Free WhatLiesBeneath by Margo Diamond

from the stereotypical ink slinger.
    For some reason, though, Amanda’s high-class good looks and
intelligence intimidated him. She’d even worn those damn pearls while bouncing
up and down on his cock. The thought of serving as nothing more than a quick
visit to the other side of the tracks made him sick.
    He reminded himself that all of his negative thoughts were
baseless. The bottom line was she’d accepted his invitation to dinner and would
be arriving in less than ten minutes. When the fog had rolled in earlier and
heavier than expected, he’d worried about getting back to the studio after
running home to shower and change, but he’d had plenty of time. Probably too
much time, considering how dark his attitude was becoming.
    He pretended to be busy on the computer at Vix’s desk so
that when Amanda showed up he wouldn’t have his nose pressed to the window like
an overeager puppy. Truth was, his attention bounced from the wall clock to the
front door and back. Waiting for their date had been the longest week of his
life.
    Fog hung like a dense wall of dirty, gray cotton. Only when
pedestrians passed right in front of the shop could he make them out, and even
then they were little more than dark, blurry figures. When the front door
finally opened, his pulse jumped.
    “What a mess out there.” Amanda tousled her shoulder-length
curls while closing the door. Moisture glinted on the shiny blonde strands,
indicating a slight drizzle had shown up to accompany the fog.
    “Hello.” The single word was all Jericho could squeeze
around the lump in his throat. His libido had gone from zero to a thousand in
under ten seconds. Carefully he inhaled through his nose until his chest
swelled enough to strain the buttons on his jacket before exhaling. The
cleansing breath did nothing to minimize his erection, which was tenting the
crotch of his dress pants. He wanted to get up and greet her but chose to hide
behind the desk.
    Amanda closed the distance and perched on the edge of the
glass surface. “You look nice.” She eyed his casual black suit and red silk
T-shirt then glanced down at herself and frowned. “I believe I’m underdressed.”
    In heeled boots, black jeans, a white blouse, leather jacket
and those pearls, of course, she was ready to climb on the back of a Harley and
head out for burgers and beer. In deference to the weather and the reservations
he’d made at one of the city’s four-star restaurants, Jericho had left his bike
at home and driven back in his SUV.
    “It’s not a big deal. Besides, you do terrific things to
those jeans.” The doubt log-jamming his brain all week was gone. The only thing
on his mind was getting his hands—and other vital parts of his anatomy—on His
Blonde again.
    Neither spoke but the silence unfurling between them was not
uncomfortable. To Jericho it seemed they were absorbing the implications of
their sexual encounter and what the next step should be.
    More sex.
    The longer they sat, just staring at each other, the hotter
the air became. He seemed to recollect some vague notion about whisking Amanda
off to a fancy restaurant for a night of wining and dining, but that idea lost
its appeal when the alternative was more sex .
    Sweat broke out along his hairline and his skin prickled as
if sunburned. His nipples and scrotum tightened. The instantaneous arousal
astonished him. What the hell kind of spell had this adorable witch cast on
him?
    Was it possible his magic wand was just as powerful? Her
pupils dilated, the blue of her irises nothing more than a tiny ring around
each. Her lips parted, maybe to ease her shallow breathing. Her cheeks flushed.
    More sex. Now.
    Pushing aside the laptop that sat in the center of the desk
with one arm, he pulled Amanda around to the front with the other. She wiggled
her butt to situate herself as he rolled the chair back. Her legs hung between
his knees; his forearms rested alongside her thighs.
    He cupped his hands around her ass and