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He tilted his head, his gaze kind, but concerned. “And you think if Louden believes you’re unavailable, that will make him judge the candidates for the position fairly?”
The doubt in his voice was unmistakable, but she refused to dwell on it. “That’s what I’m hoping. I’m the most qualified for the position, but I refuse to submit to Louden’s tactics to get it.”
She saw him wavering despite his concern, and panicked. She couldn’t lose him now. Giving in to that damned vulnerable emotion named desperation, she dug into her purse, withdrew her leather checkbook case she’d brought “just in case” and wrote a check for his services in the amount of one thousand dollars before he could refuse her.
Tearing off the signed voucher, she pushed it across the small cocktail table toward him and lifted her chin in sheer determination. “If that isn’t enough for your time, I’m willing to pay more.”
Austin glanced at the check, noted the staggering amount she’d offered, and realized how deeply her tenacity ran. She wasn’t making him a reckless, frivolous offer—she was proving she’d take whatever risks necessary to secure her future.
He wasn’t comfortable accepting that much money, even though it appeared Teddy Spencer could easily afford it. She didn’t even bat an eye at the amount she’d written on the check. Although she came across as very down to earth in attitude, her well-bred sophistication couldn’t be hidden beneath a pair of black jeans and a Christmas red sweater that outlined perfect breasts. The cut of her hair was a shoulder-length classic, the kind of style that fell softly around her face and made the best of her naturally elegant features. Flawless half-carat diamonds winked in each earlobe, an exquisite, but understated touch. And she had the moves of wealth, too, walking and gesturing with a grace that was refined and private-school polished.
On a distant level, those particular signs made him uneasy, but he didn’t know enough about Teddy to make any assumptions. He only had tonight’s encounter to judge her by, which had given him a mixture of fascinating contradictions to sort through.
Confidence radiated from her, yet he’d detected touches of vulnerability, too, as if she had to struggle to maintain that hard-won self-assurance. That quality he understood and identified with—he’d grappled with similar emotional challenges after his parents died. He’d only been sixteen, and it had taken him years, along with Jordan’s guidance, for him to finally understand the security he’d lost. His landscaping company gave him the financial stability he sought, but he was still searching for that emotional connection that offered the deep solidity he craved.
“Is it enough?” she asked, her voice quiet, but firm with purpose.
Picking up the check, he studied it, deciding the name Teddy suited her much more than her stuffy given name, Theodora, that was imprinted in the left hand corner.
He shifted his gaze back to her and smiled. “Actually, this amount is a bit high, considering I don’t have to take my clothes off.”
The fingers she’d knotted in her lap relaxed and the tense set of her shoulders eased. “Then consider it an easy night. And I’ll pick up any other expenses you might incur.” She stuffed her checkbook back into her purse and began issuing instructions, as if fearing any lapse in conversation might give him a chance to come to his senses and refuse her proposition. “The Christmas party is a black-tie affair, so you’ll be expected to wear a tuxedo. I can set up an appointment for you to see my tailor, who also rents tuxedos—”
“Actually, I already have a tuxedo,” he said, interrupting her. She blinked at him in surprise, and he grinned. “It’s quite a common fantasy.”
“Oh, of course.” Her face now flushing a becoming shade of pink, she ducked her head and rummaged through her purse to retrieve a pen and notepad. “Cocktails are at six-thirty, so you can pick me up at six. Here’s my address, cell phone number and my number at the office if you should need it.”
He listened to her ramble on, waving a hand in the air while giving him verbal directions to her condominium complex. He watched her mouth as she talked, enjoyed the way she used her tongue to sweep across her lush bottom lip and wondered what it would be like to kiss her. The urge to find out what she tasted like was strong, and his body tightened in response.
She placed a hand on his arm, her light touch severing his erotic daydreams. “I can’t thank you enough for agreeing to this.” She looked out of breath, which is what he suspected ended her rambling—the need for oxygen.
Diamonds and rubies sparkled on the hand resting on his arm. That ring might have dissuaded her boss’s advances, but in the process, the band also gave every other man she met the impression she was unavailable. He found Teddy’s motive for wearing the ring very interesting, and wondered if it served a dual purpose for her.
He met her gaze and gave in to curiosity. “Tell me something, Teddy. You’re a beautiful, classy woman. You must have been able to find a date for Saturday, someone you might know who could have convinced Louden that you’re off the market. So why me, a total stranger?”
She hesitated. Deep reservation passed over her features, along with a flash of defiance, adding yet another dimension to her already intriguing personality. “I don’t want anything complicated,” she told him. “And since we really don’t know one another, our transaction can be strictly business. One evening, then we go our separate ways.”
She made it sound so easy, but he was beginning to think the situation wasn’t so cut-and-dried. Certainly pretending to be Teddy’s lover had enormous appeal, but his interest went beyond a single night of flirtatious overtures and provocative glances.
He found Teddy attractive, sexy, vivacious and full of secrets he wanted to discover. Despite the fact that he had little time for a relationship in his busy life, he wanted Teddy Spencer. He wanted to see if the heat between them was as electrical as it felt, wanted to kiss her and feel her come alive in his arms as she had in his dreams last night…
“Well, it’s getting late,” she said abruptly, and reached for her purse. “And I need to get up early in the morning.?
??
“So do I.” He stood, and while he waited for her to follow suit, he folded her check and put it into the front pocket of his pants. He still wasn’t sure what to do with the money, but he’d already decided that Saturday night was going to be his treat. It would be his pleasure to be Teddy’s lover. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
They left the bar together with the stares of the patrons following them out the etched-glass door. Outside, the air was December chilled, and the parking lot was barely illuminated by two streetlights. He followed her to a surprisingly sedate white Honda Accord, parked in a shadowed area of the lot.
Standing by the driver’s side, she turned to face him. “I guess I’ll see you Saturday night.” She thrust out her hand. “Thanks again.”
She was so polite, and so determined to keep their agreement on a business level. He had other ideas. Slipping his hand into hers, he tugged her closer. The unexpected movement caused her to waver off balance. She put her hand out to catch herself, and her palm landed on his chest. She gasped, a sexy little intake of breath that warmed his blood and told him her attempt at formality had just slipped a serious notch.
Her luminous brown eyes were wide and searching. “Austin?”
Her voice trembled, not with protest, but with the thrum of desire. Slipping his fingers around her wrist, he stroked his thumb over the wild pulse beating at the base of her palm. Her skin was soft and warm, and when he took a deep breath, he inhaled a subtle, floral fragrance that awakened something hot and primitive within him: The need to make her his.
“You know,” he murmured, his tone vibrating with low, husky nuances. “Since we’ll be pretending to be lovers, there’s something we should get out of the way before Saturday.”
