for ages and he’s never shown a flicker of interest in me or any other girl here. We all drool over him and he’s just Mr Charming to everyone. I was hoping that maybe when he got back he’d see me in a new light. I wanted Karl to eliminate you from the scene.’
‘Eliminate me?’
Gina rolled her eyes. ‘Look at you. Tall, legs that go for ever, curves in the right places. Long, beautiful hair. Frank and funny. You’re a bloke magnet. Look how many of the guys have tried to chat you up and yet you won’t go out with any of them. You’re the female equivalent of Rory. Gorgeous and unattainable. It was obvious you two would hit it off.’
‘Unattainable?’
‘Yes, and even if you aren’t that’s the vibe you give off.’ Gina looked at her slyly. ‘But I just saw the way he was looking at you and, let me tell you, I’ve never seen him look that way at anyone before. And I’ve never seen you look flustered before. And you definitely look flustered.’
Lissa put her elbows on the desk in front of her and rubbed her temples.
Unattainable? She hadn’t exactly been unattainable last night. She’d been easy, almost. Until now her desire to be unavailable in the office had succeeded. But Rory had shown that shield to be worthless. He’d shattered the illusion just by looking at her. This couldn’t be happening.
He wasn’t Karl the flirt. She needed to snap out of it and fast. He was a partner—one of the bosses. Been there, done that, and complicated wasn’t the word. She’d had one of the best graduate jobs on the market and had ruined it by having an affair with her boss that had turned really nasty.
She forced herself to concentrate, and like the others worked through lunch. Come two o’clock everyone was beginning to flag.
‘Coffee?’ Lissa asked. ‘I’ll go.’ She was eager to stretch her legs.
Both Hugo and Gina looked up; Lissa grinned at the desperation on their faces. ‘I’ll be back in ten.’
She braced against the chilly wind and got there in record time. Glancing around as she entered, she froze on the spot as she saw Rory with two consultants sitting on the far side deep in conversation and coffee. As she looked across his head lifted and their eyes met. His were glittering green and she felt lanced by them, feeling the impact all the way through to her marrow. She told herself the heat in her cheeks was from the cold air not that hot look.
Placing the order quickly, she stood determinedly watching the barista do his stuff, trying not to listen to any sounds from the seated area behind her. Once she had the coffees she couldn’t help a swift glance to the corner where he’d been sitting with the others. To her immense relief, the chairs now stood empty. Breathing out for the first time since she had entered the shop, she left it.
He was waiting by the door. She hadn’t seen him and nearly dropped the coffee when he said straight into her ear, ‘Let me carry those.’ He had the tray from her before she’d computed what he’d said. She had no choice other than to turn and fall into step with him.
‘Have you forgiven me?’ He was watching her with those dancing eyes.
She said nothing.
‘Are you going to talk to me?’
She stopped and growled at him. ‘No and no.’
He smiled back at her. She looked away crossly and continued walking. Damn him for having such a gorgeous smile. It made it hard to stick to her resolve—impossible, in fact. ‘You should have told me who you were.’
‘Probably,’ he admitted. ‘But it was so much fun not to. It was very enlightening.’
‘Gina will never forgive me. I hadn’t told her everything.’ The last part came out as a mumble and she was annoyed to feel the tell-tale heat rise in her cheeks.
‘And I won’t either,’ he said easily. ‘She never needs to know. Have dinner with me.’
The change in tack was a surprise. ‘No.’
‘Lunch?’
‘No.’
‘Coffee?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t do office affairs.’
‘Neither do I.’
‘Then why are you asking me out?’
‘I’m willing to make an exception in your case. Anyway, who said anything about an affair?’
She bit back her smile. She’d walked into that one. She didn’t blame him. Different time, different place, she might have been saying yes. But not in this universe. He was a workmate, more than that, he was one of the bosses. But she didn’t want to drag up old issues and decided to deflect him with a different excuse. ‘I don’t like office gossip.’
He laughed aloud. ‘What? You told me a fair bit last night.’
That one hurt because she knew it was true. She battled to bolster what she knew was a weak argument. ‘I thought we were discussing a mutual colleague. I said nothing malicious.’
He stared at her thoughtfully. She bore the scrutiny as long as she could before glancing around, unable to take the heat and promise that glowed in his eyes. ‘No one has to know,’ he said softly.
For a moment she was tempted. Then reality slammed back. No, the best thing was to stay as far away from this man as possible. His gaze didn’t leave her face.
‘That would be impossible.’
‘What others think is really that important?’
‘Of course.’ She frowned, knowing damn well it wasn’t. Her mother had taught her to live life by her own rules, with dignity, without hurting others, and then no one had the right to judge. Of course, never date a workmate was one of the rules.
‘That was no ordinary kiss, Lissa.’
She was glad she wasn’t holding the coffee. She would certainly have dropped it then. He’d spoken so softly for a moment she wondered if she’d dreamt it. She didn’t reply, couldn’t. Damn, it would have been easier if he had been Karl, the flirt who she should definitely steer clear of. But he wasn’t, he was Rory, an altogether different proposition, an altogether different danger and no less inappropriate.
They reached the building and she looked at him expectantly, wanting to take the tray from him. He shook his head and, clenching her teeth, she opened the door. Her heeled shoes clipped on the floor as she strode ahead to viciously press the button to summon the lift.
‘You’re very quiet today,’ he commented. ‘Funny, when you seemed to have so much to say last night.’
Oh, she had plenty to say all right, but she sincerely doubted her ability to say it without resorting to a number of four-letter words. But she’d been tactless enough last night. He was a partner, a boss.
They rode the lift in silence. Lissa tried to ignore
