Dodging Temptation (The Retreat) Read Online Free PDF Page B

s gate. So he gave in, leaned forward, and claimed the pink mouth of a woman who ’ d told him only a few hours ago to take a flying leap off a tall cliff.
    It was heaven, hell, and purgatory all mixed into one dangerous sensation that turned his entire body into one hard divining rod for her. Balancing his weight on his palms pressed firmly into the prep table, he leaned toward her, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue into her warm mouth. She moaned and twisted her tongue around his, teasing and tempting until he wanted to cede control to the insanity of the moment, pull down her ridiculous pink and green pajama pants, and take her right here on the prep table. His dick strained against his zipper, ready and willing to comply with the desire fogging Dodge ’ s thinking. Hell, he wasn ’ t thinking—that was the problem.
    The bonging of the ten-foot high grandfather clock in the dining room reverberated through the otherwise silent kitchen, pulling him back to reality. Any other time, any other place, and that kiss wouldn ’ t end now. He pulled back, missing the touch of her lips as soon as he lost contact. Not acceptable. He had to keep his eye on the problem at hand—namely Harper ’ s unexpected camera-toting entourage—or risk losing everything he ’ d worked so hard for when the deal with The Brasch Group fell through. Losing focus or control wasn ’ t an option, not at this point in the game.
    “So…” She blushed, her cheeks turning the pink of dawn ’ s first light. “It ’ s getting late, and we both have to be up early tomorrow.”
    His mile-long to-do list scrolled through his head. Number one on it was ridding the surrounding Wyoming countryside of unsavory varmints with telephoto lenses. “So you know The Retreat guarantees its guests their privacy.”
    “That is one of the benefits of being out in the boonies, no offense.” She giggled, her face going from pink to red that nearly matched her hair.
    “None taken.” Unable to help himself, he curled a long strand of her hair around his finger, imagining it spread out on his brown chest or, better yet, feeling its silkiness against his thighs, before forcing himself to tuck it behind her ear. “That photographer I found snooping around said there would be more, and he ’ s probably right. They won ’ t stop coming until you give an interview.”
    She stiffened, transforming in a heartbeat from the woman he ’ d just kissed into the woman he ’ d tried to fire this morning—a spitfire sparking for a fight. “What about The Retreat ’ s dedication to privacy?”
    Okay, he was fucking this up royally. “You ’ re not a guest, no offense.” He laughed at his lame joke, hoping to regain at least a little of their earlier equilibrium.
    Harper didn ’ t even crack a smile. “Plenty taken.” She shook her head and let out a chagrinned sigh. “Is that what that little kiss was about? You thought you ’ d slip me some tongue and soften me up until I agreed to do something you know damn well I ’ m not going to do?”
    “That ’ s not why I kissed you, and you know it.” Heat blasted up from his toes at her accusation. Dodge straightened his cuff links and took in a deep breath before he lost his cool, something he rarely—if ever—did. Ruthless? Determined? An overall pain in the ass most times? He ’ d admit to all of that and more, but he wasn ’ t a total douchebag. Rubbing his thumb over the titanium cowboy-boot cuff link like a talisman, he emptied the air from his lungs. “I can ’ t fire you, but I can make your time here less than enjoyable.”
    “Is that a threat?” She crossed her arms, the move framing her generous tits and pressing her still hard nipples against the soft cotton of her Book Nerd T-shirt.
    He yanked his gaze back up to her face. “ I don’ t have to threaten people.”
    “Of course not.” She smirked, her brown eyes narrowing to slits. “People naturally fall to their knees and genuflect