And headed straight for Samantha getting up from the piano. She was laughing as some people rushed to talk to her, and as Blake weaved his way through the tables he could only think how much she lit up the room.
Then she saw him. “Blake,” she murmured, her blue eyes lighting up for him, sending an extraordinary feeling soaring inside his chest.
He reached her and put his hand on her elbow. “I think the lady needs a drink,” he told the group at large, making no apologies as he led her away.
“What are you doing here?” she said as he took her over to the bar.
“I could hear the music upstairs. It drew me to you.” He paused. “I’m totally in awe of you,” he murmured, pleased to see a hint of dusky rose color her cheeks.
“Thank you,” she said in a breathy voice.
For a moment they held one another’s gaze.
“Samantha,” Erica said, rushing up to them and kissing Samantha on the cheek. “You were wonderful!” In her excitement she kissed Blake’s cheek, too. “Isn’t she wonderful, Blake?”
For a split second he froze at Erica’s friendliness, but then he found himself relenting toward her even more. Anyone who liked Samantha so much deserved a little more consideration.
He gave his half sister his first ever warm smile. “Yes, she’s pretty wonderful.”
Erica seemed a little taken aback at his friendliness, but her self-possession soon returned as she spoke to Samantha. “The minute you started playing this afternoon, I knew you were good.”
Samantha laughed as she looked from one to the other. “Do either of you have an ear for music?”
“We know a class act when we see it,” Erica said, then winked at her half brother. “Don’t you agree, Blake?”
Blake nodded, his gaze returning to Samantha and resting there. “I couldn’t agree more,” he said, as everything inside him went still.
Samantha was class all the way.
Just then, the real guest of honor and her husband came up to thank Samantha for playing so beautifully. Then Anne asked Samantha if she’d play her a special piece of classical music.
And as Blake watched Samantha start to play the piano again, he realized this woman could be destined for better things than being his assistant. He wasn’t an expert at piano playing by any means, but he knew when something sounded good. It hit home then that he had no right to keep her here and hold her back from what could be her true vocation. He really did have to let her go. Somewhere at the back of his mind he’d still believed she wouldn’t leave. Now he knew different.
“You’re amazingly good at playing the piano,” he said later, once they were inside Pine Lodge and alone together.
She sent him an amused glance as she took off her coat. “Don’t start that again.”
He frowned as he took off his own coat and hung it on the rack. “I don’t understand why you didn’t take your music further. I’m sure you could be a world-class pianist.”
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I’m an average pianist. I know my limitations.”
He’d been raised to push himself to the limit. “Aren’t you putting those limitations on yourself?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think I am. There are lots of mildly talented people who don’t take it all the way. It doesn’t mean they’re wasting their lives. They can use it in other ways. Some people teach. Some people play for themselves. Others play at parties,” she said, her lips curving wryly.
“But—”
She put her hand against his chest. “I don’t have the passion for it, Blake. Really, I don’t. I like to play occasionally but that’s all.”
He finally understood what she was saying, but the world had better look out if she ever decided to further her talent.
He felt her palm still against his chest. “What do you have a passion for?” he said huskily, bringing it back to the two of them as much as he could. That’s what he would focus on from now on. Them and only them.
She rubbed herself against him, seeming to delight in making him aware of her. “Right now? You.”
By the time they reached the bedroom they were both naked. After they made love, he pulled her into his arms and let her sleep, but listening to her soft breathing, he admitted to himself that never before had he felt as comfortable after making love to a woman as he did right then. This woman felt right at home in his arms.
And he wasn’t sure he should like the feeling.
Ten
One advantage of sleeping with the boss was that she didn’t have to jump out of bed and hurry to get to work, Samantha thought lazily, after she woke late the next morning and lay in Blake’s arms. He was still asleep.
Then he moved a little and she tilted her head back to look up at him. “You’re awake?” she said unnecessarily.
He opened his eyes. “I have been for a while.”
That surprised her. Usually the minute he woke up he made love to her.
“Is something wrong?”
“No,” he said, but she felt his chest muscles tighten beneath her.
She saw that he had a closed look about him. Something must be on his mind, though she didn’t know what. He’d been fine when they’d made love last night. Now he seemed…distant.
She could only think something had occurred to him during the night and upset him. For some reason a wall had been erected between them now. Then she remembered how Erica and Christian had seen him kiss her on the forehead before the party. It hadn’t been a passionate kiss but it was clearly more than friendship. So perhaps Blake minded that his family knew about them now? As far as she could tell, it was the only thing that had changed overnight.
“Erica and Christian probably realize we’re lovers now,” she said, testing the waters.
“They’d be stupid if they didn’t.” It wasn’t said nastily, but it still made her wonder.
She tilted her head back a little. “You don’t mind?” He’d looked more at ease with Erica last night. He’d actually seemed to like his half sister.
“Why should I?”
“True.” She swallowed. “I’m leaving soon so it doesn’t matter anyway, does it?” she said, trying to get a reaction out of him. Any reaction. One that didn’t lock her out.
There was nothing.
Feeling disheartened, she pushed herself out of bed and hurried to the shower, a tightness in her throat. Their remaining time together was so short. She didn’t want to spend it like this.
No sooner had she stepped under the spray than he opened the sliding doors. “What’s the matter?” he said, frowning at her.
She thanked goodness the water streaming over her head hid any tears that threatened. “Nothing.”
His look said he didn’t believe her as he stepped inside the cubicle and joined her. He didn’t say a word, and he had a fixed look about him as he soaped them both up and then made love to her with an urgency that startled her. By the end of it she was none the wiser, but at least she knew he still wanted her.
Her heart twisted inside her then. As much as it was a compliment to her, was he still refusing to accept that she was leaving? If so, he was only making it harder for himself. They both had to accept it, she thought, her heart aching at the thought.
She managed a blank face as they went to the manor for breakfast. It was either that or cry, and she couldn’t allow herself that luxury.
As they entered the lobby, a woman practically jumped out at them. “Blake Jarrod!” she exclaimed, in a you-are-a-naughty-boy tone. “You didn’t tell me you owned this hotel.” Her gaze slid to Samantha, “Or that your assistant was the piano player.”
Blake put on a practiced smile but Samantha could tell he didn’t like the woman. “It’s Clarice, isn’t it?” he said, making it clear he wasn’t interested. “This is my assistant and piano player,” he mocked, “Samantha.”
Samantha inclined her head and the woman gave her a cool smile. “I’m Clarice Richardson. Mrs. Clarice Richardson, but I’m
divorced.” Her gaze slid to Blake, instantly dismissing Samantha. “I was wondering, Blake. How would you like to have that drink tonight?”
Blake shook his head. “Can’t do, I’m afraid. I have a prior commitment tonight.”
“Then how about a cup of coffee now?” the woman said, not giving up. “I have a free morning. In fact, I’m free for the whole day. I’m looking for someone to take me for a drive to Independence Pass.”
“Sorry, but I have to get to work.”
Clarice gave a tinkle of a laugh that grated on Samantha’s nerves. “But you’re the boss.”
“Which is exactly why I’d better do some work,” he said smoothly, then put his hand under Samantha’s elbow. “If you’ll excuse us.”
“Oh. Of course,” Clarice said, but Samantha saw her mouth purse with irritation as they walked away.
Then she realized Blake was walking her to the elevator instead of the eatery. “Aren’t we having breakfast?”
“We’ll get something sent up.”
She gave a soft laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of Mrs. Richardson?”
He shot her a wry look that said he wasn’t scared of anyone. “No, but I don’t want to deal with her.”
“She’s persistent, that’s for sure.” Samantha paused, thinking about something as they stepped inside the elevator and the doors shut. “So you’re going out tonight?” She didn’t want to sound demanding like Clarice, but as his lover she hoped she had a temporary claim on his time right now.
“No, I’m staying home. You’re my prior commitment.”
“I am?” Relief went through her.
He slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her hip against his. “And if I go for a drive to Independence Pass it will be with only one lady.”
“Melissa?” she teased.
“You.” He kissed her quickly on the mouth just as the doors started to open.
They met Erica as they stepped out of the elevator and into the corridor. She came hurrying forward with a big smile on her face. “Samantha, I want to thank you once again for the fabulous job you did last night.”
Samantha returned the smile. “You’re very welcome, Erica. I enjoyed it.”
Erica considered her. “You know, I’ve already had a call from the president of the local music school. They heard about you and want to meet with you,” she said enthusiastically, making Samantha’s heart sink. “They have this huge summer festival where nearly a thousand students and faculty come together from far and wide. There’s orchestral concerts and chamber music and—”
Samantha had to stop her there. “I’m sorry, Erica. It wouldn’t be any use. I’m leaving soon.” She felt Blake stiffen beside her.
Erica’s eyes widened. “Oh, I thought—”
Blake muttered something about starting work and stalked off. For a moment Samantha wondered if he was still thinking about her not taking her piano playing seriously, but she soon dismissed it. This wasn’t about her not playing the piano. It was about her leaving.
Erica looked at her and winced. “Sorry if I said something out of place.”
Samantha tried to smile. “You didn’t.” She started to follow him. “But I’d better get to work.”
Blake was closing his door behind him as she entered her office, and Samantha’s heart sank. So. They were back to that again. Talk about a temperamental boss!
Shortly after, he buzzed her for coffee. When she took it into him he seemed okay if a little preoccupied, and she realized she was reading more into this than she should. He had the resort issues to concentrate on and was trying to get the feel for it, that’s all. Besides, just because she was now his lover, it shouldn’t upgrade her status from his assistant. On the contrary, here at work she’d be upset if it did.
Around eleven he opened his door and strode through her office, scowling. “I’ll be with Trevor in his office.” He left before she could make any acknowledgement.
Getting to her feet, she went to empty Blake’s out tray. There were some letters he’d signed and…all at once she noticed he’d been reading through the files with the résumés. Her heart dropped. That file had sat on his desk untouched all day yesterday, but now he must be thinking ahead.
She should be pleased he wouldn’t be left without an assistant, but she could only feel upset. And that was made worse as she went back to her desk and opened the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting and saw one of the items was to discuss her replacement.
Oh, God.
So she didn’t need Clarice to make a sudden appearance in her office about fifteen minutes later. “Mrs. Richardson, how did you get up here?” she asked, as the woman came toward her desk. A card key was needed for both the private elevator and the back stairs.
“I told one of the staff that I urgently needed to see the person in charge. And I do.”
After seeing how Clarice had operated downstairs with Blake, the other woman would have refused to take no for an answer. More than likely she’d even given the staff member a monetary “donation.”
Samantha frowned. She would deal with the security breach later. “This is a private area. You shouldn’t be here at all. If you needed anything, you should ask at the front desk.”
The woman sent her a haughty look. “I’d prefer to deal with Blake, Miss…”
“Thompson.” Samantha recognized being put in her place. “Blake’s not here at the moment,” she said his name deliberately, “but I can pass on a message when he gets back. Now let me walk you to the elevator.”
Clarice looked disappointed. Then, “I’ll give you my room number.” She picked up a sticky-note pad from the desk and wrote on it. “You’ll make sure you tell him Clarice called, won’t you?” she said, tearing off the slip of paper and handing it to Samantha.
“Of course.”
Clarice went to turn away then spun back. “Tell him that I have a proposition for him,” she said in a breathless voice.
“Fine.” There was nothing to worry about with Blake, but it annoyed Samantha to have to deal with another woman who threw herself at him. There had been so many of them over the years. Clarice was very attractive, but so were the other women who had chased Blake.
Samantha stayed at her desk and waited for Blake to return for lunch. Knowing she was being contrary, she was still upset that he was looking at replacing her, and now she just wanted to spend more time with him. But he didn’t return until after lunch, and she spent a quiet lunch break by herself.
“There’s a plate of sandwiches on your desk,” she said when he walked back through to his office.
“I ate lunch with Trevor.”
It would have been nice to be told, she decided, then admitted to herself that as her boss, Blake didn’t owe her his time.
She followed him into his office. “Here are your messages. You’ll see there’s one from Mrs. Richardson.” When his face remained blank, she said, “Clarice.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “What does she want?”
“For you to call her. She delivered it in person.”
He scowled. “How did she get up here?”
Samantha told him. “I’ve passed on my concern to the front desk. They’re going to look into it.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“By the way, Clarice left her room number for you to call her back. She says to tell you she has a proposition for you.”
“A proposition?” He grimaced. “I bet she does.”
Samantha picked up the plate of sandwiches and put them in the refrigerator near her desk, feeling better that Clarice hadn’t fooled him. Not that she expected he wouldn’t see through it all. He knew more about women than she did herself.
It was fairly quiet for the next two hours as Blake returned messages and she typed up some reports. Then, he came out carrying his coat. “I have to go into town for a meeting. It’ll take a few hours.”
She almost asked if she could go with him, then stopped. Her place as his assistant was here.
/> Suddenly he came over and kissed her hard. “I’ll see you later at the lodge. We can go out for dinner if you like.”
She shook her head, pleased. “No, let’s eat in. I’ll get something from the hotel kitchen on the way home.”
His eyes flickered, and she suspected he’d noticed her mention of the word home. “Okay.” He left.
Not long after that, Samantha decided to go down to the kitchen to see about tonight’s dinner. She took the plate of sandwiches down to the front desk, as one of the staff might appreciate them for later, rather than throwing them in the trash.
She was walking through the lobby toward the front desk when out of the corner of her eye she happened to glance over at the bar. Her heart stuttered. Blake and Clarice were sitting in there having a drink. Both of them were focused on each other, though she noted Clarice was leaning toward him and doing the talking, more with her cleavage than not. Was this where the other woman offered her “proposition?”
So much for his appointment in town, Samantha thought, not sure what she was doing as she spun around and headed back to her office, giving herself time to adjust to what she’d seen. She had to put this into perspective.
Okay, so there was probably nothing to it, but she just didn’t like that Blake was telling her one thing, then doing another. And wasn’t he getting Clarice’s hopes up even by sitting with the woman? Then again, he was a free man and once she left Aspen he would get lonely. The other woman was certainly beautiful.
Samantha threw the sandwiches in the trash, unable to face going back downstairs again. Instead, she phoned the kitchen and ordered two meals for dinner, though she wasn’t sure she would feel hungry.
Blake seemed lost in thought when he returned to the lodge that evening, so Samantha didn’t mention it straightaway. Besides, she didn’t want to sound like a harping wife.
She managed to wait until they had almost finished dinner before saying offhand, “By the way, Blake. Next time you don’t plan on having a drink with Mrs. Richardson, don’t do it in the bar.”
Taming Her Billionaire Boss Page 12