Gripping his lapels in her slender fists, she insisted, “It’s sexual chemistry, Einstein. Raw, insane, vibrant, explosive! In its very purest, utterly basic, most fantastic form, it makes you completely irrational and urges you to tear off clothing and give in to every raging desire clawing at you. Clawing at you!”
Ryan’s pulse skyrocketed. Lust flashed through him.
Maxi wasn’t done. “And there is no Gantt chart in the world that can predict it, graph it, keep it on track, or promise that it won’t wreck you to the core of your being. But when it happens? Holy hell! Just let the firestorm burn you through and through!”
She tugged him roughly to her and kissed him deeply, madly, passionately.
Ryan let her. Responded vehemently, in fact, all physical restraint fleeing. In a heartbeat.
His arms encircled her narrow waist and he hauled her up against him. As her tongue thrust farther into his mouth, brazenly and sexily, one of his palms splayed over her ass cheek, gripping her firmly.
A moan caught in her throat at his aggressive move, coming out a strangled sound of desire. Her tongue swept over his, twisting and tangling. Teasing and taunting.
Years of pent-up passion burst free of its confines, and Ryan took charge of the kiss, turning it scorching hot. Maxi wrapped her arms around his neck as though holding on for dear life. Not just giving in to the firestorm, but helping him to make it a five-alarm blaze.
Her breasts pressed below the ledge of his pectorals. His cock strained against his zipper. He felt the tremors run through her body as acutely as the pounding of his heart.
She tasted incredible. Felt even better.
All he could think of was backing her against the desk, hoisting her on top of it, and pushing her skirt up. Burying himself deep inside her. Pumping fast. Making her scream. Making her come. Driving her wild and—
“Oh. My. God.”
Ryan instantly broke the kiss and his head snapped up at the female voice filling the room that was obviously not Maxi’s.
“What the hell did I just walk in on?!”
Chapter Three
Maxi shoved away from Ryan and leapt back at Avril’s shocked comment. Way back. Too far back. She stumbled on her tall heels, and Ryan had to lurch forward and wrap an arm around her waist again. He jerked her to him in order to steady her.
Unfortunately, their bodies sealed once more, and all the fiery sensations ignited by their sizzling kiss intensified tenfold, searing her from the inside out.
“Thanks for the save,” she said in a breathless tone. “I almost landed on my ass.”
“I wouldn’t want that,” he told her, his own voice equally low, his breathing labored. “It’s a rather nice one.”
“Ah-hem!” Avril’s less than subtle interruption had them hastily detangling limbs and stepping away from each other.
“What on Earth is happening in here?” Avril asked, clearly too stunned to make a discreet retreat and leave them alone.
Maxi ran a hand over her skirt to smooth it, returned to her chair, and settled in. Her tone was breathy and sultry as she said, “We were just conducting a little research that didn’t involve chart-filled booklets and PowerPoint presentations.”
“Or lab rats,” Ryan caustically added as he sank into his seat.
“And what, exactly, was the research topic?” Avril inquired, still aghast.
“Hmm.” Maxi grinned—and knew it was a cat-that-ate-the-canary one. She crossed her legs in hopes of staving off the thrumming between them. “You know, I don’t recall.”
Ryan chuckled, with a slight edge to the sound. A very sexy edge, to be precise.
“Something along the lines of splitting the atom,” he told Avril. Then turned his gaze on Maxi. “I have to say, Miss Shayne, your conjecture was quite brilliant.”
“Why, thank you, Dr. Donovan,” she said, her chest still heaving. “It was an extremely educational experiment.”
Honestly, who would have guessed Einstein could deliver a core-shaking kiss that left her reeling?
And hot.