“The sofa pulls out into a queen sleeper,” he said. “I figured we’d keep it open as our model since we’ll be dealing with it tomorrow.”
“Great.”
One deadpan word that told Rex everything he needed to know. Earlier she’d claimed the subject matter of their research didn’t bother her. Not only had she declined his offer of separate rooms, but she’d joked about the sex toys. So what was making her uncomfortable now?
And April was uncomfortable. She hovered somewhere in the high digits on a fidgety scale of one to ten.
“What do you think of the color?” He contemplated the sheets, watching her reaction in his peripheral view. “I wish they’d sent something a little less—”
“Shower curtain?” she said dryly, keeping her gaze fixed on her laptop.
“Dungeon,” he replied just as dryly. “Though now that you mention it, I suppose that shiny water-resistant look does resemble a shower curtain.”
She didn’t reply, just started tinkering on her laptop, connecting the mouse, arranging the pad, not looking at him.
Something was definitely up.
“Will you give me a hand getting all these doo-dads into the pockets?” he asked. “I want to see the Fetish Collection in its entirety so I can take a look at my script for tomorrow and make sure the two line up.”
“Uh, sure.” She turned around, avoiding his gaze, suddenly all business.
Rex bit back a smile, certain he’d found the answer he needed.
The sex toys weren’t making April nervous. He was.
5
APRIL HADN’T BEEN in the Atlanta offices of Yodzis and Associates for twenty minutes before understanding exactly why Rex chose this firm as his preferred research company. They’d arrived at the crack of dawn to prepare for the first run of concept testing. The staff greeted them in the reception area with smiles and proceeded to treat the man as if he was the ruler of a small kingdom.
“We’ve taken care of it, Mr. Holt.”
“We’ll make the arrangements right away, Mr. Holt.”
“Just let us know if you need anything else, Mr. Holt.”
Mr. Holt handled the attention as though it was his by birthright, commandeering the offices and establishing himself as if the place was his castle and the staff his royal subjects.
The man was so damned charming that every staff member from the supervisor on down, hopped to do his bidding as if it were a privilege.
“It’s been three months since we’ve seen you, Mr. Holt.”
“We’ve stocked plenty of your favorite espresso, Mr. Holt. Would you like a cup?”
The staff of Yodzis and Associates ran the place on par with the motherboard of her high-power computer system, managing not only to accomplish every single task on Rex’s hefty to-do list, but to accomplish it to his satisfaction.
April had firsthand knowledge that this was no small feat. She’d spent her first night in Atlanta sharing a suite with the man and familiarizing herself with his project outline and upcoming schedule.
A perfectionist from the word go, Rex Holt crossed every t, dotted every i, and left virtually nothing to chance. He clearly took the research process very seriously, which she guessed was to be expected, given these studies provided him with the data necessary to consult his clients.
The man didn’t miss a trick, either, a fact made evident when they were ushered into an observation area off the main conference room where he would begin the first run of testing. The room boasted a wall of nonreflective glass where she could observe him and provide the support he needed while conducting his interviews.
The room in itself was nothing special. Filled with various data-collection tools—an audio recording device, video recorder and a mobile computer system with a docking port. What made this room unusual was that sometime between late yesterday afternoon and this morning, Rex had arranged to have the computer system set on a podium so she could stand.
He surveyed the makeshift computer setup with a satisfied gaze. “What do you think, April? Will this work for you?”
“Beautifully. Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he said in that deep silky voice that sent a shiver down her spine. A shiver, for goodness’ sake.
He swept that dark gaze over her. Not a glance, but a caress. The chemistry between them was so potent that April could barely breathe. She tingled beneath his gaze, a ridiculous reaction to a man she’d only met a few days ago.
The absolute last thing she needed from him right now was an assault by his thoughtfulness when she was already so incredibly aware of him. Such a simple gesture, a small kindness, but one that told her he’d been paying close attention to the little things about her. April backed away to put some breathing room between them since the man seemed to be sucking up more air than was his due.
She saw the inevitable crash reflected in Rex’s face the instant she collided with the opening door. He reached for her as the door nailed her shoulder and sent her sprawling forward. He caught her soundly in his arms, pulling her hard up against his chest to steady her.
For one startling moment she registered the feel of her breasts molded against hard muscle, registered the fact that Rex didn’t seem to be nearly as startled as she was by the perfect fit of their bodies before an anxious voice said, “Jeez, I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”
April sprang away from her tall protector, almost colliding with the man who’d entered the room. He sidestepped her neatly.
“Fine. I’m fine.” She knew she couldn’t have sounded less fine.
Retreating to minimum safe distance, she clasped her hands behind her back to curtail any more livewire movements, willed her heart to slow its pace. She couldn’t do a thing about the blush. It blossomed full-force, prickly and uncomfortable, no doubt turning her face as red as a strawberry.
Rex watched her too closely to help matters, and the new arrival, a man with neat hair and wire-frame glasses, looked so mortified that she had the ridiculous urge to comfort him.
“Excuse me, ma’am. I’m very sorry.”
“My fault.” April forced a smile that lacked credibility because of her blush. “I stepped in front of the door.”
“What’s up, Matthew?” Rex asked, taking control of the exchange and segueing them back to work, much to April’s relief. “This is April Stevens. April, you lucked out today. Matthew will help you run the equipment and he’s the best Yodzis and Associates has to offer.”
The moment passed. The heat in her cheeks waned. A little at least. Rex checked the position of the video camera while Matthew extended a hand in greeting. “Which is exactly why Mr. Holt requests me. Do you have everything you need?”
“Looks good,” she said.
He eyed the equipment as though he wanted to ask about the unusual setup. Perhaps because of their mishap, he refrained.
“Everything looks great, Matthew. But let’s keep the coming and going to a minimum,” Rex said to them both. “Every time the door opens in here, light shines through the observation glass and distracts the respondents.”
April nodded.
“Of course, Mr. Holt.” Matthew exuded an efficiency that suggested Rex would get whatever he wanted no questions asked. “Here’s the copy of today’s schedule you asked for.”
Rex accepted the clipboard and stood there, tall, muscular and oh, so handsome in dress slacks and a light gray Egyptian cotton shirt that seemed striking against his tanned skin. Flipping pages, he scanned the material with a no-nonsense gaze. “The respondents meet the eligibility criteria. Backups?”
“Several per session. Should be sufficient.”
“Good. I’ve got these groups scheduled back to back all day. I don’t want any downtime.”
Matthew nodded. “As usual, Mr. Holt.”
“How about you, April?” Rex turned that lethal gaze her way. “Do you need anything before I head into the conference room? Matthew will get the equipment rolling.”
“I’m al
l set.”
She wouldn’t have dreamed of prolonging Rex’s departure. More than she needed information, she needed a wall of observation glass between them so she could catch her breath. Her reaction to this man was nothing short of overwhelming and she was convinced he was some sort of test—give up men and the sexiest man on the planet pops up as the final temptation.
Making her way to the computer, she smiled a polite farewell and got down to business. She had to establish her cover as a competent marketing assistant while assessing her suspect. She didn’t have a spare second to lust.
April’s function would involve monitoring the interviews that Rex conducted in the form of focus groups. Product had been shipped from the Luxurious Bedding Company and a display bed covered in the Fetish Collection occupied the focal point of the main conference room. Unlike the display in their suite, this Fetish Collection wasn’t nearly so—what had Rex called it?—dungeon.
This sheet set was a tasteful shade of seashell pink. She couldn’t recall exactly what name, but knew she’d read a list of available colors in the literature. Pink was far less menacing than shiny black leather.
Rex set a cup of coffee at the head of the conference table and after perusing the stacks of product shelved behind the chair, he said, “How are we doing on the audio, Matthew? Can you hear me?”
His voice transmitted over the microphone that dangled from the ceiling above the conference table.
“Loud and clear,” Matthew shot back.
“Good.” Rex took a seat at the table, sipped his coffee and reviewed a folder of papers. “How about you, April? All set?”
She clicked the system mouse to move through the data-collection program, checking the various screens to ensure she was using the same software she’d familiarized herself with last night. “All set.”
He nodded, never lifting his gaze from the paperwork. Shortly afterward another staff member popped her head into the room to signal Rex the first run of respondents was assembled.
Rex stood, glancing at his watch. “Right on time. Please send them in.”
A half-dozen women from a variety of life stages and occupations filed into the room, all carrying name cards and an assortment of beverages. From the moment Rex smiled that killer smile, introduced himself and instructed the respondents to place their name cards on the table facing him, April realized she’d only glimpsed a infinitesimal percentage of this man’s charm.
“He’s something, isn’t he?” Matthew said from behind the video camera, which hung from a ceiling apparatus and was positioned through the observation glass. “We work with consultants from all over the world and there’s no one even close to Rex’s caliber. The guy’s a legend around here.”
“He’s something, all right,” she agreed.
A very skilled, highly impressive something. April might be most comfortable behind a computer, but she was a well-trained investigator, skilled in assessing people, even if she preferred not to deal with them face-to-face. She recognized star quality when she saw it and Rex had star quality, plain and simple.
Watching him in action was nothing short of amazing. He smiled his blinding smiles, laughed easily and maneuvered the discussion with a deft skill that never seemed prying or forced.
He questioned the respondents about their lifestyles, their shopping habits, their bedding preferences and his easy manner encouraged the women to answer freely. He made notations on a notebook, backed up the questioning if someone said something that interested him and explored the minds of average consumers with such skill that they weren’t an hour into the day before April understood why John had referred to Rex as big potatoes.
The man had a true gift for dealing with people. He read each of the respondents accurately, handled each in a way to make her comfortable enough to talk honestly about an intimate subject. And he did this all so fast he made April’s head spin.
There was no question about why she’d had such a difficult time keeping the conversation focused on him last night. She may be an information specialist, skilled at manipulating data and extracting information from the Information Superhighway, but this man made his living by manipulating conversations and extracting information from people face-to-face.
She was in so over her head here that she couldn’t help but wonder if Wilhemina had lost her mind. John may not have known what she’d be up against with Rex, but Wilhemina surely had when she’d asked for “someone she could trust.”
Which brought to mind this past Christmas Eve when they’d been chatting over fruitcake while waiting to leave for midnight mass.
Just because I’ve chosen my career over my own family doesn’t mean I’ve neglected my personal life, April, Wilhemina had told her.
They’d been discussing the similarities in their devotion to work and April remembered thinking that John and Paula must have recruited another family member to help eject her from behind the computer. As if it wasn’t enough that she was only one against the entire Mooney family already.
Maybe asking for April was Wilhemina’s attempt to support the family cause. She wouldn’t put something like that past Paula and Wilhemina when they put their heads together, but John? He knew those two were double trouble—he’d commented on it often enough—and would never have gone along.
Or would he? Had they finally worn him down?
Pulling up her e-mail program, April jotted off a post to Wilhemina right then and there, asking point-blank if she was trying to play matchmaker. Sexy sheets and Rex Holt. Such a potent combination April was convinced she’d been set up. Once she hit Send, she felt nominally more in control and went back to watching Rex work, marveling at his skill and telling herself she could handle this man who maneuvered people and conversations as deftly as her computer multitasked.
Couldn’t she?
Yes.
Fortunately, Matthew reminded her that she was here to assist Rex, in addition to spying on him, when he produced the first stack of respondent surveys. So while April busied herself inputting data, she kept one ear on Rex’s discussions and picked Matthew’s brain about the marketing consultant he so revered.
Turned out the young man possessed a wealth of knowledge about Rex he wasn’t shy about sharing. “I don’t know too many people in the industry who haven’t heard of him. He teaches me something every time he walks through the door.”
April peered through the observation window to where Rex sat at the conference table charming his respondents into a rather animated conversation about what they looked for in their sheets. “He expects a lot from you all.”
“He’s reasonable. You’d be surprised how temperamental these marketing consultants can get. Yodzis and Associates provides a service and…well, since we’re dealing with people, sometimes things don’t always work out as expected. Rex trusts us to do our jobs and always plays fair.”
April recognized the sincerity behind the words and couldn’t help thinking that men who were renowned and respected for their sense of fair play usually didn’t involve themselves in corporate espionage. One more character trait that would serve Rex well if suspicion was ever cast his way in court.
Not that any judge and jury couldn’t just look at the man and see his integrity. She watched him through the window, the fluorescent lights sparking off his russet hair, the way he moved from the table to the display bed with long-legged strides and a grace that should have been at odds with his size.
“Go on, Bonnie-Jean,” he was saying as he leaned over the bed to reach for a pillow. “Please follow that thought. You’re telling me your interest in this sheet set depends on what position you’re sleeping in?”
An attractive woman in her early fifties with bright blue eyes, Bonnie-Jean gave Rex a smile. “It would definitely factor into my decision whether or not to buy them.”
April stepped back in front of her computer, recognizing a cue in the sound of Rex’s voice. There was a note of interest that told her he was on to something. She typed
S-L-E-E-P-I-N-G P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N into the appropriate cell in the spreadsheet, her attention focused back on the conversation in the main conference room.
“So you’re saying that you sleep differently on different nights?” Rex asked.
“It’s not the nights really, but my husband and I definitely go through phases. If we’re in our intimate phase…” The woman smiled. “This sheet arrangement would work out fine. But if we’re in our butting-heads phase, my husband would wind up hanging off the edge of the bed to get away from me. All that stuff on the side of the sheets would annoy him. You know, the apparatus.”
April chuckled. With the click of her mouse, she pulled up the file with the respondents’ profiles.
Bonnie-Jean Hickman, 50, business owner—floral shop.
While April had never been involved in a relationship long enough to warrant phases, she knew Bonnie-Jean’s claim was valid when several women around the table nodded their agreement.
“So couples have styles of sleeping,” Rex said. “Ladies, you’re nodding. You all know what Bonnie-Jean’s talking about?”
More nods.
“Let’s explore this. Tell me about how you sleep, Marina.”
Marina Torres, 38, elementary school teacher.
“My husband and I spoon in the middle of the bed so the pockets on the sides of the sheets won’t bother us.”
“Would you think about sleeping like spoons when you were considering whether or not to purchase these sheets?”
Marina shrugged. “Not when I was buying the sheets, but it would make a big difference whether I left them on my bed all night.”
“So you may put the sheets on and remove them before you sleep. Treat them as a specialty item rather than conventional bedding. How would your sleeping position factor into this decision?”
“It wouldn’t.”
“What would influence your decision then?”
Between The Sheets Page 7
