So Toxic(Bad Boy Next Door Book 4)(7)

“Self-respect? What? You…you—” I twist away from him. “Just…you…stay away from me.”

As I side-step him, his brow wrinkles. “I don’t think I can do that.”

I stop dead, my jaw loosening. A spark of schoolgirl fantasy threatens to resurrect itself.

Ty’s left eyebrow rises. “I do live right next door to you.”

And, as quick as that, the fantasy languishes, lost in a sea of unfulfilled hopes.

Good. I wouldn’t allow it to flourish anyway.

I blow out a disgusted breath and turn away, leaving both my wits and my dignity lying in a heap at Tyson Masters’s feet.

I head for the revolving door, digging through my purse in search of my sunglasses. I step aside, when someone runs by, their shadow my only warning. But the idiot stops right in front of me. I almost trip over my own two feet as I have to side-step.

Giving up on finding my shades, I lift my gaze to find Tyson standing in my way—again.

He grabs my arm and steers me to the darkened alcove cut into the side of the lobby. The door has red letters boldly emblazoned on it—Emergency Exit Only.

I let out a sigh. “Haven’t you embarrassed me enough for one day? Do you never tire of being a pain in my ass?”

Ty moves in.

I retreat.

Problem is there’s only so far to go. The door behind me has an alarm attached to its handle, so I can’t use it as an escape hatch.

Damn it.

He looks down on me, his cocky grin in place. “I told you I didn’t think I could stay away.”

Hands on my hips, I purse my lips and do my best to stare him down.

His smile grows as he leans in and takes a deep breath. “You smell delicious.”

I pull away but my head hits the door.

“Sweet? Like a cupcake or raspberry strudel?” I smooth the sore spot on my skull, frowning. “You should probably think of me as more of a bear claw.”

“Roar.” He growls. “I’ll take it however I can get it.”

I bite my bottom lip as he closes in on me. He’s so big that he blocks the light.

When his lips land on mine, I freeze.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Every neuron in my brain goes haywire.

I forget to breathe. My heart forgets to beat.

My mouth falls open, and his tongue slides in and out as smooth as silk, shocking me into moving. I grab hold of his shirt, pulling him closer.

That’s all the invitation he needed to annihilate my good sense. Our tongues engage in a silent conversation, punctuated by nips and little suckles at each other’s lips. The onslaught of his hands on my waist with his thumbs digging into my lowest ribs as his mouth acquaints itself with mine overwhelms my ability to escape.

His knee inserts itself between my thighs as my back relaxes against the door. One big hand finds the bottom of my ass, massaging me through my skirt. My knees go weak.

An ear-splitting siren alerts me that my hand is at the push bar affixed to the door—the open door.

My face heats and could probably rival the crazy flashing red light above our heads.

Fuck it. It is an emergency.

Before I can put too much thought into it, I shove through the door into the bright morning sun.

I need to get away from Ty before I really embarrass myself.

Tyson rushes out behind me. “JoJo, wait!”

I don’t turn back. I simply beeline toward my car, waving over my shoulder as I all but run to the parking lot.





That ass looks every bit as good in her little business suit’s as it does in yoga pants. And in those heels, her calves are…

Damn, I’d love to get those propped up over my shoulders. I bet her pussy tastes like sweet cream and strawberries.

My cock twitches.

I button my jacket to hide my boner. It’s not fair to tease the female employees.

Plus, there’s always that one who’d be offended by a guy’s hard-on. The last thing I need is to end up with a sexual harassment charge added to my record.

The memory of a cop’s hand on my head as I was pushed into the backseat of a police cruiser, years ago, is enough to kill my woody.

Not an experience I’d recommend.

Boy, life would be a whole lot easier right now if I hadn’t stepped in and taken the rap, but it had to be done. No two ways around it.

I grin and shake my head.

I’d do it again—in a fucking heartbeat.

Upstairs, I prop my feet on my desk.

Terri pops her head around the doorframe, her bouncing corkscrew curls in diametric opposition to the double, vertical perma-creases in the middle of her eyebrows. “Well, look who’s decided to grace us with his presence.”

“What? I had to meet with my attorney,” I say to thin air, because she’s gone.

She’ll be back. She always comes by for a second round of grousing first thing in the morning. I’ll be ready for her. I snatch a piece of paper off the note pad, folding it into a compact triangle.