Chasing Temptation Page 2

  But he did feel like a brother, the family she’d never had being an only child, so she didn’t. Right now, however, she wanted to curl into his embrace. She needed to let him convince her everything would be all right. It wouldn’t fix the situation, but it would ease the knotting in her stomach.

  Instead Lynne fell back on what she knew how to do best—tell the the unvarnished trust. “You're not even Italian.”

  He grinned. “Okay, okay. I’ll call my cousins Roscoe and Pookie.”

  He did have cousins with those nicknames, but they were accountants.

  “Whatever.” The laugh loosened the tension in her shoulders. “We should start getting the store ready. I think I want to have a sale today.”

  The smile faded. “You’re really worried about this guy?”

  Nathan reminded Lynne of her father. If he wanted it, Preston wouldn't stop until he had her store. He was calculating and didn't care who he hurt. Emotional attachments didn't matter; business was business. Nathan was cut from the same cloth.

  “Yes.”

  Jeremy nodded and then grinned, putting on his best-friend face. Lynne sighed, filled with contentment. Okay, maybe things would work out.

  “Since you're all gloom and doom this morning, I won’t tell you I met someone.”

  Yes, everything would be fine. Lynne, said, “Okay, then don’t tell me.”

  “This woman had the most beautiful eyes.”

  Just fine.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Sylvia placed the large container of coffee in front of Nathan. Ebony strands were pulled back into a taut bun. Like him, she wore a business suit tailored to fit her body perfectly, but, unlike most of their meetings, she wasn’t wearing a business expression. Her stride lacked its usual purposeful rhythm. Her step had a spring to it.

  A pep? Sylvia's walk had a...pep. Nate closed his mouth when his assistant of eight years smiled brightly at him.

  “Morning,” she said in a sing-song tone.

  She pulled out the wooden kitchen chair across from him, looking comfortable in his rental apartment as she glanced around. “I passed by some shops this morning. Saw some curtains that would work in here. These local shops are pretty amazing.”

  Why was she talking about curtains? He cleared his throat. “I'm only going to be here a month at the most. Buyouts never take longer than that.”

  Sylvia shrugged. Flexing a tighter grip on the cup, he ignored the nonchalant gesture.

  “The current décor will do,” he continued.

  She waved her hand at his comment. “I know you aren't the type to roll out the welcome mat. You make the deal and you go on to the next, but don't you think that even a month with more than passable decorations will lighten up your life?”

  What had someone done to his right-hand woman? This woman had a full-wattage smile. He mentally pulled himself out of shock.

  “We don't have time for enlightenment or curtains.” He sat straighter in the chair, hoping his stance would put her back on track. “I went by Hart and Style this morning.”

  The declaration didn't dim the smile or make her eyes focus. He ignored the dreamy expression. She'd get into the game. Sylvia had been on vacation for the past weekend, which just meant he hadn't called her in to work for one reason or another.

  “Sounds nice.”

  He had to replay her response in his head to make sure he had heard her right. He had.

  “The owner is pretty...” He paused, looking for the right word.

  Suddenly, he was struck with the fact that Lynne was pretty. Underneath the hair gel and red streaks, her oval-shaped face had an angelic quality. Angelic. He snorted.

  “What?” Sylvia asked.

  “Um, the owner is pretty unstable when it comes to her business. She doesn't make decisions based on what's cost-effective, but on emotions.”

  Sylvia sighed and finally the smile dimmed. “From what I hear, Hart and Style is one of the most successful businesses in Valley City. Women go there for special occasions. High school girls flock when it's time for prom. The previous owner handed over a solid business. Lynne can do very well for herself.”

  “She can do better.”

  “According to you, Bill Gates could have done better.”

  He leaned back. They never argued. At least never about the actual buyout. She wanted him to ask pointless questions today of all days? But if it would get them back to the matter at hand, he would.

  Nathan asked, “How was your vacation?”

  The smile came back and along with it a whimsical quality to her eyes. This was not good.

  “I met someone.”

  He put the hot coffee to his lips, trying to come up with something appropriate. Another moment passed. Sylvia waited with her arms crossed. He had nothing.

  “Ms. Kelley only purchases local retail.”

  She rolled her eyes. “What else is she doing that is slowly draining her store of profits?”

  Sylvia had rolled her eyes. Sylvia.

  “Who is this new person?” Nate had to know so he could strangle the man.

  His assistant picked up her notepad. “Hart and Style has an established demographic. The age group ranges widely from women in their teens to those in the mid-thirties. It's in a small town, but is near a gold mine. This one being the untouched beachfront property that sooner or later the rich and famous will discover.”

  “The person you met,” he insisted, knowing she'd continue to ignore him.

  “The owner is relatively young. A woman without any attachments who will likely say yes to an obscene amount of money.” Sylvia finished scribbling on her pad, her face devoid of emotion.

  “She didn't take the offer, and I know how much she paid for Hart and Style. Ms. Kelley plans to fight.”

  That finally gave Sylvia pause. “She refused your offer?”

  “Ms. Kelley intends to make this deal much harder than it needs to be.”

  For a moment he allowed himself to smile again. It had been awhile since someone had denied him. In the scheme of things it didn't matter. Hart and Style would be his. It had to be.

  “She's ballsy,” he added.

  She smiled. “You like her.”

  Forcing a mask of indifference into his features, he said, “I respect her fight, though it's misplaced.”

  She tilted her head. “You don't think she'll win?”

  “She will give up,” he said with certainty. “Everyone does.”

  Sylvia put her notepad on the table. “Are you sure about that this time?”

  “It won't be a problem,” he said with more force than necessary.

  He loosened his hold on the coffee cup. This meeting and the one with Lynne had him on edge. He had mentally drooled over her delicate feet, her creamy skin, and that pink, pouty mouth.

  Who in their right business mind walked around barefoot? He must have momentarily lost his hold right along with Sylvia. He had to close the deal and finish what his father had started.

  Sylvia said, “She has you shook.” Surprise dripped over each word. “That's the second time you've stared off into space.” Sylvia leaned forward. “You've got to tell me what she said to you.”

  He wanted to squirm under her gaze. The impulse further irritated him. Nate didn't squirm. “I want you to go into Hart and Style and ask for something she'll need to order. Be difficult, adamant. Report back to me tonight.”

  Sylvia mock saluted him and began putting away her things, but he knew she'd won this round. Nate should have just asked about the new person in her life immediately.

  She frowned at him. “You still haven't told me what she said to you.”

  He shifted to a more comfortable position. “It's nothing she said.” It was when she flashed her bare feet that he’d been caught off guard. “It's how she looks and carries herself. I'm trying to figure out how she gets people with serious money to burn to shop there.”

  She stopped stuffing her notepad into her purse. “Her charm?”

/>   He snorted again. “Like a snake.”

  The full-wattage smile came back. “You like her.”

  “I respect her.” He stood to cease the incessant twitching.

  “I bet she's a ten.”

  “On the insane scale.”

  Sylvia picked up her purse. “I'm heading over there now.”

  “What?” The second the words were out of his mouth, he shook his head. He'd just asked Sylvia to go over there. He cleared his throat. “See yourself out. I need to go for my run.”

  “This is going to be too good.” She sounded downright pleasant about it.

  Dreamy expression, full-wattage and now giddiness? His unflappable assistant was losing her edge before a big game day. A first in years.

  Not a good sign at all.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Sylvia tripped over her own feet going through Hart and Style doors. A solid but lithe chest broke the fall and the doors closed behind her. Her hands splayed over the words “Great Scott!”

  She knew this chest, had gotten to know it very well over the past weekend, but he was here in this store, working. Her mind refused to wrap around this information.

  “You work here?” her voice rasped.

  Jeremy raised his brows, but his hands made their way slowly down her arms. She shivered, remembering the past weekend. Instead of going hot as she'd done Saturday morning, and at brunch, lunch and dinner, Sylvia's blood ran cold. She'd slept with the enemy.

  Jeremy pursed his mouth, pushing out his thick, bottom lip. She righted herself, turned, and stepped into the glass doors. One incredible day with this man and she had turned into a klutz, but that wasn't the issue.

  “You work here?” she asked again.

  “Yes,” he said and moved forward, concern etched on his face.

  Nathan would go batshit. Or worse, ask her to get information out of Jeremy. This had to be a nightmare. The dream state would explain why she stood there with her hands over her face not attempting to do damage control. Talk about losing one's edge.

  “I have to get out of here,” she muttered.

  She wrenched open the door and walked back out of the store. His heavy footsteps echoed behind her and within a few strides, he'd caught up.

  “Wait a minute,” he said. “I would like to know what's going on. Dramatic and you don’t reside in the same universe.”

  “You don't know me,” she said.

  “Wait,” he said.

  She didn't. Though his right leg rubbed against hers with each sway of her hips, Sylvia refused to acknowledge him. She'd have to cut him out of her memory. She was here to put him out of a job. She knew with exacting detail his boss' fate and she couldn't speak a word of it.

  That was the worst part. He'd talked of his boss in such a way Sylvia knew he respected the woman and considered her a confidante. Sylvia would have a hand in taking the business down. She picked up her pace to get away from him.

  “I know every inch of you.” He grasped her elbow, but didn't slow down.

  She sucked in a breath and then forced the words out of her mouth, because it had to be done. “Fucking me doesn’t mean you know me.”

  The ebony ring of his irises darkened further. She'd seen them go opaque before, but this time it had nothing to do with desire.

  How could she blame him? They’d had more than sex. She'd told him about growing up with a single mother, who turned bitter after the divorce from her father. She told him about the dreams of one day owning a business that did the exact opposite of what she did now. Nathan and she took down businesses with the intent to sell them to the highest bidder.

  Goodness, she told him about the covered-up tattoo on her left butt cheek. Not to mention he'd seen the tat and then sank his teeth into the skin and the cover-up ink.

  Just sex? What a great argument to present. Clear, quick thinking had gone out the window the moment she saw him.

  But she'd said and had to stick with the lie. “We had sex that's all.”

  “You're going to tell me what’s going on, and now. This isn't like you.”

  “A day,” she said and hated herself for it. “One whole day and you think you know me. Like you have some sixth sense into who I am? Do you even know my last name?”

  “Martin.” He moved in front of her. “The moment you saw me you turned tail and ran. Was it so bad to see me with clothes on?”

  “No.” In fact, it was better because she could now imagine the grooves in his chest moist from sweat. Wanting that, wanting him was going to get her fired.

  And why did he care? She'd given him a weekend of no-strings sex.

  “No,” she said stronger this time. “Leave me alone. I'll be fine, and I appreciate that you're worried about me.”

  He would find out soon enough she was here to make his boss' life a living hell. Then he'd understand, but she couldn't fix her mouth to tell him. What a coward.

  He let her go for a moment, and that's all she needed. Sylvia had strode to the corner before he stood in her way again.

  “Why are you dressed like this?” He lifted one starched lapel with his forefinger.

  “Leave it alone, Jeremy.” She stepped to the left and he moved with her. “We're done.”

  “I thought you pretty much lived in sweats in your free time, especially while on vacation.”

  “See? You don't know me. Vacation is over.”

  He crossed his arms, legs spread, and Sylvia wanted to kiss him. In his own way, he was fighting to keep her, though they had never said things would go further than the weekend.

  “I know enough about you to know something is going on. I'm not stupid, but you're the last person I'd think to be a snob.”

  She stepped back at the accusation. “A snob?”

  “I know I'm not putting my European History degree to use, but I enjoy working for Lynne. I never thought being a store clerk, in a successful store, is something I should be ashamed of.”

  Sylvia blinked. The laugh escaped before she could stop it.

  But wait, if he believed that's why she no longer wanted anything to do with him...

  “It's completely beneath me.” She nodded, because really this turn of conversation had to be divine intervention. “I can't believe I had sex with a store clerk. I only seriously date millionaires.”

  She gave him her best sneer, turned on her heel, and started back down the street.

  “I've seen better performances in a porno,” he said.

  She stopped. Had to with a comment like that. “Then I must have done well on Saturday.” The words hurt coming out of her mouth.

  This had to be done. Jeremy was a nice guy. He'd made her laugh and made her stomach go all weightless when he looked at her. She couldn't use him. On top of that, if Nathan ever found out, her job would be gone, just like that.

  Gone because she had wanted to have a real human connection, even if only for a short weekend. Nathan would see this small attachment as a weakness. Neither of them could afford any vulnerability the opponent might be able to use.

  What a mess. “It's over,” she said. “Deal.”

  She blinked and found her chest crushed against Jeremy's. Her protest didn't get a chance. His lips covered hers. She moaned, giving in. Without thought, she gripped his shirt because her knees weren't as steady as they should have been. The familiarity of his warmth, his scent filled her with comfort. And so much damn heat.

  He pulled back, his lips brushing hers. “Tell me that moan was fake.”

  Lying had been the way she stayed on Nathan's payroll, but now she couldn't. Hell, she really didn't want to. Yet telling the truth made her want to take a shower. I'm married to my job and have been for the last eight years. My heart has hardened. My soul, blackened. Sylvia could go on, but already she should buy stock in soap and call it a day.

  “Trust me,” she said. “This will only end badly.”

  He finally let her go. “I'm going to find out what you're hiding.”

  Because he wo
uld, and things would definitely end between them, Sylvia placed a kiss on his cheek and walked away.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Lynne prowled in front of the glass doors as another customer went into Nathan's store. Someone she didn't recognize, probably a tourist. How in the hell did he have tourist shoppers already? She muttered to herself when a group of women crossed the street, bypassing Hart and Style and heading right into Nathan's.

  “It might be more productive if you go over there to see what the fuss is all about,” Jeremy offered.

  She ignored him and moved to the other side of her shop, turning her back on the best view of the entrance to Craine's Fashions. Leslie walked by sans daughter and that meant serious shopping.

  Lynne straightened and held her breath. Leslie waved and passed the store. Lynne didn't have to turn around to know Leslie had crossed over to the dark side and gone into Nathan's store.

  She checked just to be sure. Yup. The dark side.

  “We've been open for two hours and not one customer,” she muttered

  “I'll go over there if you want me to.” He slid off the counter.

  She took in his appearance. Today's shirt had Inconceivable! across his chest. Jeremy might find a suit he couldn't turn his back on. He might find reasonable prices in tune with a siren’s song and fall in love with the store.

  “No.” She glanced out the window only to see Theodore going into the store. She couldn't take another moment of this. “I'm going to start on this quarter's numbers.”

  Jeremy raised a brow.

  She explained, “I've decided it might be a better business practice to start early and not wait until the last minute.”

  Jeremy crossed his arms. “I didn't say anything.”

  “Your expression says everything you're dying to speak aloud.”

  “You're right. I'm dying to say a lot.”

  Lynne glared at him then went into the office, making sure to slam the door to make her point. Once there, she kicked off her heels and frowned at the pile of paperwork.

  Rounding the cherry wood desk, a gift from her predecessor Megan, Lynne sat in the Star Trek-like chair.