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The increase in the noise level told Claire that they had entered the main room of the party, and she tried to settle the nervous butterflies in her stomach The music cued up, and Claire listened for the tap fronify it was tinal sounded, and Claire took a big breath and juh above her head to much enthusiastic applause

The honoree of the party was always seated directly in front of the cake and, taking a ht, Claire started to focus on that seat Slowly blinking her eyes and hoping that she was seeing things, Claire beca in front of the chair of honor with Jason standing on his right Harold was laughing and applauding, and his friends around hi him on the back, everyone except Jason, who see her intently as if she were so to place in his memory Harold seemed to have no clue as to who she was

The ti seemed endless as she tried to keep her head averted and avoided looking directly at Harold or Jason She tried to act norht before she was recognized Claire turned to the side and signaled to Brian and Max to lift her down on the left side instead of the normal front position

They were confused at the change but quickly positioned to assist the dis froratulations She tried to exit the area as soon as possible to avoid looking in Jason’s direction Finally, a path parted for her and Claire made her way to the restroo her

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Jason was coht, and possibly histricks on him, his assistant had ju next to nothing He had been paying very little attention when the cake had been rolled out and only just glanced over when the sound of the top of the cake popping open had caught his attention

If not for seeing Claire at Harold’s with her hair arranged ht have possiblyhienderless assistant was actually a drop-dead bombshell, and even if it took his mind several minutes to accept it, his body knew as soon as he laid eyes on her

How in the hell had he been so blind to her all of these years and, more importantly, how did one not know that their assistant jumped out of cakes at bachelor parties after hours? Claire lived a whole other life outside the office, which ree; however, this seemed a little extreme His little mouse of an assistant was a stripper?

He was sure seeing her with two heads would have surprised hinize her at all and was at present receiving ishes from the others at the party and co about Claire For so sorily towards the direction he had seen Claire disappear to

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Claire leaned against the restroo in reaction How could this have possibly happened and why didn’t she make a connection that this could be Harold’s Party? Julie had said the naht She hoped against hope that she rong and Jason hadn’t recognized her Claire began undressing and vowed to stay in the kitchen the rest of the evening no matter what

Dear God, she would lose her job with Jason over this; he would never understand why it was necessary to work this job as well as for Danvers Panic started to set in, and she was shaking so hard her fingers were fuarters At just that ivea hard ti of the silence, she continued on, "God Julie you will never believe what just happened, ht you said the bachelor's name was Winthrop? I need to stay in the kitchen for the rest of the evening and steer clear of Jason" As those words were uttered, she was suddenly aware that Julie hadn’tinto the blue eyes that had haunted her all day

Time see in the ladies’ restrooaze to the corset that barely contained her breasts She could feel her nipples standing up and saluting His gaze lowered to the ski panties and, heaven help her, she could feel her body continue to betray her as heat pooled between her thighs She squeezed her legs together to try to control the fire that seeh her body like an inferno Claire finally gathered her wits enough to sputter, "What’re you doing in here? This is the ladies’ restrooht I would visit with the stripper for the evening, how much for a private lap dance for my friends and myself?"

"Wha… What?" stammered Claire, "what do you mean?"

"Well you’re the stripper who jumped out of the cake, correct?"

"No no, I’m not a stripper I just jump out of the cake with clothes on; I don’t strip!"

"Clothes huh? I’," replied Jason with sarcas from his voice

It finally dawned on her that she was still standing in a restroom with her boss, almost naked Claire averted her eyes from his and tried to cover herself with her hands "Could you please leave? I need to dress, and this is the ladies’ restroo up into Jason’s eyes and could feel herself ripped her arainst his hard body

She went rigid at the sudden contact and tried to pull back as she felt Jason’s pal a trail of fire as they settled on either side of her face, his thuiven up any thought of getting free and was ainst his will Jason leaned forward and gently laid his lips against hers His tongue took up the course of his thu and her nipples turning to stone, Claire went boneless and sagged into hin of surrender and suddenly deepened the kiss, his tongue thrusting into her mouth Startled at the sudden invasion, a brief moment of reality started to intrude but was quickly clouded as a hot masculine hand slid down her back and fir her up into close contact with a hard bulge