Operation Saving Daniel (Entangled Covet) by Nina Croft Page B

his eyes and sipped his drink.
    He was unsurprised when he heard the lock click ; he’d known Lissa would follow him. When he opened his eyes, she stood framed in the doorway. She was beautiful in a long dark dress that left her arms and shoulders bare and skimmed the rest of her figure. With the short haircut she looked like a pixie or a sprite, her eyes huge in her slender face. If werewolves existed, why not pixies? Maybe she could cast a spell and get him out of this godforsaken mess.
    She strolled into the room and tripped over her feet. Swore loudly.
    He had a flashback to that other time he had seen her in heels. She had stumbled then as well. Best not to think of that time and how it had ended. With her naked in his bed and…
    “You can’t marry her, Daniel.”
    He shook his head to dispel the memory.
    “Why not?” he asked.
    “Because she’s a maniac. She’s not normal.”
    His eyes sharpened on her, searching for some sign of injury but she appeared fine and some of the tension eased from him. “What did she do to you?”
    “Nothing…yet. She just warned me off you.”
    She was getting closer, inching around the desk. Now was the time he should get up, go back to the party. Go back to Sophia. Instead, he sat and observed her out of half-closed eyes and took another sip of scotch, the warmth stealing into his belly.
    Lissa perched on the edge of the desk, so close he could reach out and rest his hand on her thigh. If he wanted to.
    Who the hell was he kidding? Of course he wanted to. He reached out for the bottle instead, slowly unscrewed the lid, and poured himself another glass.
    “You can’t blame her for warning you off,” he said. “The way you’ve been staring at me for the last couple of days.”
    “I haven’t been staring at you.”
    “You’ve been watching me like you want to jump me, drag me into the nearest bed, and have your way with me.”
    Shock flared in her eyes. “No, I haven’t.”
    “Yes, you have.”
    “No—” She cut off and scowled. Reaching out, she grabbed the bottle of scotch and took a long pull. “Well, maybe I have been watching you. I can’t help it. You’ve changed so much, and I’m trying to see if there’s any of the old Daniel left under there.”
    “None,” he said. “So don’t waste your time searching.”
    She took another swig, placed the bottle gently on the desk, and studied him, her head cocked to one side as though she were trying to take him apart, see what made him tick.
    “What happened?” she asked. “Why did you change?”
    “Maybe I just grew up.” Or maybe I got bitten by a fucking werewolf . But of course, he didn’t say those words out loud, though he wondered what her reaction would be. Probably total disbelief. But it might make her back off if she thought he was insane.
    And he needed her to back off. This close, her scent, sharp and sweet, filled his nostrils, so familiar but tinged with something else.
    Arousal.
    She wanted him.
    God, he wished she could have him.
    She licked her lips and his dick twitched in his pants. How did she do that to him? One look and he was hot and hard as hell for her.
    “You can’t marry Sophia.” She shook her head in frustration. “I don’t know what happened to you. What changed you…?”
    “You don’t need to know, just accept that I have changed. I’m not the same person I was back then and whether you believe it or not I have to marry Sophia.”
    “Have to?” She jumped on his choice of words and he swore under his breath. He could have phrased that better, but it was, no doubt, his subconscious talking.
    “You know what I mean. She’s right for me, we suit each other.”
    “She’s not, Daniel.” She took a deep breath. “She said she’d rip my hands off if I touched you. I mean, is that normal?”
    “She didn’t mean it literally.” Oh yes she did. Damn, she must have been to see Lissa after they argued that afternoon. “She’s possessive because she loves me.”