Vegas Pregnancy Surprise by Shirley Jump Page B

her dark brown hair curled gently around her face and shoulders. Everything about her seemed to beckon to him to take her back in his arms, to taste that sweet, silky skin again, to make love to her just one more time.
    He’d left the restaurant wanting her more than he had when he’d first met her. They’d sat so close together in the town car—inches away from touching—and he’d been aware, so aware, of the floral notes of her perfume, the heat emanating from her body, the nearness of her silky skin. When she’d gotten out of the car, it had taken all his willpower to remain behind, giving her some excuse about needing to run an errand.
    He’d had Saul drive until the urge passed—or at least had been conquered by his better sense—and then he took the express elevator straight to his apartment, ignoring the whisper of temptation to stop at the apartment he’d given her on the tenth floor.
    “You are insane,” Conner said. “If I was you and that woman was a few floors away, I’d—”
    “You know how busy I am,” Linc said, interrupting Conner before he gave voice to the very thoughts that had been plaguing Linc for hours. “For God’s sake, we’re right in the middle of designing the East Coast offices, we’ve got the product launch for next year’s security suite coming up in the fall, and—”
    “And if I let you, you’ll find ten more reasons why you can’t find time to go on a simple date. Did you pay any attention at all when that woman came by to talk to you yesterday? You would have to be dead, Linc, not to be attracted to her. What would it hurt to ask her out?” Conner leaned forward and put a hand on the papers on Linc’s desk. “I’m not the boss, and I don’t pretend to be, nor do I presume to know what’s on your shoulders, Linc. But I do know that beautiful women don’t come walking through the doors of this company every day, looking for a job that entails working side by side with you .”
    True. And for a second the thought of seeing Molly Hunter every day, of being beside her again, inhaling the intoxicating notes of her perfume, or hearing the lilting sound of her laugh, tempted him all over again. “I’ve already asked Roy to handle the project. He’s got the expertise, the background—”
    “But not the passion. Linc, this thing is your baby. You’ve been talking about it for years.”
    “I’ll communicate with Roy,” Linc said. “Aren’t you the same person who told me my schedule didn’t have enough room in it for one more thing?”
    “That was before I saw you with Molly.” Conner grinned. “You can talk all you want about not being interested in her, but I saw it in your face. You are.”
    Linc gave Conner a pointed look. “I have to get back to work.”
    Conner stepped back and put his hands up. “Suit yourself. But I think you’re passing up a prime opportunity to have what everyone else has.”
    Linc’s gaze had already dropped to the profit and loss statement before him. The numbers, however, were a blur. “And what’s that?”
    “A life.” Then Conner walked out.
    Linc let out a sigh and dove into the numbers and charts, telling himself that finding solace here would be the best decision all around. All he needed to do was take one look at the empty office next door if he needed a reminder of why he should stay behind this desk, instead of running off like some infatuated teenager. With the very woman who had made him forget his life for one very unforgettable night.
    Work. Don’t think about Molly. Be smart. Concentrate.
    Linc lasted until ten.
    Then he gave up the pretense of working—his concentration had been shot to hell pretty much from the minute his assistant had told him Molly had arrived—and headed down to the sixth floor.
    He’d just check on the project. Nothing more. Then he could go back to work and focus.
    When he reached the Research and Development room, he paused outside the open door. Molly was half-seated on one