by Lynn LaFleur
A hint of mischief lit up her eyes, laughter tugged at her lips. “You know nothing about me.”
“A sales record like Amanda mentioned is a great reference.”
Tera propped her elbow on the table, rested her chin on her fist. “She could be exaggerating since she’s my friend.”
“A simple phone call could verify the store’s sales.”
“You don’t know my salary.”
“Easy to find out with another phone call. Or you could tell me. I’ll match it. Probably give you more. I pay generously and like to give bonuses.” Her lips twitched as if she was trying very hard not to laugh. “You don’t believe me?”
“I don’t think you’re serious with the job offer. Besides, you can’t hire someone without an application and interview.”
He leaned closer to her. “I’m the boss. I can do anything I want.”
Amanda’s snicker drew his gaze away from Tera. “What’s so funny?”
“You are. Why don’t you just drop to your knees and beg Tera to work for you?”
“I would, if I thought it would help. I’m not looking forward to interviewing people.”
“Don’t you have someone to do that for you?” Tera asked.
“Camden, my HR manager, will do the initial interview. She’ll weed out the ones who are completely wrong for the job. Ultimately it’s my decision and I may have to interview dozens of candidates before I find someone.” He released an exaggerated sigh. “Have mercy on me and take the job.”
Tera stood, picked up her plate and silverware. “You’d trip over your tongue trying to back out if I agreed.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Patrick said to her back as she walked out of the room. Quickly picking up his dirty dishes, he followed her to the kitchen. “I’m completely serious.”
“Patrick, I live in Florida.”
“You can move.”
“Just like that? You expect me to pack up, leave the life I’ve known and loved for years, and move here to be your manager?”
“I’ll interview you if that’ll make you feel better.”
“Managing a department store and managing a resort are completely different.”
“Not that different. They both have employees, work schedules, payroll, inventory, supplies.”
Chuckling, she shook her head. “You’re stubborn, do you know that?” She set her items on the counter, opened the dishwasher and took Patrick’s plate from him.
“Hey, you don’t have to do the dishes.”
“I don’t mind.” She rinsed both plates and their silverware, placed them in the dishwasher. “Amanda, bring me your and Jake’s plates.”
“Okay.”
Everyone moving around in the kitchen put a stop to Patrick’s negotiation with Tera. He had no intention of giving up on hiring her for the manager’s position. He knew she’d be perfect for the job.
He also knew she’d be perfect in his bed, but he wouldn’t use sex to make a decision about the managerial position. The success of the resort came before anything personal for him.
Tera continued to load the dishwasher as Amanda and Jake brought dishes from the table. Keeping busy put a stop to Patrick’s ridiculous idea of her being the manager of his resort. Even contemplating something like that would be ludicrous. She lived over two thousand miles from here and had no intention of moving. She loved living so close to the ocean. She could do without the heat and high humidity, but the beauty more than made up for that. She had wonderful friends, plus her parents lived less than fifty miles from her. She couldn’t imagine not seeing them every week, the way she did now.
Of course, getting away from Boca Raton meant she’d no longer have to worry about bumping into Roger and his bride. That would be a huge plus.
Amanda laid the dish cloth she’d used to wipe off the table next to the sink. “Table’s all clean. Jake and I are going to take off. That long plane ride is catching up with us.”
Tera’s plane ride had been much longer than Amanda’s. She peered at her friend’s face, not buying that innocent look at all. “It’s barely nine thirty.”
“I know, but I’m pooped.”
Pooped, my ass. You’re up to something.
“We haven’t had dessert yet,” Patrick said. “My chef makes a fabulous crème brûlée.”
Amanda bit her bottom lip. Tera knew that gesture meant she battled between her desire to leave and her desire for something sweet.
“Can we take it with us?” Amanda asked.
“Amanda, tell them the truth.” Jake slipped his arm around her waist. “She wants to jump my bones.”
He released an “oomph” when she elbowed his stomach. Tera laughed, delighted to know her best friend was so happy with her husband that she couldn’t wait to get him alone.
Patrick took two small covered dishes from the refrigerator and handed them to Amanda. “Maybe you can work the brûlée into the bone jumping.”
She grinned. “I’ll do my best.” Amanda faced Tera. “See you tomorrow.”
Patrick opened the door for them. “Eight thirty too early for breakfast?” he asked Jake.
“No, that sounds good.”
“Meet you in the restaurant around the corner from the bar.”
“Okay. Good night.”
Patrick leaned out the door. “No jumping his bones in the elevator, Amanda, or I’ll catch you on the security cameras.”
Tera heard him laugh, so assumed Amanda had done something childish like stick out her tongue at him. Still chuckling, he shut the door and faced Tera as she placed the last bowl in the dishwasher. “Do you want to run this tonight?”
“No, I’ll do it tomorrow.”
Now that she and Patrick were alone, the air seemed thicker. She shut the door on the dishwasher, then wondered what to do next.
“Would you like coffee with our dessert?” Patrick asked.
“I probably should go too.”
“Not yet.” He took a step closer to her. “Stay and have dessert with me.”
She wanted to. She enjoyed Patrick’s company. Plus it had been a long time since a man had looked at her the way he did now, as if he wanted to kiss her until she couldn’t breathe. “I’d like that.”
His smile made her heart skitter in her chest. “How about a fire to go with dessert? The fireplace is electric. The ones in the lobby, bar and steakhouse are the only ones that burn wood.”
“That sounds wonderful. And I say yes to the coffee.”
“Regular or unleaded?”
“I’d better go with the unleaded since it’s close to bedtime.”
“Deal.”
Taking her elbow, he led her to the living room. Tera curled up in a corner of the couch and watched Patrick start a fire in the large stone fireplace. In only moments, the light from the flames filled the room.
“That’s nice.”
“Are you cold? This weather has to be very different from what you’re used to in Florida.”
“I’m fine. It’s comfortable in here and my sweater is warm.”
His gaze dropped to her breasts. “It’s a lovely sweater. The color looks good on you.”
Before Tera could comment on what he said, Patrick turned and walked back to the kitchen. “I’ll start the coffee.”
His compliment warmed her even more than the fire. She couldn’t remember the last time Roger gave her any kind of compliment. His lack of attention should’ve been a warning sign that something was wrong. She’d been so wrapped up in wedding plans, she’d failed to notice he never helped her with anything. His usual “whatever you want is fine” should have been a sign that he didn’t care about marrying her. Instead, she’d thought he was simply being considerate of her feelings.
So considerate that he eloped two weeks after they broke up.
Roger had been adamant about using condoms, despite the fact she’d been on birth control for years. Another sign she ignored. Since she had no idea how many women he’d slept with over the years, or i
f he’d used condoms with those women, she’d had a complete physical after she found out about his marriage. She’d been very thankful for a clean bill of health.
“Do you take cream or sugar in your coffee?” Patrick asked.
“No. Black is good.”
She gazed at Patrick as he moved about the kitchen. Desire for a man had disappeared from her life along with her engagement. A woman with a broken heart didn’t care about sex.
Maybe it was time to let go, to take that first step in forgetting Roger for good. Pain from his betrayal still cut her deeply, yet she could honestly say she no longer loved him. He’d killed that when he walked away from her.
Amanda wanted her to be part of a foursome tomorrow. Tera hadn’t decided yet if she could do that. But for now, tonight, she wanted to be with Patrick.
It would be sex, nothing more. For a few hours, she’d forget her loneliness while she spent an evening in the arms of a handsome man. Come Monday, she’d go back to her life in Florida and Patrick would continue his life here in Colorado.
He walked toward her carrying a tray with their coffee and dessert. She focused on his fly, noticing the nice bulge behind it. That awareness she’d felt the first time she’d seen Patrick curled in her stomach.
Oh yes. She most definitely wanted to be with him tonight. And every night until she left his resort.
Chapter Five
Patrick saw Tera staring at his fly as he carried their coffee and dessert into the living room. He hadn’t imagined the interest in her eyes or the sparks in the air between them. Those sparks had ignited as soon as Amanda and Jake left.
A little more time with Tera would prove whether or not the sparks would flare into an inferno.
He set the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch before sitting next to her. He left about eight inches between them. He wanted to be close to Tera, yet didn’t wish to crowd her.
“The fire is very nice. I haven’t been in my suite long enough to light mine.”
“Glad you like it.” He handed her one of the desserts, took the other and leaned back. “The regular rooms don’t have fireplaces, but all the suites do.”
“How many rooms are in the hotel?”
“Ninety-eight total. That includes twelve suites and twelve studios. Lots of young guys come to ski and take the studios.”
“Searching for ski bunnies?” Tera asked with a grin.
Patrick chuckled. “Always.”
Tera took a bite of her brûlée and rolled her eyes. “Oh wow, that’s good.”
“The best I’ve ever tasted. Davis flavors it with different liqueurs, but he won’t tell me which ones. It’s one of our biggest selling desserts.”
“So it’s job security for him.”
“Good point.” He watched her take another bite of her dessert. “I almost served his turtle chocolate cake since Amanda loves chocolate so much, but thought it would be too heavy after dinner.”
“This is perfect. But I wouldn’t mind trying that cake tomorrow.”
“Deal.” Patrick polished off his brûlée, set the empty dish on the tray and picked up his coffee mug. “Are you as big a sweetaholic as Amanda?”
“I don’t think anyone is a sweetaholic like Amanda. It amazes me how she can keep such a gorgeous figure.”
Patrick flashed back to Amanda’s birthday two years ago as he sipped his coffee. He’d seen every bit of her body and it was definitely gorgeous.
“What are you thinking?” Tera asked.
It would be rude to mention another woman in Tera’s presence. Besides, he wouldn’t betray Amanda’s confidence. He didn’t know if she’d told Tera about their ménage. “I’m thinking I make damn good coffee.”
He grinned when Tera laughed. “Then I guess I’d better try it.”
Patrick took her empty dessert dish and handed her the other coffee mug. “You’re right,” she said after taking a cautious sip. “You do make damn good coffee.” Holding her mug with both hands, she drew her knees up on the couch and turned toward him. Her knees brushed the side of his thigh. She didn’t move them and he didn’t shift away from her. He liked her touching him. “But I don’t believe that’s what you were thinking.”
“What do you believe I was thinking?”
“I mentioned Amanda’s body. I’ll bet you were thinking about that.”
“Amanda is married to my cousin.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t realize how beautiful she is.”
No, it certainly didn’t. With that long, curly blonde hair, huge blue eyes and killer body, a man couldn’t help but notice Amanda. “Amanda is a lovely woman, both inside and out. She makes Jake very happy. That’s reason enough for me to love her.”
“I love her too. She’s a very special friend. She’s always been there for me, ever since the first time we met.” She glanced down into her mug before looking in his eyes again. “Knowing Amanda as well as I do, I’m sure she told you about my broken engagement.”
“She didn’t give me any details, but she told me you and your fiancé broke up recently.”
“In December. We were supposed to get married January first after being engaged for six months.”
Patrick winced. A broken engagement only two months ago had to mean Tera still hurt deeply. “I’m sorry.”
“I was too, at first. Now I’m angry that I let myself be fooled for so long. I wasted a lot of years with a man who never truly loved me.”
Before Patrick could respond, Tera waved one hand in the air. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t dump on you.”
“I don’t mind. Sometimes it helps to dump.” He stretched his arm along the back of the couch behind her. “I’m a great listener.”
Her soft smile lit up her eyes. “You’re very sweet, but I don’t want to bore you.”
“You wouldn’t bore me, Tera. I’d like to help if I can.”
She reached out, touched his cheek. Patrick felt that caress all the way through his body. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
He set his mug on the table behind the couch. Taking her hand, Patrick pressed a gentle kiss in the center of her palm. He watched her eyes narrow and turn sultry. Her breasts rose and fell a bit faster as her breathing deepened.
Honesty had always been important to Patrick. He wouldn’t lie to Tera now. “I would never take advantage of your pain, Tera, but the first time I saw you I felt this… I don’t know which word to use to describe it.”
“Desire? Lust?”
“Yes. Did you feel it too?”
She nodded. “I did.”
“What do you think we should do about it?”
Tera set her mug next to his. “I think we should explore and see where it leads us.”
Patrick agreed one hundred percent. Holding her gaze with his, he pressed another kiss to her palm, swiped his tongue across it. Tera drew in a sharp breath. That sound of pleasure urged him to lick her palm again, run his tongue between her first and second fingers. Up, down, across the base, up between the second and third fingers, down again.
“You’re really good at that,” she said, her voice low and husky.
He nipped the sensitive skin between her first finger and thumb, worried it with his teeth. “Does that mean you like it?”
“Very much.”
Entwining his fingers with hers, he slid his other hand beneath her fall of hair and clasped her nape. “What else do you like, Tera?”
She answered his question with a kiss.
Patrick inhaled sharply, released it quickly at the feel of Tera’s soft lips against his. She didn’t kiss him with heat or passion, but with an easy exploration. Her lips parted, the tip of her tongue brushed the seam of his lips. He responded to her silent request for entrance by parting his lips too. Mouths caressed, tongues stroked, breathing grew heavier.
She clasped the front of his sweater in her fist. She caught a few chest hairs in her grip, but Patrick didn’t care. The little bite of pain only made him want her more.
Sliding his arm beneath her knees, he drew her legs over his lap. Tera wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss. It became hotter, more passionate, her lips drawing his tongue into her mouth to suck on it.
Another part of his anatomy would love to be sucked.
A low growl came from Patrick’s throat at the thought of Tera’s lips wrapped around his cock. Before anything like that happened, he had to satisfy her first. Never lifting his mouth from hers, he lowered Tera to the couch. Needing to touch her skin, he ran his hand beneath her sweater, rested it on her warm, smooth stomach.
She moaned against his mouth.
Patrick continued his examination of her soft skin. He slid his hand over her stomach, her side, her lower back. He traveled up her back until he reached her bra strap. A couple of flicks of his thumb and forefinger and the snaps parted to give him more access to her back.
And breasts.
Slipping his hand beneath one lacy cup, Patrick palmed her firm breast. It more than filled his hand. His thumb brushed across a pouting nipple. He loved how it grew bigger, harder, with his caress.
He had to taste it.
Patrick pushed her sweater and bra above her breasts. He didn’t want to stop kissing her, but had to so he could see what he’d uncovered. After one more sweep of his tongue across her lips, he raised his head and looked down.
“God,” he muttered in awe.
Her breasts were beautiful…round and full with large coral areolas and nipples. He plumped one breast in his palm, lifted it as he lowered his head. He swiped his tongue across the tip first, then tugged on it with his teeth. Tera moaned again. Patrick circled her nipple over and over with his tongue as he watched her face. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted. Pleasure obviously gripped her body.
He wanted to give her more.
He drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. Tera’s back arched off the couch. One leg fell from his lap, leaving her open to his touch. Patrick laid his hand between her thighs. He could feel her warmth, her dampness, through her pants. Her pussy must be soaking wet.
She opened her eyes and looked into his. Patrick released her nipple long enough to kiss her thoroughly before sucking on the tip again. Pressing one finger against her clit, he slowly rubbed it as he switched to her other nipple.