This version made it impossible.

Forcing herself to stay still and not climb onto his lap to purr louder than her cat, Lucifer, did when she groomed him, she crossed her arms. “Not quite what I had in mind.”

“Pity.” He gave her a darker, even more seductive look that made butterflies take off in her stomach and explode midflight. “What did you have in mind, then?”

“Me.” She crept closer. “You.” Leaning across his desk, she grabbed his tie and tugged him to his feet. The way he watched her, all hot and possessive, made her thighs quiver. “Leaving, together, in front of the whole office. The rest is a secret that you’ll find out about when we get downstairs to our limo.”

He cocked a brow. “You hired a limo?”

“Nah.” She smiled and pulled him out from behind his desk by his tie. He came willingly, a barely leashed wildness emanating from every single muscle in his body. She swallowed hard, thinking that maybe, just maybe, she’d bitten off more than she could chew with Benjamin Gale. “I called your butler, and he told your driver to be waiting for us.”

He gripped her hip, stepping into her personal space while not technically breaking any of the rules she’d laid out. “How did you get William’s number?”

“I’m just that good.” She yanked his tie one last time before letting go, trying her best to ignore the annoying voice inside of her that screamed for her to kiss him. “Now get your coat. We’re leaving this office, hand in hand, so they see us being super cute.”

He adjusted his abused tie, eyeing her. “You’re being bossy. I kind of like it. It’s hot.”

She shot him a flirtatious smile, saying nothing. She was too busy trying to resist him to be witty.

He shrugged into his dark grey pea coat, never tearing his eyes off her, and a smile lit up his face. When he smiled, he chipped away at every defense she had in place against him. Lucky for her, he hadn’t seemed to figure that out yet. “Are we going to get through this date without you running away again, or should I change into sneakers, just in case?”

“You never know.” She walked up to him and held on to his jacket, staring up at him through her lashes. “We’ll see how tonight goes.”

“So this is a test?” Benjamin grinned and gripped her chin, tipping her face up to his. “If so, I intend to pass with flying colors. I don’t like failing.”

“I’m sure you don’t.” His mother had said almost the same exact thing, but she didn’t point that out. “Which is why you’re doomed for disappointment going up against me.”

He came closer. “Have I told you how gorgeous you look today, Maggie? That red blouse really brings out the gray in your eyes.”

Her heart fluttered, and she bit back a smile at his charming flirtation. His hold on her chin burned her skin and made her insides all jittery. She tried to hide that from him. He didn’t need any more ammunition against her. “I don’t have gray eyes.”

“Sure you do.” He tipped her face to his a little more. “But up close, when you smile, or try not to smile like you’re doing right now, there are tiny little specks of blue, too. I plan on seeing those blue specks a lot in our time together. I discovered something about myself the other night. I like making you smile more than I like anything.”

She took a deep breath, holding it in. She had no idea what to say to that. He’d literally rendered her speechless, making her doubt her ability to maintain her businesslike approach to this engagement, and they hadn’t even left his office yet. “Benjamin…”

“Yes?” he asked, reaching out slowly and curling his hand securely around her nape. Then he lowered his head to hers. His lips were so close. Close enough that all it would take was a quick push from her heels, and she’d have what she wanted from him so badly, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. He held himself back, clearly waiting for her to give him a sign if his kiss was welcome or not. And that was the problem—it was. “What is it you need, darling?”

Oh, crap. He was pulling out nicknames now. She was so screwed. “Why do you keep calling me darling?”

“That’s what you are to me.” He lifted a shoulder and ran his thumb along her jaw. “And it seemed like a good fit. I was right. It feels good.”

“Yeah…it does.” And so did he, but she needed to keep her head on straight. She tugged free. He didn’t let go right away. “But no one’s in here, so there’s no reason for us to kiss, right?”

“Right. Of course.” His grip tightened for a second, and he pressed his mouth into a tight line, but then he let go. “Sorry.”

She missed his touch immediately, but it was for the best. After she’d fought so hard to get it, she wasn’t going to lose everything over a pretty face—although, to be fair, it wasn’t just his face that had her swooning. It was everything—his smile, the way he slowly warmed up to her, and how he treated her differently than everyone else he interacted with. How he made her feel special with a simple smile or kind gesture. “Okay, so when we go out there, we’ll go to my desk, and I’ll grab my jacket. You take it from me, and help me put it on. I guess a soft kiss for their benefit will be permitted.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, his voice deeper than ever before.

She hesitated. “It’s not that I don’t want to kiss you, Benjamin. It’s that I do.”

He didn’t say anything to that, just stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

But she knew herself better than he did, and she didn’t want to risk getting her heart broken over a guy who could never be hers for real. Not in a million years. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t become friends…hence this date she was taking him on.

From what she’d seen, and what he’d said, he was a loner. He never went out with the guys, or had a buddy drop by to say hi. To the best of her knowledge, he didn’t have any friends at all. He needed a friend more than he needed yet another lover.

She had a feeling he didn’t hurt in that area of his life.

He flexed his jaw, enfolded her hand in his, opened the office door, and inclined his head to the waiting office—which was still half filled with people packing up for the day. “Ladies first.”

“Don’t forget. Jacket, help, chaste kiss.”

He nodded and repeated, “Yes, ma’am.”

After taking a deep breath, she headed straight for her desk and grabbed her jacket as planned. The second she picked it up, he took it. “Please. Let me help you with that, darling,” he said, deadpan.

People exchanged looks. They seemed less than impressed. If he kept up this emotionless acting, they could quit the charade right here and now. She shot him a frown as she slid her hands into the arms of her coat. “Thanks, Benji.”

He choked and turned red. “What the hell? Never call me that ag—”

Grabbing his coat lapels before he blew everything she was trying to accomplish, she kissed him. His arms immediately closed around her. As with the last time, he snatched control of the kiss, commanding it and her to his will.

He seized her hips and yanked her closer to his body. A soft moan escaped her, because an impressively hard bulge pressed against her stomach, and she couldn’t help it. She wanted him, despite all logic and reason telling her to keep her distance.

And if they had been alone, she might just have taken him.

Which was why they couldn’t kiss in private. She obviously had no self-control when it came to Benjamin Gale. The first step to overcoming an obstacle was admitting to it…or however that cliché went. And her problem was Benjamin Gale.

She needed to get over it.

Tilting his head, he slanted his mouth across hers and teased her, running his tongue across her tightly sealed lips. She shouldn’t let him—oh, screw it. She was opening her mouth and kissing him. Logic could kiss her butt. But when she gave him what he wanted, he pulled back, ending it without entering her mouth.