Attraction (Love & War, Part I) by Katrina Liss

than pleasantly.
    He turned and
led her to the door, and opened it, offered his hand and shook hers
briefly.
    She had to
admit to enjoying his touch and the special way he squeezed her
fingers.
    “ Thanks once again Miss Wright. Yasmin will take care of you
now.”
    “ Goodbye, Mr Gates,” she replied.
    He closed the
door immediately after she left his office.
    She was still
feeling quite shaken up by the whole meeting as she was escorted
back downstairs by Yasmin and left her waiting for Adrian to
appear. She was lost in her thoughts. Not only was she in an
difficult situation with Adrian, which she needed to discuss with
him straight away, but she had mixed feelings about Ashton Gates.
She wasn't sure she liked him much. But even so, she was more than
fascinated and wondered what he was really like; the inner Ashton
Gates; the one behind the charming, well spoken, and very proper
façade. Not that it mattered. She wouldn't ever find out. She was
just a little distraction in his high powered, expensive life. She
was sure she wouldn't see much of him after tomorrow. They could
conduct all their business by email and phone, as she did with her
other clients. It was only the signing of the contracts that she
needed to be present for, as legal witness, and that could be weeks
away.
    Their dinner
date might be fun though, she considered, as long as she was the
one leading the fun and in control. And she was going to make sure
she was. She could play his game.
    The car drew
up for her trip back to her office and Adrian appeared through the
door.
    “ That was quick,” he said. “I hardly had time to
breathe.”
    “ There wasn't much to discuss at this point. We ran through
the points of the contract, but that was rather premature pre DD. I
guess he wanted to suss me out, that's all.”
    “ I can understand that. I'm looking forward to sussing you out
later as well.”
    “ Hmm, Adrian, about that. Our date...” she began.
    “ What about it?” His tone changed and his eyes searched
hers.
    “ Your boss has just asked me out on a dinner date tonight, in
a way that I couldn't refuse. I'm sorry, but I feel I'm in an
embarrassing position, going on a date with both of
you.”
    “ I guess you are.” He stared at her, clearly very unhappy with
this news.
    “ So, I'm thinking, as he's your boss, and so that neither of
us upset him while I'm working on his French deal, perhaps our date
should wait until after I finish this assignment. Do you
mind?”
    “ Well yeah, I do. I mind a lot. No way am I sitting on the sub
bench. I asked you first.”
    She laughed at
him, in nervous reaction, then her smile faded away fast. He wasn't
in a smiling mood. His expression was deadly serious.
    “ Right ...” She felt more awkward than ever
now.
    “ Seriously Nicole, we're still on, okay?” His look softened
and he took her hand leading her out to the car.
    “ I told him I had another engagement at eight, so he's fitting
in a quick meal before. He doesn't know that it's you I'm seeing
later.”
    “ Keep that to yourself, okay? For now.”

Chapter
5
    He returned to his desk immediately after she left and leaned
back in his chair thinking. Much to his complete surprise, he was
instantly attracted to his new legal advisor. Which was a little
odd, because she wasn't the type he usually went for. She was
brunette, small, slim, although she was very decently stacked in the
female sense, but far too quick witted and intelligent. Certainly
nothing like his usual non-challenging, non-intellectual, blonde,
centrefold stunner. But she had something that appealed to him. He
wasn't lying when he said he found her to be intriguing and
beautiful. She had an almost ethereal kind of beauty and the most
wonderful big brown eyes and full lips. The fact that this small
female was prepared to stand up to him was a real turn on. No one
ever protested about his behaviour. They wouldn't dare. Well, no
one except his mother, Adrian and Yasmin. He allowed