C2 2

“Enough!” That one word sliced through the air with the force of a whip, and everyone jumped, especially as it was accompanied by Logan’s fist pounding the conference table. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and then addressed Hannah again, as though he hadn’t just scared them all half to death. The rumors about his temper were true then, and that should really kill any attraction she felt to him dead right there. Having grown up with the threat of violence hanging over her and her sister, thanks to her mum’s string of abusive boyfriends, Hannah shied away from any male prone to a temper.

“Forgive me, do you need a moment to…” Logan waved in the general direction of her chest, and Hannah fought the immediate blush which crept into her cheeks. Damn her fair skin.

"Yes, thank you." She mumbled the words and, turning her back onto the room, hastily fixed the button back in place. Monique rolled her eyes when Hannah turned back around, not that she had any chance to respond to the other woman's silent sneer because Logan continued.

"Like Ms. Watson quite correctly pointed out, sometimes you need to invest to gain the later benefits. With the government's drive to raise awareness of the rising issue of domestic violence, this is a timely and worthwhile proposal that I am happy to support. Hannah, you will be project manager for this. Monique, you will be her assistant. James, I expect that you will make available the necessary funds to ensure this event is a great success."

He paused, looked around the room and smiled. When his dark gaze landed on her, Hannah had to remind herself to keep on breathing.

“I’m counting on you to make this a success.”

"Yes, sir." Try as she might she couldn't project her voice past a breathy whisper, and his smile deepened, turning sinful. Hannah’s traitorous body reacted like a puppet on a string. Her nipples firmed and pushed against the confines of her cotton bra, and she squeezed her thighs together to relieve the ache between her legs. Lord help her, if he ever truly turned on the charm, she would be putty in his hands. No doubt he knew his way around a woman's body, and judging by his darkening gaze he knew exactly what effect he was having on her. Damn the man and her wayward libido.

He reached under the table as though he was adjusting himself, and that thought did absolutely nothing to calm down the rapid beat of her heart.

“Very well then, go. Make it happen, all of you.”

Hannah didn’t need to be told twice. She legged it away from him and the sinful temptation her boss represented, as fast as her wobbly legs could carry her.

****

Logan smiled to himself as he approached the Savoy’s Lancaster Ballroom several weeks later. No expense had been spared for this event, and little Hannah had done the company proud. Not only had she secured an impressive number of celebrities willing to allow themselves to be auctioned off, it seemed she had changed her mind about being on stage herself. He’d been surprised and, if he was honest with himself, somewhat irritated when he’d seen her on the auction list. Ever since her passionate delivery of a proposal clearly very dear to her heart, and her subsequent wardrobe malfunction, his body responded to her nearness with the predictability of a teenage boy’s. It was irritating and uncomfortable in equal measures.

He was an experienced man for fuck's sake, and that brief glimpse of creamy flesh spilling over the top of a sensible cotton bra shouldn't have had the power to wake up his libido with the force of a roaring lion. That's exactly what it had done, however. It had taken a hell of a long time for his erection to subside, which meant he'd had ample time to sit in that chair and peruse her proposal in some detail. Like her personnel file had suggested, Hannah Watson was a hardworking, trustworthy individual, a real asset to the firm. Too bad the previous owner—a chauvinistic asshole, the worst Logan had ever had the misfortune to associate with—made it a habit to promote only the males of the company.

Add to that the underlying air of sexual harassment, and one of his first tasks of CEO had been an overhaul of the policies on equal employment. Logan might be a ruthless bastard when it came to the companies he took over, and he had no compunction in tearing a company apart and rebuilding it, but he appreciated hard work and loyalty when he saw it, and Hannah had all those things in spades. A little dynamo who hid her curves under sensible work attire that made a man itch to discover what lay beneath.

Not that Logan was that man. No, with the current shitstorm in his private life, the last thing he needed was to get entangled in any sort of romance. And little Hannah Watson definitely was the happy ever after type, or so he had thought until she'd come up with this proposal. Maybe the little dove held a naughty side after all.

He swiped a flute of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and perused that list in his hand again. She was definitely on there, so maybe he could finally use this opportunity to get her out of his system.

His breath stalled in his lungs when he spotted her. She seemed to be in a heated discussion with Monique. He was well aware that the other woman's nose had been put out of joint when he'd made Hannah her superior for this project, and there didn't seem to be any love lost between the two women now. Seeing them seemingly engaged in a discussion over the auction list gave him pause for thought. Monique had been in charge of the print outs, so it wouldn't come as a terrible surprise had she put Hannah on that list out of spite.

While that was a sackable offence in its own right, and one he would deal with once this auction was over, it also played right into his hands.

Damn, the little dove looked good enough to eat. Gone was the sensible attire, and in its stead, was a vision in red. The dress hugged every one of her curves, and while it hid more than it concealed, the cut-out back showed off acres of creamy skin. She left her long blonde tresses loose, and they framed her face in soft waves and tumbled halfway down her back, playing peekaboo with the graceful curve of her spine. A wide band of fabric held the gown together in the middle of her back, a concession for a bra to support her ample rack, no doubt, and his mouth watered at the thought of sampling those curves. A thigh-high side slit revealed surprisingly long pins for someone so small, and the fuck-me stilettos on her slender feet would look damn good flung over his shoulders as he ate out her sweet little pussy. All that leashed passion he sensed in her would make for an explosive time in the sack no doubt, and he suddenly couldn't wait anymore. Some folks were dancing, and it would be the perfect excuse to hold her in his arms and to test her response to him.

Monique’s eyes widened, and the heavily made up brunette plastered a fake smile on her face when she spotted his approach.

“Mr. Bryce, so good to see you here. I thought you weren’t coming?”

Hannah swung round, and he caught the full glare of her expressive eyes before she lowered her gaze and murmured her own greeting. He didn't miss the flush of anger on her pale cheeks, or the way her breasts heaved with her sharp inhales. The little spitfire was wired all right.

"Have I interrupted something, here?" he asked.

Monique shook her head. "Of course, not. There was a simple misunderstanding with the scheduling, which I shall now sort out. Do excuse me, and Hannah was just telling me how much she loves to dance." Monique had the audacity to wink at him and then teetered away to have a word with the Master of Ceremonies. Hannah growled under her breath, fury coming off her in waves so palpable his dick gave up any pretense of behaving himself. Thank God for well-tailored trousers and the cover up his tuxedo jacket afforded.

"She is too much," Hannah finally said, and she shook her head when he offered his arm f

or her take. "No, I can't dance. I'll just step on your toes, and I need to stop her. She put me on that blasted auction sheet, and—"

His finger over her lush lips stopped her tirade, and this time her skin bloomed in the instant blush of aroused woman, as he leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“Hush now, little dove, you need to relax. The turnout is excellent. You should be very proud of yourself. As for being auctioned, think of the charity and all the money you could personally raise. Now sway with me. We’re attracting attention.”

Hannah bit back what sounded like a very unladylike swear word, when she seemed to realize that he had maneuvered them onto the dance floor. She made a grab for his shoulders when he slid his hand along her back and rested it on her skin, just above the line of her dress. A telltale gasp escaped her when he drew her in closer, and she no doubt noticed his erection. Logan began to move, and she followed, even as she shivered in his arms.

"Relax, you're shaking like a leaf. Surely dancing with me is not such an abhorrent thought?" Amusement tinged his deep voice, and Hannah drew a shuddering breath into her lungs and shook her head.

“No, sir,” she whispered.