LITMIR.BIZ

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heaviness that had been sitting on his shoulders eased a fraction. Of course the flaw in the plan was that employees were off-limits, especially ones he was trying to retain in the long term. His plan presumed he could live with her down the hall for years and not kiss her again. Not touch her.

      And he wasn’t even sure he was going to make it through this dinner without doing that.

      * * *

      As they pulled up in Liam’s Jeep in front of the house, Jenna tried to stave off her disappointment that the night was ending. It wasn’t a real date. She couldn’t let herself think that, and the sooner she was tucked up in her bed—alone—the better. Safe from fantasies that Liam had actually invited her out and that she was free to follow her attraction in whatever direction it led...

      Then Liam leaned across and stroked her cheek with a feather-light caress, and all her attempts at being reasonable went up in smoke. She felt herself tremble under the touch but she didn’t dare move, hope and doubts and anticipation warring inside her.

      “Thank you for a lovely evening,” he said and let his hand fall. That didn’t seem to break the connection, though—it was as if the very air in the Jeep crackled.

      There was no use denying she wanted him to kiss her, had never wanted anything more. And it didn’t seem as if he was bothering with denial anymore either. His eyes darkened as he focused on her mouth. Her lips parted and she drew in a shaky breath, but he didn’t come closer. The moment felt suspended in time, neither of them moving. Then his eyes changed, became pained, and his head swung away.

      “We’d better go inside and check on the babies,” he said and opened his door.

      Suddenly cold, she blinked. The babies. Of course. She was the nanny, after all, not someone he was dating. But her traitorous body wasn’t as easily convinced.

      She pulled herself together and went with him into the house. Katherine had left a note on the hallstand saying that everything was fine, and Bonnie was sleeping soundly with her. They crept up to check on Meg, who was also fast asleep.

      Jenna gave her daughter a soft kiss on her round head, then hesitated in the hall, unsure of how to end the night. There was so much unfinished between them that she had no idea of what to do, and Liam didn’t seem to be in a rush.

      Perhaps simplest was best. “Well, good night, then,” she said.

      “I always walk a date to her door.” He waved an arm toward her room.

      “Okay,” she said, not really sure how to take that.

      They took the few steps to reach her room, then she turned to look up at him. He propped a shoulder against the doorframe, his gaze smoldering. A wave of heat rushed over her skin, and suddenly she didn’t want to do the safe thing anymore. Taking a risk was by far the more interesting option. She moistened her lips and hoped her voice sounded steady. “Isn’t a kiss at the door part of that tradition?”

      Liam stilled, studying her face. “You want me to kiss you, Jenna?” His voice was low and rough.

      “Oh, yes,” she said on a soft breath.

      He groaned and his eyes closed for a heartbeat, and she thought she might never breathe again. Finally, his head came closer until his lips met hers in a kiss that was sweeter than any they’d shared before. Their other kisses had been stolen and had been all about attraction. This was more of an exploration, and more intense for it.

      His hands found hers and their fingers entwined. When her knees wobbled, she leaned back against the door, and Liam pressed against her, not letting her fall. His body was scorching hot through her clothes and she wanted more, wanted everything.

      Liam wrenched his head away, gulping for air, but his gaze didn’t leave her. She’d never wanted anyone more in her life; her entire body vibrated with need. It was time for another risk.

      “Can I invite you in for a coffee?” she asked as casually as she could manage, resting her hand on the doorknob.

      His green eyes darkened, but the corners of his mouth twitched. “Thing is, because this is my house, I happen to know you don’t have coffee-making facilities in that room.”

      “That’s true, though I could probably rustle up a chocolate bar and a bottle of room-temperature water.” She turned the knob and pushed the door open behind them.

      “As it so happens, scrounged chocolate bars and room-temperature water are my favorite things in the world,” he said, wrapping a piece of her blond hair around his finger. “But in all seriousness, Jenna, do you honestly want me to come in? Say the word and I’ll see myself to my own room. It’s your call.”

      She let out a long breath. “Liam, I can give you about five good reasons why we should say goodnight out here in the hall. And I suspect you have a list about the same length.”

      He raised a hopeful eyebrow. “But...?”

      “I don’t want to,” she said simply. She’d been denying and fighting this attraction long enough.

      His Adam’s apple descended slowly, then came up again. “So what do we do?”

      Good question. They couldn’t go forward and they couldn’t not go forward. There had to be another way. “What if we give ourselves a free pass for tonight?”

      Heat flared in his eyes. “The reasons we shouldn’t do this aren’t going anywhere,” he said, tracing a fingertip down her throat. “We could park them in this hall and they’ll be waiting here patiently to be picked up again in the morning.”

      “We wouldn’t be doing anything wrong, because—”

      He cut her words off with a kiss full of the passion they’d been holding back. She raised her hands to grip his shoulders, and his body shuddered.

      “Because we’re not brushing those reasons aside,” he said against her mouth. “We’re just—”

      “Parking them for a few hours,” she finished, her fingers tightening on his shoulders.

      “Well, if we’re parking them, it will be just as easy to park them in the hall in front of my room as yours. And my room has a bigger bed.” He tugged on her hand and she followed him down the hall, anticipation bubbling in her belly.

      When they reached his room, he drew her inside, then closed the door, pushed her back against it and kissed her again. “Maybe your room would have been better,” he eventually said, leaning his forehead against hers. “That was a long wait between kisses.”

      With nimble fingers, he undid the buttons of her blouse. As he moved the fabric aside, his fingers skimmed and swirled from her stomach up over her bra, to reach the column of her throat. Her heart rate went soaring, her senses on overload.

      “Jenna,” he said, his voice uneven. “I’ve wanted you since the day you moved in.”

      “Only that long?” She gave him a crooked smile. “I feel as if I’ve wanted you forever.”

      He groaned and slipped his hands behind her to unhook her bra, then tossed it to the side. The air was cool on her breasts, but he soon cupped them, bringing all his warmth and the delicious friction from his work-roughened palms.

      She slipped her hands under his shirt, feeling the play of muscles across his chest as he tensed in reaction to her touch. It wasn’t enough. Trembling, she pushed the shirt from his shoulders and it dropped to the floor, then she leaned in and placed a kiss on his chest, thrilled when he sucked in a breath and held it. As her hands became bolder, roaming, exploring, he groaned and buried his fingers in her hair.

      Part of her still couldn’t believe she was here with Liam, the man she’d been watching, wanting for so long. But he whispered her name and she knew she wasn’t dreaming. This was him, and it was even more perfect than she’d imagined.

      He skimmed his hands up her thighs, bringing the skirt as he went, then hooked his fingers in the top of her

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