‘Well, I think he’s just found out,’ Carly grimaced.
‘What do you—Oh!’ Lauri broke off as Alex burst into the room.
‘Out!’ he held the door open for Carly to leave, which she did with no hesitation.
Lauri would have done the same in her position. Alex looked furious, his blue eyes blazing. But even so, he had no right to order Carly out of her own office—even if he did own it and the building it stood in. Lauri stood up too, moving towards the door Alex had just slammed shut.
‘Where the hell do you think you’re going?’ Alex rasped harshly.
Her head went back defiantly, her eyes challenging. ‘I’m going back to my desk, to work. And if you don’t like it you can sack me!’
‘Rather a pointless exercise when you’ve already given in your notice,’ he retorted angrily.
‘Exactly,’ she agreed sweetly. ‘Now if you will let me pass?’
‘Certainly.’ He moved aside, even opening the door for her.
To say Lauri was surprised by his acquiescence after storming down here was putting it mildly. But she managed to walk stiffly past him, not realising he had followed her until she felt his familiar firm grasp on her upper arm as he marched her completely out of the office. Once outside he swung her round against the wall, his hands on either side of her head as he held her immovable. Not that she could have moved anyway, being much too aware of the male magnetism of him, the totally male smell of him as he held his body only inches away from her own.
‘Where did you go yesterday?’ he demanded to know.
‘Go?’ she repeated jerkily, cursing herself for being unnerved by him once again.
‘When you walked out on Laurence.’
She stiffened just at the mention of the man’s name, in no way having come to terms with his relationship to her. ‘I went home,’ she said huskily.
‘But not straight away,’ he persisted.
Her eyes flashed. ‘No, not straight away! I—I went for a walk. I needed to think.’
‘And did you come to any conclusions?’
‘Oh yes,’ she said bitterly. ‘I came to the conclusion that I’m justified in hating both you and your brother-in-law.’
‘Hate Laurence if you must, but don’t include me in the emotion. What you feel towards me is far from hate.’
‘You flatter yourself,’ she stormed.
‘Do I?’ he asked huskily.
‘Yes!’
‘Let’s see, shall we?’ he murmured throatily before his dark head swooped and his mouth claimed hers, his body lowering fully on to hers, moving seductively against her as he determined to make her fully aware of him.
‘Stop this!’ Lauri gasped for air as his mouth left hers to travel over her throat. ‘What if someone should see us?’ She looked about them guiltily. ‘Alex, please!’
‘I might consider letting you go if you’ll come up to my office with me.’
‘No!’ she refused instantly.
‘Then we stay here.’ Alex forced her mouth open again, wringing a response from her even while she fought him.
She relaxed against him, hoping to disconcert him, hardly able to control her elation as she heard him groan before taking her fully into his arms, his hands caressing her back. She let his caresses continue until she felt he was completely aroused by her, weakened by his own desire—and then she struck. She pushed him away as hard as she could, seeing by the glazed look in his eyes that he was still enmeshed in his passion for her, could even now not comprehend why she had left the possession of his arms.
She was almost drawn back against him by her own feelings for him, but she forced herself to walk away, m
ore of a run really, as she felt him collect his scattered wits and start to come after her. She turned to face him. ‘I think constant sexual advances from my employer are reason enough for me to waive my notice and leave right now.’