Business Affairs (9 page)

“What, Jen?” He moved closer. “Exciting?”

“Yes.” His scent surrounded her, pulling her toward him. She let her eyes drift downward as she took a deep breath. Drugged. This was what it felt like to be drugged.

“Seductive?” He lifted her face, his gaze sweeping it before they landed on her luscious lips. They were beautiful. And tempting. So damn tempting.

“Yes.” Jennifer opened her eyes as the heat from his body encircled her. She put her hand on his chest, moving closer to him.

Alex leaned down, his lips just a breath away from hers. “Hot?” His other hand cupped her chin as he pressed even closer to her, his body touching hers. He could feel the pressure of her palm against his chest, but she wasn't pushing him away.

Jennifer's lips parted. Her gaze strayed to his mouth, his beautifully sculpted lips. “Oh, yes,” she breathed, and then she was kissing him. Long, deep, provocative kisses she could feel all the way to her toes.

“Jen.” Alex breathed out her name as he came up for air, then kissed her again. His arms went around her, then his hands cupped her bottom, lifting her against him.

She slipped her arms around his neck and didn't even think of protesting when he sat her on the desk and moved between her legs. Her hands were busy loosen
ing his tie, unbuttoning his shirt. He already had her blouse open.

And then he touched her. Someone moaned. It might have been her. She wasn't sure, didn't care. His hand found her breast.

Oh, yes.

Alex's hand grazed her thigh and she thought she would die from the sheer pleasure of his touch.

“Alex—” Her words were swallowed by his mouth as it covered hers. He leaned against her, encouraging her to lie back. She did, then was vaguely aware of something falling to the floor as his body covered hers.

Aching for her, Alex pressed his body against Jennifer's. Her hands were in his hair as his mouth traveled from her lips to her shoulder to between her breasts. Her skin tasted salty and so sweet. He pulled the cup of her bra down, baring her breast. Unable to wait another moment, he tasted her, taking her nipple into his mouth and sucking hard.

He caressed her thigh, slowly moving his hand higher, until his fingers touched her panties. His palm covered her there and her hips moved as she pressed herself against him.

Alex looked up at her as he eased her legs apart. “Easy, sweetheart,” he whispered as he started to move over her.

A sudden crash made them both still. Jennifer's eyes opened and she stopped moving. “What?”

“The lamp,” Alex rasped, his breathing ragged. “Don't worry about it.”

Her body throbbing, Jennifer pulled her arms from around his neck and pushed him away.

What was she doing?

“Let me up.” Desperate, she looked away, unable to face him.

“Jennifer.”

Her name came out sounding more like a warning than an endearment. She didn't care. Mortified she'd succumbed so easily to his kisses, she stilled. “Please, Alex.”

Alex moved off of her, then held out his hand to help her up. “Don't do this,” he said quietly, knowing she was pulling away. He wasn't sure why. But, damn if he didn't want to know.

As she came to her feet, she couldn't look at him. “I'm so sorry,” she said quietly. Quickly she adjusted her bra and buttoned her blouse. “This shouldn't have happened.”

“Jennifer, baby, please look at me.”

Instead of looking at him, she closed her eyes. Heat rushed to her face. “I can't. Oh, Alex, please…” She covered her face.

Wanting to understand why she was so upset, Alex reached for her. She shrank away from him. Startled, he let his hands fall to his sides.

“I need to leave,” she said. “Please don't try to stop me, Alex.”

“Talk to me, Jen.” Alex suddenly felt helpless. “Please. I didn't mean to—”

“I know.” She did look at him then. Tears stung her eyes. “I know.” As much as she wanted to throw herself into his arms, she couldn't. Oh, she wanted him. More than ever. Wanted to feel his arms around her. Holding her.

But this would never work between them. A hot affair was all Alex wanted. Sex. Not commitment. Not marriage and forever.

But she wanted so much more. More than he was willing to give.

She wanted his heart.

J
ennifer walked into her office, her whole body aching as if it had been dragged behind a car. She could hear Alex's voice down the hall and her chest tightened. How was she ever going to face him?

She didn't get much of a chance to think about it. As if he'd known by instinct she had arrived, he walked into her office as she was taking off her coat. She looked up. Unable to read his expression, she walked behind her desk and sat down.

“I need to talk to you, Jen,” Alex said, approaching her desk. “I'd like to apologize for last night.”

She winced at the mention of their interlude in his office. What could she say to excuse her behavior? “It was my fault—”

Alex threw himself into a chair. Sitting forward, he balanced his chin on the tips of his fingers and stared
directly into her eyes. “Dammit, Jennifer, don't.” Guilt paralyzed him.

Jennifer couldn't look away as a rush of tears sprang into her eyes. “Alex—”

“I'm the one who is responsible for everything that's happened between us. Not you,” he told her, his tone harsh. But his anger was clearly self-inflicted. “In Vermont, I agreed not to touch you when we returned home. These past few days it was obvious you weren't having any trouble living up to our agreement. I was the one struggling with keeping our relationship restricted to business.”

He shook his head, then pinned her with another hard stare. “You have my word I won't step over the line with you again.”

She nodded, trying to think of what to say. He thought she didn't want him. But he was so wrong, so terribly wrong.

Before she could speak, her telephone rang. She pushed the intercom button. “Paige, please hold my calls.”

“Jennifer, you might want to take this. It's your sister and she says it's an emergency.”

Alarmed, Jennifer picked up the telephone. “Lil?” She listened for a moment, then fell back into her chair when her sister explained her father had fallen ill. “Oh, my God! Where is he?” she asked, barely able to get the words out. After listening another minute she put the receiver down and yanked open her desk drawer where she'd put her purse only moments ago. When she stood, her legs almost gave out beneath her.

Alex had been watching her the whole time she was on the telephone. It was obvious from her agonizing ex
pression she'd received bad news. “What is it?” he asked, his tone gentle now as his concern for Jennifer grew.

Jennifer blinked away tears. “My father. They think he's had a heart attack.” She opened her purse and searched for her keys. “I've got to go. I've got to get to him before…” She didn't finish the sentence. Unable to locate her keys, she panicked and dumped the entire contents of her purse onto her desk. Spotting them, she snatched them up. Without bothering to gather the rest of her things, she started around the desk for the door.

Grabbing her by the arm, Alex stopped her as she tried to pass him. “I'll drive you.”

“No, I—”

“Don't argue with me. You're in no condition to drive,” he insisted, not wanting anything to happen to her. Then, he added, “Let me, please.”

Numb, Jennifer nodded. “All right.”

Alex grabbed her coat as they left and helped her into it in the elevator. By the time they were in his car, she'd begun crying softly. Heading out of the garage, he asked, “Where is he?”

She glanced in his direction. “The hospital on Colley Avenue.”

Good. Only a few miles from their office. “We'll be there in just a few minutes.” She didn't answer, just clutched a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. Alex wished he could say something to make her feel better. He reached over and took her hand. “Try not to worry.”

“I can't help it.” She sniffed. “My dad is just so full of life. I never…never even thought about anything happening to him.” It was hard to get the words out, hard to think her father could actually die.

Her suffering was painful to watch. Alex couldn't imagine what she was going through. He wasn't close to either of his parents. It made him wonder what he'd be feeling if something happened to either one of them. “Did your sister…Lil, right? Did she say what happened?”

“He was helping a neighbor move some furniture and he just grabbed his chest and collapsed. They called 9-1-1 and paramedics arrived on the scene very quickly. My mom was there by then, Lil said. She went with them to the hospital, then called my sister.”

“So your mother should have someone with her now?”

“I don't know. Lil lives in Ghent. She may already be there.”

“Try not to worry,” he told her as he made a left onto the street that led to the hospital's parking lot.

“Thanks for the ride, Alex. You can let me out in front. Someone can give me a ride back to my car,” Jennifer said, not wanting to tie up the rest of Alex's evening.

Alex shot her a dark look. “I'm going in with you.” He told himself it was the least he could do for her, but the truth was he couldn't leave her in her present condition. She was hurting and he wanted to be there for her, which totally floored him. Before he had time to think about the reasons, he'd pulled into a parking space and shut off the engine.

Jennifer nodded, deeply relieved. She hadn't been looking forward to walking inside alone. By the time she was out of the car, as if she'd lost most of her strength, her body refused to cooperate. Her nerves felt stretched to the limit. Alex took her by the arm, leading her to the emergency entrance of the hospital.

“Mom!” Jennifer cried, spotting her mother as they stepped inside. “How is Dad? Have you heard anything?”

The woman who approached them was shorter than her daughter, with a short, stylish haircut and very attractive features. Her eyes were swollen with tears. “Oh, honey, I'm so glad to see you.” The two women hugged. “We don't know anything yet. I was with your father until just a few minutes ago when they sent him for tests. Tony arrived moments later. He's talking to the attending physician to find out what he can. They asked me to step out until they're done.”

The tightness in Jennifer's shoulders relaxed a little. Although her brother worked at another hospital, she knew he'd be able to find out her father's status a lot faster than they would. With tears in her eyes, she said, “Mom, this is Alex Dunnigan, my boss. He drove me here. Alex, my mom, Janet Cardon.”

Janet Cardon took Alex's hand in both of hers and patted it gently. “Alex, it was kind of you to look after Jennifer. Thank you so much,” she said, her tone grateful. “I appreciate your being here with her.”

“It was my pleasure, Mrs. Cardon,” Alex assured her, amazed at the woman's ability to make him feel so at ease with just her expression. It took the sting out of Jennifer's description of him as her boss. More proof she'd moved past the intimate weekend they'd shared and he hadn't.

“Please, call me Janet.”

“How was Dad when you were with him?” Jennifer sniffed, trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears.

“Sedated. He didn't say anything during the ride here,” she answered solemnly.

Looking around for her sister, but not seeing her, Jennifer asked, “Lil's not here yet?”

“She should be arriving any minute. She had to make arrangements to leave the children with a neighbor.” The words were barely out of her mouth before Janet glanced over their shoulders to see her oldest daughter. “Here she is now.”

Jennifer turned and waved to her sister, who rushed to join their group. Alex stood by Jennifer's side as she hugged both her sister and the man who had arrived with her. Still fighting tears, she turned toward him. “Alex, this is my sister, Lil, and her husband Robert Kanton.” Her voice broke as she made the introductions.

He shook both of their hands. Lil Kanton resembled Jennifer some, but she could have been cut from the same cloth as her mother. Her brown hair was cut short like Janet's, giving her a stylish, sophisticated look for someone who was twenty years or so younger. The man with her appeared older than Alex, graying at the temples, and at least ten years older than Lil.

“It's nice to meet you, Alex,” Lil said, shooting a look to her sister that he couldn't read.

“Thank you. I'm sorry it's under such trying circumstances.”

As Janet filled Robert and Lil in on what was happening to her husband, Alex stood quietly beside Jennifer. He wasn't sure what to think about the way this family pulled together over a crisis. It amazed him. And made him aware of his own disappointment in not having a family to rely on. He knew if it was him back there in the examination area, he wouldn't have one person waiting out here for him.

His gaze went to Jennifer, who was still clearly upset.
He put his arm around her and pulled her to him. She buried her face against his shoulder and cried. The muffled sounds racked him with pain. He'd never felt so helpless. Alex held her in his arms until her sobbing slowed. When she looked at him, her eyes were red, her cheeks tear-streaked.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

“Don't worry about it. You needed to let that out,” he said softly, wishing he had the right to kiss her tears away. He stopped himself from pulling her back into his arms.

They'd become quite a large group standing in the middle of the room. Janet directed them to a group of chairs in the far corner where they wouldn't be in the way of others.

Jennifer turned to Alex as he sat beside her. “Are you all right?” she asked.

“Of course. Why wouldn't I be?”

She rolled her eyes. “Alex, it isn't as if you're used to being in this type of situation every day.”

“You have a nice family,” he commented. Each of them had been friendly to him. “You're lucky to have them.” Just because he'd never had that kind of support and love, didn't mean he didn't recognize its value for Jennifer. “How about you?” he asked, stroking her hand with his thumb.

“I just wish Tony would come out and let us know something,” she said, trying to ignore the shivers of awareness stealing through her at his touch.

Offering her comfort, Alex put his arm around her. “You'll find out something soon.”

His strength was just what she needed. It was all she could do not to lay her head on his shoulder. “I hope so.”

“Would you like something? Some coffee or a soda?” he asked, wanting her to be as comfortable as she could be.

Giving him a brief smile, Jennifer answered, “My throat is dry. A diet soda would be nice.”

“Be right back.”

As soon as he was out of his seat, her sister got up from hers and sat down beside Jennifer. “My goodness, Jen, your boss is gorgeous.”

“Lil, don't start,” Jennifer warned her. “He's just being nice. That's all.”

“Yeah, right,” Lil scoffed. “Everyone has a boss who drops everything at work to take their employee to the hospital.”

“He didn't want me to drive while I was upset.”

“Ah. That's why he had his arm around you, too, right?”

Jennifer smiled, despite herself. “Stop.”

“He's got the hots for you, baby sister.”

Maybe he does, Jennifer thought. But she wanted more than a man who lusted for her. “You're wrong,” she said.

“Oh, please. Are you going to tell me you feel nothing for that man?”

“I've worked with him for five years,” Jennifer answered, and tried to keep from sounding defensive.

Lil chuckled. “You didn't answer my question.” She was studying her sister's expression, then suddenly, she leaned closer. “Sheesh, Jen, I was just giving you a hard time. But you're crazy about him, aren't you?”

“No!” Jennifer knew she'd answered much too quickly. Lil had always been astute at reading her. With frustration, she realized she had no chance at all of fool
ing her sister. Her gaze searched the room to be sure no one was paying them any attention. Her mother was involved in a discussion with Robert, so Jennifer said quietly, “There's really no hope of a future with Alex. He's a confirmed bachelor.”

“All men are, honey. Robert didn't want anything to do with marriage and kids. He'd been adopted, and he'd never gotten over his mother giving him up at birth.” She glanced at her husband. “I loved him enough to wait until he figured out he couldn't live without me.”

Jennifer looked at Robert, then back at her sister. “He's so sweet. You're lucky, you know.” There was a wistfulness to her tone. “You've got it all. A great husband, kids, a wonderful house. And now a baby on the way.”

“You'll have that one day, too,” Lil said.

“I don't think so.”

Not with Alex.

“Here you go.”

Alex stood in front of Jennifer and she looked up as she accepted a soda from him. His arms held sodas, his hands coffee. “You're gonna drink all that?” she asked with a smile.

“No, but I thought someone else might want something.”

“That was so thoughtful, Alex. Thank you.” She helped him to unload his bounty and place it on the table beside her mother.

“There's Tony,” Robert said a while later, and they all stood as he came over to them.

“Dad's gonna be all right,” he said quickly, wanting to assuage their anxiety. “He didn't have a heart attack.”

Jennifer held her mother's hand. “What was it?” she asked.

“Angina.”

“Are they sure?” Janet asked, her expression still etched with worry.

“Yes.” Tony went into a full description of angina. “The doctors believe they've caught it early. Dad'll have to change his diet and start exercising.” Tony put his arm around his mother and hugged her to him. “He's going to be okay, Mom. Now you'll get to nag him even more.” He grinned and encouraged a smile from her.

Janet laughed despite the tears of relief that ran down her cheeks. “I'm going to enjoy every minute of it, too.”