The Charmer (11 page)

Alex knew once they crawled into bed, there’d be a lot more than sleeping on the menu. “Tenley, I think you and I both know that we can’t be in the same bed together and just sleep.”

“We could try,” she said.

Every instinct in Alex’s mind and body told him to show her the door. He had an obligation to treat her as a business prospect and the last time he checked, that didn’t include losing himself in the warmth of her body. “I’m not even remotely interested in doing that,” he said.

Her eyes went wide and he saw the hurt there. “You aren’t?”

Alex knew he was risking everything, but suddenly business didn’t matter. He could live without her novel, but he couldn’t go another minute without her body. “If you spend the night here, I won’t hold back.” He
paused, then decided he might as well be completely honest. Then the ball would be in her court. “I’m going to see your grandfather tomorrow. If he isn’t the one who made that story, I’m not going to give up. I’m going to find that person, whoever he—or
she
—is.”

She stood, her expression unflinching, and shrugged out of her jacket, letting it drop to the floor at her feet. Then she kicked off her boots and dropped them in front of the door. She still wore the goofy hat with the earflaps. Alex reached out and took it off her head, then set it on the desk.

He hadn’t seen her in a few hours, but the effect that her beauty had on his brain was immediate and intense. His gaze drifted from her eyes to her lips. Alex fought the temptation to grab her and pull her down onto the bed, to kiss her until her body went soft beneath his.

Slowly, she removed each piece of clothing, her gaze fixed on his, never faltering. When she was left in just her T-shirt and panties, Alex realized that he hadn’t drawn a decent breath since she’d begun. A wave of dizziness caused him to reach out and grab the bedpost.

His fingers twitched with the memory of touching her body as he took in the outline of her breasts beneath the thin cotton shirt. He looked down to see his reaction, becoming more evident through the damp towel. Tenley noticed as well, her gaze lingering on his crotch.

Who were they trying to fool? There was no way they’d crawl into bed together and not enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. Alex untwisted the towel from his waist and it dropped to the floor. Then he pulled her into his arms, tumbling them both back onto the bed.

This was dangerous, he thought to himself as he drew her leg up along his hip. To need a woman so much that it defied all common sense was something he’d never experienced in the past. It wasn’t a bad feeling, just a very scary situation. How much was he willing to give up to possess her? And when would it be enough?

T
ENLEY STARED
at the landscape of the harbor at Gill’s Rock. “It’s lovely,” she said, nodding. “The colors are softer than those you used on the painting of Detroit harbor. Are you going to have prints made?”

“Definitely. The prints of Fish Creek harbor sold well. I’m thinking we ought to do some smaller ones and sell the whole series as a package.”

“Are there any harbors left to do?”

“After Jackson, I think I’m done with them,” her grandfather said. “I’m going to move on to barns. Or log buildings.”

“You could start with the cabin.”

“I was thinking of doing that. But there’s a nice barn on Clark’s Lake Road that I’ve always wanted to paint.” He stepped back, studying his painting intently. “Lighthouses, harbors, barns. The tourists love them and I do give them what they love.”

Tenley knew the compromises that her grandfather had to make over the course of his life. Though he might have wanted to become a serious painter and have his work hang in museums, he’d come to accept his talent for what it was—good enough to provide for
his wife and a family and more than enough to tempt the tourists into buying.

“By the way,” her grandfather said, “I like the new look. All that stuff on your eyes…I never understood that. You’re a pretty girl, Tennie.” He paused. “No, you’re a beautiful woman.”

Tenley threw her arms around his neck and gave him a fierce hug. “I have to run over to the post office. I think your paints are here. And I’m going to mail these bills, too. Do you have anything you want to put in?”

Her grandfather scowled. “Is there a reason you’re so anxious to leave?”

“No. I just have work to do.”

“I thought you said that guy from the publishing house was going to stop by.”

Tenley wasn’t sure what Alex had planned for the day. She’d slipped out of his room at dawn, leaving him sound asleep, his naked body tangled in the sheets, his dark hair mussed. To her relief, she’d managed to crawl back down the trellis and get back her Jeep without anyone seeing her, minimizing the chances for gossip.

“He might. He didn’t make an appointment, so I don’t know what time he plans to show up. If he comes, tell him I’ll be back soon.”

“Tenley, I am not going to make excuses for you. The man has come all the way from Chicago. The least you could do is talk to him.”

Oh, she’d done a whole lot more than talk to him already, Tenley mused. If her grandfather only knew the
naughty things he’d done to her, he’d probably lock the front door of the gallery and call Harvey Willis to escort Alex out of town. “I’ll only be a few minutes, so—”

The bell above the gallery door jingled and she heard someone step inside. Tenley forced a smile. “There he is,” she said. Clutching the envelopes in front of her, she wandered out of the workroom and into the showroom. Alex stood at the door, dressed in a sport jacket, a crisp blue shirt and dark wool trousers. His hair was combed and he’d shaved and he looked nothing like the man she’d left that morning.

“Hello,” she said, unable to hide a smile. There were times when she forgot just how handsome he was. Boys like Alex had always been way out of her league. They dated the popular girls, the girls who worried about clothes and hair and…boobs. They always had boobs. Tenley glanced down at her chest, then crossed her arms over her rather unremarkable breasts.

“Hi. I’m here to see T. J. Marshall.”

Tenley swallowed hard. It was now or never. Her grandfather wouldn’t take part in the subterfuge, so Tenley was faced with only one choice. She cleared her throat and straightened to her full height. “I’m T. J. Marshall. At least, I’m the one you’re looking for.”

He didn’t seem surprised. “Yeah, I kind of figured that out on my own.” He crossed the room and held out his hand. “Alex Stamos. Stamos Publishing.”

Hesitantly, she placed her fingers in his palm. The instant they touched, she felt a tremor race through her. He slowly brought her hand to his lips and pressed a
kiss to her fingertips. “I missed you this morning,” he whispered. “I woke up and you weren’t there.”

“See, that wasn’t so difficult.”

Tenley jumped at the sound of her grandfather’s voice. She tugged her hand from Alex’s and fixed a smile on her face. “Alex Stamos, this is my grandfather, Thomas Marshall. Also known as T.J. Or Tom.”

Alex held his hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. You have a very talented granddaughter. Did she tell you we’re interested in publishing her graphic novel?”

“I’ve always thought she had talent. She used to draw little sketches in all my books. Drove me crazy. I thought she might be an illustrator someday. She never did like books without pictures.” He chuckled softly. “Well, it’s a pleasure, Alex. I’ll leave you two to your business.”

When they were alone, Alex reached out for her hand again, placing it on his chest. “Why did you leave?”

“I figured I’d better get out of there or the whole town would be talking.”

Alex gave her fingers a squeeze. “So, what do you think they’d say if I took you to breakfast? There’s a nice little coffee shop down the street from the inn.”

“You didn’t stay for the cinnamon rolls?”

He shook his head. “Hmm. Cinnamon rolls. Tenley. Cinnamon rolls. Tenley. The choice wasn’t tough.”

“All right,” she said. “But you’re buying.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Tenley grabbed her jacket and they stepped out into
the chilly morning. “How did you figure it out?” she asked as they headed away from the harbor.

“I was flipping through some of those books your grandfather mentioned. There were drawings in the margins. At first I thought they were just crude scribblings, but then I came across one that looked very familiar.”

Tenley knew she ought to apologize. But that might prompt a discussion of her motives and even she wasn’t sure why she’d kept her real identity a secret from him. “I didn’t intend to deceive you. I just didn’t want anything to. I wanted to be able to… I wasn’t ready.” She shook her head, feeling her cheeks warm with embarrassment. “It’s sometimes easier not to get too personal. At least, that’s always worked for me in the past.”

“So, I’m just one in a long line of uninformed men?” he asked.

Her breath caught in her throat. “No! You’re not like anyone I’ve every known. I thought if you knew, you wouldn’t want to sleep with me.” She cursed softly. “I wanted you and you wanted me. All that other stuff is just. business.”

“I have rules about mixing business with pleasure. Very strict rules.”

“You haven’t mixed the two. Not yet.”

“What are you talking about?”

She straightened. “I haven’t agreed to do business with you, Alex, so all we’ve had is the pleasure part. You haven’t broken any rules. yet.”

Alex laughed, shaking his head. “Whatever made me think this was going to be easy? God, I thought I’d come up here, do my little presentation, charm you and get you to sign on the dotted line.”

“You have charmed me,” she said.

“Yeah, I’ve heard I have a way with women,” he muttered. “But do me a favor. Don’t say no until I’ve told you the plan. Consider my offer and if you don’t like it, then I’ll—I’ll make you another offer.” He stopped and grabbed her arms, turning her to face him. “But be assured of one thing, Tenley. You are going to sign with me.”

“You must have a lot of confidence in that charm of yours,” Tenley said.

“It worked on you, didn’t it?”

“I think you’re forgetting who seduced whom.” She started walking again, then turned back to him. “Maybe I should hire an agent. Just to make sure I get the best deal.”

“At least an agent would make sure you didn’t pass on a great deal. He’d say, don’t be stupid. Sign the contract.”

In truth, Tenley
was
interested in how much her novel might bring. After talking with her grandfather, she’d begun to see the wisdom in his words. She’d be silly to turn down a chance to make money from her art. But she had no idea what a project like hers was worth. There was the money to discuss—and a few other conditions.

“But an agent will take fifteen percent,” he added. “You don’t need an agent. I’m going to give you a good
offer.” He caught up to her as they turned down the main street, toward the inn. “I had a nice time last night. Did you sleep well?”

Tenley nodded. “I did.”

“I’m going to stay another night,” he said.

“I thought you’d be leaving today.”

Alex took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. “Nope. I’m going to stay until I convince you to sign with us. And after that, we’re going to go over all the things that need to be done with your story to make it better.”

When they reached the coffee shop, Alex opened the door for her and stepped aside for her to enter. The shop was filled with all the usual customers. Morning coffee was a daily ritual for a number of the folks in town, choosing the same seats every day.

Her entrance caused a quite a stir, with everyone turning to watch as the hostess seated them in a booth near the front windows. She handed them menus and asked about coffee. Alex ordered a cup and Tenley asked for orange juice.

“Why is everyone staring?” Alex whispered.

“I don’t usually come in here,” Tenley said. “It’s like Gossip Central. If you want the town to know your business, you just mention it during breakfast at The Coffee Bean. Here, information moves faster than the Internet.”

They ordered breakfast, Tenley choosing a huge platter with three eggs, bacon, hash browns, a biscuit and three small pancakes. Alex settled for toast and coffee.

“Not hungry?” she asked.

“I usually have a bigger lunch,” he said. “So, I think we need to talk business.”

“Let’s not,” Tenley said, slathering her biscuit with honey. She took a huge bite and grinned at him. “Sex always makes me hungry. I find that my appetite is in direct proportion to the intensity of my orgasms. This morning I am really, really hungry. You should be, too. We did it three times—no wait, four times, last night. That has to be some kind of record.”

Alex glanced around. “Do you really think this is an appropriate topic for breakfast conversation?”

Tenley slipped her foot out of her boot and wriggled her toes beneath his pant leg. “You know what I like the best? I like the way you look, right before you come. Your lip twitches and you get this really intense expression on your face. I love that expression.”

She loved the way his body tensed and flexed as he moved inside of her, she loved the feel of his skin beneath her fingers and the warmth of his mouth on hers. Tenley loved that she could make him lose touch with reality for a few brief moments. There weren’t many things that she did well, but seducing Alex was one task at which she excelled.

Alex cleared his throat. “Stop.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like being teased, especially in public.”

She took another bite of her biscuit and then held it out to him. “You should eat more. You’re going to need
your energy. We should go skiing. Have you ever been cross-country skiing?”

“Never,” Alex said.

“Or skating. There’s a nice rink in Sister Bay. And you can rent skates. Do you know how to skate?”

“I used to play hockey when I was a kid. But I’m not much for the cold. I prefer warm-weather activities. I like windsurfing. I go hiking. I like to water-ski.”

“We have all that here. Just not now.”

“Tenley, I want to talk about this contract.”