Hero (Hero 1)

“I know,” he said. “Let’s just try to get through the next two weeks. All right?”

And that was when I realized why I was acting like a woman scorned. It wasn’t just because we had sex and he was acting like it meant nothing. It was because he seemed completely okay with the fact that in two weeks’ time we’d never see each other again.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to mute the sadness in my words. “I can do that.”

It occurred to me that evening as I changed my ringtone to Ray Charles’s “Hit the Road Jack,” that leaving Caine meant leaving Effie. And just when I’d found her.

This only fueled my heightened emotions, and despite my best efforts I barely caught a wink of sleep that night. As I lay in bed in the wee hours of the morning, I refused to be this sad, nonsleeping little person because of a man. If I couldn’t sleep, then I was hauling my ass out of bed. After hitting the shower, I perused my wardrobe for the outfit that screamed I am woman, hear me roar.

I decided on my most figure-hugging black pencil skirt, my four-inch Prada black platform pumps, and a tight blush-colored silk blouse with little cap sleeves. I left a few buttons undone, hinting at my cleavage. I topped it off by wearing my hair slicked back in a high-fashion ponytail that made my eyes look feline and exotic.

I even wore a touch of makeup.

I nodded at my reflection. Sometimes uptight clothes could be smoking hot. I wanted Caine Carraway to be as off balance as I was. He’d admitted he’d fantasized about screwing me in his office, and yes, we’d played that little fantasy out already, but there was no harm in trying to push his buttons. Just in case.

By the time I made it into the office, I was more than half an hour earlier than I usually was. To my surprise, Caine’s office door was unlocked. I was just musing over that and what could have made Caine so absentminded as to leave his office open when I wandered inside and abruptly drew to a halt.

The lights were on and there were clothes scattered on his sofa.

What was that noise?

I glanced over at the bathroom door and my eyes widened as it opened. Steam poured out as Caine appeared.

Wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

Holy crap.

Caine froze at the sight of me. Our eyes locked.

I knew if I dropped my gaze I’d see little water droplets coursing down his rock-hard abs.

Why did he have to be so beautiful?

“You’re early,” he complained.

He shifted uncomfortably and a wave of satisfaction rolled over me. So he wasn’t completely unaffected at the thought of being practically naked in a room alone with me. I decided to fan the flames. Very deliberately I let my eyes roam over him.

I wanted to lick him.

Yearning shot through me.

When my eyes returned to his I was gratified to find an answering heat in them.

“You’re early too.” My voice was husky from my wicked thoughts.

He caught my tone and his eyes dipped to my mouth.

Feeling smug, I gave him my back and very deliberately bent over his desk so I could place his latte by his computer. “Your coffee,” I said, feeling the heat of his gaze singeing my ass. Without looking back I stood away from the desk and headed toward the door.

“Alexa,” he said in warning.

I half turned, my eyes round with mock innocence. I couldn’t maintain it when I saw that he was aroused under his towel.

My lower belly flipped in response, followed by a burst of tingles between my legs.

“Quit it,” he demanded.

“I’m not doing anything. After all …” I grinned wickedly, my gaze dropping pointedly to his hard-on. “I’m out of your system, right?”

Caine shot me a filthy look but didn’t say anything. What could he say? Having successfully tormented him, I smirked and left him alone in his office. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I sank against it. My legs were trembling.

I had to get myself together.

That took me a while, considering that I spent the next thirty minutes fantasizing a different ending to that scene—it mostly consisted in Caine screwing me hard against his office door.

I wanted the two weeks’ notice to be over. Now.

Perhaps I should have walked out.

But then … then he’d know he had really gotten to me and I had to leave this situation behind with at least some of my pride intact.

“Alexa, come into my office, please,” Caine’s voice came over the speakerphone a few hours later. Maybe he was going to ask me to leave. That way I could get out of this without it looking like I was the one who had caved.

I sighed. I guessed that was wishful thinking, and as soon as I got inside his office I knew I was right.

“You want us to what?” I croaked in disbelief.

“Business trip,” he repeated impatiently. “Seattle. This Thursday. I wouldn’t normally go, but they’ve asked to speak to me in person. I need you with me.”

“Do you think the two of us going on a business trip together is wise?”

Caine replied with a cool look. “I’m not a teenager, Alexa. Whatever you think you might have won this morning, you’re wrong. No woman leads me around by my dick. I promise you I can manage to keep my hands off you if that’s what you’re asking.”

Why was I attracted to this jackass again?

I grimaced. He didn’t know it, but he’d just made it a whole lot easier for me to walk away from him at the end of the two weeks.

“Can you handle it?”