The #1 Bestsellers Collection 2011(128)

She dropped onto her bed, half the size of the one she’d slept in last night. The paradox was a joke—a bad one—and her hollow laugh echoed in the scantily furnished room. Deep down she had to admit that there was a tiny piece of her that still wanted the Cinderella finish—the knight in shining armour taking her to his castle to love her forever.

She gave herself a brisk mental shakedown. What had she been thinking? No, the sooner she put last night firmly in the past, where it belonged, the better. Difficult, though, when her body still hummed from the aftermath of Connor’s lovemaking this morning and tiny twinges reminded her of the unaccustomed exercise she’d indulged in. And no matter which way she looked at it, it had been an indulgence. One she couldn’t afford. After seeing him with his family, the close-knit group, the children, she’d realised with damning clarity that she’d never belong there. And nor could she when she was in no position to offer Connor what, she’d evidenced with her own observations today, he most wanted.

Children of his own.

Moping about the house wouldn’t change anything, so Holly did what she did best—got on with things. First order of the afternoon was to find where the nearest urgent pharmacy was, then she’d call and see how Andrea was doing.

Bang, bang, bang! Holly all but leapt out her skin as a fist battered at her front door. Apprehensive, given the flavour of the neighbourhood, she peeped around her doorway and down the hall to the front door. An unmistakable figure loomed through the frosted glass panes.

“Holly, open up. I know you’re in there.”

She covered the distance to the door reluctantly, taking her time to unbolt the flimsy door and swing it open. He filled the open frame like a dark avenging angel.

“You left without saying goodbye.” He stepped inside, forcing her to flatten herself against the wall to avoid contact. Her shredded nerves couldn’t take any more. “Are you okay?”

His hand lifted to her cheek. Holly flinched and pulled her head back. She couldn’t bear it if he touched her again. She was strong, but not that strong. Challenge lit his gaze as his hand dropped down to his side.

“I’m fine. I thought it was better if I didn’t make a fuss about leaving.” Her heart pounded in her chest, and she took another step back. “Look. What we did last night was crazy. I was emotional because it was my birthday and you … well, I don’t know why you wanted me, and I don’t need to know. Let’s not make life complicated by turning it into more than it was.”

“And what was it, exactly?”

“We fulfilled a need, scratched an itch if you like. That’s all.”

“An itch?” His expression was deadpan, his voice level. Cool and calm, Connor Knight was formidable, and at this minute he scared Holly far more than if he’d developed a sudden rage at her words.

“For want of a better term, yes.”

“What if I want more?”

“More?” her mouth dried and a bolt of desire shot with pulsing heat to radiate through her body. “There can be no more. It’ll make working together impossible. People will talk … your father, you know his policy on office relationships.” Frantic, Holly clutched at every reason she could—no easy feat with her mind just about fried from the dangerous heat in his coal-dark eyes.

“And that’s it.” His voice grew hard, cold.

“Yes. That’s it. We’re both adult enough to handle it, aren’t we?”

Connor stood still as a statue. Bit by bit she saw a bleak coldness quench the fire in his gaze. His lips thinned in a tight line. A taut coil of tension emanated from him like a palpable thing. Please, please, please, she begged silently. Just go! Go before I change my mind. His jaw clenched and released as if he’d been on the verge of saying something then thought the better of it.

Down the hall her phone started to ring—the shrill sound grating through the atmosphere that hung thick between them.

A shiver of fear ran the length of her spine. The only calls she ever got were from Andrea’s hospital. Something must be wrong for them to be calling now.

“I need to answer that. You can let yourself out.” She turned to walk away but his arm snaked out to halt her in her tracks. He spun her back, and suddenly she was pressed against him, her body already willingly forming to the hard lines of his.

“Just one more thing,” he growled.

Connor pinned her against the wall, pressing his lips against hers in a hard, possessive move that left her in no doubt of his anger. She pushed the flats of her hands against the wall behind her to stop herself from reaching out to touch him. Yet, despite her best intentions, she couldn’t help but respond to the commanding sweep of his tongue, and her lips parted in reluctant welcome.