This is her boss? The sexy boss she’s told me about?

Damn. I need her job.

“Sorry, sir.”

Sir?

Yeesh.

“What’s your name?”

It takes me a minute to realize he’s turned his attention back to me.

“Katia,” I say, licking my lips.

His eyes go to the action, and they grow hot and lusty. Oh, man. Him! I pick him! He can break the drought—shit, I already think he has, judging by my panties. I’d lie down in front of a bus to get a taste of Marcus. Oh yes, yes I would.

“Katia,” he practically purrs. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Candy squeaks beside me. I turn to her and her eyes are wide. I lean in close, curling my arm around hers. “Tell me I can fuck your boss and it’ll totally be okay?”

It takes her a moment to respond, and when she does it’s in a squeak. “I don’t, ah, I don’t . . .”

“God, please tell me I can. I need a piece of Marcus.”

“He’s a whore,” she whispers.

“I’m not asking him to marry me,” I scoff. “Just a bit of wham, bam—”

“Katia,” Marcus says, cutting me off.

I turn to him, giving him my big, innocent eyes. “Yes, you can buy me a drink.”

Candy whispers something holy to no one in particular as Marcus curls an arm around my waist and leads me to the bar. We pass Dusty as we go and his eyes widen, then a wicked grin replaces that and he gives me the thumbs up followed by a few thrusting motions that Marcus catches. This causes his lips to twitch, and holy fuck, it makes him sexier.

Marcus orders drinks without asking what I want. The man is controlling; it’s written all over him. When our drinks arrive, he leads me out to a quiet garden and we sit. Damn, the sexual tension in the air is out of this world. I turn to him, crossing my legs and watching as his eyes run over me again. He makes no secret what he wants; it’s all in his eyes. I’m not offended in the least; I’ll take whatever this man wants to give. He can tie me up and spank me if he pleases.

“Katia,” he says—well, purrs. “Tell me what you do?”

“I work at a large shipping company, as a PA.”

His eyes are studying me as I speak, as if he’s weighing me up for a position himself.

“You’re smart.”

It’s not a question, but I pretend it is.

I snort. “I wouldn’t go ahead and say I’m smart. I do my job well, but smart . . .”

He watches me closely, as if he’s trying to figure me out.

“Tell me something else.”

Okay. Awkward.

I tell him about myself in a basic outline, and once again I feel as if I’m on a job interview. He listens intently as I go, and the moment I mention my mother and how I work to keep her home, something changes in his eyes. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but there’s definitely a change.

“You sound like you’re busy.”

“I don’t get much chance to chill out, that’s for sure. If I stop working, my mother doesn’t have the back-up she needs.”

He nods, studying me. “Another drink?”

I nod.

This is strange. Sexy . . . but strange.

He waves a hand and a waiter stops what he’s doing and comes by. Marcus orders us another drink, not once taking his dark gaze off me.

“You’re a beautiful girl, Katia,” he murmurs. “So I’m going to come out and just say it. You want to come home with me tonight?”

There it is.

Bam.

My body begins to heat and my legs quiver. Do I want to go home with Marcus? Well, I can safely rule out he’s not a serial killer, considering Candy works with him. I’m not after a relationship and he’s über hot. So, the answer is simple.

Um, hell yes.

“Yeah,” I say, licking my bottom lip.

His eyes follow my tongue. “Fuck,” he murmurs.

It just got a whole lot hotter in here.

He stretches his arm out, and the backs of his fingers skim along my jaw. That one movement has my world standing still. My skin prickles and my senses spark to life. His fingers move until he reaches my lips, and once there, he runs the tip of one along them. “You’re a beautiful woman, Katia.”

I swallow. He already said that and I’m thinking that I like it. Very much.

“There are so many things I’ll do to you.”

Oh, boy.

“Starting with tasting those lips.”

Swoon.

Our drinks come and I turn to take mine, grateful. I swallow it down, the alcohol warming my body. I’ve not been with a great deal of men in my life, but I’ve been with enough to know that most of them don’t have the confidence Marcus does. He sweeps in, gets what he wants and has no problem doing it. He’s smooth, he’s sexy and he knows what to say. He’s the true meaning of the word player.

And this right here is how Marcus Tandem entered my world.

CHAPTER 3

NOW

Katia

“Oh God, Marcus,” I breathe, arching up into him.

His mouth is between my legs and he’s licking, long, sweet strokes that electrify my body with their very touch. His hands are on my hips, fingers digging into my skin. My eyes flutter and my nipples are so hard they actually hurt. I’m wound up tight; he’s been away on a business meeting for two days and I’ve missed him.

“I’m going to . . .” I gasp.