STORY EXCERPT

Looking up from her desk, Gina could see Dan approaching. She grimaced. He had a mischievous smile like he usually had when he was about to wind her up. But this time she was not in the mood.

“Hey, beautiful one, love of my life, the person without whom my life would be incomplete.”

She groaned, knowing it was going to be one of those times, and tried to ignore the flip of her heart as his gorgeous blue eyes grinned at her. “Been knocked on the head lately, Rayner? So what are you after this time, a bandage? I’m not playing Nurse Ratched for you,” she said tersely.

Stopping in front of her desk, he asked, “Is that any way to talk to the one you adore?”

“Dream on, sunshine. Not if you were the last man on earth.”

He just grinned at her curt response.

She waited to see what he wanted, but the only thing he did was cross his arms and continue to smirk at her. She got suspicious. “Out with it, tell me what you want and then go dunk your head. In a pigsty preferably.”

“Gina, Gina. I’ve come to see how you are. Your welfare concerns me every moment of the day and night. I lie awake worrying about it. I have nightmares about it.”

“And snowmen are flying the skies at this very moment. Oh look, there’s one now,” she said sarcastically, pointing toward the window.

Dan put a hand on his heart and dramatically staggered back against the wall. As he did, a lock of black hair fell over his forehead. “Milady, you wound me—mortally.”

Shaking her head at this, she stated pithily, “You have the right to remain silent. Exercise it, why don’t you, and leave me in peace.”

“Lover, anyone would think you didn’t like the sound of my voice.”

She’d had enough of their repartee. “If you haven’t come here for anything useful, go away.” She gestured at him. “I’m far too busy.”

He moved away from the wall and perched on the corner of her desk. “Oh but I have a very good motive for being here. Motive. That’s a good word, isn’t it? I like words, don’t you? They’re so important.”

What on earth was he wittering on about? She narrowed her eyes trying to work out his angle.

“And words of all sorts have become particularly important to you. Haven’t they, Gina?”

She froze. Her heart started beating rapidly in anxiety. “W–What are you talking about?”

“A little bird told me Gina’s written a novel.” He ended this with a huge grin of satisfaction.

Oh shit! Hell and damnation. How did he, of all people, find out? She could feel herself flushing, something she rarely did.

Placing a hand on his hip, he asked, “You’re not going to try to deny it, are you?” He still had the infuriating grin on his face. She just wished he didn’t look so handsome underneath the grin.

ADULT EXCERPT

“What are you doing?” she asked. He laughed. That was her haughty voice and one he knew well.

“Exactly what you asked of me—how I would write that scene.”

“By plonking me on top of a piano?” she queried sardonically.

He stepped closer, holding her apprehensive gaze with his while he firmly took hold of her thighs, which were closed tightly together, and moved her legs apart, stretching her skirt to its limit. Her feet hit the piano keys in a discordant sound as he did this. She squealed. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the noise or the parting of her thighs which gave him access to her most private area.

Before she objected more forcibly, he took hold of one foot and eased the shoe off, dropping it to the floor before repeating the action with the other foot. Her hands went to his, clutching them strongly. He didn’t know if it was to stop him or hold him to her. She certainly didn’t push him away, so, emboldened, he twisted his hands away from hers and moved them decisively under her skirt to caress her thighs.

She gasped, and this time she did reach down to stop him, looking toward the door to the public corridor as she did, whispering harshly, “What the hell are you doing?”

“For a writer, you have a deplorable tendency to repeat yourself.” He chuckled and then explained himself. “I thought the piano scene from Pretty Woman would be an ideal alternative to your Casablanca scene.”

Her mouth opened in an O. Taking advantage of the moment, he leaned forward, widening his stance to brace his thighs against the piano, ignoring the tinkle of the keys as he did. He watched her brown eyes stare intently into his as if to ascertain his intentions. He lowered his head very slowly, giving her time to pull back. When she didn’t, he kissed her, his mouth slanting over hers as one hand went to cup the back of her head, holding her snugly as his tongue pressed against her lips insistently until she opened her mouth, which had closed instinctively as he came closer. As his tongue found its way in, he felt a jolt rush through her body. He deepened the kiss, becoming aware of her hands sliding around his shoulders. One of her hands tangled in his hair while the other one clasped his shoulder firmly. As she moved to hold him, her feet moved on the piano, making a bizarre tune.

His heart beat quicker as she held him tightly, relishing the chance to finally touch her so intimately after all this time of working together, teasing her, and wanting her so badly. While one hand caressed her head, his fingers tangled in her silky hair, his other hand, still under her skirt, stroked the velvety skin of the back of her thigh. He moved up her leg toward the even more sensitive part of her, and as she jerked in response to his touch, he caught her moan in his mouth.

Aware that she had just made a loud din on the piano, he lifted his head, opening his eyes to peer toward the doorway. When no one came by, he turned back and kissed the corner of her lips and then her cheek down to her neck, which he sucked. Her head went back as her fingers bit deeply into his scalp and she emitted a throaty groan.

God, this is wonderful. He had had dreams lately about making love to Gina, fondling her gorgeous body, but most of his dreams ended when she turned her face to him and saw it was him doing this to her and gave him her usual derisive expression. This was far better than he had ever dreamed. Her body was softer, rounder, and he never, in a million years, envisaged she would respond to him quite like this.

As for touching her, he moved his hand further up her thigh, gently stroking as he went, enjoying her quivers. When he reached the edge of her panties, he ran a thumb along the silken material and heard her moan.

This gave him the incentive to move under the elastic. It was his turn to gasp as he became aware that she was shaven. Holy shit! He never thought she would be the sort to shave her pussy.

Partly to avoid her noticing his surprise, he leaned his head into her neck, licking the area he had previously sucked, as he stroked his thumb over her naked nether lips. He’d never been with a woman who had been waxed or shaven there. It was incredible, and feeling his cock harden even more in response, he nearly groaned loudly.

Gina started whimpering as he nudged her pussy lips open with his thumb. He did groan out loud this time. She was wet with arousal.