by Opal Carew
She glanced at him with a warmth and concern in her eyes. “Have you seen him or talked to him in the last year?”
He shook his head. “I have no idea where he is or what he’s doing, but he’s always wanted to travel so he’s probably doing something like hiking around Asia.”
“Are you worried about him?”
He was, but he wouldn’t admit it. “He can take care of himself. He can live quite comfortably, on what he’s earned with this company and the generous inheritance from Dad, for a long time.”
“Do you miss him?”
A typical female question.
“I don’t miss his brooding or his constant disapproval of my methods.”
She nodded. “In other words, you wouldn’t admit it if you did.” She finished her last bite of prime rib then put down her fork. “Clearly from the fact you’re keeping his office, you’re hoping he’ll come back. The question is, what will you do when he does? Will you listen to his ideas and try to incorporate them into your plans for the company?”
Irritation spiked through him. “Don’t you think you’re overstepping your bounds?” he said in a stern voice.
Her lips compressed and she looked properly contrite. “I’m sorry, sir. You’re right. It’s none of my business.”
Instantly, he missed the warmth in her eyes. The connection they’d been sharing that went beyond the boss-employee relationship. Maybe they couldn’t act on the sexual attraction between them, but he didn’t want to lose the closeness they’d established over dinner.
She had only been trying to help, but he wasn’t used to anyone poking their nose in his family business. On the other hand, he hadn’t been doing a great job keeping a good relationship with his brother and he truly wanted him back.
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to opening up about my family relationships. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
He didn’t go on to tell her that this business with Brenhart and Saunders was exactly the kind of thing Rafe would want them to pursue.
Her eyes filled with understanding and she placed her hand on his. Instantly, a spark of awareness sizzled through him. He saw it in her eyes, too, and she shifted her hand away and wrapped her fingers around the stem of her wine glass, then lifted it to her lips. He couldn’t help but watch as she sipped the burgundy liquid. Her lips glistened as she ran her tongue around them and he longed to lean forward and taste them. To slip his tongue inside her silky, warm mouth, then to kiss her while she melted into his arms.
A waiter came by and collected their dinner plates, replacing them with martini glasses filled with chocolate mousse.
“Sometimes it helps to talks about things,” she said. “Why don’t you tell me a story about you and your brother growing up? How did you get along?”
He smiled. “Well, when I turned eight years old, Rafe was six, and he decided he wanted to get me something for my birthday. Our parents always arranged a gift from brother-to-brother on these occasions, but Rafe was adamant that he would arrange his own gift. Something he got himself. So on my birthday, he handed me a small box that he’d wrapped himself. There was tape everywhere and not all of the box was covered, but he was proud of his accomplishment. When I opened it up, inside was a gold watch. Just like the one my father had, that he knew I had always been fascinated with.”
“Where did he get a gold watch?”
“That’s the thing. It was my Dad’s. At that age, Rafe didn’t really understand the idea of ownership. He just knew I loved that watch, and Dad barely wore that one since he had several, so on the morning of my birthday Rafe retrieved it from my Dad’s dressing room, wrapped it up, and presented it to me.”
She smiled, her green eyes glittering in the soft light of the candles. “That’s sweet.”
She was right. Even at eight years old, Dane had been touched by his brother’s generosity and desire to make him happy. He had hated the fact that his father had only seen a child who needed a lesson in ownership and had beaten him with a belt. Their mother had not stood up for Rafe because she would never disagree with their father.
“But enough about me. Let’s delve into your past, shall we?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Why don’t you tell me about this ex of yours. You said he’s incredibly handsome?” he said with a grin.
She laughed. “Yes, he’s confident and handsome like you. But in every other way, he’s totally different.”
“How so?”
“For one, I could never imagine him in a business suit. He rode into Bakersfield—the little town I grew up in—on a big Harley, wearing torn jeans and a leather jacket. He’s tall, broad shouldered, and totally ripped.” She grinned. “Okay in that way he’s just like you, but his muscles are covered with tattoos, at least over his arms, shoulders, and back. And he plays guitar in a rock band.”
“So that’s the kind of guy you like? A free-wheeling musician?”
“Not necessarily. He just…” She shrugged. “I don’t know…”
“Swept you off your feet?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“So why did you think he loved you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, but your eyes did.”
She drew in a deep breath. “He always looked at me like I was something special, and even though the other girls in town fawned over him, he only seemed interested in me.”
“I can understand that.”
She gazed at him uncertainly. “Thank you. You know, that’s another way you two are alike. He was very charming, too.”
Dane wondered how this biker guitarist could just dump her like yesterday’s garbage. Some guys just didn’t understand a good thing when they had it.
“But I guess what really convinced me he was in love with me…” Her gaze flicked to his. “Because you’re right, I did think that … was when he got this tattoo.”
“Don’t tell me he got your name tattooed across his chest?”
“No, it was on his shoulder, and it wasn’t my name. In fact, it was really sweet. You see, I had a framed picture of a leopard moth in my room, which he asked me about. I told him that when I was a kid, I was always a perfectionist, and one time a teacher gave us a list of ten butterflies and moths that we had to draw as a science project. She wanted them from a specific book in the school library, but there were only five copies and everyone kept checking them out. By the time I got a copy, with only a few days left before the deadline, I realized that the picture of the leopard moth had been torn out of the book. I drew all the others, but I was in tears because I didn’t know what to do about the tenth picture.
“The next evening, my mom showed up with the picture I needed. She’d taken the afternoon off work and driven all the way to Garnersville to the big library there and found the book, then photocopied the page and brought it home to me. I got an A on the project and that picture became a symbol of how much my mom would do to support me and how she would always be there for me. When Storm chose to have a leopard moth tattoo, I foolishly thought he was telling me he would always be there for me, too.”
She gazed at her wine glass and the sadness in her eyes tore at Dane’s heart. How could the guy have been that callous?
She shrugged. “Now I realize that it was probably just a badge of sorts. Like a notch on his bed to represent another conquest.”
“You know you’re better off without him.”
Her lips curled up slightly. “So people keep telling me.”
A waiter came by and cleared away their dessert plates and coffee cups. Music began playing and a few couples wandered onto the dance floor.
“Let’s dance,” he said.
She glanced at him. “Really? But I thought we were here on business.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t relax and enjoy ourselves.”
Looking a little skeptical, she rose with him and he led her to the floor. As soon as he swept her into his arms, he realized his mistake. He was
far too aware of her soft, warm body close to his. He longed to pull her closer, and feel her breasts crushed against him, to capture her full lips and plunder her delectable mouth.
He had to concentrate so as not to allow his body to harden noticeably. He had a lot of self-control, but why was he making things so difficult for himself? As much as he wanted this woman, she’d made it clear she didn’t want to have an intimate relationship with him.
As soon as the song ended, he led her from the floor.
“I think it’s time we call it a night.”
* * *
Jessica wasn’t sure quite what had happened. First, Dane had led her to the dance floor and drew her close, sending her hormones revving, then as soon as the song ended, he’d dragged her out to get their coats, and before she knew it they were in his limo heading home.
At least, she assumed he was taking her to her apartment. Surely he hadn’t gotten the wrong idea and thought she wanted to go back to his place. They had talked about personal things and then when they were on the dance floor, he could probably see the desire in her eyes.
She couldn’t help it. He was a sexy, debonair man. Strong and masculine. Charming. And when he wanted to be, which was most of the time, authoritative. In a way that made her want to succumb to his power. Tonight she’d seen a softer side of him, but that sense of authority and power that she found so devastatingly sexy were ever present.
She glanced at the streets they passed and even with her sketchy knowledge of Philadelphia, she soon realized they were heading out of the city, and she knew he lived right downtown, very near where she’d first seen him on the street.
They didn’t talk much on the ride, but when they pulled up in front of her building and she turned to the car door, he rested his hand on her arm.
“Jessica, I enjoyed our evening together. It was good to talk about Rafe. It’s been a long time.”
She smiled. “I enjoyed tonight, too.”
Then her gaze caught his and she sat, mesmerized, as he leaned toward her. His lips brushed hers lightly at first then he deepened the kiss. She couldn’t help it. She melted against him. His arms came around her, holding her tighter to his body. His persuasive lips moved on hers with passion, filling her with longing.
She wanted him. She knew it. She’d always known it.
But they couldn’t.
He seemed to sense her withdrawal and he released her. She stared into his intense blue eyes, so filled with desire.
“I … uh … have a roommate,” she stammered. But, of course, he already knew that.
He smiled and stroked her cheek with one finger, sending a tremor through her.
“Jessica, if I’d wanted you in my bed this evening, you’d already be there.”
He gestured to the chauffeur and the man hopped out of the car and opened her door. Dane followed her out of the car and walked her to the entrance of her apartment. Once there, he waited while she unlocked the door and pulled it open, then he took her hand and kissed it, his lips brushing her skin lightly, sending shimmering awareness through her.
“Just remember. If you ever change your mind about pursuing something more than a boss-employee relationship, all you have to do is say the word.”
At that, he held the door open until she was inside, then he turned and disappeared into his black limousine. She watched it drive away, wishing she’d thrown caution to the wind and leapt back into the car with him.
* * *
Why did he have to say that?
Jessica lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She had decided when she’d first found out that Dane owned Ranier Industries that there would be no hanky-panky between them. They worked together. He was her boss.
But spending the evening together getting to know one another had torn away the business veneer she had used to shield herself from his intense magnetism. He wasn’t just a business man. He had a brother he cared about. Whom he missed. She’d seen a glimpse of the emotion in his eyes, even though he’d done a heroic job shielding it from her. It made him more human to her. A man with feelings. Vulnerabilities.
She closed her eyes and tried to forget that kiss in the limo. She’d been so sure he wanted to come up here and take her, just like he’d taken her that one night they were together. And she’d wanted him to, despite her lame protest.
She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, but she tossed and turned all night, haunted by the memory of that one night she’d spent with Dane. She ached for him. When she finally fell asleep, she was plagued by dreams of their naked bodies entwined, his powerful hands gliding over her skin, his muscular body crushing her to the bed while he thrust into her again and again. She woke up, drenched with sweat, the sheets twisted around her legs, wishing she could ease her yearning.
As she showered, scrubbing her skin with her loofah sponge, she wondered how she would get through the day. Now that he’d reawakened the intense attraction between them, she didn’t know how she could ignore it.
She towel dried her hair, then put on her makeup and dressed. Over breakfast, Melanie asked how the evening had gone, and Jessica told her a few details about the event and Dane’s networking, but said nothing about the dance or, heaven forbid, the kiss. She knew it sounded pretty dry, so soon the conversation turned to the latest nail polish trends, a particular passion of Melanie’s. She followed all kinds of blogs and tended to be a bit of an addict when it came to her nails.
When they finally arrived at work, Jessica actually found herself getting nervous about seeing Dane again.
It didn’t help that, as soon as she got to her desk, she saw a note in his distinctive handwriting, telling her to come to his office.
* * *
Jessica tapped on the door to Dane’s office, then opened it and stepped inside. Rather than sitting at his desk reading his e-mail, he was in one of the armchairs by the window.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Join me.” He gestured to the chair across the small, low table in front of him.
She crossed the office and sat down, her gaze never quite meeting his.
“Coffee?” he asked.
She noticed a thermos of coffee on the table and two cups, one already filled with steaming black coffee.
“No. Thank you.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I wanted to talk to you about last night.”
“Did I do okay? I got all the contact names and information. I’ll enter it all in the computer this morning.”
“You did fine. That’s not what I’m talking about.”
Her gaze drifted to his, then flicked away from his scrutiny.
“I’m talking about the kiss. I was worried that it might cause some tension between us. And I see it has.”
“No, it’s all right. I don’t have a problem with it. We’ll just forget about it.”
“Can you?”
Her gaze shifted to his again.
“I … uh…”
“Because I can’t.”
She blinked.
“I’m not saying that it needs to affect our work. And I will still respect your decision to avoid an intimate relationship between us.” He leaned forward, his intense blue eyes boring into her. “If that’s still what you want.”
“I … of course, that’s still what I want.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure?”
She nodded.
At his continued scrutiny, her stomach tightened. Why did this have to be so difficult?
“All right.” He stood up.
Reluctantly, she stood up, too. She slowly turned and walked toward the door.
They would go back to the way things had been. Boss and assistant. She would find a way to ignore the galloping hormones that plagued her every time she got near him. Or thought about him. Or heard his name.
She realized her steps were slowing as she neared the door. She stopped and turned around.
“Dane … I mean, Mr. Ranier, I…”
“Yes, wha
t is it, Jessica?”
“No, it’s nothing. I’m sorry.” She headed toward the door again.
“Jessica, come back.”
At his command, she turned and returned to stand in front of his desk, where he was now sitting.
“What was it you were going to say?”
She wasn’t sure exactly, just that …
“I’m not sure if it’s still what I want.”
He stood up and walked toward her, his gaze never leaving hers.
As he approached, her body began to tingle. Excitement quivered through her.
He brushed her cheek with his fingertips, the merest whisper of a touch. And still he held her captive with his gaze.
“What do you want?” he asked.
Gazing deep into his eyes, she could barely think straight, let alone find her voice.
“I…” Oh, God, what was she doing? “Want…” She tried to stop … knew it was a bad idea … but she couldn’t help herself. “You.”
The last word—the incriminating, no-turning-back admission—was a throaty whisper. A smile spread across his face and he tipped up her chin. Those blue eyes of his gleamed with desire as his face approached hers. Her eyelids fluttered closed as their lips touched.
The kiss was gentle at first, then passion flared between them as their tongues clashed.
His arms pulled her close to his body, crushing her breasts, swollen from need, against his solid chest.
“And I want you,” he proclaimed. “I suggest we take the day off and spend it in my bedroom.”
“No, that’s not a good idea.” She summoned the strength of will to draw away from him a little, but he didn’t release her from his arms.
“I think it’s a great idea.” He smiled and kissed her, a light brush of lips this time. “But if you’d rather, I’ll take you out to dinner tonight. Candlelight and wine in an elegant restaurant. A stunning view of the city. Then back to my place.” He adjusted his tie. “But I’ll warn you now, I intend to make it an early dinner.”
