by Ginna Gray
"You mean you're actually one of those.. .those consultants that Jason hires?" Linda asked, somehow managing to make it sound like something slightly disreputable.
"Actually, I'm a manager," Dani returned with an indulgent smile. "Which means that I head up a team of consultants."
"But... don't you have to be terribly... well... brainy to do that?"
"It helps."
"I see." Linda gave her a pitying look and shrugged one bare shoulder. "But don't you find that an awful handicap? I mean, it seems so... so unfeminine."
"Unfeminine?" Dani's brow arched high, and she glanced down at her slender body. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. It wasn't the first time she had encountered jealousy of this kind. It didn't bother her. If anything, she found it amusing and rather silly. Especially since Dani knew full well that it wasn't her intelligence or her job, but her physical appearance that Linda found threatening. "I'm sure I have my share of shortcomings, but I don't think a lack of femininity is one of them. At least I've never had any complaints about it."
"I wouldn't imagine so."
Jason's murmured comment brought Dani's head around and her breath caught. His dark eyes slid over her, slumberous and hot, the half smile that tilted his mouth pure provocation. A tingling sensation feathered over Dani's skin as she stared at him, her agile mind, for once in her life, completely blank.
Before she could respond, both Paul and Phil gallantly echoed the sentiment, much to Linda's annoyance. With an effort of will Dani pulled her gaze away from Jason. He's just trying to rattle you, she told herself. Ignore him.
Doing precisely that, she smiled at the other two men then switched her attention back to the petulant woman. "Intelligence is not a prerogative of the male sex, I assure you, Linda."
"No, of course not. But don't you find that men are rather put off by a woman who is so obviously intelligent? I mean, no man wants to marry a woman who is smarter than he is."
Dani tipped her head back and laughed, a soft, throaty sound that made Jason's eyes gleam appreciatively as they ran over the graceful arch of her throat. "You may be right. But since I'm not interested in getting married, it hardly matters."
Linda looked shocked, then her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You don't want to get married?"
"Not particularly, no."
"Oh, my dear. Surely you don't mean that," Marge Haggerty protested. "A lovely thing like you?"
"Marge is right, Dani," Paul declared in support of his wife. "It would be a crime against nature for you to remain unmarried."
While Dani tried to explain the merits of the single state to the older couple, the others remained silent. Phil smiled in amusement, and Linda, tight-lipped and sullen, drummed her red enameled nails on the table. Jason leaned back in his chair and studied Dani, his dark eyes intent and searching, his expression thoughtful.
The good-natured argument went on for several minutes, until at last the waiter arrived to take their order. When he had gone, Phil deftly changed the subject, earning himself a warm look of gratitude from Dani as she reached under the table and squeezed his hand.
Throughout the meal Linda continued to make snide little digs at Dani, but she merely ignored or laughed them off. Had she wanted to, had she felt beleaguered enough, Dani would've been perfectly capable of annihilating the woman with a freezing look and a few well chosen words. Though Linda's spiteful jealousy was mildly annoying, it aroused more pity than irritation. It was not Linda who got under Dani's skin but the large, silent man by her side.
Dani tried to block him out of her consciousness by directing the bulk of her conversation toward the Haggertys. Despite her best efforts, she was uncomfortably aware of Jason. From the corner of her eye she registered each subtle shift of that leanly muscled body, every movement of those large, beautifully masculine hands. His size, his nearness, the oddly seductive quality of his deep, gravelly voice—everything about him—irritated her, making her feel prickly and strangely keyed up. It was a new sensation for Dani, and she found she did not like it. Not one bit.
An excellent combo was playing mellow music. When they had finished eating, Dani eagerly accepted Phil's invitation to dance, grateful for an excuse to escape Jason, if only for a few minutes.
"Now, would you mind telling me what's going on?" Phil asked when he had drawn her into his arms on the minute dance floor.
Dani looked up, surprised. An amused smile curved Phil's mouth and his hazel eyes glinted devilishly. Arching her brows, Dani gave him a guileless look. "What do you mean?"
"Come on, sweetheart, don't play dumb with me. I've been picking up strange vibrations since the moment we arrived. All evening you've been giving St. Clair your polite, deep freeze treatment, and he's been looking at you the way a hungry tiger eyes a particularly delectable morsel."
Startled, Dani's head snapped up. Pure panic flared briefly in her wide blue eyes. "Don't be silly. Jason St. Clair can barely tolerate me." Taking a firm grip on her runaway emotions, she gave him an ironic smile and shook her head. "The minute he found out that I was to head the consultant team assigned to his company he insisted that Frank replace me."
"That was business, but believe me, the way he looks at you is strictly personal."
Dani's heart seemed to do a little dance against her ribs. "No. No, you're wrong," she denied stubbornly. "The man has barely spoken to me. I'm sure he will be just as relieved as I will when the evening is over."
Amusement and disbelief sparkled in Phil's eyes, but he merely chuckled and whirled her out of the way of another couple. Dani darted a look over his shoulder at their table. Paul and Marge were dancing also, and Jason and Linda sat alone with their heads close together, deep in conversation. No, she told herself firmly. Phil's just imagining things.
When the music ended they found themselves standing beside Paul and Marge, and when the older man suggested changing partners, Dani agreed readily. Paul was a good dancer, and as he guided her around the floor they chatted together easily. By the time the music came to a halt, Dani had dismissed Phil's ridiculous claim as pure nonsense.
When she and Paul reached the table Jason was standing beside her chair, but instead of holding it out for her as she had expected, he smiled and extended his hand. "My turn, I think," he said in that deep gravelly voice.
All of Dani's apprehensions came rushing back, causing her heart to pound. Staring into those fathomless dark eyes, Dani silently berated herself. You fool. You left yourself wide open for this by dancing with Phil and Paul.
Dancing with Jason was the last thing she wanted, but knowing there was no tactful way she could refuse, Dani put her hand in his and allowed him to lead her back to the dance floor.
The strange prickly sensation she had experienced all evening grew infinitely worse when Jason took her into his arms and began to move to the slow, romantic music. Dani held her body stiffly and stared over his shoulder.
"Relax," Jason instructed, chuckling softly as he pulled her closer. "I'm not going to bite you."
"I didn't think you were," Dani replied, slanting him a cool look.
Her insides were trembling wildly, and her chest was tight. Dani could not remember ever being so totally, vitally aware of a man before, and it annoyed her immensely. The arm that curved around her waist was as unyielding as iron. Splayed across her bare back, his big hand pressed intimately against her flesh, scorching like a brand. She felt surrounded by his warmth and his strength. With every breath her senses were assaulted by the heady scents of after-shave and soap and musky maleness.
Her hand was engulfed in his large one, and against her soft skin she could feel the hard, permanent calluses that ridged his palm and fingers, mute testimony to his early years of struggle. Even before he had hired Update, Dani had heard all the stories about his background—the way he had started a small construction company on a shoestring, doing the back-breaking manual work right alongside his crew, building the company up, then selling it and buying
another one... and another... and another.
Yes, she thought, as she felt the subtle shifts of his lean, hard body. Jason St. Clair was, and always would be, a man who welcomed a challenge—a man driven to achieve—but who enjoyed the struggle as much as the success.
"Were you serious about not being interested in marriage?" Jason asked suddenly, drawing her out of her thoughts with a start. "Or is that just bait to get a man interested?"
Surprise, then anger, rippled through Dani, but both were hidden behind a coolly scornful look. "I don't indulge in tricks or game playing, Mr. St. Clair. Anyway, men are not all that hard to attract," she informed him dismissively. "I simply don't want one."
"Why not?"
Because I don't trust close relationships. Because everyone wants something from me, and a person can be hurt most by those she loves. Dani shrugged. "Some people just aren't meant for marriage. I think I'm one of them," she said disinterestedly. She looked away and stared over his shoulder, and for a moment they danced in silence.
"You know, I'm beginning to think I was mistaken about you," Jason said finally when she made no more effort at conversation.
"Why, because Paul sang my praises so highly?"
"Well, there is that. Although, actually, that doesn't come as news to me." His mouth twitched at her look of mild surprise. "I checked your references," he explained with a wry smile, and immediately Dani's surprise deepened.
"Why?"
"Curiosity, mainly." He let that soak in for a moment then added, "Since you're here tonight with Lathrope, I assume your... relationship with Lewis Manders is not as serious as it appeared to be. Or did you two just have a fight?"
Dani's expression grew even more remote, her eyes glacial. "Lewis and I do not have a relationship," she informed him frigidly. "Nor will we ever have. At least, not a personal one."
"That's not the impression I got last Saturday."
"What you saw was Lewis's clumsy attempts to curry favor with his father. Frank wants a daughter-in-law who can take over the company when he retires, and as long as it means he doesn't have to work for a living, Lewis is willing to go along with whatever Frank wants. It's that simple."
"And you're not interested?"
"Hardly."
Jason tipped his head toward their table. "How about Lathrope? Are things serious between the two of you?"
Taken aback, Dani stared at him. "Phil and I are very good friends, in the truest sense of the word, but I fail to see how that is any of your business, or why you would possibly be interested," she said frostily.
A small, cynical smile tilted Jason's mouth. "I should think that would be obvious; before I ask you to have dinner with me, I want to be sure I'm not stepping on anyone's toes."
Sheer astonishment widened Dani's eyes, but then they narrowed suspiciously. "Why would you want to have dinner with me?"
Jason threw his head back and laughed aloud, drawing several startled glances from the other dancers. "I should think that would be obvious, too," he said in a voice still colored with laughter. "You're a very lovely woman."
Dani searched his lean, weathered face, with the dark, fathomless eyes, the network of fine lines, and felt a strange quivering sensation ripple through her. What was he up to? She didn't believe for one minute that he was really interested in her as a woman. The man had made it perfectly clear that he didn't like her. Warily Dani wondered if she had made a tactical error in admitting that she wasn't interested in marriage. Did he now see her as an irritating challenge? Or was he just trying to annoy her, knowing full well that she would decline?
Whatever his reason, it made no difference. Dani wasn't about to take the bait. She was neither a masochist nor a fool. Tales about his climb up the ladder of success were not the only ones she had heard about Jason. Though not exactly a playboy, his name had been linked with a number of women, whereas her own experience had been very limited. Jason St. Clair was definitely out of her league.
"What about Miss Hastings?" Dani asked, slanting a glance at the blonde sitting at their table.
"I've made no commitment to Linda," Jason replied with a quick frown. "My obligation to her extends no further than this evening." He waited a moment, but when Dani didn't comment, he cocked his head to one side. "So... will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"
"No."
"Would you care to tell me why?"
"Because I don't want to."
Jason's brows shot upward and for a moment he just stared at her, nonplussed. Giving a little snort of astonishment, he shook his head. "You really don't play games, do you?"
"No, I don't." Especially not risky games, Dani added silently as she met his rueful look. And she knew instinctively that involvement with Jason would be a risk. The anger he aroused in her did not blind her to his appeal. His rugged, weathered face was far more attractive than mere handsomeness. There was something about him, something raw and primitive, something totally masculine, that made a woman acutely aware of her femininity. It was exciting and tempting ... and scary.
They danced in silence. Jason studied her intently, his expression thoughtful, while Dani once again stared over his shoulder with studied indifference. Finally the music stopped, and without a word she pulled out of his arms, turned, and walked back to the table.
Beneath the pale bushy brows Jason's eyes narrowed and focused on her bare back. Dani walked tall and proud, her head held high, and as he traced the elegant line of her spine down to her gently swaying hips, a small, determined smile pulled at his mouth. She was the most intriguing woman he had ever met— beautiful, intelligent, extremely desirable.
Jason thought of the blunt way she had refused him, and the tiny smile became a grin. She's also direct as hell and more than a little aloof. Storming that particular citadel would be difficult and could leave a man with his ego battered and bleeding, he mused. But something told him it would be worth it. With every step her dark hair billowed softly around her shoulders, and Jason itched to sink his hands into the shining mass, to feel it twine through his fingers.. .to see it spread out on a pillow.
Easy, St. Clair, easy, he cautioned himself. The woman has made it clear that she's not interested. At any rate you don't have time for any heavy involvement right now, and you know it.
But when they reached the table and Jason bent to assist Dani into her chair, the sweet, clean scent of her hair drifted up to him, and as he inhaled it he felt his body tighten, his blood pound hotly. Oh, hell. Who was he kidding? He wanted her. More than he had ever wanted any woman before in his life. And he'd be damned if he was going to let her just walk away from him.
❧
"Would you mind telling me just what the devil was going on back there?" Phil asked a few hours later as he drove through the almost deserted streets. "The air between you and Jason was so thick with tension you could cut it with a knife."
Snuggled down in the plush seat, her head resting against the back, Dani was hovering between sleep and wakefulness, but the amused question popped her eyes open, and she rolled her head on the seat and looked at him. Phil was staring straight ahead, but she could see the corner of his lips twitching. Darting her a quick look, he smiled teasingly. "What's the matter? Did he make a heavy pass?"
Dani's mouth twisted in a wry grimace. She should have known she couldn't hide anything from Phil. He knew her too well.
Jason had thrown her for a loop. The last thing she had expected was for him to show an interest in her, but she had thought she had handled it with aplomb. For the rest of the evening she had laughed and made small talk and acted as though nothing had happened. But inside she had felt quivery. Agitated.
And of course Phil had noticed.
"No, not a pass," Dani replied reluctantly. "He just asked me to have dinner with him tomorrow night."
"Ah, the big man has made his move," Phil drawled with a touch of sheer male admiration that made Dani prickle.
"I said 'no,'" she returned dryly.
&nb
sp; "And you think that's the end of it?" His deep, rich chuckle filled the car and he slanted her another teasing look. "Oh, sweetheart, for a lady with an IQ of one hundred seventy, you sure have a lot to learn where men are concerned. Jason St. Clair has a reputation for getting exactly what he goes after, and I'd say he has his sights set on you."
Dani's heart went wild. Her chest was suddenly so tight she could barely breathe. It was a stunning thought—exciting beyond reason—and for a moment she let her imagination run amok. Then she took a deep breath and willed her senses into submission. Sitting up straight, she stretched and ran the fingers of both hands through her hair. "Oh, I think I'm fairly safe," she said over a yawn.
Phil gave a snort of pure derision. "I wouldn't count on it if I were you."
"Oh, but I do." Dani chuckled softly, but there was a touch of wistful sadness in her eyes. "You see, ironically, Linda Hastings was right. Men really are uncomfortable with women who are brighter than they are. When it comes to love and romance or even something as basic as sexual attraction, nothing kills it faster than a display of feminine intelligence."
Paul looked at her skeptically but Dani gave him a confident smile. "You just wait and see. All I'll have to do is quote a few mathematical formulas, and he'll run for the nearest dumb blonde."
❧
Brave words. On Monday morning, sitting in Frank's office, staring at him in astonishment across the width of his enormous desk, they came back to taunt her.
"B-but wh—" Her voice came out in a squeak, and Dani stopped to clear her throat. Swallowing hard, she struggled to regain her composure. "Why would he do that?"
Frank shrugged and lifted his hands, palms up. "Who knows? Maybe he checked out your references and your scholastic record. Or maybe he's just had a change of heart. Who cares? The point is, St. Clair wants you put back in charge of the project."
"But Roger was looking forward to—"
"What Roger wants is not the issue here," Frank interrupted impatiently. "Jason wants you."
