"What's wrong with flannel?” he asked seconds before recapturing her mouth with his own.
She dug her hands into the material of his shirt and moaned, feeling the rock-hard solidness beneath. The tips of her fingers burned with fire and hunger for the feel of his skin against her own. Shoving aside his shirt, she worked it down over his arms and back, freeing him of the soft, sexy material.
They broke the kiss, coming up for air. “It's always in the way."
"Not now, it isn't."
"True. And I have a new ... appreciation for it,” she gasped.
"Appreciation?” His hand pushed up higher beneath her top and snuck under her bra. He cupped her breast.
Her breath hitched.
He smiled.
"Oh, yeah.” She pushed up from beneath him, knocked him off balance and rolled him over onto his back. She climbed aboard. “I've discovered flannel is ... hot.” Running her hands over abs and pecs as hard and solid as bricks, she leaned forward and pressed her breasts against his chest.
He pushed her back long enough to strip away her top, exposing the latest addition to her bra collection.
"Sweet heaven,” he said, his gaze soaking up the sight of her breasts showcased in scarlet satin and lace.
"You like?"
"Like is an understatement.” He sat up and laved her breasts with his tongue—teasing and tormenting her into oblivion. Her head fell back. A moan escaped her throat.
"It's a Venus,” she panted.
"Mmm. Nice. It's got to go,” he said against a deep swell of breast the bra helped accentuate to perfection. Alex's hands encircled her waist and skimmed up her back to the clasp.
Her stomach rumbled. Casey froze. Her stomach rumbled again, only this time it lurched, too.
Alex pulled back. “After all you ate, you can't be hungry."
Casey's stomach did a second major pitch. She scooted off of Alex, clutching her stomach. Dots of sweat broke out on her forehead. Damn. She was going to be sick.
"It's not hunger,” she moaned.
"You look pale. You okay?"
"No.” Clutching her stomach, she fled for the bathroom, stopping only long enough to kick the door shut and fling up the toilet seat.
What a lousy way to end the date that wasn't.
* * * *
Casey walked through the Studs office door at a snail's pace, the only speed her aching, tortured body would allow this early on a rotten Monday morning. She'd never spent a more miserable thirty-six hours than these past ones. Contracting food poisoning, flying home while sicker than a dog, and trying hard not to throw up in the lap of her handsome architect, had been exhausting. Not to mention humiliating.
Through the dark sunglasses shielding her eyes, she tried to focus on her steps and prayed her leaden feet would carry her down the hall to her office without an embarrassing incident.
The last thing she wanted was to put up with a round of ribbing from her partners because she'd passed out in the lobby of their office with drool on her cheek.
Terri worked diligently at her desk, and Sydnie was nowhere in sight. Thank God.
Casey held her breath and tip-toed her way along the paisley carpet. Terri didn't look up from her computer screen. Yea. She was going to make it.
"So, you are alive,” Terri said softly as Casey reached the magazine rack overflowing with the latest home decorator issues. Casey stopped and wobbled on her feet. Thunder crashed in her head from the sound of Terri's voice.
Damn. So much for sneaking by and saving her aching body from the pain and exhaustion of communication. Slowly, she turned around. Her ankles threatened to collapse and let her crash to the floor. What the hell had she been thinking to wear heels today? The dumb shoes added a good three inches to her height, giving her head exactly seventy-one inches to fall to a concussion—if she was lucky. A concussion was the only way to avoid any more major embarrassment and pain. She'd experienced her fair share over the last day-and-a-half and didn't care to add to the tally.
"Why wouldn't I be alive?” Casey asked after getting her bearings straight.
"Your wild weekend in Memphis...?” Terri shrugged, a grin twitched at her lips, implying far too much.
"It wasn't a wild weekend. It was a business trip,” Casey said defensively. Her stomach muscles screamed in objection to talking above a whisper. “And I got food poisoning."
"Uh-huh. If you say so.” Terri giggled, but she didn't stop typing on her computer. The light clicks of the keys sounded like gunshots to Casey's ears.
"It's true. Now quit. Quit typing. You're killing me."
Terri stopped her work and Casey sighed in relief. She closed her eyes and squeezed the bridge of her nose, hoping that minor discomfort would take away the pain in her stomach.
"Maybe I ought to check out Memphis,” Terri continued, for whatever reason not taking Casey seriously. “I need some excitement in my life. Things have been boring for me lately."
Casey wanted to protest that getting food poisoning far from the comforts of one's own bathroom, and then having to endure a five-hour flight, didn't constitute a wild weekend in Memphis. But even the idea of uttering a word required more energy than she could muster.
"Oh, hey. Alex is here,” Terri said.
"What? Already? It's so early,” Casey groaned. Her cheeks warmed in embarrassment, knowing he'd witnessed her at her very worst with her head stuck in a toilet bowl. Thankfully he'd endured her misery on the plane with good humor, and had been as attentive to her needs as a mother hen—tucking her in the best he could with a blanket and pillow in a tight airplane seat. During the moments she'd really felt tough, he'd offered words of comfort and tried to keep her mind occupied with silly words games and trivia.
He'd been sweet, caring, and wonderful. The man deserved five gold stars.
She just wasn't in any condition, mentally or physically, to let Alex see her looking so bad again. She'd hoped he wouldn't come in until late afternoon, giving her a few hours to collapse under her desk and make a feeble effort at recouping.
"It's ten o'clock,” Terri said.
"It can't be that late."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but it is."
"How long has he been here?"
"About an hour."
An hour? Casey closed her eyes again and prayed for strength.
"I wasn't sure what you two had planned for today,” Terri continued. “So I told him he could wait in your office."
Great. Now Casey couldn't even commiserate in her private domain while gulping doses of Alka-Seltzer.
A new round of stomach pains pierced her insides, and the floor swayed beneath her feet. Okay. Either the floor was rising up to meet her, or was she well on her way toward meeting it. Maybe curling up into a fetal position right here in the middle of the waiting area wouldn't be such a bad idea.
"Boy, you are sick. Do you need some help?” Terri asked.
"I'll be fine as soon as the fire-breathing monkeys quit jumping around in my stomach."
"That says it all.” Terri sprang from her chair and put an arm around Casey. “I'll help you to your office."
"No, it's okay. Really. I can ... do it.” Casey grabbed her stomach and moaned.
"I don't think so. You should have stayed home, Case. You're in no condition to be here, let alone get any work done,” Terri scolded.
"I thought I would be fine by now."
"Thought? Obviously your stomach is impeding the rational thinking side of your cranium. You have food poisoning."
Cranium? What a big word for a crappy day.
"Now, it's as simple as putting one foot in front of the other,” Terri instructed. “Sing it with me. You ... put one foot in front of the other—"
"Very funny. You're a real comedian."
"I try."
"Do me a favor and let's keep this between us, okay? It's bad enough Alex heard me puke my guts out, I don't want the whole world to know about it."
"It's food poisonin
g, Case. It's not like you went out and got smashed and thrown in jail. This isn't your fault."
"I know. It's just embarrassing. Especially ... Alex ... we were on the bed..."
"On the bed?” Terri stopped short in front of Casey's office door. “You mean you two were gettin’ it on when you got sick?” she whispered so Alex wouldn't hear through the door.
Casey closed her eyes and grimaced at Terri's words. “Don't remind me. Every time I think about what I gave up because of some stupid potato salad, I could scream."
"Was it good?” Terri asked. “Did you have time to do much before you hurled?"
Casey groaned. “Thanks for making it sound even worse."
"Sorry. But come on. Tell me what happened."
Casey thought back to every touch of Alex's hands on her skin, every brush of his whiskers against her breasts, every kiss. A sigh escaped her lips. “It was magnificent, amazing, incredible. It was shaping up to be the best sex I've ever had. Oh, life is so unfair."
"What rotten luck."
"Par for the course for me. Look, Terri.” She grabbed her friend's arms not only for support, but to plead her case. “You've got to help me get out of here, now. I can't face Alex, not yet. And especially not looking like this. I have major circles under my eyes that I didn't have yesterday."
"That explains the glasses."
"Yes.” Casey whipped off her sunglasses to prove just how bad she looked.
Terri grimaced. “Ah, yeah. You do sort of look like a raccoon."
"Gee. Thanks for the charming analogy. What the hell was I thinking? I should have stayed home."
"You weren't thinking, remember?"
"Okay. Okay.” She cupped her forehead trying to stop the massive pounding against her skull.
"Hey, it's not too late. Alex doesn't know you're here. Go home and get some rest."
Casey put her sunglasses back on and sighed in relief. “Right. Now help me get out of here before—” Her office door swung wide, cutting her off in mid-sentence.
Casey froze. There Alex stood, tall and imposing. And as intoxicating as ever.
Chapter Eleven
Casey's heart lodged in her throat. So much for a quick escape.
"Good morning, sweetheart,” Alex said with a smile way too cheery for decency's sake. He braced a hand on the door jamb and leaned forward. “I was wondering when you'd make it in today."
"When? You knew I'd come?"
"You're too stubborn not to."
"Stubborn, am I? Well, I think you're ... overconfident."
"Is that right,” he stated dryly. His eyes blazed with challenge.
"Uh,” Terri caught her bottom lip between her teeth, “I think the phone is about to ring. I better get back to my desk so I can answer it. She's all yours, Alex.” Terri placed Casey's hand in his and scurried back down the hall.
Casey inhaled sharply at the touch and tried to pull away, but Alex held fast.
"Thanks,” he said. “I'll take good care of her."
In spite of feeling lousy, little tingles of desire zipped through every aching inch of Casey's body. And he'd made it happen with only the simple touch of his hand, and six little words. I'll take good care of her. Casey's heart stilled. How long had she waited to hear such words? More years than she cared to count. Did she dare let herself believe them? Believe Alex?
"Do you always wear your sunglasses inside?” he asked, forcing her to refocus her thoughts. “Or do you have something to hide?"
"Why would I have anything to hide?” Casey pulled her hand away, lifted her chin, and breezed past him into her office. The move hurt to high heaven, but she'd never let Alex know how much. Making a beeline for the vertical blinds, she grabbed the chain and yanked them shut.
"You tell me."
She turned and pretended to look through some papers on her desk, hoping to appear too busy to answer his question, but even that small effort took more energy than she had at the moment. Groping behind her for the arms of her plush office chair, she slowly eased down into the leather softness without bothering to remove her coat. She let out the breath she'd been holding and closed her eyes.
"Do you have any toothpicks on you?” she asked.
"I seem to be fresh out. Why?"
Taking off her sunglasses, she tossed them onto the desk, too tired and spent to hide her affliction from him any longer. Besides, if he didn't run at the mere sight of her, he'd prove once more he was a man with a heart. “I want to use them to prop my eyes open so I can get something done.” She heard Alex chuckle, and with Herculean effort she forced open her left eye. “It's not funny."
"No, it's not. But you are."
"Me? Should I take that as a compliment, or as an insult?"
"A compliment, sweetheart. You make me laugh. And I haven't laughed in a long time."
She made him laugh? Casey had the feeling she'd just been paid one of the highest compliments Alex Roy could bestow. Her heart warmed.
Yet, the urge to ask him why he hadn't laughed for so long, nagged at her insides. She shifted her gaze and saw a dark intensity brewing in the depths of his eyes, warning her away from the subject.
"Look,” he said, breaking the sudden, awkward silence. “Let me run you home so you can rest. I'll come back and work. Then if you feel up to it, we can meet later and weed through the ideas we haven't come up with yet."
"I appreciate the offer.” Gingerly, Casey shook her head. “But I can't leave. We need ideas fast. We're working on such a tight schedule the way it is."
"Case, as you found out, food poisoning is no picnic—no pun intended. You need to rest. A few hours here or there isn't going to make that much difference. Besides, with the condition you're in, you won't accomplish much anyway. And we don't have time for screw-ups, either."
"Thanks for your vote of confidence. You make me feel so much better,” she quipped.
"My pleasure."
Her stomach rumbled, and a new wave of exhaustion slithered through her body. At the moment she felt like she could sleep for a century and still be tired.
"All right. For once I'm in no mood to argue. I'll take you up on your offer for a ride home. I'd hate to fall asleep at the wheel and wreck my new car.” She rose, grabbing her purse and sunglasses.
"I'd hate that, too. Before we go anywhere though, I need your okay on a place to work. Can I set up a drafting table somewhere?"
Casey pointed to a vacant area by the aquarium. “That works for me, if it works for you?"
"Are you sure? I'd hate to crowd you, invade your privacy."
"No worry.” Casey flipped a hand in dismissal. “I come from a large family. I'm used to a small herd of siblings taking over my space.” Besides, I like the idea of being able to salivate over you all day long.
"Must've been nice,” he said with a hint of regret.
"Most of the time, no, but we did have a few moments I wouldn't trade for the world."
"Brothers? Sisters?"
"Two of each. All younger, and each one was so full of fire they could have burned down the city in their own right. In spite of their wicked ways though, they all turned out pretty good. How about you? Any siblings?"
"I was an only child."
"Wow. Bet that had its perks—like no sharing the bathroom, no fighting over what to watch on TV, or who got the window seat in the car, all that good stuff."
"Not when you get lost in the shadow of your parents’ careers."
Casey's heart pinched at the flat, cold tone of his words. She remembered how lonely she'd felt when her father left—how lonely she still was at times. Sure, she had good friends and her family, but there was still a void in her life created by the absence of her father. And Alex had a void, too—made by his parents’ lack of interest in their son.
She searched for something profound to say, but she could barely add two plus two at the moment. Pulling words of wisdom from the depths of her struggling brain was impossible.
And like Alex said, t
here was no time for screw-ups. Professional or personal.
"Hey. Look on the bright side,” she said. “At least you didn't have to baby sit all the time. Count yourself lucky on that score."
"Yeah. Lucky.” His words gave the impression he didn't care, but his eyes still said differently.
James, Sherry - [Studs For Hire 02] Page 15
