Hypnotic Seduction (The Seduction Series) (17 page)

“How? Especially if she doesn’t behave any differently.”

“She doesn’t need to. Your mother isn’t the one with the hang-ups about her body and sex. You’re the one who’ll change. If you make a concerted effort to understand Candace, maybe you’ll stop condemning her....and at the same time—yourself.”

nev•
er
  adv. 1. Not ever; on no occasion; at no time.

Never say never—at least not out loud.

At seven o’clock, Hannah lugged her grandmother’s overnight case into her bedroom and set it on the chair. “You can have the bed. I’ll sleep in the living room.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, pumpkin.” She pressed a kiss to Hannah’s forehead. “I’m just grateful to be away from those fumes for the night. I’m not so old that I can’t sleep on a sofa. When I helped chaperone the church youth group’s camping trip last summer, I slept on the ground.”

She wasn’t questioning her grandmother’s vitality or spryness. At nearly sixty-seven,
Ruth
 
still
had the face and figure of a much younger woman and was beautiful enough to be mistaken as mature version of Candace.

“I’m not saying you’re old. Just take the bed, Gram. I won’t sleep a wink if I know you’re stuck on the couch.”

“If you’re sure—”

“I’m positive.” Hannah kicked off her shoes and pulled the clip from her hair, letting it down. “Right now, all I want is to have some supper and put my feet up.”

“Supper?” Her grandmother’s gaze snapped to Hannah’s face. “I thought the reason you picked me up so late was because you had plans for dinner.”

“What I meant was I had previous plans at dinner
time
. I had a doctor’s appointment after work.”

“For what?” Ruth shadowed Hannah into the kitchen. “You’re not sick, are you?”

She should’ve learned long ago that her grandmother was not a woman with whom one should evade the truth.

“No.” At least, not physically. Her mental health, on the other hand,
could be debated
. “I’m seeing a therapist.”

“You mean one of those head-
shrinkers
who charges a hundred and fifty dollars an hour just to listen to you talk?”

“Yes.” Hannah bit back a smile. “One of them.” Except, as one of Callie’s friends, Hannah had been given a big discount until her health insurance from work had gone into effect.

“We sent your mother to a psychologist years ago. Fat lot of good it did her. Don’t waste your money. I’ll listen to you whenever you want for free.”

Hannah removed the rye bread, mayo, lettuce, and sliced turkey breast from the fridge. “I know you will. But I need the perspective of someone who isn’t so close.” She set the food on the small table that dominated her tiny kitchen. “Would you like a sandwich, too?”

“No. I’ll just have some tea.” Ruth picked up the kettle and filled it at the sink. “What am I too close to?”

“My relationship with my mother, for one.” While Hannah prepared her sandwich, she told Ruth about Candace’s outrageous behavior at her office that afternoon.

Ruth sighed. “When she called this morning to ask where you were working, I was afraid she’d show up. I’m sorry. Your grandpa and I made a lot of mistakes with your mom, so we deserved the embarrassment she
’s caused
us all these years. You don’t.”

“Maybe I do. One of the things I’m learning in my therapy is that, as an adult, I’m as responsible for my relationship with Candace as she is.”

Diana’s parting words had echoed in Hannah’s head all the way home.
Everyone has baggage from their childhood. But a mature, psychologically healthy individual puts it behind them, Hannah. It’s time to take charge of your future and pack a new suitcase for yourself.

Ruth grabbed two mugs from the cabinet next to the sink. “So what did your boss say after Candace left? It was so nice of him to send us to that concert at Carnegie Hall. I hope you thanked him for me.”

“Yes, of course I did. He didn’t say much about her. I think he knew how mortified I was. He didn’t pay much attention to her, either, so she’s convinced he’s got a thing for me.”

“Good. That’s more than you can say for that Kevin. I saw the way he gawked at your mother when you weren’t watching. Is he still shacked up with that friend of yours?”

“I have no idea. And frankly, I don’t care.”

Now that her grandmother mentioned it, in the last few weeks, Hannah hadn’t given Kevin a second thought other than to remind
herself
of how much trouble her attraction to Jordan could cause.

She sat at the table and bit into her sandwich. Just as she was swallowing, Ruth added, “Your new boss is much better husband material, anyway.”

Hannah nearly choked. “I’m not”—
cough
—“getting involved”—
cough
—“with my boss. He has a strict policy against office romances. Besides, I’m nothing like the women he dates.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing. He’s not proposing to any of them, is he?”

“Believe me, I’m the very last woman Jordan Calder wants to get involved with. He would never ask
me
out.”

~*~

“Damn it! Now what the hell do I do?” Jordan slammed the portable phone down on the table and flopped back into the upholstered dining room chair.

“What’s the problem?” Edward folded the financial page of the newspaper and laid it on the crisp white tablecloth.

“Bridget’s great-aunt had a mild stroke this morning. She’s flying to Chicago tomorrow to take care of the woman.” Jordan snatched up the sterling dessert fork at his place setting and jammed it into the piece of strawberry shortcake Elaine had served on the delicate gold-rimmed china his grandmother had loved. “So now I have no date for the charity auction tomorrow night.”

A puff of air escaped with Edward’s laugh, making the flame dance on the slender taper at his end of the long table. “That’ll be the day you have trouble getting a date.”

“Gramps,
it’s
twenty-four hours before a formal dinner dance. Anyone I invite, now, will know she’s pinch-hitting. How do you think a woman will feel to know she isn’t my first-round pick?”

“Hmmm. I see your point. You can always go stag with me. I even asked Robert to polish my dancing shoes.”

“You’re not my type.”

“I know.” Edward packed tobacco into the bowl of his pipe. “You inherited your fondness for shallow gold-diggers from your father, not from me.”

“Bridget’s not a gold-digger. If she were, do you think she’d be going to take care of her great-aunt?”

“How much is the old lady worth?”

“Okay, so her aunt’s loaded, and Bridget likes how much I spend on her. But my money isn’t the only reason she goes out with me.”

“Right.” Edward smirked. He lit his pipe, and then shook out the match. “We mustn’t forget how much the ladies also love your big, uhh....
feet
. The board hasn’t let it slip their memory.”

In some ways, Jordan was glad Bridget had begged off. She undoubtedly would’ve wanted him to spend the night. After kissing Hannah, he just wasn’t in the mood for the kind of superficial evening a date with Bridget entailed.

Edward sipped his coffee, and the light from the crystal chandelier twinkled in his eyes as he gazed at Jordan over the gold rim of his cup. “You could always ask Hannah to fill in.”

“Hannah?”

Why would Edward suggest Jordan take her if he wanted her himself? Unless it was just his grandfather’s way of getting her to the dance without causing a lot of gossip about him dating a woman young enough to be his granddaughter.

“Yes, Hannah.”

“I think you’re suffering from a touch of senility. She’s my secretary. And by the way, I never thanked you for finding her for me.”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied with her.”

“More than just satisfied. You saw her at the meeting yesterday. The board loved her. I wish more women were like her. You wouldn’t believe what she did.” Jordan told Edward about her shelling out for his lunches. “She would’ve kept right on paying for them without saying a word.”

“That’s exactly why I brought her for an interview. She has a generous heart. Even though that idiot Pulaski had just given her the brush-off, she was still willing to sit and talk to an old geezer like me.”

Edward wasn’t the only old-timer Hannah had enchanted. All the men at the board meeting had hung on every word she’d uttered while she’d poured them coffee and ensured they had everything they needed for the meeting.

She’d completely dazzled them with her old-fashioned charm and nurturing ways. Even as spunky and independent as she was, she didn’t consider it demeaning to pamper or cater to a man. Sure, Hannah could hold her own in a battle of the sexes, but unlike a lot of her gender, she also knew how to be strong without destroying a man’s ego.

Early in the meeting, Kurt Preston had apparently noticed from Hannah’s expression that she had a strong opinion on the subject under debate, so he’d asked her to voice her viewpoint. Much to everyone’s surprise—including Jordan’s—she gave a concise, knowledgeable analysis of the dilemma and a viable solution that swayed several board members’ position on the problem. From that point on, every time a disagreement arose, one of the directors asked for her two cents on the subject.

Smoke swirled around Edward’s head like a halo while he puffed on his pipe and sighed. “Well, if you won’t ask her, maybe I should. I’d like her to have the chance to go to the dance and auction.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Of course, I’ll look like an old fool, escorting a young chick like her.”

There it was. Obviously, he’d been right about why Edward had suggested her as a date.

“So what. Do what makes you happy.”

Edward’s eyebrows lifted. “You may not care if everyone thinks I’m a dirty old man, but I do. It’ll look better if she’s your date.”

“It’s not a good idea for me to take her.” Jordan wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I have to work with her.”

“Men date their secretaries all the time.”

“And that’s why they made laws against sexual harassment, Gramps.”

“Who said anything about harassing her? Just ask her to fill in for Bridget. I don’t see what the big deal is. As you just pointed out, the directors all love Hannah. If you show up with a nice girl, maybe they’ll forget about that floozy you brought to the Christmas party and that vulgar cartoon.”

In reality, the only problem was that he would love to
take
Hannah—and not just in terms of dating her. Since the incident in the parking lot, not a night had gone by that he hadn’t fallen asleep fantasizing about making love to her. All he could think about anymore was having her legs wrapped tight around him. He’d taken her so many times in his imagination the real thing would probably pale by comparison.

Hell, Edward wouldn’t be encouraging him to act as a smoke screen if he knew the kind of kinky dreams Jordan was having about the woman the old man wanted.

Then again, it would solve both their problems. Edward would be able to enjoy Hannah’s company at the dance, and Jordan would officially have a date. Maybe if he explained to her that his grandfather had suggested he invite her, she wouldn’t read anything romantic into it.

Jordan tossed his hands up in surrender. “Fine, you win. I’ll ask her.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number.

Her line rang several times before she picked up. “Hi Jordan. Is something wrong?

“Sort of.” He explained about his cancelled date. “I can’t invite anyone else at the last minute without hurt feelings, so Edward suggested I ask you to fill in.”

She hesitated for several seconds. “I’d love to go with you, but I’ll have to cancel a date I made with Callie to go shopping. And I don’t have a cocktail dress. If you don’t mind, I can take tomorrow morning off and go buy—”

“No. You’re not paying for a dress for this. You’re doing me a favor, so I’ll buy it.”

It would be fun. He’d take her into Manhattan and let her browse every shop on Fifth Avenue. He frowned, mentally reviewing his schedule the next day.

Damn it. He had Nympho-Lily’s cousin Nora reporting to him at nine, followed by a clinical trial review, three conference calls, and the staff meeting set for late afternoon. His day was so full he’d have to take his tux to the office and shower there.

He glanced at Edward. “Listen. My grandfather will pick you up at your apartment tomorrow morning at eight. He’ll take you into the city for the day to shop for whatever you need and to get your hair done.”

“I’ll have to drop my grandmother off at home beforehand,” Hannah interjected. “She had the floors refinished today, so she’s staying with me tonight to get away from the fumes.”

“Not a problem. Edward can bring you back to our house to get dressed and then on to the hotel with him in the evening. I’ll see you there at seven. Have fun tomorrow.”

When Jordan hung up the phone, Edward cackled with as much delight as if he’d developed a pill to cure the common cold. “What a great idea for me to take her. We can shop for a dress in the morning. Then I’ll treat her to the Four Seasons for lunch. And in the afternoon I’ll take her to that day spa your grandmother always loved going to.”

“Gramps, you need reservations and appointments to get into those places.”

Edward patted his back pocket. “I have a reservation.”

It was one of the things that irked Jordan about the old man. Whenever Edward couldn’t get what he wanted with his good looks or charm, he bought it.

The anticipation and the light of mischief in his grandfather’s eyes made Jordan pause.

He was being ridiculous. How much trouble could the old
guy
get into going shopping?

~*~

“It’s indecent for a man his age to be chasing you this way,” Hannah’s grandmother muttered, setting two plates of scrambled eggs and toast on the table.

“Grandma, I never eat this much for breakfast.” She scraped half the eggs on her dish back into the skillet. No way
was she letting her grandmother put
the eight pounds she’d lost back on her. “And Edward is not chasing me.”