Casual Affair

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t think I’m powerless here, Zane. Because all it would take is one snap of my fingers and you’d be on your knees for me.”

Christ. He gave a soft groan. “Oh, luv. I would gladly fall to my knees for you right now.” The mental image that provoked was almost enough to make him shoot in his trousers.

Her expression didn’t falter. “You wish. I would make you beg first.”

He slowly shook his head at her, his nostrils flaring. “Happy to oblige. If that lets me see what’s under that skirt.” He wasn’t joking, either.

She subtly cocked her hip, causing the slit in her skirt to rise up her thigh, exposing more of her skin. She’d done it on purpose, the little minx.

She wagged a finger. “Sorry. For that, you’ll have to work a lot harder.”

He’d expected her to tell him to go to hell. Maybe slap his face. But that had almost sounded like she was actually giving the idea some thought.

Hell, yes.

He lowered his voice. “Being a hard worker happens to be one of my best qualities.”

One side of her mouth tipped up, and he felt his chest swell in victory. “Well, as fun as this has been, I really do have to get back to work.”

“Until next time, then,” he promised.

She looked up at him one final time. “Fair warning. I won’t change my mind.” Then she walked out of the room.

“We’ll see, Ms. Paxton,” he said under his breath, staring at the empty doorway. “We’ll see.”

Chapter Four

She was so getting laid tonight.

Bea scoped out the scene at Sapphire, repeating those words to herself. She didn’t yet know who she was going home with, but it was going to be someone, dammit. She hadn’t been with anyone in almost two whole months. And that had been mediocre at best.

Her dry spell was both unfortunate and irritating. Not to mention the fact that it was being prolonged by a certain annoying male presence in her life.

But her one rule for the night out with her sister and their friend Gwen was that his name not be spoken, uttered, or even whispered.

Zane Price had thrown her life completely out of sync.

It had been two months since they’d started the project with Envision. Two whole months since he had stomped into her life. Two long, frustrating, exasperating, agonizing months since her life had ceased being the laid-back, carefree one she used to live.

BZ—before Zane—she’d thought she had men figured out. Hell, she’d thought she had herself figured out. Most guys were easy to read. She had learned over the years to pay attention and identify early on if a man didn’t have what she was looking for—whatever the hell that was. Most of them followed certain patterns. Predictable ones.

But Zane Price was as unpredictable as a lightning strike.

Working beside him for two months had been pure torture on her patience and self-control, not to mention her vibrator. Three battery changes in two months was pathetic.

BZ, she could manage going on longer stretches without sex. After all, she wasn’t ready for anything serious with someone right now. Sure, she loved male companionship. She loved feeling wanted, being needed by the opposite sex. She’d even had a steady boyfriend every once in a great while.

But she had rules when it came to relationships. And they were simple.

No long-term commitments.

No declarations or promises of any kind.

And always, always keep your hands up and elbows in when protecting your feelings. Because you never knew when you might have to block a sucker punch to the heart.

She had learned that particular lesson well.

Then Zane Price had entered her life, and all of her rules had been kicked to the curb.

Other than some heavy flirting, nothing more had happened between them in the last two months. Deliberately, of course.

And it was killing her.

Sure, she’d known how attracted she was to him from the moment they met. But she hadn’t counted on actually liking the man. And that freaked her out. Damn him and his ability to always make her laugh. His sense of humor could be on the raunchy side, but she secretly loved it. He was smart, rich, obviously gorgeous, and he was actually a nice person.

But…

She. Could. Not. Touch.