Jace straightened and moved in too close. She felt his heat, smelled his aftershave, but she refused to step back. He tilted his head as he studied her. His grin went wicked as his eyes danced. "Okay."
"Okay?" she echoed weakly, unable to believe he'd let her get away with talking to him the way she had.
"I'll start in the morning." He kept his voice low, rich with seductive promise. Her nerves tingled with his closeness. That warm place in her low belly flared into moist flame.
Flummoxed, there was nothing she could say. She turned to look at Harry. He wore an expression of angelic innocence like nothing she'd ever seen.
She'd been had. Damn these two. They could play her like a fiddle.
* * *
Three days later, Katie had to admit Jace had handled his first days at the lot very well. He'd listened and learned. He'd washed cars when the lot boy was out sick. He'd answered phones and taken messages. In short, he'd followed her orders and done what he was told.
But three days of good behavior was not enough time to earn trust. Not the kind of trust that Bill McElroy had earned in his two years with Harry's.
That's why the papers in her hand made no sense. Bill's unemployed customer wanted to buy a car with no cash down and an overextended credit limit. She shook her head and sighed. When she looked up, Bill smiled down at her.
"I know, I know," he said. "The guy wanted me to run it past you anyway. He knows it's a lost cause."
"You can say that again." She handed the rejected offer to purchase back to him.
Bill grinned and squared his shoulders before he went to give his customer the bad news.
Lost causes. Why did people fight them? Because they never give up hope. Like Harry's determined insistence that she teach Jace the business.
What was the point? Jace was on his way to a European investment bank and a career in finance he'd worked years to build. He was one of those people whose lives were directed by something other than bad luck, unemployment and poor prospects. Jace was a winner and as far removed from her as if he were a prince. And he'd be gone sooner rather than later.
Given enough time and a great deal of distance, he would be nothing more than a ripple on the surface of her soul.
She propped her chin in her hand and mused a while longer, doodling. After a few moments, she saw what she'd drawn: a house, a man and woman holding hands, a weird-looking dog, a tree with a tire swing and at the top, the sun, shining over them all. Talk about lost causes.
Not satisfied with crumpling the paper, she tore it to shreds and let each piece drift singly into the wastebasket under her desk. A twinge of guilt over not recycling couldn't make her retrieve the picture. It didn't deserve to be recycled.
This type of thinking would get her nowhere. The more she kept things as normal as possible, the better she felt. The better she felt, the more likely it was that Jace would see that keeping the lot was the best thing for all of them.
It was time to sell a car. Katie stood, rounded the desk and walked through the showroom to the outside lot.
She wished McElroy would learn not to look at every female customer as if she were the only woman alive. But then again, she thought, as she watched a teenager exchange glances with him maybe that was exactly why he was doing so well.
The young woman was with a man who could only be her father. It must unsettle the girl to constantly see an aging version of herself. Of course, she might not suffer pattern baldness, but she would likely inherit his double chin. Nothing could hide the bone structure they shared. Yes, Katie's own situation was much better. She had no idea what she'd look like when gravity won over youth and was better for it. She didn't need to see what was coming; she was happy in her ignorance.
The father was busy checking under the hood of a compact, sensible Chevy. When he came out he smiled and nodded at McElroy, apparently pleased with what he'd seen. He should be. The car had been carefully inspected by a mechanic Katie had taken months to find. She was fanatical about safety and the lot's reputation was built on it.
Bill gave the man the keys and attached a dealer's license plate to the back of the car. Dad tossed the keys to his daughter. She practically danced out of her sneakers in joy as Daddy proudly walked to the passenger-side of the car.
Katie watched the father and daughter drive away. Her sense of yearning would go away as soon as they turned the corner and were out of sight. She watched until they disappeared. She always watched families. She told herself it was to see beyond the picture they gave the world, to see the truth behind the facade of happiness. Occasionally though, she pretended these happy, smiling people belonged to her. Bizarre.
"That's a wistful expression if I've ever seen one." Jace startled her out of her reverie.
She turned to him. Dressed in an expensively tailored navy blue suit, he walked across the lot as if he owned it.
"It's not nice to sneak up on people," she said sharply. Had he read her thoughts? Of course not. He was speculating.
His blue eyes lit up when they met hers. "I didn't sneak up on you," he said. "You were so far out of this world you didn't hear my stereo blaring when I pulled into the lot."
"Stereo blaring?" she asked. His expensive Japanese sedan looked too conservative for that, although the sunroof was open and the tires were performance profile, designed for speed. This baby could move if Jace wanted her to. She slanted him a sidelong look. "What music?"
His grin tugged at her stomach. "Fine Young Cannibals," he said. "Ever hear their song, 'She Drives Me Crazy?' "
She smiled back at him and chose to ignore his teasing gaze. Maybe, she thought, certain bankers hid their rebellious passions and only pretended to be conventional. “I’ve heard them. Before my time, though.” She liked the singer’s voice.
A young family climbed out of a pickup: babies and toddlers and arms and legs, urgings for safety and staying close. The mother looked harried but happy. The father looked exasperated. They idled by a couple of luxury models that appeared out of their price range.
Jace watched them for a moment.
"Tire kickers," Katie said, dismissing them, and went into the showroom. Jace followed close behind, apparently happy to let McElroy see to the young family.
"Now that the Mercedes is gone, what will you put in here?" Jace asked.
"I've heard there's a '58 white T-bird in Auburn that might be a good prospect."
Jace raised his eyebrow and considered the '56 Cadillac still in the showroom. "That'd make the Caddy look better."
"You're catching on. Now, come on in here and listen while I call my contact in Auburn to do some trades." She reached for the telephone and dialed.
"There are a couple of pickups that have been around awhile," Jace suggested.
She shifted in surprise. His suggestion was exactly what she had in mind. Just how much of this operation had Jace learned in only three days? She hadn't seen him at the books yet.
Her call was answered, but her negotiations suffered for lack of attention. When her friend asked where her mind was she gathered her thoughts and finished the deal.
"The T-Bird will be delivered in two days," she told Jace after hanging up. "All I have to do now is sell it."
"No problem. You must be building a rep with these classics. It’s a great idea to have a couple around. As for the T-bird, I've already got some ideas for our ad."
Our ad?
"Fine," she said with a brittle edge to her tone. She'd promised Harry she'd try to work with Jace, but did he have to be so eager? She rose from her chair and went to walk around her desk and out of her office.
Jace stepped in front of her, blocking her way. Too close. She had stopped stepping back from him as soon as she'd realized he enjoyed making her do it. No matter how uncomfortable his nearness made her, she stood her ground.
"I missed you this morning," he said softly, intimately.
She'd missed him, too. For the past three days, they'd shared morning coffee at the
kitchen table. Jace would tell her about his previous night's dream, or bits and pieces of his childhood, catching her up in his life and his past. This morning she hadn't been able to stand it anymore. All the things he'd taken for granted—the love, the warmth, the acceptance of his family—were exactly the things she'd craved most as she'd been growing up. They were the things she found most painful to think about now. So, she'd taken the coward's way out and left early this morning, picking up a coffee and muffin on her way in.
"Oh?" she said, feigning surprise. "I didn't think we'd started a grand tradition." She looked away, uncomfortable. "I had a lot to do before we opened this morning."
He nodded, but looked unconvinced. "I gave Harry oatmeal for breakfast."
"Ugh," she said, imagining Harry's reaction. He was not an easy patient.
Jace grinned. "Exactly." He studied her so closely Katie wondered if he was counting her eyelashes. If she had freckles, he'd probably be tempted to play connect-the-dots. Her traitorous response glowed warm again.
She shifted, wishing he'd look somewhere else. His nearness, his scent, the way he looked at her, tantalized and teased.
He leaned closer, forcing her to look up into his face. So close. She wondered what he saw in her gaze. Desire? He'd see that if he looked closely enough, no matter what she did to hide it. He lifted a fingertip toward her cheek.
Katie pulled back before he could touch her. It was one thing to stand still when he stood too close. It was quite another to have him caress her. The sensual tension between them left no doubt that his touch would be a caress.
He blinked, and then checked his watch briskly, breaking the spell.
"Oh, gotta run," he said nonchalantly. "The ferry is docking." He turned and walked through the showroom, leaving her standing there, momentarily troubled.
"You're meeting someone?" she called to his retreating back.
He turned and walked backward, facing her. "Yeah, he's coming in from Friday Harbor." He grinned slyly. "I've got a surprise for you." He gave the hood of the Cadillac a jaunty pat as he passed it on the way out.
Jace returned a short time later. This time, however, he had his sunroof closed and the stereo played soft, soothing music. She heard it when he opened the driver’s door.
The man Jace had met at the ferry terminal had silver hair and wore a three-piece suit. As he climbed out of the sedan, she saw that he looked like a retired judge: sober, conservative, respectable.
Jace seemed happy and relaxed. The man nodded intently, listening to Jace's animated conversation. Katie stepped back into her office, out of the way. If she ever wondered what Jace would look like in thirty or forty years, she'd picture the man with him now. It wasn't a physical resemblance so much as the status the stranger personified. Jace Donner would be every bit as powerful, as confident, as the older man one day.
Who wouldn't listen to advice from someone like Jace? With a sinking sensation, she realized she didn't have a hope in Hades of convincing Harry not to rely on his nephew.
And where would that leave her?
Chapter 4
Katie watched as Jace pointed out the Cadillac to his friend. It was obvious the man was impressed by the car. After a few moments of shameless eavesdropping, Katie was impressed with Jace's presentation.
Jace opened the glass showroom door and the men drove out together, with Jace driving and his customer smiling broadly. Katie let out a breath in a whoosh. Jace was doing just fine. Better than fine, if she were honest.
An hour later, the Cadillac returned with the silver-haired man at the wheel. He looked as happy as a boy with a new puppy. Jace climbed out of the passenger side, grinning. He and his friend shook hands.
Katie's first sale had been a beater, Jace's a classic Cadillac. It figures, she thought ruefully, as she watched the men settle their business. When Jace came to her office to get her acceptance of the offer to purchase, she gasped at the agreed price. He'd done exceptionally well for his first sale.
When Jace returned from taking his friend back to the ferry, she ducked her head to hide her smile. She heard his footsteps approach her office door.
She plucked a letter from her mail pile and held it in front of her face. He came into her office, stood on the other side of her desk, and shifted his weight. She could sense his excitement. Still, she hid behind the letter, waiting for him to demand her attention.
He didn't. He outwaited her. Finally, giving up, she flipped the envelope back onto its pile and grinned up at him. His face shone with exultant pride, his eyes alight with the headiness of success.
"Congratulations," she said smoothly, remembering how Harry had swung her around and crowed like an old rooster after her own first sale. She'd been scared witless, thrilled, exhilarated, ecstatic. She read those same emotions in Jace. She couldn't swing him up and around, now could she?
He felt for the door behind him and closed it.
"Kate, it was great. He fell for that car like a papa with a brand new baby." His teeth flashed in a grin that took her breath away. Why did he have to be so damned handsome? And why did she have to be so aware of him?
She stood and laughed with his excitement, shared his enthusiasm, rejoiced in his joy. Jace came around the desk to stand in front of her, still smiling into her eyes. The wall was at her back and her chair blocked her way around the other side of the desk.
Suddenly, they weren't laughing anymore.
She cleared her throat. "Yes, well..." She cleared her throat again and looked at her shoes.
He drew his knuckles slowly and gently across the side of her face leaving traces of heat where he touched. She shifted as her low belly warmed. His gold ring was a rough cool contrast as it slid across her cheek. Her wild desire reflected in his face as her heart picked up speed. Blood whooshed through her head. Lightheaded, she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the pulsing need coursing through her and into him. Threads of need wrapped them in a cocoon, tugging them closer.
It was wrong to feel this way. There was danger here. If he'd only give her a moment to marshal her defenses, she'd pull away. Oh, she wanted to, but he didn't give her the time. Instead, his hand cupped the back of her head and tilted her face to his.
She was lost. Adrift in the heat and scent of him, her breasts strained toward his chest, her legs leaning, leaning, leaning . . .
Jace's heavy-lidded eyes blazed with intensity: a man intent on his woman. Intent on kissing, on their mouths touching, coaxing, tasting. His mouth looked soft—soft and hungry.
His face dipped so close her lips tingled for want of the first light brush of flesh against flesh. She shivered down to her toes.
Katie tried not to yield but his kiss came too tender, too gentle to deny him. His tongue begged entrance softly, tracing the inside of her lower lip. She shuddered in ecstatic reaction as the heat intensified. He nibbled at the corner of her mouth as if to catch every ripple of response. Her desire fed his and he slanted his mouth more firmly over hers.
Heaven.
She took his kiss, his touch, his desire and turned it back to him. She gave and gave, more than she thought she could.
Jace raised his head an inch and smiled. His breath stirred around her moist lips. Satisfaction glowed deep in his eyes. He kissed her again, more deeply, causing a more intense, focused thrill down her spine.
She should control her need better than this. But his hands were on her shoulders, then caressing her back, tugging her closer still. She felt his fingers splay against her ribs and hold her. His mouth was pure temptation, demanding the most sensual response she could offer. She wanted to give him more, all of herself. It was heady and frightening and happening much too fast. Katie pulled back, desperate for control before things went too far, got too hot. Got too complicated.
"Please stop, Jace," she said shakily. "We work together, nothing more," she said more firmly. Her pulse raced while she waited for him to come back to the here and now.
Instead, he reached for her a
gain, and fitted her hips to his. The contact was immediately erotic. He was hard against her soft belly, his muscles tense and his eyes hot. She yearned to continue the exploration, but had to maintain some meager control.
"And we're in my office," she said, using an edge in her tone to reinforce the words. She pulled away from him and straightened. She smoothed her hair with hands she was proud to see barely trembled. He hadn't stepped back, hadn't given her any more room. She could still feel him touching her, though he'd dropped his hands from her waist at once.
He raised an eyebrow and waited, still too close. "So?" he asked.
"I don't have affairs with people I work with." She enunciated clearly. She shoved her chair out of her way and walked around the other side of the desk.
"So?" He asked again, apparently unaware that their situation constituted working together, not to mention the shared nursing duty at Harry's home.
Her temper flared and she turned to face him again, keeping some distance between them. "So I don't appreciate being mauled in my own office."
"Mauled?" He planted his hands on her desk and leaned on it as he stared into her eyes.
"Yes, mauled." She held her ground and glared back at him. She refused to be intimidated. Absolutely refused. "I told Harry it was a mistake to have you here. I should have put my foot down."
His eyes glittered. "It was a simple kiss of congratulations, nothing to get into knots about." He came closer, his eyes glowing with a heat of their own.
She swallowed, but her mouth had gone dry.
This office had always been small and close. Now it suffocated. She reached behind to feel for the doorknob. The sensation of cold metal was a relief on her palm. Escape was but a turn away.
Jace stepped closer, catching her in his heat, holding her still with nothing more than the promise in his smile.
"I'm going home," she whispered. "I have to check on Harry."
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