Fall from India Place (On Dublin Street 4)

“God, I want to be naked inside you,” he grated out against her throat almost angrily as he pumped and emptied himself inside the condom. It seemed indescribably unfair—ridiculously wrong—in that moment that even the thinnest of barriers should come between him and this woman.

•   •   •

“Do you want to talk about our meeting with Jason Klinf?” Lin murmured later as they embraced under the covers, growing increasingly relaxed as Kam massaged her neck and scalp. He really had the most amazing hands.

“Not really.”

Lin lifted her head off his chest. He gave her a heavy-lidded smirk and pulled her higher on his body. Using his hold on her head, he brought her to him. She melted against him, submitting to his drugging kiss.

“I think it’d be a good idea,” she said breathlessly against his mouth a moment later. “Just some basics about Klinf and Jason himself?”

His right eyebrow quirked upward. “I told you. I don’t like being your work duty.”

“Then do you want another Noble employee for the job?”

His lazy, satiated expression hardened. “Not a chance.”

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Then you’ve got to focus at least a little. Look, I’m not a fan of mixing business with pleasure, either. In fact, I’m going against all my principles doing this with you.”

He shut his eyes. Despite his impassive expression, she sensed his frustration and regretted it. Still . . . this was her job, and Lin did things right. Or at least she always had in the past. The realization hit her that if she wasn’t screwing Kam like a feline in heat every chance she got, she might be a lot more prepared for these upcoming meetings than she was.

She sighed with genuine regret and forced herself to move away from his deliciously warm, hard body. Kam’s touch was a logic evaporator. His jaw tightened when she extricated herself from it, but he didn’t say anything or move. Pulling the sheet up snugly over her breasts, she settled on the pillow next to where his head rested.

“Jason Klinf is a very cultured, sophisticated man,” she began.

“Hourra. Just my type,” Kam muttered under his breath.

Ignoring him, she launched into a brief overview of Klinf Inc., hitting some crucial industry highlights.

Kam didn’t move from his pose. It was a little distracting, talking business with him lying there with his naked, sculpted torso exposed, one hand lying casually over his head on the pillow, his taut, ridged abdomen falling up and down ever so subtly as he breathed evenly. Despite his negligent pose, however, she had the distinct impression he was listening closely to her.

“Klinf started his company on his own?” Kam interrupted her at one point.

“Yes,” she said pausing. “It’s a boutique business, a much smaller company than either Gersbach or Stunde, the company we’ll be meeting with next Thursday. You and Jason have some things in common, actually,” she said diplomatically.

He turned his head on the pillow, meeting her stare. “Such as?” he asked, looking slightly suspicious.

She kept her expression calm. He seemed to catch her sleight of hand with miraculous accuracy. In truth, she was more anxious about the meeting with Klinf than anyone. She was worried Kam’s raw honesty and Jason’s smooth sophistication would not be a good combination. “Well, Jason is French like you, for one. He’s also brilliant. Plus, you two are close in age. Jason is probably only three or four years older than you.”

“You just told me that he’s a darling of the fashion industry, a connoisseur of opera, wine, rare antiquities and women. Except for both being heterosexual, I don’t see that we have a bit in common.”

She gave him a repressive glance and continued. “Jason designs all his timepieces himself.”

“You mean he’s invented some novel technology? I’ve never heard—”

“No,” Lin interrupted him. “I mean that he designs the exterior, creating stunning watches that women across the globe would kill for. Each watch is handmade and exquisitely detailed. His watches are probably the most sought-after—and expensive—timepieces in the market.”

“You wear one.”

Lin blinked when she absorbed the tone of his voice. It’d sounded like an accusation. She met his sleety stare and found herself blushing. She wouldn’t have guessed that Kam had noticed the diamond Klinf watch she wore last night, although she suspected the Gersbachs would. She knew from experience, however, that Brigit herself owned a Klinf, so she hadn’t felt uncomfortable wearing it for the meeting. Jason’s fashionable luxury watches were almost like a different product from the Swiss-made timepieces, like comparing an exquisite bracelet to a Rolex.

“I do own one, yes,” she conceded.

“So you’re one of the few women on the planet who not only would ‘kill’ for a Klinf watch, you actually have the money to buy one?”

“I didn’t buy it,” she said before she could stop herself.

He sat up and turned onto his side, his elbow on the pillow, his head braced in his hand, his steady stare pinning her. Lin suddenly felt like the star witness who had just faltered. Kam was like the prosecutor going in for the kill.

“Jason Klinf gave you one of his priceless watches?” Kam asked evenly.

“Yes,” she said, giving him a sharp glare for making her feel like she’d just admitted to a crime.

“Did you date him?” he probed.

Lin gave a frustrated sigh. “I did, yes—a few times—but that has nothing to do with him giving me a watch. He did it as a courtesy following a technology exchange deal he did with Noble enterprises a couple of years back. What?” she demanded when she saw the hint of disdain cross Kam’s bold features.