Defended & Desired
Page 4
The corners of her eyes pinched with a strain he could almost feel. “Now there’s no way I’ll meet the deadline for the software update release this week.” She dropped her hands. “This is why I need better equipment and more staff.”
He nodded in total agreement. He opened his mouth to tell her that he and Cade intended to pass her budget.
Before he could, she launched into a verbal tirade. “You know, you people want to snap your fingers and poof. Presto. IT perfection.”
He frowned and shook his head. “That’s not—”
“Well it doesn’t work like that. Without the budget increase I asked from you and your chiefs months ago, I can’t pull miracles out of thin air.”
He wished she’d let him finish a sentence. “Actually, I don’t expect—”
She took a step closer and pressed a finger against the front of his chest. “I refuse to take blame for sloppy work when my team and I are stretched so thin we have to water down the coffee. Have you ever seen an entire tech department on caffeine withdrawal? Not pretty.”
Her eyes had grown impossibly dark as her temper heated. Her chest rose and fell, and that tempting scrap of lace between the lapels of her jacket drew his attention to her breasts. Struggling to remain focused, he said, “Devon, we—”
“I’ve waited six months!” she interrupted again, punctuating her point with another jab to his chest.
He swore if she didn’t calm down and let him speak, he’d put her sexy mouth to better use. “We plan to pass your—”
She took another step forward. “I’m so stressed out I could—”
His patience snapped. Without thinking, without worry about the consequences, he slid his fingers into her hair and captured her lips.
Chapter 2
Pure shock radiated through Devon’s limbs.
Frozen in place, her hands opened and closed on air. The attraction that always sparked to life around Trey quickly burst into flames of desire.
A compulsive thrill scattered across her nerve-endings. She hadn’t seen this coming, but she liked what she saw—and felt.
Swept away by the suddenness and the instant chemistry sizzling between them, she leaned in and kissed him back.
His lips were warm, soft, searching. They parted slightly, then closed on hers again. A tiny moan escaped her throat. He angled her face, his mouth firmer, more insistent. His breathing turned choppy. When he exhaled through his nose, she felt his hot breath against her cheek.
Too hot.
Too close.
Too much.
Breaking the kiss, she turned her face away. This was insanity. A catastrophic mistake. One she couldn’t let happen again, even if she’d loved every second. Business and pleasure didn’t mix, and she had the track record to prove it.
He released her and drew back, but not far.
She stared at him. Her words evaporated like raindrops in the desert.
Trey was tall, dark, and beyond gorgeous. He was also distracting and tempting. She glanced at his mouth. He might be her boss, but she’d fantasized about having his lips on hers, and the reality had been way better than she’d imagined. God, the man could kiss, and she wondered how well he’d deliver on her other fantasies…
“I—” She pulled her desire-intoxicated thoughts out of the gutter. “Why did you do that?”
“You wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to tell you Cade and I agreed to pass your IT budget. Adam and Liam won’t be far behind.”
“Oh. That’s good.” She licked her lips. “Kind of an unconventional way to shut someone up.”
“I like to think outside the box.” An insanely sexy grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
She had no idea what to say. Kiss me again crossed her mind. The flames of desire he’d stoked still licked inside her.
“I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he murmured without a trace of apology in his tone or expression.
“I probably shouldn’t have liked it.” Her cheeks heated. “Did I say that out loud?”
Dark eyes glittering, he cupped her chin. “I appreciate spontaneity in a woman.”
His head lowered and he pressed his lips to hers again. She put her hands against his chest, knowing she should stop this, but ended up curling her fingers around his lapels. It had been so long since she’d felt wanted, desired. The sensation wrapped around her along with his arms, and she melted into his strength, ceding to this powerful attraction and undeniable chemistry.
This time he sought entrance beyond the barrier of her teeth. Thoughts of refusal turned to ash. He licked her upper lip. Hesitantly, she parted for him. The silken touch of his tongue sent sparks of lust shooting through her veins.
“Miss Leigh?” someone called from the doorway.
Devon sprang away from Trey. She grabbed her heels and hopped as she slid them on her feet. Using the back of her hand to blot her lips, she stepped out from the row of servers. “I’m here,” she said unsteadily.
“I think I’ve found the hacker’s source code, and I’m running a search.” Zander Atkins tugged at the sleeves of his oversized shirt that made his thin body look concave. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Are you all right, Miss Leigh?” he asked with a slight lisp.
“Fine.” She raked a hand through her hair. “No, actually, I’m not fine.” She admitted defeat. “We had to pull the plug on the servers to stop the virus from spreading.”
“Unavoidable,” Trey said, stepping out from the row of servers to stand beside her.
“Oh. Hi, Mr. Soren.” He scratched his ear, where his hair hung in untrimmed layers. “Looks like the team has some long hours ahead.”
“I’m not happy with this outcome, either,” she assured. “I’ll be making plenty of Starbucks runs, I promise.”
She’d mentioned her team’s caffeine withdrawal to Trey earlier just to get his attention. She would never let anyone who worked for her suffer, in any way.
Zander nodded and sent her a shy smile. “Sounds okay to me.”
Her team was extraordinary. She realized she hadn’t told them that enough lately. She had nothing without their effort and dedication. Is that how Trey felt now, knowing she was all that stood between his reputation and a shallow hacker?
Their kiss was probably his response to a shocking situation. She shouldn’t read into it. Besides, more important things loomed.
She offered the young, dedicated man on her team a grateful look. “I appreciate all your help, Zander.”
He nodded in total agreement. He opened his mouth to tell her that he and Cade intended to pass her budget.
Before he could, she launched into a verbal tirade. “You know, you people want to snap your fingers and poof. Presto. IT perfection.”
He frowned and shook his head. “That’s not—”
“Well it doesn’t work like that. Without the budget increase I asked from you and your chiefs months ago, I can’t pull miracles out of thin air.”
He wished she’d let him finish a sentence. “Actually, I don’t expect—”
She took a step closer and pressed a finger against the front of his chest. “I refuse to take blame for sloppy work when my team and I are stretched so thin we have to water down the coffee. Have you ever seen an entire tech department on caffeine withdrawal? Not pretty.”
Her eyes had grown impossibly dark as her temper heated. Her chest rose and fell, and that tempting scrap of lace between the lapels of her jacket drew his attention to her breasts. Struggling to remain focused, he said, “Devon, we—”
“I’ve waited six months!” she interrupted again, punctuating her point with another jab to his chest.
He swore if she didn’t calm down and let him speak, he’d put her sexy mouth to better use. “We plan to pass your—”
She took another step forward. “I’m so stressed out I could—”
His patience snapped. Without thinking, without worry about the consequences, he slid his fingers into her hair and captured her lips.
Chapter 2
Pure shock radiated through Devon’s limbs.
Frozen in place, her hands opened and closed on air. The attraction that always sparked to life around Trey quickly burst into flames of desire.
A compulsive thrill scattered across her nerve-endings. She hadn’t seen this coming, but she liked what she saw—and felt.
Swept away by the suddenness and the instant chemistry sizzling between them, she leaned in and kissed him back.
His lips were warm, soft, searching. They parted slightly, then closed on hers again. A tiny moan escaped her throat. He angled her face, his mouth firmer, more insistent. His breathing turned choppy. When he exhaled through his nose, she felt his hot breath against her cheek.
Too hot.
Too close.
Too much.
Breaking the kiss, she turned her face away. This was insanity. A catastrophic mistake. One she couldn’t let happen again, even if she’d loved every second. Business and pleasure didn’t mix, and she had the track record to prove it.
He released her and drew back, but not far.
She stared at him. Her words evaporated like raindrops in the desert.
Trey was tall, dark, and beyond gorgeous. He was also distracting and tempting. She glanced at his mouth. He might be her boss, but she’d fantasized about having his lips on hers, and the reality had been way better than she’d imagined. God, the man could kiss, and she wondered how well he’d deliver on her other fantasies…
“I—” She pulled her desire-intoxicated thoughts out of the gutter. “Why did you do that?”
“You wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to tell you Cade and I agreed to pass your IT budget. Adam and Liam won’t be far behind.”
“Oh. That’s good.” She licked her lips. “Kind of an unconventional way to shut someone up.”
“I like to think outside the box.” An insanely sexy grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
She had no idea what to say. Kiss me again crossed her mind. The flames of desire he’d stoked still licked inside her.
“I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he murmured without a trace of apology in his tone or expression.
“I probably shouldn’t have liked it.” Her cheeks heated. “Did I say that out loud?”
Dark eyes glittering, he cupped her chin. “I appreciate spontaneity in a woman.”
His head lowered and he pressed his lips to hers again. She put her hands against his chest, knowing she should stop this, but ended up curling her fingers around his lapels. It had been so long since she’d felt wanted, desired. The sensation wrapped around her along with his arms, and she melted into his strength, ceding to this powerful attraction and undeniable chemistry.
This time he sought entrance beyond the barrier of her teeth. Thoughts of refusal turned to ash. He licked her upper lip. Hesitantly, she parted for him. The silken touch of his tongue sent sparks of lust shooting through her veins.
“Miss Leigh?” someone called from the doorway.
Devon sprang away from Trey. She grabbed her heels and hopped as she slid them on her feet. Using the back of her hand to blot her lips, she stepped out from the row of servers. “I’m here,” she said unsteadily.
“I think I’ve found the hacker’s source code, and I’m running a search.” Zander Atkins tugged at the sleeves of his oversized shirt that made his thin body look concave. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Are you all right, Miss Leigh?” he asked with a slight lisp.
“Fine.” She raked a hand through her hair. “No, actually, I’m not fine.” She admitted defeat. “We had to pull the plug on the servers to stop the virus from spreading.”
“Unavoidable,” Trey said, stepping out from the row of servers to stand beside her.
“Oh. Hi, Mr. Soren.” He scratched his ear, where his hair hung in untrimmed layers. “Looks like the team has some long hours ahead.”
“I’m not happy with this outcome, either,” she assured. “I’ll be making plenty of Starbucks runs, I promise.”
She’d mentioned her team’s caffeine withdrawal to Trey earlier just to get his attention. She would never let anyone who worked for her suffer, in any way.
Zander nodded and sent her a shy smile. “Sounds okay to me.”
Her team was extraordinary. She realized she hadn’t told them that enough lately. She had nothing without their effort and dedication. Is that how Trey felt now, knowing she was all that stood between his reputation and a shallow hacker?
Their kiss was probably his response to a shocking situation. She shouldn’t read into it. Besides, more important things loomed.
She offered the young, dedicated man on her team a grateful look. “I appreciate all your help, Zander.”
