his hand on her thigh, offering the only sort of comfort he knew how to give. "I'm sorry, baby."
The words were inadequate, but he didn't know what else to say. He was still a little stunned that she'd shared so much of herself with himnow when before she had hidden her whole life from him. He suspected she would bitterly regret her candor tomorrow. From what she had said, she'd become almost fanatically private since her parents' deaths.
She'd also said that she had loved him.
Hell.
He didn't know about love, but he had been thinking about commitment eighteen months ago. He'd even toyed with the idea of asking her to move in with him. She was right. He hadn't said anything. Somehow, he'd thought she'd known. His need for her had been obvious enough, but apparently she'd attributed that to lust and nothing more.
She'd said it had been more for her, but had it? If she hadloved him, wouldn't she have trusted him with her secrets? Wouldn't she have come to him for help rather than abandon him and destroy their relationship?
She let out a pent-up breath. "Thanks, but don't worry about me. I'll figure it out. I always do."
Did figuring it out include selling corporate secrets to Kline's competitors?
Right now, with her scent filling his car's small space and her body so close he could reach out and touch it, Marcus couldn't make himself care. All through dinner and then later, when she'd made her explanations, his body had buzzed with an ever-present desire. He wasn't proud of it, but he couldn't deny its existence either.
He should be elated. His investigation looked close to being over, but at the moment, all he could do was feel. Her pain. Her frustration. And his desire.
It pulsed through him like an African drumbeat. He pulled the Jag into a parking space connected to her apartment complex. Switching off the engine, he turned to her. He didn't say anything because there wasn't anything to say. He wanted her so bad it was as if the last eighteen months had never happened. He needed to touch her and feel her responding beneath him.
She unclipped her seat belt but didn't open her car door right away. Did she feel the desire shimmering between them? Could she sense how much he needed to taste her again?
"Are you going to tell Mr. Kline about what happened at CIS?" Her words lashed against him and the tumble of his own emotions.
Damn it. He didn't want to deal with that right now. He didn't want to think about his investigation, or the responsibility to his client. He'd work something out, something that would protect Ronnie and still allow him to fulfill his obligation to Kline. He didn't know what, but he'd think of something.
"Don't worry about that."
Her head snapped around to face him. "How can you say that? By now, you must know how important my job is to me. I can't afford to be let go."
"You aren't alone this time."
He couldn't promise her that she'd keep her job. He didn't see how that would be possible if she'd been up to her old tricks, but he would help her. He wouldn't let her face the future alone again.
She laughed. "Yeah. Right. Just tell me what you're going to do about my past."
He shook his head. He couldn't think about Kline Technology, not when his mind and senses were filled with her. He laid his hand on her thigh again, feeling the tension of her muscles through the fabric of her skirt. He brushed his hand down her leg, gently caressing until it settled on her knee, clad only in the silky fabric of her stockings.
Oh, man. Did she still wear stockings? He re-membered the first time he'd seen her prissy little white garter belt. It wasn't fromVictoria 's Secret, that's for sure, but it had turned him on and inside out.
"Marcus."
He heard the sharp tone of her voice but ignored it. He had to taste her. Right now.
Not giving her a chance to argue, he bent his head and swiftly took her mouth. She'd
The words were inadequate, but he didn't know what else to say. He was still a little stunned that she'd shared so much of herself with himnow when before she had hidden her whole life from him. He suspected she would bitterly regret her candor tomorrow. From what she had said, she'd become almost fanatically private since her parents' deaths.
She'd also said that she had loved him.
Hell.
He didn't know about love, but he had been thinking about commitment eighteen months ago. He'd even toyed with the idea of asking her to move in with him. She was right. He hadn't said anything. Somehow, he'd thought she'd known. His need for her had been obvious enough, but apparently she'd attributed that to lust and nothing more.
She'd said it had been more for her, but had it? If she hadloved him, wouldn't she have trusted him with her secrets? Wouldn't she have come to him for help rather than abandon him and destroy their relationship?
She let out a pent-up breath. "Thanks, but don't worry about me. I'll figure it out. I always do."
Did figuring it out include selling corporate secrets to Kline's competitors?
Right now, with her scent filling his car's small space and her body so close he could reach out and touch it, Marcus couldn't make himself care. All through dinner and then later, when she'd made her explanations, his body had buzzed with an ever-present desire. He wasn't proud of it, but he couldn't deny its existence either.
He should be elated. His investigation looked close to being over, but at the moment, all he could do was feel. Her pain. Her frustration. And his desire.
It pulsed through him like an African drumbeat. He pulled the Jag into a parking space connected to her apartment complex. Switching off the engine, he turned to her. He didn't say anything because there wasn't anything to say. He wanted her so bad it was as if the last eighteen months had never happened. He needed to touch her and feel her responding beneath him.
She unclipped her seat belt but didn't open her car door right away. Did she feel the desire shimmering between them? Could she sense how much he needed to taste her again?
"Are you going to tell Mr. Kline about what happened at CIS?" Her words lashed against him and the tumble of his own emotions.
Damn it. He didn't want to deal with that right now. He didn't want to think about his investigation, or the responsibility to his client. He'd work something out, something that would protect Ronnie and still allow him to fulfill his obligation to Kline. He didn't know what, but he'd think of something.
"Don't worry about that."
Her head snapped around to face him. "How can you say that? By now, you must know how important my job is to me. I can't afford to be let go."
"You aren't alone this time."
He couldn't promise her that she'd keep her job. He didn't see how that would be possible if she'd been up to her old tricks, but he would help her. He wouldn't let her face the future alone again.
She laughed. "Yeah. Right. Just tell me what you're going to do about my past."
He shook his head. He couldn't think about Kline Technology, not when his mind and senses were filled with her. He laid his hand on her thigh again, feeling the tension of her muscles through the fabric of her skirt. He brushed his hand down her leg, gently caressing until it settled on her knee, clad only in the silky fabric of her stockings.
Oh, man. Did she still wear stockings? He re-membered the first time he'd seen her prissy little white garter belt. It wasn't fromVictoria 's Secret, that's for sure, but it had turned him on and inside out.
"Marcus."
He heard the sharp tone of her voice but ignored it. He had to taste her. Right now.
Not giving her a chance to argue, he bent his head and swiftly took her mouth. She'd
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