A hard hand landed on her shoulder. "Slow down. Don't want this pretty face of yours smacking into the concrete."
She wheeled around. "What are you still doing here?"
"Helping you."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Seriously."
"Seriously. I don't know." He encroached on her space, coming chest-to-chest with her. "So will you please cut me a break and let me make sure you fall face-first in your bed and not on the floor?"
Something . . . oddly sweet flickered in his penetrating stare, and her flip comment dried up. "Thank you, Ronin."
He smoothed her hair from her cheek. "My pleasure."
Why didn't it bother her that he touched her with such familiarity? Amery turned away before she did something stupid like face-plant into that amazing chest of his.
He followed her closely up the stairs. That breathing-down-her-neck proximity didn't change when she cut toward her bedroom. She crawled into the unmade bed and wrapped her arms around the closest pillow with an enormous sigh.
A soft laugh sounded behind her.
Then she felt him unzipping her boots. She wiggled her toes and sighed again.
"Need my help with the rest of your clothes?"
She cracked one eye open and looked at him. "Nice try."
"I could point out half of what you're wearing belongs to me and it's within my rights to demand you return it."
"Go away, Ronin."
"I will." He covered her with her comforter. "But I'll be back."
That's the last thing Amery remembered.
CHAPTER THREE
THE following day Amery felt Ronin Black's eyes on her before she knew he'd entered her office. No lie, the man had that stealthy approach down. She spun her chair toward him and her belly cartwheeled at the heated way he looked at her.
She continued her phone conversation, but her focus remained on him. "No. That isn't a problem at all. Absolutely. I can have the changes to you by tomorrow. Thank you." She hung up. "I assume Molly sent you back?"
Ronin leaned against the doorjamb, looking delectable and dangerous in a short-sleeved black polo, dark jeans, and modified combat boots. "Yes. She said to tell you she was going to lunch."
"So, Master Black, why are you here?"
"Ronin," he corrected.
"Okay, Ronin. What brings you by today?"
"I want to hire you."
She hadn't been expecting that-and maybe she felt a tiny kernel of disappointment that he wasn't here because he intended to act on this undeniable attraction between them.
Maybe he's disappointed that you haven't acknowledged how much he helped you out yesterday.
Guilt for her oversight caused her to blurt out, "Thank you for sticking around and dealing with the glass installers yesterday morning after I went comatose."
"You're welcome. The workers didn't milk the installation time with me watching them."
She suspected Master Black's displeased glare was hot enough to melt glass.
"Besides, it gave me a chance to look at your graphic art work more closely and decide to hire you."
"Hire me for what?"
"To create a new logo for Black Arts. I'd like to scrap what we've got and start from scratch. Is that a project you'd be interested in tackling?"
I'd rather tackle you.
She fought the pull of this man's incredible magnetism and put a lid on those I want to jump you thoughts that were so unlike her. "I'm always interested in taking on new projects."
"Good. Because I brought this." Ronin sauntered into her office and handed her a rolled-up sheaf of papers. "Our current logo. Black Arts has always kept a low profile, which suits me. But my instructors have pointed out that we need an updated official logo that can be screen-printed on the back of gis and used for patches so Black Arts students are more recognizable when they compete in tournaments."
"You don't seem very enthusiastic about that prospect."
His eyes never strayed from her face. "I'm enthusiastic about the prospect of working with you."
Amery's pulse leaped.
"Are you free so we can discuss it over lunch?"
"When?"
"Now."
She didn't have anything scheduled, but part of her wanted to lie and claim she did. Lunch with the sexy sensei . . . she wasn't sure she'd honed the feminine skills to cope with a man like him. But if she kept it focused on business? Business she could do. Amery smiled. "I'd love to have lunch with you. There's a great bistro a few blocks away."
"Maybe next time. I've already made reservations for us at Dillinger's."