“Nadia!” Siobhan barely refrained from spewing her mouthful of tea. “Good grief, your mind has gotten dirty since you’ve been bumping uglies with the professor. I can’t believe you said that!”
“Why? Because it’s true?”
“I . . . It’s . . .” Siobhan shook her head, unable to protest in the face of Nadia’s blithe demeanor. “Okay, I thought about it, all right? How could I not with him sitting there being all gorgeous and charming and smart? I’m not dead!”
“No, you aren’t, and I for one am glad you’ve finally realized that. What you are is out of practice. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking your blond hottie out for a test run. Especially since he’s volunteering.”
“He asked me out on a date, so I guess that means he’s volunteering.”
“What?” Nadia’s mouth dropped open. “How do you save that little tidbit for last? What did you say?”
“I came up with reasons why I shouldn’t,” Siobhan admitted. “He shot every one of them down.”
“Hot, charming, smart, and persistent,” Nadia said, ticking off each word on her fingers. “I hope you said yes.”
“Um . . . He kinda left me sitting there with my mouth hanging open.”
Nadia cackled. Her friend and business partner actually cackled. “You are three seconds away from wearing your tea instead of drinking it,” Siobhan warned. “This isn’t funny!”
“Of course it is,” Nadia insisted, but wisely choked back her laughter. “You, my dear friend, are the only thing standing in your way. He’s interested. You’re interested, no matter how much you pretend you’re not. You should go for it.”
The idea of “going for it” both intrigued and scared her. “So you don’t think it’s a conflict of interest? If I decide to go there, I mean.”
“I’m not worried that you’re going to screw over the café, if that’s what you’re asking.” Nadia balanced her teacup between her palms. “I also don’t think Mr. O’Halloran would sabotage our business if things go sour between you two—which I totally don’t think will happen. He’s a businessman, and his business is right here in Crimson Bay. This is a small town, and the community is pretty tight-knit. We can certainly vet his credentials. He did include a client list for just that purpose.”
She picked up the presentation folder. “Professionally speaking, we need to do a trial run at the very least. Personally speaking, you do too. Let’s see what happens.”
Butterflies danced in Siobhan’s stomach. What would be the harm in having a fling, especially with someone like Charlie? She and Nadia had worked their asses off to make the café a success, and like Nadia had said before, they deserved personal lives. As long she and Charlie both took business seriously, there was no reason why there couldn’t be a little pleasure had along the way.
“If we do this, there’s got to be rules.”
“Of course there should be rules,” Nadia agreed, then grinned. “In fact, I think you should wear that schoolmarm outfit from your show when you tell him the rules. He’ll agree to whatever you say.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I’m enabling. At least when it comes to sex.” Mischief danced in Nadia’s eyes. “If you’d like to borrow my copy of The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delights, I’d be more than happy to pass it on—with the best positions highlighted.”
Siobhan laughed. “You and the naughty professor moved on from medieval sex manuals already?”
A blush colored Nadia’s cheeks. “You could say I’ve graduated to the master class now.”
It was Siobhan’s turn to grin at her friend’s discomfiture. “Oh, really? Do tell.”
“Well, there’s this thing he does with rope . . .”
FOUR
“Charlie?”
He looked up from his laptop with a frown as his office assistant, Nance, poked her head into the room. Usually, Nance buzzed him on the phone or via IM when they had a client, or simply yelled through his perpetually open office door when just staff occupied the area. “What is it, Nance?”
“There’s someone here to see you,” she informed him in her most professional tone, which immediately raised the wariness flag. Her dark eyes sparkled behind her red cat’s-eye glasses. “I think she might be a potential client.”
That was always welcomed news. He’d moved his business beyond the point where he needed to do cold calls, but he didn’t turn away walk-in business no matter how much he preferred to do research before making his sales pitch. He reached for one of the general information packets that provided background on their complete suite of services. “Did she say what company she represents or which of our services she’s interested in?”
“No, but she already has a packet,” Nance answered. A grin split her face and scrunched it to pixie proportions. “She seems like my kinda people.”
Nance’s kind of people were either lesbians or flamboyant retro fashionistas. Since he hadn’t asked anyone their sexual preferences since half-past never, that left the retro fashionista. “Blonde?”
His assistant made a big deal of arching her pierced brow. “Yes. You holding out on me, boss?”
Charlie ignored her by concentrating on the silent surge of satisfaction that swept through him. “We shouldn’t keep a potential client waiting,” he told her. “Please show her back.”
Nance left, and Charlie took a moment to rein in his brain and his libido. Siobhan had come to him to talk about the proposal. That had to be a good sign. If she didn’t want to do business with him, she would have called instead—and he would have used every weapon at his disposal to change her mind. If she still said no, he’d respect the decision and not push—for a while, anyway. Sure, he wanted the café’s business. He wanted Siobhan more.
He shot to his feet as a beaming Nance entered his office and said something—he wasn’t sure what. His entire focus shrank down to the blonde woman who’d entered his office behind Nance.
Once again, Charlie was struck by Siobhan’s lush beauty. She walked in like the reincarnation of a fifties Hollywood starlet. The red-and-white polka-dot sundress fit her breasts and waist like second skin before billowing out into a full skirt. The short-sleeved white sweater about her shoulders was probably the only thing that had prevented a traffic jam on the square. Red wedges encased her feet, and good Lord, her toes were painted the same bright red as her dress and her lips.
“You need to be shot.”
Her eyes widened as she froze. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, professionally,” he hastened to add, ignoring Nance’s snort as she exited, closing the door behind her. “It would be a terrific marketing campaign.”
One perfectly arched eyebrow rose toward her hairline. “Are you talking about a photo shoot?”
“Of course.” He circled the desk to shake her hand, though he wanted to do more. So much more. Instead he guided her over to a small conference table, pulling out a chair for her. She murmured her thanks as she sat down, placing her red tote bag and his proposal packet on the table. Charlie took a moment to admire the shapeliness of her legs as she crossed them at the knees. Her legs were bare, making him wonder about the softness of her skin and the color of her underwear. Though with Siobhan, she probably wore lingerie, silky pieces that showed off her assets to advantage.
She cleared her throat, capturing his attention. “That’s pretty presumptuous of you, don’t you think? Considering that we don’t have a deal yet?”
Amusement laced her query, and he knew she was perfectly aware that he’d been ogling her. He got back to the business at hand. “Presumptuous, yes. Wrong, no.”
He took the chair closest to hers, catching the faint whiff of something light and sweet and perfectly suited to Siobhan. “Would you have come over here just to tell me no?”
Her chin lifted. “What if I did?”
“I would ask you to share your concerns so that we could negotiate. I would do my level best to convince you that we’d b
e the perfect fit for whatever you and your business need. Our job is to ensure that you’re completely satisfied with all that we have to offer.”
Her lips parted, and she drew in a low, slow breath. Charlie’s brain short-circuited. Did she have any clue how fucking hot she was? She had to know—those were expert moves, and he responded like he’d just discovered what his dick could do. It was almost enough to make him wonder if he was out of his league.
Goddamn, he wanted her. Wanted her so badly he’d scare her off if she had a clue. It was just her hotness, the strawberries and whipped cream lushness of her body. It was a dichotomy of care and carnality that made him want to throw her over his shoulder and stomp off to have his way with her.
“Do you think you can?” she asked then, her voice soft, her blue eyes dark with what he hoped like hell was interest in him. “Satisfy me? Give me what I need?”
Fuck yeah. “I pride myself on doing a thorough job, no matter how demanding that job may be. I have a reputation for being responsive, creative, and adaptable.”
“So I’ve heard.” After a moment in which Charlie debated whether he should press the innuendos and kiss her, Siobhan drew back. “We called a couple of your current and former clients. All of them sing your praises.”
“As I said, we believe in going above and beyond for everyone who signs with us. I promise, if Sugar and Spice Café joins the O’Halloran client list, you won’t be disappointed.”
Siobhan opened the packet he’d given her a couple of days ago. “My partner and I have discussed the options at length. We’re in agreement that you have services that we should take advantage of. The delivery service, of course, but we are also interested in the website redesign and integration as well as the social media marketing campaigns. A couple of your clients mentioned to us that those really helped their bottom line.”
He tensed. What she said was at complete odds to her body language. It seemed as if she’d bolt if he said or did the wrong thing, and that was the last thing he wanted. He sat back. “I’m sensing some hesitation. What questions can I answer for you?”
“We’re interested in a short-term contract initially, with a notice of intent thirty days before the contract is due to expire.”
“There may not be much we can do for you, depending on the length of the contract,” he cautioned. “We can certainly add the delivery service interface, since the bulk of the work will be done on our end and we’ve perfected our process over numerous sites. The marketing and website redesign timelines can vary based on a number of factors. We also have a standard termination clause, which I included in the sample contract.”
She nodded, then pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Damn. His thoughts swerved off the road of propriety and ran into the ditch of unprofessional intent. “Siobhan—”
“Who would you assign to our account?” she asked quickly. “For the website and marketing aspects?”
“I would personally handle it,” he said, then noticed the tightening of her mouth. “Is that why you’re hesitating?”
“Considering how our conversation derailed during your sales pitch last week, I think you can understand my hesitation.”
“I do. I can also assure you that business is very important to me, and my professional reputation is everything. We specialize in the small businesses in town, so word of mouth and good client relationships can make or break us. You can rest assured that while we’re conducting business, the focus will be completely on business.”
As long as you don’t do that thing with your bottom lip again, or wear dresses that might as well have “look at my boobs” embroidered on them.
He made an attempt at schooling his features into a semblance of professionalism. Get it together, jackass. You’ve been around beautiful women before—you live in a college town, for chrissakes. He didn’t want to run her off. He wanted a chance to get acquainted with her, to know her better. He wanted to discover if she wore dresses like that on her days off or for all her business meetings, or, God help him, if she’d worn it because she was meeting with him.
“So the . . . other stuff. That won’t happen again?”
Was that disappointment in her voice? “I didn’t say that. I’m very interested in you, Siobhan. If I wasn’t before, I certainly would have been after you strolled into my office like an angelic devil. I bet you literally stopped traffic on your way over here.”
“Charlie . . .”
“You’re beautiful, Siobhan Malloy. It’s a simple fact. Should I not tell you that? That’s a nice dress made better by you wearing it. Do you think I’m harassing you when I tell you that? If so, I’ll apologize and stop.”
A blush stole across her cheeks. “I don’t feel harassed. Flustered bordering on embarrassed, yes. Harassed, no.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I would think a woman who can rock a red dress like that is incapable of feeling embarrassment.”
“You just . . .” She gestured helplessly. “You overwhelm me, and I don’t know if this is flattering or completely inappropriate.”
“Now you know how I felt the first time I saw you,” he told her, going for broke. “And the next time, and the time after that, and every day I’ve seen you. If I understood it, I’d explain it. What I can do is tell you that I won’t be inappropriate. Being inappropriate would be me reaching for you despite the glass walls separating us from my staff and kissing you until I’m wearing more lipstick than you. Right now we’re just talking, just discussing the possibilities. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
“No.”
Score one for the home team. “The way I see it, we have a couple of options here. You can decide not to do business with me, in which case I’ll pursue you. You can sign the contract and I’ll assign you to one of my employees so I can pursue you. Or, you sign the contract and I handle your business because I’m very good at what I do. And when business hours are over, I’ll pursue you.”
Those beautiful scarlet lips bowed into a smile. “Is there any scenario in which you don’t pursue me?”
“One. I drop dead.”
“Well. Okay then.” She blinked. “I don’t want that to happen.”
“I appreciate that.” He smiled. “The decision is up to you, Siobhan. I don’t approve of pressure tactics. OBS wants your business. I want you. I think we can make it work, but if you’re uncomfortable, we’ll come up with another solution. The choice is yours.”
He waited, watching in tense fascination as she thought through her decision. Her eyes, he decided. It was her eyes that captivated him the most. So much living swam behind that blue gaze, living that made her angelically sweet one moment and devilishly spicy the next.
“All right,” she said after a moment. “I’ve made up my mind.”
“And?”
“Let’s do this.” She held up a hand. “Business before pleasure, though.”
“Of course.” He smiled. “You’ll find I always deliver on my promises.”
FIVE
True to Charlie’s word, business dominated their biweekly meetings. He explained every facet of each action he took on their behalf, including any benefits and potential downsides to the café, not moving forward on anything until he got her agreement. Siobhan found it extremely interesting and even arousing to watch him work, enjoying the way he brainstormed ideas and got excited over the smallest of concepts. The enjoyment and pride he had in his work clearly came through and was as contagious as it was sexy. Smart, good-looking men were always her weakness, and Charlie had all that plus confidence and charm to back it up. She found herself looking forward to their Monday and Thursday meetings and getting to know more about him.
“How did you get started, Charlie?” She asked him as they prepared to test the new website enhancements. “I’m curious to know how you went from a bike messenger company to providing marketing solutions and stuff.”
“Crimson Bay Couriers is my first company, and it grew out of something I
did during the summers as a teen,” he explained. Something dark flashed across his eyes, so quickly there and gone she would have missed it had she not been staring at him so intently. “At eighteen, I turned it into a full-time business because I needed money in a hurry. I was a one-man company then, but business grew and I was able to hire on more couriers pretty quickly. As my business expanded, I identified areas of opportunity that I either learned to deal with myself or hired someone to take care of for me. Mostly I did it myself because that’s just how I am.”
“A hands-on kind of guy,” she guessed. “So you saw a need in your own company, created a solution, then offered that solution to other small businesses?”
He flashed a smile. “Exactly. Through trial and error—and there was a crapload of error in those early days—we tested and perfected processes that we were then able to package for our clients. Word of mouth drove our success. It still does.”
He shrugged. “With our expanding business expertise, we couldn’t keep operating under Crimson Bay Couriers. It didn’t take much to create the umbrella company of O’Halloran Business Solutions. We know what it takes for small businesses to survive because we’ve been through it ourselves.”
Siobhan looked down at her tea, processing everything he’d told her. The man knew his business, she knew that without doubt. Everyone she and Nadia had talked to spoke of how professional he was, but also how personable he was, and how easy it was to work with him to find the solutions they needed.
None of them spoke of how hot he was, but they didn’t need to. With every concept, conversation, and accomplishment he seduced her. His sharp mind lured her as much as his easy smiles and warm glances. The play of his hands on the keyboard, so firm, so sure, made her wonder how his fingers would feel cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples, thrusting deep inside her.
The way his muscles flexed in his arms and across his chest beneath his shirts made her wonder what it would be like to see him in all his naked surfer-god glory, sunlight playing across his muscles as his body flexed against hers. She wanted him. Wanted his mouth on her, his fingers on her, his cock in her. Wanted to know if he lived up to the sensual promise that burned in his eyes whenever he looked at her, whether they were talking business or just sharing tea and coffee. Even now, as she watched him test the interface between the café’s website and the delivery service’s point-of-sale portal, she had to press her thighs together against the burgeoning flood of need.
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