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closer to what was an impressive display of desire and she forgot
what they were talking about and straddled him.
    He groaned.
    “Don’t let this go to your head,” she said right before
biting his lip.
    “Whatever you say.”
    But she didn’t have much to say after that for some time.
    ***
    Beatrice was pulling on her clothes, doing her best not to
look at him across the table doing the same.  Never in her life had she
hummed with completion.  At the same time, she also felt awkward as
hell.  This was Douglas Bruce; they worked together, they saw each other
at family holidays and on Superbowl Sundays.  Her Uncle Jack had raised
him, which meant that he had managed to be both the bane of her working career
and family gatherings as long as she could remember.  How much more
terrible would it be now that they’d had sex on a worktable?  Twice.
    She looked up and almost groaned aloud.  It could be a
lot worse.  Now ‘The Bruce’ was looking at her with a satisfied and
possessive gleam to his eye that immediately made her want a drink.  A
strong one.  At least he was dressed again.  The man naked should be
outlawed.  Who was she kidding?  Fully clothed or in a burlap bag, he’d
still be hot.
    “Well, now that we got that out of our systems we should
probably get back to work.”  When he just continued to watch her with that
knowing gleam, she figured blasé was not going to work.
    “Is it?”
    “Is it what?”
    “Out of our systems?”
    Beatrice looked up and met his eyes, suddenly licking her
dry lips.  “I’m not having an affair with you.”
    “What do you call this?”
    “A quickie?  A tension breaker?  A mistake?”
    “Bullshit.”  His voice was soft but distinct.
    “I’m seeing Charles.”  The air in the room went static.
    “Bullshit.”  This time the softness was gone and his
voice became a blade. 
    Douglas went around the table and pushed her back against
the edge, his hands going into her hair right below her ear and fisting
there.  “Word of advice, Beatrice.”  She tried to move away but he
held her still.  It gave him a huge amount of satisfaction to hold her in
place while he felt her body respond to him.  “Don’t push this game you’re
playing too far.  You won’t like the consequences.”
    He could see the outraged protest forming in her eyes, so he
kissed her, thrusting heat into her mouth and feeling nothing but triumph and
male satisfaction when she finally melted for him. 
    He pulled back, licked his lips, relishing her taste on his
mouth, and the way she quivered in his arms.  “Call him, break it
off.  After, I’ll take you to dinner, and then I’ll just take you.” 
Her eyes narrowed and he saw her get ready to blast him, so he kissed her
again.  Then when he had her melting in his arms again, he stepped back;
leaving her sagging against the table, he headed out the door.  “I’ll pick
you up at eight.”
    He was out the door and had managed to get it closed before
he heard something thump against the other side.  He hoped she hadn’t
broken anything they might need later, throwing it against the door like
that.  He smiled.  Then headed back to work, whistling.
    Beatrice clenched her teeth against the heat
simmering.  That arrogant . . . s he turned and dropped down into a
chair, huffing out a breath.  Good lord, that man is straight up sexy.
    ***
    Beatrice made it a point to escape the site early.  She
had a few decisions to make and was not above running away to see if she made
the right ones, outside of the Douglas Bruce sphere of persuasion.  As she
was driving away, she saw him step out of the house.  He was covered in
sawdust and clearly displeased with her quick exit.  Tough.  He was
so not the boss of her, and if that was part of whatever he wanted with her, he
was in for a rude awakening, and blue balls.
    She knew she had to break up with Charles, she had already
made that decision, but that didn’t mean she was going