“Leon and I really had a ball,” Kacey went on in a deliberately cool tone. “He’s the best. A great tour guide. He gave me a history lesson, showed me around, treated me to lunch, and our walk on his beach last night was the perfect ending to our day. I stayed at his house so late that I didn’t get back to the motel until nearly two o’clock. I’m a bit sleep-deprived…but I’m here!” You want something to talk about? Well, take that bit of info to your gossipy friends, Kacey thought, hoping she hadn’t made a huge mistake by telling Nona too much.
With a fast roll of her eyes, Nona dismissed Kacey’s remark, as if her comment meant nothing.
“Whatever,” Nona said, lifting a finger. “What I stopped to ask you was…do you have the backup disk with the adjusted pattern files on it?”
Kacey frowned, sensing trouble. “No, I left everything with Mr. Truett when we finished. Why?” she asked.
“Seems the adjustments you two made on his computer got wiped out during the power failure. His hard drive, including the CAD software, were fried.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Wish I were.”
“You can’t mean…we’ve lost everything?” Kacey stuttered, as a sinking feeling swept into her stomach.
“Seems so,” Nona stated in a tone that seemed awfully casual as far as Kacey was concerned.
“Are you sure Truett didn’t save our changes on a backup?” she pressed.
“I don’t know why, but he didn’t,” Nona confirmed.
“This is a real problem,” Kacey sighed, incredulous that she now faced another day’s delay. “I’d better talk to Leon about this. Where is he?”
“In his office, I suppose,” Nona offered coolly.
Turning around, Kacey headed to Leon’s office, entering just as he was hanging up the phone.
“Hey. Good morning. You look lovely,” Leon greeted Kacey in a devilishly sexy voice. His heart raced at the sight of Kacey looking so professional and sleek in her business attire. Last night, she’d been a completely different person. Loose and wild and totally free. She’d ridden him like a tiger quenching its thirst after a difficult hunt, and he had given her everything he had—and more. He had never pushed himself so hard to fulfill a woman’s needs, but he had gone the distance with her and knew he was a goner. He was totally lost in loving her, but he didn’t care. This fabulous woman was exactly who he’d been looking for and he planned to hold on to her forever.
“I was just about to come down to see you,” he said, looking her up and down in appreciation. “Baby, last night was…”
“Leon…not now, please. We have more important things to discuss,” Kacey advised, making sure she closed his door. The last thing she wanted was for Nona, or any employee, to overhear a discussion about her and Leon’s sexual tryst.
Leon shrugged, looking contrite, but nodded in understanding.
“So, what’s up?” he asked.
“Nona just told me that the alterations Mr. Truett and I completed were wiped out in the power failure.”
“Really?” Leon stood, concerned by the worried expression on Kacey’s face. “How could that happen? Truett always safeguards designs with a backup.”
“Obviously, this time, he failed.”
Leon grabbed his phone, punched in a number and asked Truett to come into his office.
Within seconds the head patternmaker arrived, looking wary and nervous as he stood in front of Leon.
“What happened to the SunKissed file?” Leon asked.
“I don’t know, Leon. Somehow, it got corrupted. Must have been the power blip that did it.”
Kacey groaned in dismay, but held her tongue.
Truett let out a dispirited sigh. “I know, I know I dropped the ball. I never dreamed something like this would happen,” he sputtered, sounding contrite.
“So, we’ve…lost all that work,” Kacey verified, her frustration rising. She turned to Leon, hoping he had an answer. “What do we do now?” she asked, holding in her disappointment.
“Start over, I guess,” Leon offered.
“But I’m on such a tight deadline. This is awful!” she said, hoping Steve Hadley hadn’t made a mistake by deciding to use Archer Industries.
Silence reigned while everyone pondered the next move.
“I understand your frustration,” Leon finally offered. “I wish this hadn’t happened, but it did, and now all we can do is move fast to fix the problem and push forward.” He focused on Truett. “Pull up the master file and get started on re-creating everything you and Ms. Parker did!”
“Right away,” Truett replied, scurrying from the room.
As Kacey watched Truett leave, her heart thudded in her chest. “Is he reliable?” she asked, worried that this might be just the beginning of a series of setbacks.
“Oh, yes, of course,” Leon defended. “The power failure wasn’t his fault.”
“I understand that, but his lack of security is very disappointing,” she countered, biting her lip. But as soon as she saw the look of disappointment on Leon’s face, she was sorry for making such a comment. The words had just flown out of her mouth before she’d had a chance to think. If Mr. Truett had been working in the garment district in New York, he might be on his way out the door for making such a mistake. But she wasn’t in New York. She was in Rockport, Texas, and she trusted Leon’s belief in his employee.
“Truett has been with Archer for twenty-seven years,” Leon went on. “This is the first time he’s ever messed up. He’s always been a loyal employee.”
A moment of silence slipped past before Kacey dared speak again. If the circumstances had been different, she might have been inclined to walk away from Archer Industries without looking back, taking the Leeman’s contract elsewhere. But redoing the pattern adjustments would only take a few hours, while sourcing a new manufacturer might take days, even weeks. And besides, she was definitely not about to walk away from Leon Archer, especially not after last night.
“All right. Let’s get busy, then,” Kacey conceded, determined to put the setback behind her. “However,” she began, “I’d like to become a bit more involved in all stages of production. Would that be a problem?” She didn’t want to sound bossy, but Hadley trusted her to get the job done right, and on time. She was the one who would be held accountable for how every seam was sewn and she planned to make sure there’d be no more delays.
“Absolutely, I agree,” Leon replied. “Feel free to observe, and if you have any problems, bring them to me.”
“Thank you,” Kacey murmured, letting her shoulders sag, realizing how tense she’d become during their exchange.
“We’ll work all day…all night if we have to, to get this back on track. All my other clients’ projects will be put on hold until SunKissed is finished. We’ll make your deadline,” Leon vowed.
“I know we will,” Kacey agreed, buoyed by Leon’s optimistic attitude and the sense that they were a true team, in this together to the end. He understood her position and did not resent her need to take a keener interest in the production. She would focus entirely on the business she’d come to Rockport to do.
But that doesn’t mean I plan to stop playing around with Leon Archer, she decided. No way was that possible, because her entire body flushed hot whenever she thought about the way his sleek sex tool had driven her over the edge and into a chasm of longing from which she hoped never to escape.
The next three days flew by in a flurry of activity as all the Archer employees devoted themselves to the SunKissed by Kacey line. Leon watched as Kacey roamed the factory floor and listened with interest when his employees explained each step of the process. He was proud of the way she put them at ease without trying to interfere.
Kacey worked hard to move the SunKissed project along, rushing the new patterns to the cutters as soon as they were finished, and then standing by as they turned swaths of vibrantly colored fabric into the first pieces of the swimsuit line. Whenever a unit did not mee
t Leon’s exacting standards, he asked the operator restitch it until it was perfect. He’d promised to give Kacey his full cooperation and he did not renege on that.
After four days of full-speed-ahead work, the first units came off the production line. They were perfect examples of Kacey’s vision and when Leon suggested that the two of them celebrate at his house on the beach, Kacey quickly agreed.
As they drank champagne and discussed the project, the first glass of bubbly heightened Kacey’s awareness of how much she loved designing. The second glass reminded her of how much she loved working with Leon. And by the third glass, she was snuggled against him on one of his comfy chaise longues, with her back spooned against his chest, with his arms holding her close. She felt relaxed and happy that they’d come so far so quickly—both at work and in their rapidly evolving relationship.
“We’re almost there,” Kacey murmured as she snuggled deeper into Leon’s arms.
“Yes, we are,” he replied, his breath warm against her neck. “You know, I’ve got the best employees in the world.”
“And why not? After all, they have a wonderful boss,” Kacey added, turning her head to place a quick kiss on Leon’s chin. “And the most handsome.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “And the sexiest.” Another peck, this time on the cheek. “And the most…”
But she didn’t have a chance to finish her next compliment because Leon eased her fully around, captured her lips in a hungry clench and swept his tongue over hers while pressing his rock-hard sex into the softness of her stomach. She melted under his touch when he slipped his hands beneath her blouse to thumb her nipples until she nearly screamed.
“Kacey…” he whispered.
“Um-hmm,” she murmured, not really wanting to talk, only wanting to feel and remember every stroke of his fingertips.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Um…what?”
“I… I’m sure I’m falling in love with you,” he admitted in a voice raw with desire. “Do you…feel the same way?”
“Yes,” she whispered without hesitation, sinking into the beauty of the moment as she gazed up into his eyes. “I can’t deny it, Leon. I know I’m falling fast for you,” she confessed with a sigh that released all the breath from her body. While the weight of his body pressed down on her, Kacey wiggled out of her jeans and then slipped down on her back. Primed to receive him and eager for his touch, she opened herself to him, knowing their troubles were behind them and an exciting future lay ahead. She also knew that, somehow she would fit into Leon’s world and bring him into hers.
Chapter 15
The first-run samples, having been created to fit Kacey’s perfect size 4 body, were ready for fitting by her second week in Rockport. As the employees closed down their machines and prepared to head home for the day, Kacey made it a point to walk through the workroom and thank each one for doing such a good job under pressure. No one was upset with Kacey. In fact, their responses let Kacey know that they were proud to have pulled off the task assigned to them, and that their Herculean effort had solved Kacey’s problem.
“They’re perfect!” Kacey exclaimed when Leon presented her with the final units. She turned each piece of swimwear inside out, examining every seam and tuck. “They’ve done a good job. Carefully crafted and well made.”
“Exactly what I expect from my staff.”
“Then the next step is the fitting,” Kacey said.
“If you want, there’s a dressing room on the second floor that used to be the boardroom. We can use it for the fittings. Need any help?” Leon prompted.
Kacey grinned knowingly. “Sure, why not?”
“My pleasure,” he replied voice rough with understanding. “But first, I have a few calls to make. Maybe we can do the fittings a bit later?” he asked.
“Sounds good. Let me know when you’re ready,” she added, giving Leon a quick wave before leaving his office.
Back in her cubicle, she admired the samples again, realizing how wrong she’d been about Archer Industries, and Leon, too. Steve Hadley had been right. This factory turned out fantastic work. It was precisely the right place to produce the SunKissed line, and Leon Archer was the perfect man for her project…and for her.
It was very late in the day when Kacey and Leon finally got together in the boardroom that had been converted into a dressing room. Everyone had gone home and the factory was quiet. Kacey excitedly modeled each swimsuit for Leon, emerging from the changing cubicle to stand half-naked in front of him while he studied, tugged and pinched the small squares of fabric covering her most private, and sensitive, parts. His smug suggestions and unnecessary ministrations did not fool her at all, and his nonstop touches swept her deeper into her attraction for him. Kacey’s desire to make love to him grew more intense as each minute ticked by.
Though Leon was supposed to be helping her create the perfect fit for her sexy bathing suits, he was definitely more interested in examining the curves of her body than the straightness of the seams. When Kacey put on the final suit—a sea-green number with a beaded top and a side tie hipster bottom, his fingers strayed from adjusting the line of the top to touch the rise of her breast.
“I’d tighten this here,” Leon said, running a finger across the sprinkling of beads on the bandeau bikini top.
“Uh-uh,” Kacey mocked her protest with a frown. “That would hide the beads. That little bit of sparkle has to show…very important for the woman who likes glamour.”
“You know best,” he smilingly gave in. “You’re right. It looks too damn good on you to change. And besides, I’d never want to make you unhappy.”
“Never?”
“Never,” Leon murmured with conviction, easing his hand beneath the stretchy fabric to capture and stroke a nipple.
Kacey shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You’re not paying attention, Mr. Archer,” she cautioned in a tease.
“Not true. I’m totally engrossed in what I’m doing,” he countered swiftly, slipping her strapless top down and onto the waistband of her hipster bottom.
“Engrossed in what? My body or the fit of the swimsuit?”
“Hey, I’m a pretty clever guy. I can tend to both and do a good job, too, don’t you think?”
Kacey giggled and dipped her head. “I guess so.”
Leon bent to whisper in her ear, “Let me prove it.”
Kacey’s entire body went on alert as a spiral of longing tensed her core. “Here?” she questioned in a rough whisper.
“Why not? We’re alone. No one else is in the building,” Leon assured her as he leaned in and kissed the space between Kacey’s perky breasts. “I’d love to fit something other than a bathing suit on you.”
“But that’s not what we’re supposed to be doing,” she huskily replied, groaning as his exploration slipped lower.
“But seeing as how we’re finished with the swimwear, all that is left is this.” He took her hand and guided it to the bulge in his pants.
Kacey smiled, eased her hand down and wrapped her fingers about his hard rod. She tilted her face up to his to accept the kiss that he pressed to her lips while her hand began a steady up and down motion along his shaft.
Intensifying without breaking their kiss, Leon maneuvered Kacey to the worktable at the back of the room. With a sweep of his hand, he cleared the surface of fabric, clothing, scissors and measuring tapes, and then lifted Kacey up onto it. When she spread her legs, he moved to stand between them, pressing himself into the V-shaped opening as his tongue and hands continued their hungry exploration. The urgency of their passion rushed through Kacey and clouded her brain, blocking out all rational thoughts. Teased by his kisses and inflamed by his touch, she wanted nothing more than to abandon herself to the raw surge of longing that radiated inside her. As bursting gusts of desire orchestrated their tangled limbs, Kacey luxuriated in the anticipation of making love to Leon. He had proven that he knew what she wanted and knew how to deliver, and she was primed for more. As she y
ielded once again to his embrace, she was shocked by the magnitude of her own desire, but hypnotized by his awesome ability to flood her with uncontrollable joy.
Changing his approach, Leon went from feathering his tongue over her chest to licking a line from her belly button to the top of her swimsuit bottom. Using his teeth, he undid the knot on one side tie and jiggled the fabric until it fell to the floor. Fully exposed, Kacey leaned back and groaned when Leon’s lips claimed her vibrating kernel of seduction, which he sucked so hard she let out a gasp. Flooded with uncontrollable sensations of a fast-approaching climax, she braced herself on her elbows, held his head in place and urged Leon to take her where she had never gone before, a place from which she hoped never to return.
How could anything be more perfect, she thought as the climactic wave of release struck, sending her shuddering and laughing and crying and quivering over the edge and deeper into Leon s heart.
Chapter 16
After Kacey slipped into his car, Leon shut the passenger side door and walked around to the driver’s side. Pausing, he glanced up at the dark Archer Industries sign above his building and blinked. A sigh of contentment slipped out into the night air. He knew he must look like a love-struck teenager: He couldn’t stop smiling. His heartbeat raced like a power sewing machine. And his groin remained aflame with need, though he didn’t regret holding back from taking Kacey completely. He hadn’t come to the office prepared to make love to her, but he sure hadn’t wanted to pass up the opportunity to give her what she obviously wanted and enjoyed.
When she’d told him about her relationship with Jamal, Leon had wished he could thank the guy for priming Kacey to appreciate the kind of loving he knew he could deliver—the kind that Kacey deserved. He appreciated her bold moves, her openness about her sexual needs and the fact that she never made him feel uneasy. Loving a woman like Kacey forever was his only desire, and he planned to put all his energy into solidifying their relationship.
Boardroom Seduction Page 11
