Текст книги "Barely Breathing"

Автор книги: Brenda Rothert

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 12 страниц)

Viv

MY HEART RACED AS I crossed my tiny living room to open the front door. When I swung it open, my pulse kicked up even harder. This time Kane didn’t look nervous. Confidence and desire swam in his dark gaze as it swept over me from head to toe and then back up again.

“Hey. You ready?”

I nodded, my purse already in hand. I’d been ready for a while now. Since last Friday night, actually.

After I locked up, Kane took my hand and led me down the stone stairs to the Town Car.

“You look nice,” he said, opening my door.

I’d gone more casual tonight, choosing dark skinny jeans, tall brown boots and a forest green blouse. He wore dark brown pants and an off-white dress shirt with the top button undone.

“You, too,” I said, sliding onto the leather seat.

“Hi, Len,” I said to Kane’s driver. “How’s it going?”

“Good.” He met my eyes in the rearview mirror and grinned.

Kane slid into his seat and closed the door.

“To Calypso, boss?” Len asked.

“Yep.”

I turned to Kane, frowning. “No. Are you serious? That place is super expensive. And I’m wearing jeans.”

“You look great.”

I couldn’t hold back my cringe. “We don’t need to go to a place like that. I’m happy with pizza.”

“We’ll get pizza next time.”

“But—”

“Viv.” His brows sank down in an ominous glare. “I had to jump through hoops to get this reservation. We’re goin’ to Calypso and we’re gonna eat the fuck out of all that fancy food.”

“Okay. Thank you. I don’t know how you pulled it off. One of the partners at my firm has been trying to get in there for a couple months now and it’s always booked solid.”

He shrugged.

“What were the hoops?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

“Well . . . you know we’ll cater to just about any desire in our Sky Suites at the club.”

I turned to face him. “Sky Suites? Like the room we had dinner in?”

“Yeah. All the upstairs rooms are called Sky Suites. Some are smaller, some are huge. We rent them by the hour but most people want them for a whole night.”

A few seconds passed and I arched my brows expectantly. “And?”

“And the owner of Calypso now has a suite for next weekend.”

“For . . . ?”

Kane smiled cryptically. “I never ask clients that. The less I know, the better.”

“Something tells me you know your fair share.”

“Can’t help it sometimes. Makes me feel really fuckin’ boring to find out what some people are into.”

I laughed and gave his shoulder a playful shove. “Now you’re just teasing me. How crazy are we talking?”

He shrugged again. “I only have three rules: No one underage comes in, no non-consensual sex and animals can’t give consent.”

“No!” I covered my wide-open mouth with my hand. “Someone tried to bring animals in?”

“They didn’t just try, they did it. One of my guys found a goat asleep in one of the suites when he went to clean it.”

“What the hell?”

He nodded. “Dead serious. It was dressed in lingerie.”

“Oh my God. That’s not okay.”

Our eyes met and we both burst out laughing. He took my hand again, sweeping his thumb across my knuckles. It didn’t feel necessary to fill the silence. There was something heavy in the air between us, but it wasn’t awkwardness. It was anticipation.

Len pulled up near the entrance to Calypso, which had an understated, modern gray exterior. Kane opened my door and waved to Len, who was grinning as he pulled back into traffic.

“He seems like a very happy guy,” I said.

Kane wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave a low chuckle. “Annoyingly so at times.”

We were nearing the tall wood doors of the restaurant when a sound caught my attention. It was a deep cough that sounded painfully unproductive.

I looked over both shoulders, turning away from Kane. Squinting in the near-darkness, I made out a figure hunched over in a wheelchair about a hundred feet away.

“Hang on,” I said to Kane, walking toward the source of the cough.

I heard him moving behind me. The heels of my boots clicking on the sidewalk made the man in the wheelchair look up as we approached. He wore a ragged stocking cap and was wrapped in a dark blanket. When I looked into his face, I was taken aback by his pale blue eyes. Their vibrant shade seemed out of place on this man with gray whiskers and dark circles beneath his eyes.

“Are you okay?” I asked, bending down so he could see me without straining to look up.

“I’m fine,” he said, waving a hand and breaking into another fit of coughing. His voice was raspy and his cough sounded anything but fine. The cold air caused a cloud of breath to form in front of his face as he coughed.

“Are you cold?” I reached for his blanket so I could tuck it more tightly around him.

He shook his head weakly and tried to shrug the blanket off. “Hot.”

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“I ain’t got nobody. Just sittin’ here ‘cause the cold air helps my lungs.”

He managed to shake the blanket off and I saw that he had no legs. His form-fitted thermal shirt allowed me to see that he was very thin, other than arms that looked developed from wheeling himself around in the chair.

“Do you live nearby?” I asked him.

He chuckled softly. “You could say that. I live wherever I fall asleep at the end of the day.”

I sighed inwardly, thinking about all the people who had probably passed this very sick man and not even looked his way. Not realizing how fortunate they were as they walked past him that at least they could walk.

“You need to see a doctor,” I said gently. “That cough is really bad.”

“Hell with that.” He waved me off. “I don’t want no handouts. I’d take a cough drop if you’ve got one, though.”

Kane touched my shoulder. “Hey. I’ll give him some money.”

I turned and looked up at him. “He needs a doctor, though.”

“We can’t help with that.”

“Sure we can.”

He reached into his pocket. “Want me to call an ambulance?”

“No,” the man said, erupting into another bout of coughing that it hurt me to listen to. He leaned over the edge of the chair, away from us, and spit a mouthful of blood onto the sidewalk.

“What’s your name?” I asked him.

“Alan.”

“Alan, I’m Viv. And I’m going to call a cab and take you to a hospital.”

“They don’t give a shit about some homeless guy,” he said, giving me a scowl that rivaled one of Kane’s.

“Stubbornness won’t work on me,” I said, standing up and pressing an app on my phone for a cab company. “Don’t pretend you’d rather stay here than have a warm bed and a hot meal and some help for that cough.”

Alan said nothing as I called for a cab with the app. I glanced over at Kane, whose expression was unreadable. He looked guarded; cautious.

I wanted to apologize about dinner, but not in front of Alan. Instead we all waited on the curb in silence.

The cab was cruising to a stop when I looked up at Kane.

“You can go grab our table if you want,” I said softly. “I’ll just get him checked in and then meet you here.”

He shook his head, his expression still stoic.

I was glad he hadn’t taken me up on the offer, because he lifted Alan in and out of the cab and also folded and unfolded his wheelchair. He even paid the cab driver.

Alan swatted my hand away when I tried to push him into the open double doors of the nearby hospital’s Emergency Room. I gave Kane an amused glance and walked beside Alan.

The ER was crowded. Alan told us to leave, but I couldn’t. Something told me he’d just wheel himself right back out if we did. Kane and I sat in plastic chairs across from each other because there weren’t two side by side in the whole room. We were quiet, because it wasn’t possible to talk in this room full of coughing, complaining and crying people.

Kane

This place was full of people, but I could only see one: the blue-eyed beauty across from me.

Viv was scrolling on her phone, but every couple minutes she’d look up and lock eyes with me. Hot, urgent need for her ran through my veins every time. It didn’t stop, even when she looked at Alan in a nearby chair. When she reached over and patted his knee, it was all I could do to stay in my seat. I wanted to be touching her right now. Showing her how she made me feel since I couldn’t say it with words.

Sitting across from Viv in this nasty, fluorescent-lit room of illness and misery was reaching me deeper than sitting across from her a fancy restaurant had. Here, I was getting a look at who she really was.

She was good. Kind. She cared about people. And as much as I admired her, tonight was a reminder that she and I were too different.

Night and day.

Dark and light.

Good and bad.

My darkness would dim her light if I got too close. Maybe that was part of the attraction. Maybe a person as shitty as me took perverse pleasure in corrupting beauty.

The closer I got to Viv, the closer I wanted to get. It was never enough, and it wouldn’t be until I’d crushed her. I wasn’t setting out to break her, but that was what I inevitably did.

She looked up at me again, her ocean blue eyes sparkling as she gave me a small smile. I smiled back. Couldn’t help it. With her, I’d never be able to help myself. I’d have to fight what I wanted and for once in my life, do the right thing.

Viv

More than two hours later, Alan gave us both a gruff thank you as he was being wheeled into an exam room. I led the way outside the Emergency Room doors and took in a deep breath of fresher than inside the ER air. Then I looked over at Kane with an apology in my eyes.

“We missed dinner,” I said.

He nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“Maybe we can get some pizza after all?”

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

He texted Len, holding my hand as we waited for him to arrive.

“I should’ve called Len to bring us here,” he said.

“I didn’t mean for you to pay for the cab ride. I was planning to get that.”

Kane shook his head. “Not because of that. I just wasn’t thinking. I don’t want you to think I’m too shitty to take a homeless person somewhere in the club car. I mean, I never have, but . . . I would.”

“I know that.”

He exhaled deeply, the cloud in front of his mouth dissipating. “I don’t know. I think I would. I guess I’m not the kind of person who’d take anyone somewhere for nothing.” He looked down at me and squeezed my hand. “I’m not like you. Not good.”

“Sure you are. Goodness takes many forms.”

He looked ready to continue arguing when the Town Car pulled into view, ending our conversation.

Thirty minutes later, we were tucked into a corner booth at a small family-owned pizza joint, waiting for our Supreme with extra cheese to arrive.

“What’s your first name?” I asked.

He paused for a second before answering. “Matthew.”

“No one calls you that, though.”

He shook his head. “My mom and grandma used to, but that’s about it.”

“Do you have family nearby?”

His gaze left mine, flickering down to the table. “My dad took off when I was a kid. Haven’t seen him since. Mom died from cancer when I was twenty-six.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugged a shoulder but said nothing.

“Any brothers and sisters?”

“None I know of. But given my dad’s nature, I wouldn’t be surprised if he left other women high and dry with kids like he did my mom.”

His dark eyes were steely now, his voice edged with bitterness. This was a bad subject.

“How many tattoos do you have?” I asked, reaching for another piece of bread.

A smile touched his lips as he considered. “Five.”

“Is there a story behind all of them?”

“Well, yeah. I’ll tell you the stories when you see ‘em.” His grin held interest and mischief. Seeing this side of him made my stomach flutter nervously.

“Where are the ones I can’t see?”

“My back and chest. One on my lower hip.”

I sucked in a breath as I thought about him unfastening his worn jeans and lowering them enough for me to see that hip tattoo. And more.

“So the one I can see . . .” I pointed at his arm, which had ink swirling from beneath the sleeve of his black t-shirt down to his elbow. “Tell me about that one.”

His cheeks darkened slightly and he smiled. “That one’s nothin’ to be proud of. I was in my early twenties and was wasted one night. A couple of my buddies and I went into a place and told the guy we wanted some ink. I passed out not long after he started.”

I couldn’t help the single note of laughter that escaped my lips. “Did you remember it the next day?”

“Vaguely. I have no memory of picking the design out. I think the guy at the shop had my back on that, ‘cause it could’ve gone really fuckin’ bad.”

I held his gaze for a few seconds as a warm, heady sensation washed over me. When I was with Kane, I felt a kind of magic I’d never experienced. Seeing his lighter, almost playful side made me feel special to him. And I couldn’t get enough of that feeling.

“Are you coming in tonight? Back at my place?” I asked hopefully.

He smiled. “You want me to?”

“Yes.”

Our server approached and set down a huge round metal pan of pizza between us. Our eyes stayed locked on each other until she was gone.

“We could always eat this in the car on the way,” he said.

“I like that idea.”

He gestured to our server.

“Everything okay?” she asked, her brow furrowed as she surveyed the uneaten pizza.

“It’s great,” Kane said, his eyes still on mine. “Just a carryout box and our check, please.”

The box of pizza sat unopened on the seat between us as Len drove us back to my place. I felt its warmth beneath my hand as Kane traced my knuckles with his large fingertips.

He grunted a quick goodbye to Len as we got out of the car at my place.

“Goodnight, Len,” I said. He smiled and offered me a thumbs up.

We’d barely gotten through the door when I dropped my purse on a table and turned to Kane. He set the pizza box next to my purse and reached out toward my cheek, cupping it in his palm.

When he bent his face to mine and kissed me softly, I wrapped my arms around his neck, melting against his solid chest. His fingertips edged up the bottom of my shirt, skimming across my bare skin. I inhaled sharply and eased him toward the couch.

He got the message, bending and picking me up effortlessly. His big palms squeezed my bottom as he carried me to the couch and set me down. I laid back, moaning softly as he leaned over me and then covered my body with his, his lips returning to mine for a deeper, more insistent kiss.

“Viv,” he said in a low tone against my mouth. “You make it really fucking hard to be a gentleman.”

I arched my back and wrapped a leg around his hip, humming a moan against his lips. “You were a gentleman last time. That’s good enough.”

He buried his face in my neck, the soft scruff of his beard brushing over my skin sending a shiver through me. It never seemed to stop; the touch of his lips and tongue to my neck sent fresh shivers down my spine. There was another one when he squeezed my ass and I felt his thick erection pressing against my core.

I pulled his shirt loose from his pants in the back and slid my palm beneath it, needing to feel his warm skin and taut muscles. He stiffened and pulled back, looking down at me with a mix of arousal and confusion.

“Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?”

He ran a hand over his short black hair and sat on the edge of the couch, shoulders slumped.

Still breathing hard, I put my fingertips on my lips, feeling the tingle of his rough kiss and the smooth scratch of his beard. Silence hung thick in the air until finally, he spoke.

“You don’t want me, Viv. I’m not a good guy.”

I wrapped my arms around myself. “I do, though. I thought we both wanted it.”

He turned his dark gaze on me. “Hell yeah I want it. What man doesn’t want to make a good girl be bad?”

“So, then?”

Shaking his head, he turned away. “It’s not right. You’re a good person, Viv. You’re the kind of person who helps people up when they’re down. I’m the guy who kicks ‘em in the first place.”

“No, you’re not.”

“You don’t know me,” he said sharply. “A couple dates isn’t enough to see what kind of person I am. Don’t be so naïve.”

I drew back slightly at his harsh words. “You’re the kind of person who saved me from being raped.”

“That’s what this is about, isn’t it?” He sprang to his feet. “You think I’m some sort of white fuckin’ knight, when really I’m just a guy who doesn’t allow shit at his club.”

“You would’ve stepped in wherever you saw that happening.”

He shrugged. “Maybe not.”

“You tell yourself that, Kane, even though it’s bullshit.” I smoothed out my hair and tucked my legs beneath a blanket, suddenly self-conscious.

“You just don’t seem to see me, Viv. Everyone else does, so why don’t you? I’m a criminal. An asshole. I’ve hurt people.”

“I’ve hurt people, too. Haven’t we all?”

He sighed heavily. “I don’t mean it like that. I’m talking about ruin. Taking things that are good and destroying them. That’s what I do. And I’m not doing it to you.”

My heart skipped erratically. What was he saying?

“Kane, I think you just need—”

He cut me off with a murderous glare. “I need to stop pretending with these fancy clothes and dates with a goddamn lawyer.”

I felt my expression crumbling. Maybe he was right. Maybe he was an asshole.

“I like you. And I thought you liked me,” I said, hating the note of desperation in my tone.

“I do. That’s why I’m leaving.”

He didn’t even look back. He just opened the door, walked out and slammed it, leaving no doubt.

I sat on my couch for a long time, staring into nothingness. I didn’t cry. The shock just left me numb, wondering how things had taken such a bad turn so quickly.

Kane

THE KITCHEN STAFF MOVED IN slow motion, laughing and talking as they rotated supplies in the walk-in fridge without the slightest sense of urgency. One guy whose name I could never remember was actually sitting down on an empty, upside-down crate.

“Take your time, ladies,” I boomed from my viewpoint just outside the open door. “It’s not like we open in an hour and have a shitload of prep work to get done, right?”

What’s his name sprang to his feet. “Sorry, Mr. Kane.”

“You’re only sorry you got caught,” I growled. “I pay you above average wages and I expect above average work.”

“Yes, sir.”

The group of men worked double time now, silently stacking and organizing.

“Fuckers,” I muttered as I walked away.

To say I was in a bad mood was an epic understatement. I was seeking out employees whose asses I could chew. It was the only therapy I could find for my rage. I went to my office, closed the door and sat down in my desk chair, scrubbing my hands over my face. Being an asshole to everyone who had the misfortune of crossing paths with me wasn’t getting me anywhere. It’d been this way for almost two weeks now. Since the moment I’d walked out of Viv’s place after our second date.

Now I was pissed off at the world and even more pissed off at myself. Why the fuck had I cockblocked myself like that? I wanted her in the worst way, and knowing she wanted me too and I’d turned her down filled me with anger that simmered on the edge of boiling at all times.

And worse, I’d upset her. She was the first respectable woman to see me as all the man she needed. Not just a good fuck, but someone she actually wanted to be with. And I’d hurt her, walked out and never called.

Classic Matthew Kane. Ruining things was what I did best.

My gaze wandered to the photo of a beautiful, smiling little girl on top of a stack of paperwork on my desk. It had come in the mail yesterday and I’d spent so long just staring at it. She had my dark hair and eyes, but the rest of her was nothing like me. She was perfect.

Seeing my biggest failure was too painful. I turned the photo over and returned it to the stack of paperwork.

I’d been a fucking idiot to think I could ever change. Tailored shirts and fancy shoes couldn’t change who I was inside–a selfish, miserable fuck who laid waste to goodness and beauty.

A loud knock sounded on my door.

“Hey Kane?” It was Felicia, one of the servers.

“Get out.”

“But—”

“Get the fuck out,” I growled.

She closed the door.

I was in no state to be around people right now. Too fucking bad I couldn’t escape myself.

Viv

I was deep in thought when Marcus Anderson walked into my office. I unfurrowed my brow and returned his smile. At age thirty-six, he was the youngest partner at my firm. He was also very easy on the eyes, with a tall, athletic build and pale blue eyes with corners that crinkled with laugh lines when he smiled. Cara had been trying to land him for months, though I told her sleeping with a co-worker, and a partner at that, was not a good idea.

“Viv, am I catching you at a bad time?” Marcus asked. “You look like you’re in the middle of a big decision.”

I grinned sheepishly. “Sort of. I’m trying to decide if I want these boots in brown or black.”

He laughed and I closed my laptop screen.

“Come on in,” I said. “I’m done working for the day and was just winding down before I leave.”

It was nearly seven PM, which was a respectable time to leave at our firm.

“Do you have dinner plans?” Marcus asked.

“Uh . . .”

His smile widened. “I had a big case come in today and I’m going to need co-counsel. I wanted to discuss it with you.”

“Me?” I pointed at myself. Lame. But I couldn’t help it. Never had a partner asked me to be co-counsel on a case.

“Yes.”

I put my hands in my lap to curtail any more pointing and cleared my throat.

“Do you mean just discuss the case, or are you considering me as co-counsel? I mean, either way, of course I’m in.”

“You as co-counsel. You’re doing a great job for us, Viv. I’d like to help you add a feather to your cap.”

This was just the breakthrough I needed. I’d been wallowing in sadness for almost two weeks, trying not to think of Kane and failing most of the time. With every day that passed without a phone call from him, I sank further into the realization that it was over between us.

“Thank you, Marcus.” I rose from my chair and walked to my coat rack, taking off my coat. “Discussing the case over dinner sounds great. We could try that new Japanese place Maggie mentioned the other day.”

“Yeah, I was actually wanting to go to one of my favorite places. It’s a club, but they’ve got amazing food. And it doesn’t really gear up ‘til ten or so. Have you been to Six?”

My stomach sank but I forced my expression to remain impassive.

“I have.”

“Great. Lemme grab my coat and we’ll go catch a cab.”

He left my office and I cringed at the open doorway. Six was the only place in the entire city I didn’t want to set foot in. But I’d have to put on a brave face and do it anyway. Opportunities like this didn’t come along often.

I smoothed the front of my dark gray suit and put my coat on. Maybe Kane wouldn’t be there tonight. Or maybe he wouldn’t see me if he was. It was all I could hope for, because if I saw him, I was afraid I’d lose it in front of the partner I was trying to impress.

Marcus made small talk about football and the upcoming remodel of our office on the ride to the club. When the cab pulled up in front of the club, I eyed the long line skeptically.

“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” I said, trying not to give away the relief I felt. I was most definitely not dropping Kane’s name this time.

“Won’t be a problem,” Marcus said, passing some cash to the cab driver.

I lingered an extra couple seconds in the cab. If Marcus could get past that line, he could probably get upstairs, too.

The burly guy at the door cracked a small smile when he saw Marcus and clapped him on the shoulder. He stood aside and we walked in.

I looked at the ground and let my hair swing down to cover my face as we were led to a two-person booth near the bar. Marcus helped me out of my coat and I set it beside me and climbed into the booth.

He ordered a beer, I ordered a soda. As soon as our waitress had disappeared, Marcus grinned at me from across the table. He took a pen from his pocket and scrawled something on a napkin. When he slid it across the table, I glanced down at it.

Henley Cartwright

He was one of Hollywood’s hottest actors. Maybe twenty-five years old and loaded. He was married to one of Hollywood’s most beautiful actresses and they were considered one of the biggest power couples in the industry.

“That’s our client,” Marcus said, pulling the napkin away and sliding it into an inner pocket of his suit coat.

My eyes widened, but I said nothing. Our drinks were delivered and I took a sip before speaking.

“He’s the petitioner, then?”

“No, she is.”

“Alright. So the news isn’t out yet, obviously.”

Marcus nodded. “They both want everything settled and signed prior to their PR person making a statement. They’re both on location for work right now, so we’ve got about a month to get it done.”

“Got it.”

My gaze unconsciously wandered around the crowded club, searching for Kane. I missed his gruff voice and its undercurrent of tenderness when we were alone. I still saw the hunger swirling in his eyes that night at my apartment.

And I was still thoroughly pissed off at him for leaving and not calling. Maybe he wasn’t so different from other men, after all.

“Viv?”

“Hmm?” I turned back to Marcus.

“You looking for someone?”

I sighed. “I don’t . . . uh . . . sorry. You were saying?”

“How ‘bout a real drink and some food?” He reached into his leather satchel and pulled out a file. “We can start talking property disbursement and numbers.”

“Sure.” I took a deep breath and pushed Kane from my mind. “About the food and the work, anyway. I don’t drink alcohol while I’m working.”

“You will eventually.” Marcus tipped back his bottle of beer. “Give it a couple years.”

I smiled weakly. “Yeah.”

Kane had to be here. I could feel his presence in the club, warm and commanding. Sitting here was proving much harder than I’d expected.

I took my dark rimmed reading glasses out of my bag and put them on, sending me into mental work mode. Marcus talked while I reviewed the paperwork and nibbled on raw veggies.

“Four homes?” I glanced up from the page I was reading. “So they get two apiece?”

“I don’t know.” Marcus shrugged. “They both want the L.A. place a lot.”

The pull was too strong to resist. I had to at least see him, which I hoped to do without him seeing me.

“I need to run to the bathroom,” I said, returning the paper to its file. “If the food comes, don’t wait for me to start eating.”

Marcus nodded, his gaze scanning the club now, too. Was his mind also somewhere else?

I headed toward the bathroom, waiting until I was past the crowd to change direction. The hallway where Kane’s office was located was empty. I walked to his door quickly, before I lost my nerve.

It was closed. Was he inside? I pictured him in front of his massive wood desk, his brows drawn together in thought.

I wanted to knock. I wanted to barge in, actually, and demand the answers to the questions that had been driving me crazy for two weeks. My hand went to the door, but instead of knocking I laid my palm flat against the dark wood.

If he wanted to see me, he would’ve called. I knew that in my head, but my heart was a different story.

I felt the warmth of a presence behind me and spun around. Kane’s dark, calculating eyes were locked on mine. His palms rested on the door now, one beside each of my shoulders, pinning me in.

My heart pounded as his eyes bored into mine. He wore his trademark scowl and his beard looked a bit shorter. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but something kept me rooted in place. He was angry. At me.

“Nice to see you, Viv,” he ground out. “Something I can do for you and your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Prospective boyfriend, then?”

His bitter tone reignited my anger. “What do you care? You walked out and never called.”

He leaned closer and I took in his smoky cedar scent. “I’m not right for you. But you didn’t need to come here and rub my fuckin’ face in it.”

“Why? Why didn’t you at least call? I thought we had something good starting.”

He dipped his head down and stared at the floor. My pulse raced from his nearness. If only he’d lift his face back up to mine so I could try to read what was in his dark chocolate eyes right now.

“What are you doing with Marcus?” he demanded. “Are you dating him?”

His voice held notes of both bitterness and hope. It told me more than words ever could have. This couldn’t be the end for us. He still felt something, too. I reached out and grabbed a fistful of his black t-shirt, pulling him toward me.

“No,” I said softly. “This is a work meeting. He’s not the one I want . . . you are.”

Kane raised his face back to mine and leaned all the way in, his forehead resting against mine. He pressed a knee to the door between my legs. I arched my back, closing the space between us.

“Careful, Viv,” he said, his voice a low rumble of warning.

“Or what?” My chest moved in and out against his.

He wrapped an arm around my lower back, turning the door handle with his free hand. When the door was open, he pushed his body against mine and we both tumbled into the office. I stumbled but he tightened his hold on my back, keeping me upright.

I held tight to his shirt as he kicked the door closed and picked me up, his big hands cradled around my backside. He put my back against the door and leaned in to me again.

“Or you’ll see the side of me I’ve held back. The side that won’t stop like I did that night at your place.”

The corners of my mouth turned up in a small smile. “Maybe that’s what I want.”

He groaned and pressed his lips to mine, his tongue sweeping across mine in a deep kiss that sent a dizzying wave of arousal from my head down to my toes.

I was pinned against the door by him, our bodies perfectly aligned. My breasts pressed against his solid chest and my hips instinctively arched against him. His thick, rigid erection against my belly reminded me that I had some control over him, too.

“You smell so fuckin’ good, Viv,” he said, his breath hot on my neck. He pressed a soft kiss to my collarbone, his soft beard brushing over my skin.

“I want you,” I said, a note of desperation in my tone. “I want that leather and cedar smell of you all over me. I want to taste you and feel you and hear you say my name when you come.”

With a low growl, he hiked my leg up around his hip. The pencil skirt of my suit strained and my leg fell back down. Kane grunted his frustration and picked me up, his hands squeezing my ass as he carried me to his large wood desk.

My heart raced with a hot, heady sensation. Kane’s hungry gaze made me forget all my inhibitions. When he set me on the floor and hiked my skirt up around my hips, I moaned softly.