Love On My Mind by Tracey Livesay Read Free Book Online Page A

chair?”
    “I’m an engineer. I created the prototypes for most of Computronix’s earliest products.”
    His scent enveloped her and she inhaled deeply, her lashes fluttering as she breathed him in. God, he smelled amazing. Clean, fresh, and with an earthiness that recalled the bracing air of the mountains. He leaned across her and his long, elegant fingers flew over the sleek, wireless keyboard, mastery showing in even this simple task.
    When she turned her head, her eyes were level with his ear. Silky strands of dark hair feathered the ridge and drew her attention to the tiny dark mole on its shell. A hidden treasure one could only find if he let them into his personal space.
    He turned toward her. “These are the quest—” He broke off abruptly.
    Their faces were inches apart.
    The air in the room stilled. Her glance lowered to his mouth. If she leaned forward, about four inches, their lips would touch. Chelsea looked up and her gaze slammed into his. She was surprised to see his eyes weren’t black or brown, but a deep shade of midnight blue. For several blazingly hot seconds they bored into hers, demanding her confidences, holding on to his own, before his thick lashes swept down, both granting her a reprieve and prematurely ending her attempt to see what made him tick. He stood and moved several steps away from her. The air flowed again and she took a deep breath.
    “The questions,” he said, pointing to the screen. His tone was gruff, the words having survived the treacherous journey past his clenched, bearded jaw.
    His obvious agitation gave her the push she needed to get back on track. Her job required her to get close to him, but not that close. In fact, an involvement with this man couldn’t happen at a worse time. She was one project away from being made a partner and then everything she’d ever worked for would be within her grasp. As long as she kept her eyes on that goal—and off his ass—it would be a win-win for everyone.
    She read the questions on the screen. “Celebrity crush? Favorite video game?”
    “It has no bearing on understanding the HPC. Am I supposed to believe that my choice in undergarments will determine whether or not someone will purchase the device? ‘Oh, he wears briefs, the HPC is not for me.’ ” He ended with a shockingly funny falsetto and she laughed.
    He’d mentioned the HPC, and thanks to the file Mike provided she knew what it was. But a typical person who’d stumbled into this situation wouldn’t have the first clue.
    “What’s an HPC?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
    Did she sound as fake as she felt?
    He gave her another of those piercing, soul-searching looks, and again she felt like he could see all of her secrets—not just the ones related to him and this assignment, but the ones in her life, from her past.
    “You ask a lot of questions about my work.”
    Her stomach churned. “You said something I didn’t understand. I was asking for clarification.” She whirled around in the chair and stood. “I didn’t mean to pry. I only wanted to help.”
    She knew the question she’d asked was a valid one. Not asking would’ve been suspicious. But she’d made the wrong call.
    Dammit.
    He stood in front of her, halting her progress. “I shouldn’t have mentioned the specifics of the device. That’s classified information.”
    The tension in her belly unfurled. “No problem. Do you still want me to look at those questions for you?”
    “Yes.”
    She sat back down in the chair, sighing once again when it curved to her body, and spun to face the monitor. She’d recognized the questions from a popular magazine’s Five Things I Like About You section, which queried various celebrities. She understood why Adam thought the questions were irrelevant for scientists and engineers. But technology had gone mainstream. Every person used a computer and the HPC he’d designed would affect the way all computers were used in the future. His audience