life’s bumps and bruises.
MADISON didn’t look away, despite the alarm that registered in the inky depths of her eyes. “I wasn’t myself in that elevator,” she claimed.
Harry wouldn’t let her get away with that one. “Sure you were. You were more yourself this afternoon than at any other time. The darkness allowed you to be free of normal, everyday constraints. You just don’t want to admit it.” He tilted his head to one side. “Why is that?”
Pure passion broke through. “Do you blame me? Do you think I’m comfortable admitting that at the least provocation I’d kiss a total stranger in an elevator? That I’d curl up on the floor with him and…and—”
“And be tempted to have a brief sexual encounter.”
He’d pushed too hard. Her spine tautened into a rigid line and she swiveled to inspect a view he doubted she actually saw. “It never would have gone that far.”
“It could have. It still might.”
“Not a chance.”
He appeared interested. “Is that a challenge?”
“No!”
“It sounds like one.”
“Would you please be serious?”
“I’m dead serious. You wanted me in that elevator as much as I wanted you. We both still feel the same way.” He reached across the table and caught her chin in his palm, gently turning her to face him. “If we’d made love, we wouldn’t be sitting here discussing it.”
A hint of desperation vied with the need that burned in her gaze like black fire. “We wouldn’t be together at all.”
“Sure we would. We’d be in your bed or in mine, making love in a more comfortable setting. Because I guarantee, once would not have been enough for either of us.”
“You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” He couldn’t help himself. His thumb smoothed a path along her jaw. She’d felt incredible when he’d explored her features before. But now, watching as he touched her, seeing the desire soften her lips and bring a flush to her cheeks, witnessing it wash into her eyes and excite her body, hit him hard. If they hadn’t been in a public setting he’d have done his level best to drive that passion to uncontrollable heights. “You’re allowed to want me, Madison.”
“No. It’s not—”
His mouth twisted. “Practical?”
“Yes. No.” She closed her eyes in frustration. “I can’t do this, Harry. I can’t afford to be distracted. I have a family to take care of. They depend on me.”
“Your family isn’t going anywhere. Nor are their problems. Do you really think they expect you to spend every waking day taking care of them? Even at the expense of having a life of your own?”
“That’s not the point.”
“You’re right. It’s not.” He closed the distance between them and took her mouth in a lingering kiss. “This is the point.”
“Harry.”
His name escaped in a helpless whisper. This time when he leaned toward her, she met him halfway. Their mouths collided, mated and parted, then mated once more. They were back in the elevator, lost in a moment out of time. She opened to him, welcoming him with everything that was uniquely feminine—a soft sigh of intense pleasure, the eager parting of her lips beneath his, the blossoming of her special scent, the sweep of desire warming the skin beneath his hand. Only her guarded expression warned that her surrender wasn’t a complete one. It was that ultimate reluctance that forced him to release her.
“Madison, why are you resisting the idea of having a relationship with me?”
She took a deep, steadying breath that suggested she was more affected by their kiss than she cared to admit. “There are a lot of reasons.”
“Name them.”
She didn’t bother to hide her annoyance. “You’re in your financial advisor mode again,” she accused. “I’m not some sort of problem you can negotiate away.”
“Good. I don’t negotiate.” He waited until his statement struck home before continuing. “Come on, sweetheart. Tell me the reasons a relationship between us wouldn’t work.”
“All right, fine.” She ticked off on her fingers. “First, there’s your father and my grandmother.”
“How is that a problem?”
“They’re dating. What if it doesn’t work out? It complicates matters between us.”
He dismissed that with a shake of his head. “I handle complicated situations all the time. So do you. Besides, Dad and Sunny are adults. And in case it hasn’t occurred to you, what they choose to do is none of our business.”
Her mouth compressed. “Anything that affects a Sunflower is my business.”
“If I accept that Sunny is in agreement with that statement—and that’s a big if—then there are two possibilities. Either my father and your grandmother will fall in love and marry, in which case they’ll be delighted should we follow their example. Or they’ll eventually part as friends. In which case what happens between us has no bearing on them.”
“How do you know they’ll part friends?” she protested. “That’s not how all relationships end.”
“They do in my family. What else?”
She looked like she wanted to debate his last point some more. No doubt she would have if she felt she had the necessary ammunition. But since she couldn’t refute his claim, she wisely chose to move on. “There’s your father’s book.”
“What about it?”
“I don’t agree with it. I think it’s—”
He cut her off without compunction. “I believe we’ve already established what you think.”
“See? I’ve made you angry.”
“I’ll get over it. In answer to your latest concern, I have every confidence that you’ll eventually discover the error of your ways.” He offered a wry smile. “After all, we share a similar nature, as you’ve taken pains to point out. And since I’m convinced the book is right, you will, too, given time. What else?”
“I wasn’t finished with my last objection,” she argued. “I have quite a bit to say on the subject.”
“No doubt. But I’ve decided we are finished discussing the book. Move on.”
She snatched up the wine menu and buried her anger in its pages. She wasn’t used to people defying her, he realized. And she didn’t like it. Clearly, the Sunflowers had been too easy-going with her, allowing her autocratic nature free rein. She’d lost the ability to negotiate. He’d have to persuade her to see the advantages of a friendly compromise. Having one person always in charge, always the winner, wasn’t the sort of affair he had in mind. It didn’t make for a healthy work environment. Nor did it make for a healthy relationship in the bedroom—at least, not in his bedroom.
She poked her nose around the edge of the menu. “We’re both too busy with work for a personal involvement.”
He took the menu away from her. “If I can find time, you can. I’m sure Sunny will be happy to arrange with the other Sunflowers for you to have a few days free.”
“Not a chance. My job is to take care of them and I refuse to shirk my responsibilities.”
Enough was enough. They’d danced around the issue long enough. “So far all you’ve given me are excuses. There’s something else going on, Madison. Some hidden factor I’m missing that affects this equation. You like being in control and you’ve made practicality the standard by which you measure everything. Why is that? I’m guessing that you’ve chosen this particular path for one of two reasons—either something happened to you, personally, or something happened to your family.” Her reaction warned that he’d struck a nerve. “Which is it?”
The change in Madison was startling. All emotion vanished from her expression. Her eyes lost their dark luster, turning flat and remote. And an unnatural calm settled over her. Even her wayward curls stilled, as though leeched of their life’s energy. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she blatantly lied.
He leaned toward her, pinning her with his gaze. “What the hell is going—”
“Are we interrupting something?” Su
nny chose that moment to sweep down on them. She dropped a quick kiss on her granddaughter’s cheek and another on Harry’s. “Sorry we’re late. But once we explain, I’m sure you’ll understand.”
“You’re not interrupting a thing,” Madison hastened to reassure her.
“Sure they were,” Harry corrected, giving her a final, warning glance. They’d put their discussion on hold for now. But they would finish it—and soon. “I suspect we’ll forgive them once we hear their news. What’s up, Dad?”
Bartholomew grinned. “Congratulate us, Harry. Sunny’s agreed to be my wife.”
“Attention, everyone.” Sunny called her family to order. The din from a dozen chattering Sunflowers faded. She peered through her reading glasses at the paper she held and nodded briskly. “All right, my dears. Here’s the latest update on the marriage project. You’ll be pleased to know that our plan has been set in motion.”
“How did she react to your engagement?” Aunt Dell asked. “Was she as pleased as the rest of us?”
“I think pleased might be a wee bit of an overstatement. But don’t let that worry you. She’ll come around in due time.” Sunny paced in front of her relatives. “Now I’ve been giving this a lot of thought and I’ve come up with the perfect way to implement our plan.”
“I’m happy to help any way I can,” Daniel stated, “so long as it doesn’t involve anything illegal. Madison says our lawyer isn’t very happy with me, so I’d better keep a low profile. No helping. She was very specific about that.”
“Not to worry, Daniel. I’m fairly certain we can do this without breaking too many laws. At least… They’ll only be teeny tiny laws.”
“What do you need us to do?” Harley frowned. “It’s not going to cost a lot of money, is it?”
“No, my boy. My plan will only take time and a bit of creative thinking.” She waved a paper in the air. “This is a sign-up sheet, everyone. Each of you has to pick a rule from The Principles of Love, one you think suits you best. Your job will be to demonstrate it for Harry and Madison—involving them in the course of the demonstration, of course. I’ll go first so you get the idea.”
“Which rule are you choosing?” Rosy wanted to know.
“I’m fairly certain Harry’s already taken care of the first three all on his own. So I’ll be generous.” Sunny made a slashing notation on the sheet. “Not only will I reinforce those, I’ll throw in the fourth rule, no extra charge.”
“We have a serious problem on our hands,” Madison announced.
Harry released his breath in a long, exasperated sigh. “And good morning to you, too.”
“Oh, right.” There were times when fixating on a particular problem or goal could generate a certain social awkwardness. This was one of them. “Good morning, Harry.”
He swung the door to his hotel room wider. “Won’t you come in?”
“Thank you.” She crossed the threshold and turned to confront him. The sight of his business suit brought a frown to her face. “Oh, no. This will never do.”
“What’s wrong now?”
“Are you working today?” She hadn’t anticipated that and should have. “Do you have an appointment with this group you told me about?”
“I was going to make a preliminary call, yes. But it can wait if you have something more important in mind.”
That cheered her up. “Excellent. The first thing we’ll need to do is get you out of this.” She circled behind him and stripped off his suit jacket, tossing it over her shoulder. “The tie will have to go, too.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “First explain what’s going on.”
“You’re wasting time. And that’s one thing we don’t have.” She continued around him and reached for his tie, working the knot. “You and I are going on a picnic.”
“A picnic.” He lifted an eyebrow. “A picnic where time is of the essence?”
The tie came free and next she applied herself to the buttons at his throat. “Blame it on Sunny. She didn’t give me much warning.” Madison paused, clutching the collar of his shirt as she considered. “You know… If it were anyone else, I’d suspect it was deliberate. This little outing came up with suspicious speed.”
“Are you saying Sunny is devious?”
She glared in outrage. “Not in the least.”
“Then we can safely assume this picnic is spur of the moment.”
Madison fought off any lingering doubts. “Of course.” She slanted Harry a quick, assessing glance as she applied herself to more buttons. “Your father won’t mind Sunny’s impulsiveness, will he?”
“Sorry to crush your hopes, but he won’t mind in the least.” He caught her hands before they could progress any further, pressing them firmly against his chest. “Are you finished undressing me?”
His heartbeat thundered beneath her palms and she suddenly realized how her actions might have been interpreted—or misinterpreted. His shirt gaped, revealing crisp brown hair and a hint of a chest she’d already discovered was impressively broad and muscle-ridged.
She snatched her hands away and stepped hastily backward. “Yes, I’m finished. All finished. Completely finished. As finished as it’s possible to be. I’ll let you take over from here.” She motioned urgently. “What are you waiting for? Go. Get changed.”
He didn’t budge. “In a minute. First, you have a choice to make, sweetheart.”
“Choice?” The word caught in her throat and she tried again. “What choice?”
“We can go on a picnic or we can continue what you’ve started. Which will it be? Indoor fun and games, or outdoor?”
She moistened her lips, horrified to discover that she actually had to take a moment to weigh her options. “Outdoor,” she finally whispered.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“In that case, wait here.”
It wasn’t what either of them wanted, but she summoned up the wherewithal to keep her strappy little sandals glued to the parquet foyer of his hotel suite. It dawned on her then that it was a suite, and quite a fancy one at that. Situated at one end was a kitchenette connected to a small, formal dining area. To her left she could see a room used as either a den or office and a huge living area with a spectacular view of Seattle and Puget Sound. It reminded her of their evening at House Milano. Harry had disappeared through a doorway on the far side of the living room, no doubt leading to the bedroom.
She itched to explore and when he didn’t make an immediate reappearance, she gave in to her curiosity. The kitchen was fully equipped and she had the disconcerting impression the kitchen had been stocked with Harry’s preferences in mind. She’d suspected from the start that he was good at his job, but perhaps he was even more important than she’d realized. A breakfast nook had just enough room for a small table. Place mats, dinnerware and cutlery for two had been laid in preparation for his next meal. She stared at the intimate setting for a long time. Did Harry have a traveling companion she didn’t know about? Or had the table been set for two in case he chose to entertain a casual visitor. The thought was an unsettling one.
Escaping the kitchen, she crossed to the dining room. A hutch contained an elegant set of Lenox china and stunning hand-cut Bohemian lead crystal to be used for more formal dining occasions. Arrangements of fresh cut flowers overflowed the dining room table, as well as dotting various surfaces in the living room. The colors reminded her of Harry, strong greens and golds, accented with bold red peonies.
Glancing toward the office, she resisted the urge to explore any further. The desk revealed a laptop computer and an assortment of neatly stacked files and papers. She doubted Harry would appreciate her invading his work environment. Some places were sacrosanct and she respected that. Crossing to the bank of windows she examined the bustle of tugs and ships in the harbor, a bustle mirrored by the traffic clogging the Seattle streets far below.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Harry asked, appearing in the doorway that led to his bedroom. “I can�
��t promise to fix it with the same skill as the local cafés around here, but I can promise it’ll be drinkable.”
Madison swivelled to face him and couldn’t summon so much as a single word in reply. So far all she’d seen him in were suits, which had been intimidating enough. Now in a pair of low-slung jeans and a casual cotton shirt he’d become more dangerous than she’d thought possible. Perhaps it was because the suits had cloaked him in the domesticated garb of the business world, a world she moved in with complete comfort. But thanks to her, he’d shedded the trappings that made her feel at home and revealed his true nature. He was a lion, a fact she’d allowed herself to forget. Well, now the beast had been set loose and was on the prowl and she had no one to blame but herself.
“Madison?” He watched her with predatory intentness. “I assume by your expression, that’s a yes to the coffee? Maybe even a ‘hell yes’? And heavy on the caffeine, I’m guessing.”
This had to stop! She couldn’t afford to reveal a sexual interest in Harry. And that’s all it was—sexual. “We don’t have time, I’m afraid.” She employed her best business tone of voice. Brisk. Efficient. Not a hint of the frantic need clawing at her. “We have a lot to accomplish in a few short hours.”
“This is Seattle.” He didn’t give her a chance to argue, but simply anchored her to his side with a sweep of his arm and towed her from the room. “You of all people should know there’s always time for coffee.”
Once in the kitchen, he held her chair with unconscious ease, as though he’d performed the act on a regular basis. She took a seat, voicing a concern that had been troubling her since she’d arrived. “I thought you were here to advise a small group on financial matters.”
He didn’t look up as he prepared the coffee. Was it her imagination or did he hesitate before answering? “I am.”
“You said they weren’t powerful movers and shakers.”
“No, they’re not.”
She hadn’t been mistaken. He didn’t want to discuss this subject for some reason. “How can they afford to put you up in such an expensive suite if they’re such a fiscally small group?”
The Marriage Project Page 6
