The CEO and the Girl From the Coffee Shop by Terry Towers Page A

the pool area was lit by tiki torches along the parameter.
Combined with a cloudless, starry night sky, it was beautiful in
its simplicity. The shimmers of light as the full moon bounced off
of the water only added to the romantic atmosphere. She groaned
inwardly, could this get any more uncomfortable?
    Slowly making
her way, with towel in hand to the pool, she watched Gabriel swim
laps, his strokes long and powerful. His body appeared to glide
over the water. As she stepped down the final step she leaned a
shoulder against the porch railing and watched him.
    Sensing her
arrival, Gabriel finished his final lap and then pulled himself out
of the water, in one swift, powerful motion. The water glistened
like small diamonds over his body as it ran down his muscular torso
to disappear into his forest green swim trunks that rode
dangerously low on his hips.
    My God,
he's gorgeous! She immediately felt a stirring between her
legs. Did it really matter why he wanted her there? He wanted her,
wasn't that enough? No! No, it's not , a voice in the back of
her head screamed out to her, shaking her loose of the trance she'd
been in while watching him.
    He looked up
and his dark eyes caught her. "Come on over the water is perfect
tonight," he motioned for her to join him as he sat by the edge,
his feet dangling into the pool.
    With
hesitation she made her way over to him aware that his eyes were
examining every inch of her body as she walked. With this knowledge
she squared he shoulders and tried to appear more confident than
she really was. Placing her towel on the cool cement, she sat down
beside him, letting her feet dangle into the water. He wasn't
kidding it was just warm enough to take the cool edge off, but cool
enough to be refreshing.
    "That suit
looks... amazing on you Beth," his tone of his voice was low and
silky smooth to her ears.
    The flutters
in her stomach joined the growing ache between her legs. She
groaned inwardly. Why did he have to be so damned sexy and
charming and... Ugh!
    "What's the
matter?" Gabriel frowned as he looked over at her.
    "I..." she
looked over at him and sighed.
    "Oh. This is
about earlier?"
    "Yeah." Taking
a deep breath in Beth decided to simply get it out in the open and
be done with it. "Why did you hire me?"
    Gabriel's
frown deepened and as he opened his mouth to speak she held a
finger up to his lips. "Don't lie to me."
    Taking her
hand in his, he kissed the back of her hand lightly. "I like you
Beth."
    I would
fucking hope so all things considered! A small jolt of anger
welled up within her. Whoa, where did that come from? Part
of Beth wanted to forget about being confrontational and let it go.
He looked so genuinely concerned that it tugged at her. But the
other part, the more dominant part needed to know the truth.
    "But what am I exactly ? I joked the other day that I was like a wife
without the sex and well... I have a feeling that is where this is
headed. The sex part."
    His jaw
clenched, but he held her gaze, nodding. "And..."
    Beth groaned
loudly. "Don't you see how wrong that is? This is a sexual
harassment suit waiting to happen! Do you have relationships like
this with all your cooks slash maids slash personal
assistants?"
    A grin touched
his lips and amusement shone in his eyes as he cocked a brow up at
her. "Are you planning to press sexual harassment charges
Beth?"
    Beth laughed
at the silliness of it all. When thinking back to earlier that day,
he hardly forced himself onto her. She had more than welcomed, hell
she practically begged for it! "No, of course not." She narrowed
her eyes at him, "You don't think that it was a little
inappropriate? I've been on the job for less than twenty-four hours
and you've already seen me naked and..." she could feel the heat
rush up to her cheeks, and the desire within her rose as visions of
him between her legs came rushing back to her.
    "Perhaps it
was a little... inappropriate. Does that have to mean it was
wrong?"
    "Well tell me
this," she