Tina Donahue
“No! Only once. I mean, only one night. That is, several times, but within the same  night.”
“Was it good?”
Danni lowered her hand and breathed hard. “I’d give up several years of my life to  experience it again.”
“Wow. Tell me.”
Where had she heard those words before? Oh yeah. In the elevator going to her  room when she’d shared her depraved fantasies with Adam, which led to the best night  of her life and this. “It’d take too long.”
Sunny slid her butt on the desk, pulled up her legs and crossed them Indian-style.
Danni glanced at her stapler and the stack of reports that had fallen to the floor.
“That good, huh?” Sunny asked.
The memory caused her throat and cheeks to burn. “Before I had to leave for my  flight, he tied my wrists to the showerhead, then—”
“Whoa. He tied you up?”
“He’s not a freak. He only did it because I told him about my fantasy.”
“About being tied up in showers?”
Danni barked a laugh. “No. About him and two other guys. It’s a long story,” she  added quickly. “And I wouldn’t have told him if he hadn’t caught me masturbating.”
Sunny choked on her swallow. She coughed and cleared her throat. “Caught you?
Where in the world were you masturbating?”
“Do you want to hear what happened when he tied my wrists to the showerhead or  not?”
“Only if it’s better than when you were playing with yourself while he watched.”
It was. “He soaped me up and washed me all freaking over.”
“In spots you didn’t even know you had?”
Oh, she knew she had them. She just hadn’t expected the heavenly sensation of  warm water gliding over her nudity as Adam eased one finger into her anus, two inside  her vagina, and thumbed her clit while he sucked her nipples. Her mouth turned up in  a wistful smile.
Again, Sunny stared and spoke on a breathy sigh, “Awesome. So what happens  now?”
Heart sinking, Danni sobered. “You don’t tell anyone about this, ever.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” Sunny’s hurt expression didn’t compromise her beauty in the  least.
“I meant, what happens with Adam? Are you going to hook up with him now? You  are past the awkward first-date stage.”
And right into fantasies of spanking. Moisture gushed from her sheath, dampening her  panties. “He’s my boss.”
36

Adored
“No kidding. Very macho of him for tying you up like that.”
Danni gave her a look. The intercom buzzed. A moment later, her secretary’s voice  said, “Roger and Adam are waiting for you in the conference room.”
Sunny spoke first. “Hey, Jen, tell them she’ll be there in a few minutes.” She leaned  close and lowered her voice. “You’re getting a zit right here.” Her tapered nail tapped  the mole near her mouth. “You might want to cover it up before you go in there. And  maybe put on some more lipstick.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
Sunny’s eyes widened slightly. “I just want you to look as good as you can.”
Which wasn’t nearly as good as her and the other models. Danni dug out her  compact and lipstick, then put them away without using either.
“It doesn’t hurt to look nice,” Sunny advised.
Or to be truthful. An ache tightened Danni’s chest as she again wondered how  much Adam had kept from her in Vegas. He had a lot of explaining to do.
* * * * *
“It’s necessary,” Roger said in a flat voice, signaling the conversation was over.
Adam wasn’t about to concede. “It’s a mistake. And I don’t appreciate being  blindsided at this late date.”
“No one’s trying to blindside you, Adam. We ran the figures again and what can I  tell you? Changes have to be made.” He lifted his glasses as he peered at the pastries for  today’s meetings. Choosing a cheese-and-pineapple Danish, he dropped his glasses,  took a bite and spoke around it. “Not bad. But let’s make certain we get the cheapest  food service for future meetings.”
Adam rammed his hands into his pockets and fisted his fingers. “I understand that  we have to watch capital, but this isn’t the way to do it.”
Roger fingered glaze from the side of his mouth. “A penny here, a penny there. It  all adds up.”
“Tell you what, I’ll bake the damned pastries to save a dime, but when it comes to  talent we need the best.”
Chewing another bite, Roger regarded the array of bagels, cream cheese and fruit.
Adam wanted to shake him until he listened. “We can’t compromise quality. We  never have.”
“And we won’t now.” He poured a cup of coffee. “Not with you in charge.” Before
Adam could comment, Roger inclined his head to the glass wall separating this room  from the reception area. “Danni’s here.”
His heart beat so quickly the room spun. His mind recalled her fragrance, the heady  sweetness of flowers after a hard rain. His cock reacted instantly, growing stiffer than it  had in weeks. He turned, and she stopped in the doorway. He saw brief wonder in her
37

Tina Donahue  eyes, followed by hurt and anger. The change was so subtle, he was certain Roger didn’t  notice. He sure as hell did. He’d kept the truth from her, and she didn’t tolerate guys  who weren’t totally upfront.
“Danni, hello.” Roger offered a toothy smile and crossed the room with his hand  outstretched. “I can call you Danni, right?”
She held Adam’s gaze a moment longer. Turning, she acknowledged Roger. “Of  course.” She shook his offered hand.
Her black, clingy top reminded Adam of what she wore the first time they met. Her  sleek black trousers made him wonder if she wore a thong beneath, with tiny bows on  each side. He squeezed his fingers so hard his knuckles began to ache.
“You have met Adam before, right?” Roger asked.
Her eyes moved to him. “Yes, I have.”
Although her expression remained neutral, Adam heard the strain in her voice. He  pulled his hands from his pockets and approached. “Hi.”
Her head tilted to his offered hand. For a moment, he thought she’d refuse to take  it. She slipped her warm, moist fingers over his, and the room lurched again. He locked  his knees.
She lifted her face. “Hi.”
There were more freckles on her nose than he recalled. God, they were sexy.
Without thinking, he ran his thumb over hers. Color rose to her cheeks. Her eyes  softened briefly then grew cautious. She eased her hand from his. He stopped himself  from recapturing it.
“Well then, let’s get you something to eat.” Roger steered her toward the credenza.
“The cheese-and-pineapple Danish is really good.” His lenses glinted as he wiggled his  brows.
She chose a fragrant cinnamon roll.
Roger smiled. “Those do smell good, don’t they?” He dropped two on a paper plate  and returned to the conference table.
Adam took a Styrofoam cup off the tray. “I’ll get your coffee. Three creams, right?”
It’s how she wanted it as they shared breakfast in his suite, naked, in bed, with the  sheets tangled around them.
Her color deepened. She started to look at him, then stopped. “I’ll just have juice.”
She chose apple and studied the chairs at the conference table, taking one on Roger’s  side.
He gave her a quick smile and wrote something in the margin of his spreadsheet.
Adam went around the table to his chair.
Her gaze slid to his silver-and-blue striped tie, the one he’d used to secure her to  the curtain rod in his suite. She stopped stroking her juice bottle. Her nipples tightened  even more.
38

Adored
“How’s the roll?” Roger asked.
Her expression said she’d forgotten about it. “Fine.”
Nodding, he lowered his pen and leaned across an empty chair toward her. “We  want you to know we like the direction Painted Ladies has taken. Right, Adam?”
He pulled out his chair and sat. “I think Danni’s an exceptional talent.”
Her cinnamon roll paused halfway to her mouth. In his peripheral vision, Adam  caught Roger’s frown.
The man tapped his fingers against the spreadsheet. “As a team, we all need to be  exceptional for the company’s success. I’m sure Danni agrees.” Not waiting to see if she  did, Roger plowed ahead. “We’re very excited about Painted Ladies’ new line. Can you  give us some details and insight into it?”
For more than an hour, Adam listened as Roger pumped her for information,  making certain he jumped from topic to topic so she didn’t know his true intent. He  wanted to know exactly how long they needed her services until they could replace her  with a less-expensive colleague from the parent company, a young woman with little  experience. Shortly before Danni had come into the room, Roger told Adam the score. It  didn’t matter if she was a large part of what made this company a success and had an  instinct for what would sell, she cost too much.
Even at half her salary, she didn’t fit into their new budget. But no fucking way  would Adam use her to launch the new line, as Roger wanted, then let her go.
Somehow he’d find another way to cut expenditures and change Roger’s mind. The  company wouldn’t screw her. It was bad enough she thought he had.
He saw it in her eyes. They returned to him every time Roger bent his head to write  notes. Her expression no longer questioned or accused. It might have been easier if it  had. Her cool indifference cut so deep, his jaw clenched. It wasn’t as if he played with  her feelings or exploited her in Vegas. He’d had good reason not to tell her anything,  expecting today to be the beginning, not the end. Her job being in jeopardy had never  crossed his mind.
“Adam?”
He took a calming breath that didn’t do a bit of good and swung his head to Roger.
“What?”
The man looked impatient and spoke in a measured tone. “I believe we’ve covered  everything we need to know, and can let our very able VP get back to her work.” He  pushed his chair back and stood. “Thanks so much for joining us this morning, Danni.”
“Anytime.” She shook his hand and left the room with no parting glance or  comment to Adam.
“She has seven weeks,” Roger said sotto voce. “Make sure she keeps to the timetable.
And I’m not the enemy, all right? If I had known earlier, I would have told you.” He  lifted his arm to glance at his watch. Instead, his attention shot to the reception area  where Sunny and two other models laughed about something. Roger adjusted his
39

Tina Donahue  glasses. “I have another meeting with Production.” He sounded distracted. “See you at  three.”
Just as Adam heard Roger say—“Hi, Sunny…I can call you that, right?”—he  headed for the men’s room. The meeting left him feeling dirty. He punched the door  open with the side of his fist, washed his face, ran his fingers through his hair and  wanted a slug of bourbon. After which, he’d lose all control, haul Danni into his arms  and fuck her from one end of the building to the other and back again.
Planting his hands on either side of the sink, Adam’s shoulders bunched. He was so  hard his teeth hurt, and Danni wasn’t going to be giving him any relief. Damn. How  different he’d expected this morning to be. For days, his mind imagined his and Danni’s  legs touching beneath the conference table while Roger droned on about the business.
He pictured her naked toes sliding up his calf. They’d reach for a pen or printout at the  same moment, their fingertips meeting, lingering. Each time she looked at him, her  expression would say he owned her. After the meeting, she’d follow him down the hall,  obedient to his will. They’d slip into one of the empty offices and he’d bury himself in  her snug warmth, making good on his promise to have her where he wanted, when he  wanted.
Yeah right. Adam’s head fell forward. He inhaled deeply, trying to relax. Didn’t  work. He ran the company’s outlays in his mind. Minutes later, his temples ached from  all the figures, but the mental exertion did deflate his cock. Now, if he could just keep it  down and find a quick solution to this mess. Cursing Roger and himself, he opened the  door and flinched.
Danni’s pale brows lifted slightly. “Hi.”
A moment passed while his heart slowed enough for him to speak. “Hi.” He  swallowed and kept his voice down. “This is the men’s room.”
Unlike their first encounter when he’d said those words, this time she didn’t admire  his stiffening rod. “We need to talk.”
The muscles in Adam’s chest tensed, making it difficult to breathe. Of all the things  he wanted to do with her, talking wasn’t on the list. “All right.”
Her composure wavered, as if she’d expected him to stall or refuse. “Not here.” She  snuck a look to the left, women’s voices coming from the end of the hall. “Don’t worry,
Adam,” she said loudly for the others’ benefit, “I have that data. Come with me, and I’ll  show you where it’s stored.”
Reluctantly, he followed her down the hall toward the empty offices on the south  side of the building. With each step, her fragrance wafted toward him, driving him  wild. The ends of her ashy-blonde hair glided across her shoulders, reminding him of  how it fanned over his thighs as she’d sucked his balls in Vegas. Her ass bounced  within the confines of her trousers. He looked for the faint line of her panties or thong,  until she slowed and went into a corner office.
The moment he was inside, she closed the door and leaned against it, facing him.
40