The Cowboy's Temptation Page 0,3

Jim,” she said cautiously but making sure her face was completely blank. She didn’t want to encourage him in any way but she also didn’t want to show him her revulsion over his apparent lack of morals.

“You could return the compliment,” he half-joked.

Elissa flushed, not sure how to get out of this conversation. “Jim, you know you’re a very handsome man. But I’m in a relationship.”

“I heard that was over,” he said, raising one brow as a challenge to dispute his information.

Elissa was instantly furious. How could everyone know about her breakup with Derrel only days after it had happened? She supposed Derrel had complained to too many people. He wasn’t a very private person, unlike herself. “That’s correct. But I’m not ready to jump into the next relationship just yet.”

Jim smiled his best smile. “Well, how about just a one night stand, sort of a celebration on having such a good day? I think we could be very good together.” He leaned towards her, his eyes taking on an intense look.

Elissa shook her head, carefully saying, “Jim, I’m flattered, but I don’t think tonight is a very good idea.” She stood up and walked across her office, wanting to put some distance between the two of them, not wanting to repeat the incident earlier in the day with Darrel.

He followed her but, thankfully, didn’t trap her into a corner. “Why not? You’re here, I’m here. We don’t have anyone waiting for us. It has been a long day,” he said, and his hand slid down her arm in a caress that sent shivers of revulsion down Elissa’s spine. “Why don’t we take care of each other?”

Elissa didn’t know how to get out of the situation and thankfully, her phone rang just at that moment. “Excuse me,” she said and held up a finger indicating that he should wait just a moment.

“Elissa Stone,” She said to the receiver.

“Lissy?” a familiar voice at the other end of the line said. As soon as Elissa heard the nickname, a new kind of panic entered her system.

“Ronny?” Elissa said and walked back around her desk, moving to avoid Jim who had moved to stand directly behind her. “Are you okay? How are the babies? What’s wrong?”

The joyous laughter on the other end of the phone line instantly filled Elissa with relief. “Lissy, nothing’s wrong except a huge amount of heartburn that’s keeping me awake. I was afraid I would catch you still at the office. Do you have any idea what time it is?” her friend asked.

Veronica Williams had been Elissa’s roommate in college and they had remained best friends ever since. Veronica was expecting twins after years of trying to conceive. Elissa glanced at her computer screen and sighed. “Yes. So what are you doing up at midnight? Shouldn’t you be sleeping and taking care of those babies? What aren’t you telling me?” Elissa demanded.

Jim shook his head and raised his hand to his ear with his thumb sticking up, a sign for her to call him when she was done with her phone call. Elissa breathed a sigh of relief when he walked out of her office and headed back to his own office at the other end of the building.

Veronica continued, unaware of the tension she’d banished with her phone call. “I promise Lissy, nothing is wrong. I just wanted to talk to you. You haven’t been yourself lately and I wanted to see what is going on.”

Elissa fell back into her chair and put her forehead into the palm of her hand. “Oh, Ronny. Things are just too complicated,” She said, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out over her tightly clenched eyes.

“Talk to me, Lissy,” Veronica said through the phone, the worry coming through the night. “What’s going on.”

“It’s a long story,” Elissa said and sniffed back her tears.

“Then tell me why you are still working at three o’clock in the morning. How many nights have you worked until this time during the week?”

“I was working with a client,” she explained, not bothering to count how many times that excuse was applicable over the past week or month.

Veronica sighed heavily. “Lissy, you need a break. I’m not going to put any more demands on you. It sounds like you have enough already. But I just got high speed internet service installed in the cabin Jake is lending me while you’re here for the babies’ delivery. The cabin is right next to our house and