Excerpt of The Seven-Day Target by Natalie Charles

"Nick took another step. "You can't tell me you don't feel it, Libby."

"Feel what?"

"The heat that always burned between us. The attraction we've always felt for each other, even when we were pretending we didn't."

She rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous. I thought I made it clear how I felt for you."

"You can't hide it." He straightened. "I see it written across your body."

He advanced, moving with deliberate footsteps and a gaze that made her heart thunder. She instinctively retreated but stopped as her back pressed against the wall. This elicited a rakish smile and a chuckle from the back of his throat.

"We're through," she stammered as he came still closer, bracing himself against the wall with one hand. Blocking her escape.

"Through?" His warm breath fell on her cheeks as he leaned down. "You really think so?"

Now his lips grazed her ear, sending a shiver straight through her center. She felt his light breath on her skin, felt the animal heat of his strong arm as it fenced her in. Nick curved his body to bring his free hand to rest lightly on her hip.

"Yes. It's over," she said. "I feel nothing for you." Her voice came out no more than a whisper, thick with desire.

Another chuckle, this one from deep within his chest. She stood helplessly still as he began to tease her shirt upward, exposing the sensitive skin on her belly. "So, I suppose this doesn't do anything for you, then?" He trailed his fingertips along her waistline, eliciting a soft moan.

"No," she gasped. "I don't feel a thing." Her skin was on fire, and an ache began at the juncture of her thighs.

He frowned playfully. "That's surprising. I could have sworn I felt a reaction."

"Nothing."

As she spoke, he brought his hand fully under her shirt and round her bare back, pressing her closer to him. She felt the length of his hardness against her heat and sighed, allowing her head to fall back against the wall. His hot mouth was still beside her ear, but he brought his lips to the base of her throat as she arched her body toward him.

"Nothing at all?" He spoke the words against her throat, and she trembled as a current of fire and ice coursed through her.

She moaned. "Nothing."

"This is troubling."