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His voice is lower now, and I swear his eyes have gone a shade darker.
"No, of course not." I use every ounce of willpower in my body to make that sound believable, but the devilish smirk on his face tells me I've failed. He continues towards me until my back is pressed firmly against the door.
"Why are you so nervous around me then?" he asks, standing so close I can almost feel his breath against my face.
Oh, I don't know, maybe because you are quite possibly the most attractive man on the planet? Maybe because you have a reputation for being an unapologetic womanizer? Or maybe, just maybe, because I work for you?
All of the above are the answers that run through my mind, but I don't say any of them out loud.
I reach for my room key and slide it into the lock. "You don't make me nervous, Ryan Knox."
"I didn't peg you for a liar, Juliet Warren," he whispers into my ear and I can almost feel his lips on my skin. A small whimper escapes my mouth before I have a chance to stop it.
The surge of lust that races through my body is almost enough for me to temporarily forget all the reasons this is a horrible idea, almost. "I'm not going to fuck you." I finally manage to say, and he takes a quick step back.
Surprise mars his perfect face. "What?"
I steady myself. "You heard me. I won't sleep with you."
He runs a hand through his hair and blows out an exasperated breath. "Mind telling me why?"
I run through the list of reasons in my mind, trying to decide which one is the safest answer. My door is now cracked, and I am so close to escaping.
Do I want to escape?
I scold my inner voice for the thought. Of course, I do.
"I work for you. It’s inappropriate," I say quietly. Yes, that's the best route to take. I am a professional woman here to do a job, not get all hot and bothered every time this man looks at me.
His mouth twitches into a smile. "Is that it?"
Damn you, Ryan.
"Yes, well, no. It doesn't matter. Either way, it isn't happening." I bite my lip, trying not to focus on his eyes.
God, they are beautiful.
If I thought my heart was already racing, that was just the warm-up lap.
"It matters to me. If you didn't work for me would that still be your excuse?" His cool, confident voice has me off balance. The way he asks the question is as if he's negotiating a business arrangement, not trying to sleep with a woman.
I laugh awkwardly. "Look, this conversation shouldn’t happen."
"You know, I actually think it should. Come on, Juliet. Tell me." The boyish grin on his face is unraveling me.
If I don’t get inside my room soon I’m not sure my self-control will win out.
I cross my arms again. "Well, I do work for you. I want to be taken seriously and not have everyone on the planet think I landed this job just because I screwed the lead singer. Not to mention you have a horrible reputation when it comes to women."
He thinks about my response. "How could anyone say you got the job because you slept with me if it happened after you were hired?"
This man.
"It doesn't matter what the truth is. It’s how it would appear," I answer, firm in my resolution.
He nods, conceding that I have a point. "Valid point. However, what makes you think anyone would ever know?" He winks, and for the first time during this entire conversation, all temptation to lose myself falls away.
It's like I took a cold shower, and all the lust has been replaced with recognition and clarity.
