Surprise Seduction (19 page)

The joke was truly on him.
  
He’d been the one left burned from that kiss.

Man, but did he burn.
 
Burned to feel her lips beneath his, unsure at first, then responsive and demanding.
 
Burned for her hands around his neck urging his kiss on.
 
Burned for those long legs haunting his memory wrapped around his waist holding him tight as he buried himself deep within her softness.

He groaned.

Idiot.
 
Fool
.
 
He continued to call himself every derogatory name he could think of.

She wasn’t for him.
 
Assistant or not.
 
She was an innocent and would expect more than he’d ever give.
 
She’d expect the trappings of romance.

He’d worked with her for two months.
 
She wasn’t the type to have casual sex.

He needed to stay away from her.

Mel needed to stay away from her.

Chase wasn’t willing to let another man take advantage of her innocence.

Especially not Mel, he would only end up hurting her.

Of all the men in the world, Mel Sheppard was the last he’d stand by and let have a woman he desperately wanted.

Maybe now that she no longer worked at Weston’s, her fascination with Mel would end.
 
He could always hope.

Regardless, now that she didn’t work for him, and he wouldn’t be confronted with her temptation every day, maybe he wouldn’t be constantly tempted to break his rule regarding co-workers.

And virgins.

Thank God.

“What the hell are you doing here?”
 
Chase demanded the next morning when Adrienne came sashaying into his office carrying a stack of files.

Could her skirt get any shorter?
 
He couldn’t keep his eyes off the expanse of shapely leg on display.

What had happened to the ankle hugging skirts she used to wear?

This one barely covered the curve of her hips, much less the sexy stretch of thigh, knee and calf showcased above slender high heels that looked impossible to walk in.

What had happened to the flat, sensible shoes of only last week?

Damn it, he didn’t need to see her in high heels and short skirts.

Was she trying to torture him?

“I work here.”

Her tone flared so impertinent he jumped up, sending his chair against the glass window behind him with a loud bang.

“The hell you do!”

“Whatever.”
 
Adrienne rolled her eyes as she placed the files on his desk.
 
Her attitude was in such contrast to the warmth of last night, he grabbed her arm, gently turning her to face him.

Primitive instinct took over as she stared up at him with those blue-rimmed eyes with golden flecks glowing.

Something sexy filled his nostrils.
 
Adrienne.

She filled him with her innocent, seductive scent.

He wanted to kiss her insolent lips.
 
They needed to be kissed, and kissed good.
 
Only they weren’t turned up expectantly awaiting his kiss as they had been last night.
 
Instead, they pursed in outright impudence.

“This isn’t a joke.
 
I was serious when I fired you.
 
Last night didn’t change that.”
 
He raked frustrated fingers through his thick hair.

“Oh?”
 
The glimmer of amusement in her eyes almost undid him.

She found this funny
.

“Last night was great, but this is business.
 
You no longer have a job at Westons.”

It was just as well he’d had no choice but to fire her for her dishonesty.
 
He couldn’t have taken having to look at those legs of hers every day.

Not without knowing how they’d feel beneath his hands.

“Really?”
 
Adrienne hid a smile.
 
She planned to enjoy this.
 
She hadn’t expected to see him first thing this morning.
 
But George insisted she deliver the files to Chase personally.
 
His request may have been innocent, but Adrienne believed the truth of the matter was George liked playing devil’s advocate.

 
“Mr. Aaron,” she addressed him formally, although she knew her lips twitched with her exaggerated wide-eyed expression.
 
“I took your words very seriously.”

“You aren’t supposed to be here.”
 
His voice almost whined.

Adrienne stifled a giggle.
 
Did her presence really bother him that much?
 
Surely the great Chase Aaron wasn’t sweating because of her?

“I work here,” she repeated in her best Sheila “Duh!” impression.

“Not anymore.”

“Maybe I should clarify,” she paused, then, gave him a catty smile.
 
“I don’t work in this office specifically, but I
do
work at Weston.”

His brows drew together, taken aback, frowning.

“For Mel?”

Was that jealousy she heard?

“No.
 
I’m working as George Weston’s personal assistant.
 
You’re an intelligent man.
 
You should’ve realized when I delivered files from his office who I now worked for.”

“You’re George’s PA?”
 
He made no attempt to hide his shock.
 
Or if he did, he failed miserably. “How the hell did you manage that?”

“I went to Sheila’s office after you fired me.
 
George came in and offered me the position.”

“Lucky little thing, aren’t you?”
 
His tone became nasty.

“Pardon?” She pretended not to understand what he implied, hoping she’d misinterpreted his snarl.

“What is the likelihood of the CEO offering you a job within minutes of the president firing you?
 
What did you have to do to earn this ‘position’?”
 
His tenor grew increasingly snide.

She jerked her arm free from his grip, glaring at him.

“Oh, nothing much.
 
Just had to dance naked on his desk.”
 
The moment the words left her mouth, she knew she’d said the wrong thing.
 
Chase’s eyes traveled down her body.

She wore a rust colored dress that buttoned down the entire front.
 
She’d worn it to catch Mel’s eye.
 
The skirt was the shortest she’d worn yet, coming only mid thigh.
 
By far not the shortest sported in the office.
 
She couldn’t be accused of being inappropriate.
 
But she had to resist the urge to tug the hem down another few inches with the way Chase looked at her.

“Obviously, I’ve been interviewing assistants the wrong way.”

Adrienne stood stock still as he closed the distance between their lips.
 
She balled her fists.
 
How dare he insult her the way he had?

Despite her best efforts to remain upset, her anger faded when he pressed his body against hers, when his mouth covered hers.
 
Curiosity got the best of her.
 
Could he make her melt again, or had the reactions to his kisses been some magical trick of the day before?

She wanted to find out.
 
Needed to find out.

Eagerly, she waited for the explosion of his kiss.
 
Unlike the night before, she wasn’t disappointed.
 
His lips devoured hers, instantly providing flashbacks of the passion she’d experienced the day before at his touch.

Adrienne leaned against Chase.
 
His body was hard.
 
What did he do in his spare time to keep so fit?
 
Her fuzzy brain wondered right before it lost the ability to think at all.

He tasted so good, like chocolate and mints.
 
How did he do that?
 
Surely he didn’t pop some candy prior to every kiss?

It didn’t matter how he managed it, her mouth drank the sweet nectar of his kiss, wanting more.
 
More of everything he had to give.

“You taste so sweet.”
 
His words echoed her thoughts as his teeth nipped at her lip.

Adrienne groaned and tugged on his hair, pulling his body closer, crushing her breasts between them.

His palms cupped her buttocks and lifted her fully against him, her legs automatically wrapped around his waist when her feet left the floor.
 
Her skirt bunched at the base of her hips.

Chase’s erection pressed into her.
 
Thrilled her.

His mouth caught her soft sigh of pleasure.

“Chase,” she breathed when his mouth left hers to trail kisses over her throat.

“Yes, Adrienne,” he answered between kisses.
 
“Let me touch you.”

His hands still held her bottom.
 
She dipped her head back exposing more of her neck for his mouth to sample.

“Undo your buttons for me,” he whispered into the indention of her nape.

Her fingers went to the top button of her dress and slide the button through its loop.
 
Her gaze lifted to his.
 
Hot, masculine desire burned there.

She gulped.

What were they doing?

What was she doing?

She peeled her unhappy and protesting legs off him.
 
Unsteady feet touched the floor.
 
She took a step back, fixed her dress button, and smoothed her skirt.

“If that’s how you plan to interview for my replacement, I’d advise you to be sure to let Sheila know your requirements have changed.
 
Shame for her to only send married or fifty-something women to you,” she mused, her finger rubbed across her swollen bottom lip.

She was still close enough to feel his body heat, to breath in his masculine scent.
 
It was a heady clean fragrance that clung to him like a proud aura.
 
She couldn’t decide if the scent was pure Chase or had come from a bottle.
 
Regardless, it made her want to bury her head against him and inhale over and over.