Holding Her Close (Bits and Bytes, Book 0) (Bits & Bytes) Read Online Free PDF

had some kind of comeback, odds were good he’d find a way to argue circles around her. “So what do we do about it?”
    He rested his hands on the edge of the desk, his weight creasing his wrists. “Remove the obstacle.”
    A flicker of understanding blinked through her and vanished before she could grasp it, leaving a racing pulse in its wake. “Excuse me?”
    A smile worked its way onto his face. “If neither of us ever got over that one moment, we need closure. Give us both what we wanted but couldn’t have back then.”
    There was no way. That arrogant asshole. Was he really suggesting sleeping together would make things less awkward between them? And if the idea bothered her so much, why were her nipples hardening at the thought? Not that he needed to know she had any reaction besides disgust. “I’m not sure what kind of women you’re picking up if lines like that work for you, but I expected better. You’ve slipped.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “It’s not a line. Just because I’m not interested in pledging my life to you doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed you’re gorgeous. You’ve grown up, filled out, and the thin, white, peasant tops? Nice touch. I’m just saying we need to get it out of our systems. Once we have closure we can move on.”
    She wasn’t going to react to the compliments. There was nothing about his words that warmed her. She would focus instead on the underlying insult. “Get it out of our systems. So charming. I’m not the tramp you pick up on a business trip. Why would you even think I’d do something like that?”
    He rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’ll bite. When was the last time you dated someone seriously?”
    Two years ago. The egos of the guys she dated tended to clash with her desire not to surrender her identity to them. “I don’t know.”
    He raised his eyebrows, and the corner of his mouth twisted. “Right. Last time you got laid?”
    Three months ago, guy she’d met in a bar. Unless she counted her vibrator, but that probably wasn’t what he was asking. “I don’t know.”
    He shook his head. “Nice. More recently than the serious relationship?”
    “ I have to be anywhere that isn’t here.” She stood to leave, and he was between her and the door so quickly she barely registered him moving. She didn’t step back, torn between the familiar scent of peppermint gum and soap and being furious about being blocked in.
    “ You’re single, attractive, and married to your job. I bet you’ve done it before.” The lilt was gone from his voice, replaced with something plain, almost sincere. “Is the idea really that repulsive to you?”
    Yes. Yes. Yes. The answer chanted in her head. She needed to just say yes. It might not be a big deal if it was anyone but him asking. She’d learned to be independent since they’d dated, but there was no reason to put that resolution to the test. “N—Obviously.” She winced when her tongue betrayed her, stumbling over the lie.
    He stepped out of the way and gestured to the door. “I don’t believe you, but I’m also not a ‘no means yes’ kind of guy. Sorry to take up your time.”
    Walk out the door, down the hall, and into the elevator. That’s all she had to do . Pretend this conversation never happened and go back to avoiding him. In case that wasn’t enough rationale for her, she needed to keep something else in mind. “What about Scott?”
    “ You two aren’t a thing, right?” He stared back, expression blank. “Because we don’t usually share.”
    Usually. The word twisted her thoughts into unrecognizable shapes. Why was she stalling? “No, we’re not, and that’s not what I meant.”
    His smirk was back. “You already mentioned he doesn’t like the tension. This gets rid of it.”
    Damn it, he was being logical , and part of her was intensely grateful for it. “One night, just to prove a point, and we move on?” What was she doing?
    If he was smug about the fact she was still there it didn’t