by Robyn Neeley
Forcing a bright smile, Lalita greeted her sister’s mother-in-law with exaggerated affection.
Lalita spent the next hour talking to relatives and her sisters’ various friends. At one point she and her father exchanged a glance and smiled. He was as uncomfortable as she was. They’d both rather deal with a hostile takeover bid than spend another half hour discussing the extraordinary weather or the latest political scandal.
When a photographer requested a photo of the three sisters, Lalita was once again reminded of the old children’s game, which one of these is not like the others. She felt positively Amazonian next to her tiny siblings. Even in three-inch heels, they barely came up to her chin. Lalita’s brown skin and black hair were in sharp contrast to their perfect alabaster complexions and white-blonde hair.
The band struck up a waltz. Before she could protest, Lalita’s third cousin, Rodney, grabbed her arm and whisked her onto the dance floor. Rodney danced with more exuberance than skill and Lalita began to feel dizzy. Round and round, round and round. One more turn and she might be sick.
• • •
Jeremy caught a hint of an exotic, sultry scent and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He’d remember that smell anywhere, it was seared in his memory. He knew she’d be at the party and had wondered whether the instant desire he’d experienced five years ago would resurface. Now, just smelling her perfume, he was transported to another evening. He hoped tonight would end better than their first encounter.
Jeremy excused himself from the heated discussion his two aged companions were engaged in about treating an aphid infestation on roses. He scanned the room. It took only a few seconds to find her. She was being flung around the dance floor by some over-eager youth. The rush of blood to his groin confirmed his suspicion that the intervening years had done nothing to cool his attraction.
Lalita was even more beautiful than she had been five years earlier. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, less girly. The new style emphasized her strong cheek bones and expressive, almond-colored eyes. She was dressed demurely but exuded a sensuality no amount of clothing could disguise. The other Evans women were blonde and petite and had always reminded Jeremy of pixies. Lalita was all woman.
Jeremy snagged a canapé from a passing waiter. At least he could appease one of his hungers.
His first instinct was to march over to Lalita, pull her into his arms and kiss her in front of everyone. Make her melt against him until she acknowledged to the world that … well, he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted her to acknowledge. That spontaneous combustion was possible between two people? That the cool, refined Lalita Evans could burn as hot as the sun, but only for him?
What if it wasn’t only for him? A surge of adrenaline raced through his blood at the thought of her with another man. The ooze of something squishy between his fingers made him glance down. He grabbed a serviette from a passing waiter and cleaned his hand of the crushed canapé.
Fresh air was what he needed. Moving to the open window, he found a small niche in the wall from where he could watch Lalita without being seen. He formulated a plan.
• • •
When her mobile phone vibrated in her clutch bag for the fifth time, Lalita excused herself from the latest distant relative she had been conversing with and escaped from the party. She rushed around the corner while trying to extract her phone from the bottom of her bag. Not expecting to be at the party so long, she’d arranged a call with a difficult client. He’d be even more irate if he thought she was ignoring him.
Why on earth did I let Mother talk me into these blasted false nails? I can’t pick up anything with these dratted things.
“I have something belonging to you, Ms. Evans.” A deep male voice interrupted her search.
A sparkle caught her eye as the overhead light refracted on a two-carat diamond. Her gaze travelled from the strong fingers that held the pendant earring, across broad shoulders, and into the face of the man who had almost destroyed her five years ago. A shiver ran up her spine and the years melted away like an ice cube in a hot cup of tea. Numbness invaded her legs and she had to catch herself before she leaned into his strong, hard body.
“I no longer need that, Mr. Lakewood. I have purchased another.” Lalita forced herself to release the breath she had been holding and put on her haughtiest expression. Although she had to look up to address the tall man, she hoped to give the impression of talking down to him. Her height usually gave her an advantage, but not with Jeremy Lakewood.
“Shame, you were gorgeous in it. Not that you need jewelry to enhance your beauty,” he replied, his deep blue eyes alight with mischief. “As it was at your older sister’s engagement party when it found its way into my possession, I thought perhaps I would return it at your younger sister’s party.”
“The incident to which you refer happened five years ago and is best forgotten. I certainly have.” Lalita hoped the glacial tone in her voice hid the heat surging through her body. Butterflies danced in her belly and she gripped her handbag tighter to stop her hand from shaking. She made a move to pass him. Jeremy’s strong fingers gripped her arm.
“You haven’t forgotten,” he said with such confidence, she wanted to grind her teeth. “And I won’t forget the most amazing night of my life.” His voice was soft and seductive.
Lalita’s mouth went dry. She dug her fake fingernails into her palm to bring herself back to reality.
“I very much doubt it was the most amazing night of your life. A little drunken fumbling in the backseat of your car hardly counts as memorable. And I’ve watched you charm every woman in the room tonight. I highly suspect you have exaggerated your recollection of the occasion. It must be clouded by numerous other nights of passion.”
“Jealous, my love?” Jeremy slid his hand up her arm and caressed her cheek, a self-assured smile on his full lips.
“Observant,” Lalita replied, hoping he couldn’t feel her rapid heartbeat. “Now, I must ask you to move, I have an important business call to make.” What she really needed was to escape the man’s presence before she made a fool of herself again. She could already feel herself starting to melt where his hand had lowered to hold her shoulder.
“Of course.” He released her and stood aside. “Nothing must stand in the way of your career.”
Lalita shot him another glacial glare before all but running from the building. Her father’s car was waiting at the curb and she jumped in, instructing the driver to take her to her parents’ home. An expletive escaped her lips as her fingers shook when she dialed the client’s number.
• • •
Jeremy watched Lalita flee from the building. He pocketed the earring; however, his fingers lingered on the hard stone. He had waited five years for Lalita Evans to come back into his life. The Thames would dry to a trickle before he’d let her run out on him again.
It had to be the mystery of the one that got away that kept him thinking of her. He was determined, this time, to bed Lalita Evans, to purge her from his system once and for all. Then he could get on with his life and stop comparing every woman he kissed to the raven-haired beauty.
• • •
Lalita stopped outside the door of her father’s corner office the next day. Perched on the thirty-sixth floor of one of Docklands’ newest buildings, the luxurious offices of Evans International were more than a status symbol. They were a sign of hard work and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and new markets. And her father’s vision that lots of money could be made from selling corporate promotional products. They’d started out with pens and key chains and now sold everything from aluminum bottles to zip pouches.
Lalita took a moment to enjoy a frisson of pleasure when she imagined her name instead of his, on the door above the title Chief Executive Officer. She ignored the accompanying feeling it was a shallow gratification.
Taking a deep breath, she strode through the open doorway. Her father held up his index finger indicating he’d be a m
inute as he jotted down a note, phone jammed between his ear and shoulder.
Lalita stared out the window at the meandering Thames far below. The ribbon of brown water was as distant as her love life. She paused to convince herself that all the personal sacrifices she’d made to get where she was now were worth it. Last evening’s run-in with Jeremy had rippled her normally calm nature. Her musings came to an abrupt end when her father put the phone down with a clunk.
“Lalita, you left last night before I had time to introduce you to our new Director of Marketing.” A chill ran up her spine and should have given her warning. Her father’s face was impassive, as though he was introducing her to a new neighbor. “Jeremy Lakewood, I’d like to introduce you to the Director of Asian Operations, my daughter, Lalita.”
“We’ve met,” Jeremy said, moving out from behind the partition where her father kept his drinks cabinet. “So pleased to see you again, Lalita.”
“Really?” John Evans turned questioning eyes on his middle child.
She forced a smile on her face. “Yes, a long time ago. I didn’t know you were still with Evans International, Mr. Lakewood.” Lalita held out her hand, calling on every ounce of willpower to remain unaffected in front of her father.
Jeremy took Lalita’s hand in a firm shake, his fingers lingering for a second longer than customary. Every inch of her skin tingled, begging to be touched next. His blue eyes bore into hers, promising something she couldn’t quite understand. “Jeremy,” he reminded her. “Surely we’re on first name terms. I left the company soon after we met but rejoined Evans about eight weeks ago.”
“And he’s proved to be an incredible asset. His marketing strategies have increased company profits in Europe by six percent in the last month alone.” John’s voice broke the trance induced by Jeremy’s sensual gaze.
Lalita forced herself to stop staring at the new marketing director’s handsome face. His high cheek bones; deep blue eyes framed by thick, black lashes; and his full lips had haunted her nights for months after Jane’s engagement party. Even with her father watching her every move, her tongue peeked out from between her lips, wanting to explore the dimple which appeared in his left cheek when he smiled. As if able to discern her thoughts, Jeremy grinned and it showed up on cue. Giving herself a mental shake she turned toward her father. “Impressive. But John, I thought we agreed to discuss all senior appointments.”
“Come on, Lalita, you’ve never let your pride get in the way of company business before. Jeremy is perfect for the position. He’ll be flying to Singapore with you next week to get acquainted with our Asian operations on a personal basis.”
It wasn’t pride getting in the way, it was self-preservation. Jeremy was a potent distraction and she needed to stay focused, needed to remember who she was — or rather, who she was supposed to be.
“Yes, I am looking forward to getting to know the Asian operations on a very personal basis,” Jeremy’s last words were so low only Lalita could hear. The expectation in his eyes left no doubt he wasn’t speaking entirely about business.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have a conference call scheduled with some suppliers in Indonesia,” Lalita explained, heading for the door. The call wasn’t for another twenty minutes; however, she had to get out of her father’s office before she screamed. How could John appoint the one man who could get under her skin, and then send him back to Asia with her?
Five years was a long time but not long enough to erase the feel of Jeremy’s lips on hers — and on other parts of her body. Their encounter may have been brief, a shared drink, some dancing that had resulted in spontaneous combustion which had led them outside to his car where the flame had blazed into an inferno. Momentary aberration, but the effect had been long-lasting.
Not even glancing at her father, she hurried from the room.
• • •
Jeremy stared at the closed door for a moment. Lalita might pretend indifference to him but he could feel the tension in her body, even from a distance.
“I may be sending you to the same country as my daughter. However, I expect you to stay out of her bed,” the older man advised him.
“Sorry, sir?” Jeremy turned toward Lalita’s father. He could feel the blood drain from his face and his stomach took up residence in his left kneecap.
“I know about your little escapade with Lalita five years ago. I sent her to Asia to stop her making a colossal mistake. If Lalita is going to run this company one day, she needs to concentrate on business, not get distracted by … some guy. I believe she is more experienced now and able to resist your somewhat dubious charms.”
Jeremy was shocked. He had no idea John Evans was aware of his previous relationship with his daughter. By going to Asia with Lalita, was he being set up for a fall?
He’d come back to work at Evans because it would give him great exposure to the right people. When he started his own marketing company, he wanted his name known. Networking, and the fact that he had never been able to forget Lalita Evans. She was definitely a perk he wanted to take advantage of.
“What makes you think I’ll try to romance your daughter? Five years is a long time. I’ve moved on.” Jeremy chose his words with care. What he and Lalita had shared all those years ago could hardly be described as romance, more like mind-blowing passion.
“I saw the way you gawked at her a moment ago. I hired you because you are the best there is at what you do. But I will fire you in a heartbeat if you make a move on my daughter. The company has a strict no-fraternization policy. I suggest you memorize it before you get on the airplane with her. If I find out you have seduced Lalita, I won’t hesitate to let all my competitors and colleagues know you have been terminated for improper conduct. You would find it difficult to get any decent job in Europe after that.”
• • •
Lalita paced up and down in her temporary office. First task, get her breathing under control. Second task, Google “anti-charm potions” and see if there was some kind of concoction she could consume to give her a chance of resisting Jeremy. Third task, figure out how she was going to cope being in close confines with Jeremy Lakewood for weeks without jumping his bones.
Time may have moved the memories to the dark recesses of her mind, but it hadn’t dulled them. Even she wasn’t fool enough to believe she was immune to him. Maybe she should talk to her father. No, she was a grown woman, Director of Asian Operations at Evans International. She could handle one man for a few weeks.
It was just lust, after all. What else could it be? If her brain stayed in control and she shut off her body’s response to him it would be fine.
Back to task one.
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