by Addison Cole
His stomach had been tied in knots since he’d settled on the idea. He was taking all sorts of risks. Lacy might go off on him the second she saw him, exposing his ruse and finalizing their breakup all in one fell swoop. Dane hung on to the tiny shred of hope that her job was too important to her to do that.
Lacy walked through Fred’s office door, wearing a white scoop-necked blouse and a pair of fitted black slacks and flashing a businesslike smile. Dane’s heart leaped into his throat. Her eyes swept the room, landing on Dane. It pained him to watch her professional greeting morph into a confused gape. Her finely manicured eyebrows drew together. Her eyes darted between the two men.
“Wha…” she managed.
“Lacy, this is Dane Braden. He’s the founder of the Brave Foundation, and he’s hired us to handle his marketing campaign for the upcoming year.” Fred was a diminutive man with narrow shoulders and a thick waist. He motioned toward Dane with a smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you time to prepare. Mr. Braden called the service last night and had me paged. It was too late by the time we wrapped things up to call, and we’ve been working all morning to coordinate a plan.”
“Uh…hello?” she said.
“Lacy.” Dane stood and shook her hand as if he’d never met her, much less ravaged her body a few nights earlier. He’d take his lead from Lacy, play the game her way…sort of. Her hand trembled within his, and Dane put his other hand over it, hoping she’d take comfort in the small embrace and maybe even ease the darts she was casting his way.
Lacy lowered herself into the chair beside Dane with a confused gaze.
Dane breathed a sigh of relief. At least she didn’t call me out right away. He knew he shouldn’t smile, because she might think he was gloating, but he couldn’t wipe the stupid grin from his face. Just seeing her again made his heart sing. It was all he could do not to reach out and touch the soft skin of her cheek.
“As I explained, the Brave Foundation has hired World Geographic to develop their marketing program, promote the brand, and get their name into new media channels. Lacy, Mr. Braden has—”
“Dane, please,” Dane said.
Fred smiled. “Dane, thank you. Dane has requested that you head up the efforts.”
Dane saw her flinch, and the light that her smile brought to the room was sucked away with the confusion and hurt in her eyes.
“But…I’m on an assignment already. And I’ve got—” she said in a thin voice.
“Already taken care of,” Fred interrupted. “Tasha is going to take over your other accounts for the foreseeable future while you immerse yourself in the Brave Foundation activities and get to know their focus and marketplace.”
Lacy drew her eyes to Dane and pursed her lips.
“I heard you were the best,” Dane explained.
“You did?”
He heard the annoyance in her voice.
“From whom?” she asked.
Dane had spent the morning researching Lacy’s previous clients and had come away even more impressed with her abilities than he’d already been. “Oceanic Research, and a good friend at the Boots for Boys Foundation said I couldn’t find a more qualified person for the job.”
Lacy clenched her jaw, but beyond the tension in her face and behind the angry stare, he recognized sadness. The redness beneath her lashes told him that she, too, had had a difficult evening. I’m doing the right thing.
“Dan—”
“Dane,” Dane corrected her, smiling to himself at her attempt to rile him. That’s the Lacy I know and love. Dane loved Lacy’s femininity, but her strength was equally as appealing.
Fred interrupted. “Lacy, Dane is currently on assignment in Chatham, and as of this afternoon, so are you.”
“Excuse me?” Lacy asked.
“It’s exciting, I know,” Fred began. “This is a brilliant idea. Immerse yourself in their work for a week or two. Strategize. See who they talk to, how they present themselves—really get involved. Become one of the team.” Fred looked at Dane. “She’s incredibly talented. Our best account manager.”
“One of the team? Sorry, Dane, but doesn’t your company handle shark research? Unfortunately, I’m afraid of sharks, so this is probably not the best match.” Lacy flashed a gloating smile.
Dane had anticipated such a reaction. “Yes, we do, and that shouldn’t be an issue. I will ensure that you are not put in any uncomfortable situations,” he said.
Lacy narrowed her eyes. “But being near that activity is uncomfortable for me.”
“In that case, I will ensure that you will not be near any of that type of activity.” Dane felt the burn of Lacy’s stare. As much as he cared and as much as it sent a pain through his gut to see her squirming in her chair and to know her brain was working to figure out a way to disengage from the assignment, he had to believe that they deserved this chance to see if that one night was a precursor to a fulfilling and happy life together, or if he’d been altogether wrong about them.
Dane stood and extended his hand across Fred’s desk. “It’s been a pleasure, thank you. I look forward to a mutually beneficial business relationship.” And so much more with Lacy. He turned to leave and extended the same handshake toward Lacy with just as professional of a tone in his voice. “I’m driving to Chatham this afternoon. Would you like to ride with me?” He couldn’t imagine his life without Lacy in it, and he wasn’t leaving anything to chance. He knew that Lacy would worry about being pressured into being intimate with him, and he’d already come up with a plan to help her feel more at ease. He would assure her that he would not fall any deeper in love with her. She didn’t need to know that he already felt as though he’d fallen to the center of the earth.
“I have a car, thank you,” she answered with an icy stare.
Chapter Twelve
“I’M THE WRONG person. I’m afraid of sharks. I have too much other work to do. Please give it to Tasha.” Lacy had been trying to convince Fred that she was the wrong person for the job for five minutes, and she felt like she was banging her head against the wall. I’ll kill Dane. Why was he doing this? He could have any woman he wanted. Why her? I’m not anything special. Even as she thought the words, she knew it wasn’t about her being special. It was about how what they had together was special. She knew that because she felt it, too. It was too powerful to deny, which was why she bolstered her resolve to ignore it.
“I have faith in you, Lacy,” Fred said. “This is a major account for World Geographic, and I expect you to treat it with the same diligence and professionalism as you would any other assignment. Your job depends on it.”
Fred had supported her vehemently in the five years since she’d worked under his supervision. He’d pushed her to work harder and reach her potential at times when she thought she already had done just that. He urged her down the right path to secure the promotion she’d been working so hard toward. Was he really going to pull that out from under her? He had to believe this stupid ruse was what would seal the deal for the promotion, or he wouldn’t threaten her. Darn it. “My job depends on it? Are you telling me that you’ll fire me if I don’t take this assignment?” Lacy broke out in a sweat. Lose my job?
“No. You’re a valuable employee, Lacy. But we both know you have higher aspirations than account manager, and you’ve proven that you have the skills and the dedication. If I give this to Tasha, you could be swept under the rug for that senior account rep promotion you’ve been vying for.”
“This account is that important?” Lacy asked.
“This account will bring in an enormous amount of revenue for us. Lacy, senior account rep will mean that you call the shots. You decide who you take on as a client and when. You’ll have underlings to do your research and administrative work. This is big, Lacy. Besides, going to Chatham for a week or two? Not a rough way to earn a living. Dane Braden seems nice and professional. He’s agreed to an excessive travel budget for you, too. You’ll be well taken care of,” Fred assured her.
&nb
sp; I bet I will. That’s what I’m afraid of. She couldn’t afford to lose her chance at the promotion. She’d worked too hard to maintain a lead in the running—and she’d missed out on seeing Dane for all those months. She silently groaned inside. As much as the idea sent her heart and her head into fits of confusion over working with Dane, she reluctantly relented.
“Fine,” she said. “Thank you for the opportunity.” The opportunity to fight my freaking urges to smack Dane upside his head and follow it up with a kiss on those luscious lips. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.
Lacy grabbed her cell phone and stormed out of the building. She dialed Danica’s number, pacing the parking lot, feeling as though fumes were coming out her ears.
After Danica’s voicemail picked up, she left a message. “He was here, Danica. He showed up at my work and hired my company, and now I have to go to Chatham and work with him or I’ll lose my chance at the promotion. Where are you?” She lowered the phone and then quickly put it back to her ear. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to rant. I’m just so frustrated. Call me? Please?” Lacy ended the call and stared at the building. Too angry to return to work, she stalked to the edge of the parking lot and continued pacing off her frustration. She stepped to the side to let a car pass, and when it stopped beside her, she spun around.
Darn it, Dane.
He sat in the car with a smile on his lips. “Sorry,” he said with a shrug.
“Sorry? You come into my office and demand that I follow you to Chatham, and all you can say is sorry? What do you think is going to happen, Dane? That I’ll be swept off my feet? Nothing’s changed. This was a big mistake.” She planted her legs in a determined stance and crossed her arms, willing the tears in her eyes not to fall.
“That’s kind of what I’m hoping for,” he said.
Lacy groaned. “Not happening. You can’t buy your way into someone’s heart.”
“A heart that can be bought is not a heart worth pursuing. Lace, I’ve experienced your heart, and I’ve never seen anything so pure.”
“Stop it,” she said.
“What?”
“Being so stinkin’ nice to me.”
Dane smiled again. “We should really talk about the details of the assignment, don’t you think?” Dane parked the car and opened the door.
As soon as his foot hit the pavement, her heart skipped a beat. She dragged her eyes down his body, remembering the feel of him on top of her. Inside of her. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. Lacy took a step backward.
Dane reached into his pocket and handed her an envelope. “This has the address of the cottage I rented for you. It’s right in Chatham, so you won’t have to travel far each day. It’s nice—right on Cockel Cove. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
She took the envelope. You rented me a cottage? On a cove?
“Directions to the marina are in there, as is a list of local restaurants, stores I thought you might enjoy, and the address of where I’m staying in case you need anything. You have my cell number, so…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight?”
Lacy stared at the envelope. This was all happening too fast. I’m going to Chatham with him. He rented me a cottage.
“Eight,” she said. Maybe she should be alarmed at his assumptions and his planning, but she had just the opposite reaction. Dane was right there. He’d not only come for her, but he’d made all of the necessary arrangements to ensure they’d spend time together. After hoping he’d do just that for so long, now that he finally was, it was hard for her to turn away from it. She felt her eyebrows return to their rightful places. The tension in her jaw released.
“There’s an itinerary in there. I’m not going to pressure you, Lacy.”
“Like this isn’t pressure?” Lacy rolled her eyes.
“This is a nudge in what I hope is the right direction. But don’t worry. While I might nudge you to spend time in my presence, I’ll never pressure you with regard to anything physical. In fact, let’s make a pact, Lace.” He smiled, his eyes dancing over hers.
I love when you say my name like that.
“Let’s agree not to fall madly in love with each other. Okay? Because that would just be too much pressure,” Dane said.
“Not to…” No pressure. No falling in love. I already love him.
“Yes, I think it’s best. Let’s just see if we can be friends. I felt something up on that dune that I still don’t understand, and last night? Last night was torture. I’m so used to hearing your voice at night, even if by phone, that it was awful. I kept hearing the elevator doors shut and picturing your face, so upset, so angry.” He reached out and ran his finger along her cheek. “I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
“Friendship.” Geez, get a grip. Say something intelligent. Do you really just want to be friends? She was too confused to decipher if he was doing this as a safety net so she wouldn’t feel pressured, or if he truly wanted to hang on to their friendship above all else. Either way, she was going to agree to whatever he asked because being near him only made her want to see him more. “Okay.” Ugh.
“Okay?” His eyes lit up. “Okay, you agree not to fall in love with me?”
Lacy felt a smile push its way across her face. “I agree not to fall in love with you, but it’s a two-way street. No falling in love with me, either.” What am I doing?
“Deal,” he said.
She watched him pull away and dialed Danica’s number again, leaving another message. “You’d better call me. I think I’m in trouble.”
Chapter Thirteen
“SO LET ME get this straight. You’re in a cottage that he rented for you, in Chatham, and you’re going to do what? Follow his itinerary for the next few days? And your boss let you go?” Danica asked.
It was nine o’clock in the evening, and Lacy was sitting out on the deck of the cottage that Dane had rented for her, the sound of waves breaking and the cool air coming off the water, sending memories flittering through her mind.
She pressed her cell phone to her ear. “Yup,” she said. “He’s got really good taste, too. This place is amazing. There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and—”
“Lacy,” Danica interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“You left me a message like you were in real trouble. What am I missing?” Danica asked.
Lacy sighed. “I can’t decide if this is all crazy. I mean, am I ignoring all sorts of red flags? Who does this type of thing? Rents a house, arranges for a week or two away from the office—and pays for it—for someone they like?” She walked down the steps to the beach and ran her toes through the sand. “I can’t decide if this is incredibly romantic or insanely postal.”
Danica laughed. “If it were a guy from any other family, I might agree with you, but the Bradens tend to do things all the way. Remember my wedding? The spa morning? The island, for Pete’s sake?” Treat had arranged for Danica and Kaylie to have exclusive use of an island for their wedding.
“I guess. Yeah, you’re right.”
“Lacy, tell me what you’re thinking. This morning you wanted nothing to do with him, and now you’re down in Chatham. I know you had to go in order to save your promotion, but what does your heart tell you? What about the other women you were worried about?” Danica asked.
Lacy sat on the bottom step and buried her feet in the sand. She’d been thinking about that very same question all afternoon, and no matter how many times she put Dane’s face with another woman, it never stuck. It didn’t feel real. Sure, she felt a tiny pang of jealousy, and she’d love to know if he was with other women up until the day of the wedding, but in her heart she knew that even if he were, he’d made it clear that she was all he wanted now. She’d used the other women as an excuse, an easy way to end their relationship.
“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about what you said. Everyone has a past,” Lacy said. “Am I being stupid? You can tell me if I am. I can take it. And I’m not saying that I want to jump into bed with him, either. I just feel like maybe�
��” Lacy didn’t know what followed maybe, but she felt something there, and it felt a lot like hope.
“What about your fear of sharks?” Danica asked.
Shootshootshoot. “Ugh. You’re right. There are too many obstacles. Signs. Whatever.” Lacy climbed the stairs back up to the deck and watched a man walking toward the water. She settled into a chair and kicked her feet up on the railing.
“That’s not what I’m saying. The therapist in me thinks you need to keep all of your worries in the forefront of your mind so you aren’t driven by your emotions and you can make a rational decision. The sister in me wants to jump up and down, hug you, and celebrate the intense romantic nature of the whole thing. I’m riding a fine line here, Lacy,” Danica said.
Her admission made Lacy smile. “That’s exactly what I’m feeling.”
“Listen. One thing you should think about is that phobias are usually irrational fears,” Danica said. “Your case is different, of course, after what happened when you were little, but you can still manage that fear. When you feel that prickling of anxiety, you can remind yourself that you’re fine and that you’re in control, assuming you’re in a safe place, of course, like on a boat. You have the power to control that anxiety. It might not feel like it right now, but you really do.”
“The thing is, I know all of that. I get it. But when that panic attack hit, there was no talking myself out of it,” Lacy said.
“I know, but you can still try. I also think you should take stock of your emotions. If you think about it, all those months of buildup leveled itself last weekend, and that, too, probably heightened your anxiety. Even if you don’t think it did, I’d put my money on it. And to some extent, the only way to overcome your fears is to face them.”