All Work and No Play (3 page)

“I’m sorry,” he said gently as he removed her hand from his
shoulder. “But I can’t.”

Her eyes popped with surprise. “You don’t want to fuck?”

Not her. Not anyone except a stubborn, gorgeous woman who
dominated his thoughts. And he didn’t want to fuck Anna so much as make love to
her, to crush her in his arms and find out all her secrets, all her sweet,
dark, lush secrets... Christ, he was growing hard for another woman while
turning down the advances of the one in front of him.
Not
very chivalrous.

“I don’t think that would work for us anymore,” he said as
diplomatically as possible.

Persephone pouted. “I suppose you’re bonking some Aussie
girl called Kylie. Next thing you know, you’ll be eating horrible Vegemite and talking
like someone from
Neighbours
.” She
sniffed to register her disapproval.

Giles grinned. “I should be so lucky.”

But she didn’t get his attempt at humour. With a shrug, she
gathered her handbag. “Oh well. Guess I’ll call my friends and see what they’re
up to.” She pecked him on the cheek and rose to her feet, already scrolling
through numbers on her phone.
“Bye, darling.
It was
fun catching up.”

She tripped away, and he was willing to bet she’d forget
about him before she even left the hotel.

The waiter arrived with his card, receipt, and the box of
California rolls in a small white carrier bag. Giles rose to his feet, energy
returning to him in a strong surge. He had an important delivery to make.

***

Swiping a hand across her damp brow,
Anna reached for her Diet Pepsi and took another slug. As she set down the can,
she glimpsed the time on her screen and sighed. Eight pm already, and she still
had so much to do. Grimacing, she stared at the lines of code on her screen,
but it was hard to concentrate when her stomach was grumbling and her hair was
sticking to her neck.

In the hushed stillness of the office, the click of an
opening door reached her ears. That was the door that led to the lift lobby. Someone
approached from behind her. She swung round, expecting a security guard, only
to find Giles walking towards her.

Unbidden, her heart skipped a beat. She’d assumed that only
happened in novels, but apparently it was a genuine thing. She only had moments
to compose herself and to regret how sticky and messy she looked before Giles
entered their pod.

His jacket was slung over one shoulder, and in the other
hand he had a white carrier bag.

“Whew!” he blew out a breath as he halted before her. “It’s
like a sauna in here. What happened to the air conditioning?”

“Unfortunately, they’re doing maintenance tonight, so no air
conditioning.” She pushed back a limp strand of hair, conscious of her rumpled appearance.
Giles, of course, looked as debonair as ever. “What are you doing here?” she
asked.

“Thought I’d check in and see how you were doing.”

Giles had lurked in her mind ever since he’d left for the
day. Whenever she’d paused for a break, she’d wondered what he was doing with
Persephone, whether he was enjoying himself, whether he was going to sleep with
her. He’d only been gone a couple of hours, but that was long enough for a
quick shag, wasn’t it? No, she didn’t want to think about that. But she was
glad he’d dropped in. Working alone at night was no fun, especially with the
extra pressure hanging over her, clouding her concentration.

“Actually, I’m a bit behind where I hoped I’d be,” she found
herself admitting.

“It’s always like that when you’re trying to solve a problem
under pressure,” he said, looking sympathetic. “And it doesn’t help when it’s
as hot as Hades.” He tilted his head to one side as he added, “Plus, I’m
willing to bet you haven’t had any food to go with that Diet Pepsi.”

“I was planning to get a Snickers bar from the vending
machine.”
Until she’d lost track of the time.

Giles stepped forward and placed the carrier bag in front of
her. “California rolls. They’re better for you than a chocolate bar.”

The carrier bag contained a plastic box. She took it out,
opened it, and gazed at the fresh, delicate food inside. “You got these for
me?”

“Yes.” He dropped into his chair, a small smile on his lips.
“I know you like California rolls because I saw you eat some last week.”

Again, he reminded her that he was aware of her as a person.
And that he was thoughtful and kind.
Traits that only made
him more attractive, unfortunately.

“Thank you,” she said quietly before she picked up the
chopsticks included in the box and tasted one of the rolls. “Delicious,” she
pronounced after she’d taken a bite.

Giles seemed to relax. “Good.”

She recognised the name inscribed on the carrier bag; it was
a chic bar in a luxury five star hotel. “Is that where you went with
Persephone?” she couldn’t help asking.

His only reply was a brief nod.

“I hope you didn’t leave her just to deliver dinner to me,”
she pressed on, not exactly sure why she was doing this.

“No.” Resting his elbows on the armrests, he laced his
fingers together. “We met, we talked, we ate, and then we were done.
Simple as that.”

He wasn’t telling her everything, she was sure. But she was
glad he wasn’t with the so-superior-sounding Persephone. And glad that they
hadn’t shagged. More glad than she should be.

“And besides,” Giles continued. “I came back to help you,
and this time I’m not taking no for an answer.”

His face was set, his eyes determined. Anna inhaled a breath.
He’d ditched another girl for her. He’d bought her dinner, and now he wanted to
spend more time with her, coding, of all things.

Her heart skipped another beat. Oh for goodness sakes, this
was getting ridiculous.

“It was rude of me to turn you down the first time.” She
acknowledged her fault by inclining her head. “I’d appreciate your help,
Giles.”

His eyebrows shot up as if he hadn’t expected her to give in
so easily. Then he grinned as he scooted closer in his chair. “Okay, then.” He
started to tug at his tie. “Mind if I get more comfortable?”

“Oh,
er
, sure.”

He undid his tie and folded it neatly on his desk. Next, he
took of his cufflinks and placed them next to the tie before rolling up his
sleeves. His lightly tanned forearms were muscled and dusted with fine dark
hairs. The open collar of his shirt revealed the strong column of his neck,
hinting at the firmness of his chest below. Anna stared, unable to tear her
gaze away from Giles as her imagination ran wild, picturing herself undoing the
buttons of his shirt and sliding her palms across his hard chest.

“Anna?” Giles’s gentle tone washed over her. “Where do you
want to start?”

She’d start by licking that pulse at the base of his throat,
and then she’d work her lips all over his pectorals, sucking and tasting every
inch of his skin.

She jerked back, a hot flush spreading across her cheeks as
she saw Giles grinning at her.
Busted.

Her California roll plopped from her chopsticks.

She dipped her head as she flustered through some papers on
her desk. “Uh, here’s a list of Oscar’s programs that need fixing.” She grabbed
a pen and hastily circled items on the list. “Why don’t you get started on the
ones I’ve marked?” She pushed the piece of paper towards him, steeling herself
to meet his eyes.

“I’m on to it, boss.” His blue eyes twinkled before he swivelled
away to his computer.

Anna heaved out a breath. She could
not
afford to be distracted just because Giles had bought her
dinner and rolled up his sleeves for her.

Silence descended once more as they returned to work, but it
was a companionable silence, and the tense knot between Anna’s shoulders
gradually eased. She ate her California rolls and sipped her Pepsi as she
immersed herself in code.

But the stuffy atmosphere made it hard to concentrate. She
kicked off her shoes, undid another button of her shirt, and eventually hiked
the shirttail out of the waistband of her skirt. Moisture beaded between her
breasts and on her upper lip as she flapped the front of her shirt.

She slid a surreptitious glance in Giles’ direction, and
then wished she hadn’t. He’d taken off his shoes and socks, and the sight of
his bare feet was both startling and arousing. He looked younger and more
carefree. With his head propped up on one hand, his fingers messing up his
thick, chestnut hair, and his shirt hanging loose, he looked more like a uni
student than a polished, professional, highly successful consultant.

He straightened in his chair, and she quickly jerked her
head away. No way could she let him catch her ogling him again. But oh, how
impossible it was to stop thinking about him. She couldn’t resist taking another
peek at him...

Blue eyes gazed back at her, frank and warm, as if he knew
all along she’d been staring at him. She didn’t break eye contact.
Couldn’t.
For hours, days, weeks, she’d been fighting
this...this weird attraction, and now, worn down by stress and heat and
him
, she couldn’t look away.
Didn’t want to look away.

“Hey.” His husky murmur sent a frisson down her spine. His
eyes said so much more than that one monosyllable.

“Hey yourself.”
Her voice was a
croaky whisper in a dry throat.

“Hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind...what?”

The corner of his lips tilted up.
“My bare
feet.”

“Oh.
No, of course not.
Mine are
bare, too.”

“So I noticed.”

His gaze lingered on her naked toes, and warmth spread
across her skin as if he’d touched her feet.

She swallowed. “This is a weird conversation.”
Trying to lower the temperature here.
Why was it so damn
hot?

“Having trouble concentrating?”

“Yeah.”
She cricked her neck from
side to side. “It’s so hot in here...”

And Giles wasn’t helping. He was hotter than the atmosphere
and a lot more distracting. She pushed her hair away from her face,
then
slid her fingers down her throat, wiping away a bead of
perspiration. When she glanced back at Giles, her heart jumped at the sudden
blaze in his eyes.

“You shouldn’t do that,” he growled, his gaze fixed on her
hand.

The naked hunger in his face blasted her common sense away.
He wasn’t forbidden territory anymore, but the man who had tormented her
fantasies for too long. And now that he seemed a little tormented himself, she
was going to tease him some more.

Tilting her head back, she kept her eyes on him as she
continued to stroke her neck. “Do what?” she murmured and dipped her fingers
lower into her cleavage, thrilled when his hungry gaze tracked her movements.

The tendons in Giles’ throat flexed as he swallowed. “
That
.
Unless you’re
prepared to go back into that stationery closet with me.”

His eyes held a challenge, while his mouth promised nirvana.

It was Anna’s turn to be tortured. For a moment, pure lust
hazed her brain and shuddered through her body. If only they’d kissed earlier,
then she wouldn’t be so tied up in knots and longing for his touch. But one
kiss wouldn’t have satisfied her, of that she was sure.

Oh come on, Reynolds
.
She had to show some will power. She couldn’t degenerate into a nymphomaniac
just because she was alone and frazzled with the hottest man she’d ever met.

With a sigh, she lowered her hand to her keyboard. “Yeah,
you’re right. I shouldn’t do this.”

His shoulders slackened, and he looked frankly disappointed.
“Doesn’t have to be the stationery closet, you know,” he murmured. “Any place
will do.”

Shaking her head, she turned back to her screen, determined
to ignore the yearning of her wayward body. “Let’s get back to work, shall we?”

She sensed his gaze lingering on her a while longer before
the squeak of his chair indicated his acquiescence. A moment later he began
tapping on his keyboard and nothing more was said.

Anna sighed inwardly. This had been a very trying day, and
it wasn’t even over yet.

Giles pushed back from his desk and
stretched his arms above his head. The time on his monitor read ten-thirty. He
swivelled round to look at Anna. She was leaning back in her chair, her face
slightly paler than usual. She looked done in, and he felt a burst of anger
against not only Oscar, who’d caused all this trouble for her, but also the
management of this company and the outdated attitudes of the industry that had
made her so reluctant to ask for help.

“Should we call it a day?” he asked, expecting her to say
she’d stay another half hour.

But she surprised him by nodding tiredly. “Yeah, my brain’s
not working anymore. I’ve been staring at the same bit of code for ages and not
making sense of it.” Rising to her feet, she rolled her shoulders as if to ease
away stiffness.

Immediately his attention zeroed in on her breasts. With
more than a few buttons of her shirt undone, her cleavage was front and centre
on display, and
he couldn’t not look at it
. He took in
breasts firm and round as cantaloupes before he managed to tear his gaze away.
With his eyeballs feeling wrenched, he powered off his computer.

Searching for a bland comment, he said, “A good night’s
sleep will help you.” But that immediately brought up an image of Anna lying in
bed wearing nothing but a skimpy black nightgown. God help him, he was
regressing to a randy teenager.

Anna didn’t seem to notice his struggles as she straightened
her clothes and smoothed back her hair. “Trouble is
,
I
won’t be able to sleep for ages. Whenever I work late, I need at least an hour
or more to unwind before I can fall asleep.”

Giles turned to her and spoke without thinking. “I’m the
same. Why don’t we go and have a drink together?”

She started, halfway through piling things into her handbag.
Wariness flickered across her face but was quickly replaced by another emotion,
something hotter and impulsive.

“Sure, why not?” She stepped into her high-heeled shoes,
looking assured and determined, as if she’d made up her mind about something
and wouldn’t let her better judgement dissuade her.
“Just a
drink, right?”

“Yes,” he said quickly before she could change her mind. He
slipped on his shoes and socks, suddenly wishing he wasn’t so grubby and work-stained.
“I’m going to clean myself up before we go out. Why don’t we meet at the
lifts?”

She nodded, and he left the office. In the men’s room he
splashed cold water over his face, washed his hands, and combed his hair. He
tucked in his shirt but left his tie and cufflinks off. He wanted to appear
relaxed even if he wasn’t inside. Inside, he was bubbling with anticipation
even though he didn’t expect anything more from Anna besides her company. No,
he was pleased just for the chance to be alone with her away from the office.

She was waiting for him in the lift lobby. He paused as he
saw her hair was loose, falling in shiny curtains of dark mahogany about her
shoulders, and she’d added a dab of ruby lipstick to her mouth. Giles pulled in
a breath to steady himself. Just a drink, he told himself.
Nothing
more.

“Where should we go?” Anna asked as the lift carried them
down to the ground floor.

“How about the Opera Bar?” he suggested.

It proved to be an inspired choice. The summer night was
balmy, and the light breeze off the harbour was refreshing after the stuffy
office. There were people on the streets, theatre-goers and Sydney
festival-goers, lending an air of conviviality to a Monday evening, but not so
many that the popular Opera Bar was crowded out.

They snared a table near the water’s edge, and Anna ordered
white wine, while Giles settled for a light beer.

“I still can’t believe the mess Oscar’s left behind,” Anna
said, her mouth pulling into a
moue
. “I could never
live with myself if I did something like that.”

She wasn’t being over-dramatic, he knew, because he felt the
same. He and Anna shared the same high standards and sense of pride in their
work.

She began to talk about a particular bug, and Giles offered
his opinions. For a while they had a spirited discussion about the latest
programming methodologies, and Giles discovered she was almost as geeky as he,
and to him that made her even hotter.

After a few minutes, Anna nodded at the sails of the Opera
House soaring above them.

“Have you been in there?” she asked.

“No. I haven’t had the chance yet.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “I assumed your family would be right
into that kind of thing. You know, opera, ballet, concerts.”

She was teasing him, he knew, but there was also an
undercurrent of testing him. Giles lifted his shoulders. “My family’s more the
sporty type. My parents are into horses and sailing, and my two brothers are
mad keen about rugby and golf.”

“And you?”

“I’m not so into sports.
Makes me a sort
of grey sheep in my family.”

“Oh.” She seemed surprised, and then she nodded
sympathetically. “That’s too bad.”

“My parents don’t understand why I went into IT.” He found
himself confessing even further. “Law is the family business, but I found that
incredibly boring. Even though I’m succeeding in my field, my father still
hopes I might change my mind and become a lawyer. So I’m glad I came out to
Sydney. I can breathe here.”

Plus, from where he was sitting, the view was spectacular.

Anna glanced down at her wine glass, then back at him, a
peculiar expression wrinkling her nose.

“What is it?” he asked, wondering if he’d revealed too much
of himself.

She bit her lip, seeming conflicted, before she spoke in a low
voice. “I had you plugged as some rich toff who had everything handed to you on
a silver platter, but you’ve had your share of knocks, haven’t you?”

Warmth blossomed in him as he realised how much he
appreciated the friendly rapport building between them. Resting his arms on the
table, he leaned towards her. “We got off on the wrong foot, but I’m glad we’re
in synch now.”

Her eyes widened, sweet pools of honey brown, and the
atmosphere between them crackled as desire, always lurking beneath the surface,
surged up again. She arched her back as if wanting to draw closer to him, but a
second later hesitation ruffled her eyes, and she drew back with a small sigh
and took a sip of wine.

“You know, I’ve played at the Opera House,” she said in a
bright tone.

“You have?” Instinct told him not to push this ‘thing’
between them; that it would develop in its own good time, even if he was
chafing at the bit.

“I was ten, and I played a recorder along with about three
hundred other schoolkids.” Anna grinned self-deprecatingly. “I was so nervous
about playing a dud note. As if anyone would’ve noticed! Can you believe it?”

“I can, actually.” He smiled at the image of a schoolkid Anna
anxiously blowing into her recorder, thinking her mistakes might be heard above
three hundred other recorders. “You’re a perfectionist. You don’t like doing a
mediocre job. I can relate to that.”

He was hard on himself, too, and always strove to be the
best, whatever he attempted. That was why he could command the consulting fees
he did these days. He and Anna had a lot in common even if they did come from
very different backgrounds.

Anna leaned back in her chair, the night breeze playing with
her hair, drifting strands about her pretty face. She had more colour in her
cheeks now, and she looked relaxed and soft and ravishing. Giles’ gut tensed
against the onslaught of desire. As much as he enjoyed this easy, friendly mood
between them, he knew it wasn’t enough for him. He wanted more, and the longer
he sat here staring at her and not being able to touch her, the more likely the
chance of him doing something rash.

He downed the dregs of his beer and set down his glass.
“Well, that was nice. Shall we go and find a couple of taxis?”

Her mouth opened in total surprise, and he experienced a
stab of satisfaction that she’d obviously expected them to hang around for
longer. But she quickly recovered and pushed to her feet.

“Sure. I’ll get the first round next time,” she said as if
to make a point that she wasn’t going to let him buy her drinks.

He grinned at her. “Glad to hear there’ll be a next time.”

“Well, sure.” She tossed her gleaming hair over one
shoulder. “We’ll have drinks to celebrate when our project gets through user
acceptance testing.”

That could be weeks from now. He didn’t want to wait that
long.

He followed her out of the bar, his gaze glued to the swing
of her hair, the sway of her hips, and the long, sexy length of her legs. God,
he really didn’t want to wait. But he had to.

At the rear of the Opera House snaked a long line of people
queuing for a taxi. They decided to head up a few blocks towards a quieter part
of town. Giles slung his jacket over one shoulder and shortened his stride to
accommodate Anna’s high heels.

Walking through the darkened streets with her, he felt
hyper-aware of her, of her exact size and proportions next to him, of each
breath she took, each movement of her hands, each look she darted in his
direction. Her presence filled him like an indelible scent, and he felt as if
he could walk by her side all night, a quiet, appreciative companion.

They were strolling across a section of cobblestones in a
tree-lined mall when she stumbled, and Giles, acting instinctively, caught her
by the arm, pulling her to safety towards him. As their bodies bumped together,
his jacket slid to the ground, but he barely noticed that as her nearness consumed
him.

“
Th
-thanks,” she stuttered,
sounding far more breathless than she should have been from a minor stumble.

His fingers remained curled around her upper arm, and he
seemed to have great difficulty in letting her go. In fact, his other arm
curved around her, drawing her closer to his chest.

“You’re welcome,” he said and heard his own voice was far
from steady, too.

He forced his fingers to relax but didn’t—couldn’t—let go of
her, instead rubbing his palms slowly up and down her arms. She could have
pulled back any time she wanted, but she didn’t, and that made his heart pound
even faster.

She pressed her hand against his chest right where his heart
was, and he didn’t mind that she could detect the racing of his pulses. When
she looked up at him, her eyes were shimmering, and he sensed her own heartbeat
accelerating in rhythm with his.

“We’re not in the stationery closet,” she murmured.

“No.” For once he had no witty reply ready, not when all his
attention was riveted on her lips.

Her hands slid tentatively up his chest, and he shuddered,
desperate for her hands to glide all over him, preferably with no clothes
between them.

“This...” She gulped audibly. “This place is much nicer,
don’t you think?”

“Much.” Damn. What had happened to all his smooth lines? He
was all at sea here with Anna. She had launched him into uncharted waters.

Her hands moved up to cup his face, and her expression grew
serious as she studied him. The trees overhead dimmed the street lights,
casting shifting shadows over her, but nonetheless her face was clear to him,
and the intent in her, the fierce hunger in her eyes, took his breath away.

Fortunately his instincts still worked fine, if not his
tongue. He bent closer to her, and her fingers shifted through his hair,
triggering delightful tingles over his scalp and neck. And then, unable to
resist temptation any longer, he lowered his mouth to hers.

At last
, his body
sang out.

They both sighed simultaneously, in relief that the moment
had finally arrived. Then, sensation took over as he moved his lips against
hers, her heat and softness surprising and arousing him. His arms locked around
her, pulling her up on her toes as he kissed her harder, wilder, his hunger
running amok.

She responded by twining her fingers through his hair to
bring him closer. She tasted of wine and summer and heady nights. Her delicate
perfume wrapped around him like a silken mist, obliterating the outside world.
Her lips parted, and when he deepened the kiss, a husky moan purred in her
throat, setting Giles on fire. Blood thrummed in his groin as he stroked his
tongue into her mouth, seeking her moist heat, and by the time they had to
break apart for air, he was impossibly hard.

“W-well—” She licked her lips, the tip of her wet tongue
causing his erection to swell painfully against his zipper. “Well...”

It seemed she was short of words this time.

“Worth waiting for, hmm?” he managed to get out.

He waited for her to nod before claiming her mouth again.
Their kiss was blistering hot and quickly ran out of control. He sucked
greedily on her lower lip, and she moaned her approval before returning the
favour, her gentle nips on his flesh giving him molten brain flashes. He ran
his hands down her back, around her hips, feverish to learn every dip and
curve. She was just as busy, her fingers sliding over his shoulders and neck,
riffling through the short hairs at his nape, causing tiny thrills to chase
down his spine.

The night was filled with magic. Shadows pressed around
them, the salty scent of the sea sharpening the senses. Her kisses fed a hunger
hidden deep within him, a hunger he’d never fully recognised until tonight. His
head spun as he kissed her over and over, dizzy with the scent and taste and
touch of her. It might have been oxygen deprivation, but even when they came up
for air, he was sure it was something more.

He caught his breath as he
sifted
his fingers through her liquid hair, relishing its cool weight. Deep
appreciation shuddered through him. “God, you’re beautiful!” he gasped out.