Robyn Michaels’ Weblog

The Kiss

by Robyn Michaels

© 2009

Sarah’s breathing quickened when Clint’s fingers slid across the side of her throat before tangling in the hair at the nape of her neck. She stilled when his other hand settled low on her hip. She slowly lifted her gaze, over his taut abs, across his broad shoulders, up his lean, corded neck, past his deliciously tempting mouth before finally meeting his gaze.  Her pulse spiked in awareness at the heated look in his eyes.

“You have the most amazing eyes,” he whispered reverently.

Sarah took a deep breath to ease the sudden tightness in her lungs. No man had ever paid her such a compliment. If something was mentioned, her eyes were normally referred to as ‘strange’ or ‘unusual’. Never had anyone called them amazing.

“Did you know that they change color depending on what mood you happen to be in?”

“Yes,” she said, giving a dry laugh. “My parents could always tell when I’d been up to something because of my eyes. They’d turn green when I felt guilty.”

“Well at the moment, they’re turquoise—a very pale turquoise. What does that mean, Sarah? Tell me what you’re feeling right this minute.”

Pure desire. Need, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Sarah flicked her tongue over her lips and Clint’s hand flexed in response, his fingers biting into the soft flesh of her hip.

“I have to know,” he said, his voice pitched low, strained.

“What?” Confusion flashed across her expressive face.

“What you taste like.”

His hand slid from her hip to the small of her back and he pulled her closer until their bodies were pressed tightly together. He bent his head and gently brushed his lips against hers, surprising her with his tenderness.

Sarah pressed her hand against his chest, relishing the feel of hard male muscles and tight abs. His hand tunneled deeper into her long red hair. His tongue teased at her lips, urging her to open to him. She gladly invited him inside and immediately felt herself becoming drunk on his heady, seductive flavor.

Clint murmured something unintelligible, plunged his tongue deeper into her depths and pulled her body even closer into his embrace. His larger body surrounded her, engulfed her petite frame as his mouth continued to mesmerize and seduce her senses. Sarah arched into him, pleased by the feel of his evident arousal pressed against her stomach. An answering need shot through her veins like a bolt of lightning.

She lifted her arm to curl around his back, felt her own heartbeat racing in her chest, and felt his pounding a matching drumbeat against her chest. Deep inside her soul, something quivered and opened to accept the love that this man was offering.

The White Owl

By Robyn Michaels

© 2009

            The dark haired man leaned further back into the shadows of the booth in which he sat watching the White Owl’s dance floor.  To be more precise, he was watching the lithe, sexy blond gyrating to the sultry music blaring from the DJ’s booth. The club’s lights painted the pale hair myriad colors as the dancer moved amongst the other patrons. Jameson lifted his glass of whiskey and sipped the warm amber liquid, enthralled by the movements made by the object of his obsession, Lucas Roark.

            The blond was soon dancing solo in a small clearing amidst the sea of writhing bodies. A look of pure bliss graced the sharp features of the dancer, softening angular lines and drawing one’s gaze to heavy lidded grey eyes, flushed cheeks and full, pouty red lips. Straight blond hair brushed against broad shoulders as he swayed to the jazzy rhythm pounding through the club.

The dancer lifted his arms above his head, closed his eyes and descended into the music; the crowd disappeared in his enjoyment of the sounds and his solitary dance. His body undulated, his arms lowered, his hands caressed his own body with a lover’s touch. The blond drifted in a sensual world of his own creation, lost in the moment, in the music.

Like the rest of the crowd in the White Owl, the dark-haired man was captivated by the vision before him. Jameson’s breathing shallowed in response to the sexy display on the dance floor.  He wanted to reach out, grab the blond and claim him before anyone else had the opportunity. He wanted to mark the pale, delicate skin for all to see that this one, this sensual creature, belonged to him alone.

The music abruptly changed to a fast number, jerking Luc from his introspective state. His steps never faltered as he immediately matched the rhythm of the new song. He threw back his head and laughed lustily as a tall, bald man shimmied up behind him and wrapped his arms around Luc’s waist. The blond twisted and wiggled his way out of the confining arms, continuing to keep pace with the music. The unknown man slipped back into the crowd with a disappointed expression.  Luc’s gaze sought out Jameson sitting in the shadowy booth, a sultry smile graced his full lips as he motioned with both hands for the dark haired man to join him on the floor.

Jameson’s lips tilted in a small smile as he slid from the booth, his eyes locked on the blond. He stalked through the other dancers, his vision narrowed on Lucas solely. He saw his lover shiver in excitement and anticipation as he strode forward. He knew he must look like a predator on the trail of tasty prey as he progressed through the undulating bodies but he was beyond caring. His focus was the blond in the center of the crowd and nothing would stand in his way.

Jameson had always loved watching Luc dance; it was, after all how they’d met in this very club. Jameson, like the bald man earlier, had stepped up behind the blond and wrapped his arms around Luc. Unlike the other man, Luc turned into the embrace, looked up and simply said, “What took you so long?”

On reaching the man he loved, and in a repeat of their first encounter, he wrapped his arms around Luc’s trim waist and pulled the blond tightly against him. Luc twisted in his arms, threaded his fingers through Jameson’s dark hair and pulled his head down. Jameson captured Luc’s mouth in a soul searching kiss, thoroughly ravishing the other man’s mouth before pulling back with a smile.

“Happy anniversary, baby.” He pressed another gentle kiss to Luc’s rosy lips. “Two years ago tonight you caught me when I fell.”

“No, I just held you close as we both fell, Jamie.” Luc’s grey eyes were focused completely on Jameson’s brown orbs. “Falling in love never felt so right.”

This is a piece I’m working on right now.  This is the first couple of pages of the manuscript.  Not sure what I’m going to do with it once it’s complete.  The rest may be posted here later if I decide it’s not worth submitting anywhere.  Anyway, here’s just a small taste of a new short story.

Across A Crowded Room

by Robyn Michaels

© 2008, All Rights Reserved.

            Their eyes met across the crowded room.

Kalen smothered a chuckle at the absurd cliché. Yet he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt toward the total stranger standing on the other side of the large room. The object of his attention abruptly looked away, glancing down with a slight smile when his companion laid her hand on his arm and spoke to him.

            Kalen took the opportunity to study the other man without his subject being aware of the scrutiny.  He’d never seen the stranger around the office so Kalen figured he must be a guest of a fellow employee, probably the slim, dark-haired woman at his side. Kalen knew she worked in sales but didn’t know her name as she was relatively new.

Kalen sighed. It was just too bad the man was here with a woman since he was exactly Kalen’s type, tall, toned and athletic without being overly muscle bound. Kalen certainly could appreciate the dark navy polo shirt stretched snugly over the broad shoulders and firm chest which tapered to a narrow waist.  Khaki chinos encased slender hips and long, firm legs that Kalen had no trouble picturing spread wide to accommodate a lover’s body.

            The amazing sun-kissed blonde hair suggested he spent a good deal of time outdoors. Kalen felt his fingers twitch with the urge to run them through the man’s hair which was just long enough to curl up at his collar. His skin was a warm golden tan, another indication of how he must spend his time.  Kalen was too far away to see the color of the handsome stranger’s eyes but he found himself wanting, needing, to find out.

            Kalen moved closer to the man who’d so thoroughly captured his attention, nonchalantly making his way to the open bar situated on the other side of the large space, just to the left of the blonde and his companion. The woman still had her hand perched on the stranger’s arm, speaking animatedly about something and causing him to keep his head dipped low to catch her words.

            “What’ll you have?” The bartender’s voice cut into his musings.

            “Scotch, neat.”  He watched the blonde smile down at the woman at his side before glancing to where Kalen stood waiting for his drink.

            Grey eyes locked with his hazel orbs. The heat simmering low in Kalen’s belly flared to full flame at the lust he saw burning in the depths of those dove grey eyes. The smile gracing the other man’s lush lips broadened as his gaze swept Kalen from head to toe, causing his already rigid erection to harden to the point of pain. The woman at the blonde’s side somehow remained unaware of the tension suddenly thrumming in the air between the two men. Kalen pushed a loose, dark curl behind his ear in a nervous gesture.

            “Sir?” The bartender caught his attention. “Here’s your drink.”

            He turned back to the bar and took the drink with a nod and a muttered “thanks”. Taking a sip and enjoying the burn of the liquor sliding down his throat, Kalen couldn’t help but turn back toward the intriguing stranger hoping to once again snag the other man’s gaze.

            Gone. It figures.

Kalen sighed and shook his head at the fanciful direction of his thoughts. The gorgeous stranger was obviously at the company party with the woman, not trolling for a pickup. Hell, he probably wasn’t even gay considering how Kalen’s luck had been going lately. Ever since his breakup with Sam, he’d had no luck at dating. All the good ones are either straight or taken.

A Form of Greed

by Robyn Michael

© 2008, All Rights Reserved.

            I’m stuck in the blind date from hell!

My friend Kimmee recently decided that it was time I got over my ex-boyfriend Joe once and for all. She said she was tired of watching me mope around the apartment and whine about having nothing to do.  Since her boyfriend Mark worked with a lot of single men, she enlisted his assistance in finding the perfect man for me. Whoever told these two that they had any taste in picking dates should be slapped up side the head.

This is the fifth blind date I’ve been on and I swear each one just keeps getting worse.

I thought the first guy was pretty nice. Elliot showed up on time, was dressed nicely and took me to my favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. I thought the evening was going well until the check came and he whipped out a tiny calculator and started splitting the bill, including the tip. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind going Dutch on a date, but I do like to know in advance.

The second one, Ken, was a nice enough guy, but someone should have reminded him that the local Hotdog on a Stick wasn’t the best place to take a first date. Add in the dollar movie he took me to and you have the makings of a pretty pathetic date.  Zombies on a first date are a definite romance killer for this girl.

Ron was blind date number three. I can understand why Ron is still a single man in his early thirties. Don’t misunderstand me. He’s a great guy and I think we’re going to be great friends…girl friends that is. If he ever decides to come out of the closet, Ron’s going to make some guy a hell of a boyfriend.

Number four was a good old boy and that’s okay, just not my type. Sam’s idea of a good first date was to take me to the races. He didn’t bother to ask me if I enjoyed Nascar; just decided that since he liked it, so would I. The mixture of exhaust fumes, fried foods and sweaty bodies gave me a headache that lasted four days; kind of appropriate since he was blind date number four.

Blind date number five, the hell I currently find myself inhabiting, looked to be the most promising of all.  Andrew showed up at the apartment on time and carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Score one for Andrew.  He was dressed in charcoal slacks, a dove gray dress shirt and a charcoal sport coat. I was impressed. It looked like Kimmee and Mark had finally done something right. He was the perfect gentleman as he escorted me down to his waiting car, a cute little red Mazda Miata. On the drive to our destination, a lovely French restaurant with a reputation for elegance and delicious food, I began to get a niggling feeling that all was not as perfect as it appeared. 

Andrew, it seemed, loved to talk. Oh, he started out asking all the correct questions, asking me about myself and what I did for a living. The problem was that before I could finish answering him, he’d take over the conversation and answer the question himself. I soon learned that Andrew was an only child of older parents who had doted on him because he was their “miracle baby”. He’d gone to private schools his whole life, ending up graduating from Yale University because it was considered one of the best schools in the country and that was “so important, you know.”

Once we arrived at the restaurant and were seated, Andrew continued to regale me with tales of his time at University, about how he was captain of the rowing team, tops in debate, and so on and so forth. I found my mind wandering as he rambled, nodding at what I hoped were the appropriate places in his stories. When the waiter came to take our orders, Andrew ordered for both of us, something I never had been able to stand from anyone, not even my parents. I held my tongue though, desperate to get through the evening as non-confrontationally as possible. Luckily he ordered foods I could eat, instead of something nauseating like escargot.

All during the meal, he talked. I’m not sure I got a dozen words in during the entire main course. As Andrew continued his monologue unabated, I came to a conclusion. This was the last time I’d allow Kimmee to fix me up. If I couldn’t find my own date from now on, I’d suck it up and stay home.

When the waiter approached asking if we’d like to order dessert, I was quick to respond that we didn’t, all the while enjoying the look of surprise that flashed across Andrew’s face. I’d had enough and I wanted to go home. The adorable blonde waiter smiled and winked at me. He’d been by the table several times during the evening and it was obvious that he’d noticed how greedy my date was when it came to talking, as well as how obviously bored I was by it. If you wonder why I say Andrew was greedy, well you have to admit, for someone to do all the talking and not be willing to listen is a form of greed.

Andrew excused himself to the restroom while waiting for his credit card to be returned. I was happy for the momentary reprieve. The cute waiter, whose nametag read Kyle, took that moment to bring back the receipt and the card.

“So, how long have you been dating Mr. Monologue?” He asked quietly.

“Um, this was our first date.” I responded.

“Ah.”

“And, definitely our last.”

“Oh.” He smiled and his blue eyes twinkled in the candlelight. “So, what are you doing tomorrow night?”

I smiled back, suddenly realizing that maybe this hadn’t been such a bad night after all.

Remembrance

by Robyn Michaels

© 2008, All Rights Reserved

“You can’t do it.”  She whimpered. “Please, I don’t want to forget.”

“I don’t have a choice Brooke.” He shook his head sadly. “It has to be done or the Elders will send the Cleaners after you.”

“But I love you Kyle. I’d never tell anyone about your people.”  Her eyes filled with tears as she realized that there was no way of convincing him that he was safe, that his people were safe.  It didn’t matter to her that he was a descendant of Atlantis.

However, the Atlantean people had hidden their existence for centuries. Discovery was not an option. What was one human in the scheme of things compared to that?

“There are only two choices.”

“Two? But, you said there was only one thing that could be done or the Elders would have me killed. You’d have to erase my memories of you and the time we’ve spent together.” Her voice broke as she sobbed.

“Usually that’s true.” His gaze caught and held hers. “The only exception is the mating bond.”

“Mating bond?” Brooke felt a spark of hope warm her heart.

“Yes, when an Atlantean finds his mate, he can bond with her and convert her. She is then as much at risk of discovery as the rest of my people.”

“Is that an option Kyle?” She asked quietly 

He nodded.  “If you truly love me, it is.”

“Wh-what would I have to do?”  Her stomach was filled with butterflies as she waited for his response.

Release

by Robyn Michaels

© 2008, All Rights Reserved

“Release me, you sorry excuse for a boyfriend.”  Jayma grunted as she struggled with renewed vigor against the bonds holding her to the bed.  Talan’s smug look, as well as his chuckle, was beyond infuriating as he leaned against the far wall watching her from lust-filled green eyes. “What do you think this is going to accomplish anyway?”

 “Jay, I thought you realized that ‘release’ is what this is all about.” The glint in his eyes was enough to send a bolt of pure lust straight to the neediest part of her body. “You have to realize that until you let yourself go, you’ll continue to have problems coming.” 

He stepped away from the wall and sauntered toward the bed, slowly unbuttoning the grey dress shirt he’d worn to dinner.  He shrugged it from his shoulders before releasing the button of his charcoal slacks and sliding them and his underwear down those delectably athletic legs. Jayma’s mouth began to water at the sight of all that glorious male flesh exposed for her voyeuristic pleasure.

“You’ve got to stop being so in control of everything.” He knelt next to the bed, reaching out with a delicate touch to gently rub the hardened peak of her nipple. “Let go and I’ll show you just how good it feels to have someone else take the reins.”  His hand glided down into the patch of damp curly hairs covering her mons. “Trust me, love, it’ll be better than anything you’ve ever felt in your life.”

Abduction

by Robyn Michaels

© 2008, All Rights Reserved

“Abducted by aliens!” he shouted, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”  Jess glanced at the smooth metal walls of his cell.  His guard cocked her head to the side and merely watched as he paced the small confines of the room.

 “Not abducted, retrieved.  You were merely sent to live on Earth to protect you. Men are not safe on our planet until they reach the age of maturity.” She was watching him with those lovely lavender eyes, seeming to devour the planes and angles of his body so obvious in the tight clothes that had been thrust into his hands with the order to “clothe yourself” when he was “retrieved” while showering.

“As one of only a handful of Elonian males, it is your duty to join with as many Elonian females as possible to produce children.” She looked him in the eyes and smiled a seductive smile before continuing, “And, I am your first partner.” With that said, she slid her dress over her head and stepped into his room.  “Make love to me Jess.  I need you inside me.”

In shock, Jess watched the sexy beauty move toward him, lust shining in her gaze.  He watched as she dropped to her knees at his feet and slowly lowered the zipper of his pants before reaching in to caress the hard as steel boner that he had no hope of hiding.  When her warm mouth wrapped around the head of his cock, Jess thought he just might be in heaven.

Recognition

by Robyn Michaels

© 2008, All Rights Reserved

            Christian couldn’t take his eyes off the brunette’s well-rounded ass. Something about her generous curves drew his attention from the moment he stepped over the building’s threshold.  He could clearly visualize bending her over the nearest desk, pushing her skirt up around her waist and plunging into her waiting heat. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t see her face since she was facing away from him talking to his business partner.  Liam smiled at something the mystery woman said just as he caught sight of Christian standing in the entryway.  With a twinkle in his eyes, Liam motioned Christian inside, “Hey, come in here and meet our newest employee. Calla Warren, I’d like to introduce you to my partner, Christian LaSalle.”

Christian moved further into the reception area continuing to watch Calla as she turned toward him.  Recognition slammed into him as he realized he knew that face. He ought to; he’d been making love to this woman for the last two weeks…though only in his dreams. He drew in a ragged breath trying to calm his racing heart.  Christian quelled the urge to groan as his lungs filled with her intoxicating scent.

Calla’s expression was a mixture of confusion and denial as she caught sight of him. Christian didn’t know what to make of it since he was the one having the dreams. She reached out to shake his hand. As their hands touched, Christian knew that his fate had finally found him. Calla Warren’s soul called out to his in recognition. His future… his Heart Mate stood before him.

Trussed Up

by Robyn Michaels

© 2008, All Rights Reserved

            How did she allow herself to get roped into this nightmare?  Literally. 

Damn it, Jason shouldn’t be so gorgeous. 

She never could say no to her best friend.  Emily was sure she’d finally learned her lesson this time. 

Being trussed up like a Christmas goose wasn’t what she’d had in mind when she agreed to go out with Jason’s buddy, Trent.  She also hadn’t anticipated agreeing to Trent’s sexy suggestion to have a bit of fun.  After years of lusting after Jason, she’d finally decided she had to get over him.  Trent seemed to offer the perfect way to break out of her shell.

            Where had the damn man gone after he finished tying her to the bed in Jason’s guest room?  He’d just looked at his handiwork, winked at her while sporting his wicked grin and walked out, turning out the light as he left.  He’d ignored her protests about leaving and hadn’t answered any of the questions she’d yelled after his retreating form.     

Finally, Emily heard sounds from outside the door. 

            “Trent, get your ass in here and let me go!” She yelled loudly.

            She heard footsteps making their way to the guest room.

            “Where the hell have you been?” She asked angrily.  “Get me out of this mess!”

            The light flickered on, momentarily blinding her. After her eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, she groaned when she saw it wasn’t Trent standing in the open door.  Oh shit, not him!

            Jason just smiled before stepping into the room, silently closing the door behind him.

Drawing the Line Between Love and Hate

by

Robyn Michaels

© All Rights Reserved

            He had to be the most infuriating man I’d ever met in my life. Arrogant, self-important, egotistical bastard got on my last nerve from the first day he joined the firm.

            I’m a drafting assistant for a large architectural firm downtown. The Architect I was assigned to had retired just a few weeks earlier, so when Samuel Rivers, III, joined the firm, guess who got to work with him…yeah, you got it in one, me.

I’ve worked for Robinson & Thomas Architectural for five years and love my job. I started in the secretarial pool but quickly moved up to drafting assistant when Mr. Robinson discovered my natural drafting talents. For the last three years, I’ve worked with Mr. Robinson’s uncle Bob, a serious but pleasant man who decided to retire after a health scare forced him to reevaluate his priorities.

Samuel, do not call him Sam, thank you very much, was the most promising applicant for the vacant position and was hired on the spot. I was sitting at my drafting station when Mr. Thomas entered the office with Samuel in tow.  Introductions were made. The look in Samuel’s eyes immediately registered in my mind as conceited.

“Elena, please catch Samuel up to speed on the Cooper plans.  He’ll be handling that one from now on, as well as the Long project and the Simons Academy addition.” Mr. Thomas shook Samuel’s hand, “Welcome to the firm, son.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Mr. Thomas left me alone with assuredly the best looking man I’d laid eyes on in a long time. In most situations, I would have been nervous, but not in my office. I’m good at my job and, over the last few years, have gained a lot of confidence while working with Bob. Now, if I’d seen Samuel out in a bar, I’d have definitely given him a second look. His stylishly cut coal black hair, vivid blue eyes, cleft chin and dimpled left cheek were the stuff of dreams, wet dreams that is. Unfortunately, I didn’t meet him in a bar, but at the office.

“Bob kept all his drawing in the file drawers filed by the client’s last name.” I stood and walked toward the far side of the room where the larger drafting station was positioned in front of the wall of glass overlooking the city. “Before he retired, he wrote out notes on each job and placed them with the appropriate drawings.” 

I turned to see if he had followed me to his new desk but he was still standing in the center of the room, glaring at me.

“I think I can figure out where everything is Ms. Reid. I’ve been an Architect for a number of years now and there aren’t many places that drawings could be placed.”

“Please call me Elena.  If we’re going to be working together, I don’t think we have to be quite so formal.” I smiled at him, trying to quell my dislike for the handsome asshole who I was going to have to work with for who knows how long. “May I call you Sam?”

“No. My name isn’t Sam. It’s Samuel.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, curtly nodded once, “I guess that would be acceptable.”

Of all the high-handed, supercilious, pugnacious…

I plastered a strained smile on my face before replying, “Alright, Samuel it is.”

That was our first exchange of pleasantries as co-workers.

Over the next month, our working relationship could be described as cool at best, strained at worst. I tried, really I did, to be as pleasant as possible to Samuel. It didn’t help in the least that the longer I worked with him, the less I was sure whether I wanted to punch him or rip his clothes off.  Mostly, I wanted to punch him. Knock him on his tight, sexy ass.

He’s unquestionably one of the most talented Architects to ever work at the firm. It’s just too bad he knows it. After he solved one particularly challenging aspect of the Simons Academy floor plans, I made it a point to compliment him on the innovative solution he had come up with regarding the eco-friendly waste disposal facility on the school grounds. When he smiled, it lit up those gorgeous blue eyes and I felt a rush of arousal slam into me when I spied the deep dimple in his left cheek. As quickly as it appeared, however, the smile dissolved into his normal stoic expression and he mumbled a polite ‘Thank you’ before returning his attention to the drawing on his table.

During that first month, I often felt like I was being watched and chalked it up to nerves since I never caught Samuel looking my way.  Each evening I drove home ranting to myself about one comment or another that the egotistical ass had made during the day. Unfortunately, each night my dreams were filled with erotic images of that same ass, naked as the day he was born, laid out on my bed and ready to fill me up with his steel-hard cock. I awoke every morning on the verge of orgasm, arousal thrumming through my veins and none of my toys were satisfying the need building inside me. It was getting to the point that I couldn’t look at the man without a gush of liquid soaking my panties and making me want to do things to him that I had no business wanting to do.  The fact that I wanted him so much made me hate him that much more. I was beginning to lose my mind.

It was the second week of August, Samuel’s sixth week on the job, when things finally broke. The weather had been horribly hot that summer and being cooped up in an office with a man I both desired and hated didn’t make life any easier for me.

We were working late finishing up the Cooper plans, the last ones in the office that Friday night. I was working on the final electrical plans and Samuel was putting the finishing touches on the floor plans, making last minute changes that the client had requested earlier that day.  It was heading toward seven o’clock when he spoke up.

“Are you hungry?”

He startled me with an actual personal question.

I chuckled, “Actually, now that you mention it, I am.”

“Since we’re going to be here for a while, why don’t you order some take-out for dinner?”

We decided on pizza since there was a locally owned pizzeria just down the street from our building.  He paid the delivery guy out of petty cash and we decided to eat in the break room so as to avoid getting sauce on any of the drawings.

After literally wolfing down a couple of slices, Samuel leaned back in his chair and took a drink of his soda, all the while watching me eat. His scrutiny was beginning to make me nervous since it was causing all those naughty fantasies to run through my mind.

“What?” I finally had to ask, laying down my half-eaten slice. “Do I have something on my face? Sauce? Cheese? What?”  I lifted my can of soda and took a sip.

“No, nothing like that.” He tilted his head to the side, staring at me with an intensity that made me want to squirm in my seat. Liquid flooded my panties when he ran his tongue across his lower lip. “I’m just trying to figure out what it is about you.”

“Huh? What it is about me?” I shook my head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

If he had said he’d hired a hit man to bump me off, I don’t think he could have surprised me any more than he did with that simple statement.

“I know you can’t stand me and I don’t say that I blame you. I’m not the easiest person to get along with according to my parents.”  He took another drink before setting his can on the table. “Since that first day in the office, you’ve had me off kilter. Half the time I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”

Stunned beyond words, I simply sat there staring at this man who looked like my co-worker but certainly didn’t sound like him.

“I’ve been a jerk and I’m sorry for treating you so badly.” He shot me a half-hearted, bone-melting grin and took a deep breath before continuing. “In all honesty, I don’t know how to act around you. I think that’s why I’m always so, I don’t know, hard to get along with.” He shrugged. “The firm has a policy discouraging fraternization between employees but I swear that’s all I can think of when we’re in the same room together.”

I watched him lean forward in his chair, his gaze never leaving my face.

“I-I don’t know what to say.” I inhaled, faintly smelling his cologne mixed with the aroma of the pizza. “To be honest, I’m not sure what I think of you Samuel.”

“Sam. I think I’d like for you to call me Sam, Elena.”

“Okay, Sam, I think you’re a brilliant Architect. Talented, intelligent, handsome…” My voice trailed off as I realized what had just slipped out.

His eyes brightened immediately and his mega-watt smile nearly knocked me on my ass.

“Handsome, huh?”

“As if you don’t know that already.”

“Well, I didn’t know you thought so.”  His dimple flashed again, making me want to kiss it before moving on to his plump lips. He stood and grabbed my hand in his much larger ones and pulled me up from my chair and firmly against his hard body. “So, where do we go from here?”

“I have no idea.” I could feel his erection pressing into my stomach, causing my core to clench in need. “Where do you want this to go?”

“I know exactly where.” His expression was decidedly wicked as he lowered his face toward mine and whispered, “My bed.”

He pressed his lips to mine, firmly, possessively. He urged my mouth open and plundered its depths, tasting and teasing every inch of it. His tongue tangled with mine, tempting me to follow it back and taste him in return. I couldn’t get enough of the heady flavor that was more than just the sum of what we’d eaten. It was masculine and uniquely Sam and I had to have more.

He pulled back, looked deep in my eyes. “What do you think about working Saturday?”

“Huh?” Confusion rolled over me.

“I think the Cooper plans can wait until tomorrow because I don’t think I can.” He pressed a quick kiss to my sudden smile. “I want you in my bed right this minute.”

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

Since that night six months ago, I won’t say that Sam hasn’t ever gotten on my nerves. But I will admit that when he does, he makes up for it in a most delicious way.  I’ve always heard there’s a fine line between love and hate. Yeah, you know I think there is and I’m awfully glad to be on the side of love.