My, how her tune has changed, Sam thought irritably. Why is it, you find a good man, clean him up, and then the vultures start swooping in?

Life was not fair.

“I sent the e-mail last night,” Adrian said.

“How strange,” Tiffany said with an obviously practiced frown. “I didn’t see it in my in box.”

“Did you forget to change it over from your personal e-mail account to the company servers again?”

“Oh,” Tiffany said, stroking him lightly on the arm as she giggled and preened. “How silly of me. You know, I just can’t keep all this computer stuff straight in my head. I’d really appreciate it if you’d show me how to fix that.”

“I’ll send Scott down.”

His phone rang. Adrian answered it while Tiffany ran a hungry look over his body.

Sam wanted to choke her. “Don’t you have something you need to do?” she asked Tiffany.

Tiffany glared at her until Adrian hung up, then she smiled sweetly at him. “You know, if you’ve got a minute, right now – ”

“Actually, I don’t. I need to talk to Sam. Excuse us?”

“Oh, absolutely. I’m sure you guys – no offense, Sam – ” she said, sweeping a hard look to Sam before giving Adrian a worshipful smile, “have computer problems to talk about. I’ll see you” – she punctuated the word by touching Adrian on the chest – “later.”

Sam had to force herself not to clobber Tiffany.

As soon as they were alone, Adrian bent down to whisper in her ear. “I did put the right colors together, didn’t I?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Sam breathed as two women who were staring at Adrian collided behind him.

He let out a relieved sigh. “I was having a bad Heather flashback as I came in the door and three women looked at me and started giggling.”

Sam could well imagine that. She felt giddy herself.

Adrian stroked his chin with his hand. “And I’m not sure about the face. I’ve had a beard or mustache since I turned seventeen. I feel really naked.”

At that moment, she wished he were naked. Naked and in her arms doing the Wild Thing with her. “You shouldn’t.”

“You’re sure I don’t look like a girly-mon? Because I really don’t want the guys up in design to start following me around.”

“Oh, no,” she said with a laugh. “There’s nothing girly about the way you look.”

“All right, but if the guys start harassing me, I might have to fire you.”

She laughed at the empty threat.

His phone rang again and Regina paged him.

“It starts already,” Sam said.

“Already? Hell, it started two hours ago, which is why I came on in,” he mumbled as he flipped open his phone, and headed toward his office.

Sam bit her knuckles as she watched him walk away. She ran a lecherous gaze down his lean back and well-shaped rear. An image of those flat abs tormented her, and it was all she could do not to follow him into his office, lock the door, and keep him there until they were both sweaty and spent.

“Yo, A-dri-an!” Scott called as he passed by Sam’s cube.

Sam cringed, knowing how much Adrian hated for someone to do that to him.

“What?” he snapped as he stuck his head over Randir’s cube.

“Oh,” Scott said. “You’re not in your office. I was wondering what we’re doing for lunch today?”

“We haven’t discussed it.”

“Well, it’s eleven-thirty and I’m starving. Let’s discuss it.”

Adrian peeped over the cube wall to look at her. “Sam, you coming?”

“Depends on where you go.”

“Well,” Scott said to Adrian, “I was wondering if your sister’s working at Chik-Fil-A today. I’m kind of broke, so if she’d spot us again, I’d really appreciate it.”

“You mooch,” Randir said. “I say we take him out back, and shoot him.”

Adrian laughed as he picked up his phone and dialed it. “Hey, Mark? This is Adrian. Is Heather working today?”

“Hey, Sis,” Adrian said after a brief pause. “Scott’s broke and wanted to know if you’d feed him again? Okay, we’ll see you shortly.” Hanging up, he looked at Sam. “Chik-Fil-A?”

“Sure, I’ll go.”

“I’ll drive,” Jack said from the cube opposite her. “I have the minivan today. But I warn you, it’s full of toys.”

The six of them gathered their things and headed for the door. Adrian fell in beside her, then reached an arm toward her.

Sam froze in nervous anticipation as it appeared he was about to put his arm around her, then he bent it up quickly and raked his hand through his hair.

Disappointed, she did all she could do not to pout.

Adrian cursed at himself as he realized what he’d almost done. And at work no less… Jeez. What was wrong with him?

But then, he knew. Sam had been sneaking looks at him all morning.

And he’d loved every minute of it.

Jack unlocked his van. Sam took the seat behind the driver’s and Adrian quickly sat beside her. When she looked up and smiled, he felt like someone had sucker-punched him right in the gut.

“I really like that jacket,” she said to him.

“Oh, Adrian,” Scott teased from the front passenger seat as Jack started the van, then backed up. “You’re just so cute today,” he lisped. “Can I have a ride in your special Love Bytes machine after work?”

“Would you guys leave him alone?” Sam said.

“It’s all right,” Adrian said as he picked up a Game Boy from the seat and turned it on. “I’ll just fire his ass after lunch.”

Adrian played Centipede while Sam and the guys exchanged insults. He listened to them, all the while glancing sideways at Sam. Man, how he loved the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed.

As soon as they reached the mall, they piled out and headed to the food court. They had just entered the area when Sam caught sight of Heather standing beside a table with a guy dressed in a leather motorcycle jacket. He had three days’ worth of black stubble on his face, and a death grip on Heather’s arm.

Sam held her breath.

Rage descended on Adrian’s face as he rushed toward them.

“Josh,” Heather said in a pain-filled voice, trying to pry the man’s hand off her upper arm. “You’re hurting me.”

“I’m going to do more than that if – ”

“Let her go,” Adrian growled as he grabbed Josh’s hand and removed it from Heather’s arm. He shoved the man back.

Josh raked a sneer over Adrian’s body, but there was fear in his eyes as he took in the size of Adrian. “Look, pal, this is between me and my woman.”

“No,” Adrian said. “It’s between you and my baby sister. And if you touch her again, it’s going to be between you and me.”

A wave of apprehension crossed Josh’s face as he looked from Adrian to Heather. “I thought you said Adrian was a geek.”

“He is,” Heather said. “But he’s a really big geek.”

Josh angled a finger at Heather. “You remember what I said.”

“Let me tell you something,” Adrian said with a killing glare. “If I find you near my sister again, I’m going to play Picasso with your body parts.”

Heather postured. “And he can do it too, he has a black belt.”

Josh snarled at the two of them, then stalked off.

“Jeez, Heather,” Adrian said as he turned to face her. “Can’t you ever find a decent guy?”

“He’s not always like that,” Heather said dismissively. “He can be really sweet, sometimes.”

Adrian’s face turned hard, cold. “I better not find you near him again, and I mean it.”

“Back off, Adrian. It’s none of your business. You know, I’m not eleven years old anymore, and I don’t need you coming to my rescue all the time.”

“Fine,” he snapped. “Then stop calling me every time you get into a jam.”

“Fine,” Heather snarled back at him. “Mom’s right, you are just like your father. Worthless and mean.”

Sam held her breath as a dark, angry pain descended over Adrian’s face.

It was then Adrian must have remembered they were there, listening, because he looked to his left, saw them and locked his jaw.

Without a word, he walked off.

The guys stayed in the food court to comfort Heather while Sam ran after Adrian. He was halfway down the mall before she finally caught up to him.

“Hey?” she said as she pulled him to a stop with a gentle hand on his arm. “You okay?”

Adrian stared at her as he felt her soothing touch all the way through his body. “Why does she have to act that way?” he asked rhetorically. “I’ll never understand you women, and why you’re only attracted to pricks who run all over you, then turn on you if you dare open your mouth to defend yourself.”

“Not all women are attracted to men like that.”

“Yeah, right. Prove it.”

Before he knew what she was doing, she stood up on her tiptoes, reached her arm around his neck, and brought his head down for a scorching kiss.

Adrian’s head swam at the softness of her lips, of the feel of her tongue against his. He cupped her face with his hands and closed his eyes to better savor the moment.

She had her hand buried in his hair, sending chills the entire length of his body. He felt himself harden even more as a wave of her sweet feminine scent permeated his senses.

In that moment, he couldn’t think of anything except taking her home, stripping her jeans and sweater from her body, and keeping her that way until breakfast.

Sam didn’t know where she’d found the courage to finally kiss him, but she was glad she had. She’d been dreaming of it all day long. And now that she’d actually done it, it was all she could do not to moan from the incredible taste of his lips. The warm, masculine smell of him.