by Kwan, Coleen
Brooke came up to greet them and, after a few minutes of chitchat, she drew Lex away, insisting she had to introduce him to someone. As the press of people thickened around them, Carl ushered Jacinta to a secluded corner in the living room.
“I’m glad you two are back together,” he said more quietly when there was no one within earshot. “I wasn’t exaggerating when I said it was the best news in months.”
Jacinta took a sip of her cocktail. “That’s very sweet of you, Carl.”
“I’m not just saying that. Lex was devastated when you two broke up.”
She choked on her drink. “Lex? Devastated? I find that hard to believe.”
“No, really, he was impossible to be around, let alone work for.”
Disbelief crushed at her heart. Had the breakup left Lex gut-wrenched and miserable too? She couldn’t picture him crying over her. I thought you were a woman of integrity, he’d snarled at her. But you’re just like all the rest of them. You’re only interested in what you can get out of me. Well, I’m no one’s sap, least of all yours.
She gulped down the sudden rush of raw emotion and shook her head. “That’s very flattering, but I know what Lex is like. I’m sure he had no trouble finding a replacement for me, and probably within a week of our breakup.”
Carl ducked his head and studied his drink. “Oh, um, well, I don’t know about that...”
Her heart sank as his shamefaced expression gave him away. “You don’t have to cover up for Lex. He and I have a policy of complete honesty between us now, so you can tell me. How long did it take him to hook up with another woman?”
Carl squirmed under her scrutiny. Why was she doing this? Why was she torturing herself imagining Lex with another woman?
“I can’t remember exactly,” Carl muttered. “But you know what Lex is like. Women come onto him all the time.”
Jacinta’s heart squeezed tighter. She didn’t want to know, she really didn’t, but... “So there’ve been quite a few, then.”
His face contorted again in embarrassment. “No one special—oh damn. The more I talk, the more I put my foot in it. Forget about those women. They were nothing to him. He was just trying so hard to forget you, but in the end he couldn’t. You’re the only one for him, that’s all that matters, and I’m relieved he’s come to his senses at last.”
Through the sliding doors she caught sight of Lex standing on the outside deck with Brooke and a growing group of partygoers, many of them female. She’d always known Lex was as irresistible to women as chocolate. When they’d been a couple it had never bothered her because he’d never shown the slightest interest in any female besides her, but now the sight of him ringed by so many attractive, available women sent a stinging shaft through her. She hadn’t realized jealousy could taste so bitter.
At that moment he glanced up, as if he could sense her churning thoughts, and then he made his excuses to those around him and crossed the deck to the living room. He moved like a black panther, muscles sleek beneath his dark clothing, a beautiful, dangerous animal.
“Having a good time out there?” she couldn’t help asking and was surprised by the barb in her voice.
Lex’s eyes narrowed. “What have you two been talking about?”
“Oh, nothing much.” Carl cleared his throat.
“Carl was telling me how relieved he was you’ve come to your senses at last,” Jacinta said.
“Come to my senses?”
“Yes, and I was just about to tell him how we got back together,” Jacinta continued, suddenly reckless. She shouldn’t care that Lex had turned to other women the moment they’d broken up, but no amount of rationalizing could stem the hurt or the impulse to lash out. Linking her arm through Lex’s, she addressed her words to Carl.
“A few days ago, Lex called asking to see me. I hung up on him. He tried again a bunch of times, but I refused to talk to him. Then, a couple of nights ago, he appeared outside my bedroom window and started singing ‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’—you know, that cheesy eighties song. Well, Lex is a very talented guy, but not at singing. He really stinks. The neighbors started complaining, throwing stuff at him, but he just kept on singing, and eventually I felt sorry for him and let him in.”
Carl wiped his eyes, his face red from his chortling. “Lex singing? That’s priceless. Wait until I tell Brooke this.”
Lex’s arm had stiffened against hers. Annoyance radiated off him in pulsing waves, and without turning she knew how angry he’d look. But it was worth it, if only for Carl’s reaction. If she had to be Lex’s pretend girlfriend, then she might as well enjoy the opportunity to make him squirm. God knew, they didn’t come around very often.
“You know me. Deep down I’m just a romantic fool.” Lex’s voice, low and unsettling, vibrated in her ear. He circled his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him, his hand closing possessively on her hip. The tingle that ran down her spine quickly turned to alarm as she peeked up and met his simmering gaze. Uh-oh, she’d gone too far.
“But it was worth it, wasn’t it, darling?” he murmured.
He tilted up her chin, and the glint in his eye gave her a split-second warning, but she was too startled to do anything before he pressed his mouth onto hers. Her squeak of surprise was muffled by his kiss—a warm, confident, exciting kiss. Her breathing stopped. His mouth moved more insistently. The last vestiges of resistance melted beneath his sensual heat. Her lips parted of their own volition, and then...oh God, his tongue shifted into her mouth, triggering a rush of need to her pelvis. Senses reeling, she was helpless under the practiced sweep of his tongue. How she’d missed this, dreamed of it. Her tongue moved against his, tentative, and his answering lick made her breasts tingle. She wanted more, she wanted...
Gasping, she somehow wrenched herself free.
“How...” How dare you? she’d been about to splutter before Carl’s bemused expression swam into her vision and brought her up short. Her lips were throbbing, her mind haywire, her body on fire. She felt like she’d just downed a couple of shots of vodka.
Lex’s arm continued to imprison her waist as his palm slid up and down the silky material stretching over her hips. “Honey, if you continue giving me that doe-eyed stare, you’ll make poor Carl here run away in embarrassment.”
“Oh, don’t mind me, you two lovebirds.” Carl chuckled.
“You hear that?” Lex’s lips brushed her hair. “Carl doesn’t mind.”
A fresh group of partygoers surged into the living room and diverted Carl’s attention. The room was getting crowded and stuffy. Lex ushered her out onto the deck, where they joined another group.
She thought he would release her, but he kept his arm around her. She wiggled her hips, only for his hand to shift up to her waist, his grip sure and solid. Through the filmy stuff of her dress she could feel every inch of him impressed against her length. For the life of her she couldn’t concentrate on anything except Lex and his kiss and how his touch had all her senses leaping. The faint scent of his cologne scattered her wits even further, bringing up shameful memories of how she hadn’t washed her bed linen for ages after they’d split, so desperate to hang onto the last traces of him still lingering on her sheets.
“Relax,” he whispered in her ear.
She started at the feel of his lips against her earlobe. He drew her a few steps away from the group.
“You’re as jumpy as a kitten,” he said. “I can feel you trembling.”
“It’s your fault. Who said you could kiss me?”
“You’re my girlfriend.”
“That does not give you the right to—to manhandle me whenever you like.”
“You could have pulled back anytime, but you didn’t. You enjoyed it.”
Her lips were still throbbing from the kiss. Yes, dammit, she’d enjoyed it. Too much. It had triggered memories of their first explosive kiss on the first night they’d met, a kiss that had shattered all her puny resistance. After that kiss, she’d fallen completely und
er his spell.
“That’s not the point,” she said. “The point is, kissing was not part of the arrangement.”
“Wasn’t it?”
“Not that kind of kissing.”
“What’s the big deal? We’ve kissed thousands of times before.” His hand moved up to her bare back and began to stroke tiny circles across her spine. His eyes turned to blue smoke. “And it was just an innocent peck.”
Under his light caress, her skin quivered; he knew exactly how to mesmerize her with his teasing touch, how to turn her into a melting jelly of lust. Before she had a chance to dissolve, she made herself pull away. “An innocent peck doesn’t involve tongues.”
“Oh, the tongue. Well, that was just a little payback for making me look like an idiot in front of Carl.”
Just as she’d suspected. He hadn’t appreciated her storytelling skills. She flicked back her hair. “If you want Carl to believe we’re suddenly an inseparable couple after months of silence, then you need a convincing story. What would you have told him?”
“Anything else. You know he’s going to repeat that crap to everyone?”
He seemed rattled. Surprised, she squeezed his arm. “Aw, but it’s such a cute story.”
“Yeah?” He leaned into her, his hands tightening around her waist. “So what happened after I croaked out ‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’ and you let me in?”
“Uh, well, we talked all night—”
“Talked all night? Sounds boring. Not like me at all.” He moved her backward. Leaves rustled as he maneuvered her past some bushes and out of sight from the other partygoers. “Didn’t we rip each other’s clothes off before doing it six ways till Sunday?”
Her heart was pattering fast, and she couldn’t stop trembling. “N-no, we didn’t.”
“I think we did. I think we did it all night.” Darkness and virility enclosed her, as palpable as his hot, powerful body. “Let me refresh your memory.”
He curled one hand around her nape. Then he dipped his head, and although she had time to pull away, she didn’t. She just stood there, transfixed with anticipation as his mouth descended on hers. This was no sweet, romantic kiss, but controlling and ravenous.
Pushing her up against a brick wall, he plastered himself over her, his free hand grabbing her ass. His roughness was still such a turn-on, God help her. She heard herself moaning against his mouth as her insides turned to mush and excitement streaked through her. She couldn’t resist folding her arms around him, splaying her hands across his wide back to press him closer.
His tongue tangled with hers before he daisy-chained a line of kisses down her throat. The thrill of his lips nipping at her skin had her arching into him. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, a faint voice warned her to stop, but how could she end what her body so desperately craved?
His hands...oh, there was such magic in his broad, sure hands. They caressed her ass and hips before moving up slowly over her bare back, each confident stroke sending fresh heat through her. With his mouth and his hands he ravished her, his thigh thrust between her legs, pinning her to the wall. Material crinkled, and then he slipped both hands under her halter top to cup her breasts.
“Oh ye-ah,” he murmured into her neck. “I remember these...”
She couldn’t breathe; she was on fire. In his hands, her breasts felt heavy and aching and wonderful, and she felt herself filling with heady sexual power. Only Lex could do this to her, make her feel so voluptuous and sensational and shameless. He angled his thigh against her mound as his thumbs grazed lazily against her nipples. Gasping, she bent her head back. As her eyes fluttered open, she caught a glimpse of his face—flushed with arousal, a small smile on his lips... A triumphant smile, almost swaggering.
Shame engulfed her. Christ, she was such an idiot, letting herself get carried away when all the while he was gloating at her weakness.
She pushed him away, and, taken by surprise, he staggered back. A blank look of astonishment came over his face, masking his satisfaction.
“You can stop right there,” she managed to get out through her straining breaths. “You’re not getting back into my panties.”
Breathing hard, he shoved his fingers through his hair. His trousers made a pup tent over his unmistakable hard-on. God, what might have happened if she hadn’t pushed him away?
Frustration showed in his face. “I never thought you were a tease.”
“I’m not.” She tugged her dress into place, feeling ashamed and stupid. “That was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
She couldn’t stand there blushing, so she spun around and marched off, knowing he couldn’t follow her until he’d cooled down a little. It won’t happen again. It won’t happen again. If only she could be so sure of that.
Chapter Four
From the terrace of Lex’s Pacific Heights mansion, the views stretched out across the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. On a bright and breezy Saturday, the waters were sprinkled with sailing boats, their sails billowing in the freshening wind. The spectacle should have been restful, but instead Lex’s shoulder muscles were bunched and his stomach was tight with tension. Instead of enjoying the fresh air and the view, all he could think about was the woman he’d just left in his study.
Jacinta had arrived an hour ago to start her analysis of the IT security log files, just as they’d arranged the previous night. The thought of last night made his back muscles screw up tighter. He couldn’t stop thinking about the kisses they’d shared. That first kiss he’d forced on her was meant as payback, but instead it had ambushed him, inflamed him so he couldn’t resist pulling her into the bushes and kissing her some more. And that time she’d kissed him back, her mouth unfurling, her tongue sweeping over his, her body softening into his hold in that hedonistic way that always drove him wild.
A few seconds in his embrace and she’d demolished all his defenses. In the months following their breakup, he’d worked so hard to obliterate her from his memories, but one minute of kissing her, relishing her silky skin, cupping her full, gorgeous breasts, and he was rock hard and desperate to lose himself inside her. Ready to lose his head over her yet again.
He let out a muffled groan. Was this a good idea, or was he playing with fire? He gazed across the terrace toward his study. Through the French doors, he watched Jacinta seated at his desk as she peered intently at his computer screen, her fingers toying abstractedly with her hair.
She was good at her job, no denying that. If the mole had left a trace of how the leak had happened, she’d find it. He’d been right to contact her. But he’d have to put a tighter leash on his libido when she was around. If he couldn’t keep his hands off her, she might change her mind about helping him. And it didn’t do him any good to lose control and self-respect over his ex-girlfriend.
Lex forced himself to turn away. Leaving his house, he walked to Lafayette Park where he stewed over his problems. His business worries were inextricably linked with his family difficulties. He couldn’t trust his family, yet soon he might be forced to tell them the secret he’d kept to himself all these months. If he hadn’t caught his betrayer by then, things could get nasty. He needed to find this mole soon.
He returned to his house as unsettled as he’d left it. Jacinta was still at the desk when he reentered the study.
“Sorry,” Jacinta said. “I haven’t found anything useful yet.”
“Why don’t you take a break?” he said. “I’ll make us some coffee.”
She followed him into the kitchen, where she hopped onto a stool at the marble counter while he started up the De’Longhi espresso machine.
“I’ll need a few other logs to check,” she said when he produced a latte for her and slid it across the counter. “You don’t have them right now, but your IT department should be able to provide them for you.”
“Sure, just write down what you need, and I’ll get it.” He popped a dark roast capsule for himself into the machine.
“My time wasn’t completely wa
sted,” Jacinta said. “I downloaded the latest driver for your printer so you won’t get those fuzzy lines when you print out photos.”
“Thanks.” He lifted his eyebrows. “I’ve been trying to get that figured out for a while.”
A small smile played on her lips. “It still amazes me that someone as smart as you can be such a techno-dunce about printers.”
“So you admit I’m smart?” He grinned.
“Did you hear my complete sentence?”
“Nope. I stopped listening as soon as you said I was smart.”
“Figures.” She chuckled. “You really should get someone from your office to maintain your home computer equipment.”
“I guess that would be better than calling IT support after hours.”
He stopped short, the grin slipping from his lips. Jacinta lowered her gaze to her coffee. Calling IT support after hours was how he’d met her in the first place. Late one night, unable to print a document at his office and too impatient to wait until morning, he’d paged the on-call person, who had somehow inveigled Kevin to cover for him. But Kevin had left the pager at Jacinta’s place, and when she’d read the message on the pager she’d worried her brother would get into trouble and responded to the call herself, even though she wasn’t an employee.
Which was how a gorgeous woman with long, dark hair and a killer smile had walked into Lex’s office at ten p.m. and evaporated all his testy frustration. She’d fixed his printer problem with insulting ease and made him forget why he was even working late. From the moment she’d handed his printed page to him with a grin and a roll of her caramel eyes, he’d lusted after her. Had known he wouldn’t stop pursuing her until she was his. Luckily, she was just as hot for him, and soon she was where he’d first envisioned her—in his bed. All his.
She wasn’t his anymore, but damn it was hard to erase the memories.
“So your boss is okay with you helping me out?” he asked as he turned back to the coffee machine.
“He’s not thrilled I’ve pushed back some of my deadlines.” She shrugged. “But he’ll survive.”
