Her nearness distracted him more than he realized, especially when all he could think about was holding her. An idea popped into his head and he grinned. He slid his palm along her back, hooking it over her hip as he guided her down to his lap.
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Ah... this brings back memories.”
“Yes, it does.” He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. “And I still remember that kiss on the elevator.”
Her body shivered and she sighed heavily. He kissed the gentle curve of her throat.
“Mick, have you decided yet if your feelings from that kiss came from the sleeping pill I’d given you, or if your feelings were real?”
Chuckling, he pulled back and looked into her beautiful green eyes. “It was the kiss.”
One side of her mouth lifted higher than the other. “Are you sure?”
“Oh, yes, because every time I’ve kissed you since, I feel dizzy and like I’m floating on clouds.”
She stroked his goatee softly. The color of her eyes darkened with desire. “Good, because I feel the same way every time we kiss.”
He wagged his eyebrows. “And if I recall, we never did have that make-out session we talked about.”
She laughed. “No, but I’m game now if you are.”
The beat of his heart strummed with excitement. “Oh, my sweetheart.” He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, breathing in her enchanting flowery scent that he loved so much. “I don’t want to turn you down, but...” He sighed and looked into her eyes. “Now is not a good time. I need to concentrate on the notes I took during this case.”
“Yes, I know.”
She leaned forward and kissed his lips. He answered back, but the kiss was very short. She shifted on his lap, making herself more comfortable as she looked at his computer screen again. “Tell me about Steele Construction.”
Love grew in his heart. She’d been the first woman who acted interested in his business. He liked that. He cupped her face, turning it back toward him, and he smiled.
“I love you, Nicole.”
Her expression softened. “And I love you so much that I can’t think of anything else.”
This time when he captured her mouth, the kiss was more meaningful and tender. They kissed slowly, and emotionally. A passionate moan rattled through her throat as her arms tightened around his neck. He held her closer, deepening the kiss. Immediately, she responded with urgency.
It would be so easy to carry her to the leather sofa on the other side of the room and continue this passionate moment, but then he remembered the need to keep his father from hurting Nicole was greater than making out. Mick would protect the woman he loved, and in doing so, he’d have to postpone taking her to the couch and expressing his love to her.
He broke the kiss and smiled. Her eyes twinkled when she met his stare.
He stroked her cheek. “You are just too tempting, and I love kissing you, but—”
“But we have work to do.” She grinned.
Sighing, she turned back to the computer screen. “You were telling me about Steele Construction.”
“Yes, I was.” He exhaled, trying to clear his mind and concentrate on the company. “When I was helping my father with this takeover, I remember wondering why this very productive company was going under. There were no signs of why the company was in trouble. My father went undercover as an accountant from the government’s auditing department.” Mick shook his head in remembrance. “Carl had even faked an ID just to gain their trust. He worked inside their main office and had access to everything.”
“That’s illegal.” She scowled.
“True, but before the company could worry about that, my father had one of his friends present themselves to the company as a representative for the Remington empire, who then tossed them the threat of a takeover.”
“What were you doing?” she asked.
“My job was to hang out with the employees after work at the local pub without telling them who I was. It was my job to collect information that would help my father take over the company.”
“Did you find out anything of importance?”
“Yes... I found out that they were at an all-time high point in their revenue, which was one of the reasons I wondered how my father was able to take over. The company had a lot of assets, and of course, they made good money.”
