Immortal Desire Read Online Free PDF Page A

thoroughly pleasured. Then her tongue snaked out to capture a lone drop of beer on her lip. Suddenly there wasn’t much thinking left to do. Bottle dangling deceptively loose from his fingers, he started toward her.
    She shook her head and stopped him in his tracks. “What’s going on, Griff?”
    “Come again?”
    A cheeky grin revealed her dimples. “I sort of did, thanks.”
    “You know what I mean.” The words were harsher than he intended.
    Hurt flashed across her features, stealing the intimate playfulness. Bailey slipped from the stool and moved to the window, presenting nothing but a silhouette as she sipped her drink. Her normally fluid carriage grew concise. Calculated, even. Cold city lights partially illuminated her face when she finally glanced back. “I’d like to know what the hell’s going on. You said we had stuff in common.”
    He set his beer on the bar and tilted his head toward the sofa. “You want to sit down to have this little chat?”
    “Not so much.”
    “I think you should sit.”
    “And I’m passing on the offer.”
    “Suit yourself.” He stalked to the bedroom. “Such a fool for getting into this damn mess,” he muttered, grabbing a pair of satin lounge pants from the dresser and yanking them on.
    “I’m assuming I’m the damn mess.” Her cool voice came from behind him.
    Turning, he found her leaning against the doorjamb.
    She sipped her beer and studied him with the same impassive gaze she leveled at customers coming on to her when she worked the bar.
    Griff closed his eyes, laced his hands behind his head and pulled. “Shit.”
    The thunk of her bottle on the dresser made him look up.
    Long legs carried her away with a delicious hip-swinging gait.
    Time slowed to an impossible crawl and he couldn’t react, couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe. He watched her punch the down button, saw the elevator doors open, felt the loss of her like a physical wound. He didn’t want to go there, didn’t want to let himself swim through emotions he had no right to feel. But it quickly became apparent he’d swim the murky emotional waters or sink like a stone.
    Suddenly he was moving. Across the room between heartbeats, he hooked an arm around her waist and drew her back into the heat of his body.
    She stood rigid in his arms. “Let go.”
    “You aren’t the mess, baby.” Not a single ounce of give in that curvy body. The doors closed. He held her, listening to every harsh inhale and exhale between them as her pulse pounded beneath his hands. “You’re about to find yourself in a hell of a mess, though.”
    “I know you didn’t just threaten my job because I screwed you.” Her voice, barely audible, shook with unchecked rage.
    “What? No.” He let her go.
    She didn’t turn around.
    “Give me thirty minutes. I’ll explain what’s been happening to your body and why I fixed the problem, at least temporarily.” When she still didn’t face him, he shoved his hands through his hair. “When have I ever steered you wrong or lied to you?” Unwelcome desperation punctuated his words.
    “Fair.” She turned and moved across the room, taking up her position in front of the window again and crossing her arms. “Besides, you sign the paychecks. I suppose I’ll spend my time however you tell me to.”
    An exasperated sigh escaped him. “Stop fronting, would you? You’re not a hard woman. That’s always been part of your appeal.”
    She glanced at him and arched a brow before returning her attention to the view. “You want to spend thirty minutes listing my attributes? Fine. I’m sure my tits have you enamored, but don’t forget my eyes. I’ve been told they’re one of my best assets.”
    Griff’s eye twitched. “Quit trying to bait me. This is too serious.”
    She rolled her head back and forth before looking over at him. “Fine. Go ahead.”
    A hard knot formed high in his chest, an ache that refused to be assuaged by touch or logic or demand. Best just get it