“Go to hell,” he snapped, his normal laid-back manner obliterated because of long, slim fingers gliding against silk stockings. And garters! He couldn’t forget the damn garters!
Turning, he knocked on the wood panel of the doorframe before he entered Rachel’s office this time. But instead of finding Rachel sitting behind her desk with her skirt pulled up and her leg slanted sideways, he noticed her standing up, looking for a file in a stack on her desk. As soon as he stepped into the room, she straightened, pushed those adorable glasses up her pert nose and smiled at him. Professionally.
Hell, he was fighting to hide the most painful erection he’d ever experienced and Rachel was standing in front of him in a damn flowered dress that went all the way up to her freaking neck. The thing even had a lace collar! But now he knew that she wore garters! And silk stockings!
His eyes darted to her chest, then back up to her eyes. Was she wearing a sexy bra too? Would it match the black lace garter?
Oh hell, his erection throbbed now and he had to lean over her desk in order to not scare her.
“Good morning. Thank you for coming back to Izara to help with this project.” White socks, he thought frantically. She probably wore white socks and sweatpants to sleep in. And curlers. Yeah, he could picture her in curlers. Maybe the curlers were why her gorgeous, auburn hair curled like that.
Nope, that wasn’t working. The white socks were fine, but then his eyes moved over her figure as she searched for a file and all he could do was picture her in the white socks and…nothing else.
Ah hell!
“On the flight last night, I read through the information you sent me. I’m eager to get started. I had some thoughts and…” she looked up and must have seen the pain on his face. Pulling back, she folded her hands. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’m sure that you have this covered already. I shouldn’t presume to have any additional information.”
He laughed softly. “Rachel, your ideas are exactly why I thought you would be an excellent addition to this project. So please, don’t worry about me. I got slammed onto the mat by Gaelen this morning.” He stood up, back in control. Barely. “How about if we go into my office and discuss the project? I’d love to hear your ideas.” Also, his desk might help hide his inevitable erection!
Her smile brightened and Tarin was once again reminded of how lovely she was. Rachel wasn’t the glamorous type who wore long, dark lashes and red lipstick. She didn’t wear a size double D bra or teeter around on five inch heels.
Just the opposite and, for some reason, the combination of her perfect, pale skin, soft lashes, pink-tinged, wide mouth and those cute glasses just…did it for him. Her hair was an auburn brown, but had the most intriguing red highlights. He knew because he’d sat behind her during a conference last year and watched the overhead lights shimmer in her tresses.
He looked down at her fingers with the clean, tapered fingernails and no rings, and thought about wrapping his fingers around her wrist. She was so slight, he could circle her wrist with his thumb and forefinger and have room to spare.
Meanwhile, he was a huge hulk of a man who knew how to build things and tear them down. With a sigh, he moved into his office, thinking that they were the perfect example of opposites attracting.
Except that she hadn’t ever shown even the slightest bit of interest in him. In fact, she barely even seemed to know he was alive while she’d worked for Talia. She never looked at him, always moved out of his way when they met the hallway and, even when he’d tried to smile in her direction, she was so busy and focused that she never noticed.
She followed him into his office, perching on the edge of the leather chair in front of his desk.
“Okay so what’s on your mind?” he asked.
She flipped the page on her notebook. “You have a meeting in four minutes with…” and she started to list his agenda for the day. Tarin leaned back, enjoying the soft, lilting southern accent in her voice. It wasn’t thick, like some people he’d heard. Instead, it was subtle. It was things like “ay” instead of “I” or just an additional syllable in some words.
She sat there, looking at him expectantly, and he realized that he needed to say something.
“Your meeting, Your Highness?” she offered.
He leaned his arms on the desk in front of him. “We need to get something straight first.”
Rachel immediately lifted her pen, her eyes riveted to him as she eagerly awaited his instructions. “Yes?”
“My name is Tarin. You are never to refer to me as Your Highness, is that understood?”
She pulled back and he wanted to laugh at her indignant expression. “I don’t think that’s appropriate, Your Highness.”
He laughed softly. “Isn’t it my call?”
She pressed her lips together, the perfect picture of a disapproving librarian. A sexy, disapproving librarian. One that hid garters and silk stockings underneath a demure flowered dress!
Rachel glanced pointedly at her watch. “Shouldn’t you be in your meeting now?” she repeated, a reprimand in her tone.
He chuckled again. “Fine. We’ll talk about it later. But Rachel?” he prompted, standing up and waiting until she was standing as well, looking up at him with those huge, green eyes that were barely tempered by the severe glasses.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
His grin widened. “I always win,” and then he walked out of his office, heading towards his first meeting of the day. “Are you coming?” he called over his shoulder.
He felt her jump at his bark, smiling as
