career. The president and co-founder of our firm is about to retire. Everyone assumed the other founder’s son would get the job, but I decided to make a play for it. Now I’m on the verge of winning. Over the past year I’ve brought in twice as much new business as he has, and I have us in position to win a massive new Navy contract. All the finalists will make formal presentations to the Navy in San Diego in February. If I bring in this contract, the board of directors has promised to name me as the new president.”
“So after February, some of the pressure will be off.”
She shook her head. “No. I’ll still need to prove myself in my new role, and if I screw up, Whitley will be waiting to swoop in and take back what he thinks of as his. So I’ll need to stay focused on the job. There won’t be room in my life for a man for quite a while.”
No room in her life for him? If she expected him to accept that, she didn’t know who she was dealing with.
CHAPTER FIVE
Where had the time gone? Kathryn and Steve stayed in the restaurant until last call, laughing, flirting, talking about everything and nothing. She thought his resistance was wearing down, but maybe those banana daiquiris, milkshakes with a fiendish kick, had warped her judgment. She’d know soon, now that they were back at the hotel.
They stopped outside Kathryn’s door. Tension built in her body and she felt warm all over. Warm from the rum. Warm from Steve’s fingers skimming over her arm. Most dangerously, warm from the conversation, which made her feel close to him as a person, not just a body. Making love now would be the perfect end to a perfect evening. Please, please, please , she begged with her eyes.
She touched his arm and looked him in the face. “So, flyboy, where do I stand?”
He smirked. “In the hall.”
“Smartass. Are you coming in, or do you still not want to make love?”
His smile disappeared, and she saw desire as fierce as her own in his eyes. “I never said I don’t want to make love. I said I don’t want to be used.”
“And do you still feel used?”
“That doesn’t seem so important now. I’m open to the possibilities.”
Her pulse raced. Not wanting to give him time to change his mind, she jammed her keycard in the slot, shoved the door open, and pulled him inside.
She needn’t have worried. Once the door clicked shut, he took charge. Pushing her backward, he pinned her against the door with his hard body. Hard in every way, she was happy to note as the heat of his erection reached her through his jeans. One hand tangled in her hair while the other cupped a breast. He leaned down and took her mouth, his tongue occupying her completely, hungry yet tender. Her body tingled all over.
By the time he ended the kiss, she could barely breathe. As her inflamed nipples pressed into his chest, she felt his heart thump in time with hers. “Do me, flyboy,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “When I say it’s time. You’re not calling the shots tonight.”
Oh yes! She’d gladly let him run the show. There was a freedom in giving up control to this man who’d shown himself to be so... well, honorable. It was an old-fashioned word, but it fit Steve Tyler. She slid her hands up his steely arm muscles to his shoulders and smiled. “Tell me what you want.”
His lips twisted into an ironic smile. “I want to know you’ll respect me in the morning.”
“You bet. The check’s in the mail and I’ll respect the hell out of you in the morning. Now get on with it. You know you want it as much as I do.”
He shook his head and frowned. “Damn it, Katie, I’m serious.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re back to that again? All right, flyboy, seriously—I do respect you. I know you’re one of the good guys.”
Her statement was true. For some reason, she trusted him—trusted him enough to let go of her inhibitions, to be wild and wanton and totally unlike herself. Even knowing that he wasn’t an
“So after February, some of the pressure will be off.”
She shook her head. “No. I’ll still need to prove myself in my new role, and if I screw up, Whitley will be waiting to swoop in and take back what he thinks of as his. So I’ll need to stay focused on the job. There won’t be room in my life for a man for quite a while.”
No room in her life for him? If she expected him to accept that, she didn’t know who she was dealing with.
CHAPTER FIVE
Where had the time gone? Kathryn and Steve stayed in the restaurant until last call, laughing, flirting, talking about everything and nothing. She thought his resistance was wearing down, but maybe those banana daiquiris, milkshakes with a fiendish kick, had warped her judgment. She’d know soon, now that they were back at the hotel.
They stopped outside Kathryn’s door. Tension built in her body and she felt warm all over. Warm from the rum. Warm from Steve’s fingers skimming over her arm. Most dangerously, warm from the conversation, which made her feel close to him as a person, not just a body. Making love now would be the perfect end to a perfect evening. Please, please, please , she begged with her eyes.
She touched his arm and looked him in the face. “So, flyboy, where do I stand?”
He smirked. “In the hall.”
“Smartass. Are you coming in, or do you still not want to make love?”
His smile disappeared, and she saw desire as fierce as her own in his eyes. “I never said I don’t want to make love. I said I don’t want to be used.”
“And do you still feel used?”
“That doesn’t seem so important now. I’m open to the possibilities.”
Her pulse raced. Not wanting to give him time to change his mind, she jammed her keycard in the slot, shoved the door open, and pulled him inside.
She needn’t have worried. Once the door clicked shut, he took charge. Pushing her backward, he pinned her against the door with his hard body. Hard in every way, she was happy to note as the heat of his erection reached her through his jeans. One hand tangled in her hair while the other cupped a breast. He leaned down and took her mouth, his tongue occupying her completely, hungry yet tender. Her body tingled all over.
By the time he ended the kiss, she could barely breathe. As her inflamed nipples pressed into his chest, she felt his heart thump in time with hers. “Do me, flyboy,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “When I say it’s time. You’re not calling the shots tonight.”
Oh yes! She’d gladly let him run the show. There was a freedom in giving up control to this man who’d shown himself to be so... well, honorable. It was an old-fashioned word, but it fit Steve Tyler. She slid her hands up his steely arm muscles to his shoulders and smiled. “Tell me what you want.”
His lips twisted into an ironic smile. “I want to know you’ll respect me in the morning.”
“You bet. The check’s in the mail and I’ll respect the hell out of you in the morning. Now get on with it. You know you want it as much as I do.”
He shook his head and frowned. “Damn it, Katie, I’m serious.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re back to that again? All right, flyboy, seriously—I do respect you. I know you’re one of the good guys.”
Her statement was true. For some reason, she trusted him—trusted him enough to let go of her inhibitions, to be wild and wanton and totally unlike herself. Even knowing that he wasn’t an
Similar Books
