pte

ugh likely looking candidates for Pero's bed. She'd spent most of the afternoon looking and hadn't found any she

to wherever he disappeared off to, that wasn't either his office or

at various high-class escort websites and trying to determine what he

g to be extremely annoyed if she d

ask you to fil

erself she wasn't going to think about that once already today? So why was she thinking about it now? She'd be

man a man like Pero wanted? Yes, she could navigate meetings and buy painti

hing she'd done

challenging

n. Well, a challenge was one way of thinking about it, that was for s

, or at least get more information as to his . . . tastes. Or she could just choo

a boss as exacting as Pero. She'd already made one mistake by hitting him across the face

adn't he fired her? Because he could have. Instead, he'd merely ordered her to get

d job and he hadn't wanted to get rid of

, and she did not want to make a mess of things. Especially

lf-eaten dinner, Ve

o the message program, pressing send before bracing h

list was t

don't have a list. There are

within seco

site do you want

no response. And then another messa

the table, Veragathered up her

use and to know where his main haunts were. Yet even so sometimes sh

it was right next to his office. The door was closed

r-to-ceiling shelves that virtually lined the walls. There was even a

summer, it was merely a cavernous black space. A couch and armchairs were grouped around the fireplace, leather cove

hat wall space there was left, was hung with yet more landscapes. For this room, there was a definite theme; forests, both evergreen and snowy, with the suggestion of animals, either a

n on the man sitting in one of the armchairs, the floor lamp besid

top couple of buttons were open, exposing the bronze skin of his throat. There were a stack of papers in his lap and he was holding one, a frown of concentration on his fierce face. Incongruously, there

ppear almost . . . relaxed before. Though, "relaxed" wasn't quite the word she'd use for him. Not when that

icate he wasn't to be interrupted. She forced away her irritation at being told to come now and then bei

cruz family had originated in Wyoming, the patriarch, Cesare de la cruz, having made his name in the production of guns. Now the family owned DS Corp, the premier defense company in the S

n she'd gone to the meeting at DS Corp a day or so ago, he hadn't mentioned that one of the people she'd be meeting with had been his half-brother, Rafael. The middle de la c

e he

he held out his hand for the laptop, she gave it to him. He gave her one intense glance from over the top of his reading glasses as he took it, and she felt the impact of it like she'd been pun

on the room, thick

top's trackpad. Obviously, he was sorting through all those pictures of women, trying

en flung carelessly onto the couch. Instinctively, she went over to the couch and picked the jacket up, beginning

t me this morni

s jacket, paused, the question catching he

gy," he said. "I want

around to l

air, ostensibly relaxed, hi

w why she'd hit him

didn't let me go, even when I asked you to," s

e the glasses, his gaze was dark, piercing. "

t understand why she'd slapped h

if he was trying to read something that wasn't clear to him, and i

ow. He really

r G

er her arm, the movement g

ecause he said in that sudden, abrupt way

instantly. Except, for s

." That black gaze of his burned through t

ery move. Then she turned to face him, trying to do so calmly. "Whether I did or not isn't the point either. When

frighte

n't. At least, not in the way he was thinki

And I always ge

ot even Josh, had ever just said straight out, 'I want y

ion? You're flattere

ht. "And if I didn't

fied. "Then I'll make

ement shocked her. Good God, wa

trying not to lose her grip on her temper, because she had a fe

from over the top of his glasses. "You were

t's that got to d

re. I paid the fees for your f

him, dumbfound

eath. "You know I don't li

ng way too fast all of a sudden. "I thought I

d

ical and how to pay them had been all she'd thought about for the

too abrupt but for once she did

rk gaze held hers. "And because I want you

aybe he was. Maybe he'd been alone so long he no

ied to hide the shaky note in her voic

puzzled him. "I'm not paying

s,

want your fiancé taken care of. So now

her, and for a moment, she

astonishment had annoyed him. "The money hasn

ll struggling to process it, "is that I have to

ion darkening. "I won't hurt you, Phoeb

ied about. What I'm worried about is that you

nk that was a problem. "You get

etely and utterly serious. He genuinely did

ng. And she knew in that moment, without a shadow of a doubt, that some part of Pe

why you're he

he was here. She was here becau

can't

re of Josh. Going to the hospital, sitting by his bed, talking to him and playing him music, doing all

ke a differe

rogant and selfish, and clearly he had a few issues with the diffe

inely trying to understand. It came to her then, quite suddenly, that at least Josh had her to take care of him. Pero had no one

before she was even aware of having made it. "It's about respecting other people. It's abo

ned. "What if the other person's

he world?" She kept her voice calm, patient. "That

hoebe. Be very fucking careful

llenge. Then again, the challenge was exactly what she'd bee

d his gaze, unflinching. "Here's an

black sparks. "Yes." The word c

ent on, determined now. "Blackmailing me into changing my mind

e fell, loud a

for one long,

ers, he spun the laptop around with a sharp m

en," he sa

The likeness was pretty clear-they looked like Phoebe. Of course, he never had any intention of getting her to hire them,

all he was going t

ing her fiancé's hospital bills was. How it was blackmail to get her into bed. He hadn't seen it as

ht and yo

the wall and grab her anyway. Jesus, he didn't need money to get her to change

very good with people, but he wasn't a fuck

when she doesn't want

urned over in his gut,

e didn't much care about other people. He never had. After all, no one had given a shit about him when he'd been lock

why the fuck should

capable and good at her job, and he respected that if nothing else. It made the thought

s morning, he'd wanted her quite badly, but now? After her little lecture about respect and choice and all sorts of other

'll contact the agency." And she held out her hands for t

fucking wa

he came toward him, her chin lifted, a slightly wary look in

e him eve

s chair, Veraheld out h

hat he was looking for. Some clue, maybe. A clue as to what she

out the hospital anymore? Didn't that matter to her

e the laptop off his lap. And abruptly her jasmine scent was all around

s around the back of her neck, holding her there so he could have t

the computer, her face close to his. She wasn't looking at him, h

fingertips. Of the red-gold gleam of her eyelashes and the du

y small. Ve

" He pitched his voice low

ight there, so close he could see the glitter of gold

he said huskily. "You don't under

unding him with a garden of flowers. "Don't treat me like a fucking child," he growled, the smell of h

d see his frustration, his confusion. His blindness. "No," she murmured

iated teenager anymore. The boy who'd cried and tried to hide under the bed when the police had smashed down the door. Who'd

less the frightening strangers who'd tried to talk to him. Later, he'd realize that they'd only been wanting to h

ful cr

pitiful. N

me pressure, bringing her closer. Her eyes widened as she real

aid breathles

her finish, bringi

what he

an he thought it would, though her lips firmed as she closed her mouth against him. But he was having none of that,

gue inside and tasting her. Sweet, again, just as he'd thought. Christ, so fucking sweet. And hot. Who'd hav

zing the silkiness of her hair, at the same time as his other hand sl

eck tensing. Yes, she definitely wanted to pull away, but he wasn't going to let her. He didn't want

nger. He'd rather have

away, but he only slid his tongue deeper into her mouth, exploring her, relishing

growing fainter and fainter. Then he felt it, the spread of her fingers on his chest,

him, bright and hot. Because yes,

pushing deep into her hair, trying to loosen her little bun. She was leaning into him n

until he felt the soft weight of it uncurl against his fingers and fall

that day in his office. Because now he had her mouth under his, the taste of

id of the irritating computer sitting between them, adjusting his grip so he could pull her down onto him. It would be easy enough to push her skirt up

nough for him to slide right in and,

door, her hair cascading down around her shoulders. Her cheeks were bright pink, her mouth full and red and swollen from the kiss. Go

as f

hit about anything else. But he found himself stopped in his tracks now, his cock har

was heaving as if she'd run a long, hard race, and something g

aid thickl

he di

as out the door before