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Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and let the hot, angry breath evacuate her lungs

What

an

asshole

"Re a fake,voice As if she didn't know that As if she weren't single-handedly responsible for cutting overhead for the advertising depart Dave had praised but that hadn't helped her get the job she'd been so focused on

Matt's wordshands she iet me a real cup of coffee" Out of nowhere, as if conjured by badher, the door opening as she leaned against it As her upper body tilted backwards her feet flew out fro around her ribs, the other behind her knee, his quads working overtiainst her breast, a fingertip landing squarely on her nipple

Seeking her center of gravity, her body pressed into his chest, face just under his chin as he stabilized them Ah, he smelled even better than she rene now full aro, she took in his scent, herwhy, actually

Wanting more

"Ahe Their eyes locked and again she was drawn to the verdant green, hon his hair was, a glint of silver at the teainst his body, her shoulder and ass could feel how rock-hard his abs really were, body a wall of ht her He wasn't in a hurry, though, and was she i in her scent, too? The way he tilted his head at her neck and took a deep breath made her wonder

Not wonder – hope Were those ar her as he put her back on her feet but because he orking hard to restrain hi froainst him to stand, come from desire? As her face flushed and her stomach fluttered, their eyes connected

Intense and serious, Matt's chest expanded and contracted, their breathing in sync, unrushed but at a near-pant, attraction asserting itself – like it or not

Oh, how her body liked it, her hand reluctant to pull back, to stop feeling the heat of hi?

"What are you doing?" Matt echoed her thoughts, a quizzical frown on his face

"I was just, uh," she staainst the door to fix my shoe, and you opened it, and thenabs" And then abs? AND THEN ABS? Did she really just say that?

"Abs" A slight se of his eyes, little folds er, tousled, casual and free An extraordinary shift fro Intoxicating, even More like she remembered him in her apartment, casual and kind

"Absolutely! I absolutely fell over" Lame, lame, lame, and they both knew it, but Lydia would take lame over aroused and mortified any day

He just nodded, backed out the door, and whispered, "Black"

"What?"

"I like my coffee black And, preferably, ater in it" As he closed the door and she swore she heard hienuine e

Oooooo! That man

Two round in front of his closed door Two tablespoons of coffee grounds with cold water mixed in She returned to her desk and sent him an email:

Dear Matt,

Your coffee is outside your door

Best,

Lydia

Seething, she opened a ne on her computer screen Economize? A trip to Detroit, huh?

Oh, she'd show hiers flying fast on her keyboard, she looked up to see a farinned, and she smiled back, instantly comfortable and casual Some quality in him did that; it was hypnotic

"Lydia! You remember me?" He seemed simultaneously surprised and nonchalant, dressed today in a nice tan polo, jeans, and Chuck Taylor tennis shoes

Way better that the Beetlejuice getup froet" She held her hand up to indicate his height

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his face ani it? – a bit overly-fake His hair was a mess of waves and those soft, brown eyes invited her to s "What are you doing here?"

That stopped him cold in his tracks "My friend M – uh, Matt works here" Gazing at her, he added, "Your eyes really are speckled – the colors are intoxicating"

Pulse racing, she held his look Faht cha-cha-cha of arousal No! You're attracted to Matt, her mind chided No! You're attracted to no one, the feminist in her roared Career over clit

"You know Matt?" she whispered, finally breaking a growing tension she couldn't name, but that felt a hell of a lot like extreing out with Matt, of all people? Maybe there was more to her knew boss than she'd suspected The resemblance to Michael Bournham was uncanny Her earlier suspicions that he was related roared back

Lydia stood and beckoned Jererin on his face This guy didn't hide his attraction, and it was quite pleasant, oddly enough Nothing condescending or creepy He struck her as one of those rare guys who simply enjoyed women