negotiating skills extend to convincing your boss that
he should let you stay in the background at a wedding event, when in doing so
obviously put him under immense pressure at said event. I know that your
organizational skills are excellent as I watched you herding the celebrating
hoards into viable groups so that photographs could be taken in an efficient
and organized manner. As for your other attributes,” he said with a grin, “I’ve
got eyes and can vouch for them firsthand.”
She pursed her lips. “You’re pretty arrogant.”
“You already told me that. Why don’t you sit back down and we can
continue our negotiations?”
She hesitated, before allowing him to lead her over to the deep leather
sofa.
He sat beside her, watching her tug down the hem of her skirt as it rode
up her thighs.
“You should keep your mind on business,” she warned as she looked up and
caught his gaze. “That way I can’t mistake that you’re alluding to anything
untoward.”
He sat back, making sure his knee brushed hers. “My mind is always on
business, but I’ve got room for other interests, too. As for my alluding to
anything? Well, let’s just say if there’s something I want I’ll let you know.
Clearly. There’ll be no reason for you to second guess.”
Her cheeks went pink, which pleased him immensely. “I’m not exactly
having to second guess at the way your eyes keep going to my legs right now.”
He grinned. “They’re excellent legs.”
Her cheeks went darker. “Why don’t we get down to business?”
“I thought we already were.”
She glanced away as her fingers tightened around the black portfolio on
her lap. When she looked back, she held his gaze. “You’re not the only one who
makes thing clear, and if there’s something I want, or don’t want, you’ll know
it, too.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Then we’re on the same page.”
“I want to keep this on a strictly professional footing.” She clasped
her hands together on top of the portfolio. “Why don’t you tell me what it is
you want and I’ll…my company will do everything possible to accommodate your needs.”
Hell. That statement was just too delicious to let go without a fitting
response. Stretching one arm along the back of the sofa, Reed allowed his
fingers to flirt dangerously close to her silky blonde hair. “What needs are we
talking about?”
“Professional,” she said clearly. “That goes without saying.”
Okay. He’d let it go at that. For now. “I want an innovative
photographic record of a high profile development I’m about to start.” She
nodded and grabbed a notebook from her bag. “The actual photographs will form
part of the interior’s décor, which means they’ll need to be creative and
inventive.”
He watched her scribble in her notepad, liking the way her teeth caught
her bottom lip as she concentrated. So focused was he in watching her, he lost
his train of thought and didn’t recover it until she looked up at him and
cleared her throat. “Anything else?”
Although Reed knew he was pushing his luck, instincts other than his
business ones had taken over. He decided to go for broke. “There is something
else, and seeing as we’ve agreed to play it straight, I’m just going to say
it.” His blood heated beneath all that hazel temptation as he held her gaze. “I
want to take you to bed.”
Her eyes widened for an instant, just enough for him to recognise a
quality in them that indicated she didn’t find his suggestion completely
intolerable, then slowly she closed her notebook. “You can’t help yourself, can
you?” For a moment, Reed thought she might make for the door again, but she
simply lay her hands palms down on the closed pad in her lap. “Is it so
difficult for you to keep your mind on business?”
“I could act like I’m not attracted to you.” And not sitting here with a raging hard-on . “But that would make me
a hypocrite. The truth is I want you.”
When she