Defended & Desired
Page 24
“Oh, please.” Devon rolled her eyes. Sure, she’d created a great network security system, and, yes, she’d submitted it for Signet consideration, but she hadn’t expected to receive the honor, much less gain national attention for it. “Anyone could’ve done what I did. It wasn’t that remarkable.”
“Miss Leigh,” Zander said almost breathlessly, “I disagree. You proved that you’re a hardhitter and trendsetter in the field. You set the bar.”
She hid a wince. “Yeah, and then Captain Jack decided to take that bar and crack it in two.”
“He has nothing on you,” Zander assured. “He couldn’t dream of being in your league.”
“I agree,” said a low, sexy voice from across the room. Devon looked up to see Trey, leaning against her doorframe with his arms folded.
Something strange happened in her chest when Trey entered and strode toward her. A sensation that fluctuated between reflexive tightness and then blossoming awareness. She’d never felt this before. With any man.
And he was already walking toward her. “Who invited you here?” she asked in a teasing voice.
“No one. But considering I’m your boss, I hope I’m allowed into your sacred inner circle.”
Maybe it was his smile, calm and reassuring. Or his presence, so strong and inviting. Or the look he gave her, possessive and sizzling. Whatever it was that encompassed the essence of Trey, she found herself desiring him with a powerful and undeniable attraction.
Fierce longing swept through her, and she pulled in an unsteady breath. It was totally unfair that he affected her this way. So easily, without even trying. She swallowed. That couldn’t be a good sign for her well-fortified detachment when it came to starting a relationship, even a purely sexual relationship. But at the moment, her fast-beating heart didn’t care what her brain thought.
Devon’s previous disturbing thoughts about Captain Jack dissipated. She smiled at Trey, as tingles of pleasure spilled down her back. But she disguised her elated response by throwing up her hands. “Why are so many people here on a Saturday? Honestly, can’t a girl get a minute of peace?”
Trey sent her a potent look from beneath his eyebrows that had her heart skipping a beat. “Not when that girl hasn’t touched base with me in twelve hours.”
“I’ve been busy,” she retorted, feeling no need to explain herself or her whereabouts to him. Although, it was, maybe, a little…nice to know he was checking in on her. That he cared about where she was and who she was with. Except, there was no need for Trey to throw Zander a get-the-hell-out-of-here look. “Zander and I were just discussing our job…and what to do with the wonderful big new budget we have to work within our department.”
Zander gave her a double take. “What? They passed your budget?”
“Hell, yeah, they did.” In camaraderie, she nudged Zander with her elbow. “You can’t let upper management run roughshod over you. No matter what, stick to your guns. Demand the best. The least they can do is tell you no.”
Trey shrugged. “She’s right.” He uncrossed his arms and came behind her desk, where she and Zander had been staring at her screen discussing her nemesis. Trey planted a hand on her desk, his chest conveniently brushing her shoulder, as though he were staking his claim. “There’s a lot to be said for a little pressure. Some enticing. A smooth touch.”
Devon coughed. Trey was doing one of two things: either being intimidating or being territorial. Regardless, neither one was appropriate.
“What he means,” she explained, sending a quick, sharp glance at Trey over her shoulder, “is it’s important to make your superiors recognize the value of their IT department.”
“I think I get it.” Zander scooted his chair far away from her and then stood. “It’s a pleasure discussing work with you. I’ll let you know if I find anything else.”
She sent him an encouraging nod. “Please do.”
When Zander closed the door, the latch clicked. And in under a second Trey’s lips covered hers.
He slid his arm around her waist and hoisted her out of her chair, flattening her against him. His hand scraped up her scalp and tangled in her hair, the pressure holding her captive to his ravenous mouth.
Unsure where he would take this and not willing to break her personal code of no sex with her boss at the office, she crunched her hands in his shirt then let him go. Licking her lips, half-wishing she’d let him continue his oral exploration, she dropped into her chair and rolled in front of her keyboard. “I actually did come here to work.”
Peanut perked up and pawed at her until she picked him up and set him on her lap. Her fingertips tapped at the keys until his hands came over her shoulders and began massaging. Her head fell back, her whole body melting under his touch.
“You know, I have a great cure for stress,” he murmured against her ear.
She glanced up at him. “Is that right?”
“Is Peanut okay by himself?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never brought him into the office before.” She scratched behind Peanut’s ear. “Zander could watch him. He and Peanut have interacted a few times.”
“When?” Trey’s demanded.
She threw her shoulders back. “Not that it’s your business, but I’ve invited my team over to my house a few times for pizza and brainstorming sessions.”
“Oh.” He seemed to find that acceptable. Then he grabbed the phone on her desk and pressed the intercom button. His voice rang out over every phone speaker in the building, requesting Zander’s presence in her office.
She stared at him. “A little over the top, don’t you think?”
Trey shrugged. “I don’t know his extension.”
Zander arrived slightly out of breath. “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Trey stated. “We need you to watch Peanut for an hour. Think you can handle that?”
“Um, sure. Yeah. Heading out for lunch?”
“Something like that,” Trey replied, sounding purposely vague.
When Zander approached her dog, Peanut curled his lip and snarled. Devon scoffed. “Peanut, shame on you. You remember Zander. He’s been at our house with the rest of the team. He fed you his pizza crusts.”
Peanut’s lip-snarl quivered then relaxed.
“See? You’re just fine.” She set her hand on Zander’s shoulder. “Thanks for the help. I haven’t taken time off in the middle of the day in ages.”
“Miss Leigh,” Zander said almost breathlessly, “I disagree. You proved that you’re a hardhitter and trendsetter in the field. You set the bar.”
She hid a wince. “Yeah, and then Captain Jack decided to take that bar and crack it in two.”
“He has nothing on you,” Zander assured. “He couldn’t dream of being in your league.”
“I agree,” said a low, sexy voice from across the room. Devon looked up to see Trey, leaning against her doorframe with his arms folded.
Something strange happened in her chest when Trey entered and strode toward her. A sensation that fluctuated between reflexive tightness and then blossoming awareness. She’d never felt this before. With any man.
And he was already walking toward her. “Who invited you here?” she asked in a teasing voice.
“No one. But considering I’m your boss, I hope I’m allowed into your sacred inner circle.”
Maybe it was his smile, calm and reassuring. Or his presence, so strong and inviting. Or the look he gave her, possessive and sizzling. Whatever it was that encompassed the essence of Trey, she found herself desiring him with a powerful and undeniable attraction.
Fierce longing swept through her, and she pulled in an unsteady breath. It was totally unfair that he affected her this way. So easily, without even trying. She swallowed. That couldn’t be a good sign for her well-fortified detachment when it came to starting a relationship, even a purely sexual relationship. But at the moment, her fast-beating heart didn’t care what her brain thought.
Devon’s previous disturbing thoughts about Captain Jack dissipated. She smiled at Trey, as tingles of pleasure spilled down her back. But she disguised her elated response by throwing up her hands. “Why are so many people here on a Saturday? Honestly, can’t a girl get a minute of peace?”
Trey sent her a potent look from beneath his eyebrows that had her heart skipping a beat. “Not when that girl hasn’t touched base with me in twelve hours.”
“I’ve been busy,” she retorted, feeling no need to explain herself or her whereabouts to him. Although, it was, maybe, a little…nice to know he was checking in on her. That he cared about where she was and who she was with. Except, there was no need for Trey to throw Zander a get-the-hell-out-of-here look. “Zander and I were just discussing our job…and what to do with the wonderful big new budget we have to work within our department.”
Zander gave her a double take. “What? They passed your budget?”
“Hell, yeah, they did.” In camaraderie, she nudged Zander with her elbow. “You can’t let upper management run roughshod over you. No matter what, stick to your guns. Demand the best. The least they can do is tell you no.”
Trey shrugged. “She’s right.” He uncrossed his arms and came behind her desk, where she and Zander had been staring at her screen discussing her nemesis. Trey planted a hand on her desk, his chest conveniently brushing her shoulder, as though he were staking his claim. “There’s a lot to be said for a little pressure. Some enticing. A smooth touch.”
Devon coughed. Trey was doing one of two things: either being intimidating or being territorial. Regardless, neither one was appropriate.
“What he means,” she explained, sending a quick, sharp glance at Trey over her shoulder, “is it’s important to make your superiors recognize the value of their IT department.”
“I think I get it.” Zander scooted his chair far away from her and then stood. “It’s a pleasure discussing work with you. I’ll let you know if I find anything else.”
She sent him an encouraging nod. “Please do.”
When Zander closed the door, the latch clicked. And in under a second Trey’s lips covered hers.
He slid his arm around her waist and hoisted her out of her chair, flattening her against him. His hand scraped up her scalp and tangled in her hair, the pressure holding her captive to his ravenous mouth.
Unsure where he would take this and not willing to break her personal code of no sex with her boss at the office, she crunched her hands in his shirt then let him go. Licking her lips, half-wishing she’d let him continue his oral exploration, she dropped into her chair and rolled in front of her keyboard. “I actually did come here to work.”
Peanut perked up and pawed at her until she picked him up and set him on her lap. Her fingertips tapped at the keys until his hands came over her shoulders and began massaging. Her head fell back, her whole body melting under his touch.
“You know, I have a great cure for stress,” he murmured against her ear.
She glanced up at him. “Is that right?”
“Is Peanut okay by himself?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never brought him into the office before.” She scratched behind Peanut’s ear. “Zander could watch him. He and Peanut have interacted a few times.”
“When?” Trey’s demanded.
She threw her shoulders back. “Not that it’s your business, but I’ve invited my team over to my house a few times for pizza and brainstorming sessions.”
“Oh.” He seemed to find that acceptable. Then he grabbed the phone on her desk and pressed the intercom button. His voice rang out over every phone speaker in the building, requesting Zander’s presence in her office.
She stared at him. “A little over the top, don’t you think?”
Trey shrugged. “I don’t know his extension.”
Zander arrived slightly out of breath. “Everything okay?”
“Fine,” Trey stated. “We need you to watch Peanut for an hour. Think you can handle that?”
“Um, sure. Yeah. Heading out for lunch?”
“Something like that,” Trey replied, sounding purposely vague.
When Zander approached her dog, Peanut curled his lip and snarled. Devon scoffed. “Peanut, shame on you. You remember Zander. He’s been at our house with the rest of the team. He fed you his pizza crusts.”
Peanut’s lip-snarl quivered then relaxed.
“See? You’re just fine.” She set her hand on Zander’s shoulder. “Thanks for the help. I haven’t taken time off in the middle of the day in ages.”
