Survey Stakes

My pulse pounded. "I can do it myself."

"I know you can," he said. "But maybe I don't want you to." And then his lips were on mine.

I froze, shocked into stillness. Daisuke took advantage, angling his head to deepen the kiss. His tongue traced the seam of my lips, asking for entrance. I opened my mouth, my eyes closing. He tasted like salt and sunshine and something uniquely Daisuke. My hands fisted in the front of his shirt, pulling him closer.

Everything else disappeared except us, balanced over that long drop. The wind whipped around us, tugging at our hair and clothes. But all I could feel was the heat of Daisuke's mouth on mine, the solid strength of his arms around me. It felt like coming home and being set ablaze all at once.

We broke apart after a long, steamy moment, both of us breathing hard. Daisuke's eyes were dark with want, his lips swollen.

"Well," I said shakily. "That was unexpected."

"In a good way?" Daisuke asked. His thumbs were still moving on my hips, hypnotic little circles that were fast turning my brain to mush.

"I haven't decided yet," I said. I licked my kiss-swollen lips. "You could be trying to distract me so you can find the survey marker first."

Daisuke laughed, loud and surprised. "God, you're a piece of work, Rossi." He leaned in until his forehead rested against mine. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I can think of a few things," I murmured. I brushed my lips over his, light as a butterfly's wing.

He groaned. "Don't tempt me, woman." But he kissed me back, hot and hungry.

We made out on the log bridge like a couple of teenagers, hands roaming, teeth clashing, tongues tangling. It was the single most unprofessional thing I'd ever done in my career. And I couldn't bring myself to care.

Finally, reluctantly, we separated. Daisuke helped me across the rest of the bridge, his grip on my hand firm and steadying. When we reached solid ground, I whirled to face him.

"We can't do that again," I said. My voice came out breathless. "This is a bad idea."

"The worst," Daisuke agreed. He reached for me again. "Care to be bad with me some more?" His lips quirked in a sinful grin.

I took a step back, holding up my hands. "I mean it, Gallagher. This is a mistake."

All traces of humor fled his face. "Why?" he asked. "Because we work together? Because we're supposed to be rivals?"

"Because you're you and I'm me," I said. "We mix like oil and water."

"Or gasoline and a match," Daisuke countered. He stalked closer, backing me up against a tree. "Sometimes a little friction is a good thing, Rossi."

I put my hands on his chest to stop him. "We have a job to do," I reminded him. "An important job. We can't let...this...distract us."

Daisuke sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Fine," he said. "We'll be good. For now." He stepped back, giving me space. "But this isn't over."

I didn't reply, just straightened my clothes with trembling hands. My lips still tingled from his kisses. I had a feeling Daisuke Gallagher was going to be a very hard habit to break.

I pushed off the tree and shouldered my pack, avoiding Daisuke's eyes. "Let's just finish this job so we can go our separate ways," I said.

Daisuke sighed but didn't argue. "Fine by me, Rossi." His voice carried a sharp, bitter edge.

We spent the next several hours working in near silence, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife. I stole glances at Daisuke when I thought he wasn't looking, studying the hard line of his jaw, the way his hair curled over his collar. My body still hummed with the aftereffects of our kiss, making it hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

"Alright," I said finally, wiping sweat from my brow. "I think we have all the data we need. Let's head back and start crunching the numbers."

Daisuke nodded tersely. "Sounds good."

We hiked back to the trucks in silence, the setting sun blazing orange and pink across the sky. I tried to focus on the beauty of the landscape, but my thoughts kept circling back to Daisuke and the forbidden heat between us.

Back at my truck, I tossed my gear in the bed and turned to face him. "I'll see you tomorrow then," I said. "Bright and early."

Daisuke leaned against his truck, arms crossed over his chest. "Look, Rossi," he said. "About what happened earlier..."

"Forget about it," I said quickly. "It was a mistake. A moment of weakness. It won't happen again."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you really want?"

"Yes," I said, hoping I sounded more certain than I felt. "We have a job to do. We can't afford any distractions."

Daisuke's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Fine. Strictly professional from here on out."

"Good." I climbed into my truck and slammed the door, not looking back as I drove away.

That night, I tossed and turned, my dreams filled with images of Daisuke's lips on mine, his hands on my skin. I woke up frustrated and out of sorts, dreading the day ahead.

At the office, I buried myself in work, inputting the survey data and double-checking my calculations. Daisuke showed up a few hours later, looking as tired and irritable as I felt.

"Morning," he grunted, setting his laptop down on the conference table with a thump.

"Morning," I mumbled back, not looking up from my screen.

We worked in tense silence for most of the morning, the only sound the clicking of keyboards and the low hum of the air conditioning. Every time Daisuke shifted in his seat or cleared his throat, I jumped, my nerves on high alert.

Finally, around noon, I pushed back from the table with a sigh. "I need a break," I said. "I'm going to grab some lunch. You want anything?"

Daisuke looked up, surprised. "Uh, sure," he said. "I'll take a sandwich or something."

I nodded and headed out, grateful for a few minutes away from his distracting presence. I picked up sandwiches and drinks from a nearby deli, taking my time walking back to the office.

When I returned, Daisuke was standing by the window, staring out at the city skyline. He turned when he heard me enter, his face a careful blank.

"Thanks," he said, taking the sandwich I offered him.

We ate in silence, the tension still simmering between us. I tried to focus on my food, but I could feel Daisuke's eyes on me, assessing.

"Look," he said finally. "We can't keep going on like this. Dancing around each other, pretending like nothing happened."

I set down my sandwich, my appetite gone. "What do you suggest we do then, Daisuke? Forget about our jobs and just...what? Start dating?"

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I do know that ignoring this...whatever this is between us...isn't working."

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "It was just a kiss, Daisuke. It didn't mean anything."

"Didn't it?" He looked at me, his stare piercing. "Because from where I'm sitting, it felt like it meant a whole hell of a lot."

My heart skipped a beat at his words. "It can't," I said softly. "We're rivals, Daisuke. Oil and water, remember?"

"Maybe we don't have to be," he said. "Maybe we could try being something else. Something more."

I shook my head, even as a part of me yearned to say yes. "It's too complicated. Our firms are depending on us to resolve this property dispute. We can't afford to let personal feelings get in the way."

Daisuke studied me for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. "We'll keep things professional. For now." He stood up, gathering his trash. "But this conversation isn't over, Rossi. Not by a long shot."

I watched him walk away, my stomach churning with conflicting emotions. I wanted Daisuke Gallagher more than I'd ever wanted any man. But I couldn't risk my career, my reputation, for a fling with my sworn enemy. Could I?

We spent the rest of the day working on the survey results, our interactions strictly businesslike. But every time our hands brushed reaching for the same document or our eyes met across the table, sparks flew.

By the end of the day, we had a preliminary boundary line mapped out, one that seemed to fairly represent the interests of both the Henderson and Garcia families.

"Well," I said, leaning back in my chair. "I think we have a solution."

Daisuke nodded, the ghost of a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. "Looks like it. Our clients should be pleased."

I met his gaze, a flicker of pride burning in my chest. "We did good, Gallagher."