“One dance, Tess,” he insisted. “If we can’t even manage that much, how are we supposed to play our roles in a convincing manner?”
She fixed her gaze on a point just over his shoulder. “We’ll give it one more try and that’s it. If it still doesn’t work, we give up.”
He kept to the most simplistic of dance steps. It didn’t seem to help. “Relax, will you?”
“I’m trying!”
“Try harder.” She’d managed to wriggle away from him again and he settled a hand in the hollow of her back and realigned their bodies. “Lean into me, Tess. Try and pick up on the cues I’m giving you. Can you feel my thigh and hip, the slight push?”
“I’m feeling too much thigh and hip,” she retorted, an unmistakable edge to her voice. “Not to mention far too much push.”
He’d never held a woman in his arms who was so resistant and he released his breath in a sigh. “Okay, I get that you don’t like having me touch you. Tough luck, sweetheart. You hired me for a job and we’re going to get it done one way or another. I suggest you close your ryes and remember all the reasons you hired me. If those reasons are important enough, you’ll find a way to make this work. Now stop fighting me and do what I say or give up on your damn promotion.”
Shock held her rigid for a brief instant, then her chin firmed. Slapping a hand on his shoulder, she thrust her hips close to his. “Dance,” she ordered through gritted teeth.
“You got it.”
He swung her in another easy circle. This time she followed his movements with only a single stumble. Recovering swiftly, she managed to avoid his toes and even succeeded in mating her steps to his. After negotiating a single circuit of the room, he tightened his hold before Tess could escape.
“Again,” he insisted.
This time went more easily, a natural fluidity replacing their earlier awkwardness. To his satisfaction, she anticipated his maneuvers and followed with ease. She had a natural rhythm, though he’d never have guessed it based on their first stab at this. Once they’d completed the second circle, she tried to end the dance and he stopped her.
“Once more.”
Her mouth tightened, but she didn’t protest. He made the dance steps a bit more complicated, not that she had a problem with them. Acknowledging the challenge with a knowing smile, she matched him move for move, fitting her body tightly to his.
He sensed it then. For just an instant she relaxed into him the way lovers were meant to. The music came from within, their rhythms combining, blending, entwining. And he did what came naturally. He gathered her up and made love to her with every sway and spin and step. Her response was all he could have wished. Her heart pounded out the beat of their inner music and he followed it, answering the silent call with the sort of lingering caresses lovers delight in.
She shivered, her body softening against his, and a sensual awareness gathered in her eyes. Moistening her lips, she lifted her chin as though readying for his kiss. Everything about her echoed that readiness—the flush darkening her cheekbones, how she responded to his touch, looked at him, inhaled him. He couldn’t resist touching her and her breasts peaked beneath the sweep of his fingertips. If anyone had seen her now, they wouldn’t question that Tess was his lover. This was how their kiss should have been, and how she should have reacted each of the times he touched her.
And then it ended almost as soon as it had begun. Twisting free of his hold, she stared at him, appalled. “Have you lost your mind?” She crossed her arms across her chest. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Dancing,” he stated succinctly.
“That wasn’t dancing. You touched me. It was ...was—” She stared at him as though he’d just slimed his way out from beneath a pile of moldy debris. “That should never have happened. How could you!”
Now she’d really ticked him off. “I could. I would. And—here’s a newsflash for you, sweetpea—someone should have long ago.” He closed the distance between them. “And not only did it happen, but now that I know what it takes to get through to you, I’ll make certain it happens on a regular basis. Got it?”
CHAPTER FOUR
TESS shook her head, not backing down an inch. “I’m not going to give you the opportunity to try anything like that again. I forgot myself for a minute while we were dancing, but it was a one time deviation.”
Shayde swore beneath his breath. Deviation? She considered what they’d experienced a deviation? What was it about this woman? She had the uncanny knack of burrowing under his skin and provoking an itch he didn’t have a hope in hell of scratching. That had never happened before.
“Here’s another newsflash for you, Tess. You better start deviating a hell of a lot more often or this whole scheme is going to fail and fail miserably. For just an instant there, you let down your guard. You reacted like a woman’s supposed to react when she’s in the arms of her lover.”
Her mouth formed a stubborn line. “You’re not m lover and I don’t want to dance like that with you.”
“Why?”
She started to answer, then turned her back on him at the last second. “You’ve proven your point,” she announced. “This isn’t working. We have trouble walking and talking at the same time, let alone dancing. I suggest we avoid the dance floor at tomorrow’s benefit.”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” He fought to control his frustration with only limited success. “You know what I’m trying to accomplish and you’re making this more difficult than it needs to be. Why? What the hell’s going on, Tess?”
“It’s late. You should go now.”
“It’s not even nine. And we’re not finished prepping.”
She spun around, facing him once again. Her eyes had darkened to a pain-filled shade of indigo and she compressed her lips, no doubt to prevent them from trembling. A remoteness clung to her, her expression so defensive he suspected that one wrong word would end his job before he’d begun. “Enough, Shayde. I’m not going to dance with you anymore and that’s final.”
And then it hit him. He lowered his voice to its most soothing pitch. Not that it would sound terribly soothing. He’d never had the type of voice capable of calming hysterical children or mesmerizing rabid dogs. His success came from issuing rough-edged instructions that people were rarely willing to question or challenge. “Our dancing together reminds you of Robert, doesn’t it?”
She instantly denied his guess. “Wrong.”
Shayde frowned. What could have upset her so badly? If it wasn’t something she and her late husband had done before... Aw, hell. Then it was something they hadn’t. How could he have been so thoughtless? “You’re upset because you and Robert were never in synch dancing. When I was describing how lovers look when they’re in each other’s arms, how there’s an intimacy to their movements—you never experienced that with Robert, did you?”
Her jaw worked for a second before she shook her head. “No.”
She spoke the single word so softly he almost didn’t catch it. No wonder his words had hurt. That hurt must have been compounded when he and Tess had achieved what she never had with her late husband, even if it had only been for a brief moment. Compassion filled him and he struggled to find a way to repair the damage. “Okay, so you and Robert didn’t dance well together. That doesn’t invalidate your relationship. You must know that.”
“Could we please change the subject?”
“If you don’t want to dance at the benefit, we won’t. But we’re not finished. We still have to be comfortable enough with each other so that people believe we’re a couple. Will you work with me a little longer?”
She thrust a hand through her hair, upsetting the neatly brushed waves. The hallway light tangled in the soft curls, highlighting the varying shades of red and gold. Her movement also lifted the hem of her knit top, exposing the creamy expanse of her abdomen. She was a woman of contrasts, an intriguing mixture of flame and ice. As hard as she tried to hold people at a distance, her innate warmth
drew them to her, tempting them to risk the bitter cold for a chance to luxuriate in the balmy heat. And all the while, she remained oblivious to her own attraction. Or perhaps she simply didn’t want to know, preferring to focus on her career to the exclusion of all else.
“What more is there?” she asked.
“A movie and some popcorn.”
Confusion gave her features a heartbreaking vulnerability. “You’re asking me out?”
“No. I’m asking you to microwave a bag of popcorn, stick a tape in your VCR and sit with me for the duration of a single movie.”
He could tell she wanted to argue. After a full minute of debate, she nodded in agreement. “One movie and you’ll leave?”
“That’s it.”
“And by the time it’s through, people will believe we’re lovers?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say we should have a reasonable chance of pulling it off.” But only if they were very, very lucky.
There had to be something wrong with his suggestion, but Tess was darned if she could figure out what it might be. It didn’t take more than five minutes to discover what she hadn’t taken into consideration. The first clue came when he stuck the tape in the VCR and snapped off the lights.
“What are you doing?” she demanded. “Turning off the lights.”
“That’s obvious. The question is ...why?”
“Because I watch movies in the dark. It sets the mood.”
Mood. Uh-oh. After what had happened in the hallway, she wasn’t interested in setting a mood, unless it involved a lot of light, a distance of several feet between them and as little conversation as possible. She backed from the room. “Feel free to start without me. I’ll get the popcorn.”
Heading for the kitchen—Tess refused to admit she was beating a hasty retreat—she decided she’d take as long as possible to pop a bag in the microwave. Unfortunately, that would only use up a scant three minutes. Pushing the appropriate buttons, she leaned against the kitchen counter and glared at the microwave. This wasn’t working out the way she’d planned. Not at all.
It wouldn’t be so bad if Shayde would simply behave the way she expected an employee to behave. But he’d kissed her, danced with her. And she’d— She thrust away from the counter and paced from one end of the kitchen to the other. Dam it all! She’d responded to him. Not only had she thoroughly enjoyed his kiss, but she’d practically made love to him in the hallway during that dance. Why had her body chosen that moment to rebel, and with Shayde of all people?
She’d managed to hold men at a comfortable distance for nine long years, to put her career ahead of any sort of personal involvement. After Robert’s death, it had been safer, less emotionally devastating. And yet in a few short hours, Shayde had succeeded in breaking ‘through those barriers.
Face it, girl. The painful fact was, she felt torn, a. perfectly normal reaction. She missed Robert and what they’d shared. And yet, she was unwilling to go through the torment she’d suffered when he’d died ever again. Nor did she need the sort of confusion in her life right now that men excelled at creating. She wanted to focus on work and nothing else, certainly not on a man without a last name who would only stay in her life for a few short days. She couldn’t afford to have Shayde complicate her life. Which meant... Her mouth firmed. Which meant that the minute the popcorn finished, she’d march into the den and give her aggressive employee his marching orders.
The instant she made her decision she felt much better. Upending the contents of the microwaved bag into a bowl, she returned to the den. The tape had just finished the previews and Shayde sat in the middle of the couch, his feet stretched out in front of him. She set the popcorn on the table across from him, but before she could make her grand pronouncement, he wrapped his arm around her waist. She only had a second to gasp out a protest before he tipped her into his arms and stretched out on the couch with her.
Tess started to struggle, then gave it up as futile. If Bull couldn’t win a tussle with Shayde, she didn’t have a chance. She’d only end up with a bruised dignity. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.
“I’m watching a movie with you.”
“I watch movies vertically, thank you very much. Besides, I’ve decided—”
“Really? You don’t know what you’re missing.” He reached for a handful of popcorn. “Relax, Tess.”
“I can’t. I’ve decided you should leave.”
He nodded, popping some kernels into his mouth. “I pretty much figured you’d reach that decision. Three, four minutes all alone. Smart woman like you. Gives you way too much time to make decisions.”
“Is that a crack?”
“Not at all. It’s merely predictable. You’ve been resistant to the idea of hiring me from the start, and yet, you were driven to do it. It has the feel of someone who’s tried everything else without success and has decided to go this route as a final, last-ditch option. But it’s not a decision you like and so you’re fighting for all you’re worth to find a way out.”
Once again he’d shown an uncanny ability to see what she’d rather keep hidden. She scowled. It wasn’t a quality she appreciated. Why couldn’t he be cute, but a bit thick? What was so tough about smiling on command, making innocuous chitchat with co-workers and clients, and acting possessive on the few occasions she needed a me-Tarzan, you-Jane throwback hanging on her arm?
“Okay, fine. Stay a little longer,” she reluctantly agreed. He shifted his position so they were spooned tightly together and it took every ounce of self-possession to keep from squirming in protest. There was too much of him, and all of it aggressively masculine. Worse, after so many years without a man, everything about Shayde felt alien—the crisp, earthy scent of him, the boldness of his touch, the gravelly rumble of his voice. She struggled to adjust to his strangeness with only limited success. “But I don’t see why we can’t do this sitting up.”
“We can’t do this sitting up because holding you is the most effective way for us to become familiar with each other.”
“Familiar?” She didn’t like the sound of that. “How , familiar?”
“Familiar enough that you won’t flinch whenever I touch you.”
“If I promise not to flinch, will you let me go?”
“Honey, normally I’d take it slow and easy with you. Especially you,” he confused her by adding. “But there isn’t any time. You want to convince people we’re lovers by tomorrow night? Great. I’m the man for the job. But it’s not going to happen unless we become comfortable with each other and fast.”
“Do I need to point out that I’m not in the least comfortable?”
He exhaled, stirring the hair along the curve of her cheek. She fought to control a shiver of awareness. She wasn’t attracted to Shayde. She couldn’t be. She was simply tired and stressed and reacting to the flood of male vibes that he exuded with every single breath. All that masculinity made her susceptible. He couldn’t help that it had been years since she’d allowed a man to get this close or that her desire to escape his hold conflicted with an equally strong desire to wrap herself around him and become lost in pure lusty pleasure.
“I’m well aware that you’re uncomfortable with me,” he murmured. “Unless you want everyone else aware of it, too, I suggest you relax. Focus on the movie and ignore me.”
Ignore him? Was he kidding? How in the world could she possibly do that? The couch wasn’t all that wide and he held her so close she could feel every breath, every heartbeat, every ripple of every muscle. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “The movie. Right.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, that’s the moving picture on the television in front of you.”
Her mouth curved in a helpless smile. Thank heaven he couldn’t see, though knowing him, he probably sensed her amusement. “Thanks for the tip.”
He slid his arm from around her waist and grabbed up another helping of popcorn, holding some to her lips. Closing her eyes, she to
ok the proffered treat. She’d never had anyone feed her by hand. There was something earthy about it, something that stripped away inhibition and common sense. But even as she shied from the intimacy, she yielded to it. The butter coating his lingers stained her lips and she couldn’t quite suppress a shiver. Getting used to each other was one thing. But this...
Just a single movie. That’s all she had to get through. A scant two hours and she’d send him on his way. She’d endured far worse. In fact, that was part of the problem. Having him close didn’t feel half bad—and it should. Determined to ignore him, she focused on the romantic comedy he’d selected. One hour and fifty-nine minutes. No sweat.
With one hour and fifty-five minutes remaining, Shayde reached around her once more, this time for a napkin. “Need one?”
She stared at the screen. For some reason the scintillating dialogue failed to scintillate no matter how hard she concentrated. “No, thanks.”
“Popcorn?”
“I’m fine.” Giving lie to her words, she squirmed ever so slightly. This was ridiculous. “Are you sure we haven’t gotten comfortable enough to convince—”
“Positive. Here...” He eased one arm beneath her so that her head rested in the crook of his shoulder. “How’s that?”
Tess cleared her throat. “Fine.”
He levered her hips more snugly into the juncture of his. “And this? Better?”
She burned at every contact point. How could that be better? Somehow the connection between them had even affected her vocal chords. It took three tries to get the words out. “Just great.”
She wouldn’t move again. No matter what he did, no matter how ill at ease she became, she’d endure. Even if every muscle cramped into a thousand knots, she wouldn’t so much as twitch.
Or so she thought right up until the clock ticked down to one hour and thirty minutes remaining. Resting his chin against the top of her head, the arm he had draped around her waist shifted. His hand settled in the gap between her jeans and the knit top, and her breath froze in her chest. Slowly his hand splayed across her abdomen, his fingers scorching her skin. She exploded into motion. Leaping from the couch, she whirled around to face him.
Day Leclaire - The Provocative Proposal Page 6