One Winter's Night. Brenda Jackson
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made up his mind about something, there was no turning back, no hesitation and no stopping him. He hadn’t been in an affair for about four months now, mainly because he’d had a lot on his plate at the office while taking over for Dillon. Now that he had things at a level where he could work without too much stress, he had time for some of the finer, more enjoyable things in life. All work and no play wasn’t good for anyone.
“The reason I brought the scarf back, Alpha, is because I wanted to see you again. And I would have found any excuse to do so.”
He watched her expression. She probably hadn’t counted on him being so in-your-face honest. But he always was at the beginning of his affairs … and at the end.
She licked her lips. He was beginning to recognize that as a sign that she was nervous. She held his gaze for a moment and asked after taking a sip of coffee, “Would you have … found any excuse?”
“Yes. We’re adults, and I don’t like playing games. I believe in being up-front with any woman I’m interested in.”
“And you’re interested in me?”
He heard the surprise in her voice. “Yes, but you should have known that after yesterday. There is chemistry between us. A lot of it. I could barely watch you while you gave that presentation without getting turned on.”
Maybe he’d given her too much information, but he wanted her to know just what he was dealing with. What they were both dealing with, because although she hadn’t admitted anything yet, he had a gut feeling she was as attracted to him as he was to her.
She looked down and nervously began toying with her paper napkin, but he preferred that she look at him. He needed to know what she was thinking. “Alpha?”
She glanced up, and the look he saw in her eyes made his stomach quiver all the way to his groin. That same potent chemistry, that electrical sizzle, they had shared yesterday was present today whether she wanted it to be or not. It was just as strong and powerful … but he could tell she was fighting it tooth and nail. Why?
“We just met yesterday,” she said softly.
He nodded. She had to do better than that. As far as he was concerned meeting just yesterday didn’t mean a thing. People were into one-night stands. He’d done a number of those himself. “And?”
“And I’m working for you.”
Okay, now she was trying to play the “it’s not ethical” card, but it wouldn’t work. “No, you’re not working for me, at least you’re not my employee. You’re on assignment for Blue Ridge Land Management for a project that ends next month. As far as I’m concerned that has nothing to do with what’s going on between us.”
“There’s nothing going on between us,” she said, taking another sip of coffee.
Now she wanted to be in denial and he wasn’t going along with that, either. He leaned back in his chair and stared at her. For a long moment he didn’t say anything and then he said, “I want to know why you’re sitting there denying what is so blatantly obvious.”
Her lips began quivering, in anger or desire he wasn’t sure, but neither curtailed the electricity sizzling between them. “And just what do you think is so blatantly obvious?” she asked in a quiet tone.
He reached out and placed his hand over hers. The moment he did so, he felt what she wanted to deny. A heated spiral of desire flowed between them, and she gasped softly. He wanted her to feel it. He needed her to feel it. And he knew by the look in her eyes that she had.
“What is so blatantly obvious, Alpha, is that I want you and you want me.”
Alpha couldn’t stop the chaotic fluttering in her stomach. Nor could she slow down the beating of her heart. What was Riley doing to her? What was he making her feel? All these incredible sensations that she’d never felt before were swamping her all at once.
She tried to force herself to think logically. She needed to make him understand something about her. “I’ve never been a woman to engage in casual relationships, Riley.”
“There’s a first time for everything, isn’t there?” he asked, still holding her gaze as if he was looking deep into her very soul.
Yes, there was a first time for everything, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for what she knew would be nothing more than a fling. But another part of her was demanding to know why she wasn’t ready. She had moved from Florida to Colorado to start a new life. It wasn’t that she hadn’t gotten over Eddie, because she had. So what was the holdup? Riley was ultrahandsome, much too sexy, and he was attracted to her. Why was she afraid to go with the flow?
He leaned in close to her. “In that case, I propose we take some time to get to know each other, but …”
She’d known there was going to be a but in there somewhere.
“But that we enjoy each other while doing so.”
Her pulse quickened. She didn’t have to ask how they would enjoy each other. The man was pushing all her buttons, in ways she hadn’t known existed. He was making her consider doing things she’d never thought of doing before.
“With all of my affairs there are rules so we have a good understanding from day one,” he added.
She lifted an arched brow. “What rules?”
He smiled. “First, there needs to be a time limit on how long the affair will last. Definitely no longer than six weeks.”
She nodded. “What else?”
“There has to be exclusivity. I’m not into sharing. Neither am I into clinginess. This affair doesn’t give us the right to crowd each other. We need to respect each other’s space.”
Evidently he’d had issues in the past. Well, he wouldn’t have to worry about those issues with her. “Okay.”
“And if, for whatever reason, the rules are broken by either of us, the affair ends,” he said.
His rules were reasonable, but still … “I need to think about it,” she said. At least he was being honest by letting her know up front what he wanted out of a relationship. She could appreciate that.
“That’s fine. Since we need to meet next week to discuss some things regarding the party, you can give me your answer then. What about Monday? Hopefully the weather will be better and we can meet at my office. Let’s say around ten. Is that time okay for you?”
“Yes, ten o’clock will work.”
“Good.” He stood. “I’m sure you have a lot to do today, so I’ll be going. Thanks for the coffee and rolls.”
She stood as well, thinking how his height seemed to dominate the room. She never thought her kitchen was small until now. “You’re welcome.”
He took her hand and held it gently in his while they walked through her great room back toward the door. Handholding was something she’d always craved but something Eddie had never delivered. He wasn’t a touchy-feely type.
When they reached the door she turned to Riley, to again thank him for returning her scarf, but the words died on her lips. He had the most irresistible smile, one that showed his dimples. To distract herself, she looked over his shoulder at the picture hanging on her wall, but Riley lifted his hand to cup her chin and return her gaze to him. Then he softly trailed his fingertips along the lines of her jaw.
In that heated moment, when their eyes connected, she felt a sensual connection to him all the way to her toes. She wanted to take a step back but couldn’t. Like he’d said, she couldn’t deny what was taking place between them.
“I want to leave you with something to think about.”
She didn’t have to ask what that something was because she knew. The rippling of coiled anticipation in her stomach spelled it out for her. He was about to stamp his presence all over her, and she would