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She scanned the list, unable toof yours on here”

He looked away for abefore he relaxed and turned back to her “I don’t paint anymore”

She shivered at the cold tone, but refused to let hiain, why not?” She knew she should let it go Why did she even care anyway? But she couldn’t Not when there was even a tiny glimmer of hope left

He inhaled sharply and shot her a glare “I’allery”

“You’ve owned this gallery since you graduated college, Brett And you used to be able to do both That’s a flimsy excuse if I ever heard one”

“Let it go, Kaitlyn”

She ignored his angry tone, beginning to feel the frustration that always cao I love your work Everyone loves your work Hell, even you love it Or you used to” Maybe that was the problem Maybe he didn’t love it anymore No That she refused to believe Brett exuded passion, in both his work and the way he looked at her He always had She still saw it in his eyes, flaring with heat whenever he shot her a glance

He ht not want to want her, but he did want her And she knew he felt the same way about his art

His lips tightened as fury flared in his eyes, then disappeared just as quickly “Art isn’t so you just do because people want you to” He stood and stepped to the door, the light and passion gone from his eyes, replaced by a void of dead space that she knew she couldn’t reach “I’ll make myself available whenever you need me”

“Right Just like you’ve beenyourself available since we started this project” Since he’d first kissed her ten years ago Yeah, like “available” was even in his vocabulary He’d long ago put a Do Not Trespass sign on his heart Then again, when had she ever obeyed the rules?

“I said I would and I will” He leaned against the doorway, a lazy, bored expression on his face as he waited for her to leave

She’d just been diser, pain lanced her heart She rose, knowing she’d continue to fight this ith hi she hadn’t won this round God, she hated always being on the losing end with Brett “Fine When can you meet me at the hotel?”

“I’ll call you”

“I don’t think so I need a date and tiain

Sighing, he walked to his desk and flipped open his desk calendar, giving her a few seconds to ogle his butt again She resisted the urge to groan at her ard thoughts, careful to have her eyes focused at his eye level when he turned around again

When he turned, that fire was present in his eyes again, but this tier She knew she pushed his buttons, knew she had pissed hi that filled his soul with joy? How could she care about hiht of his soul to wither up and die? She couldn’t She wouldn’t allow it to happen

“I have ahere at six Is seven too late?” His voice laced with sarcasm

“Seven is fine How abouthi to let him evade her

“I hate offices How about dinner instead?”

Dinner? Holy hell, where had that come from? He could barely stand to be in the same room with her, and now he’d asked her out to dinner? She almost fell back in shock

Business, Kaitlyn It’s just business He hadn’t invited her to bed, he’d just taken her up on her dare to ood on his promise

Okay, she needed to get out of here and settle her nerves, regroup before they ain “Dinner it is Would you like to eat at the hotel?”

“That’ll be fine” He stepped to the door and opened it “Now I need to get to work, if you don’t mind”

Oh, no She wouldn’t let hi to be affected by his coldly abrupt dis smile that didn’t quite reach her heart and strolled slowly froered in the hall and watched the sway of her ass all the way to the gallery doors

Round one or, but I don’t concede defeat so easily I hope you’re prepared for war, because that’s exactly what you’re going to get

Brett was transfixed by the sultry motion of Kaitlyn’s hips as she walked down the hall, unable to shake himself out of this state of ih the double doors without another look in his direction

Da crotch and shut the door to his office, sliding into his chair and palh his pants

She was out to kill hily stubborn, she also had to stroll in here s day, the little bracelets on her wrists jingling with a soft melody

One look at her, one whiff of her sweet springti like a junkie in need of a fix All he could think about was her How she looked in her red flowery suit, her full breasts outlined against the jacket His fingers itched to trace the line of her suit and slide his hands inside her jacket to cup her firm flesh A

feisps of raven hair brushed against her heart-shaped face, no lipstick one south and his dick had shot up at the visual of grasping that ponytail while her sweet mouth sucked on his cock

Even worse was the soft sound of her voice— Five minutes with her and he’d been so rock-hard he’d had to hide behind his desk until he could wrestle control over his libido

And then she pushed And she pushed Like a relentless dog attacking a bone, she gnawed at his patience and growled incessantly until he wanted to cover his et her to shut up about the art

There were things she didn’t know Bad, really bad things about hiht Aood for her, she would And that’s what he wanted, wasn’t it?

God, he was ayears he’d avoided Kaitlyn Stor that if he acted on his desire for her he’d only bring disaster to her life She’d been too sweet, too innocent, too blatantly in love with hie of her Hell, she’d been a kid back then

She hadn’t kissed hih Ten years after their one and only kiss he could still taste her; her mouth fresh and sweet like the first drop of rain in the springtime, filled with innocence

Innocence He snorted and shook his head He’d been long past innocence by then By the ti fast No matter how much he wanted her, he couldn’t have her Then, or now If he’d been smart he’d have left A reasons And she thought she could save hiht now

He was long past saving And he’d learned his lessons the hard way He’d never hurt Kait like he’d hurt Amanda Kaitlyn was a friend No, more than that She was his best friend’s little sister and that’s all she’d ever be