There was something about the way he was staring at her. Something dangerous… and yet she wanted to run towards it instead of away from it. His voice was husky… deeper than it usually was, and his eyes appeared darker. His lips were curved slightly upward, like he'd just heard a joke, but Vivian knew that there was nothing funny about that gaze. He stared down at her, his black eyes slowly traversing her hair, her outfit and down to the boots that added four inches to her height. When his eyes met hers again, she barely caught herself before taking a step back from the heat there. It practically seared her skin.Hazardous. Dangerous. She silently chanted the warnings to herself like a mantra. He would set fire to her life and leave her covered in ashes.“I'm really sorry if I disturbed you,” she rasped again, before clearing her throat of the arousal thickening it. “I didn't know that you were here.”“You’re beautiful.” Scott said instead of paying attention to her apology. Struck s
The sharp order ricocheted off her skull. Damn Scott McCall. She hated that he’d infiltrated her head, and she couldn’t evict him. It’d been one week since that meeting—no, ambush. One week since she was supposed to give him her decision about his preposterous ultimatum.Smothering a sigh, she excused herself from their small group on the pretense of checking with the catering staff, and headed across the room. She’d taken only a dozen steps before she saw something that made tingles jangle up her bare arms and culminated at the nape of her neck.She sucked in a breath and immediately turned to the source of the unsettling feeling.Scott McCall. She balled her fist, forcing her feet to maintain a steady, unhurried pace forward. Even as her heart pounded a relentless rhythm against her sternum. Why the hell was he here? She wondered. “How did you get in here?” she gritted out.Conscious of any gazes that might be leveled on them, she kept her polite, social mask in place, when in tru
He was her brother. And to keep that happiness shining on her brother’s face, she would have to make a deal with the devil. And Scott McCall was close enough.It wasn’t difficult to locate him in the crowded room. She found him and gave him a small nod, and he returned it. Exhaling, she turned her attention to the glass of red wine she’d barely touched throughout dinner. Now it, and about four more, seemed like a fabulous idea.She would need all the courage she could get._______"Can we get this thing started, please?” Jennifer asked Scott with a frown on her face as she set the glass on the small table and sat down on the chair. She rubbed her bare arms, and the sign of nerves pricked a conscience he’d believed to be impervious. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I’m going to agree to your ridiculous plan. Or let’s just call it what it is. Extortion.”“You have a choice, Miss Bennet,” he reminded her, sipping his bourbon.“Yes,” she agreed, bitterness coating the word. “Sacrific
He didn't even smile at her. In fact, he had that look on his face that suggested that he was very unhappy about something, and Vivian had this weird feeling that it was about her. "I trust you had a good weekend," he said. It sounded more like a statement than a question, and he seemed to get angrier as he spoke. "Yes, sir. I did" replied Vivian. "How was your weekend?" Scott's frown deepened. He had had an unpleasant week. His sister was getting better thankfully, but this whole thing with Bruce and Jennifer Bennet was getting to him. To make it worse, Vivian was out, attending parties with other men in the sexiest outfit he'd ever seen on her and it pissed him off. The fact that he was feeling this way about his Assistant only made it worse. And yet she stood there, in a sky blue office suit, looking so professional and innocent, that it was almost impossible to believe that she was the same person he'd seen in those damn boots and jumpsuit that looked like sin and he'd found i
Vivian stared wide eyed at him. "Me? Why me?" She asked. Scott almost winced. She sounded like the thought of attending a party with him was the worst thing she had ever heard. Did she really dislike him that much? Or was it because he wasn't that Michael guy? What the hell did she even see in him? He had no fucking idea. He hadn't expected her to scream and jump in excitement at the news, but the look on her face was just hurtful. Almost as if she was scared to be around him. He shrugged. "Well, you're my assistant" he said, and hoped that his statement would make enough sense. "Sometimes, you'll have to attend business events with me. Sometimes even travel trips too. This isn't just a party. A lot of potential customers and investors will be present and I will need you to be around."It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't entirely true. Yes, she'd have to attend some events with him, but this particular party wasn't one of them, but he just wanted her around. He'd even considered asking J
There was room to stand although, and, in an effort to find Scott, Vivian began to push her way forward, when she froze.Because he was there.Difficult to see, true, because he was surrounded by a nucleus of glamorous women who seemed to be straining towards him, drawn like iron filings to a magnet.But his presence was as unmistakable as it was remarkable. That tall, wide-shouldered yet lean body.The jet-dark hair and the glittering stormy eyes. And before they could be trained in her direction Vivian fled—making her way back through the hall and out through the exit door, like someone seeking sanctuary.The air was surprisingly clean and pure and scented, with only the faint drone of traffic reminding her that she was in the city. Vivian took a sip of her drink, but the wine almost made her choke when she sensed, rather than heard, someone behind her and she spun round to see the tall, dark figure watching her, unmoving , the dark eyes unreadable, and she stood, rooted to the spot
"Stop it." Vivian said softly. "But why," Scott questioned softly, taking the glass from her unprotesting fingers and placing it on the table next to his, "Why do you say that? When you don’t really want me to stop it?’ "Yes, I do, Mr Mc—""Scott…" he corrected again. "Scott" she whispered, but he must have read the lie in her eyes and on her lips. "I don’t think so. I know it's been tough at work—but we’re no longer at work. No one from the office is even here so we are free to do what the hell we want. You want me. We’ve been fighting it and I don’t want to fight it any more. I know what you want, honey, ""Stop it," she whispered again, but he took no notice, just gave a low laugh as he caught her by the waist, drawing her behind the scented seclusion of the thick, scrambling honeysuckle and into his arms."Say it once more—with feeling," he whispered.Say it? She could scarcely breathe, her senses were so full of him and the heady perfume of the flowers. He pulled her closer a
"I just wanted to make sure you got home safe," Scott said. It wasn't much, but it was such a sweet gesture that Vivian couldn't help a smile. She just couldn't figure the man out. Sometimes, he behaved like an asshole that she wanted to scream at him, and other times, he was such a gentleman. A gentleman who knew exactly how and where to touch her to make her shiver. "Yes I'm home" she replied simply. "Don't you care if I'm home?" he asked mockingly, "Damm woman, you know you can be mean sometimes."Vivian chuckled softly . Imagine him calling her mean! It was the joke of the century. "Fine, are you home now, Mr McCall?" she asked, smiling, and she was glad that he couldn't see her. "Yeah I'm home." Scott replied, "And please call me Scott, damn it. We're not back in the office now, are we?" "It doesn't change the fact that you're still my boss," Vivian said, but she was talking more to herself than him. Like reminding herself that she was going down a dangerous route. She'd jus