Operation London by Elle Hansen

into a yelp.
    "Well, hello Ms. London."  The voice was deep and powerful . Her spine tingled from the warm heat coursing through her body at the sound of that feral voice she already knew so well. He was right in front of her, a jungle cat ready to pounce.
    "Miguel Gustan, fancy meeting you here," she smiled . He looked as incredible as always, dressed in a suit that fit his well-muscled arms and back, a dark navy that brought out the gleam in his black hair and the mischievous sparkle in his espresso eyes. Without pausing to consider asking for her permission he sat down across from her, peering at her menu upside down.
    "I would imagine that you don't need to look at this," she smiled.
    "No, you're right. I don't need the menu anymore. But if I concentrate too hard on the beautiful lady across from me, I might not be able to get back to work anytime today." 
    The words were soft and humorous, but with a subtle bite of hot passion . That same bite that made her feel like he was nibbling at her neck. She enjoyed the spreading burn of her face growing warm and she lifted her eyes to meet his, gently, giving him time to drink her face in as she stared at him. But this flirtation was unlike any she had ever taken part of before. Instead of leading him around she was being sucked into a bottomless, dangerous place.
    "Any suggestions?" Ava asked quietly, pushing her long, honeyed hair away from her face . He looked at the menu with concentration, slid his hand down to turn it towards him and wound his fingers deftly around her slim wrist as he did. His face betrayed no sign that he was aware of their contact. Ava felt like a flame had started somewhere inside of her and was engulfing her entire being, but his chiseled features remained a granite wall.
    "Something simple . Sempra's chili is wonderful," he said smiling at her, allowing her to draw her arm away from his touch. She knew she had to do that, regardless of how much she relished keeping it in place. Like a spider in a large web, Miguel had her trapped and she refused to let him know that he held the upper hand.
    "Chili it is," she said smoothly . She placed the order with the complimentary man she who had brought her to her table on the way in and was left to make conversation with the breathtaking man in front of her.
    "So, how was the meeting?" she asked, and noticed that it took a minute for the glaze to lift from his brown eyes .
    "Meeting?  Oh, of course!  It went quite well . I think the board was impressed with the presentation, although they seemed a little wary about letting a young Mexican man establish an eatery in their fine old town," he chuckled wryly.
    "Hey, business men are business men . I think money takes the precedence over everything. Even their own preferences."
    "Do you think money is all that drives me?" he asked .
    She had meant for the comment to ease some of his worry, but her flippant delivery had forced him to wonder what exactly he thought of her . It made her more than a little anxious that he was so concerned with what she thought of him.
    "I don't know you all that well . But you don't seem that ruthless," she tried, the words tangling and holding tight against her tongue.
    A low laugh escaped his throat . "So I am pretty much driven by money, but not in an intimidating way?"
    "Let me stop while I'm ahead . I can't talk about you anymore."
    "Why not?"
    "Because it bores me," she lied with a challenging smile. He met her smile and raised it with his own dazzling grin.
    "Liar," he accused, his voice a caress.
    "Let's talk about something else," she said quietly, leaning in close to him to indicate that she meant business.
    "Fair enough . What is a beautiful young computer consultant who is changing careers doing with herself these days?"
    There was territory Ava did not relish treading on . She was absolutely going beyond a curious bystander by tracking this whole eyeglass thing, and she had a feeling that Miguel would take an unusual