One Mad Night by Julia London Page B

that way.
    Ian seemed to relax then and took her plate from her.
    â€œI’ll just ask Jason myself,” she said, watching him.
    â€œGood. Seems like the way to go.” He began to run water, looking a little keyed up and studiously avoiding eye contact with her.
    When they had finished cleaning up what little mess they’d made, Chelsea wandered out of the kitchen and stood at Brad’s windows, looking out onto the sea of white.
    Ian joined her, standing close and watching the snow fall. “What time is it?” he asked.
    Chelsea glanced at her wristwatch. “Seven thirty.” She peered up at him.
    Ian looked at her. He slowly turned toward her, and Chelsea shifted around a bit too. She felt a challenge in his gaze, but it was a different sort of challenge than what she had anticipated. They were standing quite close and Ian’s glittering blue eyes were roaming around her face. His gaze slowly slid down to her mouth. She noticed his lips, too, full and soft and with the permanent hook of a near grin in one corner. In the low light of the generator and the utter quiet in the city, Chelsea could feel something arcing through her. A current of desire with a tail of pure lust.
    For Ian Rafferty? Was she insane?
    Ian’s gaze went lower, to her chest, and he said, “It’s going to be a long night. Wonder how we’ll amuse ourselves.”
    â€œWhat is that supposed to mean?” she asked softly. Did it mean what she thought it meant? Or had she completely lost her mind and it was she who wanted it to mean something? Because no matter what she thought of Ian Rafferty when it came to her job, the man was sexy as hell.
    â€œWhat do you think it means?”
    She was losing it. She could really use a drink, and a thought occurred to her. “Have you ever talked about the Knicks in the partners’ conference room?”
    â€œHuh?” he muttered, and he brushed a bit of her hair from her shoulder.
    â€œI know where they keep the booze.”
    Ian’s gaze came up at that. “Serious?”
    â€œAs a sermon,” she said. “We just need to find a key. But I think I know where one is.”
    Ian grinned, and the sight of it was electrifying. He yanked his tie free of his collar. “Let’s do this,” he said and he put an arm around her shoulder, leading her out of Brad’s office.

Chapter 6
    Ian had met Mr. Grabber’s assistant, Andrea Slater, only once or twice. But he knew she was the grande dame of the assistants around here, having sat in this seat longer than anyone else at the company.
    Ian and Zimmerman liked to joke about what Andrea did. As the senior partner, Grabber was rarely in the office, but Andrea was here every day. Ian had seen Andrea knitting, had seen her with a game of solitaire on her computer, and one day, when he’d seen her with her back to the door, he was convinced she’d been sleeping.
    Chelsea walked around behind Andrea’s desk as if it were familiar to her and opened a drawer, lifting up the files there to look underneath.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Ian asked uncomfortably.
    â€œLooking for the key.” She closed that drawer and opened another one and moved things around.
    Even though there was no one in the office, Ian couldn’t help looking anxiously over his shoulder, waiting for someone to catch them. “Do you really think you should be looking in her desk?”
    Chelsea closed that drawer and opened a third.
    â€œChelsea—”
    â€œAha!” she cried, and she held up a ring of keys, making them jingle, her smile triumphant.
    â€œOkay, let’s go,” he said, motioning for her to come around from behind Andrea’s desk. He put a hand to the small of her back and hurried her along, forcing her to walk so quickly she had to take a couple of hops, getting them away from the scene of the crime as he scanned the fixtures for any sign of a hidden