Satin Pleasures

by Karen Docter

  Later would never come, he thought grimly. “You can’t go to work unless I take you.” He crossed his arms over his bare chest, suddenly feeling the chill in the air.

  Calling his bluff, Tess walked toward the bedroom door. “Fine. I’ll walk.”

  “You can’t be serious. You’ve looked outside!”

  Her shrug was stiff. “I won’t melt.”

  “Tess, honey, you’re not being reasonable. Forget, for a minute, it’s too far to walk. It’s raining hard enough to chew up the coastline. You’ll be blown off the cliff before you take two steps out the door.”

  She looked over her shoulder at him, her dark eyes glittering. “So I’ll call a cab.” She reached for the knob to open the door.

  Stubborn woman! His irritation grew when he realized she’d not only turned the tables and thrown him on the defensive, but neatly maneuvered him away from the original topic under discussion. “I’m willing to bet the pink slip on my new boat, I know exactly why the engagement was called off,” he growled under his breath.

  He regretted voicing his frustration before he saw Tess’s back stiffen. Walking around the German shepherd who’d jumped to his feet when the door opened, she scratched behind his ears. “The next time you get anywhere near your master, Colby,” she said with a catch in her voice, “bite him in the ass.”

  ***

  It had been more than a week since that horrid Monday morning when Tess’s hurt pushed her through the bedroom door. She’d drawn on her anger to buck her up on the silent, thirty-minute drive to her office after Dan insisted on personally delivering her to her destination. Self-reproach had been her constant companion since he disappeared into the downpour.

  She’d thrown herself back into her familiar schedule with a vengeance. No matter how many hours she worked or how exhausted she became, however, she couldn’t escape her regret. After all that had happened between them that weekend, after all he’d done for her, she’d behaved abominably.

  Before getting out of the truck, she’d told him she needed time to think, time to focus on the demands of her new marketing strategy. She stopped short of saying she couldn’t see him again because that would be too final. For the longest time, she didn’t think he’d heard her, but then he reached out to pull her across the seat. His kiss was hard, brief, devastating. It drew her neglected emotions from that lonely place in her heart where she’d hidden them successfully for so many years, and kissed them goodbye.

  When he drew away, his somber green eyes searched hers. “Honey,” he murmured, “someday you’ll learn the world won’t topple off its axis if you loosen the reins a little. Just don’t wait until it’s too late.”

  Without another word, he’d driven away. He no longer met her in front of his store when she made her rounds each morning. There were no more teasing smiles. No more inane jokes to make her laugh. The one time she passed his store on her way to one crisis or another and their eyes actually met, he’d turned away.

  He was now simply another Thorgram Group tenant, which was exactly what she’d told herself she’d wanted all along. She’d thrown away her lover and lost a friend in the process. She didn’t know which one she missed most.

  Shoving her regret back into the mental closet she’d never successfully locked down this week, she turned her attention back to the proof of Fancy Footsteps’ new lease, the one she’d despaired of reacquiring without a successful summer program. Thanks to a few casual lunches with the owner of a certain lingerie boutique, Don West had decided not to delay signing on the dotted line for another five years of Thorgram tenancy for his shoe store.

  A sound at her office doorway drew her gaze to where her secretary was standing. “If that frown on your face is any indication,” Emily said with a long-suffering sigh, “you must have found pages and pages of typos. I’d better fire up the computer again.”

  Tess threw the paperwork down and rubbed her burning eyes. “I haven’t found one, so stop hovering.”

  The woman walked in the room and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. “I haven’t hovered for at least an hour.”

  She’d only read two paragraphs in that time? “Oh.”

  “You ready to talk about it?”

  “I have to finish reading it first,” she pointed out reasonably.

  “I didn’t mean the lease. I’m referring to whatever it is that’s been bugging you this past week.” Emily hesitated. “I’ve worked for you ever since you came to Thorgram and I’ve never seen you this...distracted. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I’m not distracted.”

  “Yeah? When was the last time you ran headlong into a merchandise display on your rounds?”

  Never...until this morning. If she’d been watching where she was going instead of looking over her shoulder to catch another glimpse of the voluptuous blond hanging on Dan’s every word as they debated the sex appeal of demi-cups versus push-ups....

  “You heard?”

  “This shopping center may fall apart at the seams thanks to our cheap, but illustrious leaders, but the grapevine is sturdier than ever. The story of one hundred spools of sewing thread making a run for it across the commons has all the makings of a legend.” She grinned. “They’ll be gleefully retelling this tale until every last spool is found, which might take weeks if my sources are correct.”

  Tess felt the heat in her face. “It will take me at least that long to show my face again.”

  “So, we’re talking man troubles here.”

  The heat spread downward. “How did we get from tales of horror to man troubles?”

  “There are those who would argue they kind of go together.” Emily smiled. “Not me, though. I happen to love my husband to distraction.

  “Which brings me back to your man troubles. Since I haven’t seen our sneaky knight, I’m assuming I’m either too good at guarding the keep or my lady has jousted him on his ironclad—”

  “Emily!” It had been so long since she and her secretary had shared a joke she’d forgotten Emily’s penchant for eyebrow-raising remarks.

  “—tush.”

  Tess laughed at her unrepentant grin, and then sobered. “Jousted, I’m afraid.”

  “And you can’t find a reason to run straight out of this office, track down the elusive undies man, and make it up to him with crazy monkey sex?”

  That about summed it up. Colorfully.

  The only thing that kept her rooted to her chair thus far was the knowledge she didn’t know whether she’d throttle the man or kiss him silly if she got near him. Her emotions were too unpredictable to trust. It was like he was a magnet and she the filing. Keep enough sand between them and she could hold her own. Get her the least bit close and she was bound to crawl under the man’s skin.

  Dan’s continued support behind the scenes, despite her abysmal behavior, only added to her confusion. Had she really had the audacity to compare him to her ex-fiancé?

  The two men were in no way alike. When Tess first met Evan at college he’d been cool and confident, controlling everything he did, right down to his lovemaking. She’d admired his strength of purpose, his ability to concentrate on his goals. She’d thought she was the focus of that attention until he turned his back on her in her father’s hospital room. It wasn’t until their paths diverged that she understood the man was incapable of loving anyone besides himself. Not once, could she remember her fiancé supporting her, putting her needs first. Neither professionally nor personally.

  Dan, on the other hand, was warm and fun and considerate and passionate. From the instant she opened her eyes on the bridge he’d been at her side. Picking her up when she stumbled, making her laugh about it. Standing at her back when she needed support, quietly and without fanfare. Making love to her like he had no other purpose in life but to give her pleasure.

  She couldn’t get the memory of their last morning together out of her head. For several wondrous minutes after waking up and finding her body merged with his, sh
e’d been immersed in her feelings for him, in his touch, in her burning need. It had felt so natural to wake in his strong arms, so right. How could everything have gone so wrong so quickly?

  “Tess!”

  Snapped back to her office, she groaned. “Sorry. I guess I am a little—”

  “Distracted?” Emily waved a hand in the air. “I’d say the word is hot and bothered, boss lady. You don’t need a dragon out front. You need a garden hose.”

  “Hot and bothered is three words, not one.”

  “Whatever,” her secretary shot back irreverently. “I’m a secretary, not a math genius. I type error-free lease agreements and run interference for my boss.”

  “When was the last time you had to run interference for me?”

  “Right now. I think it’s in the mall’s best interest if you make up with the undies man.”

  “It’s not like I haven’t thought about it.” She hadn’t thanked him for helping with Don West. At the very least, she owed him an apology for, well, for what happened last weekend.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  Tess didn’t know why but, for some reason, Dan’s parting words flashed across her mind. “Will the world fall off its axis if I loosen the reins until tomorrow?”

  Emily looked startled. “No.”

  “Then, reschedule the rest of today.” She practically leaped out of her chair, thrust Don West’s lease into the other woman’s hand, and dug her purse out of the bottom desk drawer.

  Before walking to the door, she stopped to stare at her stunned employee. “Oh, and Emily?”

  “Yes?”

  “Turn the phones over to the answering service at five o’clock sharp today. No. Better yet, four-thirty.”

  Her secretary waited, evidently preparing for the other shoe to drop. In the years she’d worked for Tess, she’d never left the office much before seven o’clock in case she was needed. Tess usually had to chase the woman out. “What do you want me to do at four-thirty?”

  “Go home and kiss your husband. Tell him you’ll go with him to his sales convention in Hawaii.”

  The other woman’s mouth dropped open. “But, he’s leaving the day after tomorrow and won’t be back until the end of next week. You need me to—“

  Tess cut her off. “You’ll have to hurry if you want to use up those frequent flyer miles your husband’s been hoarding for a second honeymoon. Take enough time to find a temp service and rearrange my schedule, but then get out of here before I change my mind.”

  Emily’s expression was priceless. “I don’t know what to say, how to thank you, whether to call the men in white coats.”

  “Don’t say anything. Your vacation’s long overdue, and you may not want to thank me after you come back and have to sort your desk out after a temp’s had a go at it.”

  Tess was grinning when she finally walked out of the office, pleased to have made Emily so happy. Now, if only Dan McDonald were as easy.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Hey, McDonald! There’s a luscious brunette at the marina gate asking for you.” Steve Givvens, the owner of the sloop berthed in the slip next to Dan’s nodded in the direction from which he’d come. “Tell me she’s not yours, and I’m on the case.”

  Dan stood behind the railing he was polishing to allow room for his rising hackles. He glared at the man he’d met several days ago, his dislike for the self-proclaimed lady killer sharpening without warning into something fierce and uncivilized.

  He hadn’t missed the dramatic struggle that took place on the sloop last night practically under his nose. If the petite redhead hadn’t pushed Cassanova into the cold water when she did, Dan would have been facing police charges today instead of putting the finishing touches on his cleanup of his boat, Halfway to Heaven.

  “I only know one luscious brunette,” he growled, “and she’s hands off, Givvens. Unless, of course, you want them broken.” The thought of this snake anywhere within striking distance of Tess made his stomach roil.

  The appendages in question disappeared behind his back. “Whoa, man! I didn’t mean to push your button.”

  Dan stepped off his boat with the intent of brushing past him, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get into the man’s face. “I’ve got more than one button,” he bit out, “and you manage to push all of them. Did you know I slept on board last night?”

  “Uh, no.”

  He’d suspected as much. “I’m going to say this once, Givvens.” He moderated his voice. “Think twice before you bring another unwilling woman to your little dinghy of pleasures because, next time, there won’t be enough of you left to satisfy a woman ever again. If I hear you’ve stepped out of line when I’m not around, I’ll bring you up on charges myself. Understood?”

  Givvens’ sputtered. His head jerked up and down several times. He turned and bolted for his boat.

  It wasn’t until his neighbor had disappeared into the sloop’s underbelly, leaving him standing on a gently swaying dock, that Dan became aware he had company.

  Tess.

  Like a starved man spotting a buffet, he turned to the woman who’d haunted his every thought all week. His gaze traced over her sneaker-clad feet and traveled up her bare legs to cutoffs that hugged her slim hips, and then over the white cotton shirt she’d tucked neatly into her waistband. When he finally reached warmed brown eyes filled with hot desire, he paused.

  Her smile was crooked. “A knight’s work is never done. Slaying dragons. Rescuing damsels in distress.”

  “Sorry you had to witness that.”

  Tess’s head jerked back and forth. “No. I mean...oh, sweet mercy. I need help here. I...can’t seem...to move.”

  In an instant, Dan reevaluated what he saw. Tess’s smile was more strained than crooked. Her sneakers were planted on the dock like they’d been nailed there, her legs locked in position against the sway caused by Givvens’ hasty retreat. And it was dark panic that dominated her expression. “How the hell did you get this far into the marina?”

  “Blind stupidity?”

  Whatever his confusion about this woman, he couldn’t very well leave her frozen to the dock so he walked over, picked her up, and carried her the last few feet to his boat. Stepping aboard, he brushed several rags off one of the seats under the canopy and set her down. He curled her fingers over the armrests. “Hold on to these for a minute. If it helps, close your eyes.”

  “But—”

  His temper flared. “So help me, Tess, if you argue I won’t be responsible for my actions!” He didn’t know why she was here or how long she’d stay. All he knew was that he was tempted to shut her up with his mouth and that was the last thing he needed to do.

  Until he’d held her in his arms again, he wouldn’t admit how much he’d missed her. Denying the spark between them hadn’t changed a damned thing. He was certifiably insane over a woman who’d told him to get lost.

  The thought of their last day together cut through his immobility with the sharpness of a filet knife. He stepped back. “Better?”

  “Yes. Thank you. I...thanks.” She swallowed. “You’re angry.”

  He was angry...with himself. He’d been a fool to make love to this woman. His stupidity carried him so far he’d actually begun to think of ways to postpone his departure from San Francisco. Even now, his need to hold her was disgustingly strong in view of the way she’d rejected him.

  Dropping into the captain’s chair behind him, he crossed his arms to stop them from reaching for her. “Since you said you never wanted to see me again, I can’t help but wonder what you’re doing here.”

  “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?” Tess sighed. “Okay. I don’t blame you. I was an idiot. I did and said some things I regret, but I never said I never wanted to see you again. What I said was I couldn’t see you.”

  “There’s a distinction?”

  She surprised him when she stood and approached. Her hand trailed along his jaw, down his neck, to his heart. The tr
aitorous beast thundered loud enough for the world to hear. Tess moved his hand up to measure the cadence of her heart. “As long as you do this to me and I do this to you, I will always want to see you.”

  She dropped her hand, removed his. “I said I couldn’t see you again for the same reason. I can’t think when I’m with you. I completely forget my obligations. That’s never happened to me before I met you.”

  Her admission threatened his grasp on his anger. “That doesn’t explain why you tracked me here at the marina in the middle of the day.”

  Tess shrugged. “You were doing such a good job of avoiding me I knew I’d have to take some pretty drastic measures to talk to you.”

  “You ignored your fear of water and left the office before midnight to talk to me? I’m flattered.”

  Irritation sparkled in her eyes. “Don’t let a swelled head tip you over! The marina isn’t a wide, open body of water.” Her chin lifted. “I was doing fine until the dock began rocking.”

  He didn’t want to be pleased at the lengths she’d gone to find him. “What couldn’t wait?”

  “I owe you an explanation and an apology.” Tess looked away. “I’m sorry for what happened last weekend.”

  “I see. I finally made your agenda, and you can’t go on to your next item until I’m checked off. Believe me, it’s not necessary. Last weekend is already forgotten.”

  “That’s fine for you to say.” Tess’s hands fisted on her hips. “You might be able to make love and forget it, but I can’t work for thinking about last weekend. It was the most unforgettable, exciting—”

  Suddenly, Dan felt himself relaxing. She was as bewildered by their relationship as he was. “I think the word you’re searching for,” he provided softly, “is scary.”

  Tess stared into his dark green eyes and felt something inside of her shift. “Try petrifying.”

  When she’d left the office, she hadn’t a clue what to say when she found Dan, but the words were clear in her head now. “You were right, you know. It was my fault Evan broke our engagement. He’d never met my parents until the accident, when dad was in the hospital. Until then, he didn’t know that I couldn’t give him the love and attention he needed.”