Drawing The Line (Mistaken Identity Series)

by Sylvia Hubbard

  Reluctantly, Paul broke the kiss just as breathless as Shane. "You're going to be late," he reminded her.

  She nodded in agreement. "I'll see you tonight."

  Chapter 10

  Rachel greeted her cheerily and followed Shane back to the office. Andrew wasn't in there and Shane was almost a little glad. She wanted to start on her reports, but she needed just a few more places to dig around before those reports could be complete. As much as she couldn't stand Andrew and was now suspicious of anything and everything he did, he was still her boss and a boss she really wanted to impress. Her career depended on getting rave reviews from him.

  "You look absolutely radiant!" Rachel remarked. "Would you like some coffee?"

  "No. I'm pretty much all coffee out for the rest of my life," Shane said rather disappointedly and slumped in her chair, then became extremely alert seeing that Andrew's computer was on. "Is he here, now?"

  Rachel smiled and said, "He hasn't come down, if that's what you mean."

  Confused, Shane questioned, "That's not what I meant, because I have no idea what you're talking about."

  "He has a living suite upstairs. Sometimes when he doesn't feel like going all the way home, he sleeps there. When he's not around today, I'll show you." Rachel passed her an agenda. "I'll take your PDA for about an hour and bring it right back. You'll be meeting with Artie Cohen. He's one of the sales representatives you met yesterday who is a whiz at gathering information and he'll instruct you on short cuts, websites, and so forth. He'll be back from an appointment in about twenty minutes. I'm stepping out to the store. Did you want anything?"

  "An apple juice and some kind of breakfast bar will be fine." Shane stomach growled. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, but she really wasn't in the mood to eat heavy with so much on her mind from just the morning's events.

  "Are you sure?" Rachel asked worriedly.

  Shane only nodded. When Rachel left her alone, she went over to Andrew's computer. After an extensive search to see if Aldridge’s firm had a website, she found a personal email address for Aldridge and hoped that it didn’t go into a general account. Using her Yahoo! Email account she sent a message over to Aldridge's email.

  Aldridge

  Contact me immediately. Don't call the house.

  Shane

  She hoped he would get this message and not an assistant from the office, because it felt like she was running out of time. Her gut instinct told her the Meadows were planning something for her and if she didn't get in touch with Aldridge in time, she didn't feel she would be able to.

  The door to the office open and she looked over to see Artie Cohen walking in. He was a young looking Caucasian on the pale side, but he was nice looking with a friendly smile. He was quick to smile and she didn't think he took anything serious. Yet as humorous as he was, he was a very meticulous young man rising fast in the business for his smarts.

  "How did you manage to swing the boss's office?" he asked. "Whatever game you have, I want it!"

  She chortled ridiculously. "I'd gladly trade offices with you, Artie, if I could. Having the boss breath down my throat is not what I like at all. I do better work all by myself."

  "Well, let's get started then," he said. "Rachel's going to bring in everything we need and don't worry about taking notes, I've made out your Microsoft notes for you. I'll show you how to index and use them." He took out two CD's.

  Shane went over to her desk as Artie began to install notes for her on her computer. When Andrew arrived an hour later, she was still working with Artie.

  Andrew knew they would be meeting in his office, but that wasn't what bothered him. It was watching her enjoy Artie's conversation it was almost too much for Andrew. He left the office, walked around the hallways, and then came back just as she was throwing her head back, revealing her neck and laughing that sensuous laugh that made his own manhood grow.

  He knew Artie could make anyone laugh; Andrew just didn't like seeing him make Shane laugh so much. Leaving the office again, he tried to involve himself in other business around the office that needed his attention. Of course Rachel had a mountain of things he needed to address, but Andrew couldn't focus. He needed to know exactly what Shane was doing at that point in time.

  "Why don't you just hit the intercom on the phone and you can quietly listen to them without them even knowing?" Rachel asked, picking up on his troubled thoughts.

  He had the nerve to flush in front of her and then grumbled, "It's not like that, Rachel. Do you do that to me with the phone?" he asked suspiciously.

  "No," she said casually, "But I've been meaning to let you know your father took the buzzers off the phone."

  "Make sure you have them put back on and make it so permission is needed in order to access the administrative lines by the end of the hour."

  Rachel gave him a look as if to say she didn't have enough to do. "I'm sure she's aware there's no inter-office romances, sir. I made sure I stressed that you require a professional atmosphere at all times. I don't think she's like the others."

  "She's like no other, Rachel, and it would do good to stress to her again that I won't have those kinds of relationships in this office when you speak to her again." Andrew walked back to his office to see them practically with their heads together studying different catalogs and manuals about real estate.

  Andrew had convinced himself last night that the only reason she had some kind of aversion to him, was that she had to be one of those black women who weren't attracted to men outside of their race. Although he had assumed she was colorblind in that respect, this could be the only thing he could think of that would explain the fact that she showed no emotional or physical attraction to him.

  Her PDA sent a reminder ping and she checked it. Andrew knew she was seeing that she would be having another meeting with him. He watched her shoulders slump and she said something to Artie. He, of course, said something to cheer her up, making her laugh that arousing intense chuckle. When Artie finally left the office, the sales representative did take the time to say good afternoon to Andrew.

  Andrew wanted to knock that cocky grin off Artie's face, but he suppressed his jealousy and gave Artie a blasé nod. Shane peeked over at him, but quickly looked away and began typing. He began the difficult task of trying to ignore her as he tried to do some work at his desk until it was time to meet with her.

  ***

  Artie had been a nice distraction and Shane had learned a lot from him. She finished up the report she had started before Artie had come in. Shane wanted to make sure she had all her items together for their meeting. Once she was done, she packed her brief and retrieved her coat.

  Approaching his desk, she asked, "Did you happen to pick up a phone from our first meeting?"

  "Yes, I did." Andrew answered reaching in his top desk drawer and handed her Evan's phone.

  Shane thanked him and placed the cell phone in her jacket pocket. "Are we leaving now?" she questioned.

  "No coat is needed. We're having the meeting upstairs."

  The thought of having a meeting with this man alone in a place where he slept made a chill go down her back. Wasn't that too personal? Did Rachel ever have a meeting upstairs alone with him? She wanted to ask these questions, but refused to express them because she had decided to keep her dislike of him out of her voice and demeanor.

  Shane wasn't going to question why he was like he was, or why he gave the office different rules than he had given her. She had resolved for her own sanity to stick to the office rules the best way she could without making him angry.

  "Would this be a business meeting?" she asked

  "When am I not about business, Shane?" he questioned with sarcasm.

  Shane didn't know how to take his attitude, so she shrugged it off and returned her coat to the closet.

  He led her out the office to a door that was right outside. There was a security code to unlock the door. Behind this door was carpeted stairs that spiraled up to another floor. A
t the top of the stairs was more carpet in a large front room. A table had been specially set for two in the middle of this vast room that looked as if it could hold up to a hundred people if needed. The walls had the most beautiful art paintings on it and there was a chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. The color of the room was white, gold, and black and the furniture was of high quality. A couch, small chair, and a coffee table had been pushed against the wall of the large front room out the way. There was a slight partition for the kitchen and a full partition for the bedroom and bathroom with large sliding door for privacy, but when kept open, it made the loft look even larger because of the mirrors on the bedroom wall.

  Shane blushed realizing she was paying too much attention to his bedroom again just like at the hotel.

  "I thought you were staying in the hotel?" she questioned.

  "Until they finish with repairs of all of this, but with the holidays approaching the designer has opt to go home to Davenport, Ohio," he answered casually. "I decided to make full use of it to be close to work."

  Shane smelled food coming from the kitchen and her stomach rumbled.

  "Are you hungry?" he questioned.

  Embarrassed, she said, "Famished if you must know, but I can wait until lunch."

  "Nonsense." He went to the kitchen while she sat down at the table praying she wouldn't pass out before he brought her food.

  The phone rung rather loudly and she watched as he came out the kitchen and looked at the phone on the coffee table ringing as if this were the strangest thing he had ever seen.

  "Would you like me to get it?" she asked after the fourth ring.

  Coming out of a haze, he started towards the phone, hesitated and after glancing at her, he turned his back to the phone and started to go back in the kitchen, but he paused at the half partition actually showing doubt.

  Shane would never think Andrew Watkins was doubtful about anything or if he was that he would reveal it to anyone.

  "Do you want me to get it?" she asked standing up.

  "No." Andrew went over to the phone and answered it. "Hello?... I knew you went, but I thought everything didn't go as planned and you were stewing." He told the party to hold on then looked at Shane. "Could you take care and heat those plates? The instructions are on top, Shane."

  Going in the kitchen, Shane listened as best she could to the phone conversation without it being obvious as she prepared the food in the convection oven. The kitchen was state of the art in style and utensils. She felt like she was looking at a chef show on the food channel.

  He was trying to keep his voice low. "So how did it go?" Andrew asked and then paused a long moment before abruptly turning his back to the kitchen hissing, "What?!" His body tensed severely and he started hissing and cursing violently into the phone keeping his voice to a sharp whisper.

  Shane was dying to know who he was talking to. A girlfriend? A lover? A fiancé? She knew Andrew wasn't married and he said so himself he had personal relation trouble.

  So engrossed in her thinking she didn't hear him come in the kitchen looking very upset at her.

  She looked over at the food to see if maybe she had warmed up something incorrectly. When she met those flaring green eyes again, she frowned completely baffled at his attitude.

  "What is it about me, you just don't like?" he demanded standing with one hand on his waist and his legs spread apart.

  "What are you talking about?" she questioned.

  "All this time I thought you had an aversion towards my color!"

  Completely baffled by his obliqueness, she asked, "What does color have to do with you being my boss?"

  He ran an aggravated hand through his thick dark hair. "This is not about me being your boss, Shane! It's about me and you."

  Shane stiffened unsure what this unknown rage he was experiencing was all about. She didn't want to jump to the conclusion her mind was jumping to and her body was starting to tingle at the thoughts. Backing away feeling very uncomfortable, she averted her eyes from his cold green glare trying to think of something to say to calm him down. Speaking slowly, controlling her breathing, she said, "I think this conversation is taking an unprofessional turn." Looking at him warily, she suggested, "I should leave."

  Coming into arms length of her, he looked even more upset. "So you aren't going to answer my question?"

  Frustrated and terrified of her own body's reaction to his proximity, her voice almost shook as she spoke, "What question?"

  "You don't find me attractive, do you?"

  The room was silent as she waited for him to throw his head back and laugh, tell her he was joking or admit he was losing his mind.

  Yet, after a few more moments passed and he did nothing except glare at her seriously waiting for her to address what he had a problem with, she knew the room was going to start spinning if she continued on this present course of conversation. Clutching the counter behind her, she said in a serene voice, "All this strangeness is over your ego?"

  "Ego?!" Andrew asked incredulously. "For the past seventy two hours since we've met you have yet to show any attraction towards me whatsoever."

  Her brain wasn't taking in this information like she thought he was saying. If she was hearing correctly, Andrew was standing in front of her confessing he was actually affected by her disinterest in him that she had been fighting tooth and nail not to show.

  Her throat made it difficult to swallow, much less talk. "I think we both need some air." Shane was becoming delirious in her thoughts. The room had begun to get extremely hot all of a sudden.

  "Shane, look at me," he ordered. When she didn't, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close to his body demanding, "Look at me!"

  Reluctantly, she allowed herself to meet those deep mint green eyes that spoke more than attraction. Her body shuddered in pure lust at the thought of entwining in hot passionate lovemaking with this glorious man. She clutched the counter behind her tighter trying to hold on to the little sanity that was left in her body.

  Shane forced her eyes to keep his gaze locked with hers. "You're my boss," she said grasping at reason and reality. This was not the man she was use to or the man Rachel had described.

  "Damn professionalism, Shane. I don't want to be your boss right now!" he growled.

  Not knowing if she should be ecstatic or delirious, Shane asked, still trying to be rational. "You want to fire me?"

  He shook her shoulders slightly. "Have you been listening to anything I've been saying?"

  "I've been doing nothing but listening!" she cried now losing her control altogether. "You've been making no sense at all! You change the rules, you act evasively and you expect me to read your-"

  Shane didn't finish that sentence. Matter of fact, whatever she had been thinking had completely gone into a black hole which had suddenly opened up in her brain as his mouth overwhelmed her own knocking whatever she had been saying or thinking completely out of her body.

  She wasn't sure how long the kiss had lasted, but she was damn sure her mouth had been opened the entire time and his incredibly long tongue had almost licked her tonsils.

  Shaking her head to force herself back to reality, she said deliberately slow as she got her brain to working again to her will, "I can't do this, Andrew." She was close to panicking.

  "Do what, Shane?" he asked now rather calmly. The kiss had done something to him as well.

  "I can't draw the line. You're my boss." Pushing out of his arms, she moved around him to the front room.

  He followed close behind as she started ranting hysterically. "I need this internship to graduate. My career means everything to me!"

  "I know this, Shane. You don't know how confused I was until now. Until the kiss." He closed the distance between them looking as if he wanted another one.

  She didn't know if she could stop him if he did.

  "I know your career is your life, just as mine is to me. I won't jeopardize that."

  Shane begged as a last resort to her own s
anity knowing full well she could not resist whatever he wanted because deep down she wanted the same thing from him. "Please Andrew, I don't want to mess this up. I won't be good at drawing the lines. I can't accept you as my boss and my lover."

  Cupping her face, forcing her to look at him, he said in an almost whisper, but Shane's body was so attuned she heard him clear as day.

  "We both know this moment could be bigger than anything we could ever imagine, don't we, Shane?" he asked.

  She had to agree with him and silently nodded.

  Andrew continued. "And we wouldn't give a damn about professionalism, work, or what the future may hold." Leaning forward ever so slightly he stroked his bottom lip against her cheek very close to her mouth. Shane felt her lips fill with life and her body quivered at just the thought of knowing he could kiss her again like before. She knew she would never have a balanced equilibrium with this man ever again.

  "You could draw the line, Shane. I know you could if it was something you really wanted," he said and then he moved away from her.

  She followed him with her eyes as he went back into the kitchen to retrieve the food and returned speaking now in his regular deep sultry voice.

  "We'll put this aside..." His eyes looked her up from head to toe. "... For now, and stick to the rules."

  Andrew sat down as if what had just happened didn't happen. "Come eat, Shane."

  "I'm not hungry," she lied stubbornly.

  "As your boss, I'm ordering you to sit down and eat Shane," he said with indifference.

  He was back to being the unemotional frustrating man she was use to. Being back in familiar territory she was able to have a seat and eat.

  Andrew even began to look over her report impressed by her organization. He spoke business only and made her slowly ease back into her comfort zone with him.