"Are you going to cheat me?" He raises his gaze once again, I’m subjected to those disturbingly pale eyes which resemble moonlight on the barren ground. A quiver squeezes my lower belly. This man is dangerous. If I spend any more time in his presence… I have a feeling, I might blurt out my secrets.
"Well," he asks impatiently, "are you?"
2
Liam
Pink flushes her cheeks. Her lips part. Those blue eyes of hers turn almost indigo—storm clouds. That’s what they remind me of. Flashes in their depth tell me she’s angry. Good. I’d rather deal with that than this strange chemistry electrifying the air between us, igniting a fire in my veins. From the moment she walked into my office, an awareness gripped me. The kind that raises the hair on the back of my neck, focuses my attention, and turns my dick to stone.
Being attracted to Isla Bailey is not something I planned for. It’s an inconvenience which has no place in my carefully mapped-out life. Taking over my father’s company, then getting married to consolidate my inheritance, is what I am working toward. It’s why I identified Lila as the most likely candidate to fit into my life. I’m not going to risk falling in love and messing up my well-orchestrated scheme. Marriage, for me, is a transaction, and Lila understands that.
Someone like Isla, on the other hand?She’s too fiery to not demand a lot more from me. And I don’t have time for that. Not when I need to focus on building my company.
And now that I’ve signed off on the budget for the nuptials, there will be little reason to see her. It’s why I green-lit the budget for the wedding right away. Normally, I’d have asked for more detail before agreeing on such a significant sum of money. But if I can get her out of here quickly, then it’s worth not asking further questions. Besides, I do trust her judgement.
Since she took on her position as wedding planner, our interactions have been professional. I’m sure she’ll do a stand-up job organizing the wedding, since I don’t have the time to be bothered with the details.
I want her out of my office. And hopefully, after this, out of my life. "I asked you a question." I arch my eyebrow at her.
"What?" Her lips part in surprise. Pink rosebud lips which invite me to taste them. Which makes me wonder how they’d look wrapped around a certain part of my body.And why would I notice that?Or how flushed her cheeks are, or how her chest rises and falls as her anger builds. I push aside those errant thoughts and focus on what she’s saying.
"No, of course, I’m not going to cheat you.” She scowls. “Why would I? How could you suggest such a thing? There’s something called integrity. I’m always honest in my business dealings. Besides, I’ve come to consider Lila a friend, and there's no way I'd do that to her.”
"Good." I nod. Then, knowing it will piss her off further, and because I enjoy eliciting a reaction from her—something I don’t want to question too closely—I jerk my chin in the direction of the doorway to my office. "Leave. I have work to do."
She opens and shuts her mouth, seemingly at a loss for words. I have to stifle a chuckle.Damn, this is so much fun.
She firms her jaw and jumps to her feet, gathering her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "Goodbye—Asshole."
The second word is mumbled under her breath, but I catch it. My lips quirk, and I pinch them together to stop myself from snickering.
"I heard that," I say mildly.
Heat surges up her neck, deepening the pink of her cheeks further.
She draws in a breath, and her chest heaves. I manage not to look at her tits, keeping my gaze on her face.
"I’m sorry." She shuffles her feet. "I didn’t expect you to be this… Rude—" She pops a shoulder.
I bark out a surprised laugh before I can stop myself. "I didn’t expect you to be this… Direct," I admit.
Our gazes lock again. That undercurrent of electricity between us sparks. I can’t look away. Neither does she. And fuck, if I don’t love that. Her feistiness is a bloody turn on, and I don’t understand why. The fact that, even now, she tips up her chin with a challenge simmering in her eyes… Makes me want to grab her and kiss her—just to keep her off balance. It’s goddam problematic.
I cannot let this firecracker of a woman waltz into my life and disrupt it. I need to stick to the program. Need to focus on my upcoming weddingwith someone else.I shake myself internally to clear my head. This effect she has on me is impermissible. No one is allowed to shake my composure. Definitely not a gorgeous temptress with flashing blue eyes and the ability to make my thoughts scatter.
I square my shoulders and stalk past her with the intention of holding the door open for her and making it clear I want her gone. Despite my best efforts, I’m unable to stop myself from drawing her scent deep into my lungs as I pass her. My body, clearly, didn’t get the memo that she’s out of bounds. That Icannot let this animal attraction to her disrupt the trajectory of my life. I’ve worked too hard to get here. I will not allow myself to give into this crazy physical draw to her. I reach the door to my office, shove it open, and stare pointedly at her.
She tosses her head, then glides over to me. Her walk..Jesus… It’s sensuous and alluring. Her carriage is erect. Her spine straight. Her inherent confidence is a challenge to find a way to tame her. It’s also a siren call to harness that fire in her.We’d be so good together…in bed…and out of it.I shove those thoughts away and follow her progress with a bored expression on my face. She notices it, and her lips flatten. She sails past me, regal. And yet, the way she clutches at the straps of her handbag hint at her vulnerability.
I take in the dip of her waist, the curve of her hips, the sway of her butt cheeks pulling her skirt tight across her rear.Goddamn.Sweat breaks out on my forehead. She’s so fucking sexy. So endearing. So…Everything.It’s clear, I cannot risk seeing her again. Unfortunately, I promised Lila I’ll be there at the wedding rehearsals… Something I’m going to try to wriggle out of as much as possible. It won’t be possible to miss them all, but I can definitely minimize my involvement.
When she steps over the threshold, I can’t help myself from calling out, "Next time, Ms. Bailey, email me. My time is too precious to be spent on the inane details of a ceremony I am attending only because it’s good PR for my company."
3
Isla
"It’s his freakin’ marriage we’re talking about. He’s getting hitched. But his lack of interest makes it seem like he has no real interest in it. Which, given he’s marrying one of my friends, makes me so angry." I grip the handle of my coffee with such force, some of the liquid sloshes over the side. "Oops." I glower at the annoying splash of brown on the table.
