Business or Pleasure?: He's Too Hard To Resist!

by Raquel Belle

  “Water will do.”

  Jared signaled the waiter. “Water, please. For the both of us.”

  Her brows lifted. “Don’t hold back on my account. Drink whatever you want.”

  “I’m fine with water for now.” God knew he didn’t need any more alcohol in his system. He’d shot back quite a few stiff drinks the night before—that afternoon and a few hours before dinner. It was all Evie’s fault. He’d been so torn between hiring her, telling Garrison about them, and respecting her wishes to keep their secret. Then earlier, he’d thought about sitting at a table with the both of them for two, long hours, and how torturous it would be.

  When the waiter delivered a pitcher of water and disappeared, Jared decided to break the news. He watched Evie take a few sips from her glass as she studied the menu. “Evie, listen, your father won’t be able to make it.”

  Her eyes shot to him and seemed to penetrate him for too long. Her shoulders went rigid. “You didn’t trick me into accepting this dinner invitation, did you? Because that would be very immature on your part.”

  He scowled. “You think I need to trick women into accepting dates? Far from it, Evie. This really is a business dinner. At least, it was supposed to be. It was Garrison’s idea. He wanted to celebrate our continued partnership with a new lawyer on board. And I wanted to tell you a bit about my businesses in a setting that wasn’t too boring. God knows I’m tired of offices and boardrooms. Garrison called five minutes before you arrived to let me know he wouldn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

  Evie’s shoulders relaxed, and she let out a breath. “Don’t be. Honestly, I was dreading having to sit here with my father for hours. At least, things will be a little less awkward.”

  A smile split Jared’s lips. “I was dreading the same thing.” Evie’s laugh brushed over him like a caress.

  “I’m sure he would have noticed something was amiss. That man is as sharp as a sword.”

  “That he is.”

  She shrugged. “Well, we can still celebrate and have our discussions without him, right? I’ll be working for you, not him”

  Jared relaxed slightly. He’d been expecting her to get up and leave when he announced they’d be dining alone. One crisis averted. Now all he had to do was keep his hands off of her. He gave her a quick once-over when she returned her attention to the menu. He should keep his eyes to himself as well. He sighed. Be professional. He could do that. He did professionalism just fine with everyone else who worked for and with him. Of course, he’d never slept with anyone of them before. With that thought, he lifted his glass and took huge gulps of water, letting the cool liquid provide some alleviation for the rising heat of his blood.

  Water wasn’t enough. The only way to get relief was to bury himself inside Evie. Jared barely held back a groan. Look where his thoughts had strayed after making up his mind to remain professional. It was hopeless. More than hopeless, considering the way his pants tightened at the crotch. Surviving an entire meal with his sanity intact was looking more impossible by the second.

  Evie eyed him with a slight frown. “Are you alright, Jared?”

  His head snapped up from the menu he’d been staring at blindly. “Fine. Why do you ask?”

  “You moaned.”

  Shit. Had that come out? He thought he’d held it back. “Did, I? Must be because of the many delicious dishes to choose from.”

  Evie studied him quizzically. Then, seeming to accept his explanation, she nodded. “Everything looks great.”

  Thankfully, they eased into comfortable chatter, surprisingly so. But, there was still that underlying tension. Jared felt it each time they made eye contact, and he knew she felt it too because every now and then, two patches of pink would appear in her cheeks and quickly disappear. They made it to dessert, though. Thank goodness the night was almost over. He talked nonstop about his businesses, the plans he had for the future, and how she could help to fulfill those plans. He’d managed well, keeping his mind from straying to inappropriate thoughts.

  Wiping the corners of her mouth delicately with her napkin, Evie hit him with a steady gaze. “It’s very admirable how you worked to build such an empire, Jared. To reach where you are in just five years is nothing short of incredible.”

  He’d told her all about how he got started. About being asked to take over his father’s shipping business and combining it with his steel and oil company. With a shrug, he pushed his empty plate aside. “I suppose I got lucky.”

  Evie grunted. “Don’t try to be modest, Jared. It doesn’t suit you.”

  The laugh that rumbled in his chest and emerged couldn’t be helped. The woman infuriated and made him laugh at the same time. Over the course of their two-hour dinner, he’d had the urge to reach across the table and throttle her for some of her witty, almost insulting comments at times, and then, there were moments he wanted to haul her across it to kiss her senselessly instead. She was driving him crazy, and they hadn’t even officially started working together yet.

  “Thank you, I think.”

  Evie smiled. “It was a compliment. You’ve worked hard. You have every right to brag.”

  “Nobody likes a braggart.”

  “You strike me as a man who could care less what others think.”

  “You’ve got me there.” There was a time when he might have cared a great deal about people’s opinions but not anymore. Well, he had the inkling that he would soon care about Evie’s opinion of him. Maybe he already did.

  “Your father must have been proud, Mr. Davis …” Her lips twisted wryly. “Dad mentioned that your father passed three years ago. We talked after you left the morning we were ... ‘officially’ introduced. I understand that they were close friends. I vaguely remember hearing about a Charles a few times. I never met him. It was good of you to step in and save your father’s business.”

  “Yeah, well, I did it for myself, not to please him. I cared zero if he was proud or not.” Taking over his father’s business that was on the verge of collapse had been purely a means to get some kind of sick revenge—to taunt the man who had ignored his children for most of their lives, to taunt him with the fact that his offspring who he’d treated horribly was much better than he ever was. No one thought Jared would bring Charles’s business from the brink of ruin, except Garrison, and when he’d made significant progress, he’d had the pleasure of rubbing it in his old man’s face for a few months before he died. If only Charles was still alive three years later for Jared to rub even more of his success in his face.

  Jared ended his bitter trip down memory lane and glanced up to find Evie gaping at him. Perhaps he’d conveyed a little too much bitterness. “I’m sorry for that outburst.”

  She shook her head. “Oh, no. Don’t worry about it. If anyone understands hard feelings about fathers it’s me. I’m sorry I brought it up.”

  “ How about we quit talking about fathers for now?”

  “Let’s.”

  Her teeth sunk into her lower lip, and Jared’s jaws clenched. She had no idea what a temptation she was without even trying. He had to get his mind off of her delectable mouth. “Would you like to order more dessert?” He closed his eyes briefly. What a horrible idea. Then, he’d have to watch her lips slide over her fork with each bite. He had already had to endure it for two hours.

  Her skin took on a deep pink hue. “I couldn’t eat another bite. I’m sorry that you had to watch me scarf down that chocolate souffle´. I have a sweet tooth that demands satisfaction.”

  Jared smirked. He’d watched her order that souffle´ with eagerness after questioning the waiter about the ingredients. He didn’t ask her why she’d been so interested. He just assumed it was a woman thing or an Evie thing. “I appreciate a woman with a healthy appetite. It’s refreshing to dine with one who didn’t order a salad, only to then pick at it and not eat it.”

  The patches in her cheeks darkened. Clearing her throat lightly, she licked her lips, and he sucked in a breath. Why did every slight gestur
e she made have such a major effect on him?

  “I don’t want anything else to eat, but I would like a glass of wine. We’re finished discussing business, aren’t we? I think we can lay off the water.”

  “I think we can,” he said.

  Chapter Seven

  Evie

  They ended up having one glass of wine each. After the first drink, the entire bottle went, and before Evie knew it, she was laughing at another one of Jared’s stories. He’d managed to tell her two outrageous tales about his travels to France and Germany and was finishing up another about the time he nearly got arrested in New York.

  “You’ve had quite a few adventures. I would love to do some traveling someday. I’ve never been anywhere other than California.”

  “Really? Why haven’t you traveled?”

  She shrugged. “The time, I guess. So far I’ve jumped from one thing to another. From high school to college to work with not much time in between. One day, I suppose I’ll get the chance to see all of the places on my list.”

  He sat forward. “You have a list? Do share.”

  She hesitated and held his gaze. It wasn’t like her to share intimate details about herself with a virtual stranger, but he seemed so interested in everything she said, that she was compelled to share things with him. It was refreshing having a man actually listen to her outside of an office. When she was in lawyer mode, she knew how to make anyone listen. In her personal life, not so much. In her experience with men—which wasn’t so vast, and it consisted only of a few boyfriends and her father. They didn’t really hear her. Seeing Jared’s rapt expression, she found herself saying, “I’ve dreamed about going to Paris for as long as I can remember, and I definitely have to go to Dubai someday. Those are my top two. You’re fortunate to have seen so many places. Where haven’t you been, Jared?”

  He paused and thought about it for a second, and then he grinned. “I haven’t been to Antarctica yet.”

  She giggled—an honest to god, giddy, girly type of giggle. As the sound reached her own ears, she nearly choked on her laugh. Snapping her mouth shut, Evie killed every amusement she felt and sat up straight, shoulders going rigid. What in the hell did she think she was doing? She glanced at Jared, the empty bottle of wine, her almost empty glass, and then around the restaurant where other diners were chatting, eating, and laughing under the dim lighting and almost-too intimate setting. She was too relaxed. How had that happened? The wine. She eyed the bottle as if it was public enemy number one. Surely, it was the alcohol that had her subconsciously believing she and Jared were on a date and not a business dinner.

  Jared’s boyish grin slowly faded, and he appeared to go through the same dawning realization as she had. Too comfortable. Abort! Abort! That was what her brain screamed and she could tell that his alarm was going off, too.

  He cleared his throat. “We should get going. I think I’ve taken up enough of your night.”

  And just like that, the awkwardness that had been buried beneath wild stories, laughter, and wine resurfaced. “Yes, we should go.”

  Jared signaled their waiter, and she reached for her purse. When she retrieved her credit card, he frowned.

  “What are you doing?” Jared asked.

  “Since dad couldn’t make it, I think I should take care of half of the bill. I mean, this isn’t a date.” Her nervous laughter came to an end when his scowl deepened.

  “I invited you to dinner, Evie. It’s fine.” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest. “I said ‘it’s fine.’ Me paying for dinner still won’t make this a ‘date.’”

  He gave her a look as if telling her to grow up, and she gritted her teeth and glowered.

  He chuckled. “Ah, you’re annoyed with me once again. This is more like it.”

  Evie rolled her eyes, wanting to slap the smirk off of his face. But she worked for him now. Slapping him wouldn’t do. He was right, though. Being irritated with him was something she could handle much better than getting too cozy and friendly. She gathered her purse and rose. She was painfully aware of Jared on her heels, as they made their way to the exit. When she stopped at the bottom of the restaurant's steps, he paused.

  “What are you doing, Evie? Aren’t you going to your car? I’ll walk you.”

  “I didn’t drive. I wasn’t sure where this place was, and I assumed I’d be doing way more drinking if I was going to have dinner with my father.” She shrugged and gave him a ghost of a smile. “I’ll catch a cab.”

  “Nonsense. My car is right over there.” He nodded to a black vehicle where a chauffeur was leaned against it, hands in his pockets, patiently waiting. “I thought I’d be doing a lot more drinking as well,” he said, his lips twisted wryly. “So, I didn’t drive myself.”

  She eyed the car and swung her gaze back to him. Sitting for thirty minutes in an enclosed space with Jared was not a good idea. “It’s okay, Jared. Really. You go ahead. I’ll be fine with a cab.” She knew he would argue by the stubborn set of his jaw.

  “What do you think Garrison would say if he knew I let you get a cab when I could have taken you home?”

  She snorted. “I doubt he’d lose any sleep over it.”

  His jaws clenched. “Evie, just get in the damn car.”

  She glared at him.

  “Please ...”

  It was clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer, and she didn’t feel like arguing with him on a sidewalk all night, so she resigned with a sigh and turned in the direction of his car. The chauffeur opened the back door, and she smiled politely. “Thank you.” Jared slid in beside her, and she scooted as far away from him as she could, refusing to look at him because she had a strong feeling she’d see a knowing smirk on his face. That damn beautiful face, she seethed. She was being ridiculous, of course. Any anger she felt toward Jared was uncalled for. It wasn't his fault she couldn’t forget about their shared night of passion that created the endless uneasiness between them. The unease that she would have to put up with for as long as she worked for him. Or maybe it was his fault for being so damn good in bed.

  Jared didn’t try to make conversation after she muttered her address, thank god. She wasn’t in the mood for chatter. Not with him. When the car stopped in front of her apartment building, she didn’t wait for the chauffeur or Jared to open her door. With a muttered thanks, she hastily made her escape. To her dismay, footsteps sounded behind her.

  “Running from me, are you?”

  She froze and stopped on the top step before opening the door that led to the lobby. She turned to see Jared climbing the last step with a smirk. How she hated that smirk, yet she found it so alluring.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I simply didn’t want to take up any more of your time since you went out of your way to take me home.”

  He didn’t look convinced, as he stopped inches from her and shoved his hands into his pockets. Evie had the urge to take a step back because, in her heels, she was almost at eye level with him. He was much too close for her comfort. His familiar scent assailed her, conjuring images she wanted to stay buried.

  “How long is this discomfort going to last between us, Evie?”

  For a moment she thought about playing dumb and saying something like, Whatever are you talking about, Jared? There’s no discomfort at all. But, what was the point in denying it? There was a huge neon sign between them that flashed AWKWARD. Her shoulders drooped. “I think the question is, how do we get rid of it?”

  “Have one more wild night and get each other out of our systems?”

  Jared’s teasing grin evoked no amusement whatsoever. Her jaw slackened. “If that was a joke, it was a horrible one.”

  “Who said I was joking?” His expression had gone serious and his eyes darkened to a forest green.

  Dear God, he was serious. She took a step back then, her eyes widening and her head shaking from side to side. “Not going to happen. We work together now, remember? Even if we weren’t, it still wouldn’t happen.”

  J
ared blinked. She thought he would ask why, but thankfully he didn’t. He blinked twice as if regaining his senses and wiped a hand over his face. His own retreating step put more distance between them, and she breathed a little easier. “I uh … you’re right. Enjoy the rest of your night, Evie. I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope you find my office without too much trouble.”

  She nodded, giving him a tight smile. “Good night, Jared. Thanks again for the lift.”

  He waited until she was inside. Glancing over her shoulder, she was surprised to find him still standing in front of the glass doors watching her. He turned to descend the steps when she boarded the elevator, and the doors slid shut. Evie let out a breath and lifted her hands to massage her temples. She’d thought she would be able to work with Jared with no problem, but her traitorous body had other plans. When he was near, her body went haywire, wanting her to forget that they were now in a professional relationship and absolutely nothing intimate could happen between them. The last time she fraternized, it turned out to be a disaster. No way would she allow anything of the sort to happen again.

  ***

  The next day, Evie strolled into Hawthorne Industries, shoulders squared with her dominate-the-world attitude in place. She was feeling more confident about working with Jared after a good night’s sleep and a few doses of caffeine. That was until she was led to his office and saw him rise from the wing-backed chair behind a massive desk. She was vaguely aware of her posh environment. The plush carpet, the black leather sectional, the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offered an amazing, panoramic view of Seattle. All of that was overshadowed by him. Suddenly, her mouth went dry, and her confidence about handling a meeting with Jared was flushed down the toilet. Mr. GQ, the first name he’d gone by in her mind. That name certainly suited him in his charcoal gray suit that he filled out to perfection.

  Even the tall, slim blonde receptionist who led her to his office ogled him. The blatant lust in that woman’s eyes was despicable. At least Evie made an attempt to hide hers, and she managed to avoid drooling. The woman gazed at him before she said, “Mr. Hawthorne, your ten o’clock.”