Terms of Surrender by Gracie C. Mckeever Read Free Book Online Page B

the winner out to dinner?" He saw her dazed look as he raised his hand to his mouth and thoroughly licked each finger in turn, relishing her scent and taste, her reaction.
    Slany swallowed hard, sputtering as she stumbled a step away from him.
    Nick watched her struggle, knew pride wouldn't let her completely back down from him.
    His groin tightened with excitement. God, he was going to love initiating Slany, making her admit she loved being dominated as much as he would love dominating her.
    She proffered a hand, grimly smiled as he put his still-moist hand in hers. "You're on."
    Cameron Thorpe burst into the office just as they shook on it.

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    Terms of Surrender

Chapter 4

    "Nice to see things working out between some people around here!"
    Slany leaped away from Nick. She had to force herself not to gape at DMT's founder, CEO, and still one of the agency's active directors as he stood on the threshold of Nick's office looking supremely aggravated.
    Had he heard or seen any of what had gone on between her and Nick? Was this why he looked ready to spit bullets?
    Slany felt heat raise to her cheeks at the mere idea that senior-age, white-haired Thorpe might have caught her and Nick in the act of… Christ, the man's hand had been in her pants!
    How on earth could they have explained that? It wasn't like he'd been trying to get a speck of dirt out of her eye, after all.
    Nick coolly arched a brow. "What brings you to our neck of the woods, Cameron?"
    Slany watched him, still flustered from their encounter, couldn't believe how calmly Nick now approached Thorpe, tolerantly smiling as he put an amiable hand on the older man's shoulder and walked him to one of the chairs before his large desk.
    Could Thorpe smell her scent on Nick? she wondered, her eyes glued to the shoulder Nick had just grasped.
    Slany peered at their boss's slightly craggy features. She didn't notice him wrinkling his nose as he settled his long thin frame into Nick's cozy guest chair, so she guessed he hadn't smelled anything suspect. She and Nick were in the clear for now.
    She took the matching chair beside Thorpe as Nick poised one thigh on the edge of his desk and braced the other foot against the plush carpeted floor, looking immensely confident and self-assured as he faced them.
    Looking at him, one would never have guessed he'd almost been interrupted with his hand in a co-worker's panties at his place of business. Slany could barely believe it herself, and she was the co-worker in question.

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    "Delaney's missing in action," Thorpe opened.
    Nick glanced at the watch on his left wrist. "Kate didn't show up for the photo shoot?"
    Thorpe shook his head. "And she hasn't called."
    "That's not like her." Nick frowned, lightly fingering the tiny gold hoop in his left ear.
    Slany wondered just how he would know what was and wasn't like Kate Delaney, then instantly berated herself for her peevish thoughts and asked, "Did you call her office?"
    Thorpe nodded. "And her home, as soon as she was a half-hour late. She has some nonsensical message on her machine about an extended leave of absence."
    "Extended leave? That's weird," Nick said.
    Slany glanced at him, saw the worried look creasing his lush brows.
    Was there more going on here than just the concern of a colleague for another colleague?
    Were Nick and Kate an item? And what if they were? It wasn't as if she had any claims on the man—far from it.
    Nick glanced at her as if he knew where her mind was going. He held her gaze for several seconds before turning back to Thorpe. "Have we exhausted all our contractors?"
    How could one man embody such capable masculinity? How could one man be so sinful and sexy one minute, and so cool and professional the next?
    Slany admired it, but wasn't sure she liked Nick's ability to turn his emotions off and on at will. Didn't like the idea that he wasn't as shaken as she was by the intimacy they'd shared.
    "Dunlop started making calls as soon as