Free [4 Seasons 01] Seducing Summer by Serenity Woods Page B

that a challenge?”
    “Fuck, no. I meant…” What had he meant? His
brain scrambled like cooked eggs at the suggestive look in her eyes. He was
only barely keeping this together by repeatedly telling himself it was a bad
idea to get involved with her, and that if he kept his cool, she would never be
aware of his interest. What the fuck was he going to do if she started coming
on to him?
    Her smile faded. “There’s no need to look
so alarmed. I’m not a bunny boiler. I’m teasing you, that’s all.”
    But he could see the hurt in her eyes. She
thought he didn’t find her attractive.
    Jeez.
    “Callie…” His words trailed off as he saw
the sign for Hollywell’s clothing store ahead. He concentrated on the road for
a moment, turning the car into a car park and finding a spot. He switched off
the engine, then turned to face her.
    “You don’t have to say anything. I was
teasing,” she said, a little flatly.
    Hating that he’d unerringly knocked her
confidence after her recent rejection by her ex, Gene met her eyes, and their
gazes locked. Heat rushed through him. There was something so intimate about
being in a car with someone. Her right knee in the cherry-colored skirt was
only an inch from his left, and her light, flowery perfume filled the car. Every
time he inhaled, he was breathing her in, until she was part of his system,
rushing around his body with his hot, hungry blood.
    I was teasing, she’d stated.
    “Were you?” he said before he could stop
himself.
    Her gaze remained locked on his, and she
must have seen the desire there, because her lips lifted up, and she gave a
tiny, sexy shrug of her shoulders. Maybe .
    He wanted to kiss her… God, he wanted to
kiss her. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, and his erection
sprang to life. It would be the easiest thing in the world to slip a hand
behind her head, lean forward, and press his lips to hers. He wanted to wrap
his arm around her and pull her to him, lift her onto his lap, and feel her
soft body against his. Cup her breast in the thin blouse she was wearing and
feel the heat and weight in his palm. Her arms would slip around him, her hands
searching beneath his shirt to find his warm skin. He wanted to get naked with
this woman, and find out if she was as fun in bed as he suspected.
    At that moment, Neve’s warning rang in his
head, and he swallowed hard. “Callie, we can’t get involved. I have to stay
professional.” Once again, though, as soon as he’d spoken, he knew she’d read
between the lines and deduce that he wanted her.
    Her gaze rested on his lips—she was
thinking about kissing him too. Her eyelids lowered to half-mast, her
expression turning hot and sultry. “I don’t see why the agency has to find
out.”
    The agency? He realized she was talking
about his role as PA. For a brief moment, he’d forgotten about his cover story.
    Cold sluiced through him, dampening his
ardor. What was he doing? Phoebe Hawke had placed her daughter’s life in his
hands. What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he focus on the job?
    “That’s not the point,” he said. He tore
his gaze away and yanked the keys out of the ignition. “It’s about integrity—it’s
nothing to do with the agency, although I can’t imagine they would approve of
their staff performing personal services for their employers.”
    He’d meant the comment to insinuate that if
anything happened between them while she was employing him, it would verge on
her paying him for sex. He’d meant it to be insulting, half hoping and half dreading
the way the sparkle in her eyes would fade and her lips would straighten and
thin.
    They didn’t, though. Instead, she just
laughed. “Personal services? I’m going to have to put that in my employees’
contracts.”
    “Callie…”
    “Oh, relax,” she scolded, collecting her
handbag. “You’re far too uptight. Someone needs to loosen your laces.” She
turned and got out of the car.
    Gene grumbled