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the women he'd fil ed his life with in recent years. Women chased him, but their very aggres ivenes irritated him. There was nothing aggres ive about Danet a, and she was innocent. Her innocence made his head spin with exquisite fantasies about teaching her the mystery of intimacy. He couldn't forget the look in her eyes when he'd whispered how he wanted to kis her.. .
    "It's a lit le chil y in the office," she said. Was that real y her own voice, sounding so breathles ? "I'l turn the thermostat up."
    "Yes, you do that." But he didn't let go of her hand. He pres ed it closer and moved it a lit le, and she could actual y feel his heartbeat. His hand moved to her throat and his thumb pushed under her chin, raising her mouth. He looked down at the soft pink bow of it, at the soft silkines . His fingers stroked her cheek and his thumb moved lazily to her mouth. He brushed his thumb over it, first gently, then with a rough, abrasive motion that was like a delicate kick in the heart. It was exactly what he'd done before, and it provoked the same shocked delight in her eyes as she looked up at him and a tiny sound worked its way out of her throat. He liked that sound. He liked even more the shocked sensuality in her eyes as he played with her mouth. She was becoming aroused, much more than she had before. The fascination in her gray eyes spoke for itself. His thumb grew more insistent and her lips parted on a shaky breath. His free hand went to her nape and cradled it firmly, holding her head where he wanted it as he watched her intently.
    "This is where the playing stops," he said roughly. "Once my mouth covers yours, there's no going back." Her gasp was audible. It almost broke the spel . But his eyes were relentles , like that maddening thumb against her mouth, like the helples trembling of her legs. "It's not fair," she moaned. "Like going fishing with a stick of dynamite . ."
    "Yes," he agreed softly as he began to lower his head. His eyes shifted to her trembling mouth. "That's how it's-going to feel, too. Like dynamite going up. I like it rough," he breathed as his lips parted a breath above hers. "I like it hard and rough. Like this____"
    She felt his hand contract at her nape and tasted his warm, smoky breath mingling with hers as she stood there, helples , al too wil ing to give him what he wanted. But even as his lips dragged roughly against hers in a whisper of sensual promise, in the briefest hint of contact, the harsh jingle of the telephone exploded into the tense silence and broke them apart.
    Danet a was shaking as if she'd been thrown to the ground. She stared up helples ly at Cabe, oblivious to the source of the loud, irritating noise. He stared back at her, only a lit le les rat led than she was. Stil watching her, he jerked up the receiver and answered it.
    "Rit er."
    "Cabe, can you take an extra hour off this afternoon to at end a charity dinner with me?" Karol asked him in her soft, cultured voice. "It's to benefit the new children's hospital."
    "This afternoon?" he repeated absently. "I suppose so. I'l pick you up at five." "Lovely! Thank you, darling. See you later." She hung up but Cabe didn't put down the phone. He | was stil watching Danet a's shocked eyes.
    The silence between them was every bit as explosive now as it had been three minutes ago, but before either of them could speak, Ben Meadows came in the door with a file |
    folder in one hand.
    "Sorry to bother you, but I need some copies made," he whispered to Danet a, obviously thinking Cabe was on the telephone.
    "I'l . .I'l do them." Danet a took the folder with shaking fingers and rushed away to the room where the Xerox machine was kept. Cabe hung up the phone belatedly and took Ben into his office. Danet a did the copies and went back to work as quickly and efficiently as she could. For the rest of the day, she held her breath, but Cabe didn't come near her again. She wasn't sure if she was glad or sorry, but their relationship had changed