LITMIR.BIZ

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in tow. They’d exchanged pleasantries and when he’d found out that she was living in Los Angeles he’d offered her a job if she ever needed one.

      With her pride deeply injured, Gina shot back. “Consider yourself, unstuck. I won’t ask you to work with the biggest mistake of your life.”

      Gina turned her back on Wade and walked toward the French doors. She wanted out, away from Wade for good. But just as she stepped inside the house, Wade grabbed her from behind, his hands holding her gently just under her breasts, the zipper of his jeans grinding into her derriere. She felt the pins being pulled from her hair, freeing the tresses from their knotted prison. Wade wove his hand in her hair and brought his lips to her throat, his voice a gruff whisper. “Don’t run away again.”

      Gina’s traitorous body reacted to Wade and, angry as she was, she couldn’t deny the overwhelming heat pulsing through her. “You don’t want me here.”

      “That may be true.” And then he added softly, “But I need you.”

      Gina slammed her eyes shut. She felt herself softening to Wade and when she turned in his arms to face him, she witnessed the depth of his sincerity. “You need me?”

      She glanced at his mouth just as his lips came down onto hers. He cupped her face and deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth over hers again and again. Gina reacted with a little whimper, urging her body closer. His heat was a fire that burned her. And when she sighed, he took the opportunity to drive his tongue into her mouth, mating them together. Soon, Gina’s body swayed in rhythm and Wade wrapped his hands around her waist, his fingers pressing into the curve of her buttocks, drawing her closer.

      She felt his erection, the hot pulsing need rubbing into her. Heart pounding out of control, she felt dizzy and wanted Wade with undeniable urgency.

      “Yoo-hoo, Wa-ade? Are you home? I brought you chili, honey. Just the way you like it, hot and spicy,” the low throaty rasp of a woman’s voice startled Gina. She pulled away from Wade in time to see a young redhead coming up the deck steps from the beach. In a flowery bikini covered only by a hip-riding sarong, the woman held a hot bowl in her potholder-clad hands. She stopped up short when she reached the deck, finding Wade and Gina together. “Oh, sorry, Wade. I guess I had the wrong night. I thought we were on for the hot tub. My mistake,” she said casually. “I’ll just leave this here for you.” She set the chili on the deck table.

      “Shoot, Veronica. Sorry. I forgot.” He winked at her and smiled. “I’m working tonight.”

      “I can see that,” she said, taking a quick glance at Gina, before backing down the stairs. “Don’t work too hard, honey.” Gina heard her chuckle as she disappeared onto the beach.

      Gina stared at Wade and abruptly everything became clear. For a moment she thought that she was back in El Paso with the young, sweet man she had given herself to unconditionally. Suddenly, she felt foolish. And stupid for thinking that nothing had changed, when, actually, everything had.

      She tried to brush past him to get away, but he was like a block of granite, too strong to move without his willing surrender. He reached for her arms and held her without budging. When she glared into his eyes, he shrugged and said calmly, “She’s a friend.”

      Gina wasn’t a fool. She doubted Wade had female “friends” who came over just for a quick meal and a splash in the hot tub. She shook her head adamantly. “I think not. I’d better go. Will you drive me home or shall I take a taxi?”

      “Neither. We have work to do. When I said I needed you, I meant it. I need a personal assistant for this project and we have to catch you up on the details.”

      “You mean you’d give up your hot-tub date?” Her voice was deliberately rich with sarcasm.

      “I just did, didn’t I?” Wade shot back.

      Gina bristled. “Yes, you did. You dismissed her quite easily. But what about what just happened between us? Can you dismiss that just as easily?” His kiss had stole Gina’s breath, but she had regained normal breathing.

      Wade pursed his lips. He stared at hers, well-ripened and swollen from his powerful assault. “I never could dismiss you, Gina. You’re hardly the kind of woman a man can forget.”

      “That does not answer my question.”

      “Listen, maybe I was out of line a minute ago. But I’m not kidding when I say I need you. As my assistant. We’re setting sail first thing tomorrow so—”

      Gina snapped her head up. “Setting sail? For where?”

      “For Catalina island. You should have been briefed during the first interview with Helen in Personnel. It was a stipulation of the job.”

      Wade seemed full of surprises. First he stunned her with that incredible kiss and now this unexpected announcement of an island trip. “I wasn’t informed about a trip.”

      “You knew about the latest project the company plans to bid on. It could be the biggest contract in Triple B’s history and I intend to get it. It’s right there in the file I gave you to review.”

      “Yes, but I didn’t think—”

      “It’s the reason for the big bonus, Gina,” he interrupted to clarify.

      “But that’s what I don’t understand. That’s a great deal of money for a trip to Catalina. It’s only a few hours away. Surely, one day isn’t worth such a large sum of money.”

      “One day? Gina, we’ll be on that island for a minimum of one week and I guarantee you’ll be working long hours.”

      Gina slumped her shoulders. “One week?”

      He nodded. “Seven days, including the weekend. So are you in or am I going it alone tomorrow?”

      Gina slammed her eyes shut. She hated her own cowardice. She hadn’t been on the water in any capacity since the boat accident that claimed her parents’ lives. She’d dealt with the guilt at being the sole survivor, but she hadn’t been forced to face her fear—until now. And she was ready. She’d been praying to find a way to conquer her anxiety and now she had the opportunity. If she didn’t face her fears, she’d not only lose the revenue to rebuild her future, she’d lose part of herself all over again.

      Gina made a split-second decision. She needed this job for more than one reason. But she would accept the position under one condition, and one condition only. “I’m in. Under one condition.”

      Wade narrowed his eyes. “I don’t usually—”

      “We keep it strictly business.” Gina had allowed personal feelings to get the better of her in business once before and that had landed her with a pile of bills, slimy pawnshop receipts and creditors pounding on her door. She couldn’t let that happen again to her pocketbook or her heart. “Agreed?”

      Wade’s lips thinned.

      She stood her ground and kept her focus on his unflinching face.

      Finally Wade nodded. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. Now, let’s go over those files. I don’t want to get you home late. We’ll be setting sail at eight sharp.”

      Gina drew in a deep breath wondering how she would fare spending her days and nights with the only man who could anger her, confuse her and make her ache desperately for his touch.

      I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.

      Great, she thought ruefully. She’d just realized that Wade hadn’t agreed to her terms at all, but instead, issued her a challenge.

      She felt herself slowly sinking and she had to paddle fast to keep from going under. Which was saying something for a woman who had a dire fear of water.

      Three

      The next morning, Wade watched Gina make her way down the ramp that led to his docking slip at Marina del Rey. He’d told her to dress comfortably

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