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“Your clothes will be ruined.” He sounded so disgusted with himself.
“Relax,” she said, turning to face him. It felt a little weird to tell someone else the words her guru had been trying to pound into her head. “A little rain never hurt anyone. And my clothes won’t be ruined. Besides, they’re just clothes.” She tilted her face and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool rain as it landed on her.
“I have never met another woman like you. The ones I know would have run back inside and insisted I get something to cover them with.”
“I love the rain,” she told him truthfully. “As a child, I loved dancing in it. My family all thought I was crazy. But I loved it.” Lifting her arms, she paid no attention to passersby as she spun around.
“May I have this dance?”
“There’s no music.” She stopped, suddenly embarrassed.
“Does that matter? Did it stop you when you were younger?”
It hadn’t. “I’d be honored.” Stacy curtseyed and placed her hand inside of Jack’s with a giggle.
He wrapped his arms around her and spun her, the way she’d seen happen many times in movies. When she stopped he pulled her so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Unlike all those vampire myths, he didn’t feel cold to touch. Her head dropped backward and her eyes closed as they danced in the middle of the street. She could hear people mumbling about crazy tourists and the silliness of youth, but it didn’t stop her or detract from her enjoyment.
As the rain poured down on top of her, Stacy felt alive. She felt relaxed and free. She felt young and carefree again.
Opening her eyes, she saw Jack staring at her and smiled. She was positive her makeup was ruined and her hair was becoming stringy, but she didn’t care. She gasped slightly when his lips tou
ched hers, softly. There was no demand in his kiss, and he pulled back almost immediately.
Lifting to her tiptoes, she covered his mouth with hers. Her tongue traced his lips and when his tongue darted out, she sucked it into her mouth. She arched against him, pressing closer, uncaring of the rain that fell on them.
Jack was the first to pull away. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate.”
“Why?” She stared up at him, not understanding what he meant.
“You work for...and I am...”
“I understand.” Pulling away from his embrace, Stacy started walking down the street, her carefree attitude gone. She was just the hired help.
He stopped her. “I didn’t mean it like that. I—I know about BSC’s contracts.” Shifting from one foot to the other, he seemed uncomfortable. “I know they tell you to make yourself available to clients. And I don’t want to be with you because you think it’s part of your job.”
“Funny. I didn’t even remember I was still on the job until you brought it up. But you’re right, I am. And if I remember correctly you still have a ton of work left for me to do...”
“Stacy, please. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
That’s what made it so hard. She knew he hadn’t been deliberately trying to hurt her. She was the one who had forgotten she wasn’t out on a date. So she’d acted as she would with a man she found attractive, and she was angry at herself for that. “Don’t worry about it.”
She strode back toward the office. Her good mood was ruined.
They returned to the conference room in silence. Scooping up one of the towels that were lying on the table, she was amazed at how much the company seemed to know about what went on outside of its walls.
“Why don’t you go on home and get into some dry clothes? It can’t be comfortable sitting there soaking wet.”
It wasn’t. But she had a job to do, and she’d make certain it got done. “We have too much left to work on, and not much time.”
“Stacy, I would never forgive myself if you got sick for indulging me in a dance.”
“I—” She sighed. She knew she could deny it until she was blue in the face, but he’d continue to insist she indulged him rather than the other way around. Oh yes, in some ways she was getting to know this world. “Is there anything in the rules that say we have to finish our work here?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Then why don’t you come with me. I think I might have a pair of men’s sweat pants that will fit you, at least until your suit dries some. You can dictate more of your notes while we both dry off. Then we can both return to the office and finish up.”
“I don’t think—”
