He leaned in close, his mouth just above her ear, his breath stirring her hair. “More like happy to have you in my arms again.”
Desire is a double-edged dance.
Lexie
© 2012 Kimberly Dean
Triple X, Book 1
Lexie Underhill works her tail off in hopes of winning her adoptive father’s approval. It’s never enough. The stinging proof? He’s brought in a reorganization expert. As if the prospect of losing her job in the family business isn’t enough, Cameron Rowe’s sexy, intimidating presence makes her palms sweat.
When Lexie’s face appears on a scandalous freeway billboard, her protestations of innocence go unheard. With orders to save the family name—or else—she marches into the bar the billboard was advertising and comes face-to-face with an identical twin sister. Roxie is wild and free, everything Lexie isn’t. Before the night is out, she welcomes the chance to explore her own sensuality.
As she dances wantonly on the bar, suddenly Cam is there, kissing her as if he has the right. The sizzle between them breaks out in four-alarm desire, but Lexie has recalibrated her life plan. And the equation doesn’t factor in Cam—until she’s sure where his loyalties lie. With her…or her father’s company.
Warning: Not all business relationships are formal and stodgy. Suits and ties (actually, all clothing) are optional.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Lexie:
Uncertainty made her face fall, and she glanced back to the bar. “You said our eyes were different.” The uncertainty turned into a frown. “Is she prettier than me? Was that it?”
“No, that wasn’t it.” He cupped her chin and brought her attention back to him.
He sighed when he saw the glaze in her eyes. She wasn’t a sloppy drunk. She didn’t slur her words, and she didn’t get belligerent. Well, not that belligerent. Alcohol just seemed to break down the walls she constantly kept erected around herself. Let loose, her emotions were fighting over which could show itself first. Hurt, joy and confusion were all there for the world to see.
With her, alcohol brought out honesty.
Cam took a deep breath. He had to get her out of here. Sober her up and help her get things straight in her head. The misunderstanding with the Underhills needed to be cleared up as soon as possible—for her sake as well as the company’s. They’d hurt her this morning and without cause. She deserved an apology, and he was going to make sure she got one.
This newfound sister, though. He glanced over his shoulder to the bar. She was a different issue entirely.
He watched as Roxie flirted with a particularly ugly biker, checking out the tattoo on his shoulder. He didn’t like coincidences, and he didn’t like surprises. This woman was both, and he didn’t want Lexie around her until he had the opportunity to check her out.
And he had the resources to do a really close check.
He brushed his thumb against Lexie’s waist and pulled back. “Let’s go straighten things out with Julian.”
Her breath caught audibly. Face paling, her gaze flew to the door. “Is he here?”
Cam sighed. Damn that man. “No. We’ll go find him after you’ve had some coffee.”
“Is anybody else coming?” She rubbed her bare arms. Without her jacket, she seemed vulnerable. Ten minutes earlier, she’d been dancing around and having fun. At the mention of her family, though, she needed her armor.
He stroked her waist, trying to get her to relax. “You got me. Just me.”
“Oh.”
The emotions in her eyes tumbled again, and confusion won the battle this time. She glanced around the bar almost forlornly. Cameron braced his hand against the jukebox, wanting to punch it. She was so easy to read this way, but it was a painful read.
“Do you really dislike me that much, Lexie?”
“I don’t dislike you.”
Could have fooled him. “Then what is it? You’ve been avoiding me ever since I first started working at Underhill. Are you afraid of me?”
She shifted uneasily. She’d ventured into a biker bar and had made it her own, yet looking him in the eye seemed to be too much for her. “Kind of.”
Cam nearly winced. That honesty was a double-edged sword. “Why?”