Page 25 of Hard Rock Heat

"I love it," hedeclared.

"I don't have any of the details yet," I warned. "This is just the very beginnings of aplan."

"Still. It's great," he said with sincerity. "You're agenius."

"It was my intern Kat who came up with it." I wasn't one to take the credit for someone else's idea. "She's a fan of DarkestDays."

"And here I thought you just wanted to excuse to hold a sleepover with me." He gave me a cheekygrin.

"Since when does anyone need an excuse?" I raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't your bed have an openinvitation?"

"Ouch," he faked a wince. "You really do think I'm a slut, don'tyou?"

"If the shoe fits," I said, using the same words he'd used the previousnight.

"Just because I enjoy sex doesn't mean I don't have discriminating tastes," hesaid.

"What might those tastes be? Breathing, with twolegs?"

He grinned. "That, and a fantastic set oftits."

"Then I don't see why you're always bothering me," I said, referring to my modestcleavage.

"Size has nothing to do with it," hesaid.

"So what does?" I knew I shouldn't have gone there. But the way he staredat me, those green eyes searing into mine,that teasingglint…

"It's not the size," he repeated. "It's how theyrespond."

My breathing wentshallow.

"I love that shade of pink that flushes on a women's chest when she's turned on." He slowly dragged his eyes down to my chest. "I love it when her nipples turn hard andstiff."

Again, as if his words were magic, my body reacted. His nostrils flared as my own nipples tightened and peaked beneath my blouse. I folded my arms over my chest, as if to protect myself from his gaze. The pressure against my nipples only made them that muchstiffer.

Damon took a step closer. I stepped back. He followed me, until my ass was pressed against my desk. He crowded me, putting both palms flat on the desk's surface, trapping me. My pulse point beat wildly in my throat. Even with my heels, my eyes only came up to his neck. I caught a hint of ink creeping out from the collar of his t-shirt.

"So you see," he continued casually, as if his hips weren't mere inches from mine, "you've got nothing to worryabout."

I forced myself to meet his eyes. They glinted withheat.

"And what exactly do you think I'm worrying about?" I asked, trying not to soundbreathless.

Damon encircled my ribcage with two large palms, his thumbs just grazing the underside of my breasts. I inhaled a sharp gasp of air, caught up in his gaze. The pads of those two thumbs slowly creeped up to brush against my nipples. I bit my lip to stifle amoan.

He dipped his head to place his lips next to myear.

"I fucking love seeing you like this," he murmured. "All flushed and hot for me, nipples hard as a rock, just begging to besucked."

My legs went weak. Only Damon's grip kept me from falling to thefloor.

"You ever made out in this office before?" he continued. His lips trailed down my cheek, until they were a hairsbreadth from mine. "Cause I'd love to pin you to the deskand—"

"Stop."

My voice wasn't resolute. It was faint, thready. Still, Damon paused. He pulled back an inch, eyes meetingmine.

"We're not doing this," I said, more firmly thistime.