From Boardroom to Wedding Bed?

by Jules Bennett

  “Tell me your visions.” She’d force him to be professional. But if he didn’t step back, she was in danger of getting swept away by that intense gaze, by his amazing masculine cologne.

  “Clean, crisp. Flawless.”

  “We’re on the same page then. I’ll draw up some more rough sketches in the morning and get with you in a couple of days. I’ll call your assistant and set up another time to meet.”

  Placing her lid back on the marker, Tamera turned fully in an attempt to gather her things, but ended up bumping Cole in the process. He hadn’t offered her room to maneuver, so now he was within inches of her face.

  Wonderful. Not only did he have that sexy stubble on his face, those wide shoulders blocked her view of anything behind him. That darn cologne of his surrounded her just as if he’d wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his broad chest. And, heaven help her, she knew precisely how those strong arms felt.

  “I have everything on board to do rough sketches. My scale is in the desk.” Though he didn’t offer to move to get it. “No need to leave.”

  She looked him dead in his navy-rimmed eyes. “We both know there is.”

  “If you’re uncomfortable—”

  “Uncomfortable?” Tamera raised a brow and propped her hands on her hips. “I’m not uncomfortable. What I am is a professional.”

  A corner of his mouth kicked up, mocking her. “And you’re implying I’m not.”

  She merely shrugged, moved around him and went to pick up her bag. But before she could make it back to the sofa, Cole’s hand closed around her bare arm.

  “Let’s just get this out of the way.” He spun her around to face him, his grip tight. “The Marcum Agency has an impeccable reputation, which is what landed us this job. I have never been, nor will I ever be anything less than professional. I’ll admit working with you is difficult— I’m human and I’m male and you’re still damn sexy. I can’t help the fact I’m still attracted to you.

  “Now, do I plan to act on my ill-timed feelings?” he continued, still holding her arm. “No. But I won’t try to pussyfoot around the topic either.”

  Tamera refused to lick her lips, swallow or allow her gaze to travel from his eyes. She would not give him anymore ammunition to add to this awkward moment or his power over the situation.

  She knew she needed to regain control, but nearly laughed at the irony. This was all they’d ever fought about before…control. Some things, bad as she hated to admit it, never changed.

  “If you think I’m still attractive, that’s an issue you’ll have to deal with.” Even if the idea made her tingle, he was still a cold-hearted, selfish jerk. “I’m not here to do anything other than work. I have too much going on in my life, even if we didn’t share a past breakup, to pursue anything with anyone.”

  Again, he studied her face. Why did he feel the need to do that so much?

  She jerked her arm free. “I’ll have my assistant call yours.”

  Before he could call her back or get hold of her again, Tamera grabbed her bag, raced up the short stairs to the deck and onto the dock. Any more of those long, not-so-innocent looks or touches would send her up in flames. Because, like it or not, Cole Marcum was sexier now than she’d ever dreamed possible—and she had dreamt of him over the years. His professional status and standings only added to that sexy, exotic allure he had.

  Why did fate have to mock her? Why did this person have to come back into her life at this point in time when she was most vulnerable? If he kept insisting on touching her, she might just give in to her desires and let him. Would he act so cocky then? If she surprised him and told him to take what he wanted, would he?

  Just once she’d like to feel strong arms around her. Arms that would embrace her and lift all her heavy baggage and burdens. Arms that belonged to a man who loved her and cared whether she was happy or miserable.

  But those were dreams she’d given up on long ago. If Cole offered her anything, it would be nothing beyond lust and she just didn’t have the time or the energy to deal with uncomfortable emotions.

  Since they were inevitably going to be spending time together, why couldn’t she take what she wanted? Yes, she and Cole shared a past and were two different people now, but there was still that sexual pull. Even she couldn’t deny that.

  Tamera flew through the streets toward her condo and plotted. Yes, if Cole kept insinuating they should explore this passion that still lingered, she’d call his bluff.

  Then they would see who held all the power.

  “I’ll come by and sign the papers tomorrow.”

  Cole stood in Tamera’s office doorway and waited for her to acknowledge he was here. He leaned against the door frame, listening as she chatted away on the phone.

  Beauty personified. Her head was tilted back against her leather office chair, the gesture exposing her creamy skin from her chin to the deep V in her silk blouse. Her silky blond hair was piled on top of her head in a sexy, messy way that only added to her appeal.

  She held the phone to her ear, rubbed her forehead and sighed. “I want this to be as painless for him as possible.”

  Who? Obviously this was a personal call. All the more intriguing and all the more reason he should continue his ill-mannered eavesdropping.

  Could this be the secret he’d wanted to discover about Walter or was there another man in her life? Too bad. He wanted this woman back in his bed. Now. Another man would just have to back down because he sure as hell wasn’t going to.

  “I appreciate all your help. Yes, I’ll be fine. We knew this was going to happen, but knowing it and following through are two separate things. See you first thing in the morning.”

  Cole cleared his throat and righted himself as Tamera eased forward in her chair to hang up the phone. Had she known he’d listened in on much of a personal conversation, she’d blast him for his rudeness and expect an apology. Something he wouldn’t dream of.

  “Still believe in working overtime, I see.”

  He stepped into her office, and though he wasn’t sorry he’d snuck up on her and listened when he really had no right, he was sorry for the shadows under her eyes and the turmoil broiling behind those beautiful baby blues.

  “How did you get in?” she asked, coming to her feet.

  “Your assistant let me in on her way out.” He crossed the plush, white carpeting to stand on the opposite side of her glass-topped desk. “I told her we had a meeting scheduled late.”

  Tamera crossed her arms over her silky green shirt. The innocent gesture did absolutely amazing things to her chest, but that was definitely a thought he’d have to keep to himself.

  “We don’t have a meeting,” she countered with a lift of one perfectly arched brow.

  “We can,” he said with a smile, hoping to take her mind off the intense phone conversation. “Let’s go grab something to eat.”

  “We’re not dating.”

  No, he didn’t want anything that complex. “It’s dinnertime and we can do some more brainstorming and combine our plans.”

  She searched the length of his body and back up. Again, the innocent gesture thing was killing him.

  “I don’t see your plans.”

  “They’re in the car.” He offered her another smile. “You coming or not?”

  With a sigh, Tamera held her hands up in surrender. “All right. I have a few sample designs on my laptop. Tell me where we’re going and I’ll meet you there.”

  “I’ll drive.”

  She eyed him, but Cole held her stare. No way was he going to let her get behind the wheel. She looked stressed, exhausted and ready to drop.

  Seducing her into his bed would be so easy.

  His body literally ached for that close contact again. But how could he take advantage of her in her condition?

  Damn, why did he have to be such a gentleman at times? Especially when she obviously didn’t even appreciate the fact.

  “Fine, but don’t think this is anything other tha
n business.” Tam came around her desk, crossed to a small closet tucked in the corner of her office and pulled out her bag. “Pull your car around front. I’ll meet you there.”

  She followed him to the double glass front doors, unlocked them and let him out. Even though she had no clue about his ulterior motive of getting her into his bed, Cole knew she wasn’t stupid. She had to know that a chemistry as strong as what they had never fully disappeared, no matter how much you want it to.

  God knows he’d thought she’d evaporated from his mind. But since the moment she’d breezed into the boardroom at Victor’s office, then froze in her tracks at the site of him, she’d occupied more space than he cared to admit.

  Liquor, women, fast cars, power and money had gone a long way in helping him recover from the damage Walter Stevens had done, the hurt he’d caused.

  Granted, Tamera’s father gave him an ultimatum of losing his scholarship or losing Tam. Had Cole had the funding to continue college on his own, he would’ve told the old man where to stick it, but since Cole, Zach and Kayla were all going to school on scholarships, he couldn’t risk it. Not when they had absolutely nothing to fall back on but the old, run-down house their grandmother had raised them in after their parents’ untimely death in a car accident.

  Cole tapped the remote and his luxury SUV chirped as he unlocked it. As he slid behind the wheel he thought back to the days immediately following their breakup. He’d been purposely cruel so she wouldn’t try to come after him or beg, because God knew if she’d begged he would’ve said to hell with school and the scholarship. Though there were countless times he’d wondered if he should’ve done just that.

  But, in the end, how could he complain? He’d built, from the ground up, a multimillion-dollar business with Zach and Kayla. Without Walter’s brash actions, he may not have been as successful and powerful.

  And now that he held the power, he could hold the woman.

  Cole pulled in front of The Stevens Group where Tamera stood in her classy emerald green, button-down shirt and slim gray skirt stopping at her knees. The soft Miami breeze sent loose strands of her hair dancing around her shoulders.

  He swallowed. Hard.

  Bombshell or not, he’d still made the right decision in giving her up.

  Five

  She should’ve known he’d choose the flashiest, most expensive restaurant in South Beach. Not to mention one that needed reservations at least a month in advance. Of course, once he flaunted his billion-dollar smile, the cute perky hostess, who may have been all of twenty, promptly seated them.

  Cocky jerk always got what he wanted.

  “We could’ve done this in my office,” Tamera stated as she slid into the semi-circle booth in the back corner of the restaurant.

  “We could’ve, but I’m hungry and if your habits are like they used to be, you skipped lunch.”

  Tamera froze, clutching her slim laptop case. “Stop trying to reminisce. You bring up the past every time we’re together. We dated, you broke up. I’ve moved on.”

  Cole reached across the table, took her left hand, examined her bare finger. “Doesn’t seem like you have.”

  Fury bubbled through her as she jerked her hand away. “My personal life has no place in our conversation. You left me. Remember?”

  She set the laptop on the edge of the table and unzipped the case. This had to remain a business meeting because if she even stopped to think about how his strong, smooth touch felt, she’d ask him to take her home.

  How pathetic was that? The man had completely destroyed her happily-ever-after fantasy and her body still betrayed her. Whose side were her hormones on? His obviously.

  Before he could comment, the waitress came and took their drink orders and offered fresh-baked rolls. Tamera booted up her laptop and tried to ignore the fact that Cole sat so close.

  “Here.”

  She glanced up at a buttery roll all spread open and ready to devour. Cole smiled as he placed it on her saucer. Where exactly did he think his charms were going to take him?

  “I can’t concentrate on business if your stomach is growling,” he commented, buttering his own steamy roll.

  Once again he was seeing to her needs in small, subtle ways that made her want to ask what the hell happened to him all those years ago? Didn’t she deserve some kind of detailed explanation? Didn’t devoting nearly two years of her life to someone require some type of courtesy on his part when he made his exit?

  “I hope that scowl isn’t in regards to the design you’re about to show me,” Cole said, drawing her thoughts back to the present.

  She smiled sweetly. “My examples are flawless. My scowl is due to present company.”

  To Cole’s credit, he kept his smirking mouth shut.

  “Good evening.”

  Tamera glanced up to see Cole’s twin, Zach, standing on the other side of the table with a leggy, busty blonde draped over his arm. The man was just as exotic-looking and handsome as Cole with dark eyes, dark skin and black hair. But Zach had always had a rougher, edgier side.

  “Business meeting?” Zach asked, eyeing Tamera’s computer.

  “Yes.”

  Tamera thought it best to let Cole speak. There was no need to get back into that family any more than necessary. Though seeing Zach did bring back a flood of memories of a time when they all double dated with whoever Zach’s love of the day was.

  God, they were such different people then.

  “The Lawson project?” Zach asked.

  “It’s the only project I’m concentrating on right now,” Cole replied.

  Zach’s eyes roamed back to Tamera. “Good to see you again, Tam. How have you been?”

  “Good, thanks.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. Zach had been like a brother to her, though she could easily see why women wanted to be with him. The Marcum men were irresistible.

  “I’ll let you two get back to work.” He turned and whispered something to his date, which prompted a high school-like giggle. “See you in the office, Cole. Tam, it was a pleasure.”

  Zach led his date to an intimate table across the restaurant and Tamera couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be a woman who didn’t allow her emotions to get all tangled up in a man. What would it be like to just let the moment take you away?

  “That wistful look is much more pleasant than the scowl,” Cole whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her shoulder through the thin silk blouse.

  “Just taking a moment to daydream.”

  Cole rested his elbow on the table, not bothering to back away. “About my brother.”

  Tamera sighed and shifted to look Cole dead in his bedroom eyes. “Jealous? Fine. Since you’re so hell-bent on rehashing this past between us, let’s lay out all the cards.”

  The flash of surprise in his heated gaze gave her a brief moment of satisfaction.

  “You ended our engagement,” she began, refusing to allow the hurt or the anger to rise to the surface. “You wanted to move on for reasons you never explained to me.”

  Cole held up a hand, opened his mouth.

  “No.” She couldn’t allow him to break her concentration with smooth words or useless excuses. “Your reasons don’t matter to me now, they mattered then. If you are so concerned with what is going on in my personal life, just ask me. Granted, if I choose to answer you, you probably won’t like what you hear. I’ve dated since you, Cole. I’ve even slept with some of the men I dated.”

  Okay, so she’d only been intimate a couple of times since Cole, but he didn’t need to know she was so pathetic she’d seldom had sex in eleven years.

  “I’m sure you’ve been with women since me. It’s life and it’s the life you chose. So I’m done with your not-so-subtle stroll down memory lane. Can we please move forward now and work only on this project? I’m sure Mr. Lawson would appreciate that.”

  Cole smiled. He actually…smiled. “Your eyes still go ice blue when you get really angry. And it’s just
as sexy as ever.”

  “Did you not hear a word I just said?” God, the man could be so infuriating. Nobody else ever had the audacity to smirk at her after she’d confronted them. Then again, no one pushed her buttons quite the way Cole did.

  “I heard you. But I should tell you something as well.” He brushed a strand of her hair over her shoulder, leaned in and whispered, “I still want you. Business and past aside, you know you want me, too. I can see the desire in your eyes and don’t think I haven’t noticed how you bite your lip. You only do that when you’re nervous or aroused.”

  Tamera jerked as if he’d hit her and the waitress chose that moment to come back to take their order.

  “I’m not staying,” Tamera informed the girl. “Cole, I’ll call your assistant to set up another meeting. In my office.”

  Before he could say anything else, before Tamera’s heated face gave away her true feelings, she snatched her laptop, case and purse and fled the restaurant. Zach and his date didn’t even notice her abrupt departure because they were too busy forming one body in the corner of their booth.

  Thankfully she’d driven here in her own car. There was no way she could be in close quarters with Cole and his ego…there simply wasn’t enough room.

  Why did she have to find that confidence attractive? Had she not learned her lesson the first time? She did not need this added pressure right now, not with her father’s health hanging by the proverbial thread.

  Tamera slid into her silver BMW, set her belongings on the passenger seat and rested her head on the steering wheel. If she thought, for even a minute, that Cole had changed, that he could comfort her in the way she needed right now, whether in bed or out, she’d jump at the chance. To have strong arms envelop her, to rest her head on a set of shoulders that could carry her burdens, would be more of a turn-on than any charm he could throw her way.

  But Cole wasn’t offering anything that personal or intimate. Their versions of intimate were polar opposites and she just couldn’t commit to his.