that just my imagination?"
She smiled at the description, but grew serious again. "I am angry, Ben. Because of—because of our relationship, you seem to think that you can speak for me, make my decisions for me, cut me off.. .." Her voice trailed off. He looked mystified, and she was suddenly unsure of her
words.
"Why?" he asked. "Because I give my opinion, and advise you as I'm supposed to? And because I save time by talking with you myself instead of having everyone in the agency in on it? Kate, I'm just doing my job." He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "And I'm doing it as well as I possibly can—because of my feelings for you."
"But you don't even listen to what I'm saying. You were so sure back there in the casting room that Alexandra Dayton was perfect that we didn't even get a chance to discuss any of the others."
He drew his head back in surprise and took his hand away from her cheek. "The others? What others? Alexandra Dayton or not, they weren't right for call-backs—and you know that."
For a few moments there was silence. Kate looked out the window, Ben looked at Kate. When she turned and met his eyes, she was swept with confusion. He was so wonderful-looking, with his deep, dark-lashed eyes, the smile lines at the corners that made her want to smile herself, his easy masculinity. It was so easy to like him. But when he went against her, as now, it made her realize how little she knew him: his warmth and affection were not all that he was made up of. She was being swept along a river whose direction she didn't know.
She looked out the window again, as if the outer world would give her strength for what she had to say. "I don't think we should see each other tonight," she said quietly.
'Why not?"
She turned and faced him. "It's ... interfering already.
I'm sure you see that. And you yourself have said that this campaign is of critical importance because it's the first one I've been in charge of at I and S." She sighed. "Don't you see?"
"I see that you're not telling me something," he said quietly. "And that's certainly your prerogative. But I wish y ou would be honest, Kate. You know as well as I that my you—and being interested in you—hasn't interfered with anything one bit. So it must be something else." He looked into her eyes. "That first thing that comes to mind is that you're just not interested."
Her heart jumped; he had to know that wasn't true. 'That isn't it," she said. "Believe me."
"Is it that you want to be friends only?" he asked softly.
She caught his gaze in hers. "You know that's not true," she answered.
"Then tell me, Kate—I'm not a mind reader."
He stepped forward and put his hands at her waist.
"Don't," she said, but she felt herself say yes with her eyes in delicious and eager acquiescence. And moments later his lips were on hers, covering them with warmth, filling her with desire until she parted her lips and welcomed the sweetness of his tongue.
Oh, God, she thought. Save me from this desire, this need, this man. She melted under his touch, bringing her body up to his, wanting to feel the hardness of his frame. Her hands slid hungrily along his back, moving up to his hair and plundering it with heated pleasure. She wanted to explore every part of him, to possess him completely. For she could feel his desire was as strong as her own, that he shared her wonder over the swiftness and depth of their passion.
She tried to think of what she had meant to say, of what she had thought only moments before. But all she knew was that there was no fighting this utter melting in Ben's arms. This was something new, something she had never before experienced, even in her most intimate moments. From the deepest, most fiery core of her soul, she needed this man. And as his lips and tongue played with hers, as his expert hands roved along her hips and around her waist, she knew there was no resisting him.
When he lifted his mouth from hers, his eyes were
She smiled at the description, but grew serious again. "I am angry, Ben. Because of—because of our relationship, you seem to think that you can speak for me, make my decisions for me, cut me off.. .." Her voice trailed off. He looked mystified, and she was suddenly unsure of her
words.
"Why?" he asked. "Because I give my opinion, and advise you as I'm supposed to? And because I save time by talking with you myself instead of having everyone in the agency in on it? Kate, I'm just doing my job." He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "And I'm doing it as well as I possibly can—because of my feelings for you."
"But you don't even listen to what I'm saying. You were so sure back there in the casting room that Alexandra Dayton was perfect that we didn't even get a chance to discuss any of the others."
He drew his head back in surprise and took his hand away from her cheek. "The others? What others? Alexandra Dayton or not, they weren't right for call-backs—and you know that."
For a few moments there was silence. Kate looked out the window, Ben looked at Kate. When she turned and met his eyes, she was swept with confusion. He was so wonderful-looking, with his deep, dark-lashed eyes, the smile lines at the corners that made her want to smile herself, his easy masculinity. It was so easy to like him. But when he went against her, as now, it made her realize how little she knew him: his warmth and affection were not all that he was made up of. She was being swept along a river whose direction she didn't know.
She looked out the window again, as if the outer world would give her strength for what she had to say. "I don't think we should see each other tonight," she said quietly.
'Why not?"
She turned and faced him. "It's ... interfering already.
I'm sure you see that. And you yourself have said that this campaign is of critical importance because it's the first one I've been in charge of at I and S." She sighed. "Don't you see?"
"I see that you're not telling me something," he said quietly. "And that's certainly your prerogative. But I wish y ou would be honest, Kate. You know as well as I that my you—and being interested in you—hasn't interfered with anything one bit. So it must be something else." He looked into her eyes. "That first thing that comes to mind is that you're just not interested."
Her heart jumped; he had to know that wasn't true. 'That isn't it," she said. "Believe me."
"Is it that you want to be friends only?" he asked softly.
She caught his gaze in hers. "You know that's not true," she answered.
"Then tell me, Kate—I'm not a mind reader."
He stepped forward and put his hands at her waist.
"Don't," she said, but she felt herself say yes with her eyes in delicious and eager acquiescence. And moments later his lips were on hers, covering them with warmth, filling her with desire until she parted her lips and welcomed the sweetness of his tongue.
Oh, God, she thought. Save me from this desire, this need, this man. She melted under his touch, bringing her body up to his, wanting to feel the hardness of his frame. Her hands slid hungrily along his back, moving up to his hair and plundering it with heated pleasure. She wanted to explore every part of him, to possess him completely. For she could feel his desire was as strong as her own, that he shared her wonder over the swiftness and depth of their passion.
She tried to think of what she had meant to say, of what she had thought only moments before. But all she knew was that there was no fighting this utter melting in Ben's arms. This was something new, something she had never before experienced, even in her most intimate moments. From the deepest, most fiery core of her soul, she needed this man. And as his lips and tongue played with hers, as his expert hands roved along her hips and around her waist, she knew there was no resisting him.
When he lifted his mouth from hers, his eyes were
Similar Books
