Free His Girl Friday by Diana Palmer Page B

You'd resist, but only for a few seconds. Then you'd want me back, and you and I would go up in flames."
    Her body trembled at the pictures in her mind, and she knew that he was doing it deliberately. His eyes held hers, unblinking, watching her reactions.
    "One day," he said huskily, "I'l have you. In spite of everything, you'l lie in my arms and give yourself to me." She couldn't breathe. He pulled her face into his throat and wrapped her up in a rough, tight embrace, his powerful arms contracting until she was crushed to him, drowning in the scent and feel of him. She should have protested that last statement, she should have said something. But she already knew that it was the truth. If she didn't get away from this office, it was going to happen. Now that she'd had a taste of him, it wouldn't be enough. She closed her eyes and wanted to cry. She'd been afraid of this moment subconsciously since the very first day she'd walked into the office, since her first sight of the elegant and very sexy Mr. Rit er with his icy pale eyes and sensuous mouth. She felt him move, felt her body descend to the sofa. He was easing her down, and the look on his face was exciting and terrifying, because he looked like a man whose control had snapped. His eyes were burning into hers, his hands held a faint tremor as they lifted her backward onto the couch. She watched him, helples , her body as hungry as her eyes, confused by her own reactions to his potent ardor. "Hel o?"
    They both jumped at the loud voice coming from the waiting room. He let go of Danet a and stood erect, scowling down at her while he tried to make his mind work.
    "Is anybody here?" the loud, half angry voice came again.
    "My God," Cabe breathed, his eyes holding Danet a's for just a second before he straightened, turned on his heel and went out into the waiting room. He'd closed the door behind him. Danet a threw her shaky legs over the edge of the sofa and struggled to her feet. She was stil unsteady, but the coffee was beginning to work. She took her cup to the pot and poured it full again, leaning back against his bookcase to sip it. Her life had become too complicated for words in the past few days. She stared into the coffee dazedly. Was she delirious, or had Cabe Rit er just kis ed her into blind submis ion?
    She finished the coffee just as he came back into the office, somber and a lit le distant.
    "Feeling bet er?" he asked.
    She nodded. "I'm very sorry," she repeated numbly. "I didn't mean to get sauced at lunch, and I won't do it again. I. ." She glanced at the sofa and blushed, avoiding his eyes. "I'l just get back to work, now."
    She put down the cup and started toward the door. He looked as if he might reach out and catch her on the way, but he leaned back against his desk instead, his hands on the edges, the knuckles turning white.
    Her hand paused on the doorknob of the outer office. "I apologize for the way I acted just now," she said expressively, stil with her back to him. "It was the wine. I've never done anything like that before. I hope it didn't give you the wrong idea," she faltered.
    "No," he said softly. "There's nothing to be embarras ed about, Danet a."
    She grit ed her teeth. "And I am sorry, Mr. Rit er."
    "My name is Cabe," he said, his voice quiet, very deep.
    "Yes, I know, but. ."
    "If you'd rather not use it when we've got clients in the office, I don't mind. But when we're alone, I don't want to be cal ed Mr. Rit er again." She mustered enough courage to glance at him, fascinated by the expres ion on his face. Tendernes mingled with soft indulgence lay there, and his blue eyes were without their usual hardnes .
    "Al right, Cabe," she said in a barely audible whisper.
    His eyes slid down to her mouth and lingered there posses ively. He thought about the deep, intimate kis they'd shared and his body tautened at the pleasure it brought back. She was exciting to make love to. Dangerously exciting. She was a virgin and she'd expect to marry the