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The fact she’s right only pisses me off more. “You do when your behavior reflects badly on Stratus Solutions.”

She shoots me a quelling glare. “You’ll have to do better than that. No one in the audience knows who I am. I never take off my mask and I never use my real name. Nothing I do on stage can taint your reputation.” Arms crossed over her chest, she saunters closer. “Why don’t you be honest and tell me what’s really bothering you? I know you’re not this mad simply because I was dressed a little risqué and gyrated on stage with Kyle?”

I debate the wisdom of blurting the truth. The rational part of my brain tells me to shut up, leave, and act on Monday like nothing happened tonight. Every other part of me knows that ship has sailed. My cock is especially eager to lay my cards on the table, grab Nia in my arms…and not worry about what happens next.

“You’re right. I’m mad because I think you’ve fucked him.”

She jerks as if I’ve slapped her. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we haven’t been together in almost two years. Thanks for letting me know you think I’m a whore.”

Hearing I was right royally pisses me off. Having her put words in my mouth kills what’s left of my patience, stripping away anything resembling professional civility.

I try not to squeeze her arms as I drag her close. “I never said that. Or thought it. I’m telling you that I can’t stand knowing he’s touched you. I don’t like the fact you still have anything to do with him. I don’t even understand why I’m here yelling and angry. I’m just…”

How the hell do I put the storm raging inside me into words? No clue, but I need to get it all out somehow or I’m going to explode.

“Jealous?” Soft surprise crosses her face.

Something about her confusion rips the confession from me. “Yes.”

“Because you…want me?”

I grit my teeth and try again to think through the wisdom of spilling all this to her. But I can’t keep it in. The softness of warm silk and hot woman under my palms almost undoes me. “Yes. I know I shouldn’t. I’ve spent forty-eight hours telling myself what I’m feeling is ridiculous and I can’t allow this—whatever it is—into our perfectly comfortable, efficient working relationship. But I can’t turn it off. I can’t fight it. I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.”

“Is that what you’d rather do? Bury your head in the sand and not feel it?” She looks hurt.

Her expression makes me feel like an asshole. Nia always asks insightful questions. Why should now be different?

I shake my head. “For the first time in months—maybe years—I feel alive.”

Nia stares at me in silence, her gaze fused to mine. I swear I see a hundred thoughts whip through her head. For once, I can’t read a single one.

“Say something.” If she doesn’t soon, I don’t know what I’ll do. I don’t even know if I can be responsible for what happens next.

“Have you been drinking?”

“Not enough to drown out how much I want you.”

“In spite of your opinion about my sexual past? And what about our working relationship?”

She’s not wrong, but they’re barbed questions. I have to maneuver around them carefully. “Nothing matters to me except touching you right now.”

Before Nia can chew on my answer and remember all the reasons she should say no, I pull her against me. She gasps. The instant her soft body makes contact with my hard, aching cock, I groan and hold her tighter, cupping her face and lowering my mouth to her parted lips.

Chapter Three

Beneath my hands, Nia freezes.

I stop, realizing I didn’t ask the most important question of all. “Do you want me, too?”

My ragged breaths punctuate the air as she scans my face, seemingly searching for something. I don’t know what.

Suddenly, she lunges for me, tosses her arms around me, then plants her mouth across mine.

The moment our lips meet is a shock of unbridled thrill. Desire floods my system, saturating my senses and shutting down my brain. I groan as I push my way past her soft lips and thrust my tongue against hers. Her moan of acceptance and her fingers clutching at my shirt are all the confirmation I need.

Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around her and fill my palms with her succulent ass, then lift her against me. I spare a brief moment of thanks for my logic that a daily gym habit makes for a healthier human. Holding her against my throbbing shaft so I can grind her against me is easy. And so sweet it sends a shudder of arousal through my entire body.

Nia opens wider to me with a throaty groan and rolls her hips in sync with mine. The friction staggers me. My knees nearly buckle. The heat between us…it’s going to consume me. But if I don’t get inside her in the next thirty seconds, I’ll spontaneously combust.