“I don’t have a choice?” he asked, cocking an arrogant brow in her direction.

She straightened her spine and shoulders. “No.”

For a long moment he didn’t say anything, making her even more nervous. Just when she was about to make a hasty retreat he spoke.

“Fine.”

“I’m glad we have an understanding.” She couldn’t resist rubbing it in as she walked around the desk to look at the folders, trying to hide how surprised she was that he gave in so easily.

“Oh, we have an understanding, all right,” he said as his hand clamped around her wrist when she tried to pick up a folder.

She swallowed. “I’m helping,” she reminded him quietly.

“Yes, you are. But I need the files over here,” he patiently explained, that calm tone alone sent shivers down her spine and warning signals off in her head.

“Okay, let me get my chair,” she said, trying to pull her hand away.

“No need. There isn’t enough room over here for two chairs,” he explained. Marty looked pointedly at the large space behind his desk.

He ignored her and, with a slight tug, had her stumbling onto his lap. Her response was instantaneous if not a bit embarrassing. She yelped and jumped only to have his arm snake around her waist and bring her back down on his lap.

Her hands shot out to grip the desk as he shifted the chair forward, trapping her between the desk and his large body.

“Ah, that’s better. Now let’s see what we’ve got here, shall we?” he asked in a casual tone.

“I-I can do this from my desk,” she mumbled.

He sighed. “There isn’t enough room at your desk for both of us, Marty. Would you please focus? I’d like to get some work done if you don’t mind,” he said casually, but she could hear the humor in his tone and that pissed her off.

“Fine. Let’s get to work,” she said, purposely shifting in his lap. His reaction was rather pleasing. He sucked in a breath and tensed beneath her. A moment later she rethought the move when she felt him harden beneath her bottom. She swallowed as he continued to grow. Were all men this big? she had to wonder.

She could practically feel his smug smile when he realized that she could feel him. The bastard. Deciding that she wasn’t going to be intimidated, she opened her mouth to egg him on, which of course she knew was stupid, but it really couldn’t be helped.

“Tristan, do you mind?”

“Mind what?”

“Do you mind shifting? You have a small tube of chapstick or something in your pocket that’s poking me.” Maybe she shouldn’t have emphasized small. Guys were kind of sensitive about that sort of thing, right?

Chapter 10

“Oh, lord!” Shayne said between large bouts of laughter. “I knew there was a reason why I liked the lass!”

Tristan’s jaw clenched as he watched his friend laugh so hard that he fell right off the couch. “Small tube of chapstick!” Shayne repeated, taking obvious delight in his humiliation.

He turned his glare to Marty’s back. She was tense on his lap as she shifted through the files. If she wanted to play that game, it was more than fine with him.

He gripped her waist, picked her up, and placed her more firmly on his lap. Her gasp was reward enough, almost. He leaned forward so that his stomach was pressed gently against her back and his mouth was next to her ear.

“Is that better?” he whispered.

God, yes! “That’s fine,” she said with a shrug as if having his erection nestled firmly against her bottom didn’t bother her. Damn, she should win an Emmy for this little performance.

“Fine, huh? My small tube of chapstick isn’t bothering you anymore?” he asked in a hoarse voice.

“No, I can’t even feel it anymore.”

Why that little……..oh, she was good. There was no doubt in his mind that she could feel how excited he was. Fine.

Game on.

He tightened his grip around her waist as he subtly rocked his h*ps under her bottom as he adjusted her again. She gasped and was that a moan?

“I’m glad that it’s not bothering you. Let’s get to work,” he said, resting his chin on her shoulder so that he could see the files as they went through them.

“O-okay,” was Marty’s response.

She was in way over her head here.

*-*-*-*

Tristan noticed that Shayne had stopped laughing.

“Oh, that….that’s just not right. I don’t want to see this,” Shayne said with a mock shudder. With that he popped out of the room. Good riddance, Tristan thought as he fought against the urge to shift or rock against her, again.

For the next twenty minutes they worked in silence, skimming files and stacking them in order. Tristan seemed relaxed as they worked while Marty was inwardly panicking. Over twenty minutes and the damn thing beneath her bottom hadn’t ceased its poking! All of her movements were awkward as she tried not to shift in any way no matter how tempting it was.

“Can I ask you a question?” Tristan asked, caressing her neck with his warm breath.

That depends. “Sure,” she said in a bored tone.

“Why are you dressed up today?” he asked, hoping the answer was because she wanted to dress up for him. He liked the sexy way she’d pinned her long hair back into a lazy bun that left several long strands dangling over her neck, the sexy little business dress, and let’s not forget the long legs and high heels. He could definitely picture those heels digging into his ass while he slid in and out of her.

“I’m not dressed any differently than normal,” she lied.

The hand on her stomach gently caressed her as he ran two fingers from his other hand over the almost nonexistent sleeve on her arm. “Yes, you are.”

With a slight shrug she decided to answer him and end the games, hoping he’d stop distracting her with his touches and caresses. She was seriously wondering why there was a need for Viagra if men were able to keep it up for over a half hour.

“I have a date after work and I didn’t think that I would have time to run home and change.”

She felt him go completely still against her. The hand on her stomach tightened almost possessively. “Oh? And who do you have a date with?” his voice was deceptively calm while on the inside he was already contemplating killing the son of a bitch.

“No one you know.”

“Try me. I know a lot of people. It’s my job after all.”

She sighed, “It’s a guy I met with my friends at a bar the other night.”

“Does this guy have a name?”

“Roger.”

“Roger what?” he demanded.

Another annoyed sigh, “Roger Arnold.”

He chuckled darkly behind her. “You got all dressed up to go out with Roger Arnold?”

No, it was for Tristan, but she’d used the date as an excuse to dress up for work today. “Yes.”

“You must like him a great deal to dress up like this,” he said, his tone laced with acid. “Do you like him a lot then, Marty?”

She adjusted uncomfortably and moved to get off his lap, but he held her prisoner where she was. “I think we should just focus on work. This is too personal.”

“How is it too personal for two old friends to chat? Or even for two co-workers who share an office to discuss their plans for the evening?” His tone was hard and dangerous, sending shivers down her spine. This wasn’t going to end well for her. For some strange reason she felt as though she’d finally pushed him too far.