Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge – SCOTT ADAMS

Alex thought himself to be cool in a crisis and unflappable even in the most bizarre situations. But Claire's murder had been a wake-up call. He had known the wagons were circling and he soon had to pay the price of saving his goddamn legacy, which was all he had left of his family. He just wasn't able to resign himself to the fact that the deal he'd made to save this once-failing company would cost him so much. Still a bargain had been made with the devil and the devil always got his due.

The kicker in all of this was that, somehow, since Cat had come storming back into his life, he didn't think he had breathed so deeply before or experienced the little joys of everyday life. Even though they were in this situation, all he could think about was doing little things that used to make him happy. He hadn't felt so alive, in so long that he had forgotten what it was like to actually be present in the moment.

There was no warning and Alex looked up to see Cat leisurely stroll in. It had only been a few hours since he'd allowed himself to be near her. She was wearing a tight white dress that stopped just above her knees, highlighting her amazing legs in nude-colored heels. He took in her toned body and the teasing of cropped lace that hid those perfectly luscious, high breasts. All Alex wanted to do was strip her naked, bend her over and splay her legs wide over his desk as he took her with all the insanity she aroused in him. Sanity took a high-dive out of his French windows as Alex leaned back and his erection grew tight against his trousers.

"You summoned me?" She spoke in a sweet voice dripping with acid.

Alex forced himself to concentrate on what she was saying. He had known when he'd sent Jason to get her that she wouldn't like it. But he hadn't liked not knowing where she was after he'd asked Mrs. Billings twice to get Cat on the line. She had to learn to deal with him. It was high time and he wasn't fooled for a second by her sweet-natured acting. He knew better than anyone the sting of the poison she could deliver.

"Since you weren't at your desk or answering your phone, I assumed you got lost on your way," he drawled in a composed manner designed to rile her.

"Nope, not lost. Just enjoying some coffee in the cafeteria. Or am I supposed to run by all my inane activities like eating, drinking by you?"

Now she was just baiting him and he hated how she got to him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Cat. Just listen-"

"No, you listen to me Michael Alexander James Knight, I am not some toy or your possession that you can just call for whenever you feel like it. I'm here to do a job the U.S. government is paying me for, which I admit, is not enough to put up with you. But still, I don't ask you where you disappear to in the middle of the day and late in the evenings, or about your shady behavior for the past week. You can't just order me around and send your lackeys to do your bidding. If you have something to say to me - you can damn well come to my office."

She was breathing green fire and looked all rosy and worked up from her rant. She hadn't even fully realized that he had come around the desk to stand before her. As she spun around to storm out he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her to him in a tight embrace.

"Are you done?"

"What are you doing? Let me go."

"Answer me. Are you done being mad? Do you feel better now?"

"No. I mean-"

She never got to complete her sentence as Alex's mouth devoured hers in a punishing kiss. Moving his lips over her, she gasped in stunned surprise which he took full advantage of. Thrusting his tongue against hers to mimic the most intimate act between a man and a woman, Alex tried to pour out all his frustration, anger and conflicted feelings in that kiss.

Swept in the flames of desire, Cat moaned and moved against him as she tried to free her hands that were trapped between their bodies when he'd caught her. Alex slid his hands down her hips and cupped her ass, moving her closer to the part of him that was growing with need. She moaned and slid her hands gently over his shoulders. Fisting Alex's soft hair in her hands, she mewled with so much fucking need that it drove him wild. He was ready to just push Cat's sexy dress up around her hips and take her right there on his desk when he slowly came back to his senses.

As they registered a rapid series of loud knocks on the door, he rested his forehead on hers for a moment trying to cool down.

"Looks like it's not the first time they're trying to get your attention," she whispered and untangled herself. Cat smoothly adjusted her dress and ran her hands over her hair as she moved to open the door. For one insane moment he wanted to grab her back in his arms and shout at whoever was at the door to not disturb him. Alex doubted he would've stopped if she'd remained standing beside him.

Not even if the world had been set on fire.