The Inconvenient Laws of Attraction

скачать книгу бесплатно


The hand holding the file snapped down to her side. ‘If I’m testy it might have more to do with the fact you’re hardly the easiest person in the world to work with.’

‘Work for.’ When she turned and headed for the stairs, Blake followed at a leisurely pace. ‘You’re really struggling with that part of the arrangement, aren’t you?’

‘I’m not used to winging it,’ she announced in a voice that echoed down the hallway. ‘Did it occur to you if you told me what it is you’re thinking of doing with all this money, I could plan ahead?’

‘Lack of organisation isn’t the reason you’re frustrated, sweetheart. You don’t want to think about kissing me. Trouble is, you can’t stop thinking about it. You’re angry. Probably blame me for it …’

She spun around to face him at the top of the stairs. ‘You are the most arrogant man I have ever met.’

‘You should get out of the office more.’

‘This attitude won’t help in the boardroom.’

Since he didn’t plan on ever stepping into one it was a moot point. Blake smiled a slow smile at how close she was to losing her temper. It was about time. If he’d been her, she’d have strangled him by now.

‘Don’t do that,’ she warned.

His smile grew. ‘Do what?’

‘You know exactly what you’re doing.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘And trust me when I tell you, you really don’t want to play this game with me.’

‘Don’t want to like me, do you?’

‘If I did, you wouldn’t be making it easy,’ she muttered. Scowling, she turned a little too quickly. Her eyes widened when the toe of her shoe slipped over the edge of the top stair and her heel caught. The file dropped from her hand as she swung her arms out to her sides for balance, grasping for a railing just out of her reach.

Before she fell, Blake snagged an arm around her waist and hauled her round against him.

Grabbing handfuls of his shirt, she uttered a breathless, ‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome.’ He smiled. When she tried to move he tightened his arm. ‘Give it a minute.’

If her heart was thundering as loudly as his it would do them both good. He’d never have forgiven himself if she’d tumbled headlong down two flights of stairs. But as her breathing slowed, his concern, tempered by relief, was replaced with something more potent.

She blinked once, twice; the fingers holding his shirt loosened and her palms flattened as if she couldn’t stop herself touching him.

Then her gaze lifted.

With her guard down, he was shown how truly expressive her eyes could be. Curiosity threaded with need, confusion tangled up in desire—and those were just the things he could recognise. Everything she was feeling danced in the light of a blue flame he was drawn to with the same compulsion he felt to draw air into his lungs. Did she have any idea what she was willing him to do when she looked at him like that? The effect it had on his body when she had her hands on him? He searched her eyes for a hint of power in the knowledge, feeling marginally better when he couldn’t find it. If she knew, he’d be in trouble.

As her palms slid across his chest and down his arms, he tensed, unable to stop the telltale sign from happening; it was almost as if part of him wanted her to know. Her gaze lowered as she felt it happen, hands sliding down to his elbows, her mesmerized expression suggesting she was watching what she was doing as if it was some kind of out-of-body experience.

Blake studied the soft sheen of hair against her forehead before lowering his chin and looking at her hands where they rested against the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. Such small, fine-boned hands, such a light touch, but he could feel the effect of it scorching into his veins, transforming his blood to the same consistency as lava: thick, heavy and fiery-hot.

Damn, they were going to be good together.

When their gazes lifted, she focused on his mouth.

‘Do it,’ he demanded in a huskier voice than he’d have preferred.

‘Do what?’ she asked in a thick voice.

‘Kiss me.’

She shook her head.

‘You’re thinking about it.’

‘No, I’m not,’ she lied.

Moving his fingertips in slow, soothing circles on her back, Blake silently willed her to forget whatever was holding her back. ‘If you spent less time trying to pretend this isn’t here we might get along better.’

‘I don’t want—’

‘Yes, you do.’ Raising a hand, he used the backs of his fingers to brush her hair off her cheek. ‘You’ve been thinking about the kiss that never happened.’ Just like he had. ‘Wondering what it would have felt like if it had …’

Why should he be the only one tortured by it?

Turning his hand, he traced his fingertips over her jaw to the sensitive skin below her ear. She leaned her head towards her shoulder in response, dutifully arching her neck to allow him access as her eyelids grew heavy. Her body couldn’t hide the truth any more than his could.

‘Don’t you want to find out, Liv?’ He dipped his head and saw the lift of her chin bring her mouth closer to his.

‘You’ll have to fire me first.’

‘I’m not going to fire you,’ he answered in the same husky-edged tone as before. ‘You’ll have to quit.’

‘I’m no quitter,’ she replied, an incredibly sensuous smile curling her lips.

‘Neither am I.’

When she breathed deep and exhaled on a hum of what sounded distinctly like pleasure, he stifled a groan. The slow slide of her lower lip between her teeth, the hooded gaze she had focused on his mouth—she was testing him, wasn’t she? If she was, it was a test he was failing.