head exerted itself and stilled her fist.

She did take a step back, though. The backs of her thighs bumped into the cold marble counter top. And still he came toward her. “Mr. Townsend?— “

“My name is Cameron. But you can call me Cam.”

“Cam. You need to go.”

“I think not. I think I need to see if you’re as fiery underneath all that boring gray wool as I think you are.”

Screw her lights out if you feel like it. That’s why we hired her.

Small problem with that plan: being assaulted was not sexy. And abruptly, she was not amused.

Her spine stiffened. She was not here solely for this jerk’s cheap pleasure. She was not letting him screw her, and she wasn’t letting him intimidate her, either. Furious, she pushed away from the counter and assertively closed the remaining gap between them.

She pushed his unbuttoned wool suit coat further open and seductively ran her French-manicured fingernail down the button placket of his custom-tailored, Egyptian cotton shirt.

She cast a sidelong glance up at him through her long, dark lashes, and murmured, “You think you can handle this fire and not get burned…Cam?”

His hands came up. Cupped her face in big, strong, surprisingly gently palms. It occurred to her that he could probably break her in two if he tried and that she should be screaming her head off right about now.

She braced herself, waiting for him to attack her. To try to force a kiss upon her. Reach for the hem of her skirt. Shove her backward against the counter. She shifted her weight to her left leg, preparatory to slamming her right knee up into his groin, and fisted her hands, focusing on his throat and the bridge of his nose.

Except he didn’t do anything. He merely stared down at her intently. Curiously. As if he was searching for something in her gaze. Oddly, she didn’t get the impression he had any interest in assaulting her. If anything, reluctance glinted in the sapphire depths of his eyes.

What was the deal with him? He acted all aggressive and take-charge in their meeting and in front of the other associates, but now that they were alone, he’d totally changed his tune. He didn’t seem the least bit interested in forcing her to have sex.

What was it he’d said to that raspy voice? Something about her assets? Or had Raspy said that? She couldn’t’ remember. Maybe she was just a little drunk and befuddled.

“Well?” she demanded. “Are you going to try to kiss me or not?”

His bronzed jaw rippled as if he clenched it in irritation. Or was that disappointment in his eyes?

“As the lady wishes,” he ground out. That was definitely disappointment in his voice.

What on earth?

She was so distracted by his strange reaction she didn’t notice his head bending down to hers until they were nose to nose.

She should stop him. Right? But then curiosity abruptly rolled through her. What would it be like to kiss a man like him? He was so far out of her league they didn’t belong in the same room.

He closed the last few inches between them and her gaze dropped to his mouth. It was a very nice mouth. A very kissable mouth--

His lips brushed across hers.

She gasped at the feather lightness of it. This was emphatically not what she’d expected. She’d thought he would come in open mouthed, wet-tongued and slobbery. But that kiss had been very nice. Gentle, not aggressive. Enticing, not scary. An invitation, not a demand.

His lips brushed across hers again.

Her confusion deepened.

She’d totally expected him to fall on her like a dog with a fresh bone. But this was so restrained. Reluctant, even. What the actual heck?

Wasn’t he attracted to her? Was he only taking advantage of her “assets” so he could tell the raspy voiced senior member of the firm he’d done it?

“You taste good,” he breathed against her lips.

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