Free Planning for Love by Christi Barth Page B

white-hot night was sensible. Far less embarrassing than succumbing to the urge to run to the bathroom, call Daphne, and squeal like a teenager anticipating her first hickey. She put a little extra swing in her hips as she headed to the door. “You know you’re going to lose at least a minute while we walk to the elevator?”
    “You’ve got to learn to think outside the box, Ms. Rhodes.” Arms like steel caught her behind the knees and cradled her effortlessly. No huffing and puffing, no hitch in his step. Ben’s long legs kept up a brisk pace across the interlocking grey and black circles stamped into the carpet. Ivy crossed her ankles and looped her arms around Ben’s neck, more for the sheer pleasure of it than necessity. She felt as secure in his arms as if back home in her overstuffed purple chair. All those hours he racked up shouldering a video camera were definitely working to her advantage.
    Ben’s tongue traced the rim of her ear. Tiny shivers cascaded down her neck with each swipe. A quick tickle of the inside, and then he lightly bit her lobe with his teeth. The contrast of the soft touch with the sharp nip amped the shivers up to full-fledged zings.
    “That’s cheating. You can’t start before we even get to the elevator.”
    “I call it efficient time management. Thought you of all people would appreciate it.” Ben pressed the button with his elbow and turned the full force of his raffish grin onto her. Good thing he was carrying her, because that grin alone could melt her knees in one second flat. Ivy’s senses spun on overload. Concentrate on the confident swagger in his voice, promising all sorts of R-rated fun? The way his thick bangs drooped over his forehead, just begging for her fingers to comb through? Or…oh…the faint taste of aged scotch flavoring the kiss he began while she was still taking stock of the bank of muscles pressed against her breasts?
    Their lips merged. Slow and dreamy, soft and tender. As romantic as any woman could ever hope for. Ivy knew this to be fact, as she spent quite a bit of down time thinking about the perfect kiss. The key ingredients were just the right amount of pressure, the right amount of heat, delivered by a handsome man. Ben hit the bull’s eye on every qualification. Plus, he got extra points for swooping her into his arms and Prince Charming-ed her down the hallway. Her eyes drifted shut at the sheer pleasure. It had been so long since the last time she’d had the opportunity to lock lips with a man. Even longer since she’d been kissed by someone as talented as Ben.
    No doubt about it—he’d seduced her into a puddle with nothing more than a kiss. It gave her high expectations for the rest of the night.
    Ben set her down and whipped off his jacket. Ivy hadn’t even noticed when they boarded the elevator, and now the doors whisked shut behind them. “What’s the matter? Did I get you all hot and bothered?” she asked. Regret set in as the words left her mouth. Why did some things sound so good in your head, and sound so much like a seventies porn spoof when said out loud?
    “It’s for you.” He settled the jacket over her shoulders. “Have to keep you decent. Never know when someone might actually be manning the security camera.” He nodded at the small, black dome in the corner of the ceiling.
    “My dress is perfectly decent,” she huffed. Why on earth did he care about this now? “I just worked in it for eight hours in front of more than one hundred people. In front of your video camera, might I remind you. How am I not decent?”
    “Like this.” Ben backed her against the mirrored panel, captured her mouth with his, and slid both hands down the front of her dress. With a smoothness undoubtedly borne of practice, he lifted her breasts out of the pink satin. The bodice formed a shelf, pushing them up high. Ivy looked in the mirror on the opposite wall to see her eyes dark and wide with shock. And excitement. He’d dropped to his