Leather, Lace and Rock-n-Roll by Mia Dymond Read Free Book Online Page A

and sampling hers right then and there. Luckily, the waiter
arrived with dinner and both he and Rachel were preoccupied with
eating.
    Throughout the meal, Hawke carefully kept
conversation light and far away from anatomy. Much to his relief,
Rachel seemed to relax and forget all about the earlier events of
the evening.
    As soon as the plates were cleared, Hawke
pulled his cell phone from his pocket, dialed and then asked Max to
meet them at the back door. “How about a moonlight stroll?” he
suggested after he disconnected.
    Rachel placed her napkin on the table. “As
nice as that sounds, Hawke, I’m afraid I’ll have to pass. I’ve got
some things to finish back at the office.”
    “You work long hours,” he said carefully as
he helped her from the chair.
    A small smile of enchantment touched her
lips. “Yes.”
    “Maybe next time,” he suggested, escorting
her back out of the restaurant and into the car.
    “Hawke,” she began hesitantly as Max drove to
Newberry & Tremaine, “I’m sure there are plenty of women
waiting for you at the hotel who would love to take a moonlight
stroll.”
    He snickered in the darkness. “You’ve read
too many tabloids.”
    Rachel dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
“I don’t read those magazines. Only thirty three percent of the
articles printed are based on fact anyway.”
    He bit his lip. If she hadn’t read the
tabloids, then his PR worked. He’d managed to convince her he was a
careless, free spirit, loving and leaving women all over the world.
Except he wasn’t.
    Somewhere, down deep in his heart, a part of
him wanted to set her straight. Why was that so important? He shook
his head. Normally by this time of the evening he’d be naked,
sweaty and satisfied. Yet, tonight he’d gotten more pleasure out of
taking her to dinner. Even if she avoided his advances.
    Max brought the car to a stop and stepped out
to open the back door. Hawke took Rachel’s hand and led her through
the front door of the office building.
    “Hawke, this really isn’t necessary.” She
frowned. “The building provides 24-hour security. I’ll be
fine.”
    He pulled her onto the elevator. “Good to
know.”
    He leaned casually against the wall railing
as the doors closed. “Are there cameras in the elevators?”
    “No, just in the hallways.”
    He pushed himself off the railing. “So, no
one could see what happened in here at any given time.”
    “No.”
    He moved closer and circled her with his
arms, gently placing one hand in the small of her back. “And, if
something did happen in here, only the occupants would know.”
    Rachel answered with a slow nod.
    “Do you want something to happen in
here?”
    Her eyes glowed in the heat between them.
“Yes.”
    Hawke swallowed her whispered consent as he
lowered his head and captured her lips. Within seconds of contact,
he fought the urge to wrap his fingers around her hair and pin her
to the wall. To lift her skirt over her creamy thighs and drape one
long, shapely leg across his hip. White-hot flames traveled the
length of his body. A breathy moan left her lips and taunted his
libido to put them both out of misery.
    Yet, despite the electricity boiling his
blood, his insides quivered at the tenderness of her kiss. His
heart threatened to jump out of his chest. She felt so right. Warm,
soft, pliable, his for the taking. But not here. Not now.
    His head swam as he lifted his lips from
hers. “Just for the record, Rachel, brains are beautiful.”
    Hawke forced himself to release her long
enough to push the button to open the elevator doors. Knowing full
well they were now in the view of several strategically-placed
cameras, he returned her to his embrace. With a heavy sigh, he
placed a kiss on top of her head, then turned her and nudged her
through the open doors.
    “Sweet dreams,” he told her as the doors slid
closed.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    Max tapped Rachel’s business card against the
table as he waited for his team to arrive and