No, they weren't stuck … at least the lift wasn't. 'I don't think so.' Except that the walls seemed to be closing in, or maybe it was Jared's height, the breadth of his shoulders that made it seem that way. And the air … she dragged it in slow and deep … she couldn't seem to find enough.
'Good. Because work's over for the day. In fact your short tour of duty at Sandersons is over.'
Still a little breathless, but a lot relieved, she nodded. Over. Good.
His eyes didn't reflect his body's lazy stance. There was alertness and heat in the amusement now, too. Not so good.
He seemed to consider, then spoke slowly. 'So now maybe it's time to confess that I've been thinking about you all day.'
Her heart skipped a beat then pounded so loudly she was sure he'd hear it knocking against her ribs. But did he mean he'd been thinking about her or that cursed diary entry? She glared at him. 'Me? You don't even know me.'
'I know I'd like to.'
'Then you'd learn that I don't get involved with my employers on a personal level.'
'I don't do office flings either. This … thing … whatever it is, is a first for me.' He leaned closer. 'I told you, work's over. We clocked off a good five minutes ago. Correct?'
The warm scent of his skin had her sucking her breath in deeper when she should be exhaling and backing away. 'Yes.' She swallowed. 'But … '
'No "but". I'm attracted to you, Sophie.' He ran a forefinger lightly down the side of her face. 'And the attraction's mutual.'
Blood rushed to the spot on her cheek like iron filings to a magnet. Even when he removed his hand the hot tingly feeling remained and she heard herself asking, 'What have you been thinking?'
'I've been thinking about how your hair would look if I just unclasped it … '
She couldn't move, could only stand there and let him do it while goose-bumps chased over her body. She had no idea where the clasp vanished to. Was only aware of the weight of her hair tumbling over his arm, then she felt the soothing-soothing?-touch of his fingers against the back of her scalp. She didn't feel the least bit soothed and she barely resisted arching against his hand and sighing with pleasure.
She could feel his breath against her face as he leaned closer, could see the faint sheen of damp on his brow, above his lip. And there was no mistaking the arousal smouldering in his eyes.
Her mouth went dry, her heart rate sped up. This wasn't supposed to happen. Never with her boss. And with this man, Jared Sanderson? Not in real life. The paradox was that he might have well and truly brought her undone last night but she'd only met him today.
She was in too deep, too fast. She dragged her gaze from his. 'I should go … ' Since he wasn't inclined to shift, she slid a hand past his midriff in search of the control panel behind him.
A subtle but swift move on his part brought her palm into contact with a hard wall of muscled torso instead. Trapped. Yet his arm was still propping up the wall while the other one played loosely with her hair. He was making no attempt to keep her there and she was shocked and furious with herself for not trying harder to leave. Couldn't she see where this was heading?
She could-that was the problem. And he knew it.
'You've been thinking about me, too.' He caught her hand, held it in a relaxed grip.
'No.'
His thumb whisked over knuckles. 'Admit it, Sophie.'
She made one final, albeit half-hearted, attempt to pull away, but his gaze held hers and he lifted her hand to his chest. His heart thumped strong and deep. 'You've been wondering about our first kiss all day,' he continued in that low seductive tone. 'Like when … ' Still massaging the base of her scalp, he leaned in, touched warm, firm lips to hers. Oh, my. 'And where … ' Heat flowed like honey as he slid the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip. 'And how … '
His mouth moved over hers once more and her lips parted at his gentle coaxing. It perturbed her how easily she let him persuade her, then he released her fingers so that both his hands cupped the back of her skull and she stopped analysing and simply enjoyed the moment.
He slid his tongue against hers. She tasted the sweetness of the coffee they'd drunk, the saltiness of the rice. He made a rough sound that seemed to come from deep in his chest and she sensed the slow smouldering edge of impatience.
Oh, the 'how'. The slide of his hands over her shoulder blades and all the way down her spine reminding her of her dream. Shifting closer, tucking her against him and, oh … how she could feel the hard ridge of his desire.
She leaned into the deepening kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and momentarily forgetting everything but Jared. She wanted more. More of that heat, that taste and that rock-hard body against hers. A kiss to build a dream on …
Or a dream to build a kiss on?
No. No. No. She didn't need this complication. She needed to focus on her goals. Her trip. Nothing and no one was going to get in her way. She made one last-ditch effort. 'I need to go,' she snapped out, and reached for the lift panel.
CHAPTER FIVE
'WAIT.' Jared moved like lightning, positioning himself in front of the control panel for the second time. Sophie opened her mouth to argue but he spoke over her. 'There's no need to rush off.'
'You don't think?'
Her voice held a slight edge-hysteria or humour? He didn't know her well enough to be sure. She closed her eyes on a soft groan that sounded suspiciously like surrender. His body clenched at the sound and he wondered if she made that noise when she had sex. And just for a moment, looking at her-head tipped back, throat exposed, eyes shut-he could imagine … When she opened them again they were wide and dark gold and … well, simply irresistible.
He reached out to let his fingers glide through the midnight silken waterfall over her shoulders. 'I think you should give it further serious consideration before you decide,' he murmured, bringing her hair to his nose and inhaling the soft herbal fragrance.
Eyes fused with his, she stepped away and he followed until he had her against the elevator wall. He wasn't backing off unless she told him to … and she wasn't saying anything at all. In fact, whatever it was that was flaring to life between them now was as much from her as it was from him.
He caught both her hands, raised them level with her head, and, with her wrists against the wall, he slid his hands over hers. Palm to palm where heat met heat. Still watching her face, he drifted his fingers down. Slowly, so that he could absorb every tiny line and ridge in her palms, then lower still to the rapid beat of her pulse at her wrists.
Enclosing her hands in his, he worked his thumbs deep into her palms-lazy circles, over and over, then slid his fingers between hers, a slow, sinuous rhythm. An erotic imitation of how their bodies would move together when he got her into bed. He saw her gaze widen, her pupils dilate. He leaned close to linger at her mouth, just enough to remind himself of her taste-
'You!' Her whole body stiffening, she reared back. She yanked her hands away, rubbing at her wrists as if they'd been bound. Her eyes flashed hellfire while the air inside the elevator seemed to plummet. 'You-'
'Sophie. Calm down.' He hesitated then reached out but she shrugged him off.
'Don't. Just don't.'
He blew out a slow breath. The hand massage was a dead giveaway. He'd intended it to be because the charade was over. It was time she knew he knew. 'You … read it.' Her voice gathered intensity like a low-pressure system crossing the coast. 'Not the first couple of lines, oh, no, you didn't stop when you realised it wasn't meant for you. You read the whole freaking chapter!'
'I couldn't put it down. I'm sorry. I should've told you this morning.'
'Yes, you should have.'
'Would it have made a difference?'
'Yes. No.' She shook her head. 'I don't know. How the hell should I know?'
'So … it was a fantasy or a daydream?' he ventured aloud. 'Or a real dream?'
Heat streamed up Sophie's neck. 'Of course it was a real dream! Why on earth would I fantasise about you? I don't even know you.'
Those amused eyes twinkled down at her. 'We seemed to know each other fairly well.' He smiled. Sophie squirmed. Thank you so much for pointing that out. 'I've been recording my dreams for years,' she struggled on. She didn't tell him about her counselling sessions. None of his business. 'They bring forward stuff from our unconscious, help us understand ourselves better. It was nothing to do with you, per se.'
He tilted his head and his voice was low when he said, 'What do you think it meant, then?'
She'd done some of her own research. Dream theorists might say she wasn't getting enough love in her life. And they'd be right. That eating in dreams, particularly fruits, like luscious juicy blackberries for instance, were associated with sexuality.