whatever new adventure you’ll be moving toward next.”
God, the look on her face at Max’s announcement… For a split second, Cara looked horrified and humiliated. At one point, Branden swore she even looked scared. It pissed him off, until he realized it had more to do with her fear of losing her job than fear of him. In any event, she quickly gathered her composure and basically dismissed him while she and Max talked about the man’s upcoming retirement.
Never taking his eyes off her, Branden took several breaths and tried to calm down. He had to work hard to suppress the urge to whisk her away and get her alone again.
The instant he’d seen her upstairs, he’d known he should wake her and get her the hell out of his house. Chances were she was a D&M employee, or if not, that she was dating one. But instead of chasing her off, he’d covered her with a blanket and given in to the temptation to look at her. He’d wanted to rouse her, see those thickly lashed lids flutter open to reveal the color of her eyes.
When they had, he’d sucked in his breath at how spectacular her blue eyes were. They reminded him of a cross between aquamarines and sapphires. He’d wanted to kiss her then and there. Thank God she actually had made the first move. He’d quickly taken over, shocked at how fast he’d surrendered to his need to touch her. To have her. When she’d rubbed against him, he’d barely stopped himself from shoving up her short skirt and bending her over the sofa so he could plunge inside her. Only then she’d said something about waiting for him, and his cynical mind had immediately thought she was using him, wanting him more for what he could buy her than anything else, and his pride had made him speak out in anger. Of course, she’d pulled away and her defensive walls had come up and Branden had immediately wanted to kick his own ass. Not just because he’d lost the feel of her, but because beneath her anger, he’d seen embarrassment and hurt, and he’d hated the idea that he’d caused that. Despite the fact she was obviously capable of taking care of herself, she brought out his protective instincts, along with a whole lot of other instincts.
Kissing Cara had been better than sex with other women, and he couldn’t help but imagine doing more with her. In a variety of thrilling ways, starting on the couch she’d been reclining on. He wanted her vulnerable. Begging for pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. Tender and erotic to begin. Kisses that started at her mouth and moved down. He’d spread her out, with one of her legs thrown over the back of the couch, and the other hanging off the edge while he buried his face between her thighs, lapping her up. See what made her cry out. How deep she wanted it and where. Rough and raw if she liked it like that. Then sensual and slow. The mix had to be magic. He’d make it unforgettable for her.
Only he had to corral all those urges, because as Max Dubois had so abruptly informed her, Branden was the new owner of D&M and Cara’s new boss. And that meant, for more reasons than one, it would be wholly inappropriate for him to jump into bed with her.
Finally, Cara turned to him again and said, “Well, gentlemen, I need to be going. Max, will you be in tomorrow?”
“Just to settle a few things.”
She nodded, gave him a hug, then turned to Branden. “I look forward to seeing you again soon, Mr. Duke,” she said.
She was clearly lying. She’d be happy never to see him again, yet her expression and voice remained almost robotic. It was as if the real Cara, the warm, passionate woman he’d caught off guard after she’d woken, had slipped through his fingers, never to be recaptured.
Even worse, he would indeed see her again, but not the way he wanted to.
Not as the stranger she’d kissed. Not as a potential suitor. Not as a possessive lover.
But as her boss.
Her fucking boss.
Tomorrow morning, it would have to be all business between them, yet Branden knew keeping things strictly professional with Cara Michael was going to be one of the hardest tasks he’d ever taken on.
Chapter 3
When Cara woke up, her corporate studio apartment was still dark. For several moments she just lay there, staring at the