Jo Leigh - One-Click Buy - September Harlequin Blaze

She pulled the door closed tight after him, sank her hands on her hips and spun to face him. “What in the hell are you trying to pull?”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t play innocent with me. I know what you’re up to.”

“You do?”

“Yes, and stop smiling at me.”

“You don’t like being smiled at?”

“Not by you.”

“What’s wrong with me?” He was enjoying teasing her.

“You…you dressed up like Captain Jack and took advantage of my case of mistaken identity.”

“Hey, now-” he raised a finger “-you were the one who pulled me into the closet.”

“So why did you come here today?” She folded her arms protectively over her chest.

“To get an ad campaign rolling for my new condos.”

“Liar.”

“Okay,” he admitted, “that wasn’t the only reason I chose Sharper Designs. I wanted to see you again, Katie, and apologize for what happened in the closet.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. It happened. It’s over, and now that I know you’re not Brooke’s boyfriend, well, I don’t even have to feel guilty about it anymore, now do I?”

Liam angled his head and studied her face for a long moment. In spite of her words, she was still feeling guilty. “You made quite an impression on me.”

“Let’s get something straight,” she said. “You’re hiring my talents as a graphic designer, nothing more. As far as I’m concerned, Friday never happened. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You’re still doing it,” she said.

“Doing what?”

“Smiling at me. Stop smiling at me.”

“What’s wrong with smiling?”

“Because you look adorable when you smile.”

“I know,” he said, his grin widening. “I’m trying to be irresistible.”

“It’s not working,” she muttered. “You’re resistible.”

“You are such a bad liar.”

Her earlobes turned pink. She ducked her head, but then peeked up at him from underneath those long eyelashes. His heart slammed when he spied the hint of vulnerability in those blue depths. Her eyes narrowed the world to only him.

Liam felt special.

In a nervous gesture, she slipped her fingers through her hair, and tucked a sleek blond strand behind one perfectly shaped ear. Her breasts rose and fell beneath the V-neck of her crisp white blouse, and he spied the sexy blush of a pink bra underneath the white top.

Oh, yeah, she knew how to get to a man.

She spun another strand of golden hair around an index finger in a graceful motion. Her fingernails, he noted, were painted a soft high-society color of pale rose. She wore a single gold chain around her neck and her earrings were plain gold studs. But everything she had on was of the highest quality. It was the understated attire of a true blue blood.

She was contradictory. There were her classically tailored work clothes, and then there was the French-maid persona she let loose in closets. He liked the paradox.

His gaze hung on her lips. Rich, ripe, painted the color of summer strawberries. He caught his breath and waited.

For what, he didn’t know.

Katie flicked out her tongue and touched the tip of it to the glistening gloss of her upper lip. Slowly, she traced around the moist pink edges of her mouth with the cool certainty of a woman who knew exactly the effect she had on a man.

The overhead florescent hallway lighting slanted a shaft of illumination across her face. He looked down at her and was surprised to see a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. Tender feelings rose up in him. Feelings he’d never felt before and didn’t understand.

As they stared into each other’s eyes, the air leaked from their lungs in a simultaneous exhale.

Liam knew he was a goner. His gaze beaded on her lips. Lips he yearned to kiss again. He leaned forward, resting his arm on the wall above her head. Not thinking, just wanting.

Katie didn’t pull away. She was so near he could feel the heat of her skin. If they weren’t standing in the corridor of Sharper Designs, he would have kissed her.

They stared at one another with an astonishing mix of surprise, delight and stark sexual heat. He had to have her. Tony was right. The only way he was ever going to get Katie out of his system was to embrace his desires and find a way to charm this bedazzling woman into his bed.

“I’m coming back on Friday. Around one o’clock,” he said. “That gives you three days to come up with an art design for my condos. Do you think you can handle it?”

She lifted her chin. “I can handle it.”

“Oh, and there’s one other thing.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“I’m expecting to have my socks blown off.”

“ARE YOU SURE it has to be cold turkey?” Katie asked Tanisha after Liam had left Sharper Designs and they were in their office again. “Can’t I sort of taper off impulsive sex?”

“Absolutely not. It’s like when you’ve convinced yourself you’re only going to have one Oreo cookie and you end up scarfing down the whole box.”

“You are a tough taskmaster,” Katie grumbled.

“It’s for your own good,” Tanisha said sagely. “Builds character.”

“Sure, I’d like to see how good you’d be at giving up sex.”

“I’m not the one who was caught doing the deed with the wrong man at a masquerade party.”

“Touché.” Yes, while initially Liam might have been the wrong man, Katie found herself wondering if fate, in its roundabout way, might have actually dealt her the right man.

She thought of how he’d stared at her when she’d called him out into the hallway for their private chat. How very close his lips had been to hers. She felt hot and bothered all over. But before she had time to fully ride that train of thought Max marched into the office.

“Winfield,” he barked.

“Yes, sir?”

“I don’t have to tell you what landing the James account means to this firm.”

“No, sir.”

“And if making you art director is what it takes to seal the deal, then of course, I’m agreeing to it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“But I’m not happy about this development. I don’t know what you’ve got going on with Liam-”

“Sir, let me assure you, there’s nothing going on,” Katie said.

Max snorted. “Please, I saw the way the man was staring at you. If nothing is going on yet, then he’s looking to start something up.”

Katie’s face heated. Was their attraction that obvious? “Nothing’s going on,” she reiterated. Hadn’t she just turned over a new leaf?

Max impatiently waved away her denial. “Here it is. I don’t know what’s happening with you two and I really don’t care. All I care is that you pull off this campaign to his satisfaction. Personally, I don’t think you’re ready for the art-director position. You’re too young, too unmotivated.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Max cut her off. “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. Do well with this project and the promotion will be permanent. But if you screw this up, you’re out on your can. Got it?”

“Got it.” She resisted the urge to salute.

“As long as we’re clear on this. Now, get to work.” Max turned and stalked out of the office.

Katie slumped down in her chair. Talk about pressure.

She only had three measly days to come up with a design plan that would blow Liam’s socks off. If she wanted to keep her job, she had to make sure their attraction stayed firmly under control.

How to accomplish both goals?

She spent the remainder of the workday pondering the question. On the way to her car that evening, she passed by the pet shop and noticed that the cocker spaniel was still in the window. The minute the pup spied her, he went up on his hind legs, pushing his front paws up against the glass, tail wagging madly.