Business Affairs

by Shirley Rogers

  She smiled. “Yes, although it was taken a while ago. This one’s more recent,” she said, pointing to another picture. The woman and man were of middle age, both smiling happily, as if they hadn’t a care in the world.

  “You’re close with them?” he asked.

  “We’re a tight-knit family.” She took a swallow of her coffee.

  “Where do they live?”

  “In Norfolk.”

  “Do you see them often?”

  “I talk to them several times a week and visit a few times a month.”

  He found it interesting that she enjoyed spending time with her parents. “Siblings?”

  She smiled even more. “Two brothers and a sister.” Jennifer knew Alex was an only child. He never had the advantage of siblings to play with so he probably couldn’t comprehend what her childhood was like. “I used to be a tomboy.”

  Alex tried to imagine the polished woman in front of him as a child tussling with her brothers. He noticed a family portrait on her wall. It looked to have been taken fairly recently. “What do they do?”

  “We had this taken for my parents’ anniversary.” She pointed to her older brother. “This is Tony. He’s a doctor.” Tapping the glass, she continued, “This is Greg. He’s the youngest, and he works in television.” She named the cable network her brother worked for. “He lives in Atlanta.”

  “Greg Cardon is your brother?” Alex asked, realizing he’d never made the connection with their names. The youngest news anchor of one of the major cable networks, her brother had made a name for himself covering military operations overseas during a crisis in the Middle East.

  Jennifer nodded. “Yes. We’re all proud of him.”

  “Is this your sister?” he asked, noticing a woman who looked remarkably like Jennifer.

  “Yes, that’s Lil. She’s married and lives in Norfolk.”

  “What does she do?” Apparently, Jennifer had come from a family of overachievers. He wondered if they were still competitive, if being competitive with her siblings was why she was so ambitious. Or was something else driving her?

  She smiled. “Well, Lil was an architect until a few years ago.”

  Alex raised an eyebrow. “Was?”

  “She met the man of her dreams.” She pointed to Robert, her sister’s husband. “She decided to quit working when she had her first child.” Picking up another frame, she held it out to him. “Her children are adorable. This is Brian, and this cute little one is Kimberly. I see them every couple of weeks.”

  “So you’re close with them, too?”

  “Very. She’s pregnant again.”

  Alex studied her. Had he imagined her wistful tone? “I can’t imagine what it must have been like growing up with siblings,” he commented. “I was alone most of the time.”

  His admission surprised Jennifer and her heart went out to him. He must have been lonely growing up. “Did you have cousins to play with?” she asked as she headed for the kitchen.

  “Yeah, but I rarely saw them after my parents split up. They stopped taking me to birthday parties and things.” He followed her and stopped in the doorway, leaning against the jamb.

  Jennifer couldn’t understand how adults could ignore the needs of a child. No wonder Alex was so detached. He’d loved his parents, then they’d let him down, hadn’t been there to support him. “Do you see your cousins now?” she asked.

  “Not very often.” He attended an occasional family gathering, but often felt out of place. Most of his cousins had married and started families, and without a family of his own, he had little in common with them.

  “Once a month, our entire family gets together. We have a lot of fun, especially now that Lil has children. I love her kids. Sometimes I take them for a weekend to give my sister and her husband some time alone.”

  “Really?” Alex was surprised. The image of two little kids crawling all over her was more appealing than he’d expected. “Here?”

  Rinsing out her cup, she chuckled. “I have had them over here, but most often I stay at their house where they have their toys and things.”

  Alex saw the love in her eyes when she talked of her niece and nephew. She obviously cherished them. Did she want children of her own? Like him, she seemed to live to work. Or had he always told himself she did because it made him more comfortable? “Why haven’t you married?” he asked, wondering.

  Jennifer nearly dropped the cup she was drying. “What?”

  “You seem to like children. Why haven’t you ever married and had kids of your own?”

  She met his gaze. “You know better than anyone that my job requires the majority of my time.”

  His lips twisted as he digested her comment. He’d believed she was as ambitious as himself. But the hint of hollowness in her answer made him rethink his assumption. “I guess I hadn’t realized how much I demand of your time.”

  She gave him a brief smile. “Don’t think it’s your fault, Alex. I chose my course in life.” And eligible bachelors weren’t exactly knocking down her door.

  “Do you want it all?” he prodded. “Like your sister? The family and kids?”

  She couldn’t out-and-out lie. Alex was an expert in reading people, and she knew it would have shown in her expression. “I’ve thought about it. I’ll be thirty soon. I don’t want to wait too long, then find out it’s too late for me to have children.”

  Alex started at her response. It was disconcerting to learn she thought about marriage and babies. She’d told him there was no one special in her life. What if there was? What if she met someone, got married, then left work to pursue the all-American dream of a house, a picket fence and children?

  What would he do without her?

  “What about you?” Jennifer couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn more about his opinion of marriage. Although from his dating habits and his comments about his parents, she suspected it wasn’t something he valued.

  “I guess it works for some people.”

  She gave him a long, searching look. “But not you?”

  Alex gave a bitter laugh. “Not in this lifetime, anyway.”

  Sadly, his answer confirmed what she’d suspected. And who could blame him after the way he was raised? “Look, we’d better get going if we don’t want to miss our flight.” She grabbed her coat and shrugged into it, trying very hard to act as if she hadn’t been bothered by his beliefs on marriage.

  He nodded, then walked with her into the living room where her luggage was placed beside the door. There were two bags, neither one very big. “Is this all you’re taking?” he asked, surprised. Most of the women he’d taken away for the weekend had traveled with three times as much luggage.

  “We’re only going to be gone a couple of days.” Picking up her purse, she opened the door.

  Alex carried her luggage down and tossed it into the trunk of his car. Within minutes, they were on the way to the airport. Less than two hours later, they were seated next to each other on the plane, half through their flight to the ski resort.

  “Sorry,” she said, when she bumped his arm as she thumbed through the airline’s magazine. “These seats are too small.” Her leg brushed his and her eyes darted to his face. Heat rushed to her cheeks.

  Casey had told her to let things between her and Alex progress naturally. Could she do as her friend suggested? Perhaps nothing at all would happen between them. Maybe she wouldn’t even have a choice about sleeping with him. Alex was certainly seeing this weekend for what it was; a chance to take some time off work and enjoy skiing.

  But what if something did happen between them? What if she had the chance to make love with him?

  She wanted him. Could she say no to a chance to be with him? Jennifer bit her lip, knowing the idea of making love with Alex would be too tempting to refuse.

  She didn’t want to say no to what would be her only chance to be with him.

  You also want a baby, her mind whispered.

  Maybe she did, but wanting a baby did
n’t mean she would deceive Alex. She wouldn’t.

  Even so, what if they made love and by chance she got pregnant? She’d have a child from someone she cared for. Would Alex really be hurt if he never found out? And what if he did? With his views on having a family, he most likely wouldn’t want anything to do with her or his child. Why was she making this so difficult? Everything would work out all right if she didn’t let her heart get involved.

  She cast a glance in his direction and found him watching her. “What, did I bump you again?”

  “No, but you’re awfully quiet. What are you thinking about?”

  “Um, I was thinking about work.” It was a good cover. Work was never far from her mind.

  “I don’t want you to think about anything except enjoying yourself. I intend to make sure you get your money’s worth.”

  “My money’s worth?”

  “For your date,” he reminded her.

  “Alex, that really isn’t necessary.” She was trying to forget this had all started as a date between the two of them. “I’ll probably just lounge around in my room.”

  His smile disappeared. “You’re not going to ski with me?”

  “I don’t ski,” she reminded him.

  “Ah, but I’m going to teach you. You paid for a date with me. It doesn’t count if you’re hibernating. Besides, it’s not much fun to ski alone.”

  “Believe me, you won’t want me out there with you. I’ll only make you miserable.”

  “You won’t make me miserable unless you refuse to try.” He gave her a beseeching look. “Besides, what about all those ski outfits we bought?”

  “I figured that even if I didn’t ski, they’d help me look good.”

  Alex almost told her she didn’t need a ski outfit to look good. She was gorgeous in anything she wore, he imagined she’d look especially good if she wore nothing. “Please?”

  Put so sweetly, how could she say no? “All right. But it’ll be your fault if I end up with a broken leg.”

  He laughed at her remark and sat back in his seat. “If you end up with a broken leg, I promise to be your servant.”

  She considered Alex as her servant. The vision of him catering to her every need sounded like a great idea. “I’ll hold you to it,” she promised, then turned in her seat as the pilot came over the speaker to announce their descent.

  The resort in Vermont was nothing like Jennifer had envisioned. She zipped up her jacket as she climbed out of the SUV they’d picked up at the airport, her face aglow with excitement. The breathtaking view of the distant mountains belonged on a postcard. The crisp air filled her lungs with each breath. It was exhilarating. If she could only get used to the cold. A gust of wind blew icy air inside the hood of her parka, and she shivered.

  “Oh, my. I’ve never seen anything this beautiful.”

  “It’s even more exciting when you’re on skis and racing down a mountain, your adrenaline pumping, your heart pounding.” Enthusiasm filled his voice as he joined her. “It beats anything else.” Except sex, he thought, but he stopped himself from saying the words out loud. He hadn’t been very successful at keeping his thoughts about Jennifer platonic. In the confines of the airplane, she’d been sitting so close her perfume had invaded his senses, making him want to kiss all the places she’d touched it to her skin.

  “I’ll take your word for it,” she told him as they walked toward the resort, the snow crunching beneath their feet.

  Nestled in the trees, the warmth of the rustic wooden building was a welcome respite from the cold temperature. Jennifer stood aside and waited for Alex as he checked them in, her mind whirling. Everything about the resort screamed romance, from the soft fire glowing in the fireplace in the lounge to the huge, over-stuffed rugged furniture.

  “Ready?”

  She turned toward him. “Sure.” She grabbed the smaller of her two cases and followed him to the stairs, which they took to the second floor. “Did you have any problems checking us in?” she asked when they stepped off.

  “Not one. Everything had been arranged.” He led the way down the hall, stopped in front of a door, then handed her a plastic key card.

  Jennifer took it from him and opened her door, wondering where his room was in conjunction to hers. It would be easier on her nerves knowing he wasn’t too close. Once inside, her gaze swept the exquisite room as Alex stepped in behind her.

  “Nice.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” The room was set up for romance. Soft colors of blue and sienna decorated the room. The king-size bed, neatly made with a thick comforter and abundant pillows invited intimacy, as did the sitting area along the outside wall. Whoever had been responsible for putting the package together had definitely hoped their participants would be romantically compatible. “Where’s your room?”

  “Across the hall and down a few doors.” He gave her the number. “Are you going to be okay here?” he asked.

  “Who wouldn’t be?” The only thing that would make it more inviting was if Alex was staying in the room with her.

  “Great. How long will it take you to change?” he asked, already thinking about hitting the slopes.

  “Alex—”

  “You’re not getting out of skiing. I promise you’ll be racing down the slopes on your own by the end of the day.”

  “All right. I’ll give it my best effort,” she promised. Perhaps he was right. There was safety in numbers. If she were out on the snow with him, with people all around them, she wouldn’t be thinking about sharing that big bed with him. “But if I don’t do well, or if I don’t like it—”

  “Then we’ll find other ways to enjoy ourselves.” He didn’t elaborate. The “other ways” he was thinking of had nothing to do with skiing.

  “‘Other ways’?” she repeated, wondering if his thoughts paralleled her own.

  “Eating, hiking or going to the bar for a drink,” he suggested.

  “Oh.” Deflated, but reminding herself it was for the best if she kept busy, she said, “I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.” She shut the door behind her and secretly wished for the unattainable—that Alex wanted only to be with her.

  Four

  Deciding to unpack later, Jennifer changed from her jeans to white ski pants with purple stripes down the sides, then she slipped on the matching jacket and scarf. Instead of wearing a hat, she opted for a purple knit band to wear around her head and wore her hair down. By the time she left her room, no one would have guessed she was a novice.

  She met Alex as he was stepping into the hall. They’d decided to forego lunch and to head for the equipment hut to be fitted for skis. Although Alex had brought his own skis along, he’d been right beside the person fitting her, asking questions and giving his opinion of the best size skis for her frame and height. A half hour later, equipment in tow, she trudged toward the slopes with nervous enthusiasm.

  She slipped on the sunglasses Alex had insisted she bring. At the time she’d questioned why she’d need them. Now she understood. The glare of the sun on the blanket of icy-white snow blinded her. Like magic, she fell in love with winter all over again.

  “Let’s go over there where we’ll be out of the way. Then we can talk,” Alex suggested.

  She nodded, inhaling the fresh scent of mountain air and pine as she followed him a short distance away toward a small hill. After standing his skis in the snow, he dropped hers in front of her. “The Bunny slope is over there. We’ll practice here a little, then I’ll take you there for a trial run.”

  He spent the next few minutes instructing her on how to put on her skis, snowplowing and controlling her balance. By the time he’d finished, Jennifer had a basic understanding of the process and was ready to give it a try. She took off her skis and they walked to a small hill near the Bunny slope and stopped.

  “What are you doing?” she asked when he moved behind her and grasped her waist with his hands.

  “I’m going to steady you while you put on your skis.”

 
; It sounded reasonable. If he’d been anyone else, it probably would have worked like a charm. But all she could think of was how close he was. She breathed in the woodsy scent of his aftershave, then turned to look at him over her shoulder. His face was a breath away. It was all she could do not to press her mouth to his cheek.

  Not thinking about keeping her balance proved costly. She wobbled and Alex tightened his hold on her waist, bringing her up against his big body. Oh, dear Lord. This wasn’t going anything like it was supposed to. Taking a breath to steady herself, she bit her lip, tried to forget he was holding her and struggled into her skis.

  “You’re doing good,” he said, praising her as if she’d performed some spectacular feat.

  “I haven’t done anything yet,” she reminded him. Silently, she lauded her supreme effort of remaining sane when all she wanted to do was to toss Alex down on the snow and have her way with him.

  Alex chuckled at the mixture of excitement and panic in her eyes. “I’m going to step away.”

  “Not yet.”

  “You’ll be fine.” Ignoring her plea, he handed her poles to her. “Use them to balance yourself. Once you feel steady, give yourself a little push.”

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” she told him, alarmed he was turning her loose. Her ski moved all by itself and she squealed. Fear of falling had her throwing her arms out and she lost her balance. Her feet slid even more, spreading her legs farther apart.

  Jennifer screamed and grabbed for Alex. Caught off balance, he went down, taking her with him. He managed to land on his back, then Jennifer came crashing down on top of him, landing with an “Oomph” on his chest as her skis popped off.

  His arms went around her to steady her. Laughing, Jennifer lifted her face and her eyes met his. “I’m so sorry.” Aware of people around them staring, she looked away with embarrassment.