by Mary Suzanne
"I always like to talk to new employees, especially if they've written a column after only one day in our employment."
"As I explained, Mark helped me with it. If there isn't anything else, I should be getting back to work."
"I'll let you know when I've finished our discussion." His eyes narrowed. Mitch wasn't ready to dismiss her that easily. He was having trouble simply sitting at his desk and not walking around the wooden interference to get even closer to her. "As long as you work at the newspaper you’ll have to stop your demonstrations." Why in the world had he said that? He saw the look of confusion line her face, but he felt as confused as she did. The words were popping out of his mouth without him giving any thought to the contents.
"Why do you keep bringing up demonstrations?” She stood.
"I'll tell you when you can leave," he said. His telephone rang and he picked it up, but his gaze remained glued to her.
Sasha sank down on her chair. While she got comfortable, she could feel his dark gaze continuing to watch her every move. She wished he would give his full attention to the telephone conversation and not her. He was making her nervous, but she figured that was his intention.
"Stop fidgeting." He reached up and covered the receiver with his hand as he spoke.
"I'm not fidgeting.”
"No, I didn't mean you, Cynthia," he said into the phone. "I have an employee in my office, so I'll talk to you tonight." He hung up before looking at Sasha again.
"I'm sorry if I interrupted your call.” She moved forward on her chair.
The call wasn't a business one, this she could tell by what he'd said. She felt curious about what type of woman Mitch Jenner would choose to see in his personal life. Judging by his personality, he’d probably only date the perfect woman.
"You didn't interrupt my call," his shrewd dark eyes studied her face.
Sasha's thoughts worked overtime as she mentally prepared herself for the next round with her new boss. She felt surprised when he picked up the phone again. Her coveted gaze strayed to his well-shaped mouth that had covered hers so possessively in the parking lot that memorable day. The smile curving his lips drastically changed his features and the small show of emotion made him even more handsome. Awareness shot through her as she continued to watch him. A yearning to feel those same lips on hers filled her and she couldn’t explain the reason. Eventually, he finished his call and looked across at her again.
"Is there anything else you need?" She nervously uncrossed her leg.
"No, but I don't want you to forget our discussion.”
"I won't.” Without saying another word, she walked out of the room and closed the door softly.
When she returned to her office, her cheeks felt warm from the unusual meeting with her boss. Mark looked up as she closed the door. "How did everything go?"
"Not too well.” She sighed deeply.
"Why not?" He furrowed his eyebrows and waited.
"If you've got a few minutes, I'll explain."
"Go ahead, I’m listening.”
She began telling him of her first meeting with Mitch Jenner in the nightclub, and went on to explain how she'd almost wrecked his car. When she got to the incident in the parking lot, her cheeks flushed remembering Mitch's kiss. That was the only part she left out of her explanation.
Mark burst out laughing when she finished her story. "Is that all? I'm sorry for laughing, but I don't understand the part about demonstrations."
"It's because of what the manager in the nightclub said about our group that night. He called us a bunch of rebel rousers and I guess Mitch heard him.”
"Don't look so down. You probably won't see him for a while now that he's already talked to you today."
"How can I avoid him? He lives right next door to me."
"You're letting this worry you too much. Come on, we'll have lunch." He waited for her to collect her handbag. "What are you doing Friday night?"
"I don't have anything planned.”
"Have dinner with me." Mark offered the invitation as they walked down the hallway.
"I'd love to."
"I'll pick you up at eight.”
* * * * *
On Friday evening, Sasha walked through the lobby, her thoughts preoccupied with her new job and her date that evening. Suddenly, she bumped into someone blocking her path. Raising her golden tipped lashes, her eyes met Mitch’s dark stare.
"Excuse me." She tried to move past him, but his grip on her arm held her in place.
"What's your hurry, Rebel?" he asked softly.
He’d called her Rebel. She couldn’t believe he was still on this demonstration kick. Instead of showing any irritation with his name for her, she looked at him without expression. "I'm not in any hurry.”
"Since we're neighbors, I thought we might have dinner tonight.” The thought of spending an entire evening alone with her excited him beyond control. He could see his unexpected invitation startled her.
"I'm sorry,” she blinked, “but I have a date tonight."
"I can imagine who your date is, the guy you were with in the nightclub.” Mitch felt anger striking him when she'd refused his offer. He mentally pictured the man she’d entered the club with and he didn’t have any good thoughts about the stranger in Sasha’s life.
"No, it isn't," she answered, feeling his fingers loosening their grip on her. "If you'll excuse me, I have to be going."
He stepped out of her way. As she walked to the door, she felt his gaze following her. Damn it! , Why did I accept a date with Mark? She felt an overpowering urge to be with Mitch, but she couldn't explain it.
* * * * *
Mark picked her up at eight and they drove across the city to the restaurant. On the way, he questioned her. "I saw Mitch talking to you in the lobby. Is everything all right between the two of you?"
"Oh, sure, he just asked me out tonight.”
"He did?” His brows rose. “I thought he dated Cynthia exclusively. It may be over between them.”
"I don't think that's it. I heard him talking to her on the phone the other day in his office.”
"You never can tell about Mitch's private life.”
At the restaurant the hostess showed them to their table. Sasha’s gaze slowly drifted around the packed room taking in the surroundings. She didn’t miss the dark familiar head of Mitch seated across the table from a blonde. It hadn't taken him long to find another date. She quickly looked away before he looked up and noticed her interest.
Throughout dinner, Sasha to keep her gaze from wandering toward Mitch; she felt her anger rise as she watched Mitch kiss the tip of the blonde’s nose. She didn’t know where her anger came from, since there wasn’t anything between her and Mitch. He’s my boss and nothing else.
After finishing dinner, Mark walked her to the car and she felt her tense state easing. The evening had begun so lighthearted, but now she felt dejected, with no explanation possible for her sinking sensation.
"Why don’t we stop at a club and round off the evening?" Mark leaned his head into the passenger side before he closed her door.
"How about giving me a rain check for later?"
"You have a deal.” He walked around and joined her in the car.
Three
Mark kept Sasha busy by giving her several stories to practice on. When they did interviews, he told her to take notes and put the articles into her own words. His confidence in her allowed her creative juices to flow. She handed Mark the finished stories and when he told her to deliver them to the printer, she felt she’d accomplished the first step of her goal.
Right after lunch that day, Mark received a call from Mitch. As soon as he replaced the receiver, he turned to her. “I have to leave on a special assignment, but I know you can hold things together until I get back.”
Sasha felt a moment of panic, swallowed and decided this was her chance to prove herself. “Thanks for your vote of confidence, Mark. I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly.”
&
nbsp; She watched as he gathered his notebooks and placed everything into a leather briefcase. When he got to the door, he turned and smiled at her, “You’ll do all right.”
“Good luck on your assignment.” Sasha kept her tone even, refusing to let Mark see her obvious case of nerves.
“Thanks, and I’ll see you in a few days.” He waved to her as he exited.
Now Sasha was alone in the office to fend for herself. There had always been Mark to turn to with questions she needed answering, but she was going to have to make decisions on her own until he returned.
* * * * *
When she reached her apartment door, she heard the sound of footsteps. She turned and saw Mitch standing behind her.
"How did your day go without Mark?” His eyes met hers.
"I didn’t run into any problems," she answered, turning the key in the lock and pushing the door open. Before she could enter her apartment, he moved closer and touched her arm lightly.
"Will you have dinner with me tonight?"
She felt her heart skip, her knees tremble. Since the first time he’d asked her out and she'd refused, Sasha doubted whether he would ask her again. She didn't want him to see how eager she was to go out with him, so she let several seconds elapse before answering. "What time do you have in mind?"
"I'll be over at eight.”
"See you then.”
Her legs felt wobbly as she entered her apartment. Once inside, she leaned her head against the closed door smiling in anticipation at the thought of spending an evening alone with Mitch.
* * * * *
At seven-thirty, she slipped into a green knee length dress that matched her eyes. After zipping it in place, she twirled in front of the mirror, watching the slight flaring of the skirt. When she finished putting on makeup, she made her way into the living room to wait.
The doorbell rang and she had to calm the fast beat of her heart before answering. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked out and saw how handsome Mitch looked. His dark blue suit and matching silk shirt brought out the deep tanned coloring of his skin. A shock of black hair dipped low on his forehead at a rakish angle and he lifted his hand to push it aside.
"Would you like to come in?" Again, her heart felt like it filled her throat.
"I'd like to, but we don't have that much time. We’ll miss our reservation.”
She nodded her head and reached for her purse.
As they walked across the parking lot, she saw him glancing at her sports car. "Nice car,” he said in a conversational tone.
"Yes," she answered, waiting for him to open the car door for her.
"How do you manage the rent and owning a new car on what we pay you?" I can’t figure it out, but something doesn’t add up here. Hers was definitely a pricey car.
"I'm on a budget," she hedged.
"I'm still trying to remember seeing your application for employment cross my desk. I review every one of them, but this has me puzzled."
"You may have forgotten about it," she said, silently hoping her answer would stop his persistent questioning.
"You may be right. I meant to tell you the other day that I thought your article was well written, but we were arguing again and I never got around to it.” A grin curved his lips.
Sasha sighed softly. At last, he’d changed the subject about her car. "Thanks, but Mark deserves most of the credit again.”
"Mark's an excellent reporter," he agreed, lapsing into silence.
After negotiating several turns on the busy street, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot. When they entered the building, a hostess immediately led the way to their table. Mitch ordered wine from the restaurant's list and topped Sasha’s glass off with the heady dark liquid. She lifted the glass and took a sip needing the power of the grape to relax. Sitting across from the handsome Mitch created a stir of emotions in her that she couldn’t control.
It wasn’t long before the waiter arrived to take their order. Mitch took the liberty of ordering for the both of them and the waiter complimented him on the excellent selections.
"Do you have lunch with Mark every day?" Mitch noticed her frowning the minute the words were out of his mouth. The question popped out of him before he could stop it, but something prodded him on to find out the answer. He couldn't understand what was happening to him. He had to stop himself from asking the question again, because she was taking so long in answering him.
"We usually do.”
"Mitch," a low, husky voice spoke from behind Sasha and she turned to the voice.
The blonde she’d seen Mitch with at the restaurant moved gracefully to him. Sasha's gaze swept the black gown hugging the blonde’s body. Now that she saw the woman up close, she noticed her flawless skin and doll-like beauty.
"Hi, Cynthia," he greeted her, standing and making the introductions. Damn, I don’t understand why she had to show up tonight. I thought I told her I’d check back with her later in the week. He didn’t feel up to listening to her idle chitchat two nights in a row. Mitch knew he had occupied a lot of her time lately, but since meeting Sasha, she just didn’t hold the same interest for him.
Sasha smiled at Cynthia, but received only a slight smile in return. Cynthia's gaze remained on Mitch as if he were the only person in the room.
"Where have you been all week, Mitch?" Her gaze narrowed suspiciously, glancing at Sasha.
"I've been busy.” He looked behind the blonde, across the busy restaurant. "Are you alone?"
He knew better than to look for someone with Cynthia. She had dated him exclusively for the last two months, but he silently hoped she wasn’t alone because if she were, he’d have to invite her to join them.
"Yes," she answered, “I am,” her eyes widening in anticipation. The seconds dragged by while Cynthia stood patiently near the table.
"We've already ordered,” Mitch sighed, “but you're welcome to join us."
Sasha knew if he had said it like that to her, she would have taken the hint that she wasn’t wanted. It didn’t look as if Cynthia had noticed his hesitant tone.
"I'd love to," Cynthia accepted quickly, not wasting any time in claiming the vacant chair next to him.
Sasha rolled her eyes, This is going to be a long evening if I have to listen to Cynthia tell Mitch what she'd been doing all day. Mitch tried acting interested, but Sasha noticed his gaze straying in her direction more than once. She couldn’t tell what his private thoughts were, so she lowered her eyes and gave her attention to the drink in her hand.
The evening seemed endless, until Sasha felt like screaming out her frustration. The blonde Barbie interloper spoiled an otherwise pleasurable night. How often did Sasha get the chance to date her handsome boss? When Mitch suggested they leave, the only sensation Sasha felt was relief.
On the ride home, Mitch noticed how quiet she was. "I'm sorry about Cynthia," he apologized, breaking into her silent thoughts. “I didn’t have any idea she was going to show up at the restaurant.”
She nodded without saying anything. This seemed to satisfy him after the tense filled evening they’d just spent. She stole a glance at Mitch. Each time she looked at his handsome profile, she felt her heartbeat quicken. A tremble developed in her hands and her pulse raced.
When they reached her apartment, she turned to him. He lowered his head unexpectedly and his lips caught hers in a fiery kiss. She responded instantly. His tongue tenderly parted her lips gaining entry into her mouth. Heat swiftly filled her body.
Gently pushing her against the doorframe, he molded her body to his, causing her emotions to accelerate. She unconsciously reached up and circled his neck, letting her fingers comb through his thick, black hair. The sensuous heat of his mouth made her weak with desire.
The bright headlights from a passing car brought Sasha to her senses. She felt her sanity slowly return in those few seconds. Pulling away, she lifted her green eyes and saw the disturbed look filling his face from the passionate kiss. A warm glow enveloped her heart
.
"Good night, Mitch,” she whispered, in a voice that trembled. She turned away and pushed the door open.
"Good night, Rebel," he said.
Mitch stood near her door until she disappeared inside. He felt his body shaking with desire for the green-eyed beauty. I have to stop this, he thought. No woman had ever made him feel as helpless as Sasha James did, and he wasn’t certain he liked the sensation. Walking slowly toward his apartment, he resolved to try harder to keep his emotions under control the next time he saw her, but he knew one look from her would have him melting again. When he entered his apartment, he headed straight for a cold shower.
* * * * *
Sasha entered her bedroom and turned on a light, bathing the room in a warm glow. A smile lined her features Mitch called me Rebel. At any other time, she would have been furious over his use of that name. Tonight, she still felt the warmth from his passionate kiss lingering on her lips. She caught the reflection of her face in the mirror. A dreamy look radiated out to her. This man had cast a spell over her without really trying and she felt it with such intensity, it was disturbing.
* * * * *
On Monday evening, Sasha called her father. After the tenth ring, she hung up feeling disappointed. She’d just started toward the kitchen to prepare a snack, when she heard the doorbell.
Opening the door, a smile lit her eyes. "I've been trying to call you this evening," she told her dad, going into his arms for a hug.
As she glanced over Mike's shoulder, she saw Mitch walking on the graveled path near her apartment, watching the scene unfolding. A strange look filled his eyes.
"Aren't you going to invite me in, baby?” Mike Jardane asked, unaware of anyone listening in on their conversation.
"Yes, come in.” She quickly closed the door on an irritated looking Mitch.
"I came by to see if you'd have dinner with me; we’ll celebrate your new independence tonight."
"Why don't you fix a drink while I get ready?"