A Win-Win Proposition

by Cat Schield

  He rapped on the closed door. As he waited for her to answer, he considered whether he would kiss her first or rip the towel from her body and then kiss her.

  “Who is it?” she called.

  “The big bad wolf,” he called back.

  “The three little pigs aren’t in at the moment. Can I take a message?”

  “Tell them I’m going to huff and puff and blow their house down unless you open this door.”

  “No can do. I’m afraid you’ll eat me up.”

  “If you had any idea how true that was, you’d stay locked in there forever,” he muttered, resting his forehead on the wood panel separating them.

  The long silence that followed left Sebastian wondering if she’d heard him. Heart thumping, he waited, his muscles bunched in anticipation. When he heard the lock turn, he pushed back and waited for her to open the door.

  To his intense disappointment, she wore a sophisticated cocktail dress of dark gold that bared her arms, showcased her tiny waist, and emphasized the flare of her hips. The color enticed gold highlights from the cinnamon locks tossed about her creamy shoulders.

  “You look beautiful.”

  “I’m having a hard time reading you,” she said. “One second you’re my grumpy boss with high moral fiber, the next you’re flirting with me. What’s going on?”

  He tugged her through the doorway and backed her up against the wall.

  “You’re driving me crazy, that’s what.”

  “I’m driving you crazy?” She gazed up at him, eyes widened by his forceful handling. “How exactly?”

  Gentling his touch, he coasted his palm up the generous slope of her hip to the valley of her waist, his caress aided by the silky material she wore. For all its sensual decadence, it couldn’t compare to the hot, luxurious texture of her skin.

  “You’ve changed since arriving in Las Vegas, both in looks and attitude,” he said.

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “It is when you wager five thousand dollars and a night with me on the turn of a roulette wheel.”

  “You could have said no.”

  “I’m not the sort who backs down from a challenge.” He grazed her collarbone with his fingers. “But you know that, don’t you? In fact, you’d probably counted on it.”

  “Are you accusing me of something?”

  He followed her neckline to the start of her cleavage. There, he picked up the gold locket he’d seen her wear many times. The piece of jewelry had never fascinated him when it had rested against fabric. Against her skin…that was another thing entirely.

  “You played me.”

  “Hardly.”

  “You knew the instant I walked into the bar that I wanted you and you took advantage.”

  “Wait. Are you trying to tell me that I took advantage of you?” Her husky laugh made him mad with wanting. “Is that even possible?”

  “It’s possible.”

  Comprehension dawned in her eyes. “You want me.”

  He reached between them and cupped her breast, kneading the round contours. “I think we’ve established that.” He eased his hips forward, letting her feel how much.

  Her lashes fluttered and her breath hitched. He knew what would happen if he kissed her. They’d never make it to dinner, and he had two-dozen people converging on the restaurant at that very moment. This was his leadership summit. He was supposed to be playing host.

  “And in your mind that’s bad because what keeps your world all nice and tidy is me, working as your assistant.” Her voice gained strength as she ferreted out all his secrets. “But you think I’m sexy.”

  “Missy.”

  She ignored his warning growl. “And you want to make love to me again.”

  “We have dinner reservations.”

  “The fact that you won’t let yourself must be what’s driving you crazy.” She fanned her hands across his abdomen, nails digging into his muscles. “I’m not driving you crazy. You’re driving yourself crazy.” Raising on tiptoe, she breathed in his ear. “Let yourself go, Sebastian.”

  Yesterday at the pool she’d made it clear she wanted him. He sure as hell wanted her. Telling himself he was keeping his distance to restore their relationship to a professional level had kept him from acting on his desire for her. But she’d hinted last night that she was close to accepting a job offer.

  Once she was gone out of his life, how long before he would no longer be tortured by the longing to skim her curves and spend hours drifting kisses over her skin?

  “I can’t.” He pulled her hands away and pinned them to the wall. “People are waiting for us.”

  “Typical.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You always do the right thing. The thing everyone expects.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “It gets old pretty quick. I offered you a free pass for one night of uninhibited sex—sex without expectations of anything more—and it’s as if the whole thing made your world a bad place to be. You need to loosen up and learn to have fun or you’re going to miss out on all the wonderful things life has to offer.” She drew a deep breath and kept going. “Everybody at Case Consolidated Holdings lives in terror of not being completely perfect. Have you ever wondered why we’ve had so much staff turnover in the last year? It’s because working for you makes people crack up.”

  Had she just called him a tyrant? “You’ve survived for four years. It can’t be that bad.”

  “Survived?” She stared down her nose at him, a monumental feat, considering he towered over her by at least eight inches. “Do you think surviving a job is something I should be grateful for?”

  Perhaps not. “What do you suggest I do?”

  “Well, for starters, you could lighten up. Have some fun. Stop trying to manage every single thing around you.”

  “I don’t manage everything.”

  “You’ve scheduled the summit down to the minute.”

  “We have a lot to get through.”

  “Not at night, you don’t.”

  “Part of what makes this summit work is that all the executives spend time together.”

  Missy rolled her eyes. “Right, but they’re together all day.”

  Sebastian had worked with Missy long enough to know when she had a point to make. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Cancel the group dinners and let everyone go their own way.”

  “It’s too late for tonight’s dinner.”

  “True.” She nodded, her eyes shining. “But it would be a simple thing to cancel the rest of them. I know you’d make the wives very happy if you gave them more time alone with their husbands. With the amount of traveling you have got everyone doing, your executives don’t get to see much of their wives or their families.” Her gaze lifted no higher than his chin. “And about the tours…”

  Raw impatience burned in his gut. “What about the tours?”

  “No one wanted to go to the Hoover Dam.”

  “You didn’t go?” Sebastian couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This summit was coming apart. Not one thing had gone according to plan since he and Missy had stepped off the plane. “Dare I ask what you did instead?”

  “We hit a couple casinos then I suggested they might like to try skydiving.”

  “Skydiving?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. It was indoor skydiving,” she said in a breezy tone. “I wasn’t out to get anyone killed. They found it fun rather than terrifying.”

  “Fun,” Sebastian muttered. “Your idea?”

  She looked surprised that he’d even asked. “Of course.”

  “Is there anything else I need to know?”

  “Like what?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Did you rearrange tomorrow’s summit schedule without telling me?”

  “Now that you mention it—” She broke off when he growled. Her laughter filled the suite and took the sting out of everything he’d just heard. “I’m kidding. I wouldn’t dream of messing wit
h your precious summit.”

  “Because, I’m assuming, you’ve already promised my agreement on the change of plans,” he said. “Fine, I’ll go along with it.”

  “That was too easy.” For the first time she sounded concerned. “What did I miss?”

  “The fact that from now until the end of the summit, you have seen to it that my nights are free.”

  “And?”

  “So are yours.”

  “She almost started to cry today while we were shopping.” Alicia Darby’s voice lifted over the laughter bouncing off the glass walls separating their private dining room from the rest of the Eiffel Tower Restaurant.

  “How can you call what you do shopping?” Missy protested.

  “So, we found a nice quiet bar.” Susan’s eyes were dancing with mirth.

  “We’re calling her the one-drink wonder,” Alicia said. “She’s a lightweight.”

  Maggie Hambly jumped in. “No stamina.”

  “You have no idea how hard it is to keep these ladies happy,” Missy protested, fluttering her hand in the direction of the wives.

  “Oh, we know.” Owen Darby looked to the other husbands. They were all nodding.

  Missy sat back with a defeated sigh as the waiter cleared her plate. Dinner had been a boisterous affair, driven by the wives’ enthusiasm over the day’s activities. She’d joined in when prompted, but for the most part she’d eaten in silence, her nerves on high alert.

  Driven by a compulsion too strong to resist, her gaze sped down the table toward her boss. The sparks in his eyes reminded her of muzzle fire. He’d watched her all night, his intense scrutiny disturbing her equilibrium as effectively as if his hands were gliding along her skin.

  Missy dropped her gaze to the elegant dessert the waiter placed before her. The dish was beautiful, but her stomach could no more handle the rich chocolate soufflé than the delicious sea bass in champagne brown butter broth she’d ordered.

  Had he meant what she hoped when he’d pointed out that she’d freed up his nights and hers also? He’d gone all mysterious when she’d asked him to explain. She wasn’t sure where they stood anymore.

  Did he mean to spend the nights with her? In what capacity? As boss and employee? As lovers?

  Anticipation shivered through her.

  For two days she’d been longing to be in his arms again. Teasing Sebastian had been like playing with fire, but she wasn’t worried about getting burned. Her boss had made it clear that while he might find her attractive, he intended to keep their relationship professional. Had that changed?

  She had no idea how long she’d been lost in thought when the couples around her began to get up from the table. A warm hand grazed her shoulder. From the way her nerve endings perked up, she knew Sebastian stood behind her.

  The room was clearing fast. Everyone was excited about the Cirque du Soleil show they were attending. Before she knew it, only she, Sebastian and his parents remained.

  “Dad, you and Mom use our tickets for the show tonight.”

  Our tickets? Missy tipped her head back and stared at him in confusion. What did he mean?

  “Are you sure?” his mother asked, her gaze bouncing from Sebastian to Missy.

  “Absolutely.” Sebastian slid his thumb along her nape. “I have some unfinished business I need to attend to.”

  Missy’s stomach dipped and rolled at the subtext beneath his statement. Did his unfinished business involve her?

  “Come, Missy. Let’s get back to that matter we were discussing earlier.”

  Heat bloomed in her cheeks as she pushed back from the table. What had she gotten herself into? Did he really intend to work or was his mind occupied with the same carnal thoughts that had plagued her throughout dinner?

  “What matter?” she muttered as they followed his parents out of the restaurant.

  “The matter of your free time.”

  Well, that didn’t tell her a darned thing. Dazed by the knowing glint in his eye, she gnawed her lower lip and joined his parents in the elevator.

  While Susan exclaimed over the show they were about to see, Missy cast surreptitious glances at Sebastian’s profile. The third time she looked his way, his eyes snagged hers. One dark eyebrow twitched, telling her he knew his ambiguous response was driving her crazy.

  Missy shifted her attention to the wall beside him until the elevator doors opened. The heat of his hand on the small of her back further knotted her emotions and her pulse skittered like a nervous mouse as they bid the group of executives and wives goodbye and settled into a taxi for the ride back to the hotel.

  She stared out the window at the millions of lights that set the strip ablaze and wondered what was going through his mind.

  As the cab drew up to the hotel, she summoned the nerve to find out. “Do you really intend to work?”

  The shadows inside the cab masked his expression. “No.”

  “Then what are we going to do?”

  The taxi stopped beneath the hotel’s canopy. Sebastian paid the driver and slid out. Missy took the hand he extended and let him pull her from the cab.

  “I thought I’d leave that up to you.”

  She trembled at the husky rumble of his voice. Putting the ball in her court gave her control over what happened in the next few hours. She knew what she wanted. Another night of heaven in Sebastian’s arms. Isn’t it what she’d been lobbying for? He probably expected her to suggest they run up to the suite and hop into bed.

  Not a bad idea, really.

  “Why let me decide?”

  “You said I’m too hung up on being in control so I’m handing you the power.” He let go of her hand and slid his hands into his pockets. His watchful gaze sent shivers up her spine. “So, what’s it going to be, Missy?”

  Sebastian tensed as he awaited her answer. Around them, bellhops and hotel guests faded from his awareness. His entire being was focused on Missy and the parade of emotions across her beautiful face.

  Eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks, she nibbled on her lower lip while a smile played with the corners of her mouth. Thousands of lights blazed above them, highlighting the bright spots of color in her cheeks. Her body language spoke of indecision. Now that he’d taken a step down that path, she was hesitating?

  “Feel like taking my new car for a spin?”

  From her tiny clutch she’d produced a set of keys. Sebastian stared at them without comprehension. While he’d been pondering the joys of taking her naked body for a spin, she’d had another sort of ride in mind.

  “What new car?”

  “The one I won earlier today.”

  Humor dimmed the roar of his libido. “You won a car?” He shook his head. “Of course, you did. It seems you’ve come to Vegas to break the bank.”

  “Where else can a girl get lucky?” she quizzed, peering at him from beneath her lashes.

  Sebastian let the double entendre pass by without comment. “Lead the way.”

  Half an hour later, they’d cleared the lights of Las Vegas and headed north and west into the mountains. Missy drove. She’d been surprised that he’d insisted she get behind the wheel and seeing his broad grin, she was pleased he had.

  She’d hiked the hem of her snug dress to mid thigh. Given that she’d bared more at the pool yesterday, he shouldn’t be enjoying the view as much as he was. A couple of hair clips, scrounged from her purse, kept her fiery locks from whipping in the wind, but a few tendrils had escaped her top knot and blew about her cheeks.

  “You’re looking pretty relaxed over there,” she remarked.

  “Any reason why I shouldn’t be?”

  “I’m doing a hundred and ten miles an hour.”

  He was unfazed by the dangerous speed. His only anxiety involved how much of the night this wild ride would eat up. He wanted to get her alone and naked as soon as possible to take advantage of the exhilaration that gripped her.

  “Do you want me to slow down?”

  “You’re in charge tonight, re
member? I’m at your mercy.”

  The wind snatched away the disparaging sound she made, but he had little trouble reading her skepticism in the fading light.

  The sky had lost any tinge of red as they’d reached the outskirts of Las Vegas. Stars appeared as cobalt then became navy. Sebastian let his head fall backward and stared at the vast space that surrounded them. Leaving behind the frantic energy of Vegas was like stepping into a rain forest. Peace filled him.

  A reduction in the car’s vibration told him she’d eased off the accelerator. The world continued to streak by, but he could pick out a few more details in the shadowy landscape.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to drive?”

  “Positive.” He turned his head in her direction. “Being your passenger lets me enjoy the view.”

  Her gaze left the road and darted his direction. “Except you’re not looking at the scenery. You’re staring at me.”

  “Exactly.”

  She returned her attention to the empty two-lane road. “I don’t get it.” Her lopsided smile told a different story. She liked his attention.

  “Don’t get what?”

  “Why’d you leave your dad in charge of entertaining the executives tonight?”

  “Rather odd for a control freak like me, isn’t it?”

  “Are you planning on throwing that in my face all night?”

  “I don’t know. Are we going to spend the night together?”

  “I hadn’t given it much thought.” Missy’s breathless tone gave her away.

  Sebastian grinned. “I have no plans in case you’re wondering.” He noted the time on the dashboard clock. Nine-thirty. They’d been driving an hour. “We can drive all night if that’s what you want.”

  “But what do you want to do?”

  “I’m not the one in charge of tonight’s entertainment. You are.”

  The car slowed still more. “I don’t like being in charge.”

  “Really? I’m enjoying it immensely.”

  The car stopped. Missy made a U-turn and began to head back to town. Sebastian hid his relief.

  “Why?”