Page 48 of Tristan’s Temptation

You would think, after a night like he’d had last night, a man’s body would be sated. Quiescent. But every time he looked at Shannon, Tristan’s ardor stirred anew. It was as though he’d taken a drug that made him want nothing but more and more of the same.

Another torment in his own personal ring of hell was that Shannon was gorgeous today, glowing with an inner light that attracted every male in the office the way a porch light attracts moths. Okay. Not a particularly romantic analogy but Tristan wasn’t in a romantic mood. He was in a predatory mood and he didn’t like the other lions eyeing his gazelle.

And damn it all anyway, whenever he approached her, she was surrounded by people, laughing and chatting and having a good old time. While he was left in the corner stewing. What he really wanted, more than anything else, was Shannon all to himself. He didn’t want to share her with anyone.

And then something occurred to him. He could have her to himself. If he took her away for the weekend. He checked his calendar—nothing important—and logged on to the internet and began researching bed-and-breakfasts in the local area. His fingers froze over the keys. No. Not a bed-and-breakfast. They could run into someone they knew.

A cruise? Yes!

One of the national lines had regular weekend runs down to Ensenada out of San Pedro. Ah. That would be perfect. They could sequester themselves in their cabin, order food and champagne and delight in each other’s company for the whole weekend.

And no one would be the wiser.

The idea so lifted his heart, so intrigued and excited him, he practically thrummed with anticipation. She’d just better say yes.

As soon as she returned to her desk, he called her into his office.

“Yes, Tristan?”

“Shannon. Shut the door.”

The look she shot him was as dry as the desert.

He grinned and shook his head. “A conversation. Nothing more.”

She chuckled and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her, and sat before his desk. “What is it?”

He cleared his throat. Hell. Now he was too nervous to broach the subject. What if she said no? “Um. I really enjoyed last night.”

She tipped her head to the side and studied him. “Did you? Which part?”

The light in her eyes sent a jolt of excitement through him. “All of it, Shannon.”

“Even being tied to the chair yourself?”

He shifted restlessly at the memory of the torment she’d inflicted upon him. Hell yeah. “You’re a naughty girl.”

“You deserved some payback.”

“Oh, I suffered.”

She leaned forward with a wicked grin. “Not nearly enough.”

“What are your plans for this weekend?”

Perhaps that was a bit too blunt. She sat back, frowned. “This weekend?”

“Yes.” Why did he feel like a pimply faced high school boy asking a girl on a first date?

“Nothing.”

He realized he was holding his breath and blew it out in a gust. “Let’s go away.”

“Away?”

“Together. For the weekend.”

She laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. “We can’t go away together. People will notice.”