The Boss's Surprise Son (4 page)

The waiter delivered their drink order. Rick placed both arms on the table and leaned forward. “I’ve pretty much narrowed the choice of location for the first store to London or Paris. I know you put together a list of properties earlier this week. What are your impressions?”

Okay, she knew the key to maintaining an emotional distance from him hinged on concentrating on work, and she appreciated being asked for her opinion. But she couldn’t take any more today. Her brain couldn’t hold another fact.

She inhaled a bracing breath, and then met his gaze. “Can we talk about something besides business?”

For a moment shock stole his voice. “What?” he managed to croak.

“My brain is fried. No more shop talk.” She outlined her rules in clear, concise terms.

Rick stared at her, clearly speechless. Yet after a moment he relaxed back into his seat and opened his
hands, palms out to her. “Sure. We’ll talk about whatever you want.”

“Try to hold back your enthusiasm,” she said with a wry smile as she reached for a roll. Tearing it in half, she put the remaining half back in the bread basket.

Totally at ease in his habitual black suit and white shirt, Rick exuded elegance and class, putting most of the other men in the room to shame. The broad stretch of his shoulders and confident tilt of his dark head added to his sense of presence.

He looked good, really good. He always did, but tonight she found it hard to look away. She should be leery, especially when his gaze revealed he liked looking at her, too, but she didn’t have the energy. Instead she enjoyed the delicious tingle of excitement zipping along her nerves.

A sensation common sense promptly squashed.

She didn’t want the situation to change. She valued this job too much to risk it on the unsteady influence of romance.

“Okay.” Rick picked up the half roll, took a bite. “Where’d you learn to speak French?”

“High school. I took it instead of Spanish. And then I took an advanced class in night school. After the class ended a bunch of us would get together for dinner at a French restaurant once a month and only speak French. It helped to cement the language. Especially if others in the restaurant joined in.” She popped the last bite of roll in her mouth then licked a smudge of butter from
her finger. “I sign up for classes and seminars all the time.”

“Seminars?” he asked, his interest caught. “What topics interest you?”

Lifting one shoulder in a half shrug, she said, “All kinds of things, child development, business courses, design, some self-help classes where you learn how to end clutter in your life or build up your psyche with daily affirmations. That kind of thing.”

“Ah.” He nodded in understanding. “Sounds…boring.”

His honesty surprised a laugh from her. “Some of it, yes. Some are ridiculous. Some are definitely more helpful than others. I just enjoy getting out, learning something new.”

“Like jewelry design and faceting?” he said.

“Exactly.”

The waiter arrived with their salads and to top up their water.

“Share something ridiculous,” Rick demanded as soon as the waiter left.

Ridiculous? That shouldn’t be hard. The man had a master’s degree in Business Administration; he’d probably find most of what she went for ridiculous. Actually, she knew just the thing to tickle his fancy.

“In Strengthening Your Relationships, to get into your partner’s point of view, you’re supposed to strip completely naked, lie down on the bed and imagine yourself as a man.”

“I
am
a man.” No hesitation. No apology.

Oh, yeah. As if she needed to be reminded of his male factor.

“
You
would be imagining yourself as a woman.”

His dark eyebrows spiked up. “That
is
ridiculous. Who thinks these things up?”

“Doctors, therapists.” She speared a bite of lettuce, dipped it in her dressing. “The point is to see, to feel, to react from the aspect of your mate.”

“Sensitivity training.” The corner of his sensual mouth curled down, indicating what he thought of the idea. “You almost make it sound interesting.”

“Thanks. I think,” she said, defiant, though in truth his comment pleased her. She liked the thought of engaging his interest. But she wasn’t sure she didn’t agree with his obvious disdain of the topic. In fact, her imagination was working overtime, putting
naked
,
bed
and
man
together, and not just any man, but Rick.

Heat rose in her cheeks, and she reached for her ice water to cool off.

Rick’s gaze narrowed then became intense as he slowly chewed and swallowed. “Why relationship seminars? You haven’t mentioned a man in your life.”

She wished she had a name to give him, that in truth she had a man in her life. If she were involved, Rick would be easier to resist. But there hadn’t been a man in her life in close to seven months. And then it had been more of a friendship than anything else.

She demanded a lot when it came to love. She wanted what her younger brother had found with his wife, Kathy, what her mother and father had had before her mother
died and her father buried himself in work. A loving partner to spend her life with.

“I’m ready for a new relationship,” she admitted slowly.

“With a man who pretends he’s a woman?”

“No.” Amused, she shook her finger at him. “You’re trying to mess with me, but it’s not going to work. The sensitivity training was just a class. And I admit I got more out of the seminar on clutter control.” She swirled her glass on the table. “Have you tried to patch things up with Diana?”

He’d broken up with the woman just after Savannah had started at Sullivans’ Jewels. Diana had called several times over the past couple of weeks. Rick had taken the calls but they’d been very brief.

The waiter appeared, holding steaming plates of fragrant food. He stepped aside so the busboy could take the salad dishes, Rick’s empty, hers half-eaten.

“Careful, the plates are hot,” the waiter said as he set the dishes down, asked if they had everything they needed and then discreetly disappeared.

Rick frowned as he picked up his knife and fork. “It’s over. We had some good times, but she was looking to change the rules, so it was time to end it.”

“Of course, you have relationship rules.” She shook her head as she took a bite of her fish. “I’m curious, what do you have against marriage? Most of your brothers are happily married. From what I’ve heard your parents and grandparents were happily married, yet you seem to be dead-set against it. Why?”

“I’m not against marriage,” he denied. “I wish my brothers and their beautiful wives all the best. It’s just not for me.”

“Why not?” she pressed, trying to understand his position. “I’m focused on my career right now, but in the future I want a family, a partner and a couple of kids. Don’t you see that for yourself someday?”

“I have a huge family, lots of nieces and nephews. I don’t need kids of my own. My work gives me more satisfaction than any relationship I’ve ever been in.”

Although Rick was not normally a man to be pitied, Savannah felt sorry for the lonely future he outlined.

“I love my job. Thirteen-hour days notwithstanding.” She sent him a telling glance through thick lashes, and then smiled. “But I can’t see it being enough for me. I need family in my life.”

He nodded, his features expressionless as he focused on cutting his steak. “So you’d choose family over work?”

“Probably.” Time to turn the tables. “What about you?”

“I love my job, too.” Laughter brightening his blue eyes, he toasted her. “Thirteen-hour days notwithstanding.”

Appreciating his comeback, she raised her glass and clicked rims with him. Still, his evasion challenged her. He didn’t often open up like this—okay he
never
opened up like this—and she perversely welcomed the chance to get to know more about him.

Perversely because she knew better than to open herself to him.

“I meant, don’t you want love in your life?” she asked curiously.

“No.” He didn’t even hesitate. “I’m not getting married,” he reminded her. “Love isn’t worth the pain.”

He’d been hurt. The sharpness of his tone revealed a depth of emotion he kept carefully buried. He’d lost his parents when he was so young. She knew how tough that was, knew how every subsequent loss to the heart compounded the pain, leaving you feeling raw and exposed. Those were not emotions that would sit easily with Rick.

It saddened her to see such a strong man give up.

“I’m sorry for your pain, but love hurts because it’s important.” She gently covered his hand with her own. “It doesn’t mean you have to give up on having a family of your own.”

His openness closed down in a blink as he pulled his hand free of her touch and disappeared behind a facade of indifference.

“It’s not a loss if it’s not what you want.”

Or if you told yourself you didn’t want it so the hurting stopped. Kind of what she’d done with her dream of going to college.

“You’re right.” Common sense returned on a wave of self-preservation. Why let his attitude bother her when she had self-deceptions of her own? Suddenly uncomfortable with the topic, she sought a change. “Who started this conversation anyway?”

“You did,” he reminded her as he pushed his plate aside. “You said you wanted to settle down someday and have a family.”

“Right. Well that’s a long way in the future.” Nodding to the waiter’s offer of coffee, she dismissed the serious conversation with a careless wave of her hand. “I’m not looking for anything permanent right now.” She met his gaze over her mug. “So maybe I need to know more about those rules you were talking about.”

“I’
M THINKING OF GOING BACK
to school for a teacher’s degree,” Savannah announced to her sister the next afternoon. When Claudia had learned Savannah was traveling to London, she’d insisted on a shopping trip to update Savannah’s wardrobe.

Claudia rounded the rack of dresses in a stylish boutique at the mall and gave Savannah a once-over and then, totally serious, nodded her head and said, “I think you’d make a really good teacher.”

“Really?” Savannah couldn’t hide her wistfulness. “You’re not just saying that because you know it’s what I want to hear?”

“Dude, you know that’s not me. I don’t do pretty little lies. And in this case I don’t have to. You’re smart, patient and creative, all great traits for a teacher. I think you should go for it.”

“You don’t feel I’m too old to bother now?” Savannah asked.

“Phff. There are people of all ages at State, but if it bothers you, try online classes. These days you can practically get your degree without ever going to the
classroom.” Claudia absently pushed a few hangers along the rack. “But isn’t this kind of sudden? What brought this idea on?”

“I’ve always wanted to go to college, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to study. Something Rick said last night really started me thinking. Teaching feels right. But it’s been so long since I was in school.”

“What did he say?” Of course, Claudia snagged on the Rick element.

“I was telling him about some of the seminars I’ve attended at dinner last night, and he said I made something ridiculous sound interesting.”

“At dinner you say?” Claudia wiggled her dark brows.

“Oh, stop. It was a reward for putting in a long day.”

“It sounds like you had a good time.”

“Yes. I mean, no. It wasn’t like that. And believe me, I put my foot in my mouth before I was through.” She went on to tell her sister how she’d tried to change the subject when it got too uncomfortable.

“You asked him about his dating rules?” Claudia smirked at Savannah over a rack of cocktail dresses. “How brave of you.”

“The conversation was getting heavy.” Savannah shook her head at the red mini dress Claudia held up. The color would clash with the red in her hair. “I was trying to lighten things up.”

“Right.” Claudia eyed the red dress, shrugged and draped it over her arm. The color would be stunning with her own coffee-brown hair, green eyes and pale skin.

“Ohh, look at this.” Claudia held up a black dress and the breath caught in the back of Savannah’s throat. It was fitted from the hips up, with wide bands of material that wrapped the dress, crisscrossing each other over the breasts and then flaring out to create short, off-the-shoulder sleeves. A full, flirty skirt would swirl several inches above the knee.

“It’s beautiful, but I can’t. This is a business trip. I’ll have no occasion to wear a cocktail dress.”

“You never know. It’s always good to have a little black dress along on a trip just in case. And this material will travel really well. Come on, at least try it on.”

Giving in to temptation, Savannah disappeared into the fitting room. Of course, she loved the dress. It fitted like a dream, making her feel pretty and special.

She stepped out to show Claudia.

“Oh my.” Her sister circled Savannah, practically purring. “You
have
to buy it. If you don’t, I’ll buy it for you, and I can’t afford it.”

Savannah did want it. “It has no sleeves. It’ll be too cold to wear in England.”

“My roommate is from New York. She has a beautiful black wool overcoat you can borrow.”

“I can’t borrow your roommate’s coat.”

“Sure you can. She never wears it unless she’s going home. Come on, Savannah, you know you want it.”

Savannah grinned. “Yeah, I do. But probably not for England.”

“Please. Wear this to dinner and Rick will forget all about his rules.”

“Oh, no. No.” She shook her finger at her sister. “He can keep his rules. I just didn’t want him thinking I was looking to get married and leave Sullivans’, or that I was desperate for a man.”

Claudia laughed as she went back to shopping. “Instead he probably thinks you were hitting on him.”

“Oh, my God.” Appalled, Savannah rounded the rack and caught Claudia’s arm. “Is that what it sounded like to you?”

“Calm down.” Claudia pried Savannah’s fingers loose. “I was just kidding.”

“No, you’re right.” Weak as the events of last night replayed through her head, Savannah sank into a chair outside the fitting room. “I was trying for light and sophisticated, but it sounded like a proposition.” She mimicked a stab to the heart. “Just kill me now.”

“Such drama. That’s more me than you.” Claudia squeezed Savannah’s shoulder. “Sister mine, I love you, but we both know the flirting gene skipped you.”

Tragic, but true. Still Savannah shook her head. “He doesn’t know that.”

“Okay, so what did he say? What are these famous rules?”

“He didn’t answer. The waiter came with the check and the moment was lost. And that was the end of dinner.”

“He just left?” The notion clearly outraged her younger sister, who’d been wrapping men around her little finger since infancy. Even their father responded
to Claudia. Of course she was the shining image of their mother, which helped.

“No. Rick is too much of a gentleman to do that. He walked me to my car. Oh, gosh, and then told me I could have today off and he’d see me at the airport. Oh, this is bad. First the kiss and now I’ve propositioned him. I’ll probably get home and find a message telling me I’ve been traded with Tammy from accounting.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop right there.” Claudia dropped to the floor to sit cross-legged in front of Savannah. “You never mentioned a kiss. Spill! I want all the details.”

Heat rose in a tide from Savannah’s chest to her hairline. “It’s
your
fault.
You
told me to thank him for the extra money from the scholarship.”

“You actually
kissed
him?” Claudia demanded. “On the
mouth?
”

Savannah blinked at her. “Of course not, on the cheek, but you’re missing the point here.”

“Right, right. I see the problem. In the last two days you’ve kissed him
and
hit on him.”

Savannah groaned. “That’s it. I’ve cost myself the perfect job. And a trip to Europe.”

“He’s really got you twisted up. I’ve never seen you so flustered over a man.”

“He’s not a man. He’s my boss.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Claudia admonished her. “He’s
all
man and if you’re trying to ignore that, no wonder you’re in trouble.”

“You’re not helping,” Savannah said.

“Helping? Right, you want to know if he realized you were hitting on him.”

Savannah gritted her teeth.

“Hmm.” Claudia tapped her lip while she thought. “Did he revert back to business?”

“No.” Savannah perked up, seeing where her sister was going. Work would be an instinctive barrier for Rick to throw between them if he felt she’d gotten too familiar. “He asked how the plans were going for his grandmother’s birthday. That’s good, right?”

“Yeah, I think you’re safe. He’d have played the work card if he wanted to shut you down. He probably just didn’t want to talk about his love life.”

“There’s no love in his relationships.” With a relieved breath Savannah pushed to her feet, helped Claudia to hers. “That’s what the rules are about.”

“Another reason for him not to answer you. Nobody that knows you could see you in a loveless relationship.”

Savannah’s plan as she strapped herself into her business-class seat on the airplane was to act as if it were business as usual when Rick arrived. No talk of rules or relationships. Or anything else. She’d guard her tongue if she had to bite it off.

This was one time when his lack of talking would be welcome.

Where was he anyway? She leaned over the aisle seat to glance up the companionway but there was no sign of her stalwart boss. She’d been surprised when he wasn’t
waiting for her in the departure area, but as the boarding passengers began to dwindle, she began to worry.

There shouldn’t be any traffic at this time of night. They were taking the red-eye to New York and would catch an international flight out of JFK in the morning.

Frowning, she looked at her watch. Oh, God, what if he didn’t show? Did she fly or get off the plane?

Just as she reached to ring the flight attendant to ask if he’d checked in, he strolled through the door.

And—
oh my.

Rick in a business suit was controlled elegance, a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it. Rick in jeans and a navy T-shirt was big and broad and just a little rough around the edges, a man who took what he wanted and enjoyed the challenge.

She couldn’t take her eyes off him the whole time he stowed his gear and took his seat.

When he met her stare with his take-no-prisoners blue eyes, she blurted, “I was about to flip a coin to see if I should fly without you or get off the plane.”

He didn’t apologize, simply said, “Rett drove me to the airport.”

“Oh. And he was late?”

“He wouldn’t think so.” Rick grimly stated what sounded like an age-old argument between the brothers. He tucked a newspaper in the seat back in front of him. “Rett and I have a difference of opinion about how much lead time you need when you’re flying.”

“Why do you let him drive you then?”

“As he pointed out, I haven’t missed a plane yet.”

“Well, this wasn’t the one to start with,” she informed him, still a little on edge at the close call, a feeling that nudged up a few notches when the plane door closed.

“Settle down, Ms. Jones. I’m here safe and sound.”

“Let’s hope you stay that way,” she muttered under her breath.

“What does that mean?” Of course he’d heard her.

“Nothing,” she evaded, her attention focused out the window at the city lights as the plane began to roll.

Now Rick had arrived, there was nothing to distract her from the fact she’d soon be taking to the air in a very heavy object. Biting on her lower lip, she reminded herself thousands of people flew across the country every day.

Suddenly a strong, warm hand closed over hers on the armrest, stilling her tapping fingers.

She followed the reverse angle from hand to hair-dusted forearm, to muscular biceps, to strong neck, stubborn chin and eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Don’t tell me you’re a nervous flyer,” he accused.

“I don’t know.” She pulled her hand free. “This is my first time flying. I’m sure I’ll be fine, but right at the moment, yes, I’m a little nervous.”

“Huh.” The suspicion backed down to mild irritation. “Don’t you have a Valium or something you can take?”

Now that was just rude.

“I don’t need to be medicated. I need a distraction.” She almost changed her mind about that as the plane
picked up speed rushing down the runway and she felt the wheels lift.

Okay, oblivion may not be such a bad thing.

She cleared her throat and concentrated on the conversation. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to jump into your lap or anything.”

“That’s good to know,” he said as he dug her nails out of his arm.

“Sorry.” She smiled weakly, and, reclaiming her hand, she sought her own distraction in her carry-on. The first thing she pulled out was a plastic zip bag of home-baked chocolate chip cookies—nothing distracted or soothed as well as chocolate—and the second thing was the newest novel by one of her favorite authors. Rick had his paper so she didn’t need to feel bad about reading her book. And once she started reading, she’d get caught up in the characters, mystery and romance.

After tucking her tote back under the seat in front of her, she dug out a chocolate chip cookie. Taking a healthy bite, she settled back in her seat and sighed, feeling the tension leave her body as she chewed.

Next to her she heard Rick sniff the air. From the corner of her eye she saw him slowly turn in her direction.

“Are those chocolate chip cookies?”

“Yes. But you wouldn’t hold my hand so you can’t have any.”

“A tad cranky tonight, aren’t you?”

“It’s the nerves. I want to fix it, but I just have to get
through it.” Because she wasn’t mean, she turned the open bag of cookies toward him. “Peace offering?”

He took a cookie. “You still can’t jump in my lap.”

She grinned. “Spoilsport.”

“But I suppose I can sacrifice a hand occasionally if you feel the need.”

Her insides warmed at the offer, evidence the grouch did have a heart. But, oh, not good. Warm feelings for Rick were too much of a distraction. She’d better stick to the chocolate.

“Thanks.” She held up a second cookie. “But I’m feeling better already.”

“Good. Because it’s a long flight. Do you think you’ll be able to sleep?” He licked a smear of chocolate off his finger, a sensuous move she followed with her eyes.

This relaxed Rick fascinated her, which made him very dangerous indeed.

“Savannah?”

“Huh?”

“Do you think you’ll sleep?” he repeated.

“Oh. Eventually. I can sleep anywhere.” She zipped the bag of cookies and tucked it in the seat back in front of her. “How about you?”

“I’ll doze.”

“Maybe
you
need the Valium.”

He laughed. A hearty sound she realized she’d not heard from him before.

How sad, she’d worked closely with the man for close to two months and had never heard him laugh. She immediately wanted to make him laugh again. He really
needed lightness in his life, but this was another thing she couldn’t fix, not without putting herself on the line emotionally, something she couldn’t risk. And it didn’t even have to do with the job.

She couldn’t risk opening her heart to a man obsessed with work.

The loneliness, the lack of support, the disappointments—she wouldn’t, couldn’t go through that again.

So, instead of continuing the conversation and coaxing another laugh from him, she said, “Do you mind if I read for a while? I think it’ll relax me.”

The laughter faded from his eyes and he shook his head. “Go ahead. Will it bother you if I work?”