Since it was Carol’s turn to run the meeting, she took one of the chairs and made small talk with her peers, glancing at the agenda that had been passed out. Luke was scheduled to give a sales briefing, but there was no mention of bonuses. Still, just in the couple of minutes since she’d arrived, she’d heard the word whispered and bandied about in conversation.
The man had his own viral marketing posse.
“Shall we get started?” Carol asked.
“Shouldn’t we wait on Luke?” Teresa Maitlin, Director of Marketing asked. There were rumors that she and Luke had dated…or something. Luke did seem to be aware of the dangers and legalities of workplace dating and only consorted with women on his level. As Carol looked around the table, she realized she might be the only single female director he hadn’t been linked with romantically. She idly wondered if one of these women was his date for Valentine’s Day.
“No,” Carol said pointedly, then glanced across the table to another member of the Luke Chancellor loved-him-and-lost-him fan club. “Janet, you’re up first to give us an update from the Art Department.”
Janet took the floor and passed around samples of cards Mystic Touch would be unrolling later in the year for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. “We’re expanding on designs that have proven customer appeal, including military themes and pop culture themes like music.” Janet glanced at the still-empty chair. “I’m sure Luke will fill you in on the top sellers of the season.”
Carol made a rueful noise. “I’m sure he will, if he ever gets here.”
“Something must have come up,” someone offered.
“Right. And the rest of us aren’t busy,” Carol said drily. They moved down the agenda until it was time for Luke to take the floor and he was still a no-show.
“Guess that’s a wrap,” Carol said, grateful to dismiss before the idea of bonuses was even raised.
Then the door burst open and a huge bouquet of red heart-shaped helium balloons were shepherded in by a set of long legs that Carol recognized with a sinking feeling. Everyone laughed as Luke went around the room passing out the playful balloons.
Carol accepted one reluctantly, knowing she and everyone else was being manipulated. Luke faced her and gave her a private wink that made her want to strangle him with the ribbon on the balloon she held.
“Doesn’t it feel good to get something unexpected?” Luke addressed the room.
While Carol tried not to roll her eyes, everyone chorused agreement.
“And as a greeting card company, isn’t that what we’re all about? The joy of receiving something unexpected?”
His adoring fans cheered. Carol could only stare at the spectacle. The man was a hypnotist.
“Which is why,” he continued with a magnanimous grin, “I propose that we have an impromptu company party this Friday afternoon to celebrate Valentine’s Day, our biggest sales day of the year. Since it’s not tied to a religious holiday, we don’t have to worry about offending anyone, or being politically correct—our employees can just have fun.”
From the nods and smiles, Carol knew the party was a done deal. And secretly, she thought it could be fun, although the pragmatist in her would not be quieted.
“As long as we set a reasonable budget,” she said.
Luke smiled at her. “I thought I’d leave that to the Director of Finance. And while we’re at it, I’d like to suggest that we pay every employee a one thousand dollar bonus.”
Carol gasped and any feelings of conflict she’d been having about supporting Luke’s idea and seducing him evaporated. “A half million in bonuses? That’s outrageous.”
“Anything less would be an insult,” Luke countered. “We’ve had a record sales year.”
“For one year in a row!” Carol exclaimed. “Next year could be a different story altogether. Wouldn’t it be better to take that money and invest in a new high speed color printer, or a state-of-the-art cutter? My department would benefit from new computers on everyone’s desk. Or maybe we could kick in more on our employees’ health care premiums?”
Luke shook his head. “That’s not tangible. Why not give our workers the money so they can spend it however they see fit?”
“Because it’s not a prudent investment,” Carol said, crossing her arms. Which would’ve been more menacing if the movement hadn’t made the helium heart-shaped balloon bump her in the nose. She slapped at the balloon and lost a grip on the ribbon. It rose to the ceiling where it hit a hot light and burst. Everyone jumped.
“Now then,” Carol continued, “I agree the idea of a company party has merit—if we did something on-site, it could be affordable, and something that everyone could enjoy. But I’m not convinced that employee bonuses are the best way to spend a half million dollars.”
Janet bit her lip and shrugged at Luke. “Carol has a point, Luke. The vote has to be unanimous, and when it comes to financial matters, I’ll always follow Carol’s lead.”
Luke nodded, then clapped his hands. “Since we all agree on a party, why don’t we move ahead with those plans, and take some time to think about the bonuses.”
Carol narrowed her eyes. Meaning, take some time for him to campaign for support for the bonuses.
“We could reconvene Friday morning,” he said, then he cut his gaze to Carol. “If we reached an agreement that morning to pay a bonus, could we have the checks printed in time to give to employees at the party that afternoon?”
Carol pursed her mouth. “If we reached an agreement, it would be possible, I suppose.”
“Okay,” Luke said with a grin. “Let’s have a party!”
As the meeting broke up, Carol marveled how everyone gravitated to Luke. He was animated as he spoke to Teresa, the Director of Marketing, whose team handled employee events and would be coordinating the party. Carol flashed back to this morning when she had straightened Luke’s tie on the elevator. For a few seconds, she had detected something between them, and for a few moments, had been almost…excited about the prospect of seducing him. Standing here, she conceded a little disappointment that even though she knew she’d made the right business decision for her conscience, she would occasionally think about what might have been. Sure, she’d been planning to dump him after the seduction…but it might’ve been fun along the way…
Then Luke lifted his gaze to hers and over the heads of their peers, the proprietary look in his eyes sent an arrow of longing straight to her sex. She was reminded of the “take no prisoners” Cupid dressed in camouflage because Luke was looking at her as if she were the hill on which he was going to plant his flag.
She knew that look: Luke was planning to change her mind about the employee bonuses. The question was, how far would she let him go to win her over?
By standing up to him, she’d flipped the seduction production. Now who was seducing whom?
4
The next morning, Thursday, Carol pulled into the parking lot at her regular time, so early that only the security guards were working. But she spied another car in the parking lot—a pewter-colored BMW—and smirked when she saw Luke emerge and hurry in her direction, smothering a yawn. She had to give him points for getting up with the birds to start trying to win her over.
It was a frosty, still morning, cold enough to sting her nose and eyes. Carol lifted her gaze toward the rising sun to find an eerie, reddish hue bleeding over the horizon. The strange color of the winter sky left her with a sense of foreboding that enveloped her this time every year. A shiver skated down her spine. She couldn’t wait to put another Valentine’s Day behind her.
Her phone chimed to let her know a text message had arrived. She slowed to unclip it from her purse and glanced at the screen. It was from Gabrielle Pope.
Sensing all is not well, hope I’m wrong…let me know if I can help.
Carol squinted. How could Gabrielle possibly know that something had derailed her seduction of Luke?
The man himself bounded up next to her. “Good morning, Snow.”
Flustered by the text message from Gabrielle, Carol was further dismayed by the way her vital signs spiked at the sight of Luke in his charcoal gray suit, white shirt, and lime-green-colored tie. Carol vaguely wondered what kind of outdoor activity kept the man so tan and virile-looking.
And when she had become so susceptible to his physical endowments.
“Is that an early morning message from your lover?” he asked, peering at her phone.
She yanked it to her chest. “No.”
“No message, or no lover?” he teased.
Carol frowned. “You’re early, Chancellor.”
He smiled. “That’s because I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about you, Snow.”
She pursed her mouth. “Don’t you get tired of using that line?”
His eyes danced. “More specifically, thinking about what you said in the meeting yesterday about your department needing new computers. I might have a solution.”
She glanced at him sideways as he held open the door for her. “I’m listening.”
“It’s better if I show you,” he said as they walked to the elevator. When she gave him a suspicious look, he grinned. “Trust me.”
Carol averted her gaze. She didn’t trust him, or herself. Damn the whole seduction by the book exercise that Gabrielle had proposed. Before the book club, Carol had been content with her sexless life. She’d focused her energy on her career and convinced herself she didn’t need a man. But once the idea of seducing Luke had been planted, the sexy man had hijacked her thoughts and her dreams.
As a reminder of his disdain for her, she fingered the crumpled icicle card that she’d left in her coat pocket. If he was being nice to her, it was simply because he wanted her to support the idea of paying bonuses when it came up again at the directors’ meeting tomorrow morning.
Men. Could. Not. Be. Trusted.
After they walked onto the elevator, he pushed the button for the basement.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“You’ll see,” he said with a wink.
He was so casual, so confident. The man never carried a briefcase or a laptop, she noticed irritably. By comparison, she felt like the B student who took every book home every night next to the straight-A student who never studied.
The short elevator ride seemed interminably long. Carol looked up, then down, anywhere to avoid looking at Luke…and noticing the way his suit jacket perfectly outlined his broad shoulders.
“So, did you curl up in bed with a book last night?” he asked.
Her mouth tightened. “Why are you interested in my bedtime reading material?”
“I’m interested in everything about you, Carol, but you’re not the easiest person to get to know.”
Her head came up and she looked at him. He sounded almost…sincere. His gaze was intense. “Forget the books you’re reading,” he said quietly. “What’s your story? Why are you so prickly?”
She bristled—who was he to judge her? “Just because I’m immune to your charms, Chancellor, doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me.”
He leaned in close, until she could see the thick fringe of his dark lashes. “I don’t think you’re as immune as you let on, Snow. Your lips say one thing, but the color in your cheeks says something else entirely.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Carol said, but her denial sounded thin, even to her ears. Her cheeks flamed. When the elevator doors opened, she practically fell out to escape his company. She willed her pulse to slow, her breasts and thighs to ignore the pheromones the man emitted indiscriminately, like Johnny Appleseed.
“This is where we’re having the party, by the way,” he said as they stepped into a large open area. At the far end of the space sat offices of personnel who supervised the enormous printers and other pieces of computer equipment housed in the basement. Through their office window, someone threw up their hand and Luke waved back. He seemed to have the run of the place.
Carol followed him as he turned and walked down a dark hallway that seemed to lead nowhere. “Are you planning to off me so the directors will approve bonuses?”
His laughter boomed into the empty space. “No. I have a better plan.” He stopped and flipped on a light that revealed a nondescript door. On a small keyboard, he punched in a code that triggered a click, then he pushed open the door. “After you,” he said, rolling his hand to indicate she was to precede him.
Carol was skeptical, but curiosity won out. She stepped toward the large supply room filled with miscellaneous furniture and computer equipment.
And it was nice stuff—wood desks and credenzas, glass-front bookcases, flat-screen monitors and CPU towers and sleek laptops. There were leather desk chairs, color printers, scanners, wireless keyboards, web cameras, and more.
She walked inside to survey the rows and rows of furniture and laden shelves. He followed her and the heavy door swung closed behind them.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“It’s where leftovers and trade-ins are stored.”
“But where did it all come from?”
“Mostly from the sales team in the field.”
Her jaw dropped. “Everything in here gathering dust is nicer than the furniture and equipment my employees work on every day! Why didn’t I know about his room?” “You do…now.”
She set down her briefcase and purse, gazing around in awe. “What is this, some sort of company secret?”
“I wouldn’t call it a secret,” he said, hedging. “Technically, all this equipment belongs to the sales department.”
She knew better than anyone that sales got the lion’s share of the administrative budget—a budget that had gone up steeply since Luke had become director. To attract the best talent, he’d convinced the executive committee to allocate more funds for commissions and perks, like state-of-the-art computers and deep expense accounts. True, the expenditures had proved to be a good investment, but it also left other employees feeling resentful. Carol set her jaw.
“So did you just bring me down here to rub it in?”
Luke turned toward her and she realized suddenly how vulnerable she was with him in here…alone. She wasn’t afraid of him, just afraid of her reaction to him. At his nearness, her breathing became shallow, and her nipples budded. She was grateful that her winter coat hid her responses, but the way he looked at her, as if he knew the effect he had on her, was unnerving. His previous comment that her body language betrayed her made her feel even more exposed.
“Where would you like for me to rub it in?” he murmured.
Carol tried to rally an indignant reply, but she couldn’t seem to form the angry words. Not even when he planted his hands on either side of her, effectively caging her between the shelf at her back and his big body. Instead, it was as if the will to resist him leaked out of her body. Carol lifted her gaze slowly, over his broad chest and up his crooked tie to the square chin, past the sensual mouth and strong nose to those incredible brown eyes that seemed to pull at her. She reasoned that the equipment in the room must be emitting electrical charges because the scant air between their bodies fairly crackled.
She realized he was going to kiss her, and she didn’t want to stop him. As his mouth moved toward hers and his features softened, she told herself she’d planned to seduce him, hadn’t she? What did it matter who was on top and who—
Suddenly Luke pulled back with a blanched expression. “I’m sorry, I—” He straightened and wiped his hand over his mouth. “Carol, I don’t know what came over me. It’s like—” He looked around the room as if he just realized where they were, then he stepped back and looked her over. “Are you okay?”
She nodded as anger whipped through her. “I’m fine, Chancellor. Is this where you bring all your conquests?”
“What? Of course not. I’ve never—” He stopped and put out his hands. “I apologize—I lost my head.” He cleared his throat and seemed to collect himself. “Are we good?”
/> Carol burned with humiliation that she’d wanted that kiss so much. She should be grateful that Luke had had the restraint to pull away. Instead she was left with the sensation of having something stolen from her. Old feelings of rejection zoomed to the surface, staggering her. She stuck her shaking hands in the pockets of her coat and found the crumpled card, another reminder that Luke was toying with her, and she’d fallen for it.
“Are you going to tell me why you brought me here?” she said through gritted teeth.
He scratched his temple as if he’d forgotten. “I was going to help you, um, liberate, whatever equipment your department needs.”
Carol hesitated. Her first instinct—especially now—was to refuse anything he offered. But the practical side of her couldn’t deny that her employees deserved nice equipment, and she understood office politics. Luke had something she needed and was gifting it to her. She wasn’t going to side with him on the matter of the employee bonuses, but why not get something for her people in the meantime?
“Okay,” she said. “How do we do this?”
“Today I have to help get things ready for tomorrow’s party. Meet me back here after hours?”
Warning bells sounded in her head. After hours…alone…in a confined space. Danger! Danger!
Luke lifted his hands. “I promise to be on my best behavior.”
“Okay,” Carol heard herself say. And that tightness in her chest over his pronouncement to behave himself, was that relief—or disappointment?
5
No matter how hard Carol tried to keep her mind and hands busy and off the after-hours meeting with Luke, the workday crawled by. Conversely, her body hummed with restless energy. She told herself it was the nervous excitement of doing something unorthodox when it came to shuffling company assets. But Luke’s near-kiss this morning had haunted her all day—she could almost taste his lips on hers. Why had he suddenly grown a conscience? Obviously, she was going to have to take control if this seduction thing was going to happen. She would sleep with him once, and because she was now so well-read on erotic love play, she would make sure it was the hottest encounter of his life. And when the moment was right, she’d let him know she knew it was him who’d planted the icicle card and tell him to get lost.
Her Sexy Valentine Page 3
