Nudging her legs apart, he stepped between them. He resented any distance between them.
Their mouths slanted together, and he slid an arm around her and pulled her closer. Her breasts were flush against his chest.
She gasped into his mouth. Damn, he wanted to hear that exact sound when he was deep inside her.
Their tongues tangled, a private little war, both of them trying to get as much of each other as they could. One of her hands tugged his tie loose, then her mouth was on his neck.
Damn.
Desire was like molten metal in his veins—scorching hot. It all headed south to his throbbing cock.
Aspen licked his skin, then bit down. Liam groaned, gripped her hips and pulled her closer. As his cock pressed against her core, she moaned.
He hated the layers of clothes between them.
That’s when the ringing sound registered. For a second, he thought it was just his overwhelmed senses.
Then he heard Penn curse.
She pushed him back a step, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.
“Erica, I’m here.”
Dragging in air, Liam stepped back.
Penn slipped off the table and started pacing. “Yes, I’m with him now.” She turned away, murmuring to her friend. No doubt updating Erica on what had happened.
Aspen Chandler.
Penn suited her, but so did Aspen. Liam leaned back against his desk, trying to get his raging erection under control.
“We’re at Liam’s office.” She flicked a glance his way, and her gaze dropped. When she noted the bulge in the front of his suit pants, her cheeks turned pink.
A private investigator who blushed. Fascinating.
“Are you going to mention what we were doing?” Liam asked.
She shot him a look. “Yes, I promise we’re fine. No, this isn’t your fault. Erica, you need to stay calm.”
Liam crossed his ankles. “Please ask her to come up here. We’ll discuss a path forward.”
Aspen turned to face him. “Liam wants you to come up here. Yes, we’ll see you soon.” She ended the call. “She’s on her way up.”
Liam inclined his head.
“We’ll bring you up to speed on the investigation, and then we need to decide on a path forward.”
“Penn… Or should I call you Aspen now?”
“It needs to be Penn in public.”
“So, Penn in public, and Aspen in private.” He pushed away from the desk. “We need to talk. About what just happened on my desk.”
Her cheeks went pink again. “That can’t happen again.”
“Oh, it’s going to happen again. Repeatedly.”
She held up a hand. “You are a person of interest in my investigation—”
“I’m not involved with this crime gang.”
“I know that, but you’re their focus. I need to get Jake back, all while I keep you safe, and bring down Nexus.”
“Bring down Nexus?”
She swallowed. “I never wanted to see you or your family get hurt, and if I can, I want to stop them from hurting anyone else. My first priority is getting Jake home safely, but in the meantime, I’ve been collecting everything I can on Nexus. My plan is to turn it over to the authorities.”
God, he’d been so wrong about her.
“I can’t afford to muddy the waters, or my head.” She blew out a breath. “And you’re a man designed to turn a woman’s head, and better judgment, to mush.”
He smiled. “Glad to see I’m not alone. You make my control evaporate with a single look.”
“Liam—”
“I get it, Aspen. A man’s in danger, and you have a job to do.” He stepped closer and heard her sharp breath. “But I know you feel this…connection. I feel it, you feel it. I’m not walking away from that. And I’m also not a man to stand by while assholes try to take advantage of me and my family. So, I will be involved with this investigation. Every step of the way.”
She stared at him.
The phone on his desk buzzed, and Liam circled the desk and hit the button. “Yes?”
“Liam, Mrs. Knox from Human Resources is here to see you,” Eleanor said. “She doesn’t have an appointment.”
“That’s fine, please send her in.”
A moment later, Erica entered Liam’s office. She wore a flowing, floral dress with knee-high boots, and Liam had never seen the redhead look so pale.
“Mr. Kensington, I’m so, so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.” She clasped her hands together.
He moved toward her. “It’s all right, Erica. I’m so sorry about your husband. Unfortunately, my success makes me a target.” He took her hands. “I’m sorry you got caught up in this.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I just want Jake back safely.”
“We’re going to make that happen.”
“I see you officially met Aspen,” Erica said, with a small, watery smile.
Liam smiled in return and looked at Aspen. “I did. It came as a surprise, although I was very pleased to know that she wasn’t actually a blackmailer.”
“Nexus is dangerous,” Aspen said. “We have to find a way to get Jake free.”
Liam nodded. “And I don’t want those photos to get released. If we work together, I think we might be able to sort this out.”
Aspen glanced at Erica, then back at him. “This gang’s already killed, Liam, and they’re not afraid to do it again.”
Liam’s gut hardened. “I got that when they shot at us today.” He met her gaze. “Aspen, we’ll need to work very, very closely together.”
Behind Erica’s back, Aspen shot him a look.
Aspen
I watched Erica leave and turned back to Liam.
He was standing by the windows, lean body silhouetted by the light, and Manhattan a magnificent backdrop.
He looked every inch the billionaire businessman.
He also looked edible.
I pushed the punch of simmering desire down low. I couldn’t afford to let the attraction grow.
I had to bring Jake home and find a way to bring Nexus down.
“So,” I said.
He turned. “So.”
I dropped into one of the guest chairs in front of his big desk. “We need to work out why Nexus wants that land.”
Liam touched the phone on his desk. “Eleanor, pull the file on the Borden property in the Bronx, please.”
“Sure thing, Liam.”
“It’s a decrepit warehouse.” He leaned a hip against his desk. “The land is valuable, of course, but I’m guessing Nexus isn’t in construction or development.”
I frowned, tapping my nails on the arm of the chair. “No. They usually go for a quick win, like blackmail and demanding money.” My stomach churned.
There was a knock at the door, and Eleanor entered.
“Here’s the file.” Liam’s assistant glanced at me, her gaze the perfect blend of curious and suspicious.
“Thank you,” Liam said.
After Eleanor left, he sat at his desk and flicked through the file. I circled around and leaned over his shoulder.
“The warehouse originally dates from the Prohibition era. Through the years it’s been home to various businesses; the last one was a shoe factory.”