Read Blurring the Lines (Men of the Zodiac) for Free Online

support.”
    “That’s admirable.”
    “It would be great if you could contribute regularly.”
    He shot her a smile that stalled her mid-thought. “First hour here and already trying to get money from me?”
    “Oh, sir. I didn’t—”
    He let out a small chuckle. “I’m messing with you.”
    “Not funny.” But Kira hid her smile. No sense letting him know she liked his teasing.
    He placed a hand over his heart but continued walking. “My apologies.”
    When he stopped in front of a door marked with his name, she noticed the large, L-shaped desk guarding said door.
    “Nice digs. Is this where I’ll be?”
    “Yes. Make yourself at home.”
    “At work.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “I’ll make myself at work. Since, you know, this isn’t my home.”
    He chuckled, but Kira couldn’t tell if he thought her quip was amusing or if he was just laughing at her. “I’ll give you ten minutes to get Coconut settled, and then let’s meet in my office.”
    “Okay.” Ten minutes to poke around and make a list of the potential questions and supplies she’d need. “Ten minutes. Do I knock or is there an intercom system?”
    “Just walk in. Like you did yesterday.”
    If only that sounded as welcoming as she wanted it to be.

Chapter Five
    F rom where he sat, Blake could glimpse Kira as she clipped Coconut into her leash and wound it around the foot of the desk. Though he couldn’t make out what she said to the dog, her tone sounded soothing.
    He snorted. What kind of woman would bring a dog to work on her first day and think it would be acceptable? The kind he tricked into hiring, obviously. As he tried to avoid noting the distractingly enticing curve of her calf, he couldn’t shake the feeling that things might get complicated.
    The phone rang, and several things happened at once to prove his concern. As Kira scooted out from under the desk, her dress lifted to reveal a thin strip of electric blue lace barely covering her ass, and when she lifted the phone and answered, “Blake Whitman’s office. How may I help you?” the phone continued to ring. She turned to face him, a bewildered expression on her face as she brushed back dark hair that had tumbled loose from her braid, and he knew he’d been caught staring at her with a slack jaw. He didn’t care.
    Still, that image of her would take days to shake off. Dark hair mussed, face flushed, and that thong. He couldn’t look her in the eye, even from across the room. He’d spent a lifetime brushing off silly females wanting something from him, and now he’d put in his way the one female who sparked his interest, who he couldn’t have because he’d offered her a position guaranteed to keep her off limits to him. He’d never considered himself a masochist.
    Damn he was in trouble.
    Grabbing the phone, he barked, “Keith, I’m in the middle of something.” Losing my common sense. “So this better be urgent.”
    His brother’s jovial tone irritated him more than usual. “When are you not in the middle of something? Anyway, I just wanted to confirm the rumor that you hired a hot secretary.”
    Hot. Kira was definitely hot. The comment rattled Blake’s nerves and he lied, “She’s not hot.”
    She was breathtakingly beautiful. His body had been on high alert since he’d stood next to her in the elevator, and he didn’t think he’d ever needed to exert so much energy on not noticing a woman before.
    In the space of several heartbeats , he could concoct a whole slew of reasons to call this whole farce off, but in the center of his silent debate were Kira’s soft brown eyes begging him to save her mom’s building. Really ? Since when had he gone soft? But he hadn’t offered her the job because of pity.
    No. He’d offered because he’d been bored.
    She’d come at him through all his senses, at the right time and saying the right things, and in the week since he’d last seen her, he hadn’t second-guessed himself once. Now, staring at the sharp length