Grievous (Wanted Men #5) - Nancy Haviland Page 0,16

she became more bothered. And that softness making her heart swell? That was the most dangerous of all.

She went back to the physical stuff—it wasn’t as pathetic. Was she really going to let her attraction to him wipe out what he’d done to her? What if she lost her job?

Lucian was one of the most powerful men in New York. If he or his people were the ones who’d arranged her replacement, her boss wouldn’t turn around and fire her the moment she returned. Would he? Not if Lucian forbid it.

Adrenaline and pure lust seeped into her muscles at the thought of him putting the hammer down with only a few cutting words. It had to be the new edge. It should repel her, yet every time his expression allowed her to see it, she wanted more.

“You’re losing sight of the very simple goals you set for yourself. Twenty minutes ago you were ready to scratch his eyes out. He feeds you a line of bullshit that you believed for all of two seconds and what did you do? Kiss his fucking beautiful mouth.” She groaned and rubbed at her face, knowing that was when things had changed. The covetous expression he hadn’t tried to hide had reeled her in like she was the easiest mark on the block.

“What the hell’s wrong with you and your libido around this guy? Your feelings for him are derailing you, and you’re letting it happen. You have to go home,” she wailed under her breath, and wanted to slap herself for suddenly feeling anxious at the very idea because she now kinda-sorta wanted to stay.

To stay with him.

He was obviously hurting enough to have done something that could get him into a shit-ton of trouble. Maybe instead of bitching and moaning about going home, she could be his friend and try to help him through his grief.

Okay. She straightened. She could do that. Consider it a vacay, like Sorin said.

And, really, did she have any other choice? She was on the other side of the world with a powerful, obscenely wealthy man who was acting completely out of character. Or so she could only assume since she didn’t know him well enough to make a definitive judgment. Maybe this was him. Or maybe he was teetering on the edge because he’d just buried his murdered brother. Sympathy filled her as she absently took stock. She had no money, no passport, no ID at all…

Her stomach cramped. Okay. She was completely at Lucian’s mercy. What if he—

“All right. Stop it.” She shook out her hands. “Get out there and deal with it as it comes.”

As she smoothed down her dress that had traveled well considering it was a thrift shop buy, she opened the door.

Lucian was across the way. He wasn’t casually leaning on the wall, striking some lame pose. He was standing there, completely at ease, with his hands resting in his pockets and his head hanging forward. When she appeared, his eyes came up to lock on her, and the blast of desire that smoked through her body nearly had her hair rising as if an electrical current was passing through her.

Jesus. What the hell was that? It had been there from the moment they’d met. She’d been on her way home from a job interview, discouraged because she’d already known she would be passed over for an applicant with more experience. She’d dropped in at the gallery she now worked in and had turned from staring too long at a particular painting that had reflected her mood. Lucian had been standing ten feet behind her, his gaze lazy but intent, and not on the art surrounding them.

He'd approached her and had drawn her in with so few words it was shameful. She’d lost herself in his subdued charm and quiet authority, and hadn’t even considered refusing when he’d asked her to have dinner with him. They’d gone to an exclusive restaurant in Manhattan that she’d only ever read about, where she’d learned he was a successful businessman with a shady side he’d been at ease mentioning. He admitted to having some knowledge about wine, which came from owning four vineyards; two in France, one in Italy, and one in California. Before dessert, she’d excused herself to use the restroom. When she’d come out, he’d been waiting outside the door, just as he was now. Within the hour, they’d been naked, and she was orgasming into his mouth as the lights of