Page 10 of Herding Cat

Her gaze locked on his. She sank in. “I didn’t say that.”

“You said we shouldn’t.”

“Well, we shouldn’t. I mean, I’m...”

“My boss?”

She reared back. Hell, she hadn’t even thought of that excuse. “No. Not that.”

“Then what?” He stared at her, steadily, sincerely, as though he didn’t even know. As though it had never occurred to him.

“You know,” she snapped.

His brow arched. “Do I?”

“Of course you do. It’s obvious.”

“This is the only thing that’s obvious to me.” He pulled her closer and rubbed his hard cock against her. “I want you and you want me. What else matters?”

Seriously? Was he pretending to be dim? “I’m older than you.” God, it hurt to say it. But honestly, it was true. There was nothing more pathetic than an older woman lusting after a young hunk of manflesh.

He gaped at her and then he threw back his head and laughed. His laugh petered out when he caught her expression. “Wait. You’re serious about that?”

She glared at him. “Of course I’m serious.” Deadly serious. Depressingly serious. “I have ten years on you.”

He shrugged. “How does that matter?”

“How does it matter?” Words failed her, which was probably why she sputtered, “Because I’m older than you.”

He threaded his fingers in her hair and tugged her closer. She resisted. “Catherine, that doesn’t matter to me.”

Oh God. What a lovely lie.

Of course it mattered.

She shook her head and shot him a regretful smile. “It matters to me.” It did. More than it should, but it did.

Damn it all.

Marla had fallen into this trap. She’d succumbed to the demands of her ego, her need to be attractive to a younger man. And look what it had gotten her.

“I think I’d better get some sleep,” she said, and then, before he could stop her, she ran.

Ran like a coward to her bedroom and closed the door.

Although one never really escaped one’s fears, did one?

She knew he wouldn’t follow. She knew he would respect her wishes and stay in the sitting room and sleep on the couch. But how she wished he wouldn’t. How she wished he would ignore her idiotic reservations and come barging in, take her into his arms and ravage her with kisses.

She glanced at the door.

Stared at it, for a long while, hoping and dreading that imminent moment. The moment where she would have to face her own doubts and move beyond them.

But the door didn’t open.

It didn’t open all night.

Damn it. Damn it all anyway.