by Sandra Brown
“I assure you, he didn’t. You’ll get a full explanation after dinner, Mr. Burke. Besides, we’ve arrived.”
The limo rolled to a stop at a steak house. Jade had consulted with the hotel concierge before deciding on this restaurant and giving the address to the limo driver. The family-owned establishment advertised wholesome food at reasonable prices. The location wasn’t elitist, and the interior looked like the set of a Gene Autry movie. The large dining room was dim, relieved only by pools of golden light cast by lanterns suspended from the ceiling.
Jade was pleased with her selection as they were escorted to a corner table by a hostess wearing a fringed leather skirt and western boots. Mr. Burke would feel less conspicuous here than in a more expensive restaurant.
He ordered a draft beer from the cocktail waitress. Jade asked for a soda and lime. He spoke a terse thanks when the drinks arrived. As he sipped his beer, Jade covertly watched him, wondering what he would look like without the beard. He neatly whisked specks of the beer’s head off his mustache, which covered his upper lip and rode nicely above the fuller lower one.
His hands, she noticed, weren’t soft. They were working hands with callused knuckles. The nails were clipped and clean, but they hadn’t been buffed to a high gloss. Work gloves had left faint tan lines around his wrists. The strong arms that had impressed her through the binoculars appeared even stronger up close. Today he was wearing a plaid flannel shirt over his tank top. It had been left unbuttoned. The sleeves had been ripped out. His exposed chest had certainly impressed the cocktail waitress.
“When you’re finished, do I get my turn?”
Jade lifted her eyes from his chest to his face. “Pardon?”
“Do I get my turn to scope you over as thoroughly as you’re looking at me? It might get sloppy if we tried to ogle each other at the same time.”
The arrival of the waitress kept Jade from having to reply. Briskly she placed their order. “My guest will have your largest steak cooked medium rare, french fries, and salad. I’ll have the small filet mignon. We’ll order dessert later.” She slapped the menus into the waitress’s hand, then faced her companion.
He was gripping the beer mug so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His voice vibrated with anger. “I’m a big boy, Miss whoever-the-hell-you-are. I can read a menu and order for myself.”
She hadn’t been scoping him out, at least not in the way he imagined, and his remark about her ogling him had made her mad. “I apologize for the rudeness. I sometimes do that without thinking. It’s a bad habit of mine.”
“Are you going to tell me what I’m doing here with you?”
“After dinner.”
He muttered a word that wasn’t in keeping with civilized dinner conversation. “In the meantime, may I have another beer?”
“Of course.” By the time he was finished with his second beer, their food arrived. He fell on it ravenously, leaving Jade to wonder when he had last eaten a good cut of beef. He used his utensils correctly, but quickly.
“Would you like another steak?” she inquired gently, leaning across the table toward him. The instant she adopted that compassionate tone of voice, she realized she had blundered.
He regarded her coldly. “No.”
He was refusing more out of pride than because his hunger was appeased, but Jade let it drop. Their plates were removed. He curtly declined dessert and merely shrugged when she suggested coffee. “Two coffees,” Jade told their waitress. Once they had been served, she began her explanation.
“I was at the construction site this afternoon when you were arrested, Mr. Burke.” She watched his eyes for signs of reaction, but there were none. They remained steadily on her, registering nothing. A flicker of surprise or interest would have been expected. The lack of one was disturbing.
“I was impressed with several things. For one, you weren’t afraid to speak out and hold your ground even though your opinion was unwelcome and unpopular. That demonstrates conviction and courage, which are attributes I’m looking for. I need someone tough.”
A laugh originated as a low rumble deep in his chest. “Well, I’ll be damned. You sure went to a lot of trouble.”
“Yes, I did.”
Resting his forearms on the table, he leaned forward and spoke to her softly over two cups of forgotten, cooling coffee. “Now I get it. You’re looking for adventure because your rich, successful husband is a workaholic who’s too busy making a buck to pay attention to you. Or maybe you found out that he’s banging a girl in the typing pool and you’re out to get him back.
“You happened by today when all that excitement was going on and got wet over a hard-hat fantasy. So you had your chauffeur drive you down to city hall, and—being the rich, powerful, and bossy bitch you are—pulled a few strings that got me out of jail. Is that it?”
Complacently, he eased back in his chair. “Okay, fine. I’d hate for you to be out that trouble for nothing. For a thousand dollars, I’ll fuck you all night long.”
Chapter Nineteen
A small shudder passed through Jade. “How dare you?”
Reaching across the table, he lightly encircled her wrist in his large hand. “Okay, five hundred. I lost my job today. I’m in no position to bargain.”
Jade yanked her arm free. Her first impulse was to dress him down as soundly as she had Matthias earlier in the day for sexist transgressions that had been far less offensive than Burke’s. When compared to the man seated across the table from her, even the sleazy Matthias came out ahead—at least on the surface.
But Jade had a gut instinct that there was more to Dillon Burke than met the eye. The untrimmed beard, long hair, and rudeness were affectations. She didn’t know how she knew this. She just knew. Rather than leaving him with a scathing reproof, she stayed, unwilling to give up on him. Why? she wondered. What quirk of coincidence had placed her at the site at the time of his arrest? For days she had been watching him through binoculars from her hotel window. It was as though fate had pointed him out to her.
He was still observing her with his guarded, hooded gaze. In his place, wouldn’t she have been confused? In any event, the TexTile plant was worth giving him the benefit of the doubt.
She signaled their waitress. “Are you sure you won’t have dessert, Mr. Burke?”
He stared at her with misgiving, then said brusquely, “Apple pie.”
“Two,” Jade told the waitress. “And we’ll need fresh cups of coffee. Keep them coming. We’ll probably be here for a while.”
After the waitress withdrew, Jade stared into Dillon’s unwavering hazel eyes. “I want something so badly that I taste it at night in my sleep. You can help me get it, but it has nothing to do with sex. Knowing that, are you still interested in hearing my proposition?”
His eyes remained on Jade even when he leaned back to give the waitress room to serve their pie and fresh coffees. Picking up his dessert fork, he said, “You’ve got from now until I finish my pie to interest me.”
“Your allegations were right. Matthias was using substandard materials and bribing a city inspector to approve them.”
“Son of a bitch,” he whispered beneath his breath. “I knew it! I saw things I couldn’t believe were getting past, but with every inspection, Matthias got the city’s stamp of approval.”
“He was charging his client the price of quality materials and skimming off the difference.”
“I don’t give a shit about the money. The goddamn building could have fallen down, especially if there was a quake. How’d you find out?”
“Through his secretary. She had a lot to say about him when I told her he had flirted with me during our luncheon meeting.”
“Oh, great,” he muttered. “That puts me in a league with Matthias.”
“Hardly, Mr. Burke.”
“So who are you, an investigator? Did you do all this so I would testify against Matthias in court?”
“No. I’m no longer interested in what happens to Matthias.
I made photocopies of his purchase orders and other incriminating documents, then called him on his cellular phone. I threatened to take my findings to the D.A. unless he declined to press charges against you.”
“You didn’t have to personally escort me out of jail.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m about to offer you the job I had intended for Matthias. You’re finished with your pie. Shall I keep talking?”
He didn’t verbally encourage her to continue, but he scooted aside the empty dessert plate and picked up his coffee cup.
After allowing herself a smile, Jade told him who she represented. He was only vaguely familiar with GSS. “For almost thirteen months, our legal department has been quietly acquiring property in Palmetto, South Carolina. We’re going to build a plant there.”
“What kind of plant?”
“Textile. But in addition to the cloth being woven there, we’ll manufacture moderately priced clothing. The economic climate in that area of the state is poor. Until the last decade or so, the developers of resorts along the coast discouraged industrial development.”
“Because of the pollutants.”
“Exactly. But after the formation of a pollution-control board, that’s no longer an issue. The lobbyists have lost their muscle. The State Development Board wholeheartedly approves us because GSS is dedicated to protecting the environment.”
“I’ll bet they’re also dedicated to making a buck,” he said cynically.
“For everybody. We’re bringing in some management and middle management, but the plant will employ hundreds of local people in as many specialized jobs. It will completely change the complexion of the economy.”
“I’ve never heard of Palmetto.”
“It’s located near the coastline between Savannah and Charleston. The population of the town proper is just over ten thousand, but thousands more live in a tri-county area. The entire region will benefit when GSS moves in.”
“What role do you play?”
“I’m the project supervisor.”
He arched one of his eyebrows. “You’re the head honcho?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“And you came all the way to Southern California to hire construction workers?” he asked skeptically.
“I came to hire a general contractor.”
“A developer usually does that.”
“GSS has a development company. A man named David Seffrin is in charge of TexTile. He sent me out to meet Matthias, who had come highly recommended, although I now doubt the authenticity of his references.”
“If this Seffrin is the developer, why are you hiring?”
“The contractor awarded this job must meet with my approval. This plant is my baby, Mr. Burke. It has been from its inception. I’ll be working closely with the contractor for a long time, so it’s essential that I feel he’s right for the project.” Leaning forward slightly, she said, “I believe you are the man I need.”
His sharp barking laugh drew glances from other restaurant patrons. “Yeah, right.” He looked himself over, fingering a ragged hole in the knee of his jeans. “I look like the boss man, all right. You could pick me out of any lineup.”
“I couldn’t care less what you look like.”
He shook his head adamantly. “I’m not your man. Sorry to disappoint you.”
“You’re from the South, Mr. Burke.” He gave her a sharp, inquisitive look. “One Southern accent recognizes another,” she said. “And you were familiar with the issue of industry versus tourism.”
“So you’d hire me on the basis of my Southern accent alone?”
“No, I’d hire you on the basis of your qualifications.”
“I’m not qualified.”
“Don’t bullshit me.” Again, his eyebrow arched in surprise. “You can decline my offer, but don’t lie to me. I’m sure you have a good reason to hide behind your beard and that monstrous chip on your shoulder, but you’re qualified for this job.
“The secretary didn’t only talk about Matthias, she told me a lot about you. Things were in a mess when you happened along. Soon after you were hired, you began spotting problems and giving Matthias advice until he didn’t make a move without consulting you first. He doesn’t hire any subcontractors without getting your opinion. Isn’t that right?”
He merely stared at her stonily.
“She said you seemed to be an expert on everything, from reading blueprints to ironwork to installing electrical conduit. She said Matthias resented you for quarreling with him over inferior materials, but that he didn’t dare fire you because you had made yourself indispensable. Is this true?”
He pulled the corner of his mustache through his teeth.
“I have your social security number,” she added quietly. “I’ll check on you. So don’t bother lying to me.”
He muttered a string of curses, then said, “Maybe at one time I was qualified, but I haven’t done anything more than menial labor in seven years. I haven’t wanted to. I don’t want to. I just want to be left the hell alone.”
“Why?”
“None of your goddamn business.”
Once again his raised, angry voice attracted the attention of nearby diners. “I think it’s time we left,” Jade suggested. “Ready?”
“Past ready.”
“Where can we drop you?” she asked, once they were ensconced in the backseat of the limo.
“At the site. My pickup is parked there. At least I hope to God it’s still there.”
Jade gave the address to the chauffeur, then sat back against the seat. “In spite of the fact he needs you, Matthias won’t welcome you back. So what will you do tomorrow, Mr. Burke?”
“Sleep late, I guess.”
“And then?”
“Go looking for a job.”
“Just any job?”
“That’s right. Just any job. Just anywhere. It doesn’t really matter.”
“I think it does.” He whipped his head around and glared at her for contradicting him. “I think it matters a lot more than you’ll admit to yourself.” She reached for the attaché case on the floorboard and opened it. “This is the prospectus Mr. Seffrin prepared for the TexTile plant. I’d like you to keep it and look it over.” She handed him the proposal, which was bound in a clear plastic folder. “I’m going back to New York tomorrow. Is there a number where I can reach you in a few days?”
“No. And looking over this prospectus won’t change my mind.”
“The salary is five thousand dollars a month, effective upon signing a contract. A twenty-five-thousand-dollar bonus will be payable upon completion to my satisfaction.” There was no mention of a bonus in the prospectus. George Stein would blow a gasket, but she needed all the perks she could devise.
“I don’t give a damn about money.”
“Oh, really? You were going to charge a thousand dollars to spend the night with me,” she reminded him.
“I was trying to insult you.”
“It worked.”
He ran his hand through his long, unkempt hair. “Thanks for getting me out of jail, but you’ve wasted your time.”
“I don’t think so.” The limousine slid to the curb at the dark, deserted work site. “You know where to contact me when you’ve reached a decision, Mr. Burke.”
“You don’t listen, do you? I’ve already reached a decision. My answer is no.” The chauffeur came around and opened the door for him. He set one foot on the pavement, but turned back and asked, “What did you say your first name is?”
“Jade.”
“Thanks for dinner, Jade, but I like my steaks well done.” Moving suddenly, he cupped the back of her head and hauled her against him. His mouth covered hers in a hard kiss. He thrust his tongue between her lips, spearing deeply but briefly, before immediately releasing her. “I apologize for the rudeness. I sometimes do that without thinking. It’s a bad habit of mine.”
He got out, leaving her spee
chless, her lips damp and throbbing.
* * *
Standing in the doorway of her office, Dillon felt gawky, out of place, and too large for his clothes. After years of working outdoors, being inside an office building made him feel claustrophobic.
Jade Sperry was sitting behind her desk, speaking into the telephone. Her back was to the door. Her dark hair had been pulled into a low ponytail and secured with a gold clasp, but she was idly twining one stray curl around her index finger.
“Another thing, Cathy, please call Graham’s school and make an appointment with the principal. I want to see him before I leave… Uh-huh… No, I won’t forget. Thanks for reminding me. I’ll be home around six. Bye.”
She hung up the phone and spun around in her chair, drawing a quick little breath when she saw him standing there. “I’m sorry. Can I help you?”
“How soon they forget.”
Astonishment altered her features, making her eyes larger and brighter and her mouth softer. “Mr. Burke?”
He shrugged self-consciously.
Quickly she stood up and rounded her desk. She was wearing a white blouse, a straight black skirt, and the same black high heels she had been wearing in L.A. two weeks earlier. Her legs were as good as he remembered.
“I didn’t recognize you without your beard,” she said. “And you hair’s shorter, isn’t it?”
“That’s a polite way of saying that I finally got a haircut. I even dressed up.” Self-derisively he spread his arms at his sides. He had worn his best pair of jeans and a new shirt. As an afterthought, he had even bought a necktie at the K-Mart where he had purchased the shirt. It had been so long since he had tied a necktie, it had taken him three tries and countless cuss words to get it right.
Studying his new image in the YMCA mirror, he decided that he had done the best he could, and that if he wasn’t good enough for her, that was just too damn bad. Who needed this anyway?
He did.
Dillon had come to that conclusion after days of soul-searching anguish. Damn her! Jade Sperry had succeeded in getting him excited over something for the first time in seven years. The lady was nuts to entrust a project of this magnitude to a burned-out, bummed-out drifter like him, but—God!—the challenge was irresistible.