From Boardroom to Bedroom

“This isn’t a date.”

“Of course not. You know I don’t date employees.” Nigel quirked a brow. “Did I imply it was?”

“Actually, yes.”

He laughed and shrugged. “I like your company, both professionally and personally. You’re not immune to all of this, either.”

There went those nerves again. And when he’d toyed with the ends of her hair? Revved up all of her sexual urges with the simplest of ways. Still, he didn’t get involved with his staff, or so he kept saying, and she couldn’t throw away her virginity on a man she was lying to and essentially using.

Except, she wanted to. Mercy how she wanted to.

She was so out of her league here. The flirting, the charm... She was a complete innocent in every sense of the word.

“Dating would certainly complicate things,” she finally stated. “I mean, I’m only working for you temporarily and for all you know I have a boyfriend back in Texas.”

thumb along the top of her knuckles, and stared directly into her eyes so intently that

he didn’t date employees, but he

have a man in Texas, then he’s a

curling in her Ferragamo pumps. There

on all of your employees?”

any woman I worked with,” he explained. “I’ve never

Until now.

wished she could ignore the blaring bells and red flags waving in her mind. If this were another time, another place,

take down her ex-step-monster. She’d gone to drastic measures to do so and she couldn’t get sidetracked now—not when she’d promised her brothers. And besides, how could they build anything real between them now? She couldn’t keep up the facade forever, and the more deeply they got involved, the more betrayed he’d feel when he learned

on Friday. I was going to go alone because it’s not a big deal and I

“Nigel, I—”

tomorrow morning,” he went on. “Choose anything you want and I’ll make sure hair and makeup are informed you’ll need their services. They’ll come to you, so don’t

someone she wasn’t and getting a makeover to go

at her and touching her,