The Elliotts: Mixing Business with Pleasure: Billionaire's Proposition / Taking Care of Business / Cause for Scandal

Erika’s stomach growled again. Hunger won over suspicion. “No, no, no. Wouldn’t want it to go to waste.” She motioned him over to her desk. “What are you still doing here?”

“An editor’s work is never done,” he said. “You know that.”

She nodded and smiled, happy to put the desk between her and Gannon. “Can’t disagree. I’m not big on raw oysters. They’re all yours.”

“Working on my sperm count?” He shot her a half grin that made her heart clench.

“That wasn’t my first thought, but it’s not a bad idea, is it?” She pulled out two plastic spoons and some napkins.

Gannon pulled a leather chair closer to her desk and sat down. “Avocado with basil vinaigrette?” he said, offering the small tub to her.

“Sounds good,” she said and took a bite of one of the halves. “Delicious. I wonder what this has to do with aphro—”

“Symbolizes the male testicles,” he said and ate an oyster.

Erika swallowed a second bite along with a wave of self-consciousness. “Never thought of that,” she said and looked at the avocado. She finished her half and shrugged. “Who would have known?”

“Champagne?” he asked, opening the split of bubbly. At her nod he poured the liquid into each glass and read the attached note. “Says we’re supposed to drop a vanilla bean in here.”

“Why?”

“Something about a Mexican fertility goddess,” he said and took a swallow. “Not bad, but it can’t compete with Irish whiskey.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She inhaled the aroma of the vanilla and took a sip of the champagne. “Delicious. What’s in the little box marked perishable?”

Gannon opened it and looked inside. “Fresh fig.”

“Fresh?” Fresh figs were rare.

“Yep, and it’s mine,” he said, picking up the fruit and gently prying it open. “You know how a fig relates to the theme, don’t you?” he asked, nibbling at the pink inner flesh of the fruit.

Feeling a rush of heat, she cleared her throat. Watching him savor the swollen, ripe layers, she couldn’t help but visualize … “I can imagine.”

“A fig resembles the female—”

“I see,” she interrupted before he could finish.

“Genitals,” he said and licked his lips.

The expression in his eyes was frankly sexual, making her burn from the inside out. She felt her blood rush to tender places and pool. Her nipples felt achy against her bra. She fought the urge to wiggle in her chair. Why was he taunting her? What was he trying to prove?

She should stop this right now and tell him to take his sex food away. The lure of one food was too great. The fruit of revenge. “I’ll take a chocolate-covered banana.”

“Phallic symbol,” he said, and she felt his gaze linger on her as she took a large, indelicate bite.

“Very good chocolate and the banana is just right. Not too mushy,” she said and took another bite. Encouraged by the expression of fascination in his green gaze, she drew her tongue along the length of the chocolate-covered banana.

Gannon’s swift intake of breath was music to her ears. Closing her eyes, she took the banana in her mouth. “Mmm. This chocolate is delicious.” She opened her eyes. “Wanna bite?”

He audibly swallowed and looked into the box. “I think I’ll take the berries,” he said. “Strawberry and raspberry.” He met her gaze. “Nipple fruit.” He lifted a raspberry to his lips and sucked it into his mouth.

A searing memory of his mouth tugging at her nipples while he pumped inside her burned through her mind, stealing her breath. She felt the restlessness between her legs grow. She bit her lip, thinking she was out of her league with Gannon. She always had been.

She needed to back down from the game of sexual chicken. After one more bite, she thought and took the last bite of chocolate-covered banana. She licked her finger and caught him watching her again.

A tempting shot of triumph sizzled through her. At least he was as turned on as she was. He held up two sticks of licorice.

She blinked in surprise. “Licorice. I always thought of it as a kid food,” she said and took a bite.

“Chinese use the licorice root for medicine,” he said, glancing at the label. “It’s supposed to cause love and lust. Especially effective for women.”

The bite stuck in her throat. Gannon didn’t need all these foods. He was a powerful stimulant all by himself. She swallowed hard and smiled despite the arousal that raged through her like a hungry beast. “Well, I’ll have to see if it works.” She pointed at her watch. “I’m meeting a TDH for drinks in a half hour.”

He frowned. “TDH?”

“Oh, sorry,” she said, grabbing her coat and standing. She tossed the remains of their aphrodisiac feast into the box. “TDH is code for tall, dark and handsome.”

He stood, staring at her. “You’re meeting a man for drinks?”

She nodded. “I am.”

His frown deepened. “I thought you wanted me to—” he narrowed his eyes “—give you my sperm.”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I have to stop looking for Mr. Right. Thanks again for the snack,” she said. “You’re a lifesaver.”

Six

Gannon looked over Erika’s employment contract and glanced at his watch. After five. She would still be in her office. Deciding to deliver the agreement himself, he walked to her office and gave the door a quick rap before entering.

She glanced up from her desk, and he immediately felt a kick in his gut just from meeting her gaze. Closing the door behind him, he strolled toward her and gently tossed the contract onto her desk. “I told you we would have a quick turnaround on this.”

She picked up the agreement and scanned it, then met his gaze again. “That was fast.”

“We can discuss any questions you have about it over dinner,” he said.

Her gaze fell away. “Oh, I think I’ll look at it first and just ask my questions tomorrow. In the office.”

“Afraid to have dinner with me?” he asked. Something about her made him want to get under her skin, make her react to him.

She looked up at him again. “Not afraid. I just want to be careful.”

“If you’re concerned about gossip, we can—”

She lifted her hand. “We did a lot of hiding last time around.”

His chest squeezed at the sliver of hurt that came and went in her eyes. “Our feelings for each other were private. I was determined to keep it that way.” He remembered feeling protective almost to the point of selfishness about his time with Erika.

“That didn’t quite work out, though, did it,” she said more than asked with a wry smile.