His Challenging Lover Read Online Free PDF Page A

when she needed to talk to him about any subject. There was no way she was going into his private dwelling space. If his office was too personal, she couldn’t even imagine what she would feel entering his apartment.
    “I should just go home,” she said quickly, starting to turn around. She intended to get a cab that would take her to her house so she could hide away, fearful about being alone in Xander’s home. The alone part was the main worry, but there was also the idea of being surrounded by things that were all “Xander”. It was hard enough being around him.
    But Xander wasn’t having that at all. “Come along,” he countered and wrapped his arm around her waist, careful not to touch the bruise on her ribs. “You’ll be fine. I won’t let anything harm you.”
    She went, but only because her knees were shaking so badly that she couldn’t stop their momentum towards the elevators. She stepped into the elevator and moved away from Xander, but he was still too close and too big. Just like in a conference room or back in his car, the man took up the space, filling every air particle with his maleness.
    When the doors opened, he put that strong arm around her waist again, leading her into the apartment. She didn’t even get a chance to look around, he nudged her right into a fabulous bedroom and then into a large, marble bathroom with steel and chrome everywhere. And a giant, soaking tub complete with jets. Her eyes bulged at such luxury and she couldn’t stop the enormous sigh at the idea of soaking in that giant marble tub.
    He heard her sigh and chuckled softly. “I’m glad there’s finally something about me that you approve of.”
    She kept her mouth shut while he bent over and turned on the water, thinking that she definitely approved of his butt. It was a very nice butt, outlined by the stretched fabric of those slacks and her mouth went dry once again. Her eyes couldn’t pull away and she wasn’t aware that he added something to the water, causing bubbles to rise up as the water quickly filled the tub.
    He turned around and caught her blushing, but didn’t understand it. “I’ll get you something for the pain. Get in the tub and relax.”
    She thought she might have nodded, but she wasn’t completely sure. She was too stunned, frightened and her mind was frozen. She couldn’t react, unable to believe that she was actually standing in Xander’s luxurious bathroom.
    The door clicked closed behind her but she still stared at the tub that was quickly filling up with bubbles and water. The lure was too much for her aching body to resist. With shaking fingers and quick looks behind her, she slipped her clothes off, folding them quickly and hiding her lacy underwear. Her eyes watched the inviting water, her body now desperate for the relief that hot water might offer.
    There were steps getting up to the raised tub and even steps descending down the other side. It was huge! And amazing! It was set in the corner of the bathroom and the windows overlooked the city, revealing the Chicago River and all the skyscrapers and highways as people moved about the city.
    She slid into the hot, scented water, closing her eyes as the heat spread through her whole body, making the aches quickly disappear, at least for the moment. Leaning back, she was amazed at how wonderful the marble contoured to her body, relaxing her back and her legs. It was possibly the most comfortable tub she’d ever lain in, but that wasn’t really saying much since the only types of tubs she’d had the privilege to luxuriate in were the regular hardware store tubs that were more suitable to washing little kids than soaking an adult body. Her own townhouse was nice, perfect for her needs, except for the utilitarian bathrooms.
    With a sigh, she allowed her body to relax, her eyes closed and her mind drifted back to that kiss on the side of the building. For the moment, she didn’t try and figure out why she’d allowed Xander to kiss