wide.â
âOkay,â she said, smiling. âbut only because itâs chocolate.â
âThatâs my girl,â he murmured.
Time stood still as he watched her close her eyes, open her mouth and take the bite. Then she sighed.
âOh.â She licked her lips and moaned. âOh, my God. Oh, itâs fabulous.â She swallowed, then licked her lips again.
In an instant, Adamâs body was tight and aching. So much for playing hard to get. He wanted her with a need that burned right through him. In his current condition, heâd never make it out of the restaurant alive. Fine with him. Heâd send the staff home, then make love to Trish right here.
So much for his grand scheme of withholding sex until she begged for it. He was the one who would beg her if he had to. Without even trying, she was the sexiest woman heâd ever met.
She was saying something, but he couldnât hear her. All the blood that mightâve helped his brain function had recognized a more urgent need and rushed to his bodyâs lower half.
Adam tossed his napkin on the table and stood. âLetâs go,â he said, almost growling the command.
âDonât we have to pay the bill first?â
âI own the place, sweetheart.â He came around to pull her chair out. âThere is no bill.â
âI guess I really am tired if I forgot that.â She smiled up at him.
But on the way out, she insisted on stopping to thank everyone whoâd waited on them, then poked her head into the kitchen and called out her gratitude to Jean Pierre, who came running over to kiss her on both cheeks and thank her profusely.
She had a way of making everyone feel special, including Adam, he thought as he led her out of therestaurant. He was beginning to wonder just exactly who was seducing whom.
Â
Riding up in the elevator, Trish could barely breathe. Her heart raced and she shivered with pleasure, he was standing so close. She shouldâve backed away and cut herself off from his touch, but she couldnât bear to. Not yet. Once they were back in Dunsmuir Bay and reality set in, she would deal with these forbidden emotions. But right now she simply wanted to concentrate on his masculine scent, feel the soft pressure of his arm against hers, appreciate his tall, confident stance and wonder how it would feel to be wrapped up in his arms.
She shivered again.
âYouâre cold,â he said, shrugging off his jacket and slinging it over her shoulders. Then he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. âThe mountain air can sneak up on you.â
âThank you,â she murmured, wondering if heâd read her mind. If so, couldnât he see that it wasnât the cold making her shiver? Good grief, she was burning upâcouldnât he feel it? But it felt so good to be pressed against his hard body, she never wanted him to stop holding her.
Even though she knew it didnât mean anything. Could never mean anything. He was just being polite, after all.
Trish made an effort to keep her thoughts casual as she glanced around the elevator. Even in this small space, the hotelâs rustic style prevailed, with a charming bench to sit on and kitschy antler sconces on the walls.
There had been a few times during dinner when she thought Adam might be attracted to her, thought he might even be tempted to kiss her good-night. But hewas all business now, holding himself rigid even though he had his arm around her. It was just as well. She had no business thinking they could ever be more to each other than boss and assistant. And, lest she forget, she still had her mission to accomplish, even though at the moment, she could barely remember what that mission was.
It mustâve been the champagne, or maybe the chocolate mousse. She wasnât thinking clearly at all.
They left the elevator at the top floor and Adam stopped at a door halfway down the hall. Using a card
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