by Sara Orwig
“All right. Why the closed door to tell me that?”
Jeff walked around her desk without hesitation and pulled her up to kiss her. As he expected since they were in the Dallas office, she was resistant. To his satisfaction, as he persisted, her lips parted and she kissed him in return for a few moments. When she twisted away, he released her, looking at her intently and hurting because he knew their relationship would change as soon as Noah made the offer.
Would she still see him on weekends? She had to keep her part of the bargain, so their marriage would continue, even if in name only, for the year.
She misread his mood and reason for the kiss.
“You turned Noah down, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. Sorry you’re disappointed in what I did, but in the long run it won’t matter to you. You’ll be a lot happier this way.”
Even though she merely nodded, he could see the disapproval in her expression. Jeff turned and went to his office and closed the door. His mind wasn’t on Brand business and he didn’t want to talk to anyone about business if he didn’t have to. He hurt and he was going to miss Holly. He had always known this time with her would end, but he hadn’t ever experienced a woman walking out on him. It had always been the other way around.
He knew he could pressure her to keep her agreement, one she had been paid to keep. He knew he’d see less of her than he did now.
He stood and walked to the window to look over Dallas, wishing he were at the ranch where he could do something physical to get his mind off Holly. The more he thought about her, the more he wanted to make love to her. He knew it would be tonight before he’d have an opportunity.
Holly sat in Noah’s office, poised to take notes on whatever he wanted to discuss. “What did you want to see me about?”
“I suppose you know that Jeff turned down my offer.”
“Yes. Noah, I tried to talk to him about it….”
Noah waved a hand. “Don’t worry, Holly. I know Jeff. That isn’t why I wanted to see you. I want to offer you the position of chief operating officer.”
Shocked, she stared at him and then realized her mouth had dropped open. “Me? Noah, I’m stunned. And flattered and grateful. What about your board and Knox? They might not approve.”
“I’ve already had private conversations with members of the board and they do approve. So did Dad. He thinks you’ll commute and influence Jeff to work here longer. Everyone thinks you can do this job and do it well.”
Excitement washed over her. “Noah, I’m ecstatic,” she replied. She remembered Jeff’s offer of setting her up in her own business. If she ever wanted to be in her own business, she would have enough money to do so later. For now, this was the chance of a lifetime as far as she was concerned.
“Of course I’ll accept.”
“I know I can count on you. You’ll move back to Dallas, of course. You and Jeff can work out the terms of your paper marriage. I don’t see why Jeff would care.”
She couldn’t wait to tell Jeff. “I’ll talk to Jeff. Does he know you’re making me the offer?”
“Yes. It was his idea.”
Her second shock buffeted her, this time hurting. “It was Jeff’s idea?” she asked, even though that was what Noah had just told her.
“Yes. He thought you’d be perfect for it and he’s right.”
She barely heard Noah’s answer. If Jeff suggested her for it, it meant he didn’t care at all about her moving back to Dallas and the two of them not seeing each other. For the second time in her life, she felt like such a chump with the man in her life. Her ex-fiancé had booted her out, suddenly announcing their engagement was over.
Now Jeff was essentially doing the same. She had known from the start that she shouldn’t get emotionally involved with him, much less fall in love with him. She hurt and she had difficulty focusing on what Noah was saying to her.
“I’m sorry. This is so monumental,” she said, feeling her face flush with embarrassment. “I didn’t hear what you just said.”
“I know you’re excited. I want to keep this quiet around the office until we work out some of the particulars. You’ll have my office. I’m moving to Dad’s. Take the day off so you and Jeff can discuss your future and go celebrate.”
“Noah, thank you. Again, I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”
“You’ll do a great job. We’ll get someone to replace you at the ranch with Jeff. You two will have to solve your marriage arrangements, but I know this won’t place a hardship there.”
“Not at all,” she replied stiffly, hurt deeply that Jeff would want her out of his life, yet they were not compatible in so many areas. Why should she be surprised? “Noah, I’d like to stop working with Jeff at the ranch now. I work here on Mondays anyway, so I can just work all the time here in my old office.”
He thought about it a moment. “I think that would work. People will wonder why, but I doubt if anyone will give it much thought. Sure. Go ahead. I know Jeff can get along. He may not like it, but he will.”
Barely knowing what she was doing, she left Noah’s office, went straight to her own, closed up and left for her condo.
She hurt all over and was angry with herself for getting so deeply involved with Jeff, for falling in love with him and for being a pushover all over again for a man who didn’t love her.
Unfortunately, this time hurt more than the first time. She was much more in love and hurt so much worse. She drove home, trying to keep her mind on the road, yet failing, hearing other drivers honk at her. At last, she locked herself in her empty condo, fell into a chair and put her head into her hands to cry.
She cried until she felt she didn’t have tears left and then began to think about the future and what she would do. She had to tell Jeff goodbye, which would be easy for him. She had to move her things from the ranch. And then it would be over. She would have to stay married for the rest of the year to fulfill her bargain, but it would be in name only.
He was here in the office today, so she washed her face, changed to slacks and a shirt and left for the ranch to move out while he was in Dallas.
She was making the last trip to the car with her things when Jeff drove up and climbed out of his car.
“Hey, what are you doing? You didn’t tell me you were coming to the ranch,” he said. As he neared, his smile faded. “What’s wrong?”
“I suppose we need to talk now.”
“It’s hot out here. Let’s go in where it’s cool. We can have lemonade or iced tea or something,” he suggested, taking her arm.
Her heart skipped from his touch and she wished she could be free of all feeling for him. Hurt squeezed her heart and she clamped her mouth closed.
In minutes he had lemonade for both of them and they entered the study where he closed the door and turned to face her.
“Thank you for suggesting me to Noah for COO, Jeff. He’s offered me the position and I’ve accepted.”
“That’s what he told me,” Jeff said quietly, approaching her. “Let’s sit down.”
She perched on the edge of a wing chair and he sat in one facing her. “It’ll mean I’ll live in Dallas now,” she said, hurting, fighting her emotion and trying to avoid crying in front of him.
“If that’s what you want,” he replied and anger flashed in his gray eyes. “I know you’re anxious to get away from here. You always have been.”
“That’s what I want. Noah said he would find someone else to work with you.”
“I’m sorry to keep you in this marriage, even when it’s just a paper agreement and merely for show, for a year, but that’s the agreement we have and the only way I can retain the ranch.”
“I know. I’m leaving immediately. I’ll work in the Dallas office again even though they won’t announce the promotion yet. Since I work there Mondays anyway, Noah thought it would be fine and I know you can get along.”
“I won’t like it without you, but sure, Holly. Whatever you want,” he said.
She stood and he came
to his feet instantly. She held out her hand. “It’s been a lucrative and a pleasant experience,” she said.
Something flickered in the depths of his smoky eyes and a muscle worked in his jaw. He took her hand to shake it.
“Yeah, Holly,” he said stiffly. “Aw, hell,” he snapped and stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her to kiss her hard and possessively.
Her heart thudded and she clung to him with all the pent-up hurt and need and knowledge this was the last kiss.
He held her tightly with one arm while his passionate kiss set her ablaze.
She stepped back, gasping for breath. “Jeff, let’s stop. The sex has always been fun and exciting, but it’s over. I need to go. There never has been anything beyond sex between us, so why draw this out? This is goodbye.”
“Okay, Holly,” he replied.
She hurried across the room, picking up her purse. He caught up with her and walked her out.
“I’ll see you in Dallas. You won’t be back here, will you?”
“No, I won’t,” she said, hating the knot in her throat. To her horror, tears threatened and she took a deep breath and walked faster, climbing into her car swiftly.
“Goodbye, Jeff. Thanks for recommending me for the position.”
He nodded, standing with his hands jammed into his pockets and looking grim. She drove away quickly, feeling hot tears stream down her cheeks. The tears blurred her vision. She hated crying, but she couldn’t stop. She grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes, looking in the rearview mirror at him standing in the road, staring after her.
“Goodbye,” she whispered. “I love you,” she said, hating that she had done the same dumb thing twice in her life.
Jeff watched her drive away. To his surprise, he was going to miss her badly. “Dammit, Noah,” he said aloud, wishing the opening had never come up. He hated to lose Holly from his life.
He knew he’d get over her. He always had with the women in past relationships, but he hated it. He hurt more than he had thought possible. He walked back to the house to swim to get his mind off her. Returning to work would not do it. There was nothing about working for Brand that would get his mind off his problems.
Eagerness and anticipation increased as Jeff drove to Dallas the following Monday. He was having a celebratory lunch with Holly and Noah.
To his surprise, all weekend he had seen her everywhere he looked: at the office, at the house, at the pool.
At headquarters, he went straight to her office, knocking lightly on the door. She looked up with wide, startled eyes. His pulse drummed and he wanted to cross the room and take her into his arms.
Instead, he stepped inside to greet her casually. “How’s everything?”
“Fine. They’re going to announce my promotion tomorrow. It all worked out more quickly than Noah expected at first.”
“Congratulations. Let me take you out tonight to celebrate.”
“I’m sorry, I already have an engagement,” she said. “Another night, Jeff.”
He nodded, wanting her and knowing he had better get out of her office. “See you at lunch, Holly,” he said, disappointment filling him. He left for his office, finding the place stifling. He wanted her and he hated trying to get his mind on business.
He knew Noah was just happy to have her back and have the COO position filled by someone competent, someone he could rely on. Noah wouldn’t have a clue how Jeff felt about her. Sometimes all Noah could see was the business angle.
Lunch with her was even grimmer while at the same time, he liked being with her. She was bubblier than usual. The more time they were together, the more he wanted her.
She had ridden with Noah and Jeff had come alone. When he offered her a ride back with him, she politely declined and rode back again with Noah. It was clear she intended to shut him out of her life. On the drive back to the ranch that night, he knew he was going to hate the rest of the year he had to work for Noah. He missed Holly more each day.
Sitting on the patio and nursing the beer he had been drinking since sundown, Jeff stared at the blue sparkling pool and thought about Holly. He could no longer avoid the idea that he was deeply in love with her and hadn’t faced his own feelings.
Was there a way to get her back? He knew there wasn’t. She hated the ranch, loved her new position, loved her job and Dallas.
He should have accepted Noah’s offer to keep working for Brand and have Holly in his life. Could he have given up the ranch for her? He was beginning to think he could. If he wanted to work in Dallas, Noah would find him a spot. He could do what he was doing now and work in the city. Would that give him a chance with her? He wondered about that. Could he bear to do that?
He thought that might be better than the hell he was going through now. If he couldn't stick with it, he would find out, but for now, it might put Holly back in his life.
Eleven
H olly dressed for work, pulling on a black suit—the dark color matched her mood. She missed Jeff—his companionship, the hot sex, his friendship, his fun ways, his charm, everything about him. She hurt more each day and had realized she was deeply in love with him, the kind of love that lasted a lifetime. All their differences no longer mattered.
Her job no longer mattered. She couldn’t believe her own feelings, except she knew she dreaded going to work without him. She couldn’t keep her mind on her job or pay attention in meetings. Even Noah had noticed and asked if she felt okay on more than one occasion.
Did Jeff miss her? Could he also be having second thoughts? She knew that was wishful thinking. He hadn’t even called her. She both lived for Mondays and hated them. She loved being with him at the office, but he had suddenly turned completely professional with her, treating her with that polite manner he had always shown to the two secretaries who worked for him.
They were both gaga over him. She wondered whether he was taking one of them out now. The thought tormented her.
She even missed the quiet of the ranch. When had she become accustomed to the quiet out there? Or was it just that the quiet was a part of Jeff and she loved it along with him? She watched rodeos on television in hopes of catching a glimpse of him riding in one again because some shown were from Fort Worth and Mesquite.
Her phone rang and she raced to pick it up only to hear Jeff’s voice. Her heart thudded as she clutched the phone tightly.
“Holly, I have to come to Dallas this afternoon to deliver a horse I’ve sold. I’d like to take you to dinner tonight and hear about the job. Can you go?”
“Yes, I can. Want me to meet you?” she asked, thinking how polite and distant they were being.
“I’ll pick you up at your condo at half-past six. Can you make it home from work that early?”
“Of course,” she said, “I’ll be ready.”
“I want to talk to you,” he said.
“Fine,” she replied, wondering what he had to talk to her about. He sounded solemn and she couldn’t imagine what was on his mind.
“See you then,” he said and was gone.
Her heartbeat skipped as she looked at herself in the mirror again, deciding to take off by five o’clock to go home to dress for dinner tonight.
All day she tried to guess why he had said he wanted to talk to her, going from wondering if he was going to say he missed her to telling her he had fallen in love with someone and wanted out of this paper marriage. Except for the brief glimpses each Monday, she hadn’t seen him now for three weeks. Three weeks of pure hell. Was he in love with someone else? Had he missed her?
She dressed in a deep blue, clinging sleeveless dress with a low-cut V-neck and a long straight skirt that was slit up one side to her thigh.
She left her hair down, falling freely around her face and she was ready twenty minutes early, wishing he would arrive before the appointed time.
When the doorbell rang, she hurried to the door to open it. In a charcoal suit, Jeff looked riveting. Her mouth went dry and she was certain he could hear her heart pound.
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She stepped back with a smile. “Come in.”
His smoky eyes had darkened, gazing intently at her as he entered and closed the door. Her heart seemed to slam against her ribs and all the things she had thought to say to him blew away like smoke in the wind.
“You look stunning,” he said in a husky voice. “I’ve missed you.”
As she stared at him, she couldn’t think of what to say. All she wanted was to be in his arms. “I was wrong, Jeff,” she whispered.
“So was I,” he said, stepping forward to sweep her into his embrace and kiss her.
Her head spun while she held him tightly and returned his kiss passionately.
He stopped, gazing down at her. “I love you, Holly,” he said gruffly and she thought she would faint with pleasure.
“Jeff, my love,” she gasped. “I love you so and this job isn’t worth it. You told Noah to hire me for it. I thought you wanted me out of your life.”
“Never,” he said, groaning. “I can’t sleep, can’t work, can’t do anything.” He leaned down to kiss her and end the conversation, finally picking her up in his arms to carry her to the bedroom to make love to her for the next two hours.
Later, he held her close in his arms. Naked, warm and satisfied, they lay with legs entwined, her head on his chest, listening to his heart.
“Holly,” he said solemnly. “I miss you and I’ll move back to Dallas and work here if I can get you back in my life.” He shifted to look into her eyes. “I want to make this a real marriage. Will you marry me again? We can work something out because I just want you back in my life.”
Surprised and overjoyed, she couldn’t keep from crying with relief. “Jeff, yes, I will. I’ve even missed the ranch. You don’t have to move to Dallas all the time. I just want you back in my life.”
“I never told Noah to offer you COO to get rid of you. I knew you could do the job. I didn’t stop to think about it taking you out of my life. I hadn’t faced my own feelings. I hadn’t realized how much I was in love. This is the first time in my life I’ve truly been in love.”
