sexy, beautiful and any number of compliments based on her appearance, but the only time Dan ever saw her become shy was when someone told her she was smart. It was ridiculous, because she was extremely intelligent, though she didn’t believe that about herself.
“You’re only saying that because I’m sleeping with you,” she said more jokingly, though he knew on some level she meant it.
“Well, that’s more proof of your being smart,” he said, nudging her back and making her smile. “Really, I wish you wouldn’t sell yourself short. I knew you for a long time before we had sex, and I’ve always thought you were smart. I’ve depended on your perspective and advice a lot, if you recall.”
She frowned, disbelieving still.
“Do you remember when we were picking out a spot for the bakery, and I liked the place downtown, but you found the space we have now? The place I liked was new, clean and completely sterile, and would never have had the charm or atmosphere, not to mention the street traffic, of the spot you chose. You had a vision of what Just Eat It could be. If left to me, I would never have been able to make the business work,” he said honestly.
Jodie had the ability to envision things in a way he never had, and he’d always found it fascinating. Ideas seemed to just pop out of her head, and they were almost always good ones.
“Then,” he added, remembering, “you were the one who came up with the holiday marketing campaign last year, and how many times have you helped me figure out what projects would be best to spend my time on when I get overloaded and can’t see the forest for the trees? You always manage to cut through the clutter,” he said.
She looked away, shifting, visibly uncomfortable. “That’s not smart. It’s practical.”
“It’s also being smart, Jodie. There are different ways of being smart, different kinds of intelligence. I could never do the things you do,” he added, as the hand that he had rested on her knee started sliding up and down her thigh. “And one more thing,” he said, leaning in to kiss the soft skin just under her ear, enjoying her drawn-in breath.
“What’s that?”
“I’m very smart, and I know smart when I see it…and it’s always a turn-on. And you, all of you, including your brain, completely turns me on,” he said, tipping her face toward him for a deeper kiss, because he was being completely honest. He was so turned on he couldn’t think straight, being this close to her, sharing this moment.
“Well, I guess you would know,” she said breathlessly as they broke the kiss and she undid the top button of his shirt.
“You know, I’ve never had a woman in here, in my office,” he said, “for anything other than business.”
“Well, Dr. Ellison, I think maybe we need to expand your horizons,” she said with a sexy chuckle that made him wonder if his knees would work when he stood up, taking her with him.
He looked at her over the top of the glasses he’d worn in place of the new contacts—some habits were hard to break—and crossed his arms in front of him.
“Ms. Patterson, we do have the perfect situation in which to conduct a few experiments. Would you like to assist?” he asked.
“Of course, but what do I do? I don’t know much about science,” she said, catching on quickly.
“First, you should undress. Slowly, please.”
“But—”
“Don’t worry. I’m a doctor,” he reassured her with a smile.
“Okay, then,” she agreed with just the right amount of sexy apprehension.
He was ragingly hard as she took the blouse she wore off—slowly, as he’d asked—and draped it over the back of the chair by his desk. She faced him, the gorgeous swell of her breasts revealed perfectly by her lingerie, looking at the door in mock concern.
“I’m happy to help with your…experiment, Doctor, but what if someone comes in?”
“The door is locked.”
She undid her jeans and slid them down one leg, and then down the other, until she was before him in nothing but her bra and a black thong.
He was pretty sure if he so much as moved a muscle he would come—having Jodie like this, here in his office, was a fantasy he’d played through many times but never imagined in his wildest dreams would come true. The impromptu role play just added to the excitement.
Her eyes never left his, and he could see she was as turned