Too Close To Call

Her hands came up to grip his biceps.

He touched her lower lip with the tip of his tongue and sensation rocketed to his toes. “In, say, ten minutes from now…We could walk out of here and forget it ever happened?”

“Jeffrey?” Her voice was small. Her fingertips dug into his arms, bringing far more pleasure than pain.

“Yeah?” he breathed.

“You’re already kissing me.”

“Oh, no, I’m not.” He shook his head. This wasn’t kissing.

But if she was willing…

He gave her a second to pull away. Then he opened his mouth, tipped his head, captured her lips, and sealed them together in a fusion of heat and pent-up passion, his brain blinded to everything but the feel and taste of Ashley.

She came up on her toes, and he settled his arm more firmly around her waist, pulling her tight against his tension-filled body. His fingers tangled in her hair, thumb stroking her cheek, circling her ear, dipping, delving, finding the tender, secret places on the back of her neck.

He flicked his tongue against the inside of her lips, and her mouth opened wider on a moan. Her hands slid to his shoulders and she held on, tipping her head to one side. Her tongue met his halfway, tangling in a burst of heated need.

Now this was kissing.

His fingertips found the silky skin between her short sweater and her little skirt, twitching in reaction. He longed to explore further, but they’d only agreed on a kiss.

So, he focused on her mouth, kissing her longer, harder, deeper. Coming up for air to pepper the corners of her mouth with mini kisses, tasting her soft skin, inhaling the hidden scent where her neck curved into her shoulder.

And then he was back to her mouth, because that was the apex of her magic. The computers hummed in the background, the multicolored screens bathing the room in a soft glow. Jordan was losing his center, losing his perspective.

She tasted of sweet coffee and midnight dreams, and he wanted the kiss to go on forever.

But the kiss was a lie.

He was living a lie.

She thought he was Jeffrey, and Jeffrey thought she was the enemy. And here in L.A., Jordan Adamson didn’t even exist. Of all the off-limits women in the whole off-limits world, Ashley took first prize.

There was no way for this to turn out well.

Though his body screamed for mercy, Jordan loosened his hold. He forced his hand to let go of her hair. He broke from her lips, gathering his strength, steeling his desire, then going back for a single, lightning-fast kiss of regret.

Her eyes flickered open. A deep breath slipped out between her swollen lips.

“Our ten minutes are up,” he whispered, touching his forehead to hers.

“So soon?” she asked.

Not a moment too soon, his brain pointed out. Even though his body strongly disagreed.

“You okay?” he asked. He was okay. Well, except for the fact that the universe had just shifted and he was struggling to get his bearings.

“That was…” She took a step back, slipping from his arms, breaking their touch.

“Cataclysmic?” It wasn’t the perfect word. But he didn’t think the perfect word existed to describe what had just happened between them.

She squared her shoulders, the tough, professional Ashley emerging from the soft, romantic goddess. “A really big mistake.”

She was right, but it pricked his pride. He wasn’t about to let her shift gears that quickly. “You didn’t like it?” he asked.

“Quit fishing.”

Jordan gave her a cocky half smile, hoping to shake a reaction out of her. “I don’t need another compliment. Your actions speak louder than words.”

“What actions?”

“You kissed me. Seriously.”

She gave a light laugh, and smoothed her hair back, her expression going neutral. She might have been staring at a log sheet for all the emotion in her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jordan was taken aback by the complete transformation. “Are you telling me I imagined your reaction?”

No way. Not a chance. A woman couldn’t fake that.

She smiled smugly. “This is Hollywood, Jeffrey.” She reached past him to pop her disk out of the computer. “Everything’s an illusion.” Then she straightened and saluted him with the plastic cover. “See you at the Board meeting on Friday.”

Jordan watched the sway of her hips as she walked out the door.

Acting?

If she could act like that, the woman deserved an award.

Of course, this was L.A. And she was in the television business. Who was to say she didn’t start out as an actress?

Still.

He’d bet she wasn’t that good.

And, he’d bet that if they kissed again, he could prove it. He squared his shoulders. If he met her in her office, or in his office, or in one of the 26th floor meeting rooms…

One more chance, and he could show her who was and wasn’t acting.

Yeah.

He nodded his head.

Then he shook his head.

What was he thinking? He might be leaving on Friday, but Jeffrey was coming back to stay. The man had to work for Argonaut Studios. He had to work with Ashley. Jordan couldn’t leave a disaster in his wake.

SOMEBODY UP THERE was out to get Ashley.