she felt it like a physical touch. He was rememberingâas was she, and the fire arcing between them threatened to burn through her control. But she wasnât going to let this raging attraction muck up more of her life. She wasnât going to lose the little credibility she had left by letting it happen again.
She made her body moveâawayâa few steps back towards the door.
âYou really canât get another job?â His voice sounded rusty.
âYou really think Iâd be here if I could?â
His brows drew closer as he regarded her. The angles ofhis face became more pronounced. Suddenly, sharply, he moved. Walking to the window, he glared through itâshe figured the glass would melt in moments if he still had that heat in his eyes.
âI might have another job for you. But not here. I donât think thatâs something you or I or anyone would be comfortable with.â He turned. It seemed heâd taken the time to ice over, for his face was schooled into blandness. âLook, letâs get out of here and go talk somewhere more relaxed.â
He opened the door and waited for her to pass through. Dani hesitatedârelaxed might be a really bad idea. But if he could do cucumber cool, surely she could do better than melting jelly.
CHAPTER THREE
D ANI kept three feet behind Alex as he strode past the PA.
âPlease cancel that last appointment and take messages, Kelly. Iâm out for the rest of the afternoon,â he said without slowing his pace.
âCertainly.â No surprise, no questions. The PA gave Dani a coolly professional smile but Dani was still too rattled to be able to match it.
Alex glanced at the lift. âShall we take the stairs?â
Dani was already at the door to themâhoped the PA hadnât heard his question. Heâd laced it with the faintest hint of irony and if Dani were to look at him now and see him smiling she couldnât be held responsible for her actionsâaggressive energy seemed to be bouncing round her body.
âWhere are you staying?â He thudded downstairs swiping a security card to get them into the basement.
She gave him the name of the hostel and saw his frown appear.
âYou donât know Auckland, do you?â He sent her a sideways glance. âBecause if you did, youâd know thatâs in a really dodgy part of town.â
It was a cheap part of town.
He unlocked the carâsleek, attractive, outrageously powerful, just like its owner. Dani got into the passenger seat. Inseconds they were out of the garage and driving down the congested inner-city streets in awkward silenceâheâd quickly cut the music that had roared louder than the engine. Dani wished heâd kept it onâbetter to listen to that than the silence between them or the voice in her head telling her how much of a mess she was in. The weather had turned, the rain drizzling and dampening her spirits further.
âUmâ¦â he was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel ââ¦Iâ¦â
Dani waited, surprised by his sudden attack of the fidgets.
His fingers abruptly stopped their beat and gripped the wheel. âWhatâs your name?â
âPardon?â
âYour name.â He kept his eyes on the road ahead. âI donât know what it is.â
âYou donât know my name?â Stunned, Dani stared at him. âHow can you not know my name?â
âWe never finished our introductions.â His high cheekbones were streaked with slashes of colour. âI have a lot of employees.â
âOh, and I was just one of the temps.â OK, so she was. But she hadnât been just one of themâheâd kissed the hell out of her. Sheâd felt him and he had herâ intimately . Or did he do that with all the girls? Anger roared through her againâvicious, wild anger. âYou could have found out.â
âI donât use the HR files