"Yes, well, orders from above and all that. Must please the new CEO. I heard he's a tough old coot."
A curious smile flitted across Shane's features at her husky reply and Emma shut her eyes and bashed her head back against the mirrored wall. What was with that porn star voice she'd seemed to have adopted? Shane would think her a right simpleton.
Her stomach tightened in need and she bit her lip to stop herself from moaning out loud, when she sensed rather than saw him dip his head. Gooseflesh broke out across the sensitive skin under her ear as his hot breath skittered across it.
"Anything for the CEO, is it, titch?"
The silly name sounded like a lover's caress. He'd adopted the moniker for her within hours of their first meeting, because she'd struggled to hang the Christmas decorations on the high ceiling of their part of the open plan office. Instead of grating on her nerves, like it usually did when he brought attention to their height difference, it simply turned her on. Thanks to her heels she came up to his shoulder, rather than his chest, and it wouldn't take much for him to kiss her.
Her eyes flew open and heat crept into her face at the decidedly unprofessional turn her thoughts were taking. They were in a lift for fuck's sake, in full view of everyone else, and this was Shane. They were friends, and besides, even if they weren't, he was completely and utterly out of her league. A man like him could have any woman he wanted, and he frequently did. Lord knew Emma had fielded enough annoyed women's phone calls on a Monday morning, when she'd answered his phone. He never played the field in the office, but Shane clearly enjoyed a healthy sex life outside of it, and why shouldn't he? It was only natural after all. Emma might have taken a seeming vow of abstinence worthy of any nun, but that didn't mean other people did. She knew that, and she fervently squashed that annoying little voice in her ear that proclaimed she'd only sworn off men since Shane's arrival. Ever since he'd held that ladder for her—a mere four months ago—and Em had irrevocably fallen in lust at first sight; no other man had passed muster. Not that she had been particularly active in that department, but Emma used to have fun. She frowned at the direction her thoughts were taking, and slammed the door shut on them. No good would come of it. She was so not going to dwell on how easy it would be to allow herself to fall in love with the man towering over her. Lust was one thing, love… therein lay nothing but heartache. She wrenched her gaze up to Shane's face, and all conscious thought fled her befuddled brain.
Emma had no idea what had changed between them, but there was no mistaking the blatant lust in Shane's eyes as he smiled down at her, and she held her breath when he dipped his head again and whispered his next words.
"What if the old coot is neither old nor a coot, and wants to do all sorts of dirty things to you, that he should have no business thinking, let alone acting on? Then what will you do?"
He pulled back just enough to be able to see her, and Emma couldn't think of one sensible thing to say in reply, so she simply stared up at him and shook her head.
"No?" he asked. "No, as in he wouldn't do that, or no as in you'd have his balls on a plate for suggesting such a thing to you?"
"I-I… what on earth has gotten into you today, Shane?" She finally managed to get the words out in a hoarse whisper, and her eyes grew huge when he smiled and kissed her nose.
As chaste as the contact was, it sent a rush of need through her system and her nose tingled where his warm, firm lips had touched her. Good God, if that simple touch had her insides turn into a mush of feminine goo, then how would she react if he ever kissed her properly?
"Nothing, Em. Things are going to change around here, that's all, and I guess I'm just wondering what your take on it all is. And whether you'd ever consider getting involved at the office…"
There was something almost pensive about him as he asked that question, and Emma gave in to instinct and ran her hand along the nape of his neck. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt him tense under her tentative exploration, and she became all too aware of him. His hair was just as silky smooth as she imagined it to be, and her fingertips burned where they touched his exposed skin. Shane swallowed hard and her gaze settled on the movement of his Adam's apple, as she traced the line of his collar, and then allowed her fingers to curl into his tie. It matched the color of his eyes, and the wisps of hair she spotted made her wonder if his chest was also covered in fuzz. She'd caught the odd glimpse of his hair-roughened six pack before now when
