Savin' Me (A Heat Wave Novel)

by Alannah Lynne

  “I’m fantastic, and I’m looking forward to this.” He knew she caught his subtle innuendo by the spark of irritation in her eyes. Rusty had turned his back, so Erik winked and motioned for her to precede him into the conference room.

  “Did the two of you have a chance to meet at the open house?” Rusty asked.

  Before Kat could reply, Erik said, “Oh yeah. We’ve met.”

  Kat’s eyes widened in alarm and panic crossed her face as she pulled out a chair and took a seat.

  Rusty had his back to Kat and Erik, digging through one of the conference room’s built-in cabinets. “Great. That makes this even easier. I thought I’d get you guys started, then let her take over.”

  Erik gave Kat a nefarious smile and took a seat directly across from her. “Sounds good.”

  Rusty gave up his search and turned to face them. “I thought I had the Monteague portfolio in here, but I guess it’s in my office.” Moving around the end of the table toward the door, he glanced to Erik. “Kat’s a skilled account executive and will be a great addition to your team.”

  Kat cleared her throat and shifted in her seat as a cute pink colored her neck and cheeks. Glancing to the notepad in front of her, she said, “I’m sure Erik has a full schedule. Why don’t we go ahead and get started?”

  Erik leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs at the ankles, and laced his hands over his stomach. “I’m ready.”

  His relaxed demeanor was the exact opposite of Kat’s, and when she noticed Rusty exiting the room, her eyes widened. “Aren’t you joining us?’

  He paused and turned. “No. I need to get some things ready for an afternoon meeting. I just wanted to make introductions if you hadn’t already met.” He shifted his attention to Erik. “I’ve got the utmost confidence in Kat. She’ll take good care of you.”

  Erik let the smile pushing at his mouth break through, and said, “I have no doubt she will. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Looking slightly shell-shocked and definitely rattled, Kat began taking slow, even breaths. Her transformation was fascinating, and more than a little disconcerting, to watch. It was as if each breath altered a part of her, causing the human Kat to melt away and a cool, distant robotic version to appear.

  When the transformation was complete, she said, “I’ve gone over your past campaigns…”

  He saw her mouth moving, but he was so off balance by the whole I-am-Zen routine, he wasn’t able to follow the monotone words coming out of her tight lips. In order to rein in her control that quickly, she’d had to use the same technique many, many times.

  “…target audience and objective…”

  Was it a defense mechanism she’d developed to control her emotions after things had gone down the shitter at her last job, or had she been doing this for years?

  “…positioning in the marketplace…”

  Whatever her reasons, he didn’t like this cold, non-human version of Kat. He wanted his Kat back.

  Wait… what? What in the fucking hell was this “his Kat” shit?

  With his mind bouncing around like a pinball, it took him a minute to realize she was staring at him, waiting for a response to her recitation. “Did I use too many big words and confuse you?”

  He started to smile at the crack, but then, realizing she’d made a small joke, she pressed her lips together and took another deep breath.

  Jesus, this was absurd. It was time for him to do a little cracking of his own to see if he could find the old Kat again. “No, I’m with you. Go ahead.”

  “Okay, let’s talk about your target.”

  Erik tilted his head to the side and met her gaze head on. “I thought I’d made that clear the other night. You’re my target.”

  She sucked in a quick breath and glanced at the conference room’s open door before grabbing her pen and scratching notes. “Target… boat buyers.” Keeping her gaze on the paper in front of her, she said, “Okay, let’s talk about your objectives. Obviously, to sell more boats—”

  “That’s one of them. But it’s certainly not the one I’m thinking about at the moment.”

  At his suggestive tone, she gripped the pen so tightly he could almost hear the thing squeal in pain. He figured the notes being etched into the paper this time had to do with personal directives of where he could go, rather than the direction of his business. Damn, it was so wrong to yank her chain this way, but the more annoyed she got, the hotter he got.

  After another deep breath, she said, “Okay, let’s talk about positioning.”

  Seeing this as his homerun opportunity, he waited to answer until she glanced at him to verify he’d heard the question. When she did, he locked gazes with her and allowed every ounce of desire pumping through his veins to show. “Positioning?” He rested his forearms on the table and leaned toward her. “I would love to talk positioning with you. Better yet, how about I show you?”

  The pulse in her neck fluttered and her breathing grew choppy. He felt guilty for pushing her like this when she was so obviously uncomfortable around him, but he couldn’t stop. It was rare to find someone who matched his intensity—both in and out of the bedroom—and he wanted to break through this damned shell she’d created and see that fire again.

  The fact that he wanted to see it outside the realm of sex should have been another warning flag, but fuck it, heeding warnings didn’t seem to top his priority list today.

  Leaning back from the table to give the illusion of more space between them, he said, “Why don’t you come with me to the plant? You can see how things work firsthand, see the finished product.”

  Kat’s eyes widened. “I—”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  In unison, Kat and Erik whipped their head to Rusty as he swung through the conference room door. Gesturing to the portfolio tucked under his arm, he said, “This has all the old brochures and magazine ads. But pictures in brochures don’t do justice to Erik’s operation. Do you have anything else scheduled this morning?”

  Panic flashed in Kat’s eyes, but that fucking mask dropped right back into place, quickly concealing her emotions.

  Before she could voice the protests he knew was coming, Erik said, “Better yet… you probably wouldn’t be comfortable walking around the plant in your suit and high heels.” But he so wanted to see her in those heels… and nothing else… later. “Why don’t we go this afternoon? That way you can change into more comfortable clothes.”

  Translated: That way you won’t be able to use work as an excuse to rush back, and maybe I can convince you to have dinner with me.

  “That’s even better,” Rusty said as he dumped the portfolio on the conference room table, then stuck his fist out to Erik for a knuckle bump. “Erik, good to see you.”

  As Rusty hustled out of the conference room, Kat dropped her head onto crossed arms on the table. The heaving of her shoulders let him know she was back to the heavy breathing, but he had the feeling this time she was thinking I’m-so-pissed rather than I-am-Zen.

  He stood and made his way around the table, then wrapped his fingers over her shoulders and began massaging the tension out of them. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “Does three o’clock work for you?”

  She lifted her head and muttered, “Like it matters if it does or not.”

  Only an idiot would laugh, so he bit his lip and, sounding as sincere as possible, said, “Of course it matters. Is three-thirty better?”

  He wasn’t certain, but he thought she mumbled “bastard” along with “Three is fine.”

  ***

  Kat stopped dead in her tracks on the marina catwalk and stared in disbelief. “What the hell is that?”

  Erik tried to look innocent, but it was a wasted attempt. She’d bet he couldn’t squeeze an ounce of innocence from his entire body. “It’s my boat.”

  She ignored the obvious and focused on the creature sitting on the bow of the boat. The one with the wagging tail and tongue flopping out of the corner of its mouth. “What’
s that thing on the boat?”

  “Little Bit.”

  She narrowed her eyes and leaned in for a closer look. “Little bit of what?”

  Erik laughed as he knelt and rubbed the creature’s head. “They said at the pound he was a little bit of everything, so that’s what I named him. Little Bit.”

  “You have a dog?”

  He twisted his head around to look at her. “Why does that shock you?”

  “Because… well… that makes you… domesticated.”

  “What?” Amusement crinkled his face, but his tone was guarded.

  “Yeah, and getting him from the pound is nice.”

  He stood and turned to face her. “You don’t think I’m nice?”

  “No.”

  He cocked his head to the side and all traces of amusement melted away.

  “No! I mean, oh, hell.” She rubbed her hand across her forehead and took a deep breath. “It’s just that getting him from the pound is a nice-guy move. I need you to keep being a jerk.”

  “That night at dinner, you mentioned volunteering at the animal shelter. You said there were tons of animals there that needed good homes.”

  He remembered that?

  “When Steve started talking about getting a dog, I told him to check it out. I went with him, and as soon as I saw LB, I knew I had to have him.” He glanced at the dog and smiled affectionately. “He’s so u-g-l-y, I was afraid no one else would adopt him.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Did you just spell ugly so you wouldn’t hurt the dog’s feelings?”

  He smiled shyly and lifted a shoulder. “He’s pretty smart.”

  She slid her gaze to the brown, black, and white dog with a long snout, ears that stood straight up, and a long, slender body. He was ugly. But he was also kind of cute… in an ugly sort of way. And, based on the way his big, brown eyes tracked every move Erik made, he adored his master.

  Damn, damn, damn. Not only did Erik get a dog from the shelter—one of the nicest things a person could do in her book—he got the ugly one. She barely managed to keep from stomping her foot as she harrumphed in frustration. Talk about unfair.

  “And what do you mean ‘keep being a jerk?'”

  Her irritation had almost escaped, but she snatched it back like a lifeline. As long as she stayed angry, she could maintain her emotional distance. If she maintained her distance, she could keep this unconventional meeting focused on business. “Yeah, remember how you manipulated things this morning? That was being a jerk.” She glanced around and said, “Why are we at the marina? It appears you expect me to get on that boat.”

  His grin was quick and fleeting. “By the time I drive ten miles up the south side of the river, cross the connector and bridge, then drive the eight miles back down this side, it takes me thirty minutes to get here from the plant. I can go from one side of the river to the other, by boat, in less than half that time. Plus, it’s a beautiful day. Why not take advantage of it?”

  “I’m supposed to be working.” And this fell under the category of fun.

  “You are working,” Erik said, jumping on to the boat with practiced ease. “What better way to learn about boats than to ride on one?” He extended his hand. “Give me your hand, and I’ll help you climb aboard.”

  She chewed her bottom lip and considered the wisdom of trying to “climb aboard” without his help. Accept his hand and suffer the cruel and unusual punishment of touching him for the second time today? Or—she glanced down her sundress to her sandals—make a go of it on her own and risk taking a swim?

  “Take my hand, Kat. I won’t bite.” A seductive smile that mirrored his easy drawl slid across his lips. “Unless you want me to.”

  Unwilling to be outdone—or undone—by him, she ignored her curling toes and the warming in her belly and took his hand. His large, strong hand that completely enveloped hers. She silently cursed the universe for putting her in this position, knowing this brief encounter couldn’t and wouldn’t go any further than this one magnificent touch.

  As she struggled to gracefully maneuver over the boat's railing, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me we were going on a boat? When you said ‘wear something comfortable’ I didn’t know you meant a bathing suit and flip-flops.” With both feet firmly planted on the boat’s deck, she shook her hand free of his.

  He took her laptop bag and purse and stashed them inside a hatch. “Would you have agreed to come with me if I’d told you?”

  “I wouldn’t have agreed to come with you, at all, if I hadn’t felt forced.”

  The jerk had the audacity to smile. And not just any smile, but one capable of melting right through her armor. “Then I guess it’s my lucky day.” Reducing the wattage on the smile, he said, “I’m sorry for manipulating you. But I do think seeing the plant will help you get a better feel for our operation and the high quality boats we manufacture.” He moved a step closer. “I’ll make it up to you, if you’ll let me.”

  Oh, no. Uh-uh… absolutely not. “Nope, no making up necessary.”

  He chuckled and gave her a can’t-blame-a-guy-for-trying shrug. While Erik made quick work of untying the ropes and maneuvered them out of the marina, Little Bit did his impression of a hood ornament, standing on the bow with his nose in the air, ears flapping in the breeze.

  They’d both done this so many times they had a routine, but Kat was lost. There weren’t any seats at the front of the boat, and she wasn’t about to sit on the bench seat with Erik at the steering console. There were two seats at the rear, but they seemed kind of low, and she wasn’t sure how wet she’d get sitting back there. She glanced to Erik and shouted over the winding motor. “Where do you want me?”

  The slow turn of his head, the wicked gleam in his eyes, and a smile that promised sex on the half shell said he could make anywhere work just fine.

  At this crucial time in her life, she needed an army of angels sitting on her shoulders, prodding her toward good, responsible behavior. Instead, she had the slut brigade, and they weren’t prodding her toward anything. They were propelling her, with a raging lust, toward bad, irresponsible, illicit behavior with six feet of wicked temptation.

  But resist she must.

  She threw up her hand to block the magnetic pull of the smile spreading across his glorious mouth. “You know what I meant. Where do you me to sit.”

  “What?” Again, with more of the wasted innocence. “I knew whatcha meant. And I was going to say that it’s not rough, so you can sit or stand anywhere.”

  She chose a seat at the back and had just settled into the hypnotic rhythm of the boat when they came to an abrupt stop. Alarmed, she jerked upright in the seat. “What’s wrong? Why’d you stop?”

  Erik seemed to be smiling from the inside out as he pointed to something in the water on the left side of the boat.

  She stood for a closer look just as a porpoise jumped out of the water. She gasped in surprise and ran to the railing. A second jumped and rolled, quickly followed by a third.

  Erik left the boat idling in neutral and moved to the railing next to her. “I swear, I think they know the sound of my boat.” His wide smile and the wonder in his voice clearly indicated he liked the recognition.

  As the trio circled closer and closer, Erik leaned over the railing and let his fingers dangle in the water. One of the porpoises rolled onto its side and brushed against Erik’s fingertips as it slipped under the boat. The second followed suit, while the third jumped and rolled, appearing to do tricks for their benefit.

  “They swim past my house every night, but I thought we’d be too early to see them now.”

  Kat watched, awestruck, as the porpoises took turns brushing against Erik’s hands. “Have you ever swum with them?”

  His smile broadened. “Yeah, last summer. We were skiing and they kept circling us and wouldn’t leave. We were afraid we’d end up hitting them, so we put the skis away and swam with them instead.”

  “I want to swim with them!” The announcement flew out o
f her mouth without any conscious thought. “Well, obviously not today, but…” She would love a carefree swim with these beautiful creatures someday.

  Erik laughed as his gaze raked her from head to toe. “You could always go skinny dipping.”

  She playfully kicked off her shoes and grabbed the hem of her dress, pretending to take the suggestion. Laughing, and totally lost to the moment, she heard him murmur, “There’s the Kat I knew.”

  He might as well have picked her up and dunked her head first into the cold water. What was she thinking? At the first sight of the porpoises, she’d chunked her professionalism into the river like an old, ratty bag. The old Kat had barreled through without a care in the world, and it had taken his comment—his subtle reminder of who she’d been the night they met—to snap her out of it.

  Seeing her sudden change, Erik said, “Relax. You’re too uptight. You need to let go a little.”

  She straightened her dress and slid her feet back into her sandals. Who was he to lecture her on how to behave? He didn’t know anything about her… well, other than how much she liked that thing he did with his—

  Stay on topic here, Kat.

  Erik didn’t know that, more than anything, she longed to “let go.” But she couldn’t afford to do that now—opportunities to prove she could be successful were dwindling.

  She crossed her arms over her stomach and took a step back. “You know, maybe you should ‘let go’ a little less. It seems you have quite the reputation as a party-hardy playboy.” She refused to look at the ugly green-eyed monster making its appearance with that comment. She was on a roll, and she didn’t have time to stop and make its acquaintance. “Maybe if you worked a little harder and partied a little less you wouldn’t have lost that account in Charlotte.”

  She gasped, horrified. “Omigod!” She’d never spoken to a client in such a rash and hostile way. She threw her hand over her mouth, nearly in shock. “I can’t believe I said that. I am so, so sorry.”

  Erik stood frozen, equally stunned by her outburst. Her fingers numbed, and heat exploded in her face and neck as he slowly crossed his arms and leaned a hip against the rail.