by Lexy Timms
“I do?”
“Yes. You’re tense. You jump fifty feet every time I touch you. And what the hell is the deal with your sister anyway?”
“My mother adores her. It’s like the meaner she gets, the more Mom loves her,” she replied bitterly.
“That’s terrible,” he said, his breath warm against the bare skin of her neck. “You seem much more relaxed now.”
“That’s probably because there’s nobody around gawking at us.” She pulled out of his embrace to turn and look at him. Being under her sister’s watchful eye filled her with anxiety.
“I don’t think your sister buys that we’re together.”
She bit her lip. “Maybe we need to practice.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Practice?”
She cringed. “Never mind. It’s probably a bad idea.”
“No, I want to hear your idea. What do you mean?”
“I was thinking maybe if we kissed a few times it might break the tension.” She tried to keep her tone causal, but her insides were turning to jelly. What an insane and ridiculous idea. Dane would obviously shoot it down.
He smiled, wrapping his arms around her again. “I’m game if you are.”
Damn.
Her pulse quickened and heat spread across every inch of her skin. This was so very wrong, but her body pressed up against his felt so right. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and stared deep into his brilliant blue eyes. If she wasn’t careful, she might lose herself in those eyes. Lose herself in this game they were playing. Allyson had to remind herself over and over that this wasn’t real.
She nodded. “Yes. I’m game.”
They stared at each other for a moment, the tension between them mounting, the very air filled with electricity.
“You can kiss me whenever you’re ready,” he said gently.
She realized that he was waiting for her. Would only do this if it was what she wanted. That touched her. Made her feel safe in his arms. Arching her back to propel herself forward, her mouth met his. He pulled her closer and she clung to him, using the strength of his body to make her brave in this moment.
His lips parted, welcoming her in. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, gently exploring. Before she could stop herself, a low moan escaped her throat. That spurred him on. He took over, his tongue colliding with hers as he kissed her deeply, expertly. The kiss turned from tender to bruising, his hot mouth making her his, his tongue possessing her. He kissed her like it was his last kiss on earth, like there was no one else and all he wanted was this. She ran her tongue along his teeth, across his tongue. She nibbled on his lower lip and he groaned. When he abruptly broke the searing kiss she was breathless, her mind a fog. Every shred of good sense had vanished; in its place was stark, indescribable need.
Nobody had ever kissed her like that. And now all she wanted was more.
“That was quite a kiss.” He was breathing heavily, his eyes blazing with desire. “We should probably sign that contract now.”
Her heart was racing so fast she thought it might explode out of her chest. He was right, of course. Better to sign the contract with that no-sex clause before things got out of hand. She had never for a second thought that Dane might be attracted to her, but she knew it now. There was no denying it. A kiss like that couldn’t be faked.
She reached for her handbag on the bed and grabbed the contract and a pen.
Chapter 4
Dane took the pen from her and set the contract down on a nightstand to sign it. The feeling of her lips on his still lingered. Just a moment ago he’d held her quivering body in his arms, but now the moment was gone. Which was for the best, because if she had been eager for it he might very well have gotten into bed with her, consequences be damned. That was how much the kiss affected him.
If the kiss affected her Allyson didn’t show it, because she was back to being businesslike as she scribbled her signature on the contract. But it must have affected her. The way she kissed him with so much passion was enough to let him know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
She put the contract back in her bag and reached for one of her duffel bags. “I’m going to take shower before we head back downstairs for dinner.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll unpack.”
She headed into the bathroom, hips swaying. Dane had to tear his gaze away from her rear end. He groaned. This was torture. Being trapped in a room with a beautiful woman was just about every man’s fantasy, but he had to remember that this was pretend. No matter how unforgettable their kiss was, this could not go on beyond the weekend.
His phone rang and he reached into his pocket to answer it. “Hello, Mother.” He set his phone down on the nightstand to put her on speaker while he unpacked his bags.
“Where are you?” His mother’s voice, clipped in her upper crust Massachusetts accent, barked through the phone.
“Out of town.”
“Out of town? Well, that’s a fine idea,” she snapped. “I thought we agreed to meet for lunch.”
“No,” he said evenly, trying to hide his annoyance. “You suggested we meet and I said I’d get back to you.”
“Actually, you said that assistant of yours would get back to me,” she said. “Speaking of which, Katherine Handel is in town and we must talk about Addison’s contract.”
“That’s Allyson,” he corrected. Now he really did sound annoyed.
“Does it matter?” she asked with an exasperated sigh. “Her contract renewal is coming up, and I think we should let her go. Your father agrees.”
“No, Katherine thinks we should let her go because you’re both trying to set us up again, and because Katherine is jealous of Allyson. Sounds like you’re ready do whatever Katherine says.”
“I am not,” she said. “This is about the merger. We want the Handels happy. Katherine doesn’t approve of the way your assistant has been doing things, and I agree.”
He scoffed. “Like hell it is. This has nothing to do with the merger—”
“Do you want this merger to go smoothly?” his mother demanded.
“Of course, I do.” He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
“So, it’s simple. We’ll just have to let Addison go.”
The door to the bathroom suddenly swung open, revealing Allyson dressed in nothing but a towel, anger flashing in her green eyes.
“I’m going to have to call you back,” he said to his mother.
“You’d better. Honestly, Dane, you are far too sentimental about that girl. Goodbye, darling.” With that she hung up.
Allyson took a step towards him, her lower lip trembling. Then she said the words that made his heart sink. “You told me you had no intention of firing me. Why’d you lie?”
She looked stricken. Her face was pale, and the disappointment that flashed in her eyes cut through him. Damn it, why did his mother have to call today?
Dane took a deep breath. “You’re not getting fired.”
“But your mother just said—”
“My mother is throwing her weight around. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“You’re doing it again.”
His crossed his arms. “Doing what?”
She held the towel tighter around her. He made certain to keep his eyes on her face. Indulging in watching a scantily-clad Allyson wasn’t good for either of them. “You’re acting like the rules don’t apply to you.”
“What rules?”
“Do you hear how arrogant you sound right now?”
“Allyson, there’s nothing to worry about.” It wasn’t exactly true. After all, three people had a vote in whether her contract was renewed—his parents and himself. But there was no use in scaring her before a decision had been made. He would fight for her, smooth things over with his parents, and everything would be settled.
“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t happy with my work?”
“That’s ridiculous. You know how I feel about you.”
H
er eyes widened. “And how do you feel?”
He sighed. Now he’d done it. They weren’t arguing about his mother’s phone call. Not really. This was more than business now. This was about whatever it was that was happening between them. Something they had suppressed but the kiss had managed to bring out of them. He wasn’t going to ruin their fake relationship by letting anything real happen. “I’m satisfied with your work,” he said finally.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Yes.”
Silently she walked over to the bed, grabbed her other bag, and marched back into the bathroom. He heard a loud jet of water go on in the shower. He really had made a mess of things, but what more was there to say? Dane couldn’t very well tell Allyson he was attracted to her. It wouldn’t solve anything. This was just a passing fantasy. People often developed feelings for people they worked with. Eventually those feelings would fade. But he’d been attracted to Allyson for three years now. And that attraction got stronger by the day. This weekend hadn’t helped to cool whatever was raging between them.
He’d wanted to get her out of town to avoid his mother’s meddling. If anything, getting away from work had only made that worse. He’d thought seeing Allyson in her element might be a distraction. But the only thing being close to her did was make him more infatuated with her.
He was clicking through TV channels when she came out of the shower in a short cocktail dress, her hair swept into an up-do, her heels dangerously high as always. She was mouthwatering, her red lips turned down in a sexy pout.
She said nothing to him as she whipped out her cell phone to start chatting to one of her relatives. Probably Holly, by the sound of it. He took that as his cue to get into the shower, and after he showered and changed he found her on the deck outside, gazing at the night sky.
“Ready?”
She turned to him, her sinful body in that tiny dress driving him crazy. “Yes.”
They said nothing more as he escorted her downstairs to meet her family. He sensed her turbulent emotions as she introduced him to the rest of her family, including James, the groom, and Holly’s family who were Greenville locals. The rehearsal dinner was laid-back, the two families very welcoming. After dinner, Holly invited him and Allyson up to her room.
Holly led the way to her room, Allyson’s mother and her sister Monica bringing up the rear. “I need some thoughts on the dress and the makeup I’m wearing tomorrow. Plus, I need Dane because I want an unbiased man’s opinion.”
“When are you two going to be getting married?” Allyson’s mother asked the moment they all stepped into Holly’s room.
Allyson flushed and he pulled her close, trying to give her some support. She didn’t stiffen this time but she looked downcast, as if the question distressed her. “Is there ever a day you won’t ask me when I’m going to get married?”
Her mother’s eyes widened. “Well, now that you finally have a boyfriend I thought it would be okay to ask.”
“That’s private. Besides, nothing I do is ever good enough anyway,” she said softly. Somehow, he felt that was meant for him. Not that he blamed her. She worked so hard at Prescott, and now her job was under threat because a jealous aristocrat couldn’t stand to be rejected.
“If you only applied yourself more,” her mother said. “Maybe go back to college and do something of use; then you’d have more to show for all the work you’ve done. Just look at Monica—”
“I’m not Monica,” Allyson replied in a small voice. “Can’t you just be happy for me, for once?”
“I think we should focus on Holly’s big day,” Dane cut in. “We’re here to help Holly.”
Allyson buried her head under his chin, holding on to him tightly. Underneath his touch he felt her trembling, as if being with her family was taking a toll on her. It made his blood boil. The way her mother spoke to her was so patronizing and condescending. That dig about her getting married was downright cruel, especially in front of company. It was almost like her mother liked putting her down in front of people.
Holly threw open the huge closet. “I had wanted to see how my gown would look in motion, but it’s so awkward to do that when I’m wearing it.”
“You could record yourself wearing it,” Allyson suggested.
“I don’t know. I can’t get out of my own head when I watch footage of myself.” Holly pulled the white gown from her closet.
“Why don’t you get Allyson to try it on? That way you can see how it moves,” Monica said, sounding a little too cheerful.
Allyson frowned. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Unless you don’t think you could fit into it.” Monica’s voice was still syrupy-sweet, but Dane detected a cruel glint in her eye.
Allyson’s shoulders sagged; Monica’s words clearly wearing her down. “Fine, I’ll do it.”
She headed into the bathroom with Holly and Monica, leaving Dane behind with her mother. He didn’t like how Mrs. Smith talked to Allyson in front of him, but he didn’t want to be rude, so he sat down to chat with her while they waited for Allyson to come back out.
When she did, Dane’s heart stopped.
The white gown fit Allyson perfectly, skimming over her curves. The dress was sleeveless, close-fitting, and covered in pearls and rhinestones. Underneath the glow of the bedroom light, Allyson shimmered. He’d never seen anyone look so beautiful, so dazzling.
His heart raced, and he had to remind himself that the gown wasn’t hers.
And she wasn’t his.
Chapter 5
He was looking at her like she was the only woman in the world. She felt like a princess under his intense gaze. His eyes swept up and down her body, and it was as intimate as a caress. It did a strange thing to her insides. Made her feel like she was glowing all over.
“Honestly, Allyson, you look like a dream,” Holly squealed behind her. “Why don’t you step out onto the balcony so we can get a photo?”
Holly, bless her, was totally oblivious to the tensions boiling over in the room. Monica was scowling, probably upset that her plan to humiliate her sister had backfired. Allyson knew what her sister was up to, reminding her of the fact that she wasn’t going to be the one walking down the aisle. That she was older than James but he was getting married before her. The dress was so tight it cut off her circulation, but Allyson wasn’t going to let on. It felt good to have Monica seething for a change.
Even Dane seemed dazed. “You look beautiful, Allyson.”
She smiled, and stepped out onto the balcony to pose while Holly snapped photos and filmed some footage with her phone. Then Holly raced back into the room to chat excitedly about wedding plans with Monica and her mother-in-law-to-be.
Dane joined her out on the balcony. “I think Holly’s really excited about this dress.”
“She’s got another dress,” Allyson informed him. “She was trying to decide because she planned on wearing one for the ceremony and another one for the reception.”
His eyes widened. “There’s another gown?”
“Yup,” Allyson said with a nod. “In the bathroom, she said she was sure she’d wear this one to the ceremony after seeing me in it, but I’ll have to try on the next one just to be sure.”
“She seems happy.” He turned back to the room where Holly was still happily chatting with her Mrs. Smith and Monica.
“She does,” Allyson said wistfully.
He put his hand on her bare shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll have your day someday.”
She sighed and stepped out of his hand’s touch. “The older I get, the less likely I think that is.” She was 29, fast approaching 30, and a chance at what Holly and James had still seemed so far out of reach. Allyson knew she wasn’t an achiever like her brother the hot-shot lawyer, or her sister the cardiologist. Her parents were professors. And here she was, stuck being an assistant to a man she could never have.
He gave her an incredulous look. “Allyson, I’m older than
you and I’m not exactly over the hill.”
“Expectations are different for men.”
“Fair enough,” he said. “But a lot of people get married older.”
Silence fell. Talking about marriage with him made her feel strange. Made her giddy and apprehensive. Standing under the stars by his side, dressed in a wedding gown, overwhelmed her. It wasn’t real. None of it was. She was just playing dress-up. They were just playing pretend. But that didn’t stop her heart from fluttering. Didn’t stop the butterflies.
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry about earlier.”
“Why didn’t you tell me your mother wasn’t happy with me?”
“I couldn’t,” he replied. “Our conversations were confidential. I couldn’t tell you until we had decided.”
“Decided if I should stay or go.”
“If it were up to me, your contract would be renewed in a heartbeat.”
She remembered what he had said. You know how I feel about you. Those words had filled her with such hope. Such foolish hope. Made her think he was about to confess his feelings to her. But all his feelings were strictly professional, not romantic. The kiss was just that. A kiss. Maybe he was attracted to her, but it was likely only fleeting and not worth mentioning.
It was her own fault for catching feelings for a man way out of her league. Somehow, she would have to shake the feelings away. Dane was a playboy with a different heiress on his arm every few months, and a man like him would never entertain the idea of running around with an employee. Certainly not one as far down the food chain as an assistant.
“So, should I start looking for another job?”
He leaned on the balcony railing to look up at the stars. The moon’s glow lit up his profile, made that square jaw and aristocratic nose look like he was carved out of marble. He was the most magnificent man she had ever seen. “Leave that to me,” he said firmly. “I’ll fight tooth and nail for you. I’m going to get what I want. But if for some reason I don’t, I’ll line up another job for you. I won’t rest until you’re settled, no matter where you end up working.”