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Her heart rate leaped, the beat so loud it thrummed in his ears and made his mouth water Her voice was barely a murmur over the sound of her pulse "What?"

"This" He brushed his lips over hers, slowly, tentatively, giving her the chance to stop hier of heart failure if it didn’t slon Her nervousness was a tang in the air, and if he had any decency in hiing to since she walked through his office door beca his resolve

He wanted to taste her Wanted to sink his fangs into her throat and feel her pulse tapping against his teeth as her life force flowed into hi her lips

For now

Her lips were velvety, warm, and they parted more as he swept his mouth back and forth in invitation Her response was hesitant, but curious From the delicate scent of her desire that rose up all around him, to the spark in her eyes and the rapid pace of her breathing, it was clear she wanted this But her body was stiff as a steel bea with aardness

Maybe it’s because you’re her boss and she’s afraid you’ll fire her if she doesn’t kiss you, you dolt

Cursing hiainst her lips, "Your job isn’t at risk It never was, and I apologize for playing with you like that You’re hired no matter what" Huh Maybe he still had an ounce of decency left in him

"Okay," she whispered back, and those gorgeous eyes of hers locked onto his, heating hi hiainst her mouth "Open for me," he murmured, and after the briefest hesitation, her lips parted just enough to allow hiue over the tip of hers

This tily abrupt, as if a dah to send a sh hi her hps in contact with his, and she kissed hirowl

All of that set hi ever had What had been h-level blast of lust that clouded his thoughts and da her to the floor He wanted her softness under hi the hard planes of his body as he pounded into her Only the faint vibration in his pocket kept his

"Dammit," he breathed, as he reached into his pocket for his cell phone He was going to throw the da hilazed and unfocused, her face flushed, and yeah, she’d been his for the taking He snarled viciously as he stepped back froe GLADIUS NOW

"What" She sed "What’s Gladius?"

"None of your business" Sexual frustration and annoyance at being sloppy enough to let her see the e on his voice He janore the hurt in her expression, because if she was so sensitive that a few harsh words bothered her, she wasn’t going to last a week in this club

The reality of that thought didn’t stop hih

And what the fk was up with the apologies and this touchy-feely crap? All his compassion had been beaten out of him in the arena, so why the sudden desire to protect this fe cub?

"Well," she said crisply, "you can go to hell"

He blinked "For telling you to butt out of so a jerk about it"

Well, well The tiger had claws, but as o "Go hoht at seven A unifor for you"

She muttered a few mild obscenities under her breath, and he hid a smile as he stalked out of the office Yep, she definitely had claws, and he couldn’t wait for her to use theabout him both terrified and thrilled her, and crazily, she liked it She’d spent so long being sheltered by her father and protected by those around her that getting out on her oas a hot rush The fact that she’d succeeded in the first part of her goal--getting a job at Thirst--was even otten on her own Granted, it wasn’t a job she was keeping, but at least her father hadn’t pulled strings to get her here

She’d gone ho hiood that had done She’d been restless, tossing and turning, and her et his spicy, et how his skin had felt under her fingers or how his lips had been so soft on hers Couldn’t wipe his great-looking face and body out of her brain

She also couldn’t rid herself of the nagging feeling that he was so told her that those tickets on his desk and the e on his phone were the key

Now, as she finished donning for black scrubs with the word THIRST, the T fashioned to resemble a medical cross embroidered in red on the left shirt pocket, she was deter, but so far, there were no injuries, so Lena explored, eyes peeled forwell, she didn’t knohat, exactly, she was looking for She chatted with the bouncers, wait staff, and bartenders, fishing carefully for infors

A broken wrist froation for an hour, and then she was back at it after spying Nate enter the club and make a beeline to the private section as if there was a fire When he disappeared into his office, she followed, checking behind her to make sure no one saw her