by Jaci Burton
He'd had a taste of her passion, and the storm within him was building. Stronger and harder than anything he'd experienced before.
Good thing he could control the magic. Otherwise a hurricane would be blowing through The Rising Storm any day now.
His senses perked up as the elevator doors opened.
Sure enough...Lissa.
Looking cool and professional in her cream-colored business suit and matching high heel shoes, she strode forward with a determined and quick step.
Right up until she spotted him. Then she paused for a second, her pace faltered, and she broke eye contact.
Interesting. She seemed to be considering something on the floor. Then she lifted her head, straightened her shoulders and headed purposefully in his direction.
"Good morning, Aidan," she said.
Gone was the heat wave of last night. In its stead, a crispy Boston breeze.
"Mornin'. Sleep well?"
"Fine, thank you. Shall we get started?"
No warmth. Not even a smile. So this was how it was going to be. Ignoring the pang of regret in his stomach, he figured it was for the best anyway. If she wanted to avoid discussion of what had happened between them last night, obviously it hadn't been as monumental for her as it had been for him.
And didn't that do wonders for his ego? With a sigh, he said, "Let's go to my office and we'll start working on the plan."
She turned on her heel and walked silently beside him. With every measured step she took, Aidan grew more and more irritated.
Granted, last night hadn't been moonlight and stardust in a bed covered in rose petals. But it had been hot and stormy. Fierce, passionate, elemental. And dammit, she had loved every minute of it.
Today it was like a Blue Norther' had blown in, soaking and cooling everything in its wake.
Cooling his libido, for certain. And definitely blowing his pride to bits.
Maybe he hadn't done as good a job for her last night as he'd thought.
She sure as hell had taken him apart piece by piece. Just the memory of her mouth on his cock had him hardening, despite her frosty demeanor.
"Now if we could just go over this part of the plan," she said when they entered the conference room, all businesslike and barely making eye contact.
Aidan played along for most of the day, offering his ideas and suggestions as he would with any colleague. By the time late afternoon rolled around he was steaming inside, his thoughts occupied more with how he could have pleased her better.
Which pissed him off all the more.
He'd never had complaints in the sex department before. Never. In fact, he always got asked for seconds, even thirds.
Clearly the fault was with Melissa. She was frigid. That had to be it. It couldn't be him.
Unable to resist, he asked, "Are we going to talk about it?"
She looked up from the pile of papers on the table. "About what?"
"Last night."
Her face tinged pink and she quickly turned her gaze back on the papers. "Nothing to talk about. It was a mistake."
"Was it?"
"Yes. Let's just forget it ever happened."
Aidan leaned back in the chair and pondered if he really wanted to let it drop or not.
Not. "Was it that bad?"
Her gaze flew to his. "Oh no! It was wonderful!" Then, obviously realizing she'd said too much, she added, "I enjoyed dinner with your family."
He chuckled. "That's not what I meant and you know it."
Chin held high, she said, "I'd prefer not to talk about the other."
"Kind of hard not to relive it and talk about it, don't you think? After all, we did share something intimate last night. We're going to be working together over the next month. I think we should get it out in the open."
"I'd prefer to leave it buried."
That might be what she thought she needed, but deep down Aidan knew it really wasn't what she wanted.
"You enjoyed it."
No response.
"You came. Hard."
Still no reply, but her blush deepened and she shifted in her chair.
"You sucked my cock like a woman starving for it."
Her head lifted abruptly. Sparks of anger flared in her eyes. That got her attention. "I had too much wine."
He laughed out loud. "Pretty flimsy excuse, Lissa."
"Don't call me that."
"What? Lissa?"
"Yes. It's not my name."
"I like it better. Less formal."
"You're annoying as hell."
He grinned. "I've been told that before."
Pushing back from the table, Melissa folded her hands in her lap, her back ramrod straight. "Look, Aidan, let's chalk up last night to a bad choice on my part. I apologize if I led you to believe there could be something between us, because there won't be. Ever. What happened with us will never happen again. Now, I'd appreciate if you'd let the subject drop."
"I see." He scooted his chair so close to hers their knees touched. Melissa pushed back a little further, until Aidan grabbed the arms of her chair and yanked her toward him. "Let's get one thing straight. Last night was hot. For both of us. I enjoyed the hell out of it, and so did you."
When she opened her mouth to object, he silenced her with a look. "Why you don't want to enjoy some hot sex between consenting adults is beyond me, but I'll honor your wishes not to talk about it again unless you bring it up."
"That won't happen," she said, lifting her chin.
"We'll see."
He pushed her chair back and picked up their marketing plan. At least he'd managed to have his say. Now they could get back to business.
"So tonight the plan is to head over to a couple of the competing casinos and check out the action?" He tried to sound as uninterested and businesslike as she had.
"Yes. The company wants me to survey their activities, find out what kind of volume they're doing. I'd like to visit them at various hours on different days to gauge their traffic in the morning, afternoon and evening."
"Works for me. I like to gamble." Damn. That had sounded almost friendly. He'd have to watch himself. He'd nearly smiled when he said it.
She regarded him for a few seconds, frowning. "You don't have to go with me."
Which really meant she didn't want him to go with her.
Tough.
"Yeah, I do need to go with you. I don't frequent the casinos enough to know exactly what your marketing angles are. You can tell me a little bit about that while we're there. What the key points are we want to convey to our potential customers."
She seemed to consider it for a few seconds, doubt sailing across her face. Then she nodded quickly. "Fine. We'll start tonight."
Great. She might as well have just agreed to a root canal. Clearly, she wasn't thrilled at the idea of spending yet another evening in his company.
He'd had about enough of Miss Frosty for one day. He needed some space between now and this evening to gather his composure. He stood, picked up the remnants of his ego and said, "I have another appointment. I'll meet you in the lobby at eight."
Before waiting for her response, he stepped out of the conference room, feeling at least a little satisfied that he'd managed to get the last word in while walking out on her at the same time.
Chapter Five
Melissa stood in front of her closet once again, unable to believe that she couldn't find a thing to wear. For someone who'd brought a sizeable wardrobe with her, she sure was having a tough time making choices.
Which had nothing to do with the fact she was going to the casino tonight with Aidan.
Pangs of guilt hammered her when she recalled his hurt look in the conference room earlier today. So she'd bruised his feelings. So he'd walked out on her.
Wasn't her fault. She'd made no promises to him last night, didn't reveal any feelings to him. They'd had one episode of pretty intense foreplay, but that was it. And it wasn't going to go any further.
If she were
smart she'd pull out her conservative, long skirted business suit and wear it like a suit of armor. Then again the thought of putting on that many clothes in this wet heat made her nauseous.
Screw Aidan Storm, she'd wear whatever she wanted. In fact, she'd dress sexy, even provocatively if she wanted to. Just because she wanted to keep things strictly business between her and Aidan was no reason for her to don nun's clothing.
Defiantly, she yanked the gold silk halter dress out of the closet, along with the four-inch heels that matched. That should whet his appetite a little. More than a little, if she made herself up just right.
She stopped dead in her tracks on her way into the bathroom. Wait a second, what was she doing? She wasn't supposed to be dressing to knock Aidan's socks off. She wasn't supposed to want him to want her.
Damn if he wasn't doing it to her again. Making her forget who she was and why she was here.
She turned and glanced into the lighted closet, the drab gray suit catching her eye. Then her glance drifted back to the sinuous gold silk on the hanger in her hands.
Silk or wool? Boston or New Orleans? Hot or really damn hot?
No contest. Comfort won out over propriety.
In less than an hour she was showered and ready.
Ready to kill, judging from her reflection in the mirror.
It had to be the sultry New Orleans heat making her feel like a temptress, making her choose sexy dresses and dabbing on tantalizing perfume.
She grabbed her bag and headed toward the elevator, as perplexed as ever about what was happening to her. She'd heard New Orleans was magical, full of mystical practices that went back centuries. Maybe that's what had overcome her--the magic of this place.
Certainly, it had nothing to do with Aidan Storm.
*
Aidan cooled his heels in the lobby, wondering what kind of reception he'd get from Miss Frosty tonight. Most likely the same one he'd gotten all day today.
Spying his sister, Shannon, at the front desk, he strolled over and grabbed her around the waist. She shrieked and turned, a furious glare on her face.
"Dammit, Aidan! You scared the hell out of me."
"That's the idea," he said with a grin. "What are you doing here so late?"
"Finishing up the PR campaign for the French Quarter Business District."
And still looking bright and professional in her little business suit, even at nearly eight. He'd never seen Shannon look anything other than completely put together. "I see."
"And you? You're never here this late."
"Waiting for Melissa. We're going to one of the casinos tonight to check out the competition."
Shannon nodded and swept her hair off her shoulders. "You two will be spending a lot of time together, won't you?"
"Yeah. So?"
"She's very attractive."
"Yes, she is."
"And whip smart."
"Indeed." He already knew where this conversation was going, but enjoyed playing the game with his sister.
"Not really your type, though, is she?"
Shannon might be able to bat those turquoise eyes and act innocent with someone else, but he'd never fallen for it once.
"No, she's not."
"Kind of cold, isn't she?"
"Uh huh."
She pursed her lips and tilted her head. "Bet you'd like to heat her up just a little, though, wouldn't you?"
Now it was time. "Where are you going with all this, petite soeur?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you little sister me, Aidan. I know exactly what you're doing with her."
Aidan crossed his arms and arched a brow. "Really. And what is that?"
"You're setting her up for heartbreak." She laid a perfectly manicured finger in the middle of his chest. "And yourself, too, if you're not careful."
"I can handle it, Shan."
She snorted. "Famous last words. You've been handling women around here for years now. But I think this time you may have met your match."
"Why do you say that?"
Shannon shrugged. "I don't know. Something about her is...different. I noticed it last night."
So, he hadn't been the only one. "Different, how?"
"Not that she's different," she replied, looking around and then taking him by the arm to a sitting area where they had more privacy. "She seems to bring out the magic in you."
"Damn, Shannon, not you, too. You sound like Mom."
"I know, I know. Believe me, I'm the last one to think the magic is all encompassing, especially as it relates to destiny. All I'm saying is that as soon as she walked in the door to the house last night, I felt it. It begs a warning for you to be careful."
He nodded and kissed his sister on the cheek. She smiled up at him. "Unless, of course, you don't want to be careful."
"Huh?"
"You are getting up in years there, cher frere. Maybe it's time you settle down and start raising those grandchildren Mom and Dad are always harping about."
"You first," he teased.
Her eyes widened. "Not on your life. I don't have time."
"Talk about famous last words," he said, then stopped cold when the awareness hit him. He turned and spotted Melissa.
"Wow," Shannon said behind him.
Dressed in one hellaciously hot dress, Melissa strode toward them. Gold and shimmery, the dress waved around her legs and clung to her like it had been painted on her.
"You're in deep trouble, Aidan," Shannon said over his shoulder, mirth evident in her warning
"No shit." This new Melissa he hadn't expected. In fact, after today he fully expected her to show up in pants or some garb that covered all of her from head to toe. Not a silk dress cut low in front and showing off her figure. Her long legs looked even longer in those high heels.
Ignoring her would be difficult, if not downright impossible. He'd seen the body barely hidden underneath all that gold. And he wanted to see it again.
Melissa smiled brightly at Shannon as she stopped in front of them. "How are you tonight?" she asked his sister.
"Great," Shannon replied. "Working late as usual."
Melissa nodded. "You sound like a workaholic, just like me."
"Gorgeous dress, by the way," Shannon said.
"Thank you." A telltale blush appeared on her cheeks as she glanced quickly over at Aidan.
"You two have fun. I've got to get this paperwork finished." Shannon scurried off toward the hotel offices, leaving Aidan and Melissa alone.
The quiet was unnerving. And he couldn't stop staring. The gold dress shimmered against Lissa's creamy skin, the effect casting a burnished glow over her. Arousal rumbled inside him and he fought for control. Not tonight. According to Melissa, never again. He had to remember that.
"Shall we go?" she finally asked.
He nodded and led her to his car.
She stood at the door to the Corvette. His thoughts gravitated to how she'd look when she slipped into the low car, her long legs swinging over, her dress hiking up to her thighs.
Ah, hell. How much torture could one guy endure in an evening?
As Melissa situated herself he looked straight ahead, refusing to glance down at her legs and whatever else might be revealed.
The night was hot and humid, and as he walked around to his side Aidan pulled the crewneck collar away from his neck, feeling like a noose was tied around there. He'd be happier if he could be sitting at home with shorts and no shirt on, watching sports on television and drinking beer. Instead, he was working.
With a gorgeous partner who didn't want to have anything personal to do with him.
Life just sucked sometimes.
*
The heat yanked the wind right out of Melissa's sails. Moist and sticky humidity clung to her in most inconvenient places, and they hadn't even reached the casino yet.
At least Aidan was virtually ignoring her. Which was what she wanted. Although she'd noticed the obvious male appreciation when she'd appeared in the lobby, and couldn
't help smiling at the thought she had at least a few charms to tantalize him with.
If she were interested in tantalizing him, that is. Which she wasn't.
She shifted, the cool air conditioning in the car peeling away the heat that seemed to permeate the very air around her. Occasionally she stole a glance at Aidan, but he refused to look her way.
As long as he was ignoring her it gave her the opportunity to look at him without giving him the wrong impression. When she'd first seen him in the lobby with Shannon, her heart had hammered against her chest.
Dressed in black pants and a beige crewneck shirt that hugged his well developed chest and shoulders, he looked the epitome of cool, classic and outright sexy. He had the most gorgeous head of full, dark hair that waved just the tiniest bit. How had she missed the opportunity to run her hands through his hair last night?
That would have been her only opportunity to do so, too. At her own request, of course, since she'd made it clear to Aidan she wanted no part of a sexual relationship with him.
He turned his head slightly in her direction as they turned into the driveway of the casino. He had the most perfect nose. Straight, not too long or wide, and a square jaw with just a hint of five o'clock shadow covering it. He looked like a man that a woman would want to sin with.
Checking her rapid heartbeat at the door, she entered the casino. The clanging bells, noise and activity made Melissa feel right at home. Bright lights shimmered and pulsed all around her, and cheers could be heard all the way from the back of the huge casino where the craps tables no doubt were located.
"What first?" Aidan asked.
"Let's take a stroll around the entire place and get a feel for the setup."
He nodded and let her take the lead. The casino, a national chain, was set up similar to others of its type. Slot machines and video poker were strewn throughout the casino, so that no matter where a customer wandered, there would always be spot for them to pause and put in their nickels, quarters or dollar coins and take their chances on a pull of the one arm bandit.
Blackjack, craps, roulette tables, and various card games were strategically placed in high traffic areas. Several restaurants and theaters were located within the boundaries of the casino, ready to feed and entertain their customers no matter what their pleasure.
"How does this place rate versus your casinos?" Aidan asked as they walked the carpeted path.
Melissa cast her eye at the craps tables. "Similar. Not as good as ours, of course."
"Of course."
They must have walked the entire casino three times when Aidan stopped her and asked, "Why don't we play a little?"
