Her Sexy Valentine Read Online Free PDF Page B

large open area. At the far end of the space sat offices of personnel who supervised the enormous printers and other pieces of computer equipment housed in the basement. Through their office window, someone threw up their hand and Luke waved back. He seemed to have the run of the place.
    Carol followed him as he turned and walked down a dark hallway that seemed to lead nowhere. “Are you planning to off me so the directors will approve bonuses?”
    His laughter boomed into the empty space. “No. I have a better plan.” He stopped and flipped on a light that revealed a nondescript door. On a small keyboard, he punched in a code that triggered a click, then he pushed open the door. “After you,” he said, rolling his hand to indicate she was to precede him.
    Carol was skeptical, but curiosity won out. She stepped toward the large supply room filledwith miscellaneous furniture and computer equipment.
    And it was nice stuff—wood desks and credenzas, glass-front bookcases, flat-screen monitors and CPU towers and sleek laptops. There were leather desk chairs, color printers, scanners, wireless keyboards, web cameras, and more.
    She walked inside to survey the rows and rows of furniture and laden shelves. He followed her and the heavy door swung closed behind them.
    â€œWhat is this place?” she asked.
    â€œIt’s where leftovers and trade-ins are stored.”
    â€œBut where did it all come from?”
    â€œMostly from the sales team in the field.”
    Her jaw dropped. “Everything in here gathering dust is nicer than the furniture and equipment my employees work on every day! Why didn’t I know about his room?” “You do…now.”
    She set down her briefcase and purse, gazing around in awe. “What is this, some sort of company secret?”
    â€œI wouldn’t call it a secret,” he said, hedging. “Technically, all this equipment belongs to the sales department.”
    She knew better than anyone that sales got the lion’s share of the administrative budget—a budget that had gone up steeply since Luke had become director. To attract the best talent, he’d convinced the executive committee to allocate more funds for commissions and perks, like state-of-the-art computers and deep expense accounts. True, the expenditures had proved to be a good investment, but it also left other employees feeling resentful. Carol set her jaw.
    â€œSo did you just bring me down here to rub it in?”
    Luke turned toward her and she realized suddenly how vulnerable she was with him in here…alone. She wasn’t afraid of him, just afraid of her reaction to him. At his nearness, her breathing became shallow, and her nipples budded. She was grateful that her winter coat hid her responses, but the way he looked at her, as if he knew the effect he had on her, was unnerving. His previous comment that her bodylanguage betrayed her made her feel even more exposed.
    â€œWhere would you like for me to rub it in?” he murmured.
    Carol tried to rally an indignant reply, but she couldn’t seem to form the angry words. Not even when he planted his hands on either side of her, effectively caging her between the shelf at her back and his big body. Instead, it was as if the will to resist him leaked out of her body. Carol lifted her gaze slowly, over his broad chest and up his crooked tie to the square chin, past the sensual mouth and strong nose to those incredible brown eyes that seemed to pull at her. She reasoned that the equipment in the room must be emitting electrical charges because the scant air between their bodies fairly crackled.
    She realized he was going to kiss her, and she didn’t want to stop him. As his mouth moved toward hers and his features softened, she told herself she’d planned to seduce him, hadn’t she? What did it matter who was on top and who—
    Suddenly Luke pulled back with a blanchedexpression.