Irresistible? by Stephanie Bond

Author:Stephanie Bond
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-06-10T16:00:00+00:00

“How MUCH LONGER?” Ellie whispered a few hours later, trying to smile. Only a few guests lingered over coffee. She could feel her eyelids dragging, threatening to close for good. She’d had no chance to talk to Mark about their abrupt engagement, and she wanted to be somewhat awake on the ride home.

Mark squinted at his watch. “You’re right,” he said. “We should be going.”

They said their goodbyes to their hosts, and a few minutes later they were off.

She waited until they had driven a couple of miles in silence before she cleared her throat. “Well?” she asked.

Mark glanced sideways. “Well what?”

Ellie sighed. “Well, what the heck is going on?”

He passed a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, squinting. “Believe me, I was as surprised as you were at Ivan’s announcement. He’s old-fashioned and, after witnessing our little, er, display, he must have arrived at his own conclusion.”

Manny’s offhand comment to Ivan about she and Mark being “practically married” crossed Ellie’s mind, but she didn’t mention it. She angled her body toward him. “Why didn’t you correct him?”

In the dim interior, she saw his shoulders fall in defeat. “He started telling me how important it was to him that all his partners be settled down, you know—family men—and I couldn’t tell him the truth. Next thing I knew, he was toasting our engagement.”

Ellie’s heart drooped. Mark Blackwell’s career meant more to him than anything else in the world. Maybe she’d caught his eye, or rather, his crotch, for a few days because of these pheromones, but she was fooling herself if she thought she’d ever be able to compete with his first love—his job. He had no room for a woman in his life, least of all a woman like her.

“I’m sorry you got dragged into this,” he said, reaching over to grasp her hand. “It’ll die down in a few weeks, and I’ll simply say we broke it off.” He squeezed her fingers. “By the way, Ivan seemed taken with your roommate Molly. Why haven’t you mentioned her before?”

His hand was so warm, his touch so welcome. Ellie said nothing and just stared at his fingers. “It never came up,” she mumbled distractedly. Just a few hours ago she’d told herself to seize the moment. And that was before she knew he could induce her to orgasm, fully dressed and in a crowded room. She felt heat travel up her face. Would he kiss her good-night, or had she scared him off completely? Surely he’d guessed how long she’d been celibate if toe sex sent her over the edge.

When he parked in front of her building, he hesitated slightly. “It’s okay,” Ellie rushed to assure him. “You don’t have to walk me up.” She scrambled to loosen her seat belt and find her purse.

“No,” he said, turning off the ignition. “I want to.”

They walked quickly and quietly into her building and up the stairs. Ellie’s heart pounded furiously as she fumbled with the key. Mark took it from her, then unlocked the door easily.

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