Page 14 of Dangerous Temptation

The paper fell from her grip, and she pressed her fingers to her mouth.

She’d been so wrapped up in the other after-effects of their encounter that she hadn’t even thought about that.

To be so reckless … so careless … She’d been so entangled in the emotional and logical sides that she hadn’t considered the physical.

Which was ironic, since the physical was what had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

She picked the paper up from where it had fallen across her chest. She’d been avoiding his calls and she’d been avoiding him.

She bit her lip.

She couldn’t avoid him any longer. She had to be responsible.

Some of the stress that Tabitha had just dispelled snuck back between her shoulder blades. Taking a deep breath, Elena reached for her phone on the kitchen counter above her and navigated to the list of missed calls. Before her nerves could get the best of her, she hit redial.

The moment the ringing began, her thoughts jumbled. What was she going to say? What would he say? It was all so uncomfortable. They’d gone from avoiding one another to rolling around on the floor together.

His low voice came on the phone much too quickly. ‘Hello, Elena.’

The way he said her name made her belly squeeze, and she reflexively drew her knees up towards her chest. ‘Thank you for Tabitha.’

It was a safe start. An accepted compromise.

‘How do you feel?’

He might as well have reached through the phone line and stroked her side. Her eyelids drifted shut and she swallowed hard. She felt wonderful, relaxed and sensitive, but she chose her words carefully. ‘De-stressed.’

‘Good. I’m glad you enjoyed it.’

The conversation dipped into one of those uncomfortable pauses that happened whenever they spoke – the quiet moments with so much current moving underneath the surface. Elena ran her hand over the hoodie that covered her like a blanket. ‘She returned my backpack,’ she ventured.

‘You’re going to need those socks.’

Her lips curled up at the corners. She never would have expected him to have a sense of humour. ‘I’m clean,’ she whispered.

There was a quiet pause on the other end of the line, a poignant pause that held so many secrets.

‘And I’m on the Pill,’ she continued in that same whisper. She’d gone on it when she and her last boyfriend had been together, and she’d stayed on it long after they’d broken up because it regulated her periods.

He’d been honest with her; she had to be up front with him. He had enough problems right now. He didn’t need to worry that he’d procreated with her, a Bardot. That just might possibly be the scandal to top The Scandal.

‘Have dinner with me.’

The request had her sitting up halfway. It had been firm and authoritative, a powerful CEO re-establishing his control. Yet it had also been wistful, with just enough ache to remind her of the panicked man who’d clung to her as he’d fought off his claustrophobia.

‘Up here at the main house. I’ll get Marta to make us something, just the two of us.’

Elena scooted back until her bottom pressed against the arm of the sofa. She cuddled deeper into the sweatshirt, pulling it up to her chin. ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea.’

‘We can’t keep sneaking around this property, trying to avoid one another,’ he said, the powerful side taking over.

No. No, they couldn’t. She glanced at the front door to the lake house. Her car was outside. The boxes still lined the far wall.

‘Just dinner,’ he promised, that crooning tone coming back, almost as if he could read her mind. Funny, but that tone didn’t give her platonic thoughts. ‘You can get that book you wanted to borrow.’

She blinked in surprise. Ah, there was the conniving side of him, the one she’d always expected.

‘We need to talk, Elena.’

Yes, they did. About what had happened and so much more. She had so many questions and so few answers. She glanced at her office. She’d been here for over a month and she’d failed to dig up many of them.

Maybe she needed to go to the source.

‘All right,’ she agreed before she could over-think her decision.

There was a burst of air, almost as if he’d been holding his breath. ‘I look forward to seeing you.’

The last time they’d seen each other, they’d both been naked.

‘I’ll be there,’ she promised.

Elena was nervous when she knocked on the door to the main house.

She tugged her jacket tighter around herself and felt a rock bite through the bottom of her pump.

Her ankles were sore from the walk up the hill in heels, but she’d known better than to arrive in jeans or yoga pants.

She’d been officially invited to dinner.

After her last encounter in Wolfe Manor, she wanted to put on as mature a front as she could.

In fact, she’d debated whether she should go to the front door, but that had seemed too formal.

So she waited for the kitchen door to open, her stomach swirling and her thoughts racing.

She’d considered cancelling about a hundred times. She’d even picked up the phone twice, but he’d said ‘just dinner’ and they did need to talk. She couldn’t carry on like this, with energy snapping between them every time they came close.

They needed to clear the air.

Still, she had to fight off the desperate urge to turn tail and flee when she heard footsteps approaching.

‘There you are, dear. Welcome.’ Questions were in Leonard’s eyes, but a smile was on his face as he opened the door wide. He stepped back and gave a sweeping gesture, encouraging her to enter. ‘Come in before the mist starts up again. We wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.’

The kitchen was warm and inviting as she stepped inside. ‘It smells wonderful in here. I hope you haven’t gone to too much effort.’

‘Nonsense. This place was made for entertaining. Wasn’t it, Marta?’

The cook looked up from the kitchen island where she was preparing asparagus. Her cheeks were pink and she was beaming with pride. ‘It does feel good to fire up the kitchen again. All these professional shiny appliances and nobody to –’

Her words stopped abruptly when she realised where they were leading.

Leonard smoothly stepped in. ‘Let me help you with your jacket.’

Elena turned, but prickles of awareness dotted her spine when she heard other footsteps echoing.

‘I’ll do that.’

The low rumble set those prickles dancing and she glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze connected with grey eyes that reminded her of the clouds outside. Heavy-lidded and stormy. Alex stood in the doorway to the main hall, the one she’d slinked down the other day.

The inquisitive look on Leonard’s face intensified, but, ever the professional, he nodded. ‘Of course, Master Wolfe. I’ll go prepare the table in the breakfast nook as you requested.’

Leonard might have put on a placid front, but the cook stared openly, her gaze darting back and forth between her boss and their guest. Elena bit her lip. She could only imagine what the woman was thinking. Somebody had picked up her clothes, washed them and packed them.

‘Marta, could you help me?’

The cook snapped upright as if goosed. Backing away, she went to assist Leonard. She didn’t allow room for her girth as she headed to the open archway and she bumped into the refrigerator. Her pink cheeks brightened. ‘Excuse me.’

Elena’s gaze swung back to the remaining person in the room.

Alex looked sharp and important. Intimidating and sexy in a crisp white shirt and black pants.

His blue tie brought out the colour of his eyes, and that gaze wasn’t moving from her.

He held a glass of amber liquid, and the ice in the tumbler clinked as he set it on the breakfast bar.

The high-pitched jingles sounded lyrical and threatening as he moved towards her.

Her jacket. Right.

Bending her head forward, she untied the belt. She was pulling the jacket off her shoulders when she felt his hands cover hers. The contact was warm and deliberate. She drew in a fast breath as she felt him come and stand behind her.

‘Allow me,’ he said, his breath sliding over her ear.

She’d caught her hair up on one side in a barrette, and goosebumps rose on her neck. Whatever she thought of the other day, this was something she hadn’t overblown in her mind – the way she felt when he touched her. Her hands dropped helplessly to her sides.

He drew her jacket over her shoulders, his knuckles skimming her bare arms. He wasn’t touching her anywhere else, but she was aware of his presence behind her. Big, hard and immovable. He’d been like a ghost ever since he’d arrived home, but now he was manifesting. Real, male and dominant.

The moment she was free, she turned to face him. ‘Thank y –’

The words died on her lips when her breasts brushed against his chest. He was so close. She stepped back when his pupils dilated in response, but her heel banged into the coat rack. It rocked noisily, and he reached over her shoulder to catch it before it fell.

‘Sorry.’ She cringed at her awkwardness, but took the opportunity to duck under his arm and step further into the kitchen. ‘I can be a bit clumsy.’

At least around him.

‘Really? All I’ve seen is you trotting through the trees like a doe or going through yoga poses like a master.

’ He hung up her jacket and turned. The raw emotions of the day before were gone, and he looked different.

The rugged outdoorsman and the sexy athlete were hidden.

She’d been able to relate somewhat to both those sides of him, but tonight he looked like the powerful executive he was, rich, confident and used to getting what he wanted.