took off her neat black jacket and undid the top two buttons of her white blouse. Placing the jacket over the dark green railings, she leaned her elbows against them again and heaved a sigh.
It was so peaceful out here.
She closed her eyes and raised her face to the sun. It warmed her through instantly.
“It's nice out here.”
So did his voice.
Her heart sped a little and she brought her gaze over to him. He was leaning with his back to the garden, eyes closed and head tilted back. The sun washed over his tanned skin, playing softly on his beautiful features. Her eyes traced his profile, taking in his dark eyebrows, jet black hair and square jaw.
She smiled when he opened his eyes and turned his head to face her.
It was strange to feel so comfortable with a client, a man she'd only just met.
He straightened up and smiled back at her. It sent her heart racing and made her mouth dry.
“Erik Blackwell,” he said, extending a hand. “But you can call me Erik.”
She looked at it and then took it when she'd got her senses into order. His fingers closed around hers, holding her tightly, and her eyes shot up to meet his. He was staring at her intently, his honey eyes locked on hers in a way that made her want to blush again. His fingers shifted against hers, sending a shiver through her, and he frowned when she took her hand back.
She fiddled with the cuff of her left sleeve, pretending it was undone as she tried to piece herself back together. It was ridiculous that one simple brush of his thumb against hers meant anything. She was stupid to let it affect her the way it had.
A furtive glance up at him showed he was still watching her.
“I'm Kim,” she said.
“Not Kay.” He smiled.
She blushed.
“I'm not normally like this...clumsy I mean...or talking back to my boss.” She lowered her gaze again and stared at the vivid green plants in the garden.
“I'd like to know what you're normally like then, Kim.”
She swallowed but it did nothing to shift the dry lump in her throat. He wanted to know what she was normally like? And why did he have to keep saying her name? She could barely stand as it was when he was around her. Whenever he said her name, rolling it off his tongue in such a silken voice, it made her want to throw herself at him.
“More professional,” she said flatly, getting the better of herself.
He looked disappointed.
He was a client, and she was just imagining that disappointment. There was no way a man like him would ever really look at a girl like her. He'd want Laura—blonde, bouncing, perfect Laura.
She was beautiful enough for him.
The door to the meeting room opened and Kim turned to see the woman in question entering with her friend, Simon.
Laura shot her a dark look. Kim knew what it meant. It was a warning not to slip up and embarrass the firm, but it was more than that too. She got the impression that Laura was interested in Erik as more than just a client.
“We should go in. It's far too hot out here anyway.” Kim looked at him. He showed no sign of moving.
Instead, he leaned his head back again, raising his face to the sun.
“I like the heat,” he whispered. “I can feel it in every inch of me, feel it warming me through.”
She was enthralled. Her gaze lingered on his face and the sublime smile he was giving to the sun. He looked positively content. Like a cat lying in the sun. Almost ready to purr.
She frowned at her thoughts and told herself that only men in dreams could purr.
“Don't you like the heat, Kim?” he said and brought his gaze down to hers.
She swore for a moment his eyes were more yellow than honey. She dropped her attention to his hands, staring at them, waiting for the fur to erupt.
Nothing.
She told herself that this was real, and in the real world men didn't purr when you touched them, and they didn't suddenly sprout velvet-black fur.
“Well, Kim?” he said. He was closer now, so close that she could feel the heat coming off him. His
It was so peaceful out here.
She closed her eyes and raised her face to the sun. It warmed her through instantly.
“It's nice out here.”
So did his voice.
Her heart sped a little and she brought her gaze over to him. He was leaning with his back to the garden, eyes closed and head tilted back. The sun washed over his tanned skin, playing softly on his beautiful features. Her eyes traced his profile, taking in his dark eyebrows, jet black hair and square jaw.
She smiled when he opened his eyes and turned his head to face her.
It was strange to feel so comfortable with a client, a man she'd only just met.
He straightened up and smiled back at her. It sent her heart racing and made her mouth dry.
“Erik Blackwell,” he said, extending a hand. “But you can call me Erik.”
She looked at it and then took it when she'd got her senses into order. His fingers closed around hers, holding her tightly, and her eyes shot up to meet his. He was staring at her intently, his honey eyes locked on hers in a way that made her want to blush again. His fingers shifted against hers, sending a shiver through her, and he frowned when she took her hand back.
She fiddled with the cuff of her left sleeve, pretending it was undone as she tried to piece herself back together. It was ridiculous that one simple brush of his thumb against hers meant anything. She was stupid to let it affect her the way it had.
A furtive glance up at him showed he was still watching her.
“I'm Kim,” she said.
“Not Kay.” He smiled.
She blushed.
“I'm not normally like this...clumsy I mean...or talking back to my boss.” She lowered her gaze again and stared at the vivid green plants in the garden.
“I'd like to know what you're normally like then, Kim.”
She swallowed but it did nothing to shift the dry lump in her throat. He wanted to know what she was normally like? And why did he have to keep saying her name? She could barely stand as it was when he was around her. Whenever he said her name, rolling it off his tongue in such a silken voice, it made her want to throw herself at him.
“More professional,” she said flatly, getting the better of herself.
He looked disappointed.
He was a client, and she was just imagining that disappointment. There was no way a man like him would ever really look at a girl like her. He'd want Laura—blonde, bouncing, perfect Laura.
She was beautiful enough for him.
The door to the meeting room opened and Kim turned to see the woman in question entering with her friend, Simon.
Laura shot her a dark look. Kim knew what it meant. It was a warning not to slip up and embarrass the firm, but it was more than that too. She got the impression that Laura was interested in Erik as more than just a client.
“We should go in. It's far too hot out here anyway.” Kim looked at him. He showed no sign of moving.
Instead, he leaned his head back again, raising his face to the sun.
“I like the heat,” he whispered. “I can feel it in every inch of me, feel it warming me through.”
She was enthralled. Her gaze lingered on his face and the sublime smile he was giving to the sun. He looked positively content. Like a cat lying in the sun. Almost ready to purr.
She frowned at her thoughts and told herself that only men in dreams could purr.
“Don't you like the heat, Kim?” he said and brought his gaze down to hers.
She swore for a moment his eyes were more yellow than honey. She dropped her attention to his hands, staring at them, waiting for the fur to erupt.
Nothing.
She told herself that this was real, and in the real world men didn't purr when you touched them, and they didn't suddenly sprout velvet-black fur.
“Well, Kim?” he said. He was closer now, so close that she could feel the heat coming off him. His
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