before shaking my hand. “I hope I"m not keeping you from anything,
Ms. Rhodes.” My real name sounded like pure filth coming from him.
“No, of course not.” I gestured toward my office. “Shall we?”
“After you.”
Damaged Goods
31
I started toward my office, and Sabian followed. He kept a few feet between us,
and when I looked over my shoulder, I did so just in time to catch him giving me a
conspicuous top-to-bottom glance.
In my office, he was even less discreet, tracing my figure with his gaze before
meeting my eyes again.
I grinned. He winked. I shivered.
It didn"t matter if he meant it or if it was just because I"d paid him to do it. It
had been too long since someone had looked at me that way, and damn it, I liked it.
“So, Mr. Hendricks.” I couldn"t help smirking at his false name. “What can I do
for you?”
He raised his chin just enough to emphasize our height difference. “I don"t
know, Ms. Rhodes. What can you do for me?”
“The customer"s always right.” I folded my arms across my chest, and he
looked down the front of my blouse in the same moment I surreptitiously pushed my
breasts up. “You tell me.”
“Hmm, well.” He reached for my waist, and my suit jacket wasn"t nearly thick
enough to keep the heat of his hand from my skin. “I was thinking the company
could use some different branding. Something with”—he watched his hand drift up
my side—“smoother lines. Maybe some curves to catch people"s eyes.”
Willing my voice to be steady, which was not easy at all, I said, “I think that
could be arranged.”
“Do you?”
I gulped. “Just tell me how you want it, and I"ll do it.”
“Oh, I have no doubt about that.” He trailed a finger down my side, over my
hip, across my thigh. “And I don"t want anything complicated. Simple, nothing too
busy. I like things…” Leaning in close, stopping with our lips nearly touching, he
whispered, “Tight.”
I sucked in a breath, and Sabian laughed, letting his lip just graze mine before
he pulled back. He walked around me. I stayed still, but my senses homed in on his
every move, following him past the edges of my peripheral vision until he stopped
behind me. I closed my eyes, listening, sensing, trying to guess where he"d touch
me— if he"d touch me.
Fingertips landed softly on my shoulders, and I jumped, pushing against his
hands.
“This okay?” The playful lilt in his question told me he knew exactly how okay
this was.
“Yes,” I breathed.
“Good.” He gathered my hair and drew it back into a handheld ponytail. Hand
over hand, he stroked my hair, not pulling enough to hurt, but tugging just enough
to let me know he could make it hurt if he wanted to.
32
Lauren Gallagher
After a moment, he laid my hair over one shoulder. Then he held my hips and
pulled me against him, and when he spoke, his lips brushed my neck.
“What do you think, Ms. Rhodes?” His soft goatee and softer breath tickled my
skin. “Do you have what I"m looking for?”
I turned my head, bringing him back into my peripheral vision. “I guess you
should find out, shouldn"t you?”
“I guess I should.” He cupped my jaw in one hand and craned his neck enough
to kiss me.
Then he let me go. He walked around my desk and sank into my chair. The
chair offered a halfhearted creak as Sabian got comfortable. Putting one ankle on
his opposite knee, he beckoned to me. I came around the desk and faced him.
Leaning his elbow on one armrest, he thumbed his goatee. “Let"s see what
you"ve got, then.” With his other hand, he gestured at me. “Take off your coat.”
I shrugged it off. Sabian was in my chair, which was where I usually hung it,
so just this once, my neurotic anti-clutter mind would have to deal with my jacket
draped over the top of the file cabinet.
“I"d have you unbutton your blouse,” he said. “But it looks like you"ve already
gotten a head start.”
I looked down. I"d deliberately
Ms. Rhodes.” My real name sounded like pure filth coming from him.
“No, of course not.” I gestured toward my office. “Shall we?”
“After you.”
Damaged Goods
31
I started toward my office, and Sabian followed. He kept a few feet between us,
and when I looked over my shoulder, I did so just in time to catch him giving me a
conspicuous top-to-bottom glance.
In my office, he was even less discreet, tracing my figure with his gaze before
meeting my eyes again.
I grinned. He winked. I shivered.
It didn"t matter if he meant it or if it was just because I"d paid him to do it. It
had been too long since someone had looked at me that way, and damn it, I liked it.
“So, Mr. Hendricks.” I couldn"t help smirking at his false name. “What can I do
for you?”
He raised his chin just enough to emphasize our height difference. “I don"t
know, Ms. Rhodes. What can you do for me?”
“The customer"s always right.” I folded my arms across my chest, and he
looked down the front of my blouse in the same moment I surreptitiously pushed my
breasts up. “You tell me.”
“Hmm, well.” He reached for my waist, and my suit jacket wasn"t nearly thick
enough to keep the heat of his hand from my skin. “I was thinking the company
could use some different branding. Something with”—he watched his hand drift up
my side—“smoother lines. Maybe some curves to catch people"s eyes.”
Willing my voice to be steady, which was not easy at all, I said, “I think that
could be arranged.”
“Do you?”
I gulped. “Just tell me how you want it, and I"ll do it.”
“Oh, I have no doubt about that.” He trailed a finger down my side, over my
hip, across my thigh. “And I don"t want anything complicated. Simple, nothing too
busy. I like things…” Leaning in close, stopping with our lips nearly touching, he
whispered, “Tight.”
I sucked in a breath, and Sabian laughed, letting his lip just graze mine before
he pulled back. He walked around me. I stayed still, but my senses homed in on his
every move, following him past the edges of my peripheral vision until he stopped
behind me. I closed my eyes, listening, sensing, trying to guess where he"d touch
me— if he"d touch me.
Fingertips landed softly on my shoulders, and I jumped, pushing against his
hands.
“This okay?” The playful lilt in his question told me he knew exactly how okay
this was.
“Yes,” I breathed.
“Good.” He gathered my hair and drew it back into a handheld ponytail. Hand
over hand, he stroked my hair, not pulling enough to hurt, but tugging just enough
to let me know he could make it hurt if he wanted to.
32
Lauren Gallagher
After a moment, he laid my hair over one shoulder. Then he held my hips and
pulled me against him, and when he spoke, his lips brushed my neck.
“What do you think, Ms. Rhodes?” His soft goatee and softer breath tickled my
skin. “Do you have what I"m looking for?”
I turned my head, bringing him back into my peripheral vision. “I guess you
should find out, shouldn"t you?”
“I guess I should.” He cupped my jaw in one hand and craned his neck enough
to kiss me.
Then he let me go. He walked around my desk and sank into my chair. The
chair offered a halfhearted creak as Sabian got comfortable. Putting one ankle on
his opposite knee, he beckoned to me. I came around the desk and faced him.
Leaning his elbow on one armrest, he thumbed his goatee. “Let"s see what
you"ve got, then.” With his other hand, he gestured at me. “Take off your coat.”
I shrugged it off. Sabian was in my chair, which was where I usually hung it,
so just this once, my neurotic anti-clutter mind would have to deal with my jacket
draped over the top of the file cabinet.
“I"d have you unbutton your blouse,” he said. “But it looks like you"ve already
gotten a head start.”
I looked down. I"d deliberately
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