LITMIR.BIZ

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nearly finished. Another few days and the deal will be signed and sealed.’ Another few days and her contract here would be finished.

      Her eyes drifted over him as he walked closer. She liked the way he dressed; he had the stylish panache that continental men seemed to achieve so effortlessly. But that wasn’t what drew her—nor was it the tall, muscular, toned body beneath the clothes—it was something else. It was that aura of power that he wore so well, that cool, confident, almost ruthless way he had of holding her attention. She wished that he didn’t have an effect on her, and that he didn’t send her senses into free fall, but he did.

      Hurriedly she tried to put those emotions away as he stopped in front of her desk.

      ‘You’ve done well. Of course, it means we’re going to have to set aside some time to talk about where things are going from here.’

      Did he mean emotionally? She swallowed hard and couldn’t find her voice to reply.

      ‘I’d like you to stay on.’

      His quietly spoken words opened up feelings inside her that she didn’t dare try to analyse. Instead she looked up at him cautiously, and her whole body seemed to be tensing, waiting. ‘In what capacity?’

      ‘Same as now. I’m buying a new company, and I’d like you to oversee a similar project for me.’

      She tried to ignore the curl of disappointment. Of course he hadn’t been talking in emotional terms. Alexi never discussed emotions; they were a definite taboo. He was a businessman first and foremost.

      ‘And what about … us?’ She forced herself to ask the question.

      ‘Well, we can carry on as before, can’t we?’ His dark eyes held with hers, and then he smiled. ‘Enjoying ourselves.’

      She nodded and tried to look casually indifferent. ‘Well, we can discuss it later.’

      He frowned for a moment as if he hadn’t been expecting that. ‘So the next question is …’ he leaned forward and put his hands on her desk ‘… your place or mine?’

      The smooth transition from businessman to lover made Katie’s stomach-muscles tighten. She wanted him so much … wanted to push everything to one side and just go into his arms and be held.

      But Alexi didn’t intend to just hold her; he intended to make love to her until she was senseless and sated beyond belief. Then he’d smile that satisfied smile and tell her she was great, before moving away and turning the conversation and the mood back towards business.

      For the first time in their relationship Katie felt like she couldn’t handle that situation. The knowledge swirled inside her with disquieting intensity.

      ‘I thought you had a meeting with the director of Transworth tonight?’ She played for time.

      ‘Yes, but it shouldn’t last long. I’ll be finished by about ten.’ He came round to her side of the desk and perched beside her.

      His closeness unsettled her even more. ‘Alexi, it’s been a crazy day today. I haven’t stopped, and—’

      ‘Are you bailing out on me?’ He didn’t sound annoyed, just amused.

      ‘Afraid so.’ She couldn’t meet his gaze. ‘A girl has to catch up on her beauty sleep some time.’

      He reached out and tipped her chin upwards, so that she was forced to look at him, and she was glad that the light in the office was fading now. His gaze was too perceptive—almost as if he could read the secrets of her soul.

      ‘You look pretty hot for a woman in need of her beauty sleep.’ He murmured the words huskily, and the touch of his hand against her skin made her feel weak with longing. ‘But I’ll let you off tonight as long as you think about my business proposition.’

      ‘You are such a smooth talker, Alexi.’ She tried to sound flippant.

      He didn’t immediately release her. Instead his fingers stroked softly upwards, tracing along the delicate heart-shape of her face and into the darkness of her long hair.

      She took a deep, shuddering breath as he lowered his head and took possession of her lips.

      Hell, but he could kiss … He had a way of lighting her up inside, making her want him with an urgency she had never experienced before. Over the last couple of months she had allowed herself to surrender to him completely, had loved the wild, exhilarating feelings he created inside her—but today his mastery over her senses just scared her.

      She didn’t want to feel like this any more, she thought hazily, yet she couldn’t stop herself leaning forward and giving herself up to the pleasure of the moment.

      His mobile phone rang, shattering the silence. For a moment he ignored it, before abruptly pulling away. ‘Sorry, Katie, I better take this call.’

      She shrugged and tried not to care.

      ‘Hi, Mark, what’s the situation at the New York office?’

      How was he able to kiss with such passion and then sound perfectly controlled the next moment?

      Because he didn’t connect with her on an emotional level—she answered her own question and tried to pull herself together.

      This was no good—she needed to regain control. She smoothed her hair back from her face, and reached to pick up her handbag.

      ‘Won’t be long,’ she murmured as she caught Alexi’s eye.

      He nodded. ‘Just deal with it, Mark,’ he snapped. ‘I don’t give second chances—the guy has messed up.’

      Katie headed down the corridor. Alexi was a ruthless businessman; she knew that. But she’d also read enough about him in the gossip columns to know he could be ruthless in his private life, too.

      He’d been married once, and since his divorce he’d changed his women with the weather.

      If this pregnancy test was positive, she was going to be on her own. She was already aware of the rumour that his marriage had ended because he hadn’t wanted children and his ex-wife had.

      And their affair meant nothing to him!

      How could she have been so stupid?

      She’d grown up in a single-parent family, and it had been tough. Even now the memories haunted her.

      If the test was negative she would learn her lesson, she promised herself fiercely. And she would finish with Alexi once and for all.

      CHAPTER ONE

      KATIE walked into the impressive foyer of the Madison Brown building with a feeling of excitement. It was the first day of her new job, and she couldn’t wait to start.

      It had taken her a month to find this position—a month of sifting through the many job offers and holding her nerve until the perfect post had come her way. Just in time, as well, because being within the solitude of her apartment had started to become like some kind of torture. Being alone every day had given her too much time to think about Alexi—to miss Alexi—and she didn’t want to do that.

      Even the thought of his name now made a feeling of pain rise inside her, and angrily she tried to stifle it. She was being ridiculous. She’d known the score, and she’d done exactly the right thing in leaving Demetri Shipping, and exactly the right thing in finishing with Alexi.

      ‘Hi.’ She smiled at the receptionist, who looked up at her. ‘Katie Connor, new project manager.’

      ‘Ah, yes, Ms Connor. Go on up to the top floor. The new managing director wants to talk to you before you start.’

      Katie headed for the lifts and tried to ignore the sudden quiver of first-day nerves. Everything would be fine, she told herself firmly. They’d practically headhunted her for this job. The employment agency had told her that she was the only one on their books to

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