His entire magnificent being was exuding power, sex appeal, and greatness. There was this aura of… dominance that was drawing her like a magnet towards Lance every time they met. Annalise stood there, watching him in absolute girly delight. Every part of him was pure perfection and she was such in awe. Lance waved his hand at her, inviting her to join him, even if he was still on the phone. She woke up from her daydreaming and started walking towards him, a bit embarrassed to have been caught staring. Annalise crossed the street, hugging her work bag between her arm and her side. Lance ended the phone call and watched her approach, checking her out from head to toe with an odd gleaming in his eyes that Annalise had never seen before. His features relaxed into a smile as she drew abreast of him.“Right on time… I like this very much, especially in a woman.” Annalise nodded, not wanting to betray how out of breath she was from running towards their

She should have sat across the aisle from him, but that would be rude since he’d chosen to sit next to her. His nearness was slowly but surely killing her, though. His scent was driving her insane, and she could feel his heat. She took another sip from her glass. When Lance moved, his arm brushed against hers. ‘Damn it!’ she thought, ‘I can’t move... He would find out what I’m thinking… What his presence is doing to me… There’s no way to escape him’. But Annalise already knew deep inside that she didn’t really want to escape him. Just to defuse the tension building up inside her, Annalise thought to suggest they use the time on the flight to go over her ideas, but she couldn’t bring herself to have business intrude. Besides, Lance was looking so relaxed… Maybe they should talk about something else not work-related, or maybe… ‘Or maybe what, Annalise Walsh?’ she mentally shook herself. ‘Are you insane or what? This isn’t a romant

Her jaw practically dropped. Oh, but of course! Not only did Lance trick her big time, but he was also expecting her to continue this charade in his bed. Well, it will be a cold day in hell when she’ll let him touch her. She was here for one reason only: to convince Lance to sign with her agency. Rolling in the hay with him was never part of the deal. Annalise reached forward and snatched the key card from his grasp. Then, she spun on her heel and she almost ran down the hall. Staying in the same room together?! Sharing the same bed? Yeah, sure! Dream on, Lance, dream on! For what she cared, he could go and look for other accommodations or he could bunk with his brother. This way they will probably have a lot of time to talk about personal issues. Maybe they could compare notes on Guinevere. She jammed the card into the lock, listened for the snick, and then shoved it open. Annalise stepped inside and slammed the door in

Totally mesmerized, Lance kept watching the beautiful woman sitting sideways on the couch, her back against the arm and her knees doubled in front of her. Annalise looked comfortable and completely relaxed, which was more than he could have hoped for given how stupidly he had sprung the whole fake engagement thing on her. After her initial fury, though, she had calmed down and had taken it quite well. Annalise was extremely intelligent and funny, a few other qualities Lance liked in a woman, especially the woman he was interested in. Accepting to play this game at his side, agreeing to play the part of his fiancée, was no little thing for Annalise, but she understood his necessity and said yes. Lance was definitely attracted to Annalise sexually, but beyond that, he genuinely liked spending time with her. This was another reason why he pleaded with her to help him. ‘Just stay put, and let her be, man!’ Lance said to himself while admiring her. ‘Stay awa

Slowly, Annalise nodded. Her fingers went to her forehead and she dug them into her hair. Still, Lance could see them shaking, and Annalise swallowed again, her slim neck working with the effort. “Please, Lance,” she whispered. “I can’t do this. It’s the one thing I can’t do. It’s a promise I made to myself. So, don’t ask it of me. Look, if you want me to admit it, to admit I’m attracted to you, I will. If this could help you in some way... if this could ease the way you’re feeling, fine... I want you, Lance. More than I have ever wanted another man. More than I want my next breath.” Savage satisfaction gripped Lance. Didn’t just grip him but lunged for him and wrapped a hand around his throat and his groin. His entire body reacted to that simple statement. Annalise wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone else. She turned on the couch until she faced forward and her feet met the floor. She looked in turns miserable and scared. Her eyes were cl