was cool indifference, "I'm aware that my boss insisted I accompany you around, but I assumed with our past history you would prefer a different escort. If that is not the case, then I will of course follow through on Mr. Kline's instructions."
Marcus's white teeth gleamed in his tanned face. She knew the tan was real and not from a tanning bed. He loved the outdoors and the well-defined muscles under his brightly colored shirt testified to an active lifestyle. The tacky Hawaiian shirt was his idea of self-expression.
He gave her a wolfs grin when he noticed the direction her gaze had taken. "Then, let's go meet Jack."
She nodded once, forcing herself to look at something besides his overly tantalizing body. She had a lot of practice doing that. She'd spent nearly three years as the invisible woman while he paraded through the office with a bevy of beautiful bimbos hanging on his arm.
She turned to lead the way to her supervisor's desk. When they reached Jack, he was on the phone. Though she had left several feet of space between her and Marcus, she found herself mere inches from his towering frame. The smell of his aftershave wrapped itself around her and she wanted to bolt, running from the memories it elicited.
Memories of the only passion she had ever known.
She tried to move away unobtrusively. It didn't do any good. He just followed her.
"What's the matter, Ronnie? Do I make you nervous?"
He'd used almost identical words to begin a flirtation with her at CIS. The flirtation had grown into something more and she had discovered a passionate streak in her nature she had never suspected. That he would be the one to bring out her woman's desires hadn't surprised her. After all, she had loved him since practically her first day at CIS.
What had surprised her, astounded her even, had been the fact that he had shared her physical reaction, if not her love. He'd wanted her and Heaven help her, she'd been unable to protect herself.
A twenty-three-year-old virgin, she'd fallen completely under his spell and given him more than her body. She'd given him her heart. He didn't know that, of course. He assumed she was as uninvolved emotionally as he was. She wished with all her tattered heart that had been true. Then leaving wouldn't have hurt so much.
His words did not seem flirtatious now. His tone was much too menacing for flirtation. Was he playing some kind of cat-and-mouse game? Heaven new Marcus would believe she deserved to be tortured a little after what she'd done to CIS. She didn't harbor any illusions that she'd hurt him personally. He'd lost nothing more than a convenient bed partner, but CIS's reputation had suffered and for that he would never forgive her.
She saw no reason to hide the truth. It was obvious to him anyway. "Yes. You make me nervous. You have the power to destroy my life and you know it. I can only wonder why you haven't already said something to Mr. Kline."
Marcus's eyes widened at her honesty and he opened his mouth to answer, but Jack hung up his phone and turned his attention to them. "Veronica, did you need something more on that report?"
"No, Jack. I want to introduce you to someone." She indicated Marcus with her hand. "This is Marcus Danvers. Mr. Kline has hired his firm to do some consulting on possible expansion for Kline Technology."
She tilted her head so that she could meet Marcus's eyes. 'This is Jack Branson, head of our marketing department."
Jack's freckled face creased with a charming smile and he extended his hand. "Marcus, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Marcus shook the other man's hand. "I bet you've got some ideas about the direction Kline should take in expansion."
Jack nodded his red head enthusiastically. "You bet I do. Maybe we can talk about them over lunch sometime this week."
Marcus made a noncommittal sound, but she didn't doubt he'd eat with Jack and listen to his ideas. Her
Marcus's white teeth gleamed in his tanned face. She knew the tan was real and not from a tanning bed. He loved the outdoors and the well-defined muscles under his brightly colored shirt testified to an active lifestyle. The tacky Hawaiian shirt was his idea of self-expression.
He gave her a wolfs grin when he noticed the direction her gaze had taken. "Then, let's go meet Jack."
She nodded once, forcing herself to look at something besides his overly tantalizing body. She had a lot of practice doing that. She'd spent nearly three years as the invisible woman while he paraded through the office with a bevy of beautiful bimbos hanging on his arm.
She turned to lead the way to her supervisor's desk. When they reached Jack, he was on the phone. Though she had left several feet of space between her and Marcus, she found herself mere inches from his towering frame. The smell of his aftershave wrapped itself around her and she wanted to bolt, running from the memories it elicited.
Memories of the only passion she had ever known.
She tried to move away unobtrusively. It didn't do any good. He just followed her.
"What's the matter, Ronnie? Do I make you nervous?"
He'd used almost identical words to begin a flirtation with her at CIS. The flirtation had grown into something more and she had discovered a passionate streak in her nature she had never suspected. That he would be the one to bring out her woman's desires hadn't surprised her. After all, she had loved him since practically her first day at CIS.
What had surprised her, astounded her even, had been the fact that he had shared her physical reaction, if not her love. He'd wanted her and Heaven help her, she'd been unable to protect herself.
A twenty-three-year-old virgin, she'd fallen completely under his spell and given him more than her body. She'd given him her heart. He didn't know that, of course. He assumed she was as uninvolved emotionally as he was. She wished with all her tattered heart that had been true. Then leaving wouldn't have hurt so much.
His words did not seem flirtatious now. His tone was much too menacing for flirtation. Was he playing some kind of cat-and-mouse game? Heaven new Marcus would believe she deserved to be tortured a little after what she'd done to CIS. She didn't harbor any illusions that she'd hurt him personally. He'd lost nothing more than a convenient bed partner, but CIS's reputation had suffered and for that he would never forgive her.
She saw no reason to hide the truth. It was obvious to him anyway. "Yes. You make me nervous. You have the power to destroy my life and you know it. I can only wonder why you haven't already said something to Mr. Kline."
Marcus's eyes widened at her honesty and he opened his mouth to answer, but Jack hung up his phone and turned his attention to them. "Veronica, did you need something more on that report?"
"No, Jack. I want to introduce you to someone." She indicated Marcus with her hand. "This is Marcus Danvers. Mr. Kline has hired his firm to do some consulting on possible expansion for Kline Technology."
She tilted her head so that she could meet Marcus's eyes. 'This is Jack Branson, head of our marketing department."
Jack's freckled face creased with a charming smile and he extended his hand. "Marcus, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Marcus shook the other man's hand. "I bet you've got some ideas about the direction Kline should take in expansion."
Jack nodded his red head enthusiastically. "You bet I do. Maybe we can talk about them over lunch sometime this week."
Marcus made a noncommittal sound, but she didn't doubt he'd eat with Jack and listen to his ideas. Her
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