Читать онлайн книгу «Overnight Cinderella» автора Katherine Garbera
Overnight Cinderella
Katherine Garbera
Duke Merchon was light years ahead of co-worker Cami Jones in bedroom expertise. Still, the plain Jane stirred his fantasies– but Duke vowed to keep a safe distance from her thousand-watt smile.Orphaned as a child, he' d learned to deny his boyhood dreams of love and family. Then Cami suddenly traded in her modest librarian facade for a stunning grace and beauty…and Duke felt his firm footing in Bachelorville slipping. And fast. For he couldn' t resist showing this newly sensuous woman the laws of physical love. And when Duke held his overnight Cinderella in his arms, he felt transformed…into Cami' s Prince Charming!
“Describe This Dream Lover,”
Duke said, teasing himself with the idea of her voice painting sensual images.
Cami smiled widely and closed her eyes. “This man of mine is a white knight of old. He’s fought hard in battle and lost everything dear to him, but he craves ties to the land and the future. He sees me in his future. He sees past my surface to the passionate woman underneath. The woman I’ve always longed to be. He unlocks me from my slumber as surely as Prince Charming awakened Sleeping Beauty with one pure kiss.”
Duke stared down at Cami. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back and her body pressed to his. He realized she must be a virgin. Only a woman who’d never shared her body with a man would expect a pure kiss to awaken her desire. Only a woman as sweet as Cami would share the fantasy of her soul with him. And it moved him.
But could it move him to marriage…?
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Silhouette Desire, the ultimate treat for Valentine’s Day—we promise you will find six passionate, powerful and provocative romances every month! And here’s what you can indulge yourself with this February….
The fabulous Peggy Moreland brings you February’s MAN OF THE MONTH, The Way to a Rancher’s Heart. You’ll be enticed by this gruff widowed rancher who must let down his guard for the sake of a younger woman.
The exciting Desire miniseries TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB: LONE STAR JEWELS continues with World’s Most Eligible Texan by Sara Orwig. A world-weary diplomat finds love—and fatherhood—after making a Plain Jane schoolteacher pregnant with his child.
Kathryn Jensen’s The American Earl is an office romance featuring the son of a British earl who falls for his American employee. In Overnight Cinderella by Katherine Garbera, an ugly-duckling heroine transforms herself into a swan to win the love of an alpha male. Kate Little tells the story of a wealthy bachelor captivated by the woman he was trying to protect his younger brother from in The Millionaire Takes a Bride. And Kristi Gold offers His Sheltering Arms, in which a macho ex-cop finds love with the woman he protects.
Make this Valentine’s Day extra-special by spoiling yourself with all six of these alluring Desire titles!
Enjoy!
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
Overnight Cinderella
Katherine Garbera
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
KATHERINE GARBERA
wrote her first novel to prove to herself she could do it, and was hooked on writing. Exploring the nuances of the male/female relationship fascinates her, and she loves developing characters who have to stretch and grow. She is a past recipient of the Georgia Romance Writers’ Maggie Award and a member of Romance Writers of America. When she is not writing, Katherine spends her time with her husband of ten years and their two children. She loves to hear from her readers; you can write to her at P.O. Box 1806, Davenport, FL 33836.
For Danielle Smith and Linda Beardsley. Thanks for the
shared laughter, love, memories, clothes and opinions.
The best part of growing up was having you both
as my sisters. I’m so glad I wasn’t an only child!
Acknowledgments:
Thanks to Jennifer Nauss, who helped me find the gold
in the dross even when it was buried very deep!
I’d also like to thank all of the different critique partners
I’ve had since I started writing. Each of you has given
me something as different and unique as you are.
You have my sincere appreciation, since I know I do not
produce very clean copy. Sue Weldon, Ruth Owen,
Freddie Martin, Mary Louise Wells
and Mary Jane Carroll.
Lastly, I want to thank my husband for his unending
support and my kids for being so excited whenever
Mommy sells a book—even though they don’t know
what that means.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
One
“Hold the elevator,” a soft feminine voice called.
Duke Merchon reached out and blocked the doors from closing. The woman who entered was short, not even clearing his breastbone. Her dress, a busy print of colors and shapes, hung loosely on her frame. Intelligent brown eyes glanced up at him from behind a pair of horn-rims. Though there was nothing spectacular about her, she radiated frenetic energy.
“Thanks.” She flashed him a quirky grin. “I’m late as it is and since I’m on my way to meet with the big cheese, I didn’t think I should wait for the next elevator.”
“Floor?”
“Fourteen, please.”
Duke leaned against the back wall and watched as she worked the crowded elevator. In spite of the smothering Atlanta heat, she smiled at everyone and made breezy small talk. He found himself thinking of an ice-cream cone on a stifling summer’s day.
Slowly the elevator emptied until only the two of them remained. On ten, the doors closed but the car didn’t move. Duke waited. One of the tasks of his team was to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of the executive level. While his security force didn’t monitor the elevators constantly, they made sure company policies were observed whenever they rode in them.
“Aren’t you getting off here?” she asked, switching her leather case to her right hand.
“No, my office is on twelve.”
She smiled and tilted her head to one side. “I’m going to have to trust you.”
She then leaned forward and punched in the code to access the upper levels. How could she trust him? he wondered. They’d only just met. In fact, as head of security he ought to have her hauled in for interrogation. He hit the stop button.
“Sir?”
“Miss, there’s a company policy against entering the code to reach the upper levels without identifying the people traveling in the car.”
“Cami Jones, normally research librarian but for the next three months, event coordinator.”
Her name was vaguely familiar; they’d be working together soon. He wanted to smile at the way she’d said it. As if she were uncomfortable with her new role. “Duke Merchon, vice president of security.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.”
With great drama she dropped her leather case and offered up her wrists to him. “Cart me away.”
He bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. Something about this woman made him want to smile. But smiling invited friendliness and friendliness led to connections and bonds. And bonds led to tragedy. He stabbed the button to start the elevator moving again, and the car carried them to the fourteenth floor.
She picked up her case and walked out of the elevator before turning back to him. “I thought your office was on twelve.”
“It is.”
“Okay. Goodbye, Mr. Merchon.”
Her hips swayed gently as she walked away. Awareness suddenly shot through him, tightening his skin until it felt too tight for his body. She was curvy and sweet, and totally feminine. Everything he could never have. But he watched her, anyway, and wanted her.
His control weakened and his groin tightened. He was tempted to flirt with her in a way he hadn’t flirted in years.
But, thrusting his fingers into his pocket, he touched Rebecca’s ring. He never left home without the ring. It was his personal talisman. He wasn’t a man cut out for relationships. He wasn’t interested in some femininely sweet woman or her nine-to-five grind. When it came to love, he had destructive tendencies.
Even though he was an invited attendee, Duke felt a bit like a stalker as he followed Cami Jones into the conference room. But when Max waved him over, Duke approached the CEO of Pryce Enterprises with ease.
Duke saw all kinds of people in his role as head of security for the company and as personal security guard to Max Williams. Pryce Enterprises was a communications conglomerate that owned a television network, an all-news cable channel and a digital network. Max, who had taken the helm four years ago, had brought Duke with him to Pryce, but Duke had never felt at home in Atlanta.
Too many memories surrounded him here.
He glanced at her again and found her watching him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Would she look like that after making love? Enough, dammit. Cami Jones wasn’t the kind of woman he would normally find attractive, but her spunk had grabbed his attention and that spark of desire disturbed him. His body had betrayed him on the job, where he was always all business.
She looked like a fairy as she flitted across the room, moving from person to person and smiling as though she had a secret. He watched as she set up the easels and flip charts for her presentation.
Duke didn’t normally attend executive committee meetings—he wasn’t much of a team player—and Max allowed him the luxury of not attending. It was hard to investigate a friend for fraud and remember to whom you owed your loyalty. And in Duke’s role as V.P. of security, he headed up all embezzlement investigations. Duke would never betray Max. They’d been through too much together. Max had offered him a job overseas when he’d needed to escape the familiar.
Recent threats to the board of directors had allowed him no choice in the matter of attending the weekly meetings and so here he was—at the same place as the rather average-but-tempting Cami Jones. Slowly the room filled and everyone took their seats, jockeying for the prime positions next to Max.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Cami said, calling the meeting to order. “This year’s Gala promises to be more exciting than last year’s. I have a mock-up of the themed ballroom and—”
Gatorboard posters flew one way and index cards the other as she backed into the easels she’d just set up. Duke bit back a laugh just as Max glanced over at him and motioned for him to help her out.
Duke stood to assist the struggling young woman. He accepted the fact that he was able to shoulder the burdens of others. It had been a long time since he’d encountered a woman who needed his strength more than this sexy pixie. He’d been the strong one his entire life, and it seemed the role for which he was best suited.
Cami Jones muttered as he bent beside her and helped her right the boards. Her voice was soft, not nearly as melodious as it had been earlier.
Duke had never before seen anyone drop an entire presentation in front of the board of directors. He’d seen them nervous and arrogant, but not funny. After having witnessed her charm and ease with the strangers in the elevator, her attack of nerves now surprised him.
“Miss Jones?”
“Nothing,” she said quietly, adjusting her glasses. She laid her small hand on his arm, used him for balance, and stood.
The warmth of her personal touch penetrated the fabric layers in his jacket and revived the desire he’d banked in the hallway. It had been years since anyone had touched him in a way that wasn’t sexual in intent. And that non-personal touch sparked a carnal fire that burned through him. Maybe it’s time to start dating again.
He quickly helped her to settle her presentation boards back on the easels before he stepped back.
Working with the event coordinator this year was going to be more difficult than he’d anticipated. As head of security, he was responsible for overseeing security for the Gala, the culmination of the annual meeting and celebration of the company’s founding. The network stars were usually the only celebrities who attended but with Max angling to buy a hockey team, this year there would probably be a few athletes in attendance. For the first time in five years, the entire board of directors would attend the annual Gala.
Ms. Jones wasn’t the safe, predictable plain Jane she tried so hard to project. There was something about her he couldn’t ignore. He shouldn’t be turned on by her. He shouldn’t desire her or want to be near her. Definitely time to start dating again.
When she picked up her laser pointer, Duke wondered what she’d do next. She began her presentation, then realized the cards were out of order. She bit her lip, which drew his gaze to her mouth. Her lips looked soft and sweet and he wanted nothing more than to taste them. Her full lower lip actually invited a man to kiss her.
He should know better. The woman at the end of the table wasn’t his type. She wasn’t rough-and-tumble or outgoing. In fact, she seemed too ethereal for him.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. As she found her ground and made her way through her presentation, her passion and zest for life came through loud and clear.
Passion for living seldom survived an upbringing such as his. Though the orphanage had been a fair place—Duke had never been mistreated—he’d never known affection. It was obvious Cami Jones had been loved. Despite her nervousness, she showered her kindness on everyone in the room with her smiles and nervous giggles.
Duke leaned against the cherrywood paneling and listened to the woman in front of him. Her soft voice charmed him with quiet confidence though she concentrated on her notes as if they held the key to her composure. And maybe they did, he thought.
She exuded intelligence but not enough confidence. He thought about calling a time-out—the way he had when he was a boy to whisper a change of plans to his buddies—to tell her to never let the enemy see her weakness.
But his buddies had all deserted him long ago. An orphan’s life was subject to constant change, and his lifestyle had been very much the norm. Besides, time-outs didn’t work in “real” life. He thrust his hand deep into the pocket of his suit and fiddled through the change to the ring—the talisman of his “real” life.
“Organizing an event of this magnitude will take a lot of skill, but I’m confident we can top last year’s event easily with the right woman behind the scenes,” she said.
“Very well, Ms. Jones. You’ve convinced us you’re the woman for the job,” said Max.
Max was everything Duke wasn’t—suave, sophisticated, part of a loving family. Someone around the table snickered, and Duke wondered who would be so unkind to this lady. She seemed out of her element in a room of jaded executives who’d seen and done everything. She seemed almost…pure.
It was silly really, considering the way she moved as if she were about to spontaneously combust, but he had the strangest urge to protect her. To swoop down and cover her with his dark wings until the threat passed.
Max gave her a charming smile, and the blush of embarrassment faded from her cheeks. “Despite the way you started your presentation, Ms. Jones, I’m sure you’ll handle the Gala well. I’ve asked Duke Merchon, our head of security, to work with you on this event.”
“Are there security issues? I wasn’t aware the team was involved this early last year.”
“There are issues, and Mr. Merchon will brief you on them,” Max said.
Duke stepped forward to take her hand. As a rule he avoided handshakes. Having spent the past four years in Japan with the CEO of Pryce Enterprises, he preferred the Japanese custom of bowing. Being back in the U.S. meant practicing American customs.
As he grasped her hand, a tingle ran up his arm, proving their first touch hadn’t been a fluke. Such a small hand, he thought. Yet her fingers were long and for a moment he imagined them on his body, her long nails scraping against his flesh. He glanced again at the woman. What did his body sense that his mind missed? She wasn’t his type.
She was diminutive, delicate, fragile even. The kind of person who would be easily destroyed by the darkness inside him. Through the thin layer of glass he looked into her deep brown eyes and found…warmth.
She met his gaze but glanced quickly away. He had that effect on women. His deceased wife, Rebecca, used to say he could quiet a room of chattering women in .85 seconds flat. It seemed to still hold true.
“I look forward to working with you, Mr. Merchon,” she said.
He suspected she didn’t. She was the bookish kind of woman who preferred to work alone. But she had the potential to be the star at center stage.
He nodded. “Call me Duke.”
“And I’m Cami.”
He didn’t believe in idle chitchat as a rule and didn’t engage in small talk unless necessary. It wasn’t that he couldn’t be polite. It was just that he’d never led a soft life and the ability to be social when he didn’t want to be had long since burned out of him. “Let me help you carry your presentation to the elevator.”
She shoved her boards into a leather case then reached for her purse. “Thanks, but I’ve got it.”
She stepped toward the door as it opened toward her. Her leather attaché flew in one direction and she lost her balance, but Duke grabbed her and the case. Working with her was going to be a challenge; he liked to control his environment. Something about Cami Jones said she wasn’t predictable. Probably the biggest challenge he’d faced since he’d started working for Pryce. He was surprised she hadn’t done herself in before now.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to insist on helping you.”
She aimed him a crooked smile. “Are you afraid Pryce doesn’t have enough liability coverage to cover my workers’ comp claim?”
Having been taught to always be kind, he shrugged. “Let’s just say it’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”
“It’s okay,” she said as they walked through the doors and waited for the elevator. “I know what you’re afraid of.”
Duke knew then this woman was more than she seemed. How did she look at him and see fear when everyone else saw strength?
“Do tell,” he invited.
“The long empty shaft behind the elevator doors is just too much of a temptation for a klutz like me.”
She blinked at him and laughed, hiding her mouth behind her hand and not meeting his gaze.
Cami had a sense of humor and, although his professional demeanor didn’t change, he wanted to laugh out loud.
She stepped into the elevator. “The world won’t end if you crack a smile.”
One hand on the open door, she reached for her presentation. “Thank you for your help, Duke.”
“You’re welcome, and it might.”
“Might?”
“The world could come crashing to a halt if I smile.”
“It hasn’t happened yet.”
“I haven’t smiled yet.”
“I’ll take that as a challenge,” she said quietly, and the doors closed before he could reply.
Two days later Duke found himself outside Cami’s office. The day, which had been going downhill all morning, took a drastic turn for the better when he knocked on her door and stepped inside her office for their ten-thirty appointment.
Endless slim legs were displayed and a veil of brown curly hair blocked the face of the woman as she leaned forward. Her hands skimmed a shapely thigh and fastened one silk hose to a garter. Feminine attributes were as out of place in a conservative office as an orphan at a family reunion.
Duke paused in the doorway to enjoy the show. It had been a long time since he’d seen silk-and-lace-clad legs and longer still since he’d been interested in seeing more. But something about those slim thighs encased in navy silk hose and lace garters got to him.
Arousal shot through his body, bringing awareness to his every pore. Blood pounded heavily through his veins, and he felt himself grow hard. He shifted his legs, easing the pressure against his inseam, and wondered if humans really could spontaneously combust.
He wanted to close the door and lift her to the desk. To rip through her panties and take her quickly. The impulse was strong, and he hated the weakness. No one got the upper hand on Duke’s control. Discipline was all he had left, and he wouldn’t surrender it easily. Certainly not to some research librarian turned event coordinator.
His abrupt knock hadn’t given her any warning but when he cleared his throat he got her attention. Cami gasped. She dropped her skirt without fastening the second garter. The thought of that unfastened garter hovered in his mind. This woman shouldn’t wear satin-and-lace undergarments.
The dress was baggy and understated. Her low-heeled shoes were maidenly and her hairstyle old-fashioned. She was the type of woman who should wear cotton underpants and support hose. Why wasn’t she?
Duke was uncomfortable. He knew enough about sexual harassment law to know he was in for a world of hurt if he said anything, yet he couldn’t keep quiet. The spectacular legs hidden under that ugly dress demanded mentioning. Was this what his body had sensed days earlier? That the ugly clothing was just camouflage for a spectacular woman?
The intensity of her blush could heat a small house in winter. She averted her gaze and refused to look at him. Her nervousness evoked a tenderness that was at odds with his arousal. Yet just as strong. She fiddled with her glasses, taking them off and wiping them clean and then putting them back on.
“I believe we have a ten-thirty meeting,” he said.
“You’re a few minutes early,” she snapped.
Duke realized she intended to ignore the fact that she’d just had her skirt hiked halfway up to her waist. He forced the tantalizing image from his mind, though the loose garter remained. He didn’t believe in emotional entanglements. Least of all with klutzy, average-looking women.
She held out her hand. He grasped it with the intent of releasing it as quickly as he had the other day. But her hand was soft—softer than any other he’d ever felt. Even his deceased wife’s hands had been callused from evenings spent playing volleyball.
He stroked her palm with his forefinger before he let his hand fall back to his side. He knew he shouldn’t have, but that damn unfastened garter lingered in his mind and the image of her on the desk, her sexy legs encircling his waist, remained in his mind.
“Please have a seat,” she said, motioning for him to use one of the two guest chairs. They were standard office issue and looked about as comfortable as wet shoes. Yet the rest of her office welcomed him in a way he’d never before experienced.
A four-shelf bookcase overflowed with books, every tabletop surface held picture frames of large family groupings and individual members. Candle-holders and potpourri also abounded. It was the sweetest-smelling office on the floor. She had soft music with some woman chanting playing in the background.
Her office—a reflection of the woman herself—was so feminine it bothered him. There was even a lace thing on the surface of her credenza crammed with myriad little dust-collecting knickknacks. He felt uncomfortable and out of place, like a warrior returning fresh from war to find his house had been taken over by aliens. The same way he felt when he walked by those damned lingerie stores in the mall. Hell, she probably spent a good deal of her time in those stores.
“Duke, I’ve done some preliminary work on security for the Gala, but would love to hear your ideas.”
He had some thoughts he’d love to share with her, too, but he had to keep his mind on business. Security for the Gala was crucial. With recent labor disputes, threats had been made. Since the strikers weren’t anywhere close to resolving their employment issues, Duke was personally going to monitor the security.
“I’ve booked the Seashore Mansion on Hilton Head for the event.”
Duke shook his head, he was familiar with the five-star luxury resort and knew the layout. With its balconies and beachfront access there was little chance of good security. The resort relied on the private beach to keep intruders at bay. That wouldn’t do. He’d have to do an on-site tour and then find a place that met his security needs.
“Don’t shake your head. I already signed a contract with them.”
“You may have to break it.”
“No, I won’t. Your job is to oversee security, not secure a location.”
“I can’t do my job if I don’t know what’s involved. I’ll call the hotel myself and see if they’ll meet our needs.”
“‘Our needs’?”
“For both the event and the security.”
“Is there a security risk?”
“Nothing my team can’t handle, but there have been a few threats made since the strike started.”
“I didn’t realize that. I’m very good at my job, Duke. Don’t let my outside packaging fool you.”
A vision of that unhooked garter wandered up from his memory. “Your undergarments are in no way average or mousy.”
She blushed. Against his will he was fascinated by the tide of peach sweeping up her cheeks. Did the color start at her breasts? He’d never met any woman who was as open in her emotions as this lady.
“You’re a cad to mention that.”
“Cad?”
“Cad,” she said, and gave him a tight smile.
“A bit Victorian in our language, are we?”
“In my lifestyle, too, not that it’s any of your business. I hope we don’t have to change locations. The grand ballroom overlooks the ocean, and the patio for the reception is simply the best I’ve seen up and down the coast. We really want to do things right this year.”
“I know, but security has to be a consideration.” It was the one thing he did really well. Protect strangers, he thought.
“Very well. I have a backup location.”
Duke didn’t say anything else. He admired her spunk and preplanning. She’d known her location might not work out and had a contingency plan. Despite what she’d said about being mousy and average, her personality said the opposite.
She was full of spirit, and though he admired grit, he didn’t want to admire her because she was also intelligent. Two qualities he’d always found attractive in a woman. Dammit. He wasn’t attracted to her. His racing blood and arousal said differently.
“Where’s the backup location?”
She told him and they discussed the other details of the event. The invited speaker was a renowned motivationalist who would also need a security detail. They even talked about checking out the workers before letting them into the ballroom the night of the Gala.
As the meeting progressed, one thing became very clear: Cami wanted to be in charge. He wondered if she had the confidence to pull off the event and the high-level meetings involved. He knew she had the skill. Her preplanning and poise in this meeting made that apparent.
He wondered what stimulation would work the best with her. He’d bet she couldn’t resist a dare.
“The work you’ve done is great. Send all the files up to my office and I’ll have my secretary book biweekly meetings for us. I’ll oversee the coordination of the security details while you do the grunt work.”
He knew he shouldn’t be pleased to have his theory proven but couldn’t help it. She was almost beautiful when her eyes sparkled with determination.
Tapping an unpainted fingernail against the surface of her desk, she said, “Duke, you seem to have misunderstood something.”
“What’s that, Cami?” he asked, deliberately using her first name to goad her.
“I’m the event coordinator. That means I’m in charge of the event—the entire event.”
He waited a beat to make sure she was focused on him. “Not anymore.”
Cami stared at the modern warrior sitting in her guest chair and felt her temper rise. Or at least she tried to tell herself that the tingling in her veins came from anger—and not any attraction she might be feeling.
The situation was delicate. She’d have to bring him around to her way of thinking. He obviously didn’t know a thing about event planning because he thought five months out they could break their contract and find a decent space elsewhere.
She knew her looks and the way she acted invited people to walk over her, especially after the meeting earlier this week when she’d done everything but come right out and say, “I’m incompetent.” But when she was in her element, as she was in this job, people usually discovered she had enough backbone to stand her ground.
She needed all the courage she could scrape together to work with Duke Merchon. He was a very overwhelming man. He exuded confidence and self-assurance the way her older sister did. Cami realized she was tired of playing second fiddle.
She’d started this meeting off all wrong. She wished she’d just lived with the stupid run up the middle of her leg instead of deciding to change her hose. Once a man saw a woman’s legs, he looked at her differently.
“If this is because I was changing my hose when you arrived—”
“It has nothing to do with your legs,” he cut her off. “I’m used to being in charge. I can handle any problem that arises. It makes sense to have one leader. Security touches all aspects of the event.”
“Ever heard of a little thing called the Equal Rights Amendment?”
He leaned forward, using all two hundred pounds and six foot two inches to intimidate her. “Ever hear ‘might makes right’?”
Cami smiled. It was so obvious this man was used to winning and being in control. But she couldn’t afford to give up her position as event coordinator. This was her chance to prove herself within Pryce Enterprises, and a promotion hinged on her success. Not just a promotion but a change of life. She wouldn’t be a research librarian anymore but Pryce’s special events coordinator if she pulled this off. Besides, she realized suddenly, she wanted Duke to acknowledge he was wrong.
“I’m afraid I have heard the phrase, but it doesn’t apply in this case.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“You should be.”
“Why?”
“Honey, a woman like you doesn’t stand a chance against a man like me.”
God, she hated it when men pointed out how plain she was. Why did they start sentences with “a woman like you”? Didn’t they understand she was more than they saw? Maybe you aren’t, a tiny voice inside her answered.
“Duke, we’ll get along a lot better if you stop pointing out how unattractive I am.”
“Anyone with those legs isn’t unattractive.”
She lifted both eyebrows in response to his remark. A spark of desire shot through her veins, pooling in the center of her body. She shifted in her chair and tried to remind herself they were having a meeting.
“You might not be drop-dead gorgeous but with a little effort you could be passing-pretty.”
That’s it, she thought. I’m going to pick up the crystal paperweight and do him in. But something in his eyes stilled her hand.
He wasn’t getting the same enjoyment out of insulting her men in the past had. There seemed a deeper pain in his eyes that made her want to go to him and comfort him. That made her wish she was drop-dead gorgeous.
“Are you trying to make me lose my temper?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Try harder,” she said.
He almost cracked a smile. His lips twitched and he looked away from her.
“I saw that.”
He cocked his head to one side.
“You almost smiled.”
“Show me your legs again, and I’ll stand up and cheer,” he said.
Cami blushed. He was a man who could be her match in the wit department but was light-years ahead of her in the sexual arena.
Two
Three days later Duke was still devastated by her charisma. His life had become a cold wasteland after his wife’s death six years earlier, but losing her had proven what he’d always suspected—love wasn’t for him. But a ray of sunshine had penetrated the gloom—Cami Jones and her vibrant zest for life.
If only the woman possessing that energy had been a lady with loose morals. He could tempt her into an affair, take what he needed, then let her go. But those eyes of hers were innocent. And he couldn’t forget those knockout legs of hers. He wanted to watch her walk across the room toward him in nothing but her silk stockings and a pair of high heels.
But as he stared across the noisy employee’s cafeteria in the Pryce building, he knew Cami Jones was the decent sort. She was an oasis of quiet in the bustling metropolis of humanity swarming around her.
He grabbed his lunch container and headed for the door, not ready to confront Miss I’m Gonna Make You Smile. Her ability to make him smile would remind him he was alive. And alone. It would remind him of how long it had been since he’d really enjoyed life and living. It would remind him he wasn’t the man he’d always hoped he’d be but rather the man that life had made him.
He’d almost reached the door when she looked up almost guiltily and met his gaze straight-on. Blushing, she glanced away. He should leave the room, go back to his office and work through lunch as he’d planned. But her blush was a beacon. What in the world had triggered such a reaction?
Ignoring the corporate climbers who tried to cultivate him daily, he made his way to her table. Because of his position within the company and known friendship with Max, he endured no end of politicking from his co-workers. It annoyed the hell out of him.
“Cami, may I join you?”
She wanted to say no; it was written on her face like a flashing neon sign, but she nodded and gestured to the empty seat across from her.
To rattle her, he sat next to her. The remains of a brown-bag lunch lay on the table, the trash folded into neat little squares. A book lay face down on the far side of the Formica tabletop.
“What are you reading?”
“Just a book a friend recommended,” she said, fidgeting with her glasses, pushing them up her nose.
“Ten Steps for Effective Presentations?” he asked.
She gave him a wry smile. “No. It’s a fiction book. Did you get the background files on the vendors I asked Shelly to forward to you?”
“Yes, but I’m still waiting for the catering files. I’d like them before our meeting today at three.”
“No problem. My secretary’s copying everything for you now. I’m sorry I was so obstinate about the location in our meeting the other day.”
“No problem. I was a little heavy-handed.”
“Why?” she asked.
Because your legs were affecting me, he thought. But he couldn’t say that. He shrugged.
He opened his lunch container and took a healthy bite of his bacon cheeseburger. He ran an extra five miles at night to be able to afford the calories he ingested at lunch and, though he cursed like a sailor on the last mile, it was well worth it.
He wanted to know what had caused her to blush. She aimed him a tight little smile. The silence at their table was deafening in the noisy room. Nearby, a woman laughed loudly and Cami glanced at her.
He used the opportunity to snag her book and saw the cover depicted a man and a woman smiling at each other while draped in a seductive pose.
“Hey, give me back my book.”
He handed it over. “Sure.”
He bit into his burger before he realized he hadn’t brought anything to drink. He’d planned to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator in his office.
“What? No snide comment about how this is as close as a woman like me will ever get to a man–woman relationship.”
Obviously he’d stumbled onto one of her hot buttons. “Nope. Never read one, so I can’t rightly comment on it. And I know nothing about your personal life.”
“Right, but you can take one look at me and see I’m not torrid love affair material.”
“You’re not convent material, either, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to assume you’re an atheist.”
She bit her lower lip, and he wanted to lean over and kiss her. To take her in his arms and protect her from the cruel world, but he wasn’t a good protector of innocence. And he knew that better than anyone. For the first time since Rebecca’s death he regretted that.
“Sorry. I’m just not myself today.”
“No problem.” He had more than his fair share of hot buttons so he couldn’t fault her. Now he knew more about her than he’d ever thought to. This woman with the naughty underwear was unsure of herself. This woman who had fought him to the wall over control of a million-dollar event didn’t trust herself on a basic man–woman level.
This woman with the average surface intrigued him in ways Rebecca never had because Rebecca had been a feminine version of himself. They’d shared everything from background to likes and dislikes. Rebecca had been a safe person to involve himself with because she’d understood about protective barriers and holding back emotion. She’d even been a cop, like him. They’d met at the police academy.
Get up, he told himself. Leave the table before this developing relationship goes any further. Sure, right now all they had was a business partnership, but he wanted more. He was nothing more than a scarred ex-cop who’d grown up in an orphanage and never been adopted because he’d never talked until he was seven. According to Janie O’Malley, his early development counselor, his parents’ death caused his silence. He knew nothing about building someone else’s self-image. He’d developed into the man he was through blood and sweat. No tears, never tears, because tears required emotion he didn’t have.
Being involved with Cami would require emotion. He sensed the tenderness she evoked when he’d watched her make her presentation was only the tip of the iceberg. Just being in the same room with her made him react—like a teenager with his first glimpse of a girlie magazine. He hadn’t spent so much time acutely aroused since he’d discovered why boys and girls were different.
He closed his to-go container and stood. “See you at three.”
He walked away without looking back. How was he going to work with the woman who’d made him remember why he’d stopped caring? She was intelligent and gutsy and should think of herself as attractive. She reminded him of himself in those early days, and he didn’t want anyone to ever feel that unloved.
Cami dreaded the Pryce Enterprises picnic because mingling wasn’t her thing. She shone behind the scenes, but onstage she froze. Stone Mountain was lovely and as she parked her car under the shade of an oak tree, she watched Pryce employees and their families head toward the picnic area set up for the company.
The mid-June sun warmed the back of her neck and the scent of magnolias filled the air. The gravel under her sandals crunched as she neared the registration tables.
The one really bad thing about living across the country from your family was attending events such as this one by yourself. She checked in and received her name tag. Maybe she should go back home.
“Cami?”
Duke. The scent of his aftershave washed over her like a warm breeze on a cold winter day. He made her uncomfortable. Not in the slimy way Jess in Sales did. In a way that was entirely too personal, and involved emotions she shouldn’t be having for him. Duke was way out of her league in the man–woman dating field.
“Hi,” she said, trying to sound normal. She wished she’d worn something trendy that would make her look glamorous but her simple cotton sundress was more her style.
Duke managed to look both sophisticated and comfortable in his designer shorts and polo shirt. She squinted up at him and found her own image staring back at her from the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses. She reached into her pocket and removed her own glasses. They were flaky and she knew it, but part of her loved the rhinestone star-shaped sunglasses.
“Checking up on security?” she asked him.
“No. Just here to enjoy the fun.”
Funny, he sounded the way she felt. As if there was more torture than enjoyment in this event.
Somehow—Cami wasn’t really sure how—Duke walked with her through the food line. Long rows of red-checked, cloth-covered tables and uncomfortable chairs were set under a large tent. Families filled most of the seats, but Cami followed Duke to a section at the back that was relatively quiet.
Cami realized how alone she was as she watched her co-workers interact with their families. She might stay that way if she didn’t take some action.
An awkward silence fell between them as they both ate their chicken. Cami searched for something to say but the small talk that always came so easy with strangers wasn’t easy with Duke.
“I love picnics. When I was growing up my family would go to Golden Gate Park at least once a month to fly kites and eat too much.”
Duke took a bite of his ribs. Cami watched him eat. He glanced up and caught her staring.
“Do you have a large family?” she blurted.
He swallowed. “No, do you?”
“I guess, aside from my parents and an older sister, I have about fifteen aunts and uncles and more cousins than I can count. Most of the time there’s a small crowd of us at a gathering.”
“You’re from California?”
“Yes.”
“Why’d you move to Atlanta?”
“The city appealed to me. You know this is Margaret Mitchell land. And I wanted to establish myself away from my family.”
“Is your family protective of you?”
“A little bit.”
“Is that why you’re not torrid love affair material?”
Oh, God. He remembered what she’d said the other day at lunch.
“Sorry I overreacted.” But she hated having a good-looking man catch her reading a romance novel. He would guess she spent every Friday and Saturday night at home living one lush adventure after another from the solitary safety of her front porch. He’d know she’d never have one-tenth of the excitement, passion and drama as the characters in the books, she thought. Duke made her wish she was different.
“No problem.” He removed his sunglasses, placing them on the checkered tablecloth. “I really want to know why there isn’t a man in your life.”
The sun burnt the back of her neck and an ant crawled over her big toe. She stared at the ant instead of answering Duke.
“Cami?”
She shrugged. “I work all the time. And well…”
“What?” His voice was low and husky and he leaned closer to her. Encouraging her to speak the truth to him. And the truth was something she always prided herself on.
All her life she’d lived in the shadow of her gorgeous, smart sister. Moving to the East Coast from San Francisco four years ago had allowed her to escape, but that distance had left her feeling empty. She’d filled her life with books and things. She’d also fallen on old practiced habits, still hiding in the shadows of her sister though Gabriella was far away.
It had taken a long time for her to realize that she actually liked being in the background and making things happen. Though she wanted to be equal to her sister, in her mind she’d always be that shy awkward girl despite her success in a large corporation. She longed for confidence and poise but had no idea how to achieve them.
“Men like women with flash and pizzazz.”
Duke stared at her and Cami regretted her words. His eyes narrowed and he traced one blunt finger down the side of her cheek. She shivered as desire coursed through her, pooling at the center of her body.
“I’ve never met anyone with more pizzazz than you.”
She smiled. It was the nicest thing a man had ever said to her. But the look in his eyes as they swept down her body set fire to her veins. Her nipples hardened against the lace of her bra, and she shifted in her seat. She wondered if he felt it, too. There was a tension in the air that made her want to lean closer to him, tilt her head back and tempt him into kissing her.
“That wasn’t pizzazz you saw.”
“Really, what was it?”
“My legs,” she said.
He wanted to smile. It was there on his face. She didn’t know why he wouldn’t smile, but there was something about this dark sexy man that got to her faster than her first sip of the gin her father hid in the bottom drawer of his desk.
“Why don’t you ever smile?”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t know,” she said, but in her heart she knew it had to do with the loneliness that surrounded Duke.
“May we join you?”
Cami saw Max Williams standing across from them with a woman who could have easily been a cover model. Duke glanced at her and Cami shrugged. It was a telling moment. Not many men would turn away the CEO of the company, but Cami knew that Duke would have.
“Sure.”
Max introduced his date, Melissa Hines, and they settled into chairs across from Duke and Cami.
“Did you catch the Braves last night?” Duke asked.
Oh, my. She hadn’t realized how high up the ladder Duke was. His office wasn’t on the same floor as the other executives so she’d figured he was new to the upper-management level. But his ease with the CEO was telling. She was out of her league. She shouldn’t have challenged him to smile.
Cami let the conversation swirl around her, listening to Duke speak. Deep, and dark, his voice perfectly suited to the male protagonist in her romance novels. It was a voice she’d want to hear in a candlelit bedroom. His voice could stroke her into a heated frenzy with just a few words. His voice, she realized, was calling her name.
“Cami?”
“Yes?” she said. Her pulse was pounding, and she wanted to go back to her fantasy.
“Would you like another drink?”
“Sure.”
She nodded and watched Duke walk away with Max and his date. Even interacting with Max, who was obviously a close friend, Duke still kept a distance. Cami felt challenged.
With Duke she’d felt a spark the first time they’d touched. For days she’d dreamt about him. The hero in the book she was reading had taken on his physical characteristics. Because her hidden self was bold, she’d spent forty-five minutes last night in a lingerie shop choosing something new to wear today because she hoped she’d run into him.
Did he feel the same spark? A glance at the man waiting in line at the bar sent a chill down her spine. Did this man feel anything? Max and Melissa had moved on, and the families that surrounded Duke didn’t touch him. He was an island. Could she make him feel? She doubted it, but for once she wanted to try.
He made her want to comfort him, which surprised her more than the sexual desire he’d sparked in her. Comforting a man like Duke would mean risking her heart because she didn’t know how to only feel emotions halfway.
Duke steered through the early evening traffic with ease. He hadn’t seen Cami since the picnic last weekend. She had invited him to check out an event the catering company she’d selected was working here in town. Since it would give him a chance to see how the caterers worked and allow him to observe their interaction with hotel security, he’d decided to go with her.
He’d been avoiding her since he’d seen her at the picnic. Because he knew he’d crossed a line he hadn’t meant to when he’d asked why there wasn’t a man in her life. Now he was backpedaling and trying to reestablish the distance he always kept between himself and others.
She’d wanted to drive, but he’d put his foot down. Sitting next to him in another one of her frenetic suits, Cami hummed quietly to Vivaldi’s Concerto in E, the music suited her.
If any woman was Spring, it was Cami. She bustled with life though she tried to hide it. On the outside she tried to be calm, polite, and a plain Jane but she didn’t come close. The true woman underneath kept flashing through. He wanted to get to know that woman intimately.
“There’s the turn,” she said.
And she wasn’t going to be happy until she completely unraveled the threads that held his life together. He’d been having hot dreams about her and her slinky stockings. When he’d seated her in the car, he’d watched her straight skirt slide up her thighs. The woman’s legs ought to be illegal. He was still hard from the peak he’d gotten earlier.
She was slowly infiltrating his office after only one visit. She’d looked around and declared the place too sterile. Then she’d shown up at lunch with a box of pizza, Godiva chocolates and a framed motivational poster on goals to hang on his wall.
He’d decided to bring in some of the stuff he’d collected in Japan just to stop her. He didn’t know if he could handle one of those lace things she had on her credenza in his office.
He knew he could just refuse her gifts, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Though he didn’t question it too closely because he knew he wouldn’t like the answer, her caring touched him in a way he hadn’t accepted from anyone in a long, long time.
She simply didn’t ask permission to clutter up his life. Barging right into his office, she then expected him to appreciate it. It intrigued him, wondering what she’d do next.
He let the valet park the car and followed her into the hotel. It was plush and elegant. First-class all the way, and for a moment he felt like the unkempt orphan he’d been for his formative years. The boy who’d have been shown the door before he’d even crossed the lobby. The boy who’d have given his eyeteeth to fit in.
He wasn’t that boy anymore. He was wealthy enough to live in a suite here if he desired. He was prominent enough to garner special attention from the maître d’, and his confidence allowed him to mingle with the born-with-a-golden-spoon crowd.
Cami grabbed his arm before they entered the reception. “Okay, want to hear my plan?”
Her touch went through him like wildfire across dry land. How could this plain woman keep him in a constant state of semi-arousal? Except she wasn’t plain. There was an animated charm to her pixie-like features and slim body. He wanted to see her out of the baggy suits she wore at the office and into nothing but those dark hose and garter belt he’d glimpsed at their first private meeting.
“What plan? You’re here to test the food and service. I’m here to check on security.”
“I know, but I thought you could kind of help me out.”
He liked that she asked for help. Not many people in her position would ask someone of his rank for help. The political games people played in the office wore on him and partnering with Cami was refreshing.
“Sure. It won’t take me long to check out the security setup.”
“Great. One of us can concentrate on the food, what was asked for and delivered by the caterer. The other can concentrate on the service.”
“Okay. You take the food. I can’t see you as being a troublesome guest. Besides, they invited you so you’ll receive red-carpet treatment.”
She smiled at him, and again he felt like a kid playing in a schoolyard trying to impress a girl. It was exhilarating and reminded him that his youth hadn’t always been bleak.
Dammit. She looked a bit like the hotel made him feel, like something he’d always wanted and couldn’t have. Almost as if she were too good for the man he really was. It was more than mere lust or attraction and went deeper. It was the aura of sweet innocence about her.
“I’ll expect a full report on my desk first thing tomorrow,” she said with a sly grin.
He wanted to smile back at her. Wanted to flirt in a way he never had before but wouldn’t. “Yes, boss.”
“Hmm. I like the sound of that.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
He wanted to smile, actually had to bite the inside of his cheek. When she grinned at him, he knew she was aware of the reaction she’d had on him. This lady was a firecracker beneath her prim exterior. As she winked at him and walked away, he vowed to break through to the woman underneath.
Duke worked the fringes of the crowd. While he asked questions about security and service, his mind wasn’t on the job. He watched Cami and discovered the rest of the world didn’t see the spunk and grit she showed him. She was quiet and demure. Despite her crazily patterned suit, she was a lady to the core.
Men treated her like a sister and women felt at ease with her because she was no threat to them. If only they could see her legs, he thought. Forty-five minutes a day in the gym couldn’t compete with a gift from nature.
Arousal shot through him, pooling at his center. He shifted his legs and gave thanks he was wearing a suit and not jeans. The room was filled with women more attractive and more available, and he wondered if he’d lost his ever-loving mind. Because he had eyes for only one woman.
And though he ached to have Cami in his bed, he didn’t want her in his life. She was a sweet lady. He should take what he needed from her and move on, but those actions were callous. Only a bastard behaved that way and he hated treating anyone the way he’d been treated all his life.
Dammit, why wasn’t she the average woman she tried to be? Why wasn’t her skin covered in acne instead of translucent and soft? Why couldn’t she stutter when she spoke and be a slow thinker instead of a woman with rare wit and keen intelligence? Even those horn-rims were beginning to grow on him.
Why don’t you get to work?
He caused a fuss over the lack of vegetarian items on the buffet and was soothed by the head chef then directed to another table across the room. He asked for imported beer and was told the company had only purchased kegs of domestic. They offered to send someone to the bar to get him what he wanted. All in all, he was pleased with Cami’s choice of caterer. They were eager and efficient.
When she joined him at the end of the evening, she looked tired, well-fed, and like a woman who needed a kiss. But he wasn’t the man to give her one. The evening had proved without a doubt that he lusted after Cami Jones. He reminded himself the things he wanted most in life he destroyed.
Life had shown him one pattern time and again. The pattern of betrayal and loss. At thirty-three he was old enough to know he didn’t want to repeat that cycle again.
Three
Duke thought the presentation to the board went well even though he’d been thinking about his partner. He couldn’t help it. If ever a lady needed his protection it was Cami Jones. She reacted to everything and everyone with the same nervous leg tapping that made her seem as though she’d burst into a thousand pieces if something went wrong. He’d tried to tease her, calling her Thumper and she’d relaxed. But he wondered if it would be enough. They still had four months of working together, and he hoped she’d get stronger.
And so many things could go wrong in the boardroom and in life. The board of directors was a shrewd group of men and women who’d each clawed their way to the top. One little temporary event coordinator was easy pickings as far as they were concerned. But they wouldn’t mess with him.
He wanted to shelter Cami and protect her, but the one thing he needed to protect this fragile little lady from was himself. As soon as Max adjourned the meeting, Cami stood and beat a hasty retreat. Duke took his time gathering his papers and then noticed Cami’s purse lying on her chair.
Damn, she wouldn’t be able to leave without her purse. He’d send one of his secretaries down with it. He didn’t have to see her again today.
She was waiting for the elevator when he got there.
“I thought you’d be back in your office by now,” he said. Dammit, did he sound huffy?
“Max asked me to schedule an appointment with his secretary for next week.”
He shrugged and handed her purse to her. “You left this behind.”
She reached for her bag and their hands brushed. She pulled back, the purse dropped to the floor. Cami bent to gather the spilled contents. Duke grabbed a handful of items.
“Thank you,” she said as the elevator doors opened.
“Still reading the same book?”
She blushed and nodded.
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Katherine Garbera
Duke Merchon was light years ahead of co-worker Cami Jones in bedroom expertise. Still, the plain Jane stirred his fantasies– but Duke vowed to keep a safe distance from her thousand-watt smile.Orphaned as a child, he' d learned to deny his boyhood dreams of love and family. Then Cami suddenly traded in her modest librarian facade for a stunning grace and beauty…and Duke felt his firm footing in Bachelorville slipping. And fast. For he couldn' t resist showing this newly sensuous woman the laws of physical love. And when Duke held his overnight Cinderella in his arms, he felt transformed…into Cami' s Prince Charming!
“Describe This Dream Lover,”
Duke said, teasing himself with the idea of her voice painting sensual images.
Cami smiled widely and closed her eyes. “This man of mine is a white knight of old. He’s fought hard in battle and lost everything dear to him, but he craves ties to the land and the future. He sees me in his future. He sees past my surface to the passionate woman underneath. The woman I’ve always longed to be. He unlocks me from my slumber as surely as Prince Charming awakened Sleeping Beauty with one pure kiss.”
Duke stared down at Cami. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back and her body pressed to his. He realized she must be a virgin. Only a woman who’d never shared her body with a man would expect a pure kiss to awaken her desire. Only a woman as sweet as Cami would share the fantasy of her soul with him. And it moved him.
But could it move him to marriage…?
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Silhouette Desire, the ultimate treat for Valentine’s Day—we promise you will find six passionate, powerful and provocative romances every month! And here’s what you can indulge yourself with this February….
The fabulous Peggy Moreland brings you February’s MAN OF THE MONTH, The Way to a Rancher’s Heart. You’ll be enticed by this gruff widowed rancher who must let down his guard for the sake of a younger woman.
The exciting Desire miniseries TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB: LONE STAR JEWELS continues with World’s Most Eligible Texan by Sara Orwig. A world-weary diplomat finds love—and fatherhood—after making a Plain Jane schoolteacher pregnant with his child.
Kathryn Jensen’s The American Earl is an office romance featuring the son of a British earl who falls for his American employee. In Overnight Cinderella by Katherine Garbera, an ugly-duckling heroine transforms herself into a swan to win the love of an alpha male. Kate Little tells the story of a wealthy bachelor captivated by the woman he was trying to protect his younger brother from in The Millionaire Takes a Bride. And Kristi Gold offers His Sheltering Arms, in which a macho ex-cop finds love with the woman he protects.
Make this Valentine’s Day extra-special by spoiling yourself with all six of these alluring Desire titles!
Enjoy!
Joan Marlow Golan
Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire
Overnight Cinderella
Katherine Garbera
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
KATHERINE GARBERA
wrote her first novel to prove to herself she could do it, and was hooked on writing. Exploring the nuances of the male/female relationship fascinates her, and she loves developing characters who have to stretch and grow. She is a past recipient of the Georgia Romance Writers’ Maggie Award and a member of Romance Writers of America. When she is not writing, Katherine spends her time with her husband of ten years and their two children. She loves to hear from her readers; you can write to her at P.O. Box 1806, Davenport, FL 33836.
For Danielle Smith and Linda Beardsley. Thanks for the
shared laughter, love, memories, clothes and opinions.
The best part of growing up was having you both
as my sisters. I’m so glad I wasn’t an only child!
Acknowledgments:
Thanks to Jennifer Nauss, who helped me find the gold
in the dross even when it was buried very deep!
I’d also like to thank all of the different critique partners
I’ve had since I started writing. Each of you has given
me something as different and unique as you are.
You have my sincere appreciation, since I know I do not
produce very clean copy. Sue Weldon, Ruth Owen,
Freddie Martin, Mary Louise Wells
and Mary Jane Carroll.
Lastly, I want to thank my husband for his unending
support and my kids for being so excited whenever
Mommy sells a book—even though they don’t know
what that means.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
One
“Hold the elevator,” a soft feminine voice called.
Duke Merchon reached out and blocked the doors from closing. The woman who entered was short, not even clearing his breastbone. Her dress, a busy print of colors and shapes, hung loosely on her frame. Intelligent brown eyes glanced up at him from behind a pair of horn-rims. Though there was nothing spectacular about her, she radiated frenetic energy.
“Thanks.” She flashed him a quirky grin. “I’m late as it is and since I’m on my way to meet with the big cheese, I didn’t think I should wait for the next elevator.”
“Floor?”
“Fourteen, please.”
Duke leaned against the back wall and watched as she worked the crowded elevator. In spite of the smothering Atlanta heat, she smiled at everyone and made breezy small talk. He found himself thinking of an ice-cream cone on a stifling summer’s day.
Slowly the elevator emptied until only the two of them remained. On ten, the doors closed but the car didn’t move. Duke waited. One of the tasks of his team was to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of the executive level. While his security force didn’t monitor the elevators constantly, they made sure company policies were observed whenever they rode in them.
“Aren’t you getting off here?” she asked, switching her leather case to her right hand.
“No, my office is on twelve.”
She smiled and tilted her head to one side. “I’m going to have to trust you.”
She then leaned forward and punched in the code to access the upper levels. How could she trust him? he wondered. They’d only just met. In fact, as head of security he ought to have her hauled in for interrogation. He hit the stop button.
“Sir?”
“Miss, there’s a company policy against entering the code to reach the upper levels without identifying the people traveling in the car.”
“Cami Jones, normally research librarian but for the next three months, event coordinator.”
Her name was vaguely familiar; they’d be working together soon. He wanted to smile at the way she’d said it. As if she were uncomfortable with her new role. “Duke Merchon, vice president of security.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes.”
With great drama she dropped her leather case and offered up her wrists to him. “Cart me away.”
He bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. Something about this woman made him want to smile. But smiling invited friendliness and friendliness led to connections and bonds. And bonds led to tragedy. He stabbed the button to start the elevator moving again, and the car carried them to the fourteenth floor.
She picked up her case and walked out of the elevator before turning back to him. “I thought your office was on twelve.”
“It is.”
“Okay. Goodbye, Mr. Merchon.”
Her hips swayed gently as she walked away. Awareness suddenly shot through him, tightening his skin until it felt too tight for his body. She was curvy and sweet, and totally feminine. Everything he could never have. But he watched her, anyway, and wanted her.
His control weakened and his groin tightened. He was tempted to flirt with her in a way he hadn’t flirted in years.
But, thrusting his fingers into his pocket, he touched Rebecca’s ring. He never left home without the ring. It was his personal talisman. He wasn’t a man cut out for relationships. He wasn’t interested in some femininely sweet woman or her nine-to-five grind. When it came to love, he had destructive tendencies.
Even though he was an invited attendee, Duke felt a bit like a stalker as he followed Cami Jones into the conference room. But when Max waved him over, Duke approached the CEO of Pryce Enterprises with ease.
Duke saw all kinds of people in his role as head of security for the company and as personal security guard to Max Williams. Pryce Enterprises was a communications conglomerate that owned a television network, an all-news cable channel and a digital network. Max, who had taken the helm four years ago, had brought Duke with him to Pryce, but Duke had never felt at home in Atlanta.
Too many memories surrounded him here.
He glanced at her again and found her watching him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Would she look like that after making love? Enough, dammit. Cami Jones wasn’t the kind of woman he would normally find attractive, but her spunk had grabbed his attention and that spark of desire disturbed him. His body had betrayed him on the job, where he was always all business.
She looked like a fairy as she flitted across the room, moving from person to person and smiling as though she had a secret. He watched as she set up the easels and flip charts for her presentation.
Duke didn’t normally attend executive committee meetings—he wasn’t much of a team player—and Max allowed him the luxury of not attending. It was hard to investigate a friend for fraud and remember to whom you owed your loyalty. And in Duke’s role as V.P. of security, he headed up all embezzlement investigations. Duke would never betray Max. They’d been through too much together. Max had offered him a job overseas when he’d needed to escape the familiar.
Recent threats to the board of directors had allowed him no choice in the matter of attending the weekly meetings and so here he was—at the same place as the rather average-but-tempting Cami Jones. Slowly the room filled and everyone took their seats, jockeying for the prime positions next to Max.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Cami said, calling the meeting to order. “This year’s Gala promises to be more exciting than last year’s. I have a mock-up of the themed ballroom and—”
Gatorboard posters flew one way and index cards the other as she backed into the easels she’d just set up. Duke bit back a laugh just as Max glanced over at him and motioned for him to help her out.
Duke stood to assist the struggling young woman. He accepted the fact that he was able to shoulder the burdens of others. It had been a long time since he’d encountered a woman who needed his strength more than this sexy pixie. He’d been the strong one his entire life, and it seemed the role for which he was best suited.
Cami Jones muttered as he bent beside her and helped her right the boards. Her voice was soft, not nearly as melodious as it had been earlier.
Duke had never before seen anyone drop an entire presentation in front of the board of directors. He’d seen them nervous and arrogant, but not funny. After having witnessed her charm and ease with the strangers in the elevator, her attack of nerves now surprised him.
“Miss Jones?”
“Nothing,” she said quietly, adjusting her glasses. She laid her small hand on his arm, used him for balance, and stood.
The warmth of her personal touch penetrated the fabric layers in his jacket and revived the desire he’d banked in the hallway. It had been years since anyone had touched him in a way that wasn’t sexual in intent. And that non-personal touch sparked a carnal fire that burned through him. Maybe it’s time to start dating again.
He quickly helped her to settle her presentation boards back on the easels before he stepped back.
Working with the event coordinator this year was going to be more difficult than he’d anticipated. As head of security, he was responsible for overseeing security for the Gala, the culmination of the annual meeting and celebration of the company’s founding. The network stars were usually the only celebrities who attended but with Max angling to buy a hockey team, this year there would probably be a few athletes in attendance. For the first time in five years, the entire board of directors would attend the annual Gala.
Ms. Jones wasn’t the safe, predictable plain Jane she tried so hard to project. There was something about her he couldn’t ignore. He shouldn’t be turned on by her. He shouldn’t desire her or want to be near her. Definitely time to start dating again.
When she picked up her laser pointer, Duke wondered what she’d do next. She began her presentation, then realized the cards were out of order. She bit her lip, which drew his gaze to her mouth. Her lips looked soft and sweet and he wanted nothing more than to taste them. Her full lower lip actually invited a man to kiss her.
He should know better. The woman at the end of the table wasn’t his type. She wasn’t rough-and-tumble or outgoing. In fact, she seemed too ethereal for him.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. As she found her ground and made her way through her presentation, her passion and zest for life came through loud and clear.
Passion for living seldom survived an upbringing such as his. Though the orphanage had been a fair place—Duke had never been mistreated—he’d never known affection. It was obvious Cami Jones had been loved. Despite her nervousness, she showered her kindness on everyone in the room with her smiles and nervous giggles.
Duke leaned against the cherrywood paneling and listened to the woman in front of him. Her soft voice charmed him with quiet confidence though she concentrated on her notes as if they held the key to her composure. And maybe they did, he thought.
She exuded intelligence but not enough confidence. He thought about calling a time-out—the way he had when he was a boy to whisper a change of plans to his buddies—to tell her to never let the enemy see her weakness.
But his buddies had all deserted him long ago. An orphan’s life was subject to constant change, and his lifestyle had been very much the norm. Besides, time-outs didn’t work in “real” life. He thrust his hand deep into the pocket of his suit and fiddled through the change to the ring—the talisman of his “real” life.
“Organizing an event of this magnitude will take a lot of skill, but I’m confident we can top last year’s event easily with the right woman behind the scenes,” she said.
“Very well, Ms. Jones. You’ve convinced us you’re the woman for the job,” said Max.
Max was everything Duke wasn’t—suave, sophisticated, part of a loving family. Someone around the table snickered, and Duke wondered who would be so unkind to this lady. She seemed out of her element in a room of jaded executives who’d seen and done everything. She seemed almost…pure.
It was silly really, considering the way she moved as if she were about to spontaneously combust, but he had the strangest urge to protect her. To swoop down and cover her with his dark wings until the threat passed.
Max gave her a charming smile, and the blush of embarrassment faded from her cheeks. “Despite the way you started your presentation, Ms. Jones, I’m sure you’ll handle the Gala well. I’ve asked Duke Merchon, our head of security, to work with you on this event.”
“Are there security issues? I wasn’t aware the team was involved this early last year.”
“There are issues, and Mr. Merchon will brief you on them,” Max said.
Duke stepped forward to take her hand. As a rule he avoided handshakes. Having spent the past four years in Japan with the CEO of Pryce Enterprises, he preferred the Japanese custom of bowing. Being back in the U.S. meant practicing American customs.
As he grasped her hand, a tingle ran up his arm, proving their first touch hadn’t been a fluke. Such a small hand, he thought. Yet her fingers were long and for a moment he imagined them on his body, her long nails scraping against his flesh. He glanced again at the woman. What did his body sense that his mind missed? She wasn’t his type.
She was diminutive, delicate, fragile even. The kind of person who would be easily destroyed by the darkness inside him. Through the thin layer of glass he looked into her deep brown eyes and found…warmth.
She met his gaze but glanced quickly away. He had that effect on women. His deceased wife, Rebecca, used to say he could quiet a room of chattering women in .85 seconds flat. It seemed to still hold true.
“I look forward to working with you, Mr. Merchon,” she said.
He suspected she didn’t. She was the bookish kind of woman who preferred to work alone. But she had the potential to be the star at center stage.
He nodded. “Call me Duke.”
“And I’m Cami.”
He didn’t believe in idle chitchat as a rule and didn’t engage in small talk unless necessary. It wasn’t that he couldn’t be polite. It was just that he’d never led a soft life and the ability to be social when he didn’t want to be had long since burned out of him. “Let me help you carry your presentation to the elevator.”
She shoved her boards into a leather case then reached for her purse. “Thanks, but I’ve got it.”
She stepped toward the door as it opened toward her. Her leather attaché flew in one direction and she lost her balance, but Duke grabbed her and the case. Working with her was going to be a challenge; he liked to control his environment. Something about Cami Jones said she wasn’t predictable. Probably the biggest challenge he’d faced since he’d started working for Pryce. He was surprised she hadn’t done herself in before now.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to insist on helping you.”
She aimed him a crooked smile. “Are you afraid Pryce doesn’t have enough liability coverage to cover my workers’ comp claim?”
Having been taught to always be kind, he shrugged. “Let’s just say it’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”
“It’s okay,” she said as they walked through the doors and waited for the elevator. “I know what you’re afraid of.”
Duke knew then this woman was more than she seemed. How did she look at him and see fear when everyone else saw strength?
“Do tell,” he invited.
“The long empty shaft behind the elevator doors is just too much of a temptation for a klutz like me.”
She blinked at him and laughed, hiding her mouth behind her hand and not meeting his gaze.
Cami had a sense of humor and, although his professional demeanor didn’t change, he wanted to laugh out loud.
She stepped into the elevator. “The world won’t end if you crack a smile.”
One hand on the open door, she reached for her presentation. “Thank you for your help, Duke.”
“You’re welcome, and it might.”
“Might?”
“The world could come crashing to a halt if I smile.”
“It hasn’t happened yet.”
“I haven’t smiled yet.”
“I’ll take that as a challenge,” she said quietly, and the doors closed before he could reply.
Two days later Duke found himself outside Cami’s office. The day, which had been going downhill all morning, took a drastic turn for the better when he knocked on her door and stepped inside her office for their ten-thirty appointment.
Endless slim legs were displayed and a veil of brown curly hair blocked the face of the woman as she leaned forward. Her hands skimmed a shapely thigh and fastened one silk hose to a garter. Feminine attributes were as out of place in a conservative office as an orphan at a family reunion.
Duke paused in the doorway to enjoy the show. It had been a long time since he’d seen silk-and-lace-clad legs and longer still since he’d been interested in seeing more. But something about those slim thighs encased in navy silk hose and lace garters got to him.
Arousal shot through his body, bringing awareness to his every pore. Blood pounded heavily through his veins, and he felt himself grow hard. He shifted his legs, easing the pressure against his inseam, and wondered if humans really could spontaneously combust.
He wanted to close the door and lift her to the desk. To rip through her panties and take her quickly. The impulse was strong, and he hated the weakness. No one got the upper hand on Duke’s control. Discipline was all he had left, and he wouldn’t surrender it easily. Certainly not to some research librarian turned event coordinator.
His abrupt knock hadn’t given her any warning but when he cleared his throat he got her attention. Cami gasped. She dropped her skirt without fastening the second garter. The thought of that unfastened garter hovered in his mind. This woman shouldn’t wear satin-and-lace undergarments.
The dress was baggy and understated. Her low-heeled shoes were maidenly and her hairstyle old-fashioned. She was the type of woman who should wear cotton underpants and support hose. Why wasn’t she?
Duke was uncomfortable. He knew enough about sexual harassment law to know he was in for a world of hurt if he said anything, yet he couldn’t keep quiet. The spectacular legs hidden under that ugly dress demanded mentioning. Was this what his body had sensed days earlier? That the ugly clothing was just camouflage for a spectacular woman?
The intensity of her blush could heat a small house in winter. She averted her gaze and refused to look at him. Her nervousness evoked a tenderness that was at odds with his arousal. Yet just as strong. She fiddled with her glasses, taking them off and wiping them clean and then putting them back on.
“I believe we have a ten-thirty meeting,” he said.
“You’re a few minutes early,” she snapped.
Duke realized she intended to ignore the fact that she’d just had her skirt hiked halfway up to her waist. He forced the tantalizing image from his mind, though the loose garter remained. He didn’t believe in emotional entanglements. Least of all with klutzy, average-looking women.
She held out her hand. He grasped it with the intent of releasing it as quickly as he had the other day. But her hand was soft—softer than any other he’d ever felt. Even his deceased wife’s hands had been callused from evenings spent playing volleyball.
He stroked her palm with his forefinger before he let his hand fall back to his side. He knew he shouldn’t have, but that damn unfastened garter lingered in his mind and the image of her on the desk, her sexy legs encircling his waist, remained in his mind.
“Please have a seat,” she said, motioning for him to use one of the two guest chairs. They were standard office issue and looked about as comfortable as wet shoes. Yet the rest of her office welcomed him in a way he’d never before experienced.
A four-shelf bookcase overflowed with books, every tabletop surface held picture frames of large family groupings and individual members. Candle-holders and potpourri also abounded. It was the sweetest-smelling office on the floor. She had soft music with some woman chanting playing in the background.
Her office—a reflection of the woman herself—was so feminine it bothered him. There was even a lace thing on the surface of her credenza crammed with myriad little dust-collecting knickknacks. He felt uncomfortable and out of place, like a warrior returning fresh from war to find his house had been taken over by aliens. The same way he felt when he walked by those damned lingerie stores in the mall. Hell, she probably spent a good deal of her time in those stores.
“Duke, I’ve done some preliminary work on security for the Gala, but would love to hear your ideas.”
He had some thoughts he’d love to share with her, too, but he had to keep his mind on business. Security for the Gala was crucial. With recent labor disputes, threats had been made. Since the strikers weren’t anywhere close to resolving their employment issues, Duke was personally going to monitor the security.
“I’ve booked the Seashore Mansion on Hilton Head for the event.”
Duke shook his head, he was familiar with the five-star luxury resort and knew the layout. With its balconies and beachfront access there was little chance of good security. The resort relied on the private beach to keep intruders at bay. That wouldn’t do. He’d have to do an on-site tour and then find a place that met his security needs.
“Don’t shake your head. I already signed a contract with them.”
“You may have to break it.”
“No, I won’t. Your job is to oversee security, not secure a location.”
“I can’t do my job if I don’t know what’s involved. I’ll call the hotel myself and see if they’ll meet our needs.”
“‘Our needs’?”
“For both the event and the security.”
“Is there a security risk?”
“Nothing my team can’t handle, but there have been a few threats made since the strike started.”
“I didn’t realize that. I’m very good at my job, Duke. Don’t let my outside packaging fool you.”
A vision of that unhooked garter wandered up from his memory. “Your undergarments are in no way average or mousy.”
She blushed. Against his will he was fascinated by the tide of peach sweeping up her cheeks. Did the color start at her breasts? He’d never met any woman who was as open in her emotions as this lady.
“You’re a cad to mention that.”
“Cad?”
“Cad,” she said, and gave him a tight smile.
“A bit Victorian in our language, are we?”
“In my lifestyle, too, not that it’s any of your business. I hope we don’t have to change locations. The grand ballroom overlooks the ocean, and the patio for the reception is simply the best I’ve seen up and down the coast. We really want to do things right this year.”
“I know, but security has to be a consideration.” It was the one thing he did really well. Protect strangers, he thought.
“Very well. I have a backup location.”
Duke didn’t say anything else. He admired her spunk and preplanning. She’d known her location might not work out and had a contingency plan. Despite what she’d said about being mousy and average, her personality said the opposite.
She was full of spirit, and though he admired grit, he didn’t want to admire her because she was also intelligent. Two qualities he’d always found attractive in a woman. Dammit. He wasn’t attracted to her. His racing blood and arousal said differently.
“Where’s the backup location?”
She told him and they discussed the other details of the event. The invited speaker was a renowned motivationalist who would also need a security detail. They even talked about checking out the workers before letting them into the ballroom the night of the Gala.
As the meeting progressed, one thing became very clear: Cami wanted to be in charge. He wondered if she had the confidence to pull off the event and the high-level meetings involved. He knew she had the skill. Her preplanning and poise in this meeting made that apparent.
He wondered what stimulation would work the best with her. He’d bet she couldn’t resist a dare.
“The work you’ve done is great. Send all the files up to my office and I’ll have my secretary book biweekly meetings for us. I’ll oversee the coordination of the security details while you do the grunt work.”
He knew he shouldn’t be pleased to have his theory proven but couldn’t help it. She was almost beautiful when her eyes sparkled with determination.
Tapping an unpainted fingernail against the surface of her desk, she said, “Duke, you seem to have misunderstood something.”
“What’s that, Cami?” he asked, deliberately using her first name to goad her.
“I’m the event coordinator. That means I’m in charge of the event—the entire event.”
He waited a beat to make sure she was focused on him. “Not anymore.”
Cami stared at the modern warrior sitting in her guest chair and felt her temper rise. Or at least she tried to tell herself that the tingling in her veins came from anger—and not any attraction she might be feeling.
The situation was delicate. She’d have to bring him around to her way of thinking. He obviously didn’t know a thing about event planning because he thought five months out they could break their contract and find a decent space elsewhere.
She knew her looks and the way she acted invited people to walk over her, especially after the meeting earlier this week when she’d done everything but come right out and say, “I’m incompetent.” But when she was in her element, as she was in this job, people usually discovered she had enough backbone to stand her ground.
She needed all the courage she could scrape together to work with Duke Merchon. He was a very overwhelming man. He exuded confidence and self-assurance the way her older sister did. Cami realized she was tired of playing second fiddle.
She’d started this meeting off all wrong. She wished she’d just lived with the stupid run up the middle of her leg instead of deciding to change her hose. Once a man saw a woman’s legs, he looked at her differently.
“If this is because I was changing my hose when you arrived—”
“It has nothing to do with your legs,” he cut her off. “I’m used to being in charge. I can handle any problem that arises. It makes sense to have one leader. Security touches all aspects of the event.”
“Ever heard of a little thing called the Equal Rights Amendment?”
He leaned forward, using all two hundred pounds and six foot two inches to intimidate her. “Ever hear ‘might makes right’?”
Cami smiled. It was so obvious this man was used to winning and being in control. But she couldn’t afford to give up her position as event coordinator. This was her chance to prove herself within Pryce Enterprises, and a promotion hinged on her success. Not just a promotion but a change of life. She wouldn’t be a research librarian anymore but Pryce’s special events coordinator if she pulled this off. Besides, she realized suddenly, she wanted Duke to acknowledge he was wrong.
“I’m afraid I have heard the phrase, but it doesn’t apply in this case.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“You should be.”
“Why?”
“Honey, a woman like you doesn’t stand a chance against a man like me.”
God, she hated it when men pointed out how plain she was. Why did they start sentences with “a woman like you”? Didn’t they understand she was more than they saw? Maybe you aren’t, a tiny voice inside her answered.
“Duke, we’ll get along a lot better if you stop pointing out how unattractive I am.”
“Anyone with those legs isn’t unattractive.”
She lifted both eyebrows in response to his remark. A spark of desire shot through her veins, pooling in the center of her body. She shifted in her chair and tried to remind herself they were having a meeting.
“You might not be drop-dead gorgeous but with a little effort you could be passing-pretty.”
That’s it, she thought. I’m going to pick up the crystal paperweight and do him in. But something in his eyes stilled her hand.
He wasn’t getting the same enjoyment out of insulting her men in the past had. There seemed a deeper pain in his eyes that made her want to go to him and comfort him. That made her wish she was drop-dead gorgeous.
“Are you trying to make me lose my temper?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Try harder,” she said.
He almost cracked a smile. His lips twitched and he looked away from her.
“I saw that.”
He cocked his head to one side.
“You almost smiled.”
“Show me your legs again, and I’ll stand up and cheer,” he said.
Cami blushed. He was a man who could be her match in the wit department but was light-years ahead of her in the sexual arena.
Two
Three days later Duke was still devastated by her charisma. His life had become a cold wasteland after his wife’s death six years earlier, but losing her had proven what he’d always suspected—love wasn’t for him. But a ray of sunshine had penetrated the gloom—Cami Jones and her vibrant zest for life.
If only the woman possessing that energy had been a lady with loose morals. He could tempt her into an affair, take what he needed, then let her go. But those eyes of hers were innocent. And he couldn’t forget those knockout legs of hers. He wanted to watch her walk across the room toward him in nothing but her silk stockings and a pair of high heels.
But as he stared across the noisy employee’s cafeteria in the Pryce building, he knew Cami Jones was the decent sort. She was an oasis of quiet in the bustling metropolis of humanity swarming around her.
He grabbed his lunch container and headed for the door, not ready to confront Miss I’m Gonna Make You Smile. Her ability to make him smile would remind him he was alive. And alone. It would remind him of how long it had been since he’d really enjoyed life and living. It would remind him he wasn’t the man he’d always hoped he’d be but rather the man that life had made him.
He’d almost reached the door when she looked up almost guiltily and met his gaze straight-on. Blushing, she glanced away. He should leave the room, go back to his office and work through lunch as he’d planned. But her blush was a beacon. What in the world had triggered such a reaction?
Ignoring the corporate climbers who tried to cultivate him daily, he made his way to her table. Because of his position within the company and known friendship with Max, he endured no end of politicking from his co-workers. It annoyed the hell out of him.
“Cami, may I join you?”
She wanted to say no; it was written on her face like a flashing neon sign, but she nodded and gestured to the empty seat across from her.
To rattle her, he sat next to her. The remains of a brown-bag lunch lay on the table, the trash folded into neat little squares. A book lay face down on the far side of the Formica tabletop.
“What are you reading?”
“Just a book a friend recommended,” she said, fidgeting with her glasses, pushing them up her nose.
“Ten Steps for Effective Presentations?” he asked.
She gave him a wry smile. “No. It’s a fiction book. Did you get the background files on the vendors I asked Shelly to forward to you?”
“Yes, but I’m still waiting for the catering files. I’d like them before our meeting today at three.”
“No problem. My secretary’s copying everything for you now. I’m sorry I was so obstinate about the location in our meeting the other day.”
“No problem. I was a little heavy-handed.”
“Why?” she asked.
Because your legs were affecting me, he thought. But he couldn’t say that. He shrugged.
He opened his lunch container and took a healthy bite of his bacon cheeseburger. He ran an extra five miles at night to be able to afford the calories he ingested at lunch and, though he cursed like a sailor on the last mile, it was well worth it.
He wanted to know what had caused her to blush. She aimed him a tight little smile. The silence at their table was deafening in the noisy room. Nearby, a woman laughed loudly and Cami glanced at her.
He used the opportunity to snag her book and saw the cover depicted a man and a woman smiling at each other while draped in a seductive pose.
“Hey, give me back my book.”
He handed it over. “Sure.”
He bit into his burger before he realized he hadn’t brought anything to drink. He’d planned to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator in his office.
“What? No snide comment about how this is as close as a woman like me will ever get to a man–woman relationship.”
Obviously he’d stumbled onto one of her hot buttons. “Nope. Never read one, so I can’t rightly comment on it. And I know nothing about your personal life.”
“Right, but you can take one look at me and see I’m not torrid love affair material.”
“You’re not convent material, either, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to assume you’re an atheist.”
She bit her lower lip, and he wanted to lean over and kiss her. To take her in his arms and protect her from the cruel world, but he wasn’t a good protector of innocence. And he knew that better than anyone. For the first time since Rebecca’s death he regretted that.
“Sorry. I’m just not myself today.”
“No problem.” He had more than his fair share of hot buttons so he couldn’t fault her. Now he knew more about her than he’d ever thought to. This woman with the naughty underwear was unsure of herself. This woman who had fought him to the wall over control of a million-dollar event didn’t trust herself on a basic man–woman level.
This woman with the average surface intrigued him in ways Rebecca never had because Rebecca had been a feminine version of himself. They’d shared everything from background to likes and dislikes. Rebecca had been a safe person to involve himself with because she’d understood about protective barriers and holding back emotion. She’d even been a cop, like him. They’d met at the police academy.
Get up, he told himself. Leave the table before this developing relationship goes any further. Sure, right now all they had was a business partnership, but he wanted more. He was nothing more than a scarred ex-cop who’d grown up in an orphanage and never been adopted because he’d never talked until he was seven. According to Janie O’Malley, his early development counselor, his parents’ death caused his silence. He knew nothing about building someone else’s self-image. He’d developed into the man he was through blood and sweat. No tears, never tears, because tears required emotion he didn’t have.
Being involved with Cami would require emotion. He sensed the tenderness she evoked when he’d watched her make her presentation was only the tip of the iceberg. Just being in the same room with her made him react—like a teenager with his first glimpse of a girlie magazine. He hadn’t spent so much time acutely aroused since he’d discovered why boys and girls were different.
He closed his to-go container and stood. “See you at three.”
He walked away without looking back. How was he going to work with the woman who’d made him remember why he’d stopped caring? She was intelligent and gutsy and should think of herself as attractive. She reminded him of himself in those early days, and he didn’t want anyone to ever feel that unloved.
Cami dreaded the Pryce Enterprises picnic because mingling wasn’t her thing. She shone behind the scenes, but onstage she froze. Stone Mountain was lovely and as she parked her car under the shade of an oak tree, she watched Pryce employees and their families head toward the picnic area set up for the company.
The mid-June sun warmed the back of her neck and the scent of magnolias filled the air. The gravel under her sandals crunched as she neared the registration tables.
The one really bad thing about living across the country from your family was attending events such as this one by yourself. She checked in and received her name tag. Maybe she should go back home.
“Cami?”
Duke. The scent of his aftershave washed over her like a warm breeze on a cold winter day. He made her uncomfortable. Not in the slimy way Jess in Sales did. In a way that was entirely too personal, and involved emotions she shouldn’t be having for him. Duke was way out of her league in the man–woman dating field.
“Hi,” she said, trying to sound normal. She wished she’d worn something trendy that would make her look glamorous but her simple cotton sundress was more her style.
Duke managed to look both sophisticated and comfortable in his designer shorts and polo shirt. She squinted up at him and found her own image staring back at her from the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses. She reached into her pocket and removed her own glasses. They were flaky and she knew it, but part of her loved the rhinestone star-shaped sunglasses.
“Checking up on security?” she asked him.
“No. Just here to enjoy the fun.”
Funny, he sounded the way she felt. As if there was more torture than enjoyment in this event.
Somehow—Cami wasn’t really sure how—Duke walked with her through the food line. Long rows of red-checked, cloth-covered tables and uncomfortable chairs were set under a large tent. Families filled most of the seats, but Cami followed Duke to a section at the back that was relatively quiet.
Cami realized how alone she was as she watched her co-workers interact with their families. She might stay that way if she didn’t take some action.
An awkward silence fell between them as they both ate their chicken. Cami searched for something to say but the small talk that always came so easy with strangers wasn’t easy with Duke.
“I love picnics. When I was growing up my family would go to Golden Gate Park at least once a month to fly kites and eat too much.”
Duke took a bite of his ribs. Cami watched him eat. He glanced up and caught her staring.
“Do you have a large family?” she blurted.
He swallowed. “No, do you?”
“I guess, aside from my parents and an older sister, I have about fifteen aunts and uncles and more cousins than I can count. Most of the time there’s a small crowd of us at a gathering.”
“You’re from California?”
“Yes.”
“Why’d you move to Atlanta?”
“The city appealed to me. You know this is Margaret Mitchell land. And I wanted to establish myself away from my family.”
“Is your family protective of you?”
“A little bit.”
“Is that why you’re not torrid love affair material?”
Oh, God. He remembered what she’d said the other day at lunch.
“Sorry I overreacted.” But she hated having a good-looking man catch her reading a romance novel. He would guess she spent every Friday and Saturday night at home living one lush adventure after another from the solitary safety of her front porch. He’d know she’d never have one-tenth of the excitement, passion and drama as the characters in the books, she thought. Duke made her wish she was different.
“No problem.” He removed his sunglasses, placing them on the checkered tablecloth. “I really want to know why there isn’t a man in your life.”
The sun burnt the back of her neck and an ant crawled over her big toe. She stared at the ant instead of answering Duke.
“Cami?”
She shrugged. “I work all the time. And well…”
“What?” His voice was low and husky and he leaned closer to her. Encouraging her to speak the truth to him. And the truth was something she always prided herself on.
All her life she’d lived in the shadow of her gorgeous, smart sister. Moving to the East Coast from San Francisco four years ago had allowed her to escape, but that distance had left her feeling empty. She’d filled her life with books and things. She’d also fallen on old practiced habits, still hiding in the shadows of her sister though Gabriella was far away.
It had taken a long time for her to realize that she actually liked being in the background and making things happen. Though she wanted to be equal to her sister, in her mind she’d always be that shy awkward girl despite her success in a large corporation. She longed for confidence and poise but had no idea how to achieve them.
“Men like women with flash and pizzazz.”
Duke stared at her and Cami regretted her words. His eyes narrowed and he traced one blunt finger down the side of her cheek. She shivered as desire coursed through her, pooling at the center of her body.
“I’ve never met anyone with more pizzazz than you.”
She smiled. It was the nicest thing a man had ever said to her. But the look in his eyes as they swept down her body set fire to her veins. Her nipples hardened against the lace of her bra, and she shifted in her seat. She wondered if he felt it, too. There was a tension in the air that made her want to lean closer to him, tilt her head back and tempt him into kissing her.
“That wasn’t pizzazz you saw.”
“Really, what was it?”
“My legs,” she said.
He wanted to smile. It was there on his face. She didn’t know why he wouldn’t smile, but there was something about this dark sexy man that got to her faster than her first sip of the gin her father hid in the bottom drawer of his desk.
“Why don’t you ever smile?”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t know,” she said, but in her heart she knew it had to do with the loneliness that surrounded Duke.
“May we join you?”
Cami saw Max Williams standing across from them with a woman who could have easily been a cover model. Duke glanced at her and Cami shrugged. It was a telling moment. Not many men would turn away the CEO of the company, but Cami knew that Duke would have.
“Sure.”
Max introduced his date, Melissa Hines, and they settled into chairs across from Duke and Cami.
“Did you catch the Braves last night?” Duke asked.
Oh, my. She hadn’t realized how high up the ladder Duke was. His office wasn’t on the same floor as the other executives so she’d figured he was new to the upper-management level. But his ease with the CEO was telling. She was out of her league. She shouldn’t have challenged him to smile.
Cami let the conversation swirl around her, listening to Duke speak. Deep, and dark, his voice perfectly suited to the male protagonist in her romance novels. It was a voice she’d want to hear in a candlelit bedroom. His voice could stroke her into a heated frenzy with just a few words. His voice, she realized, was calling her name.
“Cami?”
“Yes?” she said. Her pulse was pounding, and she wanted to go back to her fantasy.
“Would you like another drink?”
“Sure.”
She nodded and watched Duke walk away with Max and his date. Even interacting with Max, who was obviously a close friend, Duke still kept a distance. Cami felt challenged.
With Duke she’d felt a spark the first time they’d touched. For days she’d dreamt about him. The hero in the book she was reading had taken on his physical characteristics. Because her hidden self was bold, she’d spent forty-five minutes last night in a lingerie shop choosing something new to wear today because she hoped she’d run into him.
Did he feel the same spark? A glance at the man waiting in line at the bar sent a chill down her spine. Did this man feel anything? Max and Melissa had moved on, and the families that surrounded Duke didn’t touch him. He was an island. Could she make him feel? She doubted it, but for once she wanted to try.
He made her want to comfort him, which surprised her more than the sexual desire he’d sparked in her. Comforting a man like Duke would mean risking her heart because she didn’t know how to only feel emotions halfway.
Duke steered through the early evening traffic with ease. He hadn’t seen Cami since the picnic last weekend. She had invited him to check out an event the catering company she’d selected was working here in town. Since it would give him a chance to see how the caterers worked and allow him to observe their interaction with hotel security, he’d decided to go with her.
He’d been avoiding her since he’d seen her at the picnic. Because he knew he’d crossed a line he hadn’t meant to when he’d asked why there wasn’t a man in her life. Now he was backpedaling and trying to reestablish the distance he always kept between himself and others.
She’d wanted to drive, but he’d put his foot down. Sitting next to him in another one of her frenetic suits, Cami hummed quietly to Vivaldi’s Concerto in E, the music suited her.
If any woman was Spring, it was Cami. She bustled with life though she tried to hide it. On the outside she tried to be calm, polite, and a plain Jane but she didn’t come close. The true woman underneath kept flashing through. He wanted to get to know that woman intimately.
“There’s the turn,” she said.
And she wasn’t going to be happy until she completely unraveled the threads that held his life together. He’d been having hot dreams about her and her slinky stockings. When he’d seated her in the car, he’d watched her straight skirt slide up her thighs. The woman’s legs ought to be illegal. He was still hard from the peak he’d gotten earlier.
She was slowly infiltrating his office after only one visit. She’d looked around and declared the place too sterile. Then she’d shown up at lunch with a box of pizza, Godiva chocolates and a framed motivational poster on goals to hang on his wall.
He’d decided to bring in some of the stuff he’d collected in Japan just to stop her. He didn’t know if he could handle one of those lace things she had on her credenza in his office.
He knew he could just refuse her gifts, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Though he didn’t question it too closely because he knew he wouldn’t like the answer, her caring touched him in a way he hadn’t accepted from anyone in a long, long time.
She simply didn’t ask permission to clutter up his life. Barging right into his office, she then expected him to appreciate it. It intrigued him, wondering what she’d do next.
He let the valet park the car and followed her into the hotel. It was plush and elegant. First-class all the way, and for a moment he felt like the unkempt orphan he’d been for his formative years. The boy who’d have been shown the door before he’d even crossed the lobby. The boy who’d have given his eyeteeth to fit in.
He wasn’t that boy anymore. He was wealthy enough to live in a suite here if he desired. He was prominent enough to garner special attention from the maître d’, and his confidence allowed him to mingle with the born-with-a-golden-spoon crowd.
Cami grabbed his arm before they entered the reception. “Okay, want to hear my plan?”
Her touch went through him like wildfire across dry land. How could this plain woman keep him in a constant state of semi-arousal? Except she wasn’t plain. There was an animated charm to her pixie-like features and slim body. He wanted to see her out of the baggy suits she wore at the office and into nothing but those dark hose and garter belt he’d glimpsed at their first private meeting.
“What plan? You’re here to test the food and service. I’m here to check on security.”
“I know, but I thought you could kind of help me out.”
He liked that she asked for help. Not many people in her position would ask someone of his rank for help. The political games people played in the office wore on him and partnering with Cami was refreshing.
“Sure. It won’t take me long to check out the security setup.”
“Great. One of us can concentrate on the food, what was asked for and delivered by the caterer. The other can concentrate on the service.”
“Okay. You take the food. I can’t see you as being a troublesome guest. Besides, they invited you so you’ll receive red-carpet treatment.”
She smiled at him, and again he felt like a kid playing in a schoolyard trying to impress a girl. It was exhilarating and reminded him that his youth hadn’t always been bleak.
Dammit. She looked a bit like the hotel made him feel, like something he’d always wanted and couldn’t have. Almost as if she were too good for the man he really was. It was more than mere lust or attraction and went deeper. It was the aura of sweet innocence about her.
“I’ll expect a full report on my desk first thing tomorrow,” she said with a sly grin.
He wanted to smile back at her. Wanted to flirt in a way he never had before but wouldn’t. “Yes, boss.”
“Hmm. I like the sound of that.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
He wanted to smile, actually had to bite the inside of his cheek. When she grinned at him, he knew she was aware of the reaction she’d had on him. This lady was a firecracker beneath her prim exterior. As she winked at him and walked away, he vowed to break through to the woman underneath.
Duke worked the fringes of the crowd. While he asked questions about security and service, his mind wasn’t on the job. He watched Cami and discovered the rest of the world didn’t see the spunk and grit she showed him. She was quiet and demure. Despite her crazily patterned suit, she was a lady to the core.
Men treated her like a sister and women felt at ease with her because she was no threat to them. If only they could see her legs, he thought. Forty-five minutes a day in the gym couldn’t compete with a gift from nature.
Arousal shot through him, pooling at his center. He shifted his legs and gave thanks he was wearing a suit and not jeans. The room was filled with women more attractive and more available, and he wondered if he’d lost his ever-loving mind. Because he had eyes for only one woman.
And though he ached to have Cami in his bed, he didn’t want her in his life. She was a sweet lady. He should take what he needed from her and move on, but those actions were callous. Only a bastard behaved that way and he hated treating anyone the way he’d been treated all his life.
Dammit, why wasn’t she the average woman she tried to be? Why wasn’t her skin covered in acne instead of translucent and soft? Why couldn’t she stutter when she spoke and be a slow thinker instead of a woman with rare wit and keen intelligence? Even those horn-rims were beginning to grow on him.
Why don’t you get to work?
He caused a fuss over the lack of vegetarian items on the buffet and was soothed by the head chef then directed to another table across the room. He asked for imported beer and was told the company had only purchased kegs of domestic. They offered to send someone to the bar to get him what he wanted. All in all, he was pleased with Cami’s choice of caterer. They were eager and efficient.
When she joined him at the end of the evening, she looked tired, well-fed, and like a woman who needed a kiss. But he wasn’t the man to give her one. The evening had proved without a doubt that he lusted after Cami Jones. He reminded himself the things he wanted most in life he destroyed.
Life had shown him one pattern time and again. The pattern of betrayal and loss. At thirty-three he was old enough to know he didn’t want to repeat that cycle again.
Three
Duke thought the presentation to the board went well even though he’d been thinking about his partner. He couldn’t help it. If ever a lady needed his protection it was Cami Jones. She reacted to everything and everyone with the same nervous leg tapping that made her seem as though she’d burst into a thousand pieces if something went wrong. He’d tried to tease her, calling her Thumper and she’d relaxed. But he wondered if it would be enough. They still had four months of working together, and he hoped she’d get stronger.
And so many things could go wrong in the boardroom and in life. The board of directors was a shrewd group of men and women who’d each clawed their way to the top. One little temporary event coordinator was easy pickings as far as they were concerned. But they wouldn’t mess with him.
He wanted to shelter Cami and protect her, but the one thing he needed to protect this fragile little lady from was himself. As soon as Max adjourned the meeting, Cami stood and beat a hasty retreat. Duke took his time gathering his papers and then noticed Cami’s purse lying on her chair.
Damn, she wouldn’t be able to leave without her purse. He’d send one of his secretaries down with it. He didn’t have to see her again today.
She was waiting for the elevator when he got there.
“I thought you’d be back in your office by now,” he said. Dammit, did he sound huffy?
“Max asked me to schedule an appointment with his secretary for next week.”
He shrugged and handed her purse to her. “You left this behind.”
She reached for her bag and their hands brushed. She pulled back, the purse dropped to the floor. Cami bent to gather the spilled contents. Duke grabbed a handful of items.
“Thank you,” she said as the elevator doors opened.
“Still reading the same book?”
She blushed and nodded.
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