by Ginna Gray
THE COURTSHIP OF DANI
❖
Ginna Gray
Chapter 1
The woman stood in the shadows of the alcove, partially concealed behind a large potted plant, and it was obvious to the man watching that she hoped her presence would remain undetected.
Why the devil is she hiding?
The question flickered through Jason St. Clair's mind for the tenth time in as many minutes, and he felt a mild surge of restless irritation. Her furtive actions piqued his curiosity almost as much as her beauty aroused his more basic instincts.
The party was in full swing. Frank and Eloise Manders's River Oaks home was filled with Houston's most prominent citizens—an eclectic mix from the world of finance, big business, medicine and academia. There were even a couple of astronauts and a movie mogul thrown in.
Standing in the midst of a small group of people on the opposite side of the room from the alcove, his dark, intent gaze fixed on the overweight man who was boasting about a marlin he'd caught off the coast of Mexico, Jason gave the impression that he was fascinated by the discourse. But from the corner of his eye he kept a close watch on the luscious brunette.
Who was she? His host had introduced her earlier simply as "Danielle," as though he should recognize the name. But he didn't. Not once during all their lengthy business talks could he recall Frank Manders mentioning anyone named Danielle. Could she be Frank's daughter? Or perhaps his daughter-in-law?
Jason frowned and swirled his glass of straight bourbon, making the ice cubes clink. God! He hoped not. He hated to think of that gorgeous creature tied to a weak-kneed hanger-on like Lewis Manders. His father was okay. Otherwise Jason wouldn't be using the man's consulting firm to revamp his new company. But Frank's worthless son was another matter entirely. Linda curled her hand around Jason's arm, drawing his attention, and he felt irritation of another kind as he looked down at the clinging blonde. Lately she had been showing a tendency toward possessiveness that was beginning to get under his Skin. He had dated Linda exclusively for the past few months, but he sure as hell hadn't made her any promises.
Her red-enameled nails flexed against his sleeve like cat claws and she leaned into him, pressing the side of her breast intimately against his arm as she gave him her most seductive smile, but Jason felt not even a spark of excitement. He wondered briefly if it was his fault, or if physical attraction just naturally fizzled out after a while, no matter how strong it was in the beginning. Certainly, no woman had ever held his interest indefinitely.
"Isn't it a lovely party, darling?" Linda purred.
Feeling guilty for his thoughts, Jason uttered a noncommittal "hmmm."
But a cynical smile curled one corner of his mouth as he looked around. He had attended hundreds of parties exactly like this one—sleek gatherings of the rich and powerful where contacts were made, deals set in motion, others finalized. It was a far cry from his hardscrabble beginnings, or the years of sweating blood and breaking his back eighteen hours a day during his struggle up the ladder. But he wouldn't call it "lovely." He attended these affairs because he had to: they were simply a necessity, the way business was done when you reached the top of the heap, but he didn't particularly enjoy them.
Jason's gaze swung back to the woman in the alcove, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Did she feel the same way? Was that why she was lurking in the shadows? Or maybe she was simply shy.
For an instant Jason's eyes met those of the brunette, but she looked away quickly, taking a sip from the glass she held, then made a show of looking out the window at the garden. Jason smiled. Even from this distance he could make out the vivid blue of her eyes. It was the first thing he had noticed about her. The combination of those unbelievable sapphire eyes, creamy skin and that lustrous dark brown hair had damn near taken his breath away.
Speculation glinted in Jason's narrowed dark eyes as they traced her elegant profile then moved down over the figure-hugging cream dress. His eyes paused briefly at her breasts and waist and then continued in a downward sweep over the lush curve of her hips and thighs to the shapely calves and dainty feet. As his gaze retraced the path, a look of sheer determination stamped Jason's face. Shy or not, sweetheart, he vowed silently, if you don't come out in the next five minutes, I'm going to join you in your little hideaway.
❧
Formidable. Yes, that was it, Danielle decided. If one had to sum up Jason St. Clair in one word, it would definitely be formidable. Without so much as moving a muscle or saying a word, the man exuded an aura of raw power, both mental and physical. She could sense it even with the distance between them.
A distance that shouldn't exist, Dani reminded herself. You should be over there finding out all you can about the man. Experience had taught her that before beginning a job it was best to get to know her clients, to learn their likes and dislikes, their weaknesses, their strong points, their goals and expectations. It made her work just that much easier, knowing in advance exactly what sort of person she was dealing with. That was why Frank had given this party—so Dani and her team could meet Mr. St. Clair and the executives of his newly acquired company before they began the actual work of reorganizing and updating.
Instead, here she was lurking behind a potted palm. All because Lewis Manders persisted in his idiotic pursuit of her.
Dani's soft mouth twisted with disgust. The man had the sensitivity of an earth-moving machine. She had made it clear to him in every way she knew how, short of telling him outright exactly what she thought of him, that she wasn't interested, but he refused to give up. Ever since her arrival, Dani had been dodging Lewis's heavy-handed passes, and she was heartily sick of the whole mess. The way she felt now, if he put his hands on her one more time, she was going to tell him to go take a flying leap—boss's son, or not.
Complaining to Frank wouldn't do any good, she knew. More than likely, he had been encouraging Lewis. From the hints that Frank had been dropping lately, she knew that he'd like nothing better than for her to marry his weak, ineffectual son.
Dani shuddered delicately. Heaven forbid!
A burst of laughter drew Dani's attention back to the room of people, and a sigh of resignation lifted her chest. Well, you can't stay in here all night, she told herself. Cautiously she scanned the room for Lewis's dark head. When she didn't spot him, she squared her shoulders and stepped out of the alcove.
Dani had taken no more than a half-dozen steps when a hand closed around her upper arm. She stiffened and jerked around but was forced to swallow her indignation when she found herself looking into Frank's lean, shrewd face.
"Dani! Where in the world have you been?" he demanded. "I've been looking all over for you."
Dani gave him a long, ironic look. I've been doing my damnedest to stay out of your son's clutches, her eyes telegraphed. She knew by the sheepish look flickering across Frank's face that he had read her thoughts and, as she had suspected, he was at least partly responsible for Lewis's ridiculous behavior. The blue glitter in her eyes rebuked him silently, but Dani was not sufficiently angered yet to give him the tongue-lashing he deserved.
Instead, she cocked one delicate brow and said, "Why? Did you want me for something?"
As she had known he would, Frank dismissed her silent complaint from his mind at once. He was not one to go looking for trouble, and if Dani was willing to let the matter slide, so was he. His sharp gray eyes darted to the group that included Jason St. Clair then swung back to Danielle. "You're supposed to be charming our guest of honor, and I haven't seen you go anywhere near the man all evening."
"As a matter of fact, I was just headed in that direction," Dani replied coolly.
"Good. Good." Grasping her arm, he began to bustle her toward the gro
up on the far side of the room. "Come on then, I'll go with you."
Frank was wound up like an eight-day clock, his face taut, his tall wiry body fairly crackling with nerves. Glancing up at him, Dani felt her irritation drain away. She knew how important the St. Clair account was to Frank. Jason St. Clair had made his fortune buying up flagging companies, whipping them into shape, then selling them at enormous profit. If Update, Inc., did a good job of revamping the factory he had just acquired, they stood an excellent chance of landing such jobs from him in the future.
As they neared their quarry, Jason St. Clair slowly turned his head, and Dani felt a little jolt as those penetrating tobacco-brown eyes slid over her in a slow, thorough inspection.
Refusing to be intimidated, Dani cocked a brow and conducted an inspection of her own.
Up close, she was struck by his size and coloring. Jason St. Clair was a big man, tall and lean, tough looking. He wasn't at all handsome. His features were much too harsh for that—high sharp cheekbones, a bold hawkish nose, a mouth that was a thin straight line above a determined chin and thrusting jaw. But it was certainly a compelling face, Dani mused as they drew near. Rugged and utterly masculine. The only soft thing about Jason St. Clair seemed to be his hair, which was a thick luxuriant pelt of pale blond, gilded gray at the temples. In contrast, his skin was deeply tanned and had that weathered look that was so oddly attractive on blond men. And then there were those dark, enigmatic eyes, set deep beneath bushy, almost white brows. Oh, yes. The man was definitely formidable.
"Ah, Jason," Frank began jovially as they joined the group. "This is—"
"Danielle," Jason finished for him. "Yes, I know. You introduced her earlier." The dark eyes lingered for a moment on Dani's mouth then lifted slowly to lock with hers, and once again she experienced a strange little shock.
"Yes, but I don't believe you've had a chance to talk. And I think it's time the two of you got better acquainted," Frank said, beaming down at Dani like a proud father. "You'll find that Dani is something special."
His statement drew two instant, opposing reactions. Linda Hastings stiffened, bristling visibly as her eyes spat daggers at Dani, while Jason St. Clair looked at first startled, then disturbingly pleased. "I'm sure you're right, Frank," he said in a low gravelly voice that did strange things to Dani's insides. "And I assure you, I'd like nothing better than to get to know Danielle."
"Good. Good. In that case, I'll leave you two to get acquainted while I see to my other guests. It looks like some are about to leave." Having achieved his goal, Frank dropped the whole thing in Dani's lap and very neatly retreated.
Dani glanced at the irate blonde possessively clutching Jason's arm, and shifted uneasily. "Thank you, Mr. St. Clair. I always try to get acquainted with new clients before work actually starts," she replied quickly, anxious to defuse his girlfriend's anger before it exploded. "It saves time and gets us off on the right foot."
"You work for Update, Inc.?" Jason asked, looking mildly astonished.
Dani hid her surprise at the question. Obviously Frank hadn't briefed him as well as she had thought. "Yes, I do. As a matter of fact—"
Her words came to an abrupt halt, and she jumped when an arm curved possessively around her waist.
"There you are sweetheart," Lewis murmured in her ear, pulling her tight against his side. "I've been looking all over for you."
I'll just bet you have, you jerk, Dani thought nastily, darting a quick, warning look up into Lewis's handsome face. Lord, how she hated that oily voice and that specious charm. The urge to tell him so rose within her, but she battled it down. Open confrontation was not Dani's way. Even if it were, she wouldn't dare. Frank would have a stroke if she created a scene in front of his new client.
"Lewis, have you met Mr. St. Clair?" Dani asked through a stiff smile, while trying to pry his hand loose from her rib cage.
"Yes, we've met." Unperturbed, Lewis tightened his hold and leaned forward to extend his free hand. "Nice to see you again, Mr. St. Clair."
Jason St. Clair hesitated before completing the handshake. "Manders," he said with a curt nod, withdrawing his hand as soon as possible. His eyes dropped to the arm that encircled Dani's waist, and his mouth curled. Beside him, Linda Hastings looked delighted.
Disgust was written plainly on Jason's face, and seeing it, Dani felt a sick sensation in the pit of her stomach. Silently she cursed Lewis for putting her in this position in front of a client. Didn't the man realize how important first impressions were?
"Uh, Lewis... Mr. St. Clair and I were just about to discuss his new factory," Dani said pointedly. As unobtrusively as possible she tried to wriggle free, but Lewis's hand was clamped at her waist like a vise.
"Aw, come on babe, loosen up," he cajoled. "This is a party. You don't want to talk business all the time."
Lewis did not want to talk business at any time, if he could help it. He was a spoiled playboy, the proverbial grasshopper who skimmed through life on his charm and father's money.
Stifling her exasperation, Dani tried a different tack. She tilted her head and gave him a come-hither look, smiling coyly. "Lewis," she murmured in a seductive whisper.
He took the bait instantly. With a knowing gleam in his eyes Lewis leaned down and asked throatily, "Yeah, babe?"
"If you don't take your hands off me in the next five seconds, I'm going to put my heel through your instep," Dani whispered sweetly so only he could hear, all the while keeping her lips fixed in a tight smile.
Lewis jerked back. Sheer disbelief marked his expression for a moment, but the determined gleam in Dani's eyes and quick glance at the four-inch stiletto heels on her evening sandals brought the first stirrings of doubt. She calmly lifted one foot and, still smiling, poised it over his polished shoe, he dropped his arm and stepped away as though she had suddenly grown hot to the touch.
Thank goodness, Dani thought with heartfelt relief. She turned back to resume her conversation, but before he could say a word, Jason St. Clair slipped an arm around his blond companion and began to ease away.
"If you'll excuse us, Linda and I are going to dance while the band is playing a slow number," he said, moving toward the open French doors.
They stepped out onto the patio, and Dani watched, dismayed, as Jason took Linda into his arms. Within seconds they were lost from view among the other couples swaying to the soft, romantic music.
"Would you like to dance?"
Dani's eyes were blue frost when she turned them on Lewis. "No, I would not," she replied in a clipped voice and without another word spun on one heel and walked away.
From the time she was a child, intense anger had turned Dani to ice. The angrier she got, the more frozen she became, and the more withdrawn.
No screaming, no harsh words, no outraged expression. She simply stayed locked inside herself and looked out at the world with cool disinterest—the instinctive defense of a child who had always been different, who had never quite belonged. It had helped her survive the early years of being a pawn between two warring adults, the cruel taunts of other children who couldn't understand why she preferred books to playing, the isolation of being the "brain" in college—four years younger, and light-years brighter than most of the other students. And it had helped her to grow up among a close-knit family, the outsider who was tolerated but neither needed nor really wanted.
Coolness, remoteness, had long been her weapons against life's slings and arrows.
Though Dani had a high threshold where hurt and anger were concerned, if pushed too far she would, could and did fight back. Luckily, for the sake of her opponents, that did not happen often.
As Dani marched away from the sullen young man, threading her way aimlessly through the party crowd, her icy control was perilously close to snapping. She had had just about all she could take of Lewis Manders for one evening.
Only Dani's strong sense of responsibility kept her from leaving the party. As head of the team of business consultants who would be
revamping St. Clair's new company, she felt she should at least try to establish some sort of rapport with the man. With that in mind, Dani stationed herself by one of the doors that led onto the patio. I'll give it another half-hour, she told herself, snagging a glass of champagne off a passing waiter's tray as she watched the movements of the hard-faced blond man.
But over the next half-hour Dani did not manage to get within ten feet of Jason St. Clair. Every time she started to approach him he either took to the dance floor, moved away or engaged someone in conversation. If she hadn't known better, she would think he was deliberately avoiding her.
Finally giving it up as a lost cause, Dani sought out Frank and Eloise and bid them good night, at the same time adroitly managing to sidestep her boss's probing questions.
A relieved sigh left Dani when she escaped out the front door and started down the long curving drive toward her car. Business wise and every other way, the evening had been a washout, and she was glad to put it behind her.
Fumbling through her evening bag for her keys, Dani did not see the man waiting beside her car until she had almost reached it, and then she had to pull herself up short to keep from bumping into him.
"Oh! For goodness' sake, Lewis! You scared me half to death," she snapped, for once startled into irritation. Regaining her composure, she gave him a coolly dismissive look. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"
Lewis edged closer, a seductive smile playing around his mouth. "I couldn't let you go home without telling you good night properly," he said in a low sexy voice. "Now could I?"
Dani frowned and started to step around him, but he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close. "Now see here, Lewis!" she gasped, pushing against his chest with both hands. "What do you think you're—"
His mouth closed over hers, and her words became a muffled protest. Dani began to struggle in earnest, but his arms went around her, clamping her tightly against his chest while he continued the aggressive assault on her lips. The kiss was wet and sloppy, suffocating, his teeth nipping at her lips with barely restrained savagery, his tongue pushing demandingly at her tightly clenched teeth.
