It still hurt like hell, dammit.
But what really aggravated him the most, what really set his teeth on edge, was the slender, curvy, sassy-mouthed woman he couldn’t get out of his mind.
What was it about Tina Alexander that had him tied up in knots? he wondered. With her velvet, amber-brown eyes, heart-shaped face and turned-up nose she was pretty, but not necessarily what most men would consider beautiful. She was average height, a little thin for his taste and icy as an Arctic breeze.
Damn if he didn’t want to get his hands on her.
It was as if she’d gone out of her way to alienate him, and perhaps that was what intrigued him the most. But he wasn’t stupid, and he certainly wasn’t blind. He’d seen the way she’d reacted every time he’d touched her. He’d felt her shiver, watched her eyes widen. Something told him that under that cool exterior was heat and plenty of it.
Damn if he didn’t want to taste that heat.
When the cable slipped from his fingers for the tenth time in fifteen minutes, he swore like a truck driver in a skid, then narrowed his eyes and threaded the cable through the hole in the wall of the desk again. He’d be damned if he’d let a stubborn printer cable—or woman—make him lose control.
When the cable plug finally dropped over the inlet, Reid smiled, grabbed his bottom lip between his teeth while he wiggled the cable into place…
‘‘Hello?’’
At the sound of the feminine greeting, Reid sat up sharply and slammed the top of his head on the underside of the desk. He wasn’t certain if the crack he heard was wood or his skull.
Dammit, dammit, dammit…
Through the stars swimming in his blurred vision, Reid watched a pair of shapely legs appear from around the corner of the desk.
‘‘Sorry if I startled you.’’ Tina peered down at him. ‘‘You okay?’’
Grunting, he pulled himself from under the desk, winced at the rocket of pain that shot through his brain when he sat. ‘‘Sure. I slam my head into desks every day just for fun.’’
His sarcasm earned him a smile. She dropped down on her knees and leaned close. ‘‘Here, let me look.’’
‘‘I’m fine.’’ When she reached out and took his head in her hands, his heart slammed against his ribs.
‘‘I don’t see any blood,’’ she said, gently sliding her fingers through his hair.
That’s because it’s all dropped to the lower half of my body, Reid wanted to say, but wasn’t willing to risk her letting go of him just yet.
His head tingled; heat rushed through his veins. He’d never felt anything like it before. Maybe I’m hallucinating, he thought. Or maybe he’d knocked himself out and this was one hell of an erotic dream.
If so, he didn’t want to wake up.
‘‘Where does it hurt?’’ she asked.
Her fingernails lightly brushed over his scalp, and Reid’s throat turned to dust. He doubted he’d be able to speak if he tried, so he simply pointed.
‘‘I did knock,’’ she said, softly touching the area he’d indicated. ‘‘I guess you didn’t hear me.’’
He could barely hear her now, through the buzzing in his head.
‘‘The door was open,’’ she went on when he didn’t respond. ‘‘I thought maybe you were in the back.’’
When her fingertips moved in a soothing, circular motion, Reid bit back a groan. Less than a foot separated their bodies; the press of her breasts against the white blouse she wore made it difficult to breathe, let alone think.
Surely the torture this woman was putting him through had to be some kind of karmic payback for something he’d done in his life, Reid thought. Some wrong he’d caused someone. The sweet scent of her—a mix of vanilla and cinnamon—the soft, incredibly erotic touch of her hands, the seductive, provocative tone of her voice. It was all he could do not to drag her in his arms, right here under this desk, on this dusty floor, to taste her, to shove her skirt up those long, slender legs until he touched warm, soft flesh and—
Gritting his teeth, he clamped his hands around her wrists. He didn’t pull her to him. He didn’t push her away.
Her eyes widened; her lips parted with surprise. She didn’t move.
He held her gaze with his own. Slowly, his intent clear, he tugged her closer…closer….
When his mouth touched hers, he watched her lashes flutter down, felt the release of her breath on his cheek. Her lips were soft as rose petals. He nibbled, cautiously, lightly, eager to taste her more fully. And while she didn’t respond, she didn’t pull away, either.
It was all the encouragement he needed.
He deepened the kiss, though just barely, tracing her bottom lip with his tongue. Sweet, he thought. Unbelievably, seductively sweet.
He wasn’t at all surprised at the need coursing through his body; he’d been attracted to her from the beginning, had wanted this since he’d laid eyes on her. Nor was he surprised by her response. He’d sensed her attraction to him, as well.
What surprised—no, annoyed—him was the unexpected, niggling question chipping away at the edge of his desire.
‘‘What would Jason think about this?’’ he murmured the words, cursed himself for wanting to know.
She stilled, then her eyes slowly opened. ‘‘Jason?’’
‘‘Yeah,’’ he said dryly. ‘‘Remember him?’’
Confusion furrowed her brow, then suspicion. ‘‘What do you know about Jason?’’
‘‘Not much.’’ Obviously, she didn’t appreciate being reminded that she and Jason were an item while she was kissing another man, Reid thought irritably. ‘‘I was hoping you would tell me.’’
It was fascinating, as well as frustrating, to watch the heat in Tina’s eyes turn to ice. With a regal lift of her chin, she pulled back, then stood and smoothed the front of her skirt. ‘‘I was sent over here to find out how many people to expect this evening.’’
‘‘Look, I’m sorry.’’ Reid stood, reached for her arm, but she yanked it away. ‘‘I shouldn’t have—’’
‘‘Fifty?’’ she said coolly. ‘‘A hundred?’’
‘‘Around fifty.’’ He dragged a hand through his hair, was instantly reminded of the bump he’d taken. ‘‘Tina, dammit, I know it’s none of my business, I—’’
‘‘You got that right, mister,’’ she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulders. ‘‘Now if you’ll excuse me, I really need to get back to work.’’
Reid watched her turn on her heel and march stiffly out the door.
‘‘Smooth, Danforth,’’ he muttered. ‘‘Real smooth.’’
Resting a hip on the desk, Reid stared at the door Tina had just disappeared through. It would be easier to just let it go, he told himself, to forget about her and keep his mind completely focused on his work.
But, he thought, smiling slowly, remembering the feel of her mouth against his, it wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.
Four
Tina didn’t make it to the alley before