Bejeweled and Bedeviled Read Free

slipped into his receptive
mouth.
    Had he not wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her
tight, she most likely would have melted to the floor.
    Holy shit, the man could kiss. A strong, laying-my-claim
kiss that rocked her world and made her grateful for the few seconds of
steadying support he provided before pulling away.
    “One more thing before I leave.”
    Unable to form a coherent word, she nodded.
    He hooked her chin onto his index finger. “If you ever keep
me waiting again, for any reason, your delectable ass will take the brunt of my
displeasure.”

Chapter Two
     
    When the elevator doors opened to TLI’s lobby at nine the
next morning, it took Kayden several seconds to realize the high-pitched
whirring noise she heard was not the byproduct of sleep deprivation.
    She’d spent half the night fretting over her relinquishment
of control. The other half in the throes of some very erotic fantasies centered
around the heartthrob Dom to whom she’d literally given a free pass to every
nook and cranny of her body. The two hours since awakening in a sheet-twisted
sweat she’d wasted trying to figure out which caused her the most apprehension.
    Knowing either would take deeper thought than she was
currently capable of, she focused on the more mundane issue of noise.
    Since it usually took building maintenance days to get to
any reported problem, whatever had them up drilling this early didn’t bode well
for the quiet, appointment-free morning she’d contemplated.
    Not in any particular hurry to hear whatever bad news
awaited her, she peeled her slumped body away from the back wall of the
elevator and trudged through the spacious area that served as both waiting room
and secretary’s office.
    Halfway there, one of her other senses kicked in. Was
that the smell of coffee being freshly ground? Her brain cells perked up at
the heavenly aroma of a rich, strong blend.
    She wasn’t sure how much of the office’s slush fund Shayla
had blown on what apparently was a new espresso machine, but whatever it was,
Kayden’s exhausted body was casting its vote for who gives a shit, it’s
worth every damn penny .
    Hastening her steps, she breezed past Shayla’s unoccupied
desk and into her office. “You might’ve just earned yourself a raise, Shay—”
    Her sluggish brain taking its good old time to shift gears,
words failed her as Kayden swiveled her gaze between her shoulder-shrugging
secretary and the man looking every bit like a five-star restaurant maître d’. It
wasn’t until he’d packed down the finely ground beans, attached the silver cup
to the gleaming stainless machine, switched it on and straightened to look her
way that she found her voice. “Who the heck are you?”
    “Good morning, Miss Starling. Chalmers, at your service.” He
dipped his head in greeting. “Mr. Trielle is a firm believer in starting the
day off with a good breakfast. “Please, have a seat.” He glanced in the
direction of the small, round conference table in the corner of her office.
Usually groaning beneath stacks of old projects to be filed with only a small
space at one edge to work on the current one, it was now buried beneath a white
linen tablecloth and an assortment of fine-dining paraphernalia.
    “I don’t eat breakfast,” she grumbled, prying her gaze away
from the small, black-velvet box propped against the White-House-worthy
five-arm candelabra. “Where’s the stuff from my table and how did you get up
here?” Legit questions, since she knew it hadn’t been her secretary. Accustomed
to Kayden’s cluttered work style and a habitual night owl like herself, Shayla
wasn’t prone to arriving much before her starting time.
    “Since the folders were clearly marked, I took the liberty
of filing them away. You’ll find the rest of your papers there.” With an
economical movement of his hand, he indicated the wide ledge that ran the
length of the windowed wall facing Lake Michigan. “Mr. Trielle says clutter