Spring River Valley: The Winter Collection (Boxed Set) (25 page)

“The whole naked thing really threw you, didn’t it?”

She covered her eyes with her hands. “God, yes.”

“Don’t sweat it. I don’t mind.”

“That I saw you naked?”

“Nope. Don’t mind. I’m not self-conscious.”

“Well, you have no reason to be. I mean, you’re…” She made some vague hand gestures that he guessed meant he had nothing to be ashamed of in the naked department.

“You’re the cutest shade of purple right now.” Jared turned on his thousand-watt smile. “To hell with the presentation. Want to go downstairs and get a drink or something?”

“Now? No, I…”

“Come on, you were going to yell at the front desk. I’ll go with you, we’ll raise some hell, and then we’ll grab a beer or something. We’re both off duty. No
business talk tonight. Tomorrow, we can pretend we never met.”

She contemplated
the offer for a second. “I’m wearing sweats.”

“You look great. Come on.”

“All right. One beer.”

“Lead the way, m’lady.” Jared held the door for Emerson and snuck a guilty glance at her backside as she strolled past him. She had a sexy walk, and that hair was like a mermaid’s, all wild and flowing. He wanted to wrap his hands in it. If this was fate, he owed the universe a great big wet kiss.

“It’s almost ten o’clock…do you have any idea where I’m supposed to stay if I don’t have a hotel room?” Emmy asked the concierge.

Mr. Valdez appeared at the man’s elbow looking contrite. “I’m so very sorry, Ms. Bartoli. We’ve called dozens of hotels in the area, and we can’t find any rooms in your price range.”

“And there’s nothing here at all? Anything?”

“We’re completely booked. Even our bridal suite is taken, our penthouse suite is booked, and our hospitality suites are in use. There is nothing.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“There is a room available at the Quality Inn in Weehawken,” the concierge offered.

Emerson stared at him. “New Jersey? There’s a room available in
New Jersey
?”

“The ferry can get you to—”

Jared intervened before Emmy’s head popped off completely. “You want her to take the ferry to a hotel room in another state?”

“It’s the absolute closest room I could find that meets Ms. Bartoli’s specified price range.”

“You gave away her room. You could pay the difference in the price.”

Mr. Valdez looked shocked. “We can’t do that, sir. The price differences are too high. I’ve only been able to find premium rooms available at almost double the cost of the one Ms. Bartoli booked here.”

“My company won’t reimburse me for twice the cost of the room,” Emmy said. This was becoming a nightmare. She had visions of spending the night on a park bench. There had to be other hotels available, but would they be any place she’d feel safe staying? She thought of calling her boss, but how incompetent would she look if she confessed she’d lost her hotel room by accident and had no place to stay?

“We will keep searching, miss. I promise I will not rest until I find you a place to spend the night.” Mr. Valdez did seem genuinely concerned, but what more could he do? By the time they found her a room somewhere and she got all her stuff settled, half the night would be gone.

“We’ll be in the bar for a bit,” Jared told Valdez. “Look for us there when you have something.”

“I will do that, sir.”

Jared led her gently away from the concierge desk and into the hotel bar where dim lights and low music soothed her anxiety a bit. He picked a table for them and ordered two light beers.

“I can’t believe it’s ten o’clock, and I still don’t have a room. This is ridiculous.”

“It is. It’ll work out. Give them a little more time.”

Emmy sipped her beer and studied the man across the table. She tried to concentrate on his face rather than on memories of the view she’d gotten earlier in the evening. He was cute…no maybe he qualified as classically handsome. Reddish undertones
highlighted his dark blond hair. Green flecks rimmed his hazel eyes, and one corner of his upper lip curved in a sexy half-smile. Earlier, she’d convinced herself he was gay so taking a bath in his tub didn’t seem quite so weird, but now she hoped for the opposite. He lived one town over from her…and here they’d had to come all the way to New York City to meet.

“How long have you worked for DenMar?” she asked, hoping to distract herself from unbusinesslike thoughts.

“About two years. The TCL account is my biggest project, so I’m hoping to impress you.” He winked, and she had to wonder if this was his idea of talking business.

“And you live in Spring River Valley…?” Lame question. Could he tell she was fishing?

“In the apartments on Jackson. Do you know them?”

“I think I’ve passed them. You live alone?”
Please don’t have a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend.

“I have a roommate
, Max. He’s a photographer.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t see him much these days. He just started dating a nurse from the hospital, so he’s at her place all the time now.”

“Oh.”
Not dating his roommate. Awesome!

“I guess that leaves the place free for you and your…significant other.”
Fishing, Emmy. He knows you’re fishing.

“I’m single right now. How about you?”

“I just broke up with someone…well, six months ago.”

“So you live alone?”

“I have a cat.”
Oh, man. That sounds awful. Might as well have said I have a hundred cats and they talk to me.

“Cats are nice. They’re very…neat.”

“You’re very neat. I noticed you kept the hotel room very…tidy.”

“Yeah. Well, I live with a slob. Max is…like…I don’t know. He was raised by wolves. I got used to cleaning everything up. He calls
me
the freak.”

Don’t tell him you’re a slob, Emmy.
“I’m a—I try to be neat.”
Wow. Crashing and burning.
It had been so long since she’d cared to impress a guy, she’d forgotten how.
Don’t tell him you try to be neat. Tell him you’re a tiger in the sack. Tell him he’s hot. Tell him you’d like another full Monty view if he’s up for it.
“I think I need another beer.”

Jared ordered them two more beers, and by the end of the second bottle Emmy had loosened up a bit more. They were laughing and joking around when Mr. Valdez appeared, looking like his necktie was a little too tight.

“Ms. Bartoli, I was able to find you a room.”

For some reason, she’d thought that news would have made her happier. “Oh?”

“Unfortunately, it’s across town. I will arrange a cab service to take you to the hotel, and of course, I will cover the cost of your transportation.”

“All the way across town?” The morning commute to the Convention Center would be hell, but what choice did she have? “And it’s in my price range?”

“Yes, a queen bed, no-smoking room, in a four-star establishment. I’ve reserved the room for two nights. I can send someone up to Mr. Barton’s room to help you with your luggage. And again, I’m so very sorry about this misunderstanding. I’ve prepared a voucher for your next stay in the city, and I hope to see you again soon. If there’s anything I can do for you at all while you are at the Expo, please call and ask for me personally.”

“Thank you…” Emmy glanced at Jared. He looked just as disappointed that their evening was coming to an end, but it was now almost midnight and she had to get some sleep. With a cab ride and check-in still ahead of her, she’d be lucky to be settled into bed by one thirty. “I should go get my things.”

Jared put money on the table and rose. “I’ll go with you. The least I can do is see you out.”

“Thanks.”

They rode the elevator in silence, stealing glances at one another, and he used his key card to let her in the room. He watched her check the buckles and clasps on her suitcase for a moment then crossed his arms over his chest. “Hey, I have an idea.”

“What?”

“Stay here.”

“What?” She tried not to giggle at the thought, but a jolt of electricity zinged through her at the idea of spending the whole night with Jared. “You mean here
with you?”

“Nothing kinky, I swear. We can have them bring up a cot. You take the bed. What’s the big deal? We’re both adults. I’m meeting with you tomorrow. We could do the pitch over breakfast…before we go to the
Convention Center and save ourselves some time. Why should you have to drag all your stuff across town just to come back here? The cab fare alone will blow your expense account, I bet.”

She nodded. “Yeah. True, but…share a room?”

“We’ve done it this long.”

“Nothing kinky?” Not that she minded a little kink.

“Nope. Just roommates.”

Ooh, the thought of not having to go back out in the damp, cold city air, and not having to drag her luggage through another lobby and…spending the night with a complete stranger? Did she dare? “Sure. Why not?”

“Great. You call Valdez, tell him to cancel your cab, and I’ll clear out a drawer for your stuff.”

Emmy picked up her phone and paused a second to watch Jared as he moved neatly folded underwear from one draw to another in the small bureau. She had to be out of her mind, agreeing to spend the night in a hotel room with a man she’d just met. But he was right. They were both adults, and they seemed to get along. She’d been on plenty of trips in college where she’d shared a room with another woman she’d never met before, how was this really any different?

The fact that she thought Jared Barton was incredibly sexy made it just a little bit different, but she could deal with that. She could ignore it for two days if she had to. She’d start right now. Tearing her gaze away from his jean-clad ass, she concentrated on calling Mr. Valdez. The manager was somewhat less than pleased at her polite refusal of the room he’d worked for almost six hours to find, but he’d get over it. It wasn’t her fault the clerk had put her in the wrong room.

“All done,” she said, hanging up the phone. “Housekeeping is sending up a cot, but I’ll sleep on it. The room is yours after all.”

“Well, now it’s yours too, so unpack and let’s get some sleep. I’ve got a big presentation tomorrow, and I have to impress my client.”

She grinned. “You already have.”

* * * *

They flipped a coin to see who would get the bed and who would get the cot and Jared lost, so he had to the take the bed, despite his repeated insistence that he didn’t mind sleeping on the cot. With the folding bed spread out, though, there was almost no space to walk in the room, so Emerson had to step over him and walk across the mattress to reach the cot. He gazed up at her as she hopped over him and tried not to focus on the shape of her legs encased in soft, heather gray yoga pants.

She laughed. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“Playing hopscotch on a queen-size bed?”

“Sharing a room with a stranger.”

“You throw bubble bath at people and
I’m
strange?”

“I appreciate you doing this. You have no idea how much I didn’t want to pack up and go across town.”

“You have no idea how much I didn’t want to see you go. This is the most fun I’ve had on a business trip, ever.” He pulled the blankets up and turned on his side to watch her as she settled into the cot. She didn’t look terribly comfortable, but she didn’t complain. “How’s the cot?”

“It’s…fine.”

“There’s plenty of room over here.”

“You said nothing kinky.” She eyed him from the cot.

“No kink. I’m just saying, the bed is big enough for two.”

“Are you inviting me over there?”

“If you want to come…over here, I mean.”

“Turn off the light, Jared. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Lights out.” He switched off the light, grateful the darkness would hide his wicked grin. He would have loved it if she joined him in the big bed, but he wasn’t going to push it. They had plenty of time to get to know each other, and he planned to do things nice and slow.

Emmy woke up exhausted. She hadn’t slept much, since part of her brain kept reminding her about the gorgeous guy sleeping just a few feet away from her. She’d studied his features in the dim light of the bedside clock and decided he was even better looking than she first thought. With his sensual mouth relaxed in sleep and his long dark lashes fanned out against his cheeks, he looked sexy and boyish at the same time. Was she out of her mind to be lying here in his hotel room watching him sleep? Would she have thought it was creepy if the situation were reversed?

She’d dozed on and off with those strange thoughts in her head and nearly jumped out of her skin when the bedside alarm went off. She sat up, glancing at the tumble of blankets where he’d been not long ago. The bed was empty, and the shower was running. The squawk of the alarm hurt her head.

“Okay, okay!” Vaulting out of the creaky cot, she slithered over the bed and managed to grab the alarm clock. Just as she silenced the brain-piercing noise, the bathroom door opened and Jared appeared, thankfully dressed this time.

“Was that the alarm? Sorry, I forgot to turn it off when I got up.” He grinned at her, one corner of his mouth rising. “You look really cute lying there tangled up in my blankets.”

Emmy stared. Oh God. She was, in fact, lying in his bed. Thank God he was dressed. Who knows what would have happened if he’d been naked again. “I…uh…thanks.”

“If you want some privacy, I’m just about ready, so I can go down and get us a table for breakfast. That is, if you don’t have any other appointments.”

“No…no. I’m…DenMar was actually my first appointment this morning, and then I have a couple of hours free before a lunch presentation.”

“My team is supposed to meet with you also later, so it’s up to you if you want to see the presentation first, like a trial run, or wait for the group.”

Emerson scrabbled around in the blankets, trying to sit up nonchalantly. “Maybe we should wait. That way I’ll be surprised.”

“Works for me.” He grabbed his wallet from the dresser drawer and waved as he headed for the door. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

“Yeah…give me twenty minutes.”

He gave her a thumbs-up and left. Emerson spent at least five of those twenty minutes staring after him
, wondering why she hadn’t jumped on him and begged him to join her in the bed, and then wondering why she was so utterly horny for a guy she’d just met. Was it that, in addition to being her type, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy? Or was it just that she hadn’t been on a date since breaking up with Leo at the end of last summer?

She finally climbed out of the bed, crawled over the cot, retrieved her luggage and ferreted out a decent professional outfit for the day. That had to be it. She’d been focusing on her job almost exclusively for half a year, and she’d forgotten how much fun it could be to flirt. There was no reason not to enjoy hanging out with a cute guy, as long as she remembered business came first and she didn’t lose her head over him.

She showered in record time, moussed her hair to keep it in a controlled ponytail and dashed on some mascara. No primping, no kissable lipstick, no smoky eye shadow right now. It was his job to impress her today, but tonight the rules might just be a little different.

* * * *

Jared realized he was nervously tapping a spoon against his coffee cup while waiting for Emerson to appear. His mood had nothing to do with her being the person he had to pitch his biggest, most important presentation to, and everything to do with her being the girl who’d spent the night in his room.

She’d looked incredible this morning, her
dark brown ringlets in disarray, freckles standing out on her pale skin, and that adorable expression of shock on her face when he’d caught her in his bed. Of course she was only there to reach the alarm clock, so why had she looked so guilty?

He’d had to get out of the room as fast as possible to avoid the urge to jump on the bed with her and get tangled in the blankets himself.

Now he was nervous, like he was waiting for a date or something. It didn’t really make sense. He’d been totally cool with this girl, not going all drooling puppy on her. He’d even managed to compliment her in what he thought was a pretty suave way. He’d never be as smooth as his roommate, though. Max had a knack for making women insane with his perfect mix of intensity and indifference. He’d taught Jared to keep his emotions in check around women and let them do some guessing when it came to what he wanted or how he was feeling. Jared didn’t like the idea of keeping someone off balance, but it had certainly worked for Max this time around. His new girlfriend, Audrey, seemed to be as madly in love with him as he was with her. Why was he thinking about love? This was already getting out of hand. Tap, tap, tap, tap.

He put the spoon down and covered it with his napkin.

She appeared at the entrance to the dining room, dressed in a severe navy suit, her gorgeous hair pulled back in a tight, sleek style that made her look intimidating. He smiled. It was too late for that approach. He’d seen her just waking up, eyes heavy lidded and lips soft. She couldn’t scare him in the conference room, but back in the bedroom…he had to wonder if he was even in her league.

She waved when she saw him and hurried over, long-legged strides carrying her across the dining room with a mixture of grace and determination. He watched her legs, shapely in chunky heels. The power suit made her look so much taller than the soft yoga pants and T-shirt
she’d slept in.

“Hey, sorry I took so long,” she said and slid into the booth across from him. “I tripped over the cot a couple of times.”

“Long? I think you set a record for getting ready. I have two sisters, and it was drummed into me from birth that beauty takes time. Now I know that’s a myth.”

She eyed him sidelong, as though she wasn’t sure it was a compliment at first. Then her cheeks pinked up. “You’re a relentless flirt, aren’t you?”

“So I’ve been told. I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

She sipped her ice water before answering. “Not at all. Flirt away.”

His next attempt at shameless flattery was interrupted by the waiter. They ordered breakfast and talked about everything except advertising for the next hour. Jared discovered Emerson preferred to be called Emmy, she’d moved up the ranks in TCL’s customer service division to the corporate image department after starting there as a summer job when she was sixteen. She did, in fact, love hockey, horses, and jazz. She spoke conversational Italian, and yes, she had been named for Ralph Waldo because her mother was an English lit teacher.

He found himself confessing his love of parasailing and all things medieval, and how, thanks to his sisters, he knew all the words to every song from the musical
Beauty and the Beast
. “I don’t normally tell people that,” he said.

“So you’re a romantic at heart?”

“Shh, not so loud. I do have a reputation to uphold.”

“What’s your reputation?”

He slid his sunglasses over his eyes. “I’m the cool guy.”

“Sing me something from
Beauty and the Beast
.”

“Never. Hey look, it’s time to go to the Expo, how about that!” Laughing, he grabbed the check just as she did. She finally won the tug of war.

“It’s the least I can do since you shared your room with me. And I intend to split the bill with you. You can take chivalry only so far.”

He held up his hands. “I won’t argue with a lady, but I’ll pay for the cab. And dinner tonight, if you’re available.”

“Oh, I’m very available.”

A jolt of electricity raced through Jared’s body as she brushed her hand over his before standing up from the table. He didn’t have to wonder if there was something between them; he only had to hope he could keep his desire for her under control until tonight.

Emerson sat back in the plush leather booth at Le Jardin and closed her eyes. The morning had been hectic, noisy, and mostly unproductive. The only bright spot had been Jared’s presentation for DenMar’s TCL ad campaign. She had to admit, he’d done a fantastic job capturing the company’s spirit and the message they wanted to convey to their customers. Their new goal to compete with the country’s top delivery services and branch out nationally meant a huge growth spurt that had to be accompanied by exemplary customer service and a pristine corporate image.

Jared’s campaign seemed to be everything Emmy thought her division was looking for, but she couldn’t stop the search after seeing just one presentation, so she now had to sit through lunch with a rival company and two more presentations before the day was over and then report back to her boss on Monday with recommendations.

She was practically dozing
off when a perfect red rose appeared in front of her on the table. A waiter had placed it there along with a fluted glass of champagne. “The gentleman will be along shortly, ma’am. He apologizes for the delay.”

“Oh…okay. Sure.” Emerson grinned and let the rose tickle her lips as she inhaled the lovely scent. She thought of Jared. Was he here? She’d told him where her lunch meeting was being held, but she hadn’t expected him to show up. She scanned the restaurant for a sign of him but didn’t see him anywhere.

“Emerson Bartoli?” A man appeared at her table. He was handsome in a slick, deliberate way as though he worked very hard to look that good.

“Yes?”

“I’m Dan Archer, from Metro Ads. I’m sorry I’m a little late.”

Emmy shook his hand and tried to hide her disappointment that she hadn’t found Jared. “Is this from you?” She held up the rose.

He smiled, revealing dazzling teeth. “Yes, guilty as charged. I have to confess, until ten minutes ago I thought I was meeting with a man.”

“I get that a lot.”
Thanks again, Mom.

Archer took the seat across from her. “When I saw you, I went back out to the lobby flower shop and bought that. It’s sort of an apology.”

“For what?”

“For false assumptions. I know you wouldn’t have known unless I told you, but I still felt bad. I should have done better research.”

“Thank you. To be honest, most people are just annoyed when they find out their assumptions were wrong, as though I’m trying to deceive them in some way.”

“I’m appalled on your behalf. Now, how about we order some lunch and get the business out of the way so we can enjoy the ambiance of this place?”

“Fine with me, I’m starving.”

Archer played his part well. He was attentive, charming, and very knowledgeable about TCL and its advertising needs. By the end of the meeting, Emmy had to admit his presentation ran a close second to Jared’s, and she wondered if her preference for DenMar’s campaign had more to do with her preference for Jared than with it being just a little bit better than Metro’s.

“I know this is a little bit inappropriate,” Archer said as he reached for the check at the end of the meal, “And I hope you won’t hold it against Metro, but I have to ask.”

Emmy glanced at her watch. The lunch meeting had already run over, and she had other appointments. “Ask what?”

“If you’re free for dinner. I’ve had a fantastic afternoon, and I’d like to spend more time with you, Emmy. Understand, I’m not trying to influence your decision on the campaign. We can put all that aside for tonight and just have some fun, if you’ll allow me to take you out?”

Emmy glanced sidelong at Dan. He was definitely good-looking, and they’d had a nice time talking throughout lunch, but he had a smooth quality to his words and his tone that made her just a little suspicious. He was almost too perfect. His dark hair looked as though he’d just come from a salon. His tan was likely sprayed on, and his mannerisms seemed measured and precise as if he were thinking about everything he said and did rather than acting in a genuine way.

Even if she hadn’t been hoping to spend the evening with Jared, she would have said no. “I’m sorry, Dan. I really shouldn’t. Thank you for the offer, though.”

“I understand, and you’re right. We shouldn’t do anything that could be seen as inappropriate, at least until TCL makes its decision. I hope after that, regardless of which company TCL chooses, you might reconsider?”

She gave half a smile and shrugged. It would be rude to say no outright, and he was charming, but she really didn’t think they had much of a connection. “I’ll keep your invitation in mind.”

Emmy took the rose with her and left the restaurant, her mind whirling about everything Dan had said. His presentation, as good as it had been, faded into the background, though, and she focused on what he’d said about impropriety.

The fact that she’d shared a room with Jared would certainly seem improper if anyone at TCL found out, especially since she planned to recommend DenMar’s presentation for the ad campaign. She had to make sure no one thought she was picking favorites.

A dangerous thought occurred to her when she returned to the crowded Expo floor. Dan had been laying the charm on very thick. Maybe his flattery had more to do with him hoping she
would
play favorites. What if Jared’s interest stemmed from the same thing? Obviously he couldn’t have orchestrated the room mix-up, but she’d told him fairly quickly who she was.  Maybe he thought hospitality would get him a better standing in the competition for TCL’s business.