“Allie understands your situation.” Hugh stood and gave her a smile with an odd edge. “It was a pleasure meeting you. Make sure he pays you for overtime.”

As soon as Hugh left the room, Allie launched herself off the couch and stood with her hands on her hips. “You can’t do that when I’m working.”

She looked delicious with her gray eyes sparking, her shoulders thrown back so the curves of her breasts were emphasized, and her fists highlighting the hourglass of her waist.

“Gavin!”

He pretended to be startled while he let the desire he was feeling show on his face. “What did you say? I was distracted. By you.”

She made that huffing sound again and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll resign right now.”

This time there was steel in her voice, and he felt the clutch of panic. He raised his hands in surrender. “You’re right. I might be observing the letter of my promise but not the spirit of it.”

He kept underestimating her. She seemed so straightforward, with her slight twang and her no-nonsense sass. But the layers were there. He’d glimpsed them in her passionate, adventurous lovemaking and in the bread crumbs she’d dropped about her marriage.

She nodded, her silky ponytail swinging with the movement. “Good. I have some questions about how you’d like things done in the bible.” She started toward her new desk.

“Allie, what did you and Hugh talk about?”

Color blossomed in her cheeks again, but he saw that it was from anger, not embarrassment. “You told him I was going to break your writer’s block, so he wished me luck. He figured out we’re personally involved, too.” She shook her head. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

“No!” Gavin sprang off the couch and nearly seized her by the shoulders before he remembered his promise. “I put you in an awkward position, but I”—was he willing to admit it?—“wanted to make sure Hugh knew you were off-limits.”

Allie looked at him as though he’d told her he’d been abducted by aliens. “You thought Hugh Baker would be interested in me?”

“And that you would be interested in him,” Gavin said through gritted teeth. “He is your romantic hero come to life. And although I don’t see it, I’ve been told he’s devastatingly handsome.”

Her eyes flashed with delight. “He is, in a movie-star kind of way.” She came close and put her hand on his chest so she could look up into his face. “This won’t happen ever again, but I have to prove to you that when you walked into the room, I forgot Hugh Baker was here.”

She rose on her toes and laid her soft lips against his as she slipped her arms around his neck. He couldn’t stop himself. He splayed his hands over her back and bottom to pull her against him so her pelvis was locked against his hardening cock.

Her mouth opened under his as she gasped. He took advantage to find her tongue with his, stroking it slowly and with intent. He cupped the lush curve of her behind, flexing his fingers into the deliciously yielding flesh. His cock hardened more as he pictured her laid across his desk, her legs spread while he stood between them and plunged into the satiny heat between her thighs.

She gave a little sigh and rocked her hips into him before sliding her hands down his shoulders to his chest and wedging her elbows between them. She levered herself away from his kiss. “We have to stop.”

“I need more convincing that Hugh means nothing to you,” he said, bending in a last-ditch attempt to reclaim her lips.

She leaned back to avoid him. “Time to be professional.”

“Have you ever had sex on a desk?” he asked, running his hand up and down her back in a slow, seductive rhythm. “It’s the perfect height for me to push your thighs open and slide inside you with my tongue and then my cock. I’d start slow and stroke in and out until you begged me to go faster and harder. Then—”

She put her hand over his mouth. “No more.” But her breathing was as ragged as his.

He traced a circle on her palm with the tip of his tongue and felt a shudder run through her. If he could slide his finger inside her, he knew she’d be wet and ready. The thought made his erection tighten.

“This isn’t going to work, the two of us alone here,” she rasped. “I’d better go to your business office.”

He angled his head back to dislodge her hand. “You don’t want me to kiss you in front of the whole staff, do you?” He eased his hold on her, letting his hands skim over her tempting curves one last time before he stepped back. “Here’s my deal. I won’t touch you unless you touch me first. After all, you started it.”

She gave a shaky laugh. “So you think I have more willpower than you do?”

“I think you have more scruples than I do.” He slanted a half smile at her. “Because I have none.”

She lifted her chin. “Okay, now can we get some work done?”

“Let me bring my chair over.”

“I’ll do it. I don’t want you carrying anything heavy.” She took hold of his wrist to stop him.

“It rolls, sweetheart. And I’ve recently carried you a few times without causing serious damage.” He savored her blush as he ran his free hand along her other arm, just to bother her. “By the way, you’re touching me.”

She released him. “Not in that way.”

He laughed and wheeled his chair over to her desk. Allie clicked around the series bible database, peppering him with questions about how he used the cross-referencing, how much information he needed about a character, and more.

After forty-five minutes, he pushed his chair back and rolled his head around to stretch the tight muscles. He’d wanted to savor the warmth of her nearness, the faint floral shampoo scent of her red hair, the rustle of her cotton blouse as she moved her arm. Instead, he’d had to focus all his mental powers on her queries and suggestions.

“Leave me a few brain cells for writing,” he said.

She fidgeted with the mouse. “Am I sucking out all your creativity?”

“No, no. You’re just making all my assistants before you look bad.” His cell phone buzzed from the desk. He glanced at the caller ID to see it was Ben Cavill. Frowning, he picked up the phone. “Excuse me,” he said to Allie, standing and moving away so she could concentrate on the job she insisted on doing.