Chapter 6

"Well?" Deedee prodded. "Where did you come up with a guy like this?"

Stacy frowned at the other woman. "You don't think I can attract one? Am I so unappealing?"

"That's not what I meant." Deedee fluffed her hair, a gesture Stacy always found annoying. "Except you never…"

I know, I know. I never. "Never mind."

The other women around her wore expressions of avid curiosity and pointed to the open box.

"Have a piece of chocolate, everyone. Have several. I'll never eat it all by myself. If I do, I won't fit behind my desk."

The sweet confections were melt-in-your-mouth heavenly. Stacy let one roll around on her tongue, the rich flavor of the chocolate and peppermint exploding. Whoever ordered the delivery deserved a big kiss. She hoped it was Max because she sure had enjoyed that kiss the night before. Even if the unexpected sizzle had totally shocked her.

She carried the candy back to her cubicle and booted up her computer, determined to get some work done. She had assignments already in the works, one due the following week. Focused on her writing, she jerked her head up at a familiar voice.

"Knock."

Kurt lounged in her doorway, jacketless, sleeves rolled up, a big grin on his face. Butterflies danced a jitterbug in her stomach as she remembered the last time they'd been naked together.

"Rumor has it you're the new queen of chocolates." He chuckled.

She saved her document and turned to face him. "And they are delicious."

"I'm sorry I didn't think of sending them myself." His gaze raked over her as if his eyes were undressing her. "New outfit? I like it. Very sexy."

Oh, my God. Men are so predictable. Max called it. How interesting what a flirty outfit and a mysterious admirer could do to a situation. If she'd shown up in her usual slacks and sweater, without the secret admirer, would he even have known she came to work?

"Thanks." She gestured at the box. "Have some candy, why don't you?"

"Won't your 'secret admirer' object to you giving them to another guy?" He used his fingers to gesture air quotes.

"Why?" She deliberately plucked a chocolate from where it nestled in the box and popped it into her mouth. "Is there some reason he should be jealous?"

Kurt unkinked himself from the doorjamb and ambled over to her desk. "There might be. Who is this guy, anyway? How come no one has ever met him? And where was he when you and I were doing the horizontal tango?"

"He was there all the time," a deep voice boomed from behind him.

Kurt's head whipped around.

Max appeared behind Kurt, a fake smile plastered on his face although a touch of anger flashed in his eyes. "Stacy and I had a little misunderstanding. No biggie. It's all patched up now. Anyway, she won't be doing the tango with anyone else anymore. Her dance card is filled."

Deedee stood in the doorway, eyes wide, face flushed with excitement. "Sorry, Stacy. He said you were expecting him and just breezed on past me."

"No problem. He's right. Go on back to your desk."

Deedee was a statue in the doorway eyed Max like he was a piece of candy in that box.

"Go on, Deedee," Stacy repeated.

Kurt narrowed his eyes. "Wait, you're Max Sullivan, right?"

Max put on his professional smile—the one he used when local news interviewed him after a triumph on the field.

"Yes. And you would be?"

"Kurt Macallister." He reached out a hand. "I never miss a Warriors game. ESPN is still replaying that video of the Hail Mary pass you threw in the game against the Patriots."

"Yeah, my fifteen minutes of fame," he joked.

Stacy watched the two men in her tiny office space and smiled to herself. She could almost hear Kurt's brain burning as he tried to figure out what she was doing with Max Sullivan. Max, on the other hand, behaved pleasant but aloof and looked as if he wished Kurt would get out of there already.

Winking at Stacy, he walked around the other man, lifted her from her chair, and pulled her in tight to his chest. Then, without further warning, he brought his lips down on hers in a kiss that curled her toes and sent moisture flooding her panties. His body was hard against hers. All of him was hard including his rock-hard penis imprinting itself on her flesh through her flirty little skirt.

If he gave a performance, it was a damn good one. So good her wits scattered like leaves in a breeze.

"Well." Vaguely, Stacy heard someone clearing his throat. "Apparently this isn't a good time to chat with you."

She opened her eyes and glanced over Max's shoulder. Kurt still stood in front of her desk, hands in his pockets, irritation and maybe jealousy lining his face.

Max lifted his mouth from hers. "Yeah, that's right. Stacy's leaving for lunch and won't be back for a while." He turned his face to Stacy, still holding her close to him. "You ready, sugar?"

Stacy's head spun. She barely heard whatever comeback Kurt made, too busy staring at Max through lust-clouded eyes. Lordy, the man was gorgeous. Clad in black slacks and a black V-neck sweater, with a smidgen of sexy chest hair peeking over the ribbing, his outfit practically matched his hair, and the blue in his eyes appeared deeper than ever. He topped it all with an elegant camel colored sport jacket and a smile that came straight from the devil himself.

"Get your purse, Stacy," he told her. "Time to go."

"Um," was all she could manage.

Max took a step back, his sensuous mouth crooked up in a smile. Sensuous mouth? When had she put those two words and Max together?

"Stacy? You ready, sweetheart?" His warm voice wrapped itself around her like an erotic blanket.

"Uh, yes. Let me get my purse."

Pulling her scrambled brains together, she managed to retrieve her bag from her desk drawer without dropping it.

"She may be late getting back," he told a dumbfounded Deedee as they sailed into the hallway.

It was almost humorous the way heads popped out of cubicles and eyes stared at them as they made their way to the elevator. Almost, but not quite because, again, it brought home to Stacy people's surprise at a man—any man, let alone one like Max Sullivan—sending her giant boxes of chocolates, giving her the kiss of the century in her office, then sweeping her off to lunch. She might have dwelt on it longer only Max urged her into the elevator and pressed the Down button so the doors would close immediately.