The Elliotts: Mixing Business with Pleasure. Brenda Jackson
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Recriminations immediately filled Erika’s head. What in the world was she doing? Had she learned nothing? She’d gotten involved with Gannon before and he’d hurt her so much she couldn’t feel anything at all for another man.
This was even worse. They’d never gone this far in the office.
Bitter regret filling her throat, she struggled to climb off his lap, stumbling as she tried to stand.
Gannon stood and steadied her. “You okay?”
She could feel him studying her face and she refused to meet his gaze. “I could probably be better. Getting dressed wouldn’t hurt.”
He moved to lock the door. “It’s okay. No one walked in on us.”
“But they could have,” she said, jerking on her clothes. “I’m in here bonking the boss and—”
“I’m not technically your boss,” Gannon said. “I made sure of that when you returned to Pulse.”
She sent him a withering glance. “That could have been anyone behind that door. And what if they hadn’t knocked?”
“Everyone knocks on my door before entering.”
“What about your father? What about one of your brothers or your sister? Or one of your thousands of cousins?” She tried to keep the hysteria from her voice.
He pulled up his pants and fastened them. She noticed it took him about one-tenth the time to pull himself together, while she was still dressing herself with hands that refused to steady themselves.
She struggled with the zipper on her boots and he brushed her hand away. “You need to calm down, Erika. Nothing happened. I would protect you. This thing between us …” he said and shrugged. “We just got carried away. We need to keep it private.”
“I’m not sure we should keep it at all,” she told him. “I already bought the T-shirt for this ride one time.”
“But you want my baby,” he said, meeting her gaze dead-on.
Her throat closed up and she looked away. “I want your genes. Otherwise you and I know it’s not the right time or I’m not the right woman.”
Silence followed, swelling between them, creating an unbearable tension inside Erika.
“Do we really know that?” he asked.
His question made her heart stop. It gave her a crazy kind of hope that she didn’t want to buy into for her sanity and emotional safety. “We know it’s not the right time. And if I were the right woman—the really right woman—then any time would be the right time.” She successfully pulled up the zipper on her other boot.
“Erika,” he said, putting his hand over hers.
She closed her eyes at the strong tug she felt, the wanting to be with him. “No, Gannon, for you this is just about the crazy chemistry between us and some amazing hot sex. And I’m hardwired differently.” She glanced at the clock. Seven-fifteen. Her head clearing, she felt a nudge from her brain. What—
Remembering her late date with Gerald, she swore and began to gather the rest of her belongings. “Oh, great. Just great.”
“What is it?”
“I have a dinner date in forty-five minutes.”
Gannon went completely silent.
“You’re not really going to meet him after we—”
She bit her lip and waved her hand. “I’ll handle it. I’ll take care of it. I’ll, uh—” She swallowed over the terrible distraught lump in her throat. “I guess I’ll see you Monday.”
He reached for her and she stumbled backward. “No. Please don’t touch me right now. I need to leave.”
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