She mixed the martinis and poured them into long-stemmed glasses while RJ complimented her place.
“Thanks, I like it here.” She’d lived in the two-bedroom condo near Colonial Lake for five years now and was proud of how she’d decorated it. A mix of timeless pieces and funky touches that reflected her personality. “I’m renting right now but I hope the owner will sell to me when the lease is up.” As long as I still have a job by then. She smiled and handed him the drink. “Bottoms up.”
RJ raised his glass. “I never know which end will be up lately.” He took a sip, and nodded his head in approval. “You look gorgeous.” His gaze lingered on her face, then drifted to her neck, and she became agonizingly conscious of the hint of cleavage her dress revealed.
“Thanks.” She tried not to blush. “You don’t look too bad, either.” He’d obviously taken the time to go home and change after work, which touched her. She knew how often he headed out to dinner straight from the office.
“I clean up okay.” He shot her a sultry look. “I’m glad to do something fun for a change. Lately I feel like I’m running from crisis to crisis, either in the company or in the family.”
“Crisis-free here.” She offered him a plate of tiny puff pastries she’d picked up on her way home. “Want something to nibble?”
“Why, sure.” His eyes rested on her face for a second longer than was entirely polite. All the parts of her body that never knew how much they wanted to be nibbled by RJ started to hum and tingle. Then he took a pastry, put it in his mouth and chewed.
Brooke quickly swallowed one herself. She could see his gleaming black Porsche parked outside. She’d never ridden in it before as he used a more practical Audi sedan for work. She could imagine the neighbors whispering and peering through their miniblinds. “Where are we going for dinner?”
“A new place just off King Street. It’s a grill, of sorts, with a Low Country twist to it. A friend told me it’s the best food he’s eaten in ages.”
“Sounds great, but isn’t that kind of central? What if people see us together?” It probably wasn’t the best idea for them to hang out right in the historic district. She’d assumed he’d pick somewhere discreet and out of the way.
“People see us together every day. Let them assume what they like.”
Was he implying that this evening meant nothing so there was no need to worry if anyone saw?
The steady heat in his gaze suggested otherwise. If she didn’t know better she’d suspect he could see right through her dress.
“I’d prefer to go somewhere more private.” Her nerves jangled as she said it. He was her boss, after all, and not used to hearing her opinion on such things. “I’d hate for people to start talking.”
“Let them talk. Everyone in Charleston is talking about the Kincaids right now and it hasn’t killed us yet.” His face darkened.
He must be thinking about his father’s murder. Why was she bickering over restaurants when RJ was under so much pressure already? “All right, I’ll stop worrying. We can always tell them we were testing it out as a place to hold a client party.”
“Always thinking.” He smiled and took another sip of his martini. “That’s a damn good martini but I think we should get going. I made a reservation for eight and it’s the hottest table in town right now.”
Uh-oh. That meant there might be people he knew there. What if people started to gossip about them and things didn’t work out? Her hands shook slightly as she put on her shrug and grabbed her purse. She was hoping for a promotion. What if people thought she was trying to sleep her way to the top? She was hardly from RJ’s usual social circles. She swallowed hard. Still, it was too late to back out now. “I’m ready.” She was heading out to dinner with her boss, for better or worse.
The reclined seats in his black Porsche felt every bit as decadent and inviting as she’d imagined. Excitement raced through her as RJ started the engine. She wouldn’t be able to resist telling her mom about this. She’d be impressed for sure. Then again, maybe she was starting to think too much like her mom. She did not like RJ because he had a Porsche, or a large bank account—she liked him because of his intelligence and kindness.
And his washboard abs and fine backside.
“Why are you smiling?” His eyes twinkled when he glanced at her.
“I think the martini made me giddy.”
“Excellent. I like you giddy.”
He pulled into a parking space in the historic district, then opened her car door before she even had time to unbuckle her seat belt. He took her hand and helped her out, and she felt like royalty stepping onto King Street with RJ Kincaid. Which was funny because she’d been to restaurants here with him before—as part of a business party, of course. Now everything was different.
Her hand stayed inside RJ’s, hot and aware, as they walked down a picturesque side street to a restaurant with a crisp green awning. The maître d’ took them to their table on a veranda overlooking a tiny but perfect garden behind the building, where flowers climbed an old brick wall and water trickled in a lion’s-head fountain. The table was set with a thick, starched tablecloth and heavy silverware, and a bright bouquet of daisies in a cut glass vase.
RJ pulled back her chair, again making her feel like a princess.
“A bottle of Moët, please,” he said to the waiter.
Brooke’s eyes widened. “What are we celebrating?”
“That life goes on.” RJ leaned back in his chair. “And dammit, we’re going to enjoy it no matter what happens.”
“That’s an admirable philosophy.” Along with everyone else in Charleston, he must be wondering what could possibly happen next. His dad was dead and his mom was being held at the county jail under suspicion of murder. Bail had been denied as, with money and connections, she was considered a flight risk.
And there was something he didn’t know.
Brooke had told the police she’d seen Mrs. Kincaid at the office that night. She hadn’t mentioned this fact to RJ. In light of the arrest she wasn’t sure he’d be happy she told the truth. Of course she knew Elizabeth Kincaid was innocent, but still… Guilt trickled uneasily up her spine. She really should tell him she’d seen his mom there. Just to clear the air.
“My dad would have wanted me to hold my head up and keep fighting.” He watched as the waiter poured two tall glasses of sparkling champagne. “And that’s what I intend to do. I spent all afternoon trying to get the D.A.’s office to agree to set bail for Mom, but they’ve refused. And I talked Apex International down from the ledge in between phone calls to the D.A.”
“The toy importer?”
“Yup. Getting ready to jump ship to one of our competitors. I convinced them to stick with us. Told them the Kincaid Group is the most efficient, well-run, cost-effective shipper on the east coast and we intend to stay that way.” He raised his glass and clinked it gently against hers. “Thanks for brightening a dark day.”
His honest expression, weary but still brave and strong, touched something deep inside her. “I’m happy to help in any way I can.” That sounded odd. A bit too businesslike, maybe. But it was hard to step out of her familiar role and embrace this new one, especially when she had no idea what role she’d be in tomorrow. You know I’d do anything for you. She managed not to say it, though she suspected he knew.
“You’re helping already.” That little flame of desire hovered in his pupils and sent a shiver through her. “Your loyalty means a lot to me. You’ve proved I can count on you in a crisis. I don’t know what I would have done without you in the last few weeks.”
His deep voice echoed inside her. Did she really mean that much to him? Her heart fluttered alarmingly. “I’m glad.”
Further words failed her and she distracted herself by looking down at the menu, which had an array o
f elegant yet folksy-sounding local dishes. After some hemming and hawing, RJ chose roast pork shoulder with mustard barbeque sauce and sautéed greens. She chose a shrimp dish with a side of grits and an arugula salad.
“It occurs to me that I don’t know too much about you, Brooke Nichols.” RJ raised a brow. “I know you live in Charleston, but other than that you’re a bit of an enigma. You don’t talk about yourself much.”
She inhaled slightly. “There isn’t much to know.” Did he really want to learn that her college quarterback father had resisted all her teenage mother’s attempts to trap him into marriage, and how she’d grown up with a succession of stepfathers? “I was born in Greenville, and I went to high school in Columbia. Mom and I moved here after I graduated and we both adore it.”
“Does your mom live with you?”
“No, she lives in the ‘burbs.” With her latest boyfriend. “I enjoy having my own place.”
“Do you? I find I’m getting tired of living alone. I miss Mom’s cooking.” He smiled, then a shadow of pain passed over his features.
A jolt of guilt tightened her stomach. Was her police interview the reason Elizabeth Kincaid had been arrested? She really should tell RJ about that right now. Did you know I told the police I saw your mom at the scene of the crime? How did you say something like that without sounding accusatory? “I’m sure they’ll let her out soon. They have to know she’s innocent. She’s the sweetest lady I’ve ever met.” She wasn’t exaggerating. And now she knew what Elizabeth Kincaid had put up with over the years. She must have suspected her husband was cheating, at least, even if she hadn’t known about his second family. “I wish we could help them find the real killer.”
“Me, too. Mom’s always been the linchpin of the family. I’m trying to hold it together for everyone but we’re all tense and anxious.”
Her heart swelled. “I envy your large family. It must be reassuring to have siblings you can turn to as well as your parents.”
“Or fight with.” He grinned. “I think we probably argue as much as we get along. Maybe not so much these days, but when we were kids…” He shook his head.
“I never had anybody to fight with, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Sibling spats must teach you how to negotiate with people.”
He laughed. “Are you saying I honed my business bargaining skills over the Hot Wheels set I shared with Matt?”
“Quite possibly.” She sipped her champagne, a smile spreading across her lips. RJ was visibly relaxing, his features softening and the lines of worry leaving his face. “Whatever you did as children has made you close as adults. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a family spend so much time together.”
RJ sighed. “I really thought we were the perfect family, but now the entire world knows that was just an illusion.”
“No family is perfect. Yours is still close-knit and loving, even after everything that’s happened.”
The waiter brought their appetizers, fried calamari with a green tomato salsa.
“We’ll get through this. I need to focus on what makes us stronger, not what’s threatening to tear us apart. And somehow you’ve managed to deflect the conversation off yourself again.” He raised a brow. “You’re a mysterious character, Brooke. What do you do when you’re peacefully alone in your private palace?”
She shrugged. It would have been nice to be able to chatter gaily about flamenco dancing sessions and cocktail parties, but she wasn’t one to embroider the truth. She had friends over once or twice a month, but mostly she valued the peace and quiet of her sanctuary after a long day at work. “I read a lot.” She paused to nibble a crispy piece of calamari. “Not very exciting, is it?”
“I guess that depends on how good a book you’re reading.” His blue gaze rested on her face, and she warmed under it. “Sometimes I think I should make more time for quiet pastimes like reading. Might improve my mind.”
She laughed. “I can’t see you sitting still long enough to read a book.”
“Maybe that’s something I need to work on.” He hadn’t touched his food. If anything he seemed transfixed by her, unable to take his eyes off her face. Brooke felt her breathing grow shallow under his intense stare. “I used to go out to our hunting cabin at least once a month with my dad. We’d mellow out and recharge our batteries together. I haven’t been there since he died.”
“Can you still go visit it?”
“It’s mine now. He left it to me in his will.” A shadow passed over his face. The same will that left almost half the company to Jack Sinclair. “It’s been sitting empty since he died.”
“Why don’t you go there?”
He shrugged. “I never went there without Dad. I can’t imagine going alone and I can’t think of anyone I’d want to go with.” His expression changed and his eyes widened slightly. “You. You could come with me.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” She shifted in her chair. Their first date wasn’t even over yet and he was inviting her on an overnight trip? She knew his family never went there just for the day. It was probably a long drive. She’d likely be expected to share a bed with him and so far they’d only kissed once. Already her heart pounded with a mix of excitement and sheer terror.
RJ’s face brightened. “We’ll go this weekend. Just you and me. We’ll get Frankie Deleon’s to pack us some gourmet meals and we’ll spend a weekend in peace.”
“I don’t know anything about hunting.” The idea of killing things made her cringe.
“Don’t worry, we don’t have to really hunt. Dad and I mostly just walked around in the mountains carrying the guns as an excuse. It’s so peaceful up there it seems a crime to pierce the air with a shot.”
She smiled. “That’s a funny image. So there aren’t racks of antlers on the living room wall?”
“There’s one set but we bought it at an antiques auction.” His eyes twinkled. “We call him Uncle Dave. We did sometimes go fishing and eat the fish, though. Fishing was the only time I ever saw Dad sit still for more than a few minutes.”
“I used to fish with my friend June’s family years ago. They’d take a camper to a lake and stay there for a week every summer. I caught a huge rainbow trout once.”
“Excellent. Now we know what we’re doing this weekend.” He rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. “Nice to have something to look forward to as this promises to be a long week.”
Brooke didn’t know what to say. He’d already planned her weekend without even waiting for a response. Yes, he was her boss, but going fishing on the weekends was not part of her job description. She should be mad at his arrogance.
On the other hand, a weekend in the mountains with RJ… What girl would say no to that?
Her. “I don’t think I should come. I’m sure you have other friends you could invite.” Her gut was telling her to slow this whole train ride before it went off the tracks. “I have…things to do here at home.”
“Are you afraid I’ll take advantage of you, out there in the lonesome woods?” He tilted his head and lifted a brow.
“Yes.” Her blood sizzled at the prospect.
“You’re absolutely right, of course.”
“I think it’s a bit premature.”
“Of course, we’ve only known each other five years.” A dimple appeared in his left cheek, emphasizing his high cheekbones.
“You know what I mean.”
“Sure. One amazing kiss is not enough to plan an entire weekend around.”
She shrugged. “Something like that.”
“How many kisses? Two, three?” He looked impatiently at the expanse of tablecloth between them. Humor twinkled in his eyes.
“Probably somewhere around five.” She fought to keep a smile from her mouth.
“Five years and five kisses.”
He looked thoughtful. “Let’s see what we can do before the night is out.”
The handsome waiter whisked their appetizer plates away and settled their mains in front of them while the sommelier poured two glasses of white wine. She’d barely made a dent in her champagne. Maybe that was her problem. She needed to drink a bit more to take the edge off her inhibitions. The whiskey had certainly done wonders for RJ yesterday. On the other hand, the prospect of four more kisses before the evening ended made her light-headed.
She could see the glow of impending victory in RJ’s eyes. She’d become familiar with that look in meetings right when he knew he’d clinched a big deal. RJ hated to lose, and sometimes went after quite small clients just for the satisfaction of beating the competition.
Apparently she was to be his next conquest. Her blood pressure ratcheted up a notch. RJ in motion was hard to stop. “Can you really get away for the weekend with everything that’s going on right now?”
RJ raised a dark brow. “That’s exactly why I need to get away.” He reached out and touched her fingers gently where they sat at the base of her glass. A tiny shiver of arousal ran through her. “And you’re just the distraction I need.”
His voice was husky, thick with the arousal that weighted the air between them. Did he expect her to go home with him tonight? Just what had she gotten herself into here? Him calling her a “distraction” did not entirely bode well for a lifelong commitment.
Then again, she was getting way ahead of herself. And already her lips tingled in anticipation of the second kiss he’d promised. She tried to distract them with a piece of shrimp, but the sauce proved surprisingly spicy and only made things worse. “I suppose some fresh air won’t do either of us any harm.” That sounded lame. She should probably be making suggestive and witty comments. Soon enough RJ would realize he’d made a terrible mistake thinking she was an attractive and desirable woman.
If he even did think that. Maybe it was more of an “any port in the storm” thing. Even your assistant started to look good when your entire world was falling apart.
Behind Boardroom Doors Page 3