The CEO's Little Surprise(12)

"Who said anything about kissing?" he countered. "Is that what's on  your mind, Cass? Because I'm game if you think kissing me will make your  point."                       
       
           



       

It was a dare and a challenge-guaranteed to get an in-control, powerful  woman like Cass hot-and she caught both full force. Her mouth curved  upward as she contemplated him. "I think it'll make your point, not  mine."

"Oh?" Barely six inches separated their lips and he ached to close that distance. "What point is that?"

She leaned in, almost there but not quite, lips feathering against his,  and it was more evocative than if she'd gone for it. Her perfume  engulfed him in a sensuous wave that heightened the sparking awareness.  Her breasts brushed his chest aggressively and he nearly groaned with  the effort it took to keep his fingers from her dress.

One little signal and he'd slide his arms around her, pulling her into  the fiercest kiss. The only prayer he had of cracking that ice was to  give her something sizzling hot to grab on to with both hands.

Public place, public place, public place, he reminded himself furiously.

"Your point-if I recall-was that you'd use all the information at your  disposal to seduce me," she murmured throatily. "I don't think you have a  shot."

"Guess there's only one way to find out."

The irresistible draw between them sucked him in, and finally his arms  closed around her and her mouth sought his. A scorching kiss ignited the  pent-up emotions and desire Gage had been fighting since he'd first  laid eyes on Cass in the parking lot of her building.

They twined together, shifting closer. As close as they could on the  bench without turning the kiss into something too indecent for public  consumption.

Yes. Oh, God yes. Her tongue darted out in a quest for his and he lost  himself in the sensation of her hot flesh. She tasted of wine and  familiarity, throwing him back to a time when she'd been a major part of  his first round of freedom.

Memories zipped by of Cass spread out under him, hips rolling toward  his in a sensuous rhythm, hair spread out, her gaze hot and full of  anticipation and pleasure as they came together again and again.  Memories of her laughing with him, challenging him, filling him.

He wanted her. Just like that. Right now.

He forgot about the hard bench and pulled her closer, nearly into his lap as he let the lace of her dress pleasure his fingers.

She tilted her head, sucking him deeper, her hands sliding across his  back, gripping his waist. Driving him wild with the need she'd enflamed  with a simple touch. He wanted to feel her again, feel like the world  was his for the taking, like life had endless possibilities. How had he  not realized that Cass had been such a huge piece of that?

Masterfully, purposefully, she kissed him, breaking down everything  he'd thought he was doing here. Everything went out the window: plans,  strategy, formulas. Who cared? This was pleasure at its finest and he  wanted more.

Then she pulled back, separating from him before he was ready, and his  knees went weak. She smiled, her expression heavy with something he  couldn't identify.

"Nice," she said conversationally. "And now it's time for the business  talk we've been avoiding. Join me when you're done with the pleasure  part of the evening."

She stood, swishing away from him on her dangerously sexy heels and  sashaying out of the hall. The ice in her spine appeared firmly in  place.

Blearily, he watched her go, too floored to call out. That had been  hotter than he could have ever imagined. Hotter than it had ever been  with Cass in the past. Hotter than he would have credited, given the  ice-goddess routine she'd perfected.

He'd goaded her into kissing him in hopes of getting past all that icy  reserve, past her CEO exterior, past all this business talk so he could  seduce her into his bed. Instead of melting her, he'd learned he wasn't  quite over Cassandra Claremont. And she hadn't been affected at all.

That turnabout was anything but fair.





Six

Gage paid the tab and followed Cass out of the restaurant.

Thank God he was behind her. That gave her a good three minutes to get her shakes under control.

It wasn't long enough. By the time they hit the sidewalk and Gage gave  the valet his ticket, she'd almost managed to stop hyperventilating.

That kiss still singed her lips. His touch still burned her back.  Worse? She'd touched him, too. Her own fingertips had reacquainted  themselves with Gage's broad shoulders, thick hair, muscular torso.  They'd explored him thoroughly and she ached to memorize him all over  again.                       
       
           



       

She was supposed to be seducing him so she could get some answers about  his involvement in her company's problems. Somehow that hadn't  happened. She had to get the advantage back. Pronto.

As they waited in tense silence for his Hummer to appear at the curb,  she prayed he wouldn't try to corner her again, maybe in one of the  shadowy alcoves off to the right, where he could back her up against the  brick away from prying eyes and kiss her like that again. Because she  could almost feel the bite of that brick against her back. Could almost  feel his hands on her. His mouth.

That would be...too much. And it was all she could think about.

"Hi, Cass. I thought that was you."

The enthusiastic female voice on her right snapped her out of the  fantasy where Gage had hiked up her dress as he kissed her in that  shadowy alcove and... Get a grip, for crying out loud.

Cass turned. And her heart tripped as she came face-to-face with Fyra's  accounting manager. Who was eyeing Gage with undisguised interest as  she gripped her own date's arm.

"Hi, Laurie," Cass croaked before clearing her Gage-riddled throat.

"Fancy seeing you here," Laurie commented and gestured to the man with  her. "This is my husband, Mark. You may remember him from the Christmas  party? But I haven't had the pleasure," she said to Gage, sticking out  her hand in expectation.

Oh, no. This was not the time or place to be caught with a rival CEO.  They needed to play it cool and extract themselves without-

"Gage Branson," he announced cheerily, completely ignoring the elbow Cass had just shoved in his ribs.

Too late. She stifled a groan as Laurie's expression lit up.

"Not the Gage Branson of GB Skin? I'm a huge fan of your body wash. I  use it all the time, but don't tell my husband," she said with a laugh.

Cass glowered at her but Laurie just shrugged. "What? Ours is too  flowery. Men's scents are more outdoorsy. Lemon and sage and such."

Gage grinned. "That's what I like to hear."

The mutual admiration club gained another member when Laurie's husband  jumped into the mix to announce his own GB Skin product preferences.  This was beyond uncomfortable. Not simply because it grated to hear that  Gage had one-upped her, but also because he'd just kissed her.

Could Laurie and Mark tell? Of course they could-she was probably  mussed, and she hadn't had a chance to slick on more lipstick. It was a  cardinal sin to stand here on the curb with missing makeup. They'd  probably noticed her naked lips the moment she'd turned around.

Okay, yes. She'd been kissing the CEO of GB Skin. Cass had kissed Gage.  Strictly in the name of finding out whether he'd been the mastermind  behind the leak, which had somehow turned into something else.

Her guilty conscience was probably seeping from her pores. She had to get out of here.

Cass gritted her teeth and broke in at an opportune moment. "Laurie,  you know we welcome suggestions from employees on Fyra's products. Just  send me an email with your thoughts about how to improve the scents in  our body wash, and I'll get it into the right hands."

"Oh, I know I shouldn't be gushing over a competitor's products in  front of my boss's boss." Laurie's giggle was the opposite of contrite.  "But I figured it was okay to admit it. After all, I'm just using the  products, not dating the CEO."

"Oh, this isn't a date," Cass interjected swiftly. "Mr. Branson is...uh-"

"Providing consulting services to Ms. Claremont," Gage finished for her  smoothly. "Cass and I went to college together and she contacted me to  ask for strategic advice."

"That's a pretty fancy dress for a business meeting." Laurie sighed a  little over it. "I would love to be able to wear something that sexy."

Her husband murmured something in her ear and she laughed as the valet  rolled up in a Lexus. "That's our ride. Nice to meet you."

The couple disappeared into the interior of the car.

"A consultant, Gage? Really?" Cass muttered as the valet parked the  Hummer behind the Lexus. A horn blared behind her but she didn't take  her focus off the traitor at her shoulder.