A Weekend Temptation (2 page)

“That isn’t your concern.” As always, his steel walls were impenetrable.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” She looked down at the stacks of paper to the left of his monitor then back up at him.

“Why did you ask?” His voice was so deep, so velvety smooth, it made her shiver again.

Why
had
she asked? If he’d left Claudia, it was temporary.

Or was it? Joel had been dating Claudia for over six months, and he sounded as upset as if he’d told Ava he lost one of his hundred pens. The man had no feelings. Nothing rattled him. What had happened to him?

If she hadn’t felt him, hard and alive and demanding against her, she’d have said he was a mere robot encased in rippled muscle and bronze skin.

“I asked because I’m curious,” she said. More like she was obsessed with a man she could never have.

“You’re just curious? That’s the only reason you want to know?”

Did his voice just go deeper, or was that her lust-starved imagination? She swallowed hard. “Claudia is the perfect woman for you.”

“I thought she was. I thought I could marry her.”

Did he zero in on her lips for a long tense heartbeat? She shivered and fought to breathe in enough air to focus on their conversation. “Why couldn’t you marry her?”

“I found myself distracted.” He leaned closer.

“Distracted?” Her voice wobbled. She uncrossed her legs.

His gaze followed the movement as if mesmerized by her thighs. “Did you find another job?”

“No. I’m going to take some time off.”

“You’re not serious about leaving. If you want, I’ll give you a short leave of absence.”

“No. I’m leaving. For good.”

“But you love this job.” Joel reached one finger out to trace her cheekbone.

Ava’s heart pounded. Butterflies swarmed her stomach. She trembled as his finger moved from her cheekbone down to trace her dry upper lip. From one side to the other, the way his tongue had six months ago.

Oh God, she wanted him. Every cell ached for his possession.

With her last bit of resolve and strength she pushed away from his touch, away from the desk, and found her wobbly legs. With a passion-possessed voice she said, “I am quitting.”

Like her brother had said, Ava needed to move on, to get out of this office, so she could get Joel out of her mind. So she could start dating and making her dreams come true.

It was time. Being here, working beside Joel every day made her want him more. It was a waste of her time and her youth.

****

“Okay, what’s your big news?” Ava’s sister, Bethany Carson Tipton, motioned for her to sit in a chair next to her desk. She’d come to Bethany’s Central Park office right after she’d cleared her things from her desk.

Ava sat and leaned forward. “I just quit my job.”

“You did what?” Her eyes widened. Her sister was one of those successful, Type A people who couldn’t imagine putting her career on hold to find a husband. Even though she set up love matches for a living. Just last week Bethany’s company was featured in the
New York Times s
ociety pages where she was called the Matchmaker of Manhattan.

“I told you I was going to quit.”

“You tell me that every week but you never do it.”

“This time I did.” Ava sat up straighter and looked her right in the eye. “And I want you to find my ideal match.”

She smiled. “You do not because you still have a thing for Joel.”

“Who cares? He’ll never give me what I want. And you can find me someone who can.”

“I don’t want to set you up with any of my clients.”

“Why not? I can pay you.”

“I don’t want your money.” Bethany ran a hand through her blond curls. “I just don’t think you’re ready to move on yet. You’re sexually obsessed.”

“I am ready.”

“What if Joel shows up at your door, wanting you? Are you going to dump one of my poor clients?”

Her heart squeezed, and she wanted to thump it. “Joel isn’t going to show up at my door. He doesn’t care about me.”

“I’m more concerned about your feelings for him.” Her sister may be a match-making professional but in this case she was wrong.

“Okay, maybe I do have some feelings for him. But, I’m not in love. And he’ll never fall for me. Don’t you want me to get over him and find a great guy who’ll give you another niece or a nephew to spoil?”

“You’re serious? You really want to get over him?”

“Yes, I’m dead serious.”

She chewed her lower lip, removing some lipstick in the process as she considered Ava as a client. “Well, if you think you can get over him then we’ll get your video profile filmed today.”

She grabbed her sister and gave her a massive bear hug. “Oh, thank you. You won’t regret this.”

“I better not. I hate the thought of wasting my time, or worse yet, you breaking some poor guy’s heart.”

“The longer I stay away, the easier it’ll be.”

“Absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. Time and commitment does. We’ll find the right guy and get you over Joel Stanfield.”

That was exactly what Ava wanted.

Chapter Two

Bethany stirred her coffee and asked, “How did the dates go?”

It was only four days later, and already Bethany had sent Ava on three dates. Now they were meeting at the matchmaker’s office to talk about them.

Ava hadn’t expected so many dates so soon. Bethany was a fast worker. Or maybe it was just because Ava was her sister and she was getting extra attention.

“The dates were dismal,” Ava said, not touching the coffee Bethany’s assistant had delivered.

“Really? I hand picked all three.” Bethany sipped. “Let’s go over them and see what made them dismal. Start with Charles Lancaster.”

“He lives with his mother.”

“So, she’s eighty-three, and he doesn’t want to put her in a home. That shows real character.”

“You’d think.” Ava leaned back. “The man is a successful criminal attorney. I was expecting some interesting dinner conversation. Instead, all he talked about was bunions, and doctor’s appointments, and funeral plots.”

Bethany scrunched her nose. “Yuck. Okay, what about Doug Danfield?”

“Doug is also obsessed with another woman. At least it’s not his mother this time.”

“Who then?”

“His ex, Lorna.”

“Did he talk about her all night?”

“Nope, not a word. In fact, he paid extra attention to me. Always touching me and smiling. Acting oh-so-interested.”

“That sounds like the perfect date. I don’t get it.” Her sister tilted her head.

“Lorna was our waitress. He made it a point that we sit in her section so he could use me to make her jealous.”

“What a boob. I’m dropping him, and I’m not refunding his fee either.” Her sister rubbed her forehead then said, “Edward Simms—what happened with him?”

Ava didn’t respond right away. What was wrong with Edward? He was nice, attractive, well educated, had a great job, and he hadn’t acted like a jerk.

“No chemistry,” she finally said.

“He’s gorgeous, how can you not be attracted to him?”

“Rob’s gorgeous, too.” Rob was their brother.

“Is Edwards’s hair not dark enough for you?” Bethany asked. Edward was blond with blue eyes.

“What?”

“He doesn’t look enough like Joel, does he?”

“I don’t need a man to look like Joel to be attracted to him.” No, Edward wasn’t as hot as Joel, not many men were. But that wasn’t the point. Chemistry was either there or it wasn’t between two people.

Bethany sighed. “Are you sure you’re ready for me to find you Mr. Right? That you don’t need more time to get over a certain smoldering boss?”

“No. I need you to keep trying, Beth. If anyone can find me someone, it’s you.”

****

Joel sat in the back of his airplane, a parachute strapped on his back, watching Lance Landry turn the color of fireplace ashes. Lance was the head of Landry Security and Intelligence Firm. His company tracked Joel’s competitors to make sure Stanfield Corporation remained on top. Normally Lance was as tough as Joel, but not today.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Joel said. He didn’t allow many people close, but Lance had been a life-long friend who would never leave, no matter how cold Joel was.

“I’m going to get over my fear of heights, or die trying.” Lance’s voice came out shaky and crumbly.

Even so, Joel admired his friend’s courage in the face of his extreme phobia. It said a lot that Lance had braved the take-off.

“You won’t die. Trust me, this is my thousandth jump. The parachute never fails, you always land safely. If it wasn’t so beautiful up here, I’d almost say it’s getting boring.”

“I hate you. You’re not afraid of anything, and you’re richer than sin.” Lance frowned.

“What do I have to be afraid of?”

“Marriage?” Lance raised his brows. “After what happened to you. I’d say fear of marriage is the natural reaction. It makes you human.”

“Then I’m not human.”

“You’re not afraid, and yet you broke off the engagement with Claudia.”

“So what? It doesn’t mean I’m afraid of getting married.”

“What does it mean then? I thought you said Claudia was the one?”

He’d thought she was. Claudia would have been a prize at his dinner table, working her silver tongue and flashing her stunning smile, helping him land million dollar deals. Plus he liked the fact that deep down, Claudia was colder than Antarctica’s winter. She was so self centered it would take a pope to love her.

On paper, they were perfect for each other. He was a billionaire, who wanted a wife to share his bed and his social calendar. He didn’t want children, or to fall in love. She would have been there when he wanted her and made no demands on him when he didn’t.

“I’m
not
afraid to fall in love. I’m just not going to do it again.”
Not even possible.

“Is that why you aren’t seeing Ava?” Lance grinned.

To Joel’s surprise, an instant dagger sank into his heart. Ava had somehow reached inside him and found the place that still had the ability to hurt. It had been two weeks, and she still wasn’t back. Why? He wished he knew what she was up to and that he didn’t think about her, all the time. Hell, he even
missed
her.

God, he wanted his emotion-free life back, the peaceful one he’d been living before he’d kissed Ava, and she’d left.

“Speaking of Ava,” Joel said avoiding the question. “I need you to find her, run surveillance on her.”

“You can’t handle being away from her, can you?” Lance smiled an annoying smile.

Instead of answering Lance’s question Joel stood, signaling their discussion was over.

Then Joel gazed through the open airplane door, drank in the gridded landscape below and the vast ocean in the distance. As expected, his heart didn’t speed, his hands didn’t go clammy, his body didn’t tremble.

Fear wasn’t something Joel felt anymore, and he was glad. Now if he could just get rid of unwanted lust, then life would be perfect.

Joel raised his arms like an eagle ready to take flight and dove into free fall.

****

Joel was in the middle of a Stanfield Corp shareholder meeting when his cell phone vibrated at his waist. He checked the caller ID and ordered his team to take a break. Then he rushed to his private office and called Lance.

“What did you find out?” Joel stood watching a tugboat drift by on the river below his window.

“She’s at Trump Hotel eating in the restaurant, right now.”

“Alone?”

“No, she’s out with the newest up-and-comer, a stockbroker for Morgan Stanley. His name is Grant Sherman. He’s a Harvard grad who made over 200 grand last year.”

Is that all?

“What’s going on with you and Ava?” Lance asked. “Why am I tailing her? Is she the reason you cancelled your engagement?”

“Keep your men watching Ava. My meeting should last another hour. Call me if she moves locations.”

“Yes, sir, El Capitan.”

Joel clicked his phone closed and rubbed his knotted neck muscles as he headed back into the boardroom. Then he sank into the head chair and waited for his key employees and board members to rush back, following his lead, like they always did.

He heard voices and laughter just outside. They were the same team of brilliant people he’d hired at the start of Stanfield Corp, together now for over ten years. Without them he’d never have been able to build his company to the level he had, which as of yesterday, was the largest acquisition company worldwide.

He knew their names and their skills. That was enough for him. He didn’t want to be one of them. He didn’t choose to get close or care that he wasn’t. He was the boss, and he didn’t want to be anything but the man in charge.

Ava had been just an employee too. He should have felt the same way about her as he did the rest of his team. But somehow he didn’t. That kiss had pierced through his wall of indifference. He had to find a way to fix that, so he could go back to normal.

Ava had been gone two-and-half torturing weeks now and still he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Frustration pounded through him, tensed his muscles.

Time and space should have made a difference and dulled the blistering want. But they didn’t. He was still consumed with thoughts of her soft, brown eyes, her full lips, her lilting voice. The memory of her made his skin hot.

What did that mean? And what the hell was he going to do about it?

****

Ava liked the soft, romantic song playing in the background of the five-star restaurant. She sat at an intimate table for two watching a single white candle flicker. The waitress delivered her piping hot steak in record time, and it smelled like heaven.

Everything about the evening was great.

Except her date.

“I’m on the fast track, baby.”

Grant chewed while he spoke. That didn’t annoy her half as much as being called “baby.” She was nobody’s “baby.” Ava traced the top of her wine glass and wished for longer fingernails. “Good for you.”

“I had my performance review yesterday. My boss said I should be making 250 by the end of the year. If I keep my numbers up, I’ll be partner in the next five years.”