trying to shake off the intense atmosphere that had descended over the table. Both declined. Lissa looked away, embarrassed.
James left to make a call while Marnie rose at the same time for a trip to the bathroom. Good manners required Lissa remain and keep Rory company as he slowly ate the rest of his torte.
He looked at her, his eyes focussed on her mouth. ‘You have a little cream.’ He raised his hand to his chin.
‘Oh.’ She lifted a hand and wiped at her own.
He smiled. ‘No, you missed it. Here.’ He reached across the table and ran his finger just under her lower lip.
She breathed in sharply and his finger stopped, still pressed against her. She wanted to taste him with her tongue. She parted her mouth to do just that, desperate to lick her lips, to be ready for him. There was a silence. Then he moved his finger again, upwards this time to stroke over her lip and back again. She sat frozen to the spot, melting.
‘Tell me you don’t want me to touch you,’ he dared her softly.
Lissa had several talents, but lying wasn’t one of them. Her eyes flickered and she was silent. He traced her lips again, the lightness of his touch a teasing torment. She wanted more. She wanted his lips on hers. She leaned closer, her eyes trained on his mouth.
‘Lissa?’ he breathed. ‘Do you feel this? Do you?’
The rawness in his voice jerked at her.
‘It’s just sex.’ She pulled back, desperate to retrieve the situation. She thought about blaming the boozy cream, but knew that had more aroma than impact.
He looked across at her, heat and amusement mingling in his gaze. ‘If it’s just sex, why don’t we do something about it?’
She recoiled. Just have a fling? A one-night stand? Go for it like rabbits and get it out of their systems? Again, she was tempted. Damn tempted. She was leaving the country soon—why not have an affair? Gina had suggested she do just that with Karl. Her heart thundered—too dangerous.
She looked at the table. He reached across to her again and tilted her chin up. She met his eyes, now glowing with heat and something else that she couldn’t define—warmth? Gentleness? ‘Because it’s not just sex?’ he said softly.
Her heart drowned in the knowledge that he was right. This attraction seemed to be more than just physical. Even more reason to say no. ‘It can’t happen, Rory.’
His hand dropped. ‘Not until you say.’
When they returned to the office and resumed work things had changed. There was a lightening of the atmosphere between them. She had admitted to the attraction that he had so openly referred to earlier. And despite her intention to do nothing about it, it was a secret they shared, a bond between them. Their eyes met with silent laughter when James made one of his outrageous comments. Fingers brushed when they passed paperwork. She knew he watched her as surreptitiously and as often as she watched him. It was a dangerous game but she thought that she could just, just keep a lid on it. Keep things as they were. They had acknowledged the temptation, but that was as far as it would go. For sure.
Before home time she asked him to check some figures she’d inputted into one of the databases. Standing behind her, he leant over her shoulder, pointing at the screen. She had to forcibly stop herself leaning even closer. She could feel the heat of his body behind her. It would take nothing to lean back against him, to feel him hard against her just as she’d been dreaming, night after night.
He seemed to sense she’d lost her concentration on the work. ‘What shampoo do you use? Your hair smells delicious.’
‘It’s called Esprit de Fleur. You can buy it in the supermarket for five ninety-nine.’ She couldn’t stop the tart reply, a gut defence against his nearness, a way of trying to push him away because if she didn’t she was in grave danger of pulling him closer—literally, physically, now.
She felt his withdrawal and knew he was about to walk away and suddenly that prospect was worse.
‘I don’t suggest you do, though.’ She quickly turned to him.
‘Why not?’ He came tantalisingly close again, his attention trained on her.
She looked back at her screen. ‘Whatever you currently use suits you.’
‘It does?’
‘Mmm,’ she answered as matter of factly as she could, despite her thumping heart and the audible catch in her voice. ‘Lemony. It’s nice. Fresh.’
‘You noticed?’
I notice everything about you. To say that would be to go too far. She was playing with fire already and she knew it. Trouble was, it was irresistible. He was irresistible.
He lingered, perhaps waiting for another move, another sign from her. So with superhuman strength she kept her focus on the computer, wishing the others hadn’t left already, until finally, after what seemed like eons of sweet torture, he lifted away and went to sit back at his own screen.
She breathed out. Close, too close and yet not nearly close enough. Mentally she begged for the fortnight to pass fast; every day was killing her. Why was it you always wanted what you couldn’t have?
Rory decided to take the stairs back up to the office after the breakfast meeting with the client. Anything to burn off the excess energy and frustration welling in him. Damn it. The situation was eating him up and he was struggling to concentrate on the project. So much for forgetting about her until it had wrapped. Who the hell was he kidding?
He wasn’t the most arrogant guy, but he knew when someone was interested, and she wanted him. He’d seen the way she watched him, the way she flushed when he stood near her, had felt her tremble as his hand brushed hers when working at her computer together.
She’d even admitted it—tried to fob it off as just sexual attraction. But it was more than that. He’d yet to figure out quite how much more, but definitely more. Not just attraction but undeniable need, he had to get closer to her. His body screamed for it. The frustration that she wouldn’t give in to it was almost greater than the frustration that he felt from not being with her. It was like being tortured on the rack, slow and painful.
Hell, he should never have commandeered her for his team, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself, the temptation to have her near too great. But he hadn’t banked on how totally it affected his concentration. Then again, if she weren’t under his nose he’d be spending his days wondering about her.
He’d never been bewitched before. It was humiliating and he needed to do something about it. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, but he had to understand her resistance to conquer it.
It wasn’t as if she was totally off men. Hell, she even had Gina trying to matchmake her with her mate. He ran up the first flight of stairs swiftly, deep in thought.
All this rubbish about office gossip was a smokescreen. She was a temp, for goodness’ sake; she’d be heading home to New Zealand in no time. Why care what a bunch of people here thought when soon she’d be out of the place?
They could have a lot of fun together before she did take off. She should be taking in all the experiences London had to offer. He was determined to be
