Nice and Naughty (3 page)

“I don’t believe it. Those traits are mutually exclusive. And that’s the problem. I want both. No, I
need
both but it’s not worth wishing for the impossible.” Jamie could practically see her friend rebuilding herself, reassembling the fractured pieces of her emotions as she fortified her resolve by chugging the last of her hazelnut coffee. “And right now, I have to get upstairs and start researching the Winston project proposal.”

The discussion effectively closed, Alexa hopped off the stool onto her sleek, fourinch heels. Jamie smiled. Alexa would recover. Too bad. She could have used an insatiable, daring man to help her relieve the tension from her stressful job. “Well, you know I’m always here if you need to talk. Or decide to give me the juicy details.”

Alexa closed the distance between them and embraced her in a brief but tight hug.

“Thanks, Jamie.”

Alexa tucked the tall leather chair under the polished surface of the substantial boardroom table and began unpacking her briefcase. She represented Therber Management Services at today’s proposal. If she won this contract, as a merger and acquisition consultant for Winston Industries, her burgeoning career would be assured. Instead of rehearsing her strategy, as she normally would while organizing her documents in precise rows before her, she surveyed the scenery out the twenty-third-story window. In addition to the traffic rushing below her in a blur of lights, and the faint sounds of the city drifting up in a cacophony of horns and squeaky breaks, she glimpsed the rolling hills on the horizon. Larger steel and glass buildings, like this one housing Winston’s corporate headquarters, surrounded her own office and blocked the distracting view. Otherwise, she might never get any work done.

Her gaze landed on the distant landscape, causing memories of the race to flare in her mind. No matter how stupid it had been, that stolen afternoon’s passion still had the power to set her body on fire weeks later. The grueling hours spent on this proposal had kept her from dwelling on the incident overmuch. Add mental distraction to the list of reasons this contract was essential. If she won it today, her work would have just begun. Otherwise, she’d have lots of time on her hands to brood when she got fired for losing such an important opportunity.

She tore her focus from the lulling purple hue of the distant mountains and wondered if she should switch places to face away from the distraction. J. Winston, CEO of Winston Industries, possessed a reputation as a fierce negotiator and competitor. She required complete concentration to deal with the eccentric entrepreneur. He hired only the best on a regular basis and this deal was anything but ordinary. The top secret project required intense business acumen, speed to market and a reliable partner. www.samhainpublishing.com

The venture had the business community talking. J. Winston always inspired gossip due to his reclusive nature. Some called him The Wizard because no one but his innermost circle ever saw him, and no picture of him existed that she could find in her extensive research. He stayed in his tower, pulling levers, deciding the fates of companies from a distance.

If you believed the buzz, he’d reached out for a consultant because he didn’t trust even his top staff with the sensitivity of this latest project. He needed someone new, fresh and unbiased. Someone a competitor couldn’t have persuaded to go mole. The full extent of the assignment remained hidden from the management firms bidding for the contract but that didn’t squash Alexa’s confidence that she could facilitate whatever scheme Winston Industries, and their mysterious leader, cooked up. The heavy solid wood door swung open admitting an intimate group of executives she recognized on sight, either through the numerous networking events she attended as part of her routine duties or due to her background investigation on Winston Industries.
Game time.
She stood, greeting each one by name, utterly calm and collected. The rush brought on by intense situations filled her now, just as it did when she went out driving. When everyone claimed a seat, only one chair—opposite the broad table from her—remained unoccupied. She flicked a subtle glance at her watch with thirty seconds to the scheduled meeting time.

Alexa flipped through her mental notes on the interests of those present, constructing calculated filler to entertain the staff and start selling herself to them in the ten minutes or so that it would take for J. Winston to arrive fashionably delayed. Many executive officers channeled a more powerful image by making their appointments wait. Therefore, he surprised and impressed her with his punctuality when he appeared through a private entrance just a few moments later, precisely on time. She recovered from that slight miscalculation with tact, but nothing could have prepared her for the man that strode past the wall of windows, stopping right in front of her, hand outstretched. Automatically, she took it, wondering at the difference in his firm grip now that he tendered it in a professional gesture rather than the fiery grasp of their www.samhainpublishing.com

tryst. She squeezed his fingers, trying desperately not to think of the time they’d spent exploring deep inside her.

Holy shit.

At least she knew what the J. in J. Winston stood for now. Justin.

Their grip extended longer than etiquette required, or found polite, but she couldn’t seem to disengage from the desire that bloomed inside her at even this miniscule touch. She studied his face, instantly recognizable and somehow different from the day they’d met out on the road. His smooth jaw, shaved clean of the scruffy stubble, complimented the impeccable hairstyle that probably cost more than she made in a month. The charcoal suit he wore packaged the sexy body underneath like an exquisitely wrapped gift, making her want to rip off the covering to find the goodies hidden beneath it. His gleaming smile seemed genuine, and innocent.

Justin’s professional reaction doused her initial fear that he would recoil upon finding her in his boardroom. She could act cool, too. In the next moment, she expected him to say something like, “So good to see you again.” Or “I’m glad to officially be introduced.” But, instead, he said, “It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard many good things about your work and look forward to hearing your presentation today.” Then he crossed to his side of the table and sat down with an expectant nod, cueing her to begin, as though he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on her. To steady her churning thoughts, Alexa turned away under the pretense of tweaking settings on her laptop and the attached projector, although she had taken care of those details long before the meeting started. Several emotions crashed through her system at once. A dose of relief he hadn’t called her out mixed with embarrassment.
Does he think I’m a slut?
Her uncertainty washed away beneath the force of lust, which spiked off the charts as that amazing chemical reaction spread through her again. Finally, anger joined the swirling mass inside her and stuck.
He doesn’t want anyone to
know we’ve met.

A ball of emotion lodged in her throat but she wouldn’t let Justin ruin this chance. Even if he played some cruel game, she wanted the other powerful attendees to maintain their good opinions of her work. Afterward, she would deal with him in private. Professionalism rose to the surface, driving her onward, and she buried her doubts. She collected herself, drew a deep breath and focused on the strategy she had devised as she began to work the room. “Today, I will prove to you that I am the only consultant that measures up to Winston Industries’ standards for your upcoming project.”

J. Winston observed the polished performance of Ms. Alexa Daniels in utter fascination. An underlying aloof chill, which mesmerized and intrigued him, marred her perfect façade. The unexpected, illogical reaction roused his mistrust as well. He couldn’t afford surprises on this deal and he had considered her a sure thing.
What is she trying to hide?

He reclined in his chair, linking his fingers together over his abdomen. Though she continued the well-executed presentation, he noticed the dilation of her pupils and the tiniest shake of the red laser pointer’s dot on her screen each time she glanced at him. Did desire cause this anomaly in her behavior? He didn’t consider it conceited to appraise her attraction to him. If he hired her, they would work closely together. This deal had the potential to boost his company out of reach of their competitors for a hundred years. The revolutionary technology he had discovered would be profitable only if they could harness the competitive advantage first. He wouldn’t risk an opportunity like that on something as fleeting as lust, no matter how sizzling. He had studied Alexa for a long time, tracked her career for years as she rose through the ranks at Therber, gaining the experience she needed to become a valuable asset to his organization. He’d joined today’s meeting convinced it would conclude with an offer. Maybe a permanent one.

Now, he considered her behavior and knew that he didn’t have all the pieces. He hadn’t factored in the obvious magnetism that drew them to each other. Her file photos had always struck him as oddly attractive, though her beauty wasn’t conventional. Still, www.samhainpublishing.com

that didn’t explain her unusual reaction to him. She impressed him with her ability to mask the turmoil the others didn’t notice, only allowing subtle hints through for him to perceive.

She’s angry.
In addition to the attraction rolling off her, he distinguished the other variety of heat. He prided himself on being able to read people, that skill alone contributed greatly to his success. She wrapped up the briefing having convinced the others on the panel of her worth. He interpreted their sanction in the way they nodded with her every assertion, hungry for more, leaning forward in attention. Everyone turned to him, waiting for his response.

“I’d like to speak with Ms. Daniels privately.” Collectively, they rose, filing out of the boardroom, offering their support to her via handshakes and nods of approval when they passed.

Her disposition changed the moment he heard the door thunk closed.

“What the hell is going on?” She leaned forward, her arms locked straight, palms flat on the table as she unleashed the blistering sentiment he’d glimpsed earlier. Her auburn hair bounced in soft curls, framing the deceptive softness of her face, tumbling into the V-neck of that delicate lace camisole beneath her tailored suit jacket. He pried his eyes from the hint of soft, round flesh.

Whoa.
Years had passed since a prospective client dared talk to him like that. Her attitude shouldn’t have thrilled him and, yet, it did. Something dark awoke inside him as the hunt began in earnest. Usually, he could tamp down the primal segment of his nature but this woman drew it out of him in spades. Now that she showed her hand, instead of trying to deceive him by shuttering her buried emotions, he knew he wanted her. For his project.

Yeah, and that’s not all.

“I believe we just completed your proposal process. This is the part where I offer you the job.” He selected his words with care. Her reaction perplexed him but determination ensured he would discover the source of her hostility and eradicate her objections. He would have her.

“Process? So this has been an ongoing interview?” Her voice chilled further.

“Of course. You’re too savvy to assume I’d hire you without considerable investigation.” He thought of the hours he’d reviewed reports on her over the years. She controlled her flinch but he caught the ghost of the motion anyway.

“I didn’t expect you to come off your throne to inspect me so personally. If you think for one minute that I would take a position with you after this, you’re crazy. I don’t care how powerful you are or how important this deal is. Count me out.” Alexa gathered her briefcase, abandoning the presentation materials where they lay, broadcasting her intention to walk out if he didn’t stop her.

“Wait.” He rose, blocking her path. The warm scent of spring wafted up to him. One of the reasons he kept out of the limelight was to avoid the women who came on to him for his money or for advancement. Under usual circumstances, attraction sent up a red flag, a warning to avoid a female business partner but, for once, he felt compelled to investigate. Electric sparks of desire lured him closer to this woman when he should have dusted his hands.

She stopped practically on top of him as she tried to squeeze past. Her chest pressed close to his upper abdomen, more petite than the shadow her iron demeanor cast. When their eyes met they both hesitated, stunning him with the force of his reaction to her.

“Don’t go.” He couldn’t prevent the command from sounding so harsh.

“I didn’t listen the last time you ordered me to stay, why do you think it’ll work now?” Her bitterness sliced through the haze infiltrating his mind.

“We’ve met before?”

“Yeah, when I was crazy enough to let you fuck me. Or do you nail women on the hoods of their cars so often that you actually forgot?” Disgust permeated her voice and her features. It cut him to know that she aimed some of the hostility at herself.
Oh, God, it can’t be her.
Some glimmer of realization must have crossed his face because she snapped off their eye contact and bustled past him to the door. Just before it closed completely she spun around. Hurt mixed with the heat that, even now, lingered in her gorgeous brown eyes.

“Go to hell, Justin.”

He stared at the spot she had stood only a moment ago as reality sank in. His mind formulated a plan while he made his way into his personal office. From there he followed her descent down the elevator and exit from the building on the security cameras even as he hit the first speed dial number programmed in his cell. Ringing came over the line as she stormed out to the parking garage.
Come on, answer!