Book Excerpt:
Talking About Sex

Jess paused and cleared his throat. “I think you’re still upset with me about prom night.”
“Of course I’m not,” Katie lied. “That was ages ago.” And she could still remember the thrill of parking with Jess. Her body remembered, too.
His eyes narrowed. “But your attack tonight was against me, not the construction project. Don’t tell me you honestly believe I’m building a high-rise because I have sexual hangups?”
She felt backed into a corner and said the first thing that occurred to her. “It’s always possible, isn’t it? Not that I care any more, but I have personal knowledge that you won’t finish what you start.”
He took a step closer. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I most certainly do.” She refused to retreat and let him see that he was intimidating her.
With the kind of sexuality Jess projected she didn’t really believe he was compensating for anything by constructing that building. To be completely honest, she might have hoped that tweaking his male ego would bring exactly this result — Jess to her doorstep.
He moved even closer and his voice deepened. “Look, contrary to what you might think, contrary to what happened thirteen years ago, I don’t have a problem with sex.”
“Couldn’t prove it by me.” She could barely breathe, but what little inhaling she was able to do brought with it a heady combo of spicy aftershave and fresh soap. Her nose remembered how good he used to smell.
“What exactly do you want from me, Katie?”
She wanted him to kiss her, which was really stupid. What would that accomplish? “I want you to stop construction.”
“That’s not going to happen, and you know it. You and VOR lost the fight. The building’s going up, and taunting me isn’t going to change a thing.”
“Public opinion can be a powerful force. I’m working to sway it in my direction.”
“Good luck. I plan to erect that building.”
She had to white knuckle the chair to keep from reaching for him. “Can you hear yourself? You plan to erect that building. If that isn’t sexual symbolism, I don’t know what is.”
“It’s only a building.” Heat flashed in his eyes. “This is sex.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her, hard.