"Stop it." Vivian said softly. "But why," Scott questioned softly, taking the glass from her unprotesting fingers and placing it on the table next to his, "Why do you say that? When you don’t really want me to stop it?’ "Yes, I do, Mr Mc—""Scott…" he corrected again. "Scott" she whispered, but he must have read the lie in her eyes and on her lips. "I don’t think so. I know it's been tough at work—but we’re no longer at work. No one from the office is even here so we are free to do what the hell we want. You want me. We’ve been fighting it and I don’t want to fight it any more. I know what you want, honey, ""Stop it," she whispered again, but he took no notice, just gave a low laugh as he caught her by the waist, drawing her behind the scented seclusion of the thick, scrambling honeysuckle and into his arms."Say it once more—with feeling," he whispered.Say it? She could scarcely breathe, her senses were so full of him and the heady perfume of the flowers. He pulled her closer a

Vivian shifted, her fingers aching from gripping her arms too tight. His anger showed in every line of his tanned skin. But she refused to be intimidated. "I talk. But you have to realize you haven't asked me anything or any question I have to reply to. You do this all the time." she challenged back. She regretted the comment immediately, because he suddenly lurched forward, his calm demeanor gone in a single sharp blink of his eyes. "Explain what you mean by that," he commanded."I…No." Feeling her cheeks start to heat, Vivian lowered her gaze."You damn well will, Vivian" he countered harshly. "And you will do it right now!" "Why are you angry with me?" she queried hotly." You instructed me to go through the documents and I did. Did I do something wrong?"She knew damn well why he was angry and was trying to divert the subject, Scott recognised, narrowing his eyes as he swung his mind back to the night of the party. "What the hell do you think —?" he shot at her."I don't know!" H

What if she took Betty's advice—?Scott hated that thought. "Damn," he muttered, not liking what was rattling around inside him. Where was the guy who focused purely on business? The guy who barely noticed a woman unless she was stretched out naked on a bed?Perhaps that was it. He needed a woman. Sex, he named it. A long night of seething hot passion with the kind of woman who could appreciate what he could do for her without expecting the whole heavy emotional bit by return. He was not possessive. He was not even mildly demonstrative like Vivian had dared to suggest. If he touched her like she said he did, it was done with attention to polite good manners and respect. She was the one who’d misread the signals.Okay maybe that was a lie, but he wasn't excessively obvious about it as she claimed. —---------Senator Adams Griffin was at first stunned by Scott's decision to pull out of negotiations, then he grew increasingly more angry by Vivian's apologetic inability to give him answ

“I should be annoyed with both of you,” Janet Harper said, her smile erasing the reproach from her words. Leaning forward, she dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “But the two of you outing yourselves as a couple tonight has made my little dinner party the social event of the season.”Jennifer smiled, glancing up at Scott, “I told Scott he should at least give you some warning of who his plus one would be, but…” She tipped her head to the side and murmured, “The rumors are true about that stubborn nature of his.”“I find myself giving in to you way too often, though. My reputation might not survive it,” Scott replied, playing along. He squeezed her neck and brought her closer, brushing his lips over the side of her head.“Well, damn.” Janet said to her husband in an amused whisper. “Honey, I need you to take notes.”Beside Janet, her husband snorted lightly. “We’ve been married thirty-two years, darling. My hand is cramped.”Jennifer's laughter drew more gazes in their dire

For the second time in the space of minutes, shock robbed Jennifer of speech. Icy fingers of astonishment and dread trailed down her spine.Bruce cocked his head to the side. “You believed I didn’t know about your little company all this time? Nothing gets by me. And as long as you were discreet, I didn’t see the harm in letting you dabble in business. It didn’t interfere with your responsibilities to this family. But now, your actions are jeopardizing us. If you don’t end it with Scott, I’ll ruin every business that has received money from you. And with my name and reputation, you know I could do it with just a whisper. Now, while you take some time to make your decision about who you’re giving your loyalty to, I’m going to insist you step back from your job at Bennet Inc. I’ve already asked Emily to take over some of your duties for the next few weeks. Consider it a leave of absence while you choose between a man you barely know and your family.”With that parting shot, he exited th