A Calculated Seduction

by Melissa Schroeder

  As she approached her office, she was surprised to find the light on. She wondered if Bill had stopped by again. He had retired a few months ago, but he seemed to be bored lately. That could be the only reason he’d show up early. When he was CEO, he was never here this early.

  When she opened the door, she found the office empty, but a chair squeaked in Ethan’s office. Was Bill in Ethan’s office? With his memory loss of late, she worried about him.

  She set her briefcase on her desk and wandered over to the door. Sitting behind the desk, a pair of reading glasses halfway down his nose, s at Ethan MacMillan. The same man who never made it to the office before eight in the morning.

  She cleared her throat and he glanced up, looking over the top of his glasses. A slow, seductive smile curved his lips. Oh, God, he looked like a sexy professor. Her libido pulsed to life at the intimate look he gave her. Wet heat flooded her sex.

  “Dulcy, I didn’t hear you come in. How are you this morning?”

  His voice vibrated along her nerve endings. There was definitely something in it that spoke of a familiar relationship.

  “Okay. Mr. MacMillan, what are you doing here this early?”

  “Can’t the boss come in early?” he joked, but she recognized an underlying seriousness to the question. It confused her. It was as if he questioned her early morning habit.

  “Of. . . of course you can come in early . You’ve just never been here this early before.”

  She shifted from one foot to the other under his intense stare. Her nipples tightened against the lace of her bra. The silence stretched and she had the feeling he thought her guilty of something. Just what, she had no idea.

  “Well, if you don’t need me.”

  His eyes darkened with her statement, but he just shook his head. She hurried out the door. Work. That’s what she needed to get her mind off the man and his very large hands.

  * * * *

  Ethan stared at the closed door. His brain still wasn’t functioning. He had never been this wrapped up in a woman. It was making him stupid.

  How the hell was he supposed to finish this investigation? He couldn’t think straight. She licked her lips and he was ready to throw his integrity out the window and beg for a night in her bed. It was disgusting and more than a little embarrassing. He could imagine sinking his cock deep into her tight, wet warmth. He threw his glasses on his desk and sighed.

  After little sleep and more aggravating conversations with Todd, he was ready to give up. Whoever she was working with was crafty and had to have some idea they were onto them. If he forgot the investigation, he could have Dulcy. And that thought brought him back to reality.

  What was the reason she came in early? Everything with the new computer program was fixed, and the Gala was pretty much done until they had the final head count.

  No, the only motivation she would have to arrive at this hour would be to help her accomplice. And Ethan was determined she wouldn’t suffer for her naiveté́. He would do everything in his power to keep her out of jail. A little seduction was in order, and if her feelings were hurt in the process, well, that was better than jail, wasn’t it?

  * * * *

  Wednesday afternoon Dulcy eyed the pile of dresses sitting on the stool in the changing room of the department store Pete had dragged her to. He’d complained about each one she chose, and he only chose one—the only one left to try on. She slipped the black velvet over her head, wiggling to move the narrow skirt over her hips. After zipping it up, she put on her glasses and stared at her reflection.

  The woman staring back at her was a stranger. The tight skirt of the dress had a slit so high, she didn’t know how she would sit in it and not show most of her leg. The soft, dark fabric hugged her hips and accentuated her waist.

  “Are you done in there yet?” Pete asked from just outside the door.

  She gasped and opened up the door. “Pete, you’re not supposed to be in the ladies dressing room.”

  He smiled and ignored her admonishment. “I was right. That’s the dress for you. Come look in the mirror.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of the mirror. “Peter Anderson!”

  “Dulcy, chill. We’re the only ones here and besides, nothing in here interests me anyway.”

  She snorted and looked at her reflection again.

  “I don’t know. It makes me look hippy,” she said, settling her hands on her hips.

  Pete turned her, this way and that, studying her as if she were an art exhibit.

  “Hun, you are hippy.”

  She frowned. “That’s mean.”

  “No, it’s the truth.” He turned her until she was facing the mirror and met her eyes in her reflection.

  “Dulcy, you may not like what you see, but men do. At least smart heterosexual men. There is nothing wrong with full hips. You have skin women pay huge bucks to have. You’re funny and sexy and the best friend a gay guy could have. And you’re gorgeous. ”

  A lump clogged her throat and her eyes stung. “You’re only saying that because you love me.”

  “Yes, I do love you. But you are still one of the sexiest women I know. And that’s the truth. Now, stop those tears. I think the salesclerk will really think it strange to see both of us come out crying.”

  She laughed and blinked back the tears.

  “Get out of that and give the rest of those horrible dresses back to the clerk. We have shoes, hose, and a strapless bra to buy.” Pete and Dulcy returned about fifteen minutes late from shopping for her dress. They’d spent so long arguing about lingerie and footwear, she hadn’t even had time to eat. Still thinking about the heated words they exchanged when she resisted buying stockings and a garter belt made her blush. The saleswoman had looked as if Dulcy were insane.

  They walked side by side down the hall, Dulcy carried a multitude of bags and Pete held her dress. Ethan stood at the door to their office, anger darkening his features. He glanced at his watch, then shifted his gaze back to Pete and Dulcy.

  “Uh oh, looks like your lover boy is upset with you,” Pete said in a whisper.

  “Shut up.” She elbowed him as he drew closer to her. He ignored it. “He’s not my lover boy.”

  Pete chuckled and slung his arm across her shoulders. He leaned closer to her ear. “Do you think we should give him a good show for his money?”

  Before she could interpret the question, Pete stopped and pulled her closer. He touched his lips to hers in a brush of a kiss. He straightened, with a smile brightening his face, and handed her dress to her.

  “See ya later, hon.” He winked and then sauntered down the hall, ignoring Ethan as he strolled past him.

  Her attention shifted from the younger man to Ethan, who stood in the doorway, glowering at her. Even at that moment with his irritation so strong, she could almost feel it slapping her in the face, he made her hormones jump to life. God, he was gorgeous.

  He wore a gray suit with a cream-colored shirt and green tie. It deepened the color of his eyes and highlighted the few wisps of gray in his hair. Oh, why couldn’t she remember what an overbearing pain in the rear he was? Instead, the only thought crossing her mind was how good he would taste.

  She sighed and decided to get the confrontation over with.

  “Is there something you need?” she asked as she brushed past him. The spicy scent of his cologne filled her senses and warmth pooled in her belly.

  She couldn’t look at him. Her face still heated every time they talked that morning, although he had been a perfect gentleman. In fact, he had been well behaved the last few days. And somewhere, deep inside where she really didn’t want to look, she was annoyed that apparently, it hadn’t bothered him as much as it did her. But each time his smooth voice washed over her, her nipples tightened.

  “Do something for me?” he asked. “Yes, Miss Menendez, you could do something for me, actually to me, but you refuse.”

  Chapter Eight

  Dulcy glanced up at his sharp tone an
d realized he was angrier than she first thought. In fact, he looked ready to explode. And worse, it turned her on. It was crazy that all his moods seemed to arouse her.

  “That’s borderline sexual harassment.” She crossed her arms.

  “No, sexual harassment would be if I threatened your job. I’m not suggesting that. What I would like is you on my desk but there is no threat to your job if you disagree.” His eyes were almost black. “But coming back late from lunch with Anderson is not a good idea.”

  “First of all, it really wasn’t a date.” He grunted but said nothing else. “And second of all, I needed a dress for Saturday night. That’s what I was doing at lunch and it took a little longer because I had to find shoes to match and a...” strapless bra. She didn’t want to tell him that though. It’s not like he would be seeing it. Well, probably not. No, he would not see it. Maybe.

  “And a what, Miss Menendez?”

  She cleared her throat. “Well, something I’d rather not talk about. Now that we seem to have that settled, I need to double check with the catering department at the hotel and make sure they have the final head count.”

  As a dismissal, it was lame, but she couldn’t think of anything else while he stared at her mouth. Tingles crept down her spine as her whole body heated. Nervously, she licked her lips, then worried the bottom one. His nostrils flared and she remembered the night he’d stared at her lips.

  “Stop it.”

  He finally lifted his gaze. What she saw in those eyes sent another tumbling wave of heat through her, sinking into her belly, warming her skin from the inside out. Passion so hot, so unbearably raw, darkened his eyes. She had to get away from him, put some distance between them.

  Turning abruptly, she sat behind her desk and tried her best to ignore him. She knew he studied her and she could feel the scrutiny as a whisper of hot breath on her skin. She had to ignore it. If she didn’t, she would fall for the man and he was way out of her league. Handling a warrior like Ethan took finesse and a lot of guts, neither of which she possessed in great quantities.

  He walked past her desk, paused for just a second, and then continued to his office. She jumped when he slammed his door. She stuck her tongue out at the closed door.

  Good, maybe if he stayed mad at her, he wouldn’t kiss her again. Because that wasn’t something she wanted. Not really. Unfortunately, she remembered the taste of his lips, the touch of his tongue against hers. Her shoulders slumped. She shouldn’t want to be kissed by him again, but she did. The way he looked at her, all that hot passion darkening his eyes...

  She shifted in her chair. The ache between her legs increased. Mooning over the boss wasn’t a smart thing to do. She knew she would forget those kisses and his hands soon. But a little part of her didn’t want to forget. It had to be her hormones. Grumpy, yummy executives were not her type.

  * * * *

  Ethan paced his office. He couldn’t believe he’d made such an ass out of himself. Dulcy Menendez was just a suspect. He had been on his best behavior all day, but seeing her walk down the hall with Anderson...

  He took a calming breath, but it did no good. Jealousy pumped through him when he relived Anderson brushing his lips against hers. It took every bit of control Ethan had left, and that wasn’t much, to keep from grabbing the slick dressed pretty boy and punching him. The memory of his smug smile and the proprietary arm on her shoulders boiled his blood.

  His intercom buzzed, interrupting his vivid fantasy of breaking Anderson’s arm.

  He strode to the desk and pressed the button.

  “What?”

  “Mr. MacMillan.”

  He ground his teeth. The fact she could act so professional after that kiss rubbed him the wrong way. “Miss Menendez.”

  “Mr. Denison is on line one.”

  Without a word of thanks, he picked up the phone. “Todd, what did you find out?”

  “Well, hello to you too, Ethan.” The amusement in his voice irritated Ethan.

  “Don’t screw around with me and tell me what you have.”

  “Pete Anderson has been working for the company for three years. Before that, he was employed by the family business.”

  “And that would be?” Ethan bit out.

  “Anderson Technologies.”

  Ethan whistled. Anderson Tech was the one of the biggest software companies in Texas.

  “Yeah. Apparently there was some kind of a rift between him and Daddy and he left. Y our Uncle Bill snapped him up. ”

  “Good?”

  “Well, yes. I mean he was trained by one of the best in the business. ”

  “Why would he leave then? I mean, most people can put up with irritating relatives for a fortune like that.”

  “Not sure. From what I’ve been able to find out, there was a huge argument. Pretty public, too. One thing though, you know this job doesn’t pay as much as what he was earning there.”

  “His father cut him off without a cent?” Sounded like Ethan’s father.

  “Sure did. But even without all that money, he has a pretty nice house in north Dallas.”

  “Anything else?”

  “No, other than your Miss Menendez, he’s had no steady women. ”

  “She’s not my Miss Menendez.”

  “Whatever you say, boss, but I’ve seen a picture of her.”

  “What do you mean you’ve seen a picture of her?”

  “It’s my job, boss, and I know your type. She’s your type.” The fact Todd knew him so well, aggravated his already rising temper. “So, dowdy little secretaries are my type?”

  Todd chuckled. “A sure sign I stepped on your toes. I just thought it was interesting it took you so long to check her out.”

  “I don’t pay you to think.”

  He hung up without another word. Okay, so it wasn’t the most mature thing he’d ever done but he was ready to shout at his employee over the phone. That would be worse. He shoved both his hands through his hair and released an aggravated sigh. Something had to give, he just didn’t know how much longer he would last. Dulcy’s little rap sounded at the door and without waiting for an answer, she opened it. She was holding a file folder, her brow wrinkled in concern.

  “We have a problem, Mr. MacMillan.”

  He ground his teeth at the use of his last name, but let it go. “What’s up?”

  “It seems a store out in Tucson special ordered three hundred red boots. Problem is, we shipped them three hundred red lace-up work boots. They needed them yesterday.”

  “Three hundred red boots?”

  “Yeah, some dance team wants them for their photos.”

  “Okay, call down to shipping and see if they can get the order out tonight.”

  Ten minutes later, Dulcy returned, her frown still in place. “We have them, but there’s another problem now.”

  “What is it now?”

  “It seems we’ve had some calls from several of our customers. All the orders have been screwed up.”

  “Lord, it’s that new computer program.”

  She nodded. “I guess we’ll be staying late?” Her brow raised in question.

  He nodded and she left him alone. For the first time that day, his mind was on something other than Dulcy. He had to make sure he saved the reputation of the company.

  * * * *

  Six hours later, Ethan leaned back in his chair, massaging his neck. Tension thrummed inside his head and down his back.

  “So, we’ll give you a twenty percent discount on those and ten percent on your next order.”

  “Well,” said the store manager on the other end of the line, “I really appreciate this, Mr. MacMillan.”

  “No, it’s I who am in your debt. The glitch in the new computer system has caused a whole load of problems. Thank you for your understanding.” And this was the tenth call he’d had to make.

  Dulcy’s sharp little knock sounded and she entered, her crooked little smile in place. Instantly, some of the day’s stress melted away at the sight
of her and his blood warmed.

  She carried two white plastic bags and from the smells, she’d ordered food for the two of them. His stomach grumbled, reminding him he’d skipped lunch. As the manager droned on about his customers, he watched Dulcy empty the bags, then set up their dinner.

  Her economical movements fascinated him. She was not overly graceful, but there was something about her. Something so innate in her gestures. Maybe it was her hands. They looked delicate and small, but able to handle just about anything thrown her way. Including sliding down his chest, past his abs and wrapping around his cock—

  “Mr. MacMillan?” the manager asked.

  “So sorry. It’s been a long day. I’m just glad we could sort this out for you.”

  After a couple more attempts, he finally hung up.

  “Chatty?” Dulcy asked. She’d pulled one of the two chairs in front of his desk closer and picked up a pair of chopsticks.

  “Apparently, he was a little amazed I called. Me being the president and all,” he said with a smile.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I decided both of us deserved a break. ”

  “No, don’t mind at all. What’d ya get?”

  “Well, since I wasn’t sure what you liked and you were a little busy on the phone, I took the liberty of ordering a few things I liked. Some noodles, some dim sum, some sweet and sour and a few other things. Hope you’re hungry.”

  “As long as there’s a fork.” She rummaged through one of the bags and handed him a fork and spoon.

  “There’s some egg drop soup also. I can’t believe you don’t know how to eat with chopsticks. I figured a man like you would have learned at some time.”

  He shoved a forkful of fried rice into his mouth and enjoyed the flavor of soy and garlic. “A man like me?”

  “Well, you were in the military and I would describe you as a man of the world.”

  “Well, I was stationed in some highly exotic places in the military. First, there was North and South Carolina. Highly interesting in their culture.”

  She giggled and pulled out some noodles. “Well, I’ve only lived here in the Dallas Fort Worth area. So, South Carolina seems pretty exotic to me.”