The Bridal Suite

“When you calm down, I’ll let go.”

“I am calm. Completely calm. Calm enough to assure you that the Griffin McKenna who—who swashes his way through life is in deep trouble.”

“Swashes?” Griffin couldn’t help it. This time, he did laugh. “What in hell does that mean?”

“Go ahead. Laugh. Laugh all the way to court because you’ll never laugh again, after I get done suing you for sexual harassment.”

“You’re joking.”

“Do I look as if I’m joking?”

Griffin considered. What she looked was furious. Indignant. Righteous...and out and out gorgeous. He could feel her pulse leaping just under the soft skin at her wrist. Her eyes were the color of the Atlantic off Cape Cod, just before a storm. Her cheeks were the tender color of new roses. And, somehow or other, her hair had come undone.

Somehow or other? His body tightened. Why was he being so modest? He knew how her hair had come undone. He had done it, plunging his hands into it when he’d kissed her.

But he hadn’t kissed her. Not really. The thought had been there, even the intention, but before he’d had time to get started, the knowledge of exactly what he was doing had broken through his anger and he’d clamped down on the kiss so that it had been nothing more than a touch of his mouth against hers.

If he’d kissed her, really kissed her, it would have been more than that. He’d have drawn her close against his body, held her so that he could feel the softness of her breasts against his chest. He’d have parted her lips with his, tasted all the heat bottled inside her, savored the silkiness of her mouth—that soft-looking, sweet mouth. He’d have inhaled her scent, whispered her name, accepted her surrender as she wound her arms around his neck....

“—anything to say?”

Griffin blinked and let go of her hand. “What?”

“For a man who’s always barking orders, you don’t seem to have much to say right now.” Dana glared. “Maybe you think I’m joking about slapping you with a lawsuit for sexual harassment!”

“Look, Anderson, if you want an apology—”

“An apology?” Dana said in a way that made his hackles rise. “You’ve got to be joking. What I want is your neck in the noose of the law,” She shot him a smile that would have bared her fangs, if she’d had any. “And believe me, that’s just what I’m going to do. I am going to sue you for every cent you’ve got, McKenna. And when I’m done, the entire world will know just what a sexist rat fink you are.”

Gorgeous, but nuts, Griffin thought, and folded his arms over his chest.

“Listen here, lady—”

“I am not a lady!”

“Damn right, you aren’t.”

“Don’t twist my words, McKenna! You know what I mean. I am not a lady, I am a human being. A person. And I don’t have to take any nonsense from the likes of you.”

“If you’d just shut up for two minutes, you’d know that I’ve been trying to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For kissing you, that’s for what.”

“It’s too late. You’ve already done it.”

Griffin swore. “Of course, I’ve already done it! How in hell could I apologize if I...” He stopped, counted silently to five, and tried again. “Look, let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill.”