Hammered Read Online Free

doing his deep breathing.
He was about to resume jogging at a more leisurely pace when a body crashed
into him. He staggered slightly, then turned to see who it was, what idiot
wasn’t paying attention.
    He recognized the auburn hair at once, although today it was
straggling from a ponytail, not shimmering in soft waves. And the perfect oval
of a face was devoid of makeup, although looking at it Alex wondered why she’d
ever bother using it. Even though she was dressed in shorts and a tank top
rather than office attire, he still recognized Olivia D’Angelo. And his heart
rate speeded up just like the first time he saw her.
    Men my age don’t fall in love at first sight.
    Yeah? Tell that to someone who believes it.
    “Oh!” She stopped and backed up. “I am so sorry.”She brushed
at the stray wisps of hair. “Alex, right? McMann?”
    Had she forgotten him so easily? The thought irritated him
more than it should have. After all, he was sure he was just one of many people
she interacted with during any given day. But he’d been so positive they made
an invisible connection that day.
    He took a step back and let his gaze roam over her, nearly
swallowing his tongue. In business clothes she’d been a delightful, tempting
package, perfectly balancing the personal and professional. But in a tank top
and running shorts, ponytail bouncing as she jogged in place, there was nothing
businesslike about her at all.
    The thin fabric of her top barely concealed the sports bra
beneath it. Alex would bet that under the restraining material her nipples had
hardened peaks. The shorts were cut high, revealing toned, shapely thighs. The
pulse at her throat was beating rapidly from exertion. He wished it were
beating from some other cause. And he wondered wildly if he’d sound crazy if he
said the scent of her sweat was turning him on.
    Stop it, you idiotic jerk. This is business, not pleasure.
    “Yes. Olivia.” Two could play at this game.
    The corners of her mouth tilted up in that mischievous grin
that he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind.
    “Livy,” she reminded him.
    “Right. Livy.” He frowned. “I didn’t realize you lived
around here.” Alex had a path he ran as often as he could, starting at his
house and winding through the older residential streets to a small park.
Sometimes he stopped at the Starbucks in the quaint little shopping center
about four blocks from his house.
    She swiped her forehead with her hand.
    “Actually, I don’t. A friend of mine has a house three
streets over from here. She’s out of town for the weekend so I’m dogsitting.”
She looked around. “Is this your street?”
    “No. I live on San Juan.” He grinned. “Near the Starbucks.”
    “That makes us practically neighbors for the weekend,” she
pointed out. “And speaking of Starbucks, can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
    He lifted an eyebrow. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”
    Livy laughed. “I’m not much into gender boundaries. Would
you feel better if you paid for the coffee?”
    Alex smiled at her. “Not at all. I’ll let a beautiful woman
pay for my coffee any day.”
    Watch it, buddy. Take it slow. Maybe you misread her the
other day. No sophomoric love crap. She’s the key to the biggest deal of your
life. Don’t kill it before it even gets out of the gate.
    “Good. Then lead the way.”
    He really wanted her to lead so he could watch the
sway of that beautiful ass. He was just glad his t-shirt was long enough to
hide his semi-erection that he was trying to wish away.
     
    Livy knew his eyes had taken in every detail of her body.
Her nipples had puckered under his scrutiny and there wasn’t much she could do
to hide them. She suddenly felt completely exposed in her jogging shorts and
tank and wondered if she should have worn something less revealing. The idea
was to loosen him up without seducing him and she definitely didn’t want to
give him the wrong impression. She wanted him to feel comfortable. To