Bargaining with the Bride (Honeybrook Love, Inc. 1)

She tilted her mouth to the side. “I guess so. And once the wedding is over, Eliza will be here.”

“And you can tell her all about your sham marriage.”

“She’ll love it. It’ll be like the parental revenge she always wanted.” Rachael chuckled.

For a moment, they ate in silence and all the while Garret wondered at what to say. He could tell her that her parents didn’t matter and, really, neither did the wedding. That she shouldn’t let these things and these people bring her down.

That he hated to see her full lips frowning.

“I’ve been wondering about something,” her voice broke through his thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Why did it mean so much for you to keep me around?”

He blinked. In truth, he’d spent most of the week wondering that same thing. At first, he’d thought it had been because she was a great worker. The perfect solution to his research problem with Matchware. But then, when he was here around the office…

Lately, it felt like he spoke to her less and watched her more. Like whenever she strode between the cubicles, his gaze was fastened on the way her body moved. The way she looked in her hip-hugging skirts.

“Who else would put up with me?” He smiled, surprised to find how suddenly dry his throat had become.

“Well, I just want you to know I appreciate it. I mean, the moving in here things was weird. And the dog has been…a struggle. But I’m glad.”

Her soft palm clasped the top of his hand and the warmth there spread through the whole of his body. In that instant, staring into her dark eyes, he thought again of his first morning here. Her barely-there pajamas…

Those damn tight skirts…

This was wrong. He’d spent every second of the last week convincing himself as much. Six times, he'd poured over his employee handbook. He'd looked through every version of every human resources guide for the company. There were no loopholes. No way for them to legitimize any kind of entanglement.

But that did nothing to change the fact that his tongue felt slick inside his mouth, his teeth itching to rip the tight fabric of her shirt away and expose the flesh beneath. To lick what he found there until she begged for more of him. And it would be practically effortless to hoist her onto those counter tops and take command of her supple body.

He took a deep breath.

As if she could hear his thoughts, she ran the tip of her sweet pink tongue over her top lip. A slight concern etched her delicate features, but there was something more than that…curiosity. She was testing him.

And without saying a word, he knew by the surge of need in his groin that he was failing miserably.

"Rachael," he said her name simply. A toneless prompt for an answer. He didn't allow the longing he already felt it pressing into his veins to escape his lips.

"What?” Those luscious lips puckered as she sipped her wine, a little splash dripping down the side of the cup. His head was screaming for her not to do it, not to tempt him, but she knew what she was doing. Her pin

k tongue lapped the side of the cup, trailing the drop with slow, accurate grace, and as she returned to her regular stance, the tip of her tongue traced the curve of her full, upper lip, leaving it glossy, inviting, and oh so red.

He needed her for his business. A million people had come and gone after trying to hold her position, each claiming that the hours and requirements were too demanding. He'd offered everything he could think of, but nobody was even competent enough to merit any of the opportunities he'd strung in front of them.

That is, no one but the barely clothed woman practically splaying herself open in front of him.

She was a perfect employee. Determined, committed, intelligent.

And sexy.

He'd kept his opinions on her looks strictly professional, of course. But it didn't hurt that when he'd stayed until the wee hours of the morning, the flushed, weary face across from him was more than easy on the eyes. And funny. And charming.

Her work clothes never highlighted her the narrow waist or angular contour of her collar. The collar that still peaked out from the thin straps of her tank top. The collar that curved into the long, elegant neck. That neck that looked like it had been kissed the way it should have been for a very long time.

This whole thing had been stupid. A stupid thing to agree to. But he couldn't turn down the challenge of it…

It hadn't been to see her so vulnerable. No, it had been to help a friend.