This was a mistake. A huge mistake. Liv pretended she was reading Owen’s resume when she was really thinking of how great it would feel to have him bend her over the desk and fuck her.

She pinched her leg and it seemed to do the trick of focusing her to manage the task at hand. Liv was the boss and she tried to behave like one, even if she did want to crawl toward him and give him the best blow job he’d ever received.

“Personal favors aren’t required, Mr. Griffin.” That sentence evoked a multitude of sexy visions to erupt in her head. She carried on regardless. “But we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement if you’re in agreement?”

A smile tipped his mouth into something delectable and blood rushed straight to her already sensitive nipples. “I’m listening.”

Liv looked down at his resume, measuring the right words for her suggestion. At last she looked up. Owen hadn’t moved and was still watching her intently.

“I’m going to offer you a temporary position here with Hanover Homes—”

“Thank you. You won’t regret it—”

“I might if you keep on interrupting me. You don’t know my terms yet.” She smiled, to soften her words. They didn’t call her the boss-lady for nothing.

“Sorry.” Owen’s dimples came out as he attempted to squash down his amusement. The very dimples she’d fantasized over when she was younger.

“Mr. Hanover Jr. And Sr. are strict on who they employ at this company. From past experience, I know they won’t be too impressed if they find out you’ve stripped for money.” She let that sit between them for a second, watching Owen’s amusement fade. “What I can do, is try and keep that little piece of information on the downlow. I know you’re serious about working here, and I do believe what you don’t know you’ll learn quick enough.” And it certainly wouldn’t hurt her promotion chances if she managed to bring in this project on time and within budget, despite the various problems they’d experienced recently. If Owen could help her do that, then all the better.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you. It means more than you know to have this opportunity.” Joking and sexy Owen had disappeared. He seemed sincere and honest in his gratitude.

“I need one thing from you.”

“Anything. You name it.”

Liv hesitated again. This was ridiculous, wasn’t it? It was bad enough she was employing her one night stand and her brother’s best friend when he had no idea who she was. But asking this? It wasn’t her intention when she picked his resume from the pile, to interview, but if he was offering favors….

Crossing the line was definitely on her mind, here. She got up from the desk, pushing her large, plush leather chair back. Glancing out the window at the beautiful mountain view, she double checked her logic on this one.

Owen should have been kept in that secret little box next to her vibrator, under her bed. Yet here he was, sitting across the room from her, delighting her senses and bigger than life—and yes, she knew how big he was from recent experience. She was about to ask him a huge favor. And she would need to keep lying to him about her identity.

Liv bit on her lip, knowing her previously immaculate lipstick was all but gone, but not caring. She thought about her next words very carefully before speaking.

“I need a date for a wedding.” The words came out in a rush and she reluctantly turned to face him. “I need to go for personal reasons, and I need a date. A hot one.”

Owen smiled, showing white straight teeth, and it might have made her squeeze her thighs a little closer together as she stood there. What was it with this guy? Did he have any idea what he was doing to her simply by smiling? She was a lusty wreck, that was what she was.

“Okay."

Liv blinked. “What, just like that?”

“Of course. You’ve done me a big favor. I’m happy to do it.” She let out a sigh of relief and smiled, shyly. “I think meeting you the other night was fate. My luck has definitely changed.”

Guilt ran right alongside blood, through her veins, tinged with a large helping of regret. She should have come clean about herself the other night. Now, she was getting in deeper every time she opened her mouth.

Fuckity, fuckity, fuck.

She wanted him so much but this was a mistake to turn pleasure into business. He stood to face her and she had to look up into his handsome face, despite her heels. Owen smiled and held out his hand for her to shake. After a moment’s pause, she took it in hers.

Liv’s skin instantly went to inferno and a blush deepened the color on her skin. Was it obvious? Did he catch the hitch in her breath and the flush of desire?

This wasn’t a good idea. Absolutely not. Yeah, he might be exactly what she needed here at Hanover Homes since her last site foreman had upped and quit on her, but this was not what her heart wanted. In the slightest. Liv ignored the small voice of protest that told her she was absolutely wrong in that assumption.

“It’s a deal,” Owen belatedly said. A large smile cracked his serious expression and she had to fight not to reciprocate. He was so damn cute—she’d always been mush around him.

All she needed to do was keep the pretense up a little longer, then she’d come clean. No harm, no foul, but with one night she would never forget. The urge was strong to lead him around the table, sit him in her comfy chair, climb on top and fuck his brains out.

At last, Owen dropped her hand and took a step back, and Liv was grateful that he still had his head on his shoulders and not in his trousers. Unlike her.

Maybe this would work out, after all.

* * *

Liv had managed to dodge Owen for almost two weeks.

He’d been put in charge of one of their major renovations, and it was keeping him busy. A couple of times he’d rung her and she’d made sure she was all business. Now that he was officially working for Hanover, they had to be careful to keep their relationship completely professional and not let on to the powers that be that there had been any extracurricular activity. After all, they frowned upon interpersonal partnerships within the company. The last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize that much coveted promotion she’d been after for months.

This also gave her some much needed confidence to feel she could handle her feelings for Owen and the situation they’d found themselves in. Of course, she hadn’t seen him to put this new-found kick-ass ninja-ness to the test, so she was reserving judgment on that one.

“Mary, have I got any messages?” Standing in front of her assistant at almost 4.55pm, she knew she still had a couple of hours at the office to catch up. It was a hectic time—she was personally in charge of three development plus Owen’s build.

“Five telephone messages. Only one needs a reply this evening.” Her assistant, as efficient as ever, passed over a handful of correspondence and her messages. “Oh, and you have another message from the new site foreman. He needs your input on something down on site. He didn’t elaborate.”

Liv froze in mid-sort through of her mail. It had to be Owen. He was the only new guy. Instantly nausea hit her before disappearing as fast as it came.

“Everything okay? You look a little pale.”

Looking down into her friend’s concerned face, Liv nodded slowly before forcing a smile to her face. It wasn’t unusual for her to be on site, overseeing contractual negotiations and meeting clients. This would be a piece of cake, wouldn’t it?

“Sure, it’s been a long day.” Did Mary notice she was gripping the desk? Her nails digging in like claws? If she did, it wasn’t mentioned.

After a few seconds, the older woman nodded and looked back down to her computer. “Well, if you’ve got nothing else for me, I’ll slip away. Norman and I have a dinner date.”

Liv nodded as she listened with one ear to her assistant’s plans for the evening.

At last she was alone and it was all she could do to make it to her office and sit on the chair.

“What’s wrong with me?” Liv asked her reflection in the window. “This should be easy. I’m a fucking adult, and I’m hiding in my office because I don’t want to see the man I let screw me against his truck, and then made a deal with to make me look good at my ex-fiancé’s wedding.” Putting it like that, she was definitely using Owen—something she was very annoyed at herself for doing. It hadn’t been her intention. The quicker the wedding arrived, the quicker she could come clean and they could get on with their separate lives.

It took her almost an hour to finish up in her office. The tasks probably could have been completed in about twenty minutes, but she was trying to psyche herself up and distracting herself at the same time.

Liv could have picked up the phone and insisted they discuss things with a wide distance between them—it was the smart thing to do—but no one could describe her as being smart, especially not when she let her libido talk her into things. Instead, she decided to take a trip down to the building site where she knew Owen would still be working for another hour or two. Or according to reports she’d been receiving, he would be. Keeping tabs on the newest employee was part of her job. It was only that, with Owen, she was overly eager to find out all the details. He was eager to make a good impression, apparently. “I’m his boss. I can do this,” she quietly chanted as stepped onto the site. It was after six pm and there was ample light left to navigate the uneven ground out front. There was no one around, and she was grateful for that fact. As was her usual routine, she changed into her personal work boots, hi-vis jacket, and safety hat before stepping out of her car. She was nothing if not prepared for all business. Slowly she made her way up the eight flights of stairs, out of breath and glad for the physical pain to take her mind off seeing Owen again.

He was right where she expected to see him. Standing in front of a large make-shift desk, he pored over an oversized set of drawings. Owen glanced up as she stopped in front of him.

Tight, paint splattered jeans hugged his thighs, scruffy, large work boots, and a white t-shirt that hugged his chest. He’d discarded his security hat and jacket on the desk, and she had to admit he looked damned good. Too good. Why was she putting herself through this?

“Hey,” she said as she noticed his gaze slip lower over her body. Her nipples tightened into hard buds.

“Hey yourself.” Long moments of silence stretched out between them. Liv wanted one of the power tools to spring to life and put her out of her misery. No such luck. “I got a message to say you wanted to go over something with me. Is there a problem with the schedule? Or one of the sub-contractors?”

Owen shook his head. He stretched out his arms, almost as if reaching for the high ceiling, and Liv’s gaze dropped to the inch of skin exposed at the top of his jeans. If she was to reach out, she’d be able to trace that line of hair straight down into—

“I wanted to see you because you’ve been dodging me. Why are you keeping your distance, Liv? I thought we were good.” Owen stepped toward her, closing in on her personal space. If ever there was a time she was totally aware of being alone on a half-finished apartment block with the man of her dreams, this was it.

Was there less oxygen in the room, suddenly, or was it her? She gripped the side of the table and prayed she could hold it together and not offer herself to him, right there on the dusty floor.

The chances were pretty low.