His tone sounded lightly flirtatious suggesting she’d caught him alone in his office with a few minutes on his hands. A soft squeak came through the line, the sort of sound a desk chair made when tipped back. An image of him sprang to life. Corporate Jack, feet resting on the edge of his desk, wearing an expensive, tailored suit in a dense brown color that matched his hair, with a narrow pinstripe in a robin’s egg blue to match his eyes. The shirt…? A crisp taupe with an expensive tie that picked up on the blue again. From what little she knew of him, he’d have loosened the knot of his tie, giving him an edge that blended business with a worldly casualness. A lion in his prime, secure in his position and able to overcome any threat. Heaven help her!
She hastened to answer his question. “I am ready to collect my winnings. I believe that’s a night of dinner and dancing.” She moistened her lips, going for broke. “Not to mention, a wish of my choice.”
His soft chuckle had her practically melting in her chair. “Foolish on my part to throw that into the bargain. Do you want your wish, too, or just a date?”
Tempting. Oh, so tempting. “I think we’ll stick with dinner and dancing for the time being.”
“Is this weekend convenient?”
She made a pretense of flipping through her calendar book, though she doubted it fooled him. “Actually that would be perfect.”
“Shall we say Saturday? I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Great.” A knock sounded on her door, distracting her. “I’ll see you then, Jack.”
His laugh rang in her ear, stirring the most outrageous sensations. “You’ve forgotten one small detail.”
Matthew Kincaid, Director of New Business for The Kincaid Group, stood in the doorway, and she waved him in, dismayed by his presence. Not someone she wanted to overhear this particular conversation. “What detail have I forgotten?” she asked Jack.
“Where do I pick you up?”
“Oh, right.” She rattled off the address. “I’ll see you then.”
“Someone just walked into your office, didn’t they?”
“Is it that obvious?” she asked, wry humor sliding through the question.
“I can hear it in your voice. As tempted as I am to tease you about it, I’ll play the part of the gentleman and let you go. See you Saturday.”
“I look forward to it.” She disconnected the call and turned her attention to Matthew and smiled. “Hey, stranger. Good to see you back at work. How’s Flynn doing?”
His expression relaxed into a grin. He’d suffered one of the most terrifying ordeals any parent could face when his three-year-old son had developed aplastic anemia following a strong viral infection. Fortunately, the medication Flynn received to treat the disease worked. If it hadn’t, his biological mother, Susannah, was waiting in the wings to donate her bone marrow. Her timely appearance had also led to a romance between her and Matthew, one soon heading to the altar. “Better and better, thanks.”
“I hear congratulations are in order.” She smiled with sincere pleasure. “I couldn’t be happier for you and Susannah.”
“I’m still in shock. A happy sort of shock, since it’s still sinking in.”
“I hope you’ll bring her by and introduce us. From everything I’ve heard, your fiancée is a special woman.”
“She is that.”
“So, what’s up? Did you have something you needed me to do for you?”
“A potential client I’d like you to check out.” He handed her a file. “I definitely don’t want to turn away business if I can help it. But I also want to be smart about it.”
“Understandable.” She flipped open the file and scanned the details. “I’ll get right on this. When do you need to get back to them?”
“Monday.”
“No problem. I’ll have it to you by Friday.”
He hesitated, warning that she probably wouldn’t like the next topic of conversation. Sure enough, he asked, “I don’t suppose that was Jack Sinclair you were talking to? I heard you mention his name when I first knocked.”
Nikki lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug. “I won dinner with him at the Read and Write literacy auction. We’ve had a little trouble coordinating our schedules.”
“So, you’re not dating him?”
A tiny flare of temper curled through her at the intrusion into her private affairs, but she kept her voice calm and even. “This will be our first.” She tilted her head to one side. “Is that a problem?”
“Could be.” He lowered his voice. “You know who he is, Nikki. The damage he’s already caused the family. The damage he could cause The Kincaid Group. You work here, which makes you as vulnerable as the rest of us if he takes over and decides to clean house.”
“I doubt that will happen. RJ’s in line to—”
“You’re right. RJ is in line to step into Dad’s shoes. But considering Sinclair owns forty-five percent of TKG stock, there’s no guarantee it’ll happen. I guess the board will decide that during the annual meeting in June.” His green eyes narrowed. “But now that I think about it, you might be in a position to help.”
She stiffened. Did he know her secret? Is that why he was asking for her help? No, no. It wasn’t possible. No one knew. She forced herself to relax. “What can I do?” she asked simply.
“You’re going out with him on this date, right?” He kept his gaze trained on her, his expression reflecting his determination. “Maybe he’ll say something to you, give you some idea about his intentions.”
“That doesn’t make sense, Matthew. Why would he confide in me?”
“He doesn’t know you work for us, right? Maybe you could bring up the subject, see if Sinclair says anything that might help us figure out his plans.”
She shook her head even before he finished speaking. “Please don’t ask me to spy for you. I don’t do business that way.”
“Think about it, Nikki. Think long and hard.” He planted his hands on her desk and leaned in, not in a threatening way, more as a way to underscore his conviction. “While you’re enjoying dinner with Sinclair, listen to him. Get a feel for the man. Is he someone you want in charge of TKG? He’s our competitor. There’s no way he won’t attempt to fold TKG into Carolina Shipping. If I’m wrong and you think he’s on the up-and-up, fine. But if you get the impression he’s as ruthless as we’ve heard…”
She hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll think about it, Matthew. No promises.”
“Fair enough.”
But the idea of spying on Jack Sinclair made her squirm despite feeling a strong allegiance to the Kincaids, particularly to Reginald Kincaid, who’d literally saved her professional reputation when her ex-fiancé had ripped it to shreds. Still… Would it be so awful to just listen to Jack and ask a few questions to draw him out? And if Jack happened to say something helpful, was there really any harm in passing it along? She blew out a sigh, knowing full well what she’d do, that she’d use whatever investigative skills available to help the Kincaids.
Nikki closed her eyes, letting go of what might have been. Letting go of possibilities. It was a darn shame. In the short time she’d spent with Jack, they’d hit it off. Not to mention the key element that had kept her fantasizing about him for a solid month.
Jack really was a fantastic kisser.
Jack arrived at Nikki’s door promptly at six. To his surprise, he realized he was looking forward to seeing her again, to discovering if the attraction he’d felt the night of the bachelor auction remained, or if it had faded in the month since they’d been apart. One thing that continued to linger in his memory was that kiss they’d shared.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such an explosive reaction to a woman, nor experienced such a deep, unremitting want. Even after so long he continued to puzzle over it, unable to explain what made her so different from other women he’d known. He was simply forced to accept one indisputable fact. He wanted her, wanted her more than anyone else he’d ever kissed. She represented a tantalizing interlude
to call to mind whenever the stress of business—or the Kincaids—grew too severe, which was just about every damn day.
He released a short, mocking laugh, calling himself every kind of fool. He’d built a brief encounter up in his mind, fantasizing it into something it wasn’t, and never could be. Ridiculous, really.
Tonight, he’d escort the very attractive Nikki Thomas to his home for a candlelit evening of dinner and dancing. They might exchange another kiss or two. He doubted it would go anywhere from there. Then he’d return her safely to her doorstep. And that would be the end of that. Maybe at some point down the road she’d call about this ridiculous wish he’d promised to grant. Chances were, she wouldn’t bother. It had been more in the way of a joke. After that, he’d get down to the serious business of destroying the Kincaids, before they could destroy him. Story over.
He found a parking space close to her Rainbow Row house, a miracle in itself, and exited his Aston Martin Volante. He approached the front door and knocked, surprised when it swung open almost immediately. It was then that Jack realized three very important facts.
One. His fantasies had been all wrong. Nikki Thomas was far more beautiful than he remembered.
Two. If the evening ended any other way than with her in his bed, he might just go insane.
And three. One night with her couldn’t possibly come close to satisfying him.
She stood before him in a flirty little dress, the brilliant sapphire-blue perfectly matching the color of her eyes. She wore her hair up in a loose knot, a few wayward tendrils escaping to caress the creamy skin of her neck—creamy skin he wanted to taste. Badly.
“Right on time. I like that about a man,” she said with a warm smile.
“Almost as much as I appreciate promptness in a woman.”
“Sounds like we’re in agreement.” Her smile grew, drawing his attention to the lush mouth he planned to consume at his earliest possible opportunity. “At least on this point.”
“An excellent start.”
Taking his hand in hers, she leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. Instantly the want he’d been holding in check slammed through him. Without a word, he yanked her close, took her mouth with a passion that caused wildfire to burst into flames between them. He didn’t even remember slamming the door closed or maneuvering her backward, just felt the dull thud when they hit the wall and her soft gasp that allowed him to slip inside her warm, sweet mouth.
He half expected her to protest the taking. Instead her arms wound around his neck and she tugged him closer, her soft moan threatening to unman him. His hands swept over her, tracing the impressive curves her dress displayed. Naked. He wanted her naked and under him. To hell with dinner. Instead they’d consume each other. Make love here and now.
Before he could act, she spun away, drawing in a deep, shaky breath. “Okay, that answers that question.” She snatched up a knee-length black wool coat that hid every scrap of her from view. “Shall we go?” she asked, though he caught a ripple of turbulence racing through her words.
“No. Stay.” It was all he could manage.
She took a swift step away from him, a deep feminine vulnerability darkening her eyes. “I don’t think that’s smart.”
Before he could stop her, she opened the door and stepped out into the brisk February breeze, leaving him no choice but to follow. He waited while she locked her front door and fought to regain his self-control, shocked by the lack of it. The cold helped clear his head and when she turned, he was able to gesture toward the Aston Martin with something approaching normalcy. She paused on the sidewalk to admire the sleek lines of the ruby-red car.
“Impressive.” She spared him a swift look, one that held the shocked echo of the kiss they’d just shared. Well, at least he wasn’t the only one. Thank God for that much. “All of Charleston will know it’s you whether you’re coming or going.”
He inclined his head. “That’s the idea.” He opened the passenger door, admiring the graceful way Nikki slid in. Admiring even more the flash of long, toned legs, accentuated by a pair of mile-high heels. He was fast creating a Nikki “to do” list and seeing her naked in those heels just topped it. “You haven’t asked where we’re going,” he commented as soon as he’d climbed behind the steering wheel.
“I like surprises. Most of the time, at least.”
“Let’s hope that kiss was one of the surprises you liked. Most of the time.”
She hesitated for an unnerving moment, then admitted, “I think you can safely put a check in the ‘like’ box.” She moistened her lips in a way that suggested she could still taste him. “Will I like this next surprise?”
“I hope so, though there’s no way it can compare to kissing you.” The engine started with a low, muted roar. “This surprise has to do with tonight’s venue. To be honest, I considered taking you home.”
“And where is home?”
“Greenville.”
Her brows shot up. “That’s a mile or so down the road.”
“About two hundred of them,” he confirmed. “But then I decided we’d spend the entire date driving and as much as I’d enjoy talking to you, I’d prefer putting those hours to a much better use.”
Her magnificent eyes narrowed. “And to what use do you plan to put them?”
He slowed for a red light and pulled to a stop before responding. “With you in my arms.” He flicked her a quick glance before the light changed. She didn’t bother to conceal a certain level of wariness and he forced himself to throttle back when every part of him demanded he punch the gas. “Dancing, of course. Naturally that meant a change of venue was in order.”
“Naturally.”
“But I still wanted to take you home. So…”
“So?” she prompted.
“We’ll settle for my home away from home. Since my company is based in Charleston, it’s impractical to commute to and from Greenville every day.”
“Makes sense.” She leaned back against her seat, continuing to regard him through narrowed eyes.
“What?” he asked.
“Just trying to decide what sort of place you’d own.”
“Here…or in Greenville?”
She waved a hand through the air. “Oh, the Greenville one is easy.”
Bull. “And what sort of place do you think I’d own in Greenville?”
“A magnificent plantation,” she answered promptly. “Gracious Southern living at its best. A blend of past and present, beautifully restored. And I imagine the interior is a blend, as well, antiques mated with classic contemporary. Am I close?”
“Damn.” She was better than he’d anticipated.
She chuckled. “I’m good at reading people.”
“I’ll consider myself forewarned.”
“But I forgot the most important part.”
“Which is?”
“You’d want to put your own mark on the place in some way. Probably a way that had your interior decorator most unhappy.”
“Now I’m seriously impressed.” And he was. “What about my Charleston place?”
“Mmm. More difficult,” she admitted. “I’m guessing it would need to be large enough to entertain. Considering the car you drive, you like a bit of flash. Yet, elegant flash. You wouldn’t settle for anything that didn’t have a view of the water. I’m thinking you went in the opposite direction with your Charleston home. Modern. Contemporary. All the comforts, but less Old World. Am I close?”
“No.”
“Well, shoot.” Her luscious mouth turned downward, tempting him beyond reason to kiss her again. “Where did I go wrong?”
“You didn’t. You weren’t close, you’re dead-on. Again.” He spared her a swift glance. “You researched me, didn’t you?”
Her blatant surprise answered for her, even before she shook her head in automatic denial. “I really didn’t. It’s a game I used to play with my father. He’s a cop. Was a cop,” she corrected.
“That’s right. You mentioned he’s
in law enforcement.” Then her correction sank in. “Was in law enforcement?”
“Died in the line of duty,” she explained with painful brevity.
“I’m sorry.”
“So was my family.” She made an effort to throw off the shadows. “When I was little we’d play this game where we’d see strangers at a restaurant or in the park and we’d try to figure out things about them based on what we observed. Sometimes my father would go over and identify himself in order to see how close we’d come.”
“People didn’t mind?”
“You know, they never did. Dad just had this way about him. He could put people at their ease.” She tossed him a broad grin. “Or scare them spitless. You didn’t dare lie to my father. He could smell it a mile away. He’d just stare at you with those cop’s eyes of his and the truth would come tumbling out, willy-nilly.”
“Sounds like a man I’d have enjoyed getting to know.”
She tilted her head in his direction. “No secrets to hide? He was hell on secrets, I can tell you.”
“None worth mentioning,” he replied smoothly.
“Huh. I think you’re a first.”
“In what way?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met a man without secrets.”
They’d arrived at his oceanfront home, saving him from commenting further. It was exactly as she’d described. Instead of pulling into the garage, he parked by the walkway leading to the front steps. Ankle-high lights edged the curving ribbon of slate, tucked discreetly into the strip of garden that bracketed each side. Short, neatly trimmed bushes stood sentry duty along the edge of the garden and Nikki suspected that in the spring and summer a wealth of flowers added color and texture.
He opened the door for her and she stepped into a large, open foyer. On the far side, a great room cascaded toward the back of the house where a wall of windows overlooked the ocean. An enormous stone fireplace occupied one end of the space, complete with cheerfully crackling fire. Comfortable sofas and wing chairs grouped themselves in a loose semicircle around the hearth. Nearby, a table covered in snowy-white linen had been placed in front of the glass wall in preparation for their meal.
What Happens in Charleston... Page 17
