Heat dropped into his belly as he stood and gaped. His timing stank. She clicked off the dryer and swung her head up, shaking her hair into place.
Then she saw him.
Her free arm grabbed the top of the towel and her grip tightened on the hair dryer.
“I’m sorry,” Tal blurted. “I didn’t think anyone would be here. The showers at the WAC are broken.”
Glory nodded. “I have permission, and I’ll, uh, be done in a few minutes.” She blinked at him, her face and neck turning a darker shade of pink. “Can we discuss this later?”
He stepped back rapidly, banging his elbow against the jamb and dropping his sports bag. He scrambled to pick it up. “Okay. Later.”
Out in the hall Tal stared at the closed door, rubbing his elbow. What the hell had just gone on? He’d spent months on tropical islands pursuing exotic spices for a number of years and many of the women were completely uninhibited. Why would a woman in a towel affect him this way? He shook his head. Whatever the reason, he’d been right about Glory Danvers. She had an exceptional figure.
Chapter Five
Glory re-read the column of numbers she’d entered into the spreadsheet. For the third time. Her morning break was due, as was her promise to give Tal Kingston her answer. She’d come to the conclusion that a month of her time and some well-thought-out lists wouldn’t take too much effort. Her mind, however, kept circling back to her physical reaction to him this morning. It had taken her thudding heart a couple of minutes to return to normal.
He’d stood there in white shorts and a t-shirt that clung to his chest; damp, boyish wisps of hair stuck to his forehead. She swallowed. Catherine certainly hadn’t exaggerated about his body and Glory found herself replaying the image over and over.
Her phone rang and she jumped, then recognized Catherine’s number. “Hi.”
“What did you decide?”
Glory laughed. “We’ve been here two hours. What took you so long?”
“I didn’t want to exert undue influence over your decision.”
“That would be new. But just so you won’t feel left out, I threw travel into the mix and decided to accept.”
“Travel? What do your wandering urges have to do with your decision?”
“If I’m careful with the money, I can use some of it toward the balloon payment and start saving to travel again. I’ve nearly run out of the blogs I wrote in Europe. Still have plenty from South America, but haven’t posted any yet. I’m down to two a week and need an infusion. If I take Tal up on his offer, I can hike the peninsula; do the whole Washington rain forest thing. Which has been done to death, but will fatten my backlog.”
“Oooh. The Olympic Peninsula. Maybe you could interview some of those bigfoot hunters.”
“Not a bad idea. I saw a documentary on television not too long ago. I’ll Google it.”
“Yippee,” Catherine said. “I’ve finished Alyssia’s projections and I’m totally bored. I’ll start a list while you’re downstairs.”
“Thanks. It should be pretty thorough if we both work on it.” She thought about the generous amount of money Tal had offered. “Since you’re helping, I’ll take you shopping for a new dress when I get paid.”
“Good, better, best. I’m too well-bred to ask how much you’re getting. I’m not, however, about to turn down a new dress.”
“Thought so,” Glory grinned. “I’d better go nail it down before he changes his mind. ‘Bye.’”
On the way to Research and Development, Glory smoothed her suit with the flat of her hand. If she were totally honest, she’d admit she’d worn one of her favorites in anticipation of this meeting. It was antique gold with dark taupe piping on the cuffs and collar. This is business, she told herself. It’s always best to be dressed well for a business meeting.
The unmistakable smell of ginger permeated his office. It came from a Japanese clay teapot on the corner of his desk. Tal slipped off his glasses and greeted her with a welcoming grin. “I didn’t know whether you preferred coffee or tea, but since you’re giving up your break to talk to me, I thought I’d try one of our new line of specialty teas on you. It’s infused with essence of ginger. Want some?”
“Yes, it smells wonderful.” Glory had never spent this much up close and personal time with, well, he could be termed a food genius. No wonder he avoided meetings and the corporate shuffle to concentrate on developing Kingston’s line of products.
His grin faded as he handed her the tea. “About this morning …”
“I wasn’t taking advantage of my position,” she rushed. “When I’d been here a week, Catherine told me about the workout room. Mr. Lassiter overheard us and offered me the key. He said I could use it whenever I wanted, as long as I cleaned up. You’re the only person who’s ever come in at the same time. Guess I got sloppy about locking the door.”
Tal’s relaxed stance put her at ease.
“Not a problem. There are only two keys. Would you feel more comfortable if we got a sign that read OCCUPIED.”
Glory raised her cup. “I can take care of that. By the way, this tea is pure ambrosia. It makes me want to curl up in front of a fire with …” She stopped.
Hazel eyes and a corner of his upturned mouth teased her. “With?”
She shifted in her chair. Tal’s teasing had caused warmth to settle in her core. “Oh, a good book, or anything comfortable.”
“That’s the intent,” he said, handing her a small plastic container with a half dozen tea bags in unbleached squares. “On the house.”
“Thanks, again. What’s it called?”
“No name, yet. Let me know if you come up with something.”
Glory glanced at her watch. She’d already been here longer than her normal break. “I’ve decided to accept your offer.”
• •
Tal was enjoying Glory’s company so much he’d almost forgotten the purpose of her visit. “Great. I know this is short notice, but can you start tomorrow night?”
She cocked her head. “I was going to start a list of Alyssia’s likes and dislikes at lunch. I don’t have to wait until tomorrow.”
“Lists are good,” he said. “But I intend this agreement to be more hands on. Tomorrow night Kingston’s entertaining a prospective client at the Sorrento Hotel. I’d like you to come to the function with me.”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t understand. Why would my being there help you get to know about Alyssia? And what do you mean hands on?”
He lost his train of thought at Glory’s slightly open mouth. “Um, Alyssia set up the event, so she’ll be there. All the officers and department heads are invited, too. I’ll say I brought you to take notes on client questions. You can sound her out, you know, in surroundings outside the office.”
She leaned forward. “Have you ever attended this type of function?”
His gaze dropped to his desktop. “No. I rarely deal with that end of the business.”
“Well, I have,” she said, “And I assure you, Alyssia will be there to sell products and sign contracts, not to socialize. And how will you explain the fact that I don’t report to you, but you’re bringing me to take notes?”
He brought his gaze back to hers. “Um. Good question. I’ll think of something by then.”
Glory sighed. “If you bring me, aren’t you afraid she’ll think I’m your date?”
“That’s part of the strategy,” he said, happy to be back on firm ground. “Alyssia sees me in a business slash social situation with another woman. It could lead to interest on her part.”
Glory’s hands came up, palms out. “I didn’t realize you wanted my help to this extent. I’m not sure I want to be this involved.”
Tal sat back. He’d hoped she’d say yes, and had only come up with this plan last night. He had all the right components, but Glory was the key. “I know part of your misgivings must be because you think I’m naïve. But I believe situations can be made to go your way if you plan correctly.” He tapped a fi
nger on his desk. “You’re my wild card. Can I count on you?”
She hesitated, pushing out a puff of air, making her mouth look really sexy. “I didn’t think I was signing up for this much, but I’ll try it your way. If it turns out I’m too uncomfortable, I want to be free to bow out.”
Relief flooded him. “Thank you. That’s a good compromise. I’ll pick you up at seven. It’s black tie. Is that okay?”
She arched an eyebrow. “I’ll manage, but you took a big chance on your wild card.” She glanced at her watch again and stood. “Holy snap. Break’s long over and I’ve got to get back. Seven is fine. My address is 7031 North 68th, out by Greenlake.”
“I know the area,” he said. “And I really appreciate your sticking with me on this.”
• •
Glory returned to a ringing phone. Catherine.
“How did it go? What did he say? Are you in?”
She couldn’t say why she’d given in to Tal’s extraordinary scheme, besides the money, of course. Maybe to see if his method really worked. Or maybe it was his infectious enthusiasm. She should have known a couple of lists wouldn’t be worth what he’d offered to pay. And who knew? She might enjoy herself.
“Hi. Um, he wants me to go to a client function at the Sorrento Hotel tomorrow night. He thinks Alyssia might be more relaxed and it’ll be easier to talk to her about her personal life.”
Silence greeted her answer. So unlike her friend that Glory thought the line had gone dead.
When Catherine responded, it was with a whisper of excitement. “Damn. The Welkers. Alyssia has been grooming them for months. She had me do a ton of research. They provide food to cruise lines all over the world. Big bucks. Don’t think she’ll be relaxed though. The only person she’ll be interested in talking to is Philip Welker.”
“I tried to tell Tal that,” Glory said. “But he insisted his plan was for me to be available in an away-from-the-office situation in case Alyssia dropped some personal information.”
“Not likely,” Catherine responded. “But I have to say he’s going all out for his friend. What are you going to wear?”
“Probably my basic black and pearls; think I need to dress conservatively.”
Silence again. Glory looked over. Catherine’s wrinkled nose expressed disapproval.
“You can do better at Salon Catherine.”
Glory laughed. She should have known her friend would be generous. “Can I rent?”
“Nope. You’re going to buy me a new dress anyway. I was planning to stay home tonight and touch up my pedicure. I’ll do that while you’re perusing the inventory. It’ll be fun.”
“Only if we stop for take-out first, and I pay.”
“Deal.”
• •
They carried cartons of Chinese food into Catherine’s tiny kitchenette. The table was so small the full paper plates were nearly in their laps, but they made quick work of their dinners.
Glory was awed by the sheer amount of clothes Catherine owned. She shopped sales and upper class consignment stores religiously and as a result, had a wardrobe someone with twice her salary would envy.
Industrial strength cardboard closets lined one wall of Catherine’s living room. She went to the end one and started pulling out dresses, throwing them across the back of her loveseat. She stopped at about a dozen.
Glory’s head spun at the color and variety, but she picked a terracotta silk that shimmered in her fingers.
“I bought it for the gorgeous material, but it’s a better choice for your hair and coloring,” Catherine said. “Let’s see it on.”
Her friend’s bedroom was in direct proportion to the small living room. The dress slid over Glory’s breasts and hips like it was made for her. She turned and looked in the mirror. Her image startled her. Even without shoes, she looked long-legged and sexy. The sheath had a scoop neck and long sleeves with slits from elbow to wrist held together by a couple of tiny black pearl buttons. She angled to view the back where a good-sized circle of skin showed above the waist. She padded into the living room.
“Don’t you think this is a little over the top for a client function?”
Catherine walked around her. “It looks fabulous. And, no, it’s not too over the top.” She grinned. “The ice queen will hate the competition. She might even make a play for Tal out of meanness. That way, he’ll find out first-hand the nastier side of her personality and can clue in his friend.” Catherine’s grin died, a look of suspicion spreading over her face. “Hey! I bet the ‘friend’ Tal is trying to help doesn’t exist. He probably cooked up this imaginary guy to get you to help him.”
Glory made a wry mouth. “He didn’t make up anyone. I did. Pinkie swear not to tell?”
Catherine held out her hand, the little finger curved. “Yes! I’m right aren’t I?”
Glory curved her pinkie around Catherine’s and they tugged, then released for a high five. “It’s all Tal. After I agreed, I asked if I could discuss his project with someone else without giving his name. He said yes. He claims he’s prepared, and with my help, he can’t lose.”
Her friend mock shuddered. “Cuddling with Alyssia. Euwww. We have to save him.”
Laughter bubbled in Glory’s throat. Catherine might be the most focused woman in the state when it came to marrying money, but she was a marshmallow for the underdog.
“He doesn’t need our help,” Glory said. “I think he’ll figure out Alyssia on his own.”
Catherine gave her an appraising glance. “Sounds like you think a lot of Tal Kingston.”
After a false start, Glory had to agree. He was a very nice, if misguided, man. “Down, girl. He might be a little too focused on the numbers, but he’s not stupid. That’s all.”
“So,” Catherine said. “When he finds out Alyssia isn’t for him, that leaves the way open for you to pick up the pieces.”
Glory shook her head, even before Catherine finished. “Why are you pushing this? He’s not interested in me. He already said as much. Besides, I am so not looking for an emotional attachment.”
Catherine’s eyebrows bobbed. “Then why not go for a physical one?”
The image of Tal Kingston standing there all damp and disheveled this morning rose again. Glory cleared her throat. “Office romances are bad policy. I gave up a good job because of Ethan and I hope I’m not risking this one. I told Tal if that’s what it came down to, I’d bail.”
Her friend made a remarkably realistic sound of a chicken and bent over her foot with a tiny polish brush. “I thought we agreed Ethan was a rotten fiancé and you were well rid of him.”
Glory couldn’t argue with that. Catherine knew to the last detail about how, when her mother had been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, Glory had turned to Ethan for support. He’d made all the correct noises, held her hand at the funeral, and taken her for quiet walks.
Shortly after that, he’d started distancing himself. Over dinner one night, he’d told her he wanted out of the engagement. His family had pointed out any children they might have would be susceptible to her mother’s cancer gene and he didn’t want to contaminate his family’s gene pool.
The hurt and humiliation had been so intense; she’d given up her job as editor for the popular magazine, Destination Seattle. Ethan had been their top account executive, and still was.
Since her mother’s death, her father had to get back to his lecture circuit. He and Glory had paid for expensive in-home care for her mother. Care not covered in his insurance policy. Glory traveled and wrote, trying to distance herself from her chaotic emotions. Until she’d run out of money and Catherine recommended her for the job at Kingston Limited.
“It’s only been six months. I don’t have the time or energy, much less the inclination, to take on a relationship. Especially with someone who’s already mapped everything out to suit himself. I’m doing this for the money, period.”
Catherine batted her eyelashes, not giving in. “Just because he thinks he’s interest
ed in Alyssia now, who’s to say when he finds out what a bitch she is, he couldn’t become interested in you? And as I said, it needn’t be an emotional attachment. A good old-fashioned mattress test can do wonders. Think about it.” She gave Glory an up and down glance. “What are you going to do about shoes and a bag?”
Chapter Six
Irritation rode Tal’s thoughts. He cleared a spot on his desk. One of his new sauces had gone critical during a storage test and this was the first chance he’d had to look at the list Glory gave him yesterday afternoon. He wanted to be prepared before the dinner tonight. He was familiar with some of the restaurants because he occasionally dined out to see if his products were competitive with what was being served. But he was clueless about ninety percent of the designers of clothing, shoes, and jewelry that Alyssia preferred.
He smiled. He had Glory to help him.
The frown returned when Tal saw the type of clothes she liked on men. Italian-cut shirts, light-weight English tailored slacks, European loafers? The items looked expensive, which wouldn’t have mattered if they were at all practical. And they added up to a metrosexual look that he would feel outright silly wearing. He sighed. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have some for social occasions once he was married. He did own a new black suit and a tuxedo given to him by his stepbrother, William. Otherwise, his wardrobe consisted mostly of jeans, cotton shirts, chinos, and a lone navy blazer.
Glory to the rescue again. He’d ask her to take him clothes shopping.
• •
Tal knocked on Glory’s door and glanced around at tidy houses in the well-established neighborhood. Real estate prices had skyrocketed here in the 80’s and 90’s, then the market had fallen for four years straight. It was beginning to right itself, but would never be that inflated again. He wondered if she owned or rented.
Glory’s housing became a non-issue when she opened the door. The same poleaxed feeling Tal had experienced in the workout room yesterday hit him again, and he simply stared.
Chasing Glory Page 3
