Reaching for the lightbulb, she realised that she still didn’t quite have the height that was needed.

“Damn it,” she swore out loud.

She located a few of the thickest books she could find on her desk and built a small tower. That should do it. Standing on top of the wobbly tower she could barely reach the lightbulb.

Standing on her tiptoes she managed to turn the lightbulb out of the socket, just as she heard footsteps reaching the doorway. Showtime, she grinned as she reached for the lightbulb.

“What the hell?” Noah shouted from behind her.

At the same time, the books decided to start sliding, and she clung to the lightbulb while she felt as if she was standing on a snowboard going downhill.

She shrieked in shock before she managed to regain her balance and stop sliding.

“For god’s sake. Are you trying to get me killed?” she flung at Noah.

She turned toward him and saw that he looked completely shell-shocked. She placed the old bulb on her desk and reached for the new one. Reaching up she turned sideways and lifted her arms again, aiming for the socket, making sure that her breasts were outlined perfectly in her tight blouse.

“What are you doing?” Noah finally grunted.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Kathryn said in her best no-nonsense tone.

She raised herself on her tiptoes and managed to place the new bulb in the socket and started to turn it around.

“I’m so fed up with waiting for someone to change this bulb,” she said just as she realised that she couldn’t quite reach it.

She looked down at the books and rebuilt the tower again.

“Maybe you could just stand beside me in case I fall?” she asked Noah.

He seemed to be far away. Too shocked to know what to do.

“Noah? Earth is calling!”

“What?”

“Come here!” She waved at him. “And hold out your arms.”

“What for?”

“I don’t want to fall on my head. Can you grab me if I fall?”

He did as she asked and stood beside her, while she attempted to balance on the books again.

“What’s wrong with a ladder?”

“Couldn’t find one.“

She reached for the lightbulb and gave it a few more turns, and suddenly it lit.

“Bingo! That did it. Yes,” she said, before sliding precariously on the books. “Oops!”

At the same time, Noah reached for her and held her tight. He put her back on her feet and moved quickly away from her.

“Thanks, Noah. Stacking books like ‘.Net’ with ‘Java’ was probably a very bad idea.”

“Why on earth are you doing handiwork wearing something like that?” Noah sputtered while he pointed at her clothes.

“Why not?” Kathryn asked while she pulled her skirt downwards.

It had moved a little too high to be appropriate. Noah had probably got a very good look at her pink panties, Kathryn thought smugly.

“As a single woman I’m used to taking care of business all by myself,” she said, knowing very well that her words could be interpreted.

“I could see your underwear, woman!”

His voice sounded strangled and he looked more shocked than before.

“So what? If it offends you that much, you should just turn around and let me finish what I’m doing.”

Noah just groaned and combed his fingers through his hair. He seemed a bit tense.

Then he turned to her.

“What’s with the outfit?”

“It’s ‘skirt week’.”

“What’s that?”

“All women have to wear skirts this week. No pants allowed. Don’t you remember? I told you last week.”

“Um, yes.”

“This was the only skirt I could find,” Kathryn said apologetically.

“And the top?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Um, I can see right through it.”

“It’s the latest fashion, the other women told me. It’s fabulous, don’t you agree?”

“Maybe you should cover up just a little?”

“Nah. It’s too warm in here,” Kathryn stated nonchalantly, while she tried to figure out how to get down again.

The solution was obvious.

“Ehm, Noah?”

“What?”

He had turned away from her. She suspected he wanted to flee. But now he turned back again, and she saw him skim his eyes quickly over her entire body, before looking in her face. The guy was utterly charming, she thought.

“Could you help me get down again?”

He sighed.

“Couldn’t you have thought about that earlier? How did you manage to get up there in the first place?”

“Hitching my skirt up to my waist and balancing on my chair, to tell you the truth. I’m not sure I can perform that act one more time without breaking something vital like my neck.”

After a long pause, he finally seemed to have decided that this was the lesser of evils.

He moved toward her, placed his hands on her waist and pulled her to his chest. He let her glide along his warm body all the way down to the floor. Kathryn felt her breath hitch as her body reacted with an instant craving that shocked her immensely.

What on earth, she thought, before she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. She took in his manly scent and realised how much taller than her he was.

She heard him breathe in hard and she understood that she was not the only one feeling the effect. The thought consoled her. To think that he was completely unmoved about this would be a torment.

She took a deep breath and slowly dislodged herself from him, feeling her body missing him already. She stared into his chest, couldn’t quite lift her eyes to meet his. Not sure what she would meet.

Still, his arms were at her waist and she wondered why he hadn’t removed them. But it felt nice and she longed to move into his embrace again.

She looked up and met his smouldering eyes. The heat seemed to increase hers and she gasped at the intensity of her response.

At the same time, he seemed to wake up from the daze, and he shook his head softly before looking away from her. He removed his hands from her waist and took a few steps back.

“Thanks,” Kathryn whispered. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“You’re welcome, Missy,” Noah said quickly.

His voice sounded a little brisk, but Kathryn was not worried. He was not immune to her, but she was more surprised about the strength of her own response. This would be more difficult than she had imagined.

She felt pure lust pour through her body when he came close. She hadn’t felt anything like that in such a long time, she had forgotten how powerful it could be.

He had turned away from her and he seemed to be quite preoccupied with moving something on his desk.

Kathryn turned to her own desk and pushed it back into place.

She sat down in her chair, her back toward him. Suddenly she remembered her shoes and she bent down and located them before putting them on again. It was strange to wear heels for a change.

Maybe she should have practised a bit more before going for them this morning. Her feet were already aching from wearing them.

She kicked them off again and logged into her mailbox while she fastened her hair with a hairpin. She felt so warm that it was a relief to get the thick hair away from her shoulders.