Hello Everyone! Sorry if I kept you waiting. I know you're all excited about the whole 'kissing' thing that Matt and Mimi did on the previous chapter. I should've updated sooner, but I had to study for an exam so it took a while. Anyways, I had it yesterday so I'm free for the couple weeks.

I'd like to warn everyone that this chapter contains materials not suitable for young children…as well as to those who don't enjoy reading intimate, sensual stuff, and anything relating or involving to sex.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter TEN

Matt didn't intend to kiss her. It was an impulsive move…spurred by the tension of their disagreement, of watching her bite on her rosy lip. She'd gotten him all worked up until, as he'd told her, he just couldn't take any more.

But as soon as his mouth closed over hers, Matt knew that kissing Mimi was one of the smartest things he'd ever done in his life.

The lips quivering beneath his were unbelievably soft. She tasted unbelievably sweet. He wrapped his arms around her slim waist, pulling her closer, then closer still, reveling in the feel of her slender body pressed against his.

He groaned, deep in his throat, as the amazing thought…this is Mimi!…kept echoing in his mind.

It felt so natural, and yet so strange, to hold her like this. He knew the feel of her…he'd put his arm across her shoulders, placed his hand behind her back hundreds of times. But he'd never felt her breasts crushed against his chest. Realized how small her waist was between his hands.

He lifted his head to look down at her. Her eyes were shut. Her dark lashes lay against her pink cheeks. Her mouth was swollen, moist and half-parted, inviting more kisses. She stirred drowsily, moving against him, and desire burned hotter.

Sliding a hand through her silky hair, he cupper her head, holding her still as he brought his mouth back to hers. He kissed the corners then nibbled gently on the lower lip. He traced the subtle curve with his tongue, then angled his head to kiss her more deeply, easing her lips apart.

He explored her mouth, wanting to discover all her tender secrets, to eat her up. He teased her shy tongue, coaxing her to play, and for a second, she resisted. Then, with a small moan, she melted against him. Her slim arms stole up around his neck to cling tightly as she tentatively returned the intimate caress. He could feel those four small buttons pressing into his chest, and the buttons of her nipples as well.

Matt's body grew harder in response. He stifled a groan. He kissed dozens of women in his life, but none had ever felt so right…so perfect in his arms.

Because this was Mimi…

Oh, damn…Matt was kissing her! The thought kept ricocheting through Mimi's mind as he leisurely…thoroughly…explored her mouth. She felt dizzy, weightless. Her breathing was ragged and shallow. He tasted so good. The arms around her were so strong. His hold was firm, almost rough, but still she wanted to be closer.

He lifted his mouth from hers, and her head lolled, falling against his shoulder. She could feel his lips moving across her cheeks, following the line of her jaw to her neck. She moaned as he kissed her gently just beneath her ear. Her eyes stayed shut.

She didn't want to see…she only wanted to feel, to savor the feeling building inside her. The yearning ache tightening like a spring low in her belly as his mouth returned to hers. He was so hot…radiating a heat that burned right through his shirt, right through her suit. Right through her skin. And yet she shivered as his hand stroked down her back in a slow, lulling caress over her red suit.

Blindly, she lifted her hand to stroke his face, her fingertips tingling at the raspy feel of his jaw. She threaded her fingers through his hair, combing it back, enjoying the way the soft strands tickled as they slid between her fingers. His shoulders were so broad, his chest so hard and muscular. She'd kissed a few men in her life…none had ever made her feel like this. As if her legs had turned to jelly, and the only thing holding her up was her desperate clasp around his neck and his strong arm locked around her waist.

His mouth drew on hers. This time his kiss was so deep it stole her breath, her thoughts, until all she was conscious of was him.

Matt. Consuming her…burning her up with desire.

He ran a seeking, insistent hand over her hip and up to her waist. Her breasts rubbed against his chest with each movement of his body, and the subtle friction made her nipples peak sharply. The need for him to touch her there kept building…growing…until, when his thumb finally stroked her nipple, she almost convulsed in urgent relief.

"No," she moaned, breaking away.

She backed away unsteadily, bumping into her desk. She leaned on it, lifting a hand to cover her eyes as they fluttered open. The light hurt them. The sight of Matt's face hurt, too.

He looked like a stranger. Beneath heavy lids his dark gaze was intent, hungry. His skin was flushed, pulled tautly over his strong bones as he reached out for her. "Mimi…"

"No!" she said again, evading his hands.

He paused, his brows drawing down in a frown, his mouth tightening. His lips looked swollen and red. Mimi knew hers must be, too. Her lips felt numb as she said, "I don't want this."

The words were tagged, her chest was heaving as if she'd just run a race. She gulped in air, trying to steady her voice as she forced herself to meet his gaze. "This is just a game to you…one that I refuse to play. I won't be one of your women."

He didn't move. He didn't need to. He just stood there, the hungry passion in his eyes a more persuasive argument than words could ever be.

But he wasn't going to destroy her resolve; she'd come too far to let that happen. So she gathered up her purse and coat and started walking on legs that felt like rubber, heading toward a door that suddenly seemed a hundred miles away.

Finally she made it. She reached the threshold…wobbled…then regained her balance and walked out the door.

Matt watched her disappear. He drew a deep breath, blew it out again. Her abrupt withdrawal had stunned him…but that wobble made him smile. It told him she'd been just as shaken up as he was…and he was glad. Because with that kiss, everything had clicked into placed, became perfectly clear.

He wanted Mimi. Had probably wanted her for months without realizing it.

As for Mimi, she'd changed her image, her whole outlook, because she wanted a man. And now she'd found one.

Him.

It was the perfect win-win situation.

Not that she'd admit that, he knew. At least not right away. Her final remark had made it more than clear that she didn't want to want him. Mimi was on a quest to find some dream man…dream relationship…that existed only in her dreams. It was her idealistic naiveté that made her desire marriage. She was too inexperienced to know that forever wasn't possible.

But he was experienced…not that he ran around as much as she obviously thought he did judging by her remark about not becoming one of his "women." He dated plenty of women…he went to bed with only a few. To those few he was faithful while the affair lasted, and he'd be faithful to Mimi while theirs lasted, too.

But it wouldn't last forever. Nothing ever did. Although he'd never felt such a hungry, yearning desire for a woman before, he knew the need would fade. It was bound to. And then…if he handled things very, very carefully…they could simply return to being friends, the way they'd been before this whole thing had started.

Yeah, it all made perfect sense. All he had to do was assuage her qualms…and her apparent anger with him as well…and they could begin to enjoy this new dimension in their friendship.

Not that it would be easy…but he'd handled hostile takeovers before. He knew what to do. He'd start by regaining her trust, reminding her of their previous closeness. Good times they'd shared in the past. Then, when she was at ease with him again, he'd move in under her guard.

And make love to her with a thoroughness she'd never imagined in her wildest dreams.

Yeah, Mimi would discover that when it came to takeovers, Yamato Ishida was the master.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He was doing it again.

Mimi didn't need to look up from the cost analysis she'd been studying to know Matt's eyes were on her as she sat across his desk from him. She could feel his gaze moving over her body like a lingering caress, leaving a rising tide of warmth in its wake.

She fought to keep her expression blank. She resisted the urge to shift in her chair or yank the hem of her emerald knit dress down over her knees. She subdued the need to fiddle with the tiny black buttons at her breast to make sure they were still securely fastened.

Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on the row of numbers marching across the page. Until finally…thankfully!…his attention returned to the contract in his hand.

Mimi breathed a silent sigh of relief. She continued staring down at the report on her lap, but her mind kept revolving around Matt and the new game he was playing.

Ever since that kiss two days ago, things had changed between them. She'd told him she didn't want to be one of his women, and he seemed to have accepted that with good grace. On the surface, he appeared to be complying with her decision to keep things platonic between them.

The only problem was, words like accept and comply weren't even in Matt's vocabulary. As for good grace…ha! It wasn't like him not to mention that kiss…to tease her about it a little. But he didn't. Not once.

At first, she'd thought that was a good thing. She'd been grateful he hadn't brought it up. But then she'd realized he'd launched a more covert campaign. These last couple of days, tension hummed in the air whenever he was near her. She'd catch him looking at her with an unsettling expression in his eyes. She felt like the poor goat in that dinosaur movie, tethered to a stake in a jungle clearing, knowing there was danger just beyond the trees but unable to do anything but wait for the predator to pounce.

Okay, she had to admit, a small secret part of her was flattered by his sudden interest, but a larger, far wiser part was appalled and alarmed. It had been hard enough fighting her weakness for Matt when he wasn't paying any attention to her. It was doubly hard to fight it when he kept sending hungry glances her way.

He had to stop it. Immediately. If she'd learned anything these past couple of weeks…besides how to coordinate her clothes…she learned she had to stop herself from making foolish choices, to guard her own heart. She'd changed; but Matt hadn't. The only thing that was different was his reaction to her new look.

He still wasn't the kind of man who fell in love. He still didn't believe in marriage or forever. In all respect, he was still totally the wrong man to get involved with.

So, as far as she was concerned, he needed to keep his distance. He could just go direct those "I-want-you-bad" glances at some other woman. Refill his whole address book with more Nancys, Amys, and Maureens.

And, since ignoring him didn't seem to be getting the message across that she just wasn't interested, she'd simply have to say it straight out.

The old Mimi quailed at the thought of trying to discuss such a delicate subject. The new Mimi straightened her shoulders with staunch determination. "Matt?"

"Hmm?" He didn't look up from his report.

"About that kiss…"

For a moment he didn't move. Then slowly he raised his head until his blue eyes locked with hers. He stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"You know…the other day," she stumbled on, unnerved by his uncharacteristic silence…then mentally berated herself. Darn! That sounded as if they kissed constantly. She drew a deep breath, and continued more firmly. "I think that we should discuss it."

His brows lifted, and he set the contract down on his desk. He smiled…a small, intrigued smile that made her toes curl in her new leather boots. "You want to discuss our kiss?"

She nodded decisively, secretly stretching her toes again. "Yes…yes, I do."

"All right. I'm willing to do that." He rose to his feet, and moved around his desk. He stood next to it for a second, his hands shoved into his pockets. Then slowly he began circling her chair.

Mimi stiffened, resisting the urge to bleat in protest as he paced around her.

"Where should we start?" he mused, pausing next to her to rub his chin. "Maybe with how good you tasted?"

Heat rose in her face. "No! I meant…"

"Should we talk about that soft little sound you made when I stroked your…"

"No!"

"…back?" He met her glare with an innocent look.

She jumped to her feet to confront him. "Of course I don't want to discuss…any of that. I just wanted to tell you that while it was…nice…it meant nothing."

"Nice?"

She nodded. "I think we should just forget about it."

"You brought the kiss up to tell me to forget about it?"

"Yes," she said firmly. "I want to make sure you understand that it can't happen again."

"I see." Matt studied her thoughtfully. "You don't think we're missing a great opportunity here? To get to know each other better?"

"I know you as well as I want to."

"Is that so?" he said in a skeptical tone. "Are you saying you didn't feel anything more than 'nice' when you were in my arms?"

Mimi wanted to say yes. She knew she didn't dare. It would be just like Matt to call her on the lie. "Maybe. A little more," she temporized. "But just because you took me by surprise."

He took a step toward her, his eyes darkening. "Maybe we should try it again."

She hastily moved back. "Certainly not! As I said, it's never, ever going to happen again."

He watched her for a long moment while Mimi fought to keep her expression firm, her knees from going weak before finally returning to his chair.

Slowly releasing the breath she'd been holding, Mimi sat down also. He picked up the contract again, and she started to relax.

Until he said without looking at her, "Don't be too sure of that, Meems. Never-ever can be a long, long time."

A/N: What do you guys think? Sorry I had to cut the 'intimate' scene short, that's just how the storyline goes. But I'd love to hear your comments or opinions about this chapter. So please leave a review.

To all my readers, thank you for staying with me and for your wonderful, inspiring reviews.