The relief she felt knowing Candy was nothing more than a sticky blob with an obvious attraction for Erik, much like Kat, was staggering. Simultaneously, she was mortified she’d been so transparent he’d felt the need to offer an explanation. Deciding the best course of action was to feign nonchalance and pretend she hadn’t just acted like a jealous high school girlfriend, she returned her attention to the menu without comment.
When Candy returned to take their orders, Kat still didn’t have a clue what she wanted, so she picked the first thing her eyes settled on, then quickly redirected the conversation.
She pulled her notes from her bag and said, “While still in Charlotte, I read an article about Mazze Builders and a huge subdivision they’re planning in Myrtle Beach. It’s not your average subdivision. Along with a first-rate golf course, a requirement for any Myrtle Beach property, it’ll also include an air strip, clubhouse, and four-star restaurant. With all of those amenities, it’s a major undertaking.” She glanced up from her notes to make sure Erik was following.
He nodded. “Go on.”
“They’ve suffered harsh criticism because the subdivision is located along the Intercoastal Waterway. They’ve been accused of violating some of the wetlands protections acts, but from what I’ve been able to find, they haven’t done anything wrong. I’d say most of the criticism started with a competitor trying to squash the project.”
Erik laughed around a sip of water. “That’s probably a good bet.”
“SMG used to handle Mazze’s marketing, but they stopped all advertising several years ago. While touring your plant, I saw the acknowledgements from the Coastal Preservation Association. I started thinking about ways to cross promote.” She put her hand up to cut off any potential protests. “Here’s what I’m thinking. It’s rough right now, but if the three of you—Monteague Boats, Mazze Builders, and the CPA—partnered, it would create a ton of exposure for all of you.”
She pulled out her rough copy points for the ads and press releases and handed them to Erik.
“To take full advantage of living on the Intercoastal, the homeowners are going to want boats.” She paused and smiled. “Or new boats, if they already have one. We’ll feature your boats in his ads, and both of you agree to make contributions to the Coastal Preservation Association.” She leaned back in her chair and gave him a moment to look over the material. “You make contributions to them anyway. It’s not screaming ‘look how wonderful I am.’” She paused again and laughed. “Yeah, I’ve talked to Rusty about this and I know exactly how you feel on this subject. But what you’ll actually be doing is bringing attention to the CPA and the good work they do.”
He laughed. “You’re good.” His gaze dropped to her mouth and his eyes grew smoky. After a brief pause, he shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “You’ve sold me. Have you talked to Kevin yet?”
Kat released the breath she’d been holding and got her head back onto the subject of Kevin Mazze and the project and off of the way he’d just devoured her mouth with his eyes. “Yeah, I have. He’s coming to the office this afternoon. He’s in agreement that they need to heavily promote this new development, and he liked the idea of working with you and the CPA. I think the plan is for me to go to Myrtle Beach with him tomorrow—”
“Oh, hell no!”
Startled by his outburst, Kat jerked back in her seat. “What?”
“Nuh-uh.” Erik had such a white-knuckle grasp on his water glass, Kat feared it would shatter in his hand.
She had no idea what had caused his anger, or what his objections were, but unless Kevin Mazze was a convicted felon or rapist, she didn’t appreciate Erik telling her what she could and couldn’t do. “What’s the problem here?”
He turned to stare out the window and muttered something about dumbass reactions, strangling Mazze, and getting a grip.
Confused by his odd behavior, and hoping he was kidding about the strangling part, Kat watched his expression alternate between angry and confused like a flashing light. He seemed as baffled by his reaction as she was, and after taking a few deep breaths, he turned his brooding gaze on her. “I don’t want you to going to Myrtle Beach with Kevin.”
“What?” She laughed. “Why? Is he dangerous?”
The movement of his jaw indicated a whole lot of teeth grinding, and she was clueless as to the cause. He swiped at his water glass and said, “I want you to go to the beach with me this weekend.”
Good grief, rather than sitting at a table in a diner, she felt like she was in a carnival fun house, getting tossed one way and then the other by the rolling floor. “I’m having a really difficult time following you.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that… you’ve been working like crazy, both at work and at home. Sometimes the only way to get a break is to leave town. I know. That’s why I have the Topsail Island house. There’s a bunch of us going, so it won’t be just the two of us. You set the rules—whatever makes you comfortable.” He rolled his head around in a circle and she was pretty sure there was more teeth grinding going on… and… Did he just growl? “I think Mazze’s going too. You two could stop there on your way back from Myrtle Beach.”
Oh boy. Talk about dangerous waters. She’d gotten the impression from Kevin that he and Erik were friends, but she didn’t realize they were that good of friends.
Could she spend the weekend in a house full of mostly strangers?
The slut brigade let out a rowdy laugh. She’d had no problem spending the night with Erik when he’d been a complete stranger. Now, he knew her more intimately than any other human being on the face of the earth.
Okay, bottom line… if she went to the beach with Erik, she wouldn’t be able to keep her distance. No way would their relationship remain strictly business.
What was she thinking? She was an idiot to even consider it. Had she learned nothing from the past?
But Rusty didn’t have a problem with her seeing Erik, so that wasn’t really a valid excuse anymore. And spending the weekend at the beach, away from the rest of the boxes that needed unpacked and the inevitable stack of work she’d take home, sounded wonderful. Spending a night or two with Erik would be heaven.
Erik reached across the table and took her hand. He stroked his thumb across her wrist, which sent a flutter through her heart and stomach. “You want to go. I can see it on your face. Come with us and have fun.”
The arrival of their meal distracted Erik and saved Kat from having to make a decision on the spot. He was right; she did want to go. It sounded like the most fun she’d had since… She couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken off for the weekend and had a good time. Shoot, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had fun, period.
But to spend the whole weekend playing and not working? Did she even know how to do that?
***
Several hours later, Kat was sitting at her desk, preparing for her meeting with Kevin Mazze, when a flurry of activity at her office door snagged her attention. Luanna, the young but usually unflappable receptionist, was slumped against the doorframe, struggling to catch her breath. Her face was flushed, and her forehead glistened with a sheen of perspiration, like she’d just run five miles.
Kat was on her feet in an instant. “My God, Luanna, what’s wrong?”
Luanna waved her hand to shush Kat, then tipped her finger to her lips. “Shhh… he’ll hear you.”
Alarmed, Kat peered out of her office, but didn’t see anyone. Heart pounding, she took a tentative step through the doorway and stretched, struggling to see around the arching doorways into the lobby. It appeared empty, so she stepped back into her office and whispered, “Who’ll hear me? What’s going on?”
Luanna locked gazes with her and burst into a fit of giggles.
Okay, Kat was thoroughly confused. Apparently, “he” must not be dangerous, so she took a calming breath and stepped away from the doorway, giving Luanna breathing room.
Covering her mouth, Luanna tried, unsucce
ssfully, to contain her giggles. She seemed almost giddy, and Kat couldn’t help but laugh along with her. “I have never, in my life,” Luanna whispered, “met anyone as scorching hawt as that man who just walked in here.” She straightened and fanned her face, trying to get a grip on her composure. “I thought Erik was hot? Whoa, boy. He said his name is Kevin Mazze and he’s here to see you.” She giggled again. “If you’re busy, I’m sure I could find a way to keep him entertained for a while. A long while.”
“Jeez, Lu,” Kat said, returning to her desk to gather her things. “You scared the crap out of me. I thought there was something wrong.”
“There is something wrong,” Lu said, laughing as she stepped fully into Kat’s office. “That man isn’t here to see me, and that’s just wrong.”
Kat laughed and slipped her feet into her shoes. “Where is he?”
“I put him in the conference room. I didn’t know how long you’d be, and I couldn’t have him in the lobby. I was afraid I’d orgasm just looking at him.”
“You need to find a boyfriend,” Kat said as she brushed past Lu and headed for the conference room.
“I have one, but I’m afraid I’d give him up in a heartbeat for just five minutes with that man.”
“Well, you’ve piqued my interest.” As Kat rounded the corner at the end of the hallway she yelled over her shoulder, “I’ll let you know what I think.”
At that instant, she ran into a wall of muscle. Her head was fuzzy and breathing was difficult, but she assumed the man with his arm snaked around her waist to steady her was Kevin Mazze.
Struggling to breathe from the impact, she gasped and said, “Oh my God. I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry,” he said in a deep voice that vibrated through her chest.
It was déjà vu, just like that night with Erik. His arm was wrapped around her waist, her body pressed against the solid mass of his and… nothing. No sparks, no quickening of the pulse, no earth-shattering, bone-melting flashes of heat. Nothing.
Which made it nothing like that night with Erik, because all of those things had definitely accompanied that collision.
He let go of her and took a step back while giving her an apprising look. “Are you okay?”
Having mostly recovered, she smiled and stuck her hand out for a formal introduction. “I’m fine. I’m Kat Owens. It’s nice to meet you.”
A sly smile eased across his chiseled face as he took her hand in his. It was an odd smile, like he had a secret, and his deep chocolate eyes shimmered. “The pleasure is all mine.” He released her grip, and said, “I left the map of the development in my truck. I had that on my mind and wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Sorry for the harsh meet and greet.”
Kat giggled to herself, thinking about how Luanna would’ve handled the situation. She probably would’ve fainted in hopes of receiving mouth to mouth resuscitation. To him, she said, “No problem. You get the map, and I’ll wait in the conference room.”
As she watched his tight, muscular buns—encased in soft, well-worn denim—disappear around the corner, she sighed. Short, dark hair. Dark, really dark, intelligent eyes. Sensual, suggestive smile. Smooth, southern drawl. Luanna hadn’t exaggerated one bit. He exuded confidence and charm and a strong animal magnetism. Yep, she imagined Kevin Mazze would be a sexual powerhouse.
And yet, he hadn’t prickled a single physical response from her.
Taking her seat, she had a thought. Could Erik be jealous of Kevin? He didn’t seem like the jealous type, especially since they weren’t involved. But something about her going with Kevin had set Erik off in a big way. And now that she’d gotten a good look at his friend—both coming and going—she certainly had to wonder.
As soon as Kevin returned, they dove into business. She took an instant liking to his easygoing nature and the way he joked easily and laughed often. He was knowledgeable and professional, but didn’t seem to take life too seriously. He liked her ideas, was excited about the cross-promotional aspects, and they agreed a trip to Myrtle Beach to see the development should be the next step.
Still unsure about Erik’s invitation, but comfortable enough with Kevin to broach the subject, she said, “I have a question that might sound odd.” She paused, considering the unprofessional aspect of spending the weekend with not one, but two clients. One of those relationships would remain platonic and could actually end up being a great opportunity to further develop good rapport and maybe even get a little work done. The other relationship was destined to… get messy.
“Is this about going to Erik’s?”
Surprised by his insightfulness, she jerked upright in her seat as heat spread over her face. “How did you know?”
He chuckled and his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Erik called me about it a while ago.”
Her face grew even hotter, trying to imagine that conversation. “It sounds wonderful, but…”
“Erik said you were worried about the impression it would make."
It was odd to feel so at ease with Kevin after knowing him for such a short period of time, but she laughed and relaxed back into her chair. “Yeah, maybe just a little.”
“The choice is yours, obviously. But I plan to spend the weekend there anyway, so if we stop on the way back, it would save me about four hours of drive time.” He added, “I don’t mind bringing you back here, if that’s what you want. But I promise, if you decide to stay, it’ll all be ‘off the record,’ so to speak. What happens at Topsail, always stays at Topsail.” He laughed and pushed back in his chair. “Actually, most of us don’t remember enough about what happens to tell anyone, anyway.”
Kat drew in a deep breath and chewed on her lip. “So, I’d actually be doing you a favor if I stayed.” Way to spin it, Kat.
He laughed low and deep while gathering his papers. “More than you can imagine.” As he stood to leave, he added, “I can’t tell you how much fun it would be to have you there.”
Chapter Eight
Leaning over her desk, lost to the world of Mazze Builders and their new development, Kat jumped when Seth bounded into her office. “Hey, girlfriend. Ready to go?”
Ready? Go? She looked up at him and blinked in confusion.
“Aren’t you going to The Office with us?”
“Oh, yeah. Right.” She glanced at the clock. Five-thirty? Already? Crap. “Can you give me five minutes?”
“Sure,” he said, in his typical I-don’t-have-a-care-in-the-world manner. “Take your time. I’ll be rocking away on the front porch.”
She glanced around her desk at the scattered mess. Normally, when she left for the evening, she locked everything in the filing cabinet. But she had so much to do, especially if she was considering being gone for the weekend, she really needed to come back and work a few more hours. Not wanting to make Seth wait, she organized several stacks on the corner of her desk, then locked her office door behind her.
Maggie and Cyndi, the agency’s media coordinator, were waiting on the porch with Seth. “Elise went ahead,” Seth said, grinning at Kat. “She wanted to get there first and scope out all the good potential clients before you had a chance to come in and swoop them away from her.”
Kat laughed, but she knew he spoke the truth. She didn’t like this rivalry between herself and Elise. She didn’t like conflict of any kind, but she couldn’t do much about it. Although Kat didn’t know why, Rusty had his reasons for not giving Elise the VP position, and it wasn’t Kat’s place to question it. Nor was it in her best interest.
The group made idle chitchat while walking the two blocks from SMG to The Office, and Kat used the chance to decompress from the busy day. Several groups of people congregated outside the front door and on the side patio. Maggie stopped to visit with someone she knew while the rest of them filed into the upscale establishment.
A bar and high cocktail tables filled the left third of the building; the dining area occupied the rest. A brass railing ran between the two, acting as a divider. Tonight, how
ever, both sections were filled to capacity with clusters of people standing and talking. To the right of the entrance, a staircase led to an area marked “private” where a large, rowdy crowd was enjoying a not-so-private party.
Within moments, Kat became separated from Seth and Cyndi and was on her own. She recognized a few faces from the agency’s open house, but not anyone she felt compelled to stop and converse with. Which worked out well, because even though she was here to network, she’d much rather have a drink.
She’d just settled in with her SoCo and lime when the rambunctious crowd in the loft drew her attention. Sipping her drink, she watched a pitcher of beer and baskets of food get passed around the crowd. As she turned away, a familiar figure snagged her attention and drew her eye back to the crowd.
She squinted, trying for a better look, even though she didn’t want to see. “Well, I’ll be damned,” she whispered to her shot glass. She slumped on her barstool and watched a blonde wrap her arms around Erik’s neck and pull him in for a tight hug. Kat’s throat knotted, catching her last sip of SoCo in its grip, as Erik reciprocated the hug and even went so far as to nuzzle his face in a nest of curls at the blonde’s neck.
As she watched the scene play out, Kat’s heart splintered. Hoping to relieve the ache in her chest, she tried to rationalize the situation away. She didn’t want a real relationship with him anyway. Yeah, she was considering going to the beach for the weekend, but that was all about sex. Nothing more. She had no emotional ties to him.
Then why did it hurt like hell to watch him wrap his arms around someone else?
And why, now that he’d glanced down to the lower level and caught her staring at him like a brokenhearted fool, did she have the urgent need to escape as fast as her high heels would permit?
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