Shawna Delacorte - In Forbidden Territory

She silently berated herself for being too aggressive in her questions. She would need to be more subtle in enlisting Ty’s help. If only Mac hadn’t laughed at her six months ago when she had first worked up the courage to express her desire to work for his company. It would have made things so much easier for her now.

Ty would be a good conduit for swaying Mac’s initial reaction to her working for the company, but that wouldn’t make Mac realize she was no longer a child to be patronized and protected. It was a dilemma she knew she would be wrestling with again and again just as she was now wrestling with her intense attraction to Tyler Farrell.

After lunch they walked along the waterfront area. Each time he touched her—placing his hand at the small of her back to help guide her through a crowd, innocently draping his arm around her shoulder as they walked along the sidewalk, tugging on her hand to stop her when he wanted to point out a specific sight—a tremor of excitement rippled through her body followed by a warm sensuality that settled inside her.

But oddly enough, the excitement was tempered with a feeling of closeness. It was a special combination she had never experienced with anyone else, but one she found appealing and very comfortable. A hint of concern tried to work its way into the warmth surrounding her, a warmth that suddenly felt far too comfortable. She couldn’t afford to lose sight of her goal.

“How about a harbor cruise?” Ty’s question broke into her thoughts, jerking her back to the moment at hand.

“Sounds like fun.” Her words said one thing, but reality was something else. She knew spending more time with Ty could only lead to complications in her life, complications she didn’t want or need at this time.

A few minutes later they boarded the boat for the tour of Elliott Bay. The ocean breeze ruffled through her hair. The crisp air tickled her senses. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, held it for several seconds, then slowly exhaled. “I love being on the water. It always makes me feel so relaxed.” A cloak of calm and serenity settled over her.

Ty watched as a slight smile turned the corners of her mouth—the same delicious mouth he had sampled the previous evening. The same mouth that tasted of more and held the promise of tantalizing pleasures yet to be. He tried to clear his head of the ill-advised thoughts, of desires that could only lead to trouble. She was his best friend’s sister…his business partner’s sister…someone who should logically be off-limits. Yet he felt drawn to her on every level as he had never been with anyone before.

She definitely pushed every lustful button he possessed. His blood rushed hot and fast each time he came into physical contact with her. It was a sensation he wanted to pursue even though he knew it was forbidden territory. But there was more than merely wanting to get her into his bed for a night of unbridled passion—for many nights of unbridled passion. There was something else about her. Something that would not crystallize into a clear thought. Something he couldn’t seem to put into words—something intangible that scared him more than anything else ever had.

The next night Angie and Ty strolled hand in hand up the walkway to Mac’s front door. Her enthusiasm showed in her voice. “Thank you for the play. I love theater and really enjoyed this production.”

“It was my pleasure. I’m glad you were able to go with me.”

The house was dark, but they could see Mac’s car through the garage window. Ty gave her hand a little squeeze. “Mac’s probably asleep. He’s been putting in long hours for the past several days.” He indicated the two chairs on the porch. “Let’s sit here rather than going inside. Our conversation out here won’t wake him.”

Angie sat down. Ty scooted the other chair next to hers before sitting. She pursed her lips as if concentrating on something, then cocked her head and stared at Ty for a moment with her brow furrowed in thought. “I think he works too hard. Perhaps what he needs is some sort of personal assistant…an administrative assistant. Someone different than a secretary, with completely different duties. Someone with the expertise to comprehend his design projects and know how design works, someone who has the knowledge to understand conceptually how what he does relates to the business end.”

She knew she was grasping for straws, trying to pull the proverbial rabbit from the hat. She wanted to establish as many possible career opportunities for herself as she could. Surely one of them would capture Mac’s attention and be something she could build on in her pursuit of a solid career move.

Ty squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. Once again she had turned their conversation to the company as she had done on several occasions over the past three days and he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t know exactly how to respond. “Well, that’s an interesting description of a job.”

She flashed a sparkling smile, one she hoped appeared more casual than it felt. “Perhaps that’s something to keep in mind when you get down to serious discussion of your expansion plans.”

A soft chuckle escaped his throat, one that belied the caution in his eyes. “If I didn’t know better I’d swear you were putting in your bid for a job with the company. But, of course, that would be ridiculous. If you want a job all you need to do is tell Mac and I’m sure he’d hire you.”

“Well…now that you brought it up…”

Her words faded from his mind. A tightness pulled across his chest as the heat rose in his body. The streetlight provided just enough illumination to highlight her delicately sculpted features. He put a stop to any further discussion of company business, or anything else for that matter. He pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth with a kiss that quickly exploded with the passion that seemed to always be simmering just below the surface whenever he was close to her.

Her taste was as addictive as any narcotic. No matter how many times he kissed her, he knew it would never be enough. He ran his fingers through the silky strands of her hair, caressed her shoulders, then pulled her from the chair and onto his lap. A warning tried to push through his sensually fogged mind, but he shoved it away. At that moment he didn’t want anything to interfere with his pursuit of the captivating Angelina Coleman.

His breathing quickened. He knew exactly where he wanted this to go. He tightened his embrace, pulling her body closer to his. He felt her breasts press against his chest with each breath she took. He brushed his tongue against hers, reveling in the texture and the intimacy of the action. The kiss deepened as the level of sensuality surged through his body. The tingle of excitement rippled across his skin when she brushed her fingers against the back of his neck, then ran them through his hair.

More than anything he wanted to whisk her away to his house and spend the night making passionate love. But as much as that was what he wanted, he knew it couldn’t be. It was a topic he did not want to delve into any further, an internal battle he feared would be his undoing. He had any number of women who had been in his bed and would willingly be there again. All he needed to do was pick up the phone and dial. But that wasn’t what he wanted. Not one of them could measure up to Angie.

He reluctantly broke the kiss, but couldn’t stop himself from lingering a moment longer with his lips brushing softly against hers. He knew he had to leave before it was too late and he did something he would end up regretting.

He fought for control over the desire and emotion he feared would show up in his voice. “Angie…” He brushed another kiss against her lips, allowing his hand to slip from her back and come to rest on her hip. He suppressed a sigh of resignation, not wanting to show how much he didn’t want to say what he knew had to be said. “It’s getting late. I have an early-morning breakfast meeting in Seattle with the client who cancelled yesterday’s lunch meeting. I think I’d better head for home so I can get some sleep. I need to be bright and alert first thing in the morning.”