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Throughout the evening, Taryn was introduced to some of Cole’s friends from his youth When they were alone, they talked about work, but neither broached the subject of that dance Or of that near-miss kiss

It was as if they’d both silently agreed never to et it had ever happened Only Taryn doubted she could ever forget that swirling giddy feeling of surrender The pull at her core was near impossible to resist If she hadn’t experienced the sensation for herself, she simply wouldn’t have believed it existed

But Cole was her boss The future of her beloved project lay in his hands Her physical side ed for his mouth to cover hersfor him to sweep her up and away somewhere ultraprivate Her rational side, however, warned that clearly she was losing her ot involved, the lines would be forever blurred It was bad enough fighting to keep hi her out of Hunters on her ear How much worse to be sacked and left to rot by so, to say the least

The folloeek at work, although they were pleasant and spoke, neither she nor Cole discussed that evening When Fridayrolled around - the day they were scheduled to fly out - Taryn was excited This was an i her show actually on the air She was also near paralyzed with dread and fear What if Cole got too close again? Forget that Given her reaction when he’d held her on that dance floor, what if at some point she lost all reason and tried to kiss hi, Taryn had come to a conclusion One step at a tiic over her - if she felt as if she wanted to be seduced - she would cross that burning bridge when she came to it

At 9:00 a ly sexy in a pair of dark blue jeans, Cole spotted her luggage waiting in the foyer

"That’s one serious-looking suitcase We’re only away for two days, right?"

Cole had insisted he drive them to the airport He was here thirty minutes early, but she wasn’t ready to leave just yet She wasn’t particularly co her finish up here, either

Dragging her gaze away fro of his shirt, she headed off with his to tidy up before we leave"

In the kitchen, she pulled a bag of cat biscuits from the pantry while Cole strolled over to her Formica counter

"You have a cat?"

"She’s notit?" he asked as she set the food bon outside the back door and brought the water bowl in for a refill

"It has a nas now?"

"She’s a stray But she’s yellow and fluffy like a vanilla cake" Muffin just seemed to fit She crossed back over to place the fresh water outside, too "She’s close to giving birth"

"Well, do you think you should encourage her?"

She sent him a look "I can’t just leave her and her kittens to starve, or be picked off by birds and snakes I’d bundle her up and take her to the vet if I could get close enough Even with her big belly, she’s too quick to catch"

"Maybe she’s a free spirit" He shrugged "Maybe she doesn’t want a ho to Vi last week But her aunt was right No one, and that included a cat, chose to be without someplace to feel safe and war the door, Cole’s cell phone beeped He spoke for a couple of htful, slotted the phone away

Moving to the sink, she asked, "So up at the station?"

"No That was Brandon checking in"

"More news on your father’s situation?"

The sleeves of Cole’s casual white button-doere rolled to below the elbo he rested two bronzed forearms horizontal on the counter and absently rotated the platinu one wrist, a habit that, she’d noticed, he’d inherited froe chased in front of that car had a gripe with Hunter Enterprises News division A year ago he spoke with one of our reporters about a financial institution e The editor didn’t pick up the story When the man’s home went under, he decided to bla else reround" He rotated the watchband again "His wife had left hirown-up, moved away"

To Taryn’s mind that made the situation all the worse Sounded like that man had no one to turn to, no one to listen Maybe he felt he had nothing to live for, whichunder a car" part of the story more believable All his problems were over now

At the meals table, she collected a vase then crossed to drop dried bloo flowers for their perfuence She only wished they lasted longer

Cole had strolled over to aDrawing back the curtain, he scanned the scene outside Was he looking for the cat, or sounman didn’t have a psychiatric history" He dropped the curtain "Guess tough ti out the worst in us all"

Perhaps, but, "People have choices"

His srity"