KATIE glanced out of the window and watched the sun setting in a pink, misty haze over the London rooftops. Maybe she wasn’t pregnant, she told herself fiercely. She was only a week late, and she was never regular anyway.
She should go take the test right now. Her eyes skidded towards her bag, and her heart thundered with apprehension. Now that the phones had stopped ringing and the offices were deserted, it was the perfect time.
The sooner she knew, the sooner she could make a decision as to what she should do.
And what would she do if this test were positive?
She leaned her forehead against the cool of the glass.
There was no doubt that her boss was the most handsome, exciting man she had ever met, or that she had been enjoying their affair. But that was all it was—an affair.
Alexi wasn’t the settling-down type; he’d made that absolutely clear from the beginning. And she’d been OK with that. In fact, more than OK; she’d agreed wholeheartedly.
She’d thought she had it all worked out—all under control, she mocked herself as she straightened and turned her back on the view.
Now suddenly she was looking at her affair with Alexi in a whole different way, and what she was seeing, and what she was feeling, was scaring her.
It was strange how life could change in an instant.
She was about to pick up her bag when a noise in the outer office alerted her to the fact that she wasn’t alone, and she looked up to find Alexi standing in the doorway.
As always her senses flew into wild disorder as their eyes met. ‘Crushingly handsome’ was how she had once described the Greek tycoon, and that description was extremely apt.
‘You do realise that everyone else has finished for the day, don’t you?’ he asked.
‘I had some figures to check,’ she retorted, trying to focus her mind on business, sitting back in her chair.
‘So, how’s it going?’
‘I’m nearly finished. Another few days and the deal will be signed and sealed.’ Another few days and her contract here would be finished.
Her eyes drifted over him as he walked closer. She liked the way he dressed; he had the stylish panache that continental men seemed to achieve so effortlessly. But that wasn’t what drew her—nor was it the tall, muscular, toned body beneath the clothes—it was something else. It was that aura of power that he wore so well, that cool, confident, almost ruthless way he had of holding her attention. She wished that he didn’t have an effect on her, and that he didn’t send her senses into free fall, but he did.
Hurriedly she tried to put those emotions away as he stopped in front of her desk.
‘You’ve done well. Of course, it means we’re going to have to set aside some time to talk about where things are going from here.’
Did he mean emotionally? She swallowed hard and couldn’t find her voice to reply.
‘I’d like you to stay on.’
His quietly spoken words opened up feelings inside her that she didn’t dare try to analyse. Instead she looked up at him cautiously, and her whole body seemed to be tensing, waiting. ‘In what capacity?’
‘Same as now. I’m buying a new company, and I’d like you to oversee a similar project for me.’
She tried to ignore the curl of disappointment. Of course he hadn’t been talking in emotional terms. Alexi never discussed emotions; they were a definite taboo. He was a businessman first and foremost.
‘And what about … us?’ She forced herself to ask the question.
‘Well, we can carry on as before, can’t we?’ His dark eyes held with hers, and then he smiled. ‘Enjoying ourselves.’
She nodded and tried to look casually indifferent. ‘Well, we can discuss it later.’
He frowned for a moment as if he hadn’t been expecting that. ‘So the next question is …’ he leaned forward and put his hands on her desk ‘… your place or mine?’
The smooth transition from businessman to lover made Katie’s stomach-muscles tighten. She wanted him so much … wanted to push everything to one side and just go into his arms and be held.
But Alexi didn’t intend to just hold her; he intended to make love to her until she was senseless and sated beyond belief. Then he’d smile that satisfied smile and tell her she was great, before moving away and turning the conversation and the mood back towards business.
For the first time in their relationship Katie felt like she couldn’t handle that situation. The knowledge swirled inside her with disquieting intensity.
‘I thought you had a meeting with the director of Transworth tonight?’ She played for time.
‘Yes, but it shouldn’t last long. I’ll be finished by about ten.’ He came round to her side of the desk and perched beside her.
His closeness unsettled her even more. ‘Alexi, it’s been a crazy day today. I haven’t stopped, and—’
‘Are you bailing out on me?’ He didn’t sound annoyed, just amused.
‘Afraid so.’ She couldn’t meet his gaze. ‘A girl has to catch up on her beauty sleep some time.’
He reached out and tipped her chin upwards, so that she was forced to look at him, and she was glad that the light in the office was fading now. His gaze was too perceptive—almost as if he could read the secrets of her soul.
‘You look pretty hot for a woman in need of her beauty sleep.’ He murmured the words huskily, and the touch of his hand against her skin made her feel weak with longing. ‘But I’ll let you off tonight as long as you think about my business proposition.’
‘You are such a smooth talker, Alexi.’ She tried to sound flippant.
He didn’t immediately release her. Instead his fingers stroked softly upwards, tracing along the delicate heart-shape of her face and into the darkness of her long hair.
She took a deep, shuddering breath as he lowered his head and took possession of her lips.
Hell, but he could kiss … He had a way of lighting her up inside, making her want him with an urgency she had never experienced before. Over the last couple of months she had allowed herself to surrender to him completely, had loved the wild, exhilarating feelings he created inside her—but today his mastery over her senses just scared her.
She didn’t want to feel like this any more, she thought hazily, yet she couldn’t stop herself leaning forward and giving herself up to the pleasure of the moment.
His mobile phone rang, shattering the silence. For a moment he ignored it, before abruptly pulling away. ‘Sorry, Katie, I better take this call.’
She shrugged and
