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Grinning, he adjusted her shawl to cover the shoulder it had slipped from during their interlude. “You look beautiful. A little tousled, but certainly convincing.”
“I can’t believe we did that!” she admonished gently.
He stroked his hand over her ass, and felt her shiver. Her uninhibited response pleased him. “And just think, we’ve got the whole evening ahead of us.” He winked at her.
The elevator came to a slow, smooth stop at their final destination, a soft ping announcing their arrival. Knowing they only had seconds to compose themselves before they greeted the entire staff of Sharper Image, Austin straightened his tuxedo jacket, then at the very last moment slid his hand possessively into Teddy’s.
The insulated doors whooshed open and a dozen curious eyes clamored to sneak a glimpse of the couple who had stopped the elevators midway up to the thirty-second floor. Austin watched eyebrows rise, grins split across surprised faces and murmurs of disbelief and amusement filter from one person to another.
Austin’s mouth curved into a roguish grin, purposely adding fuel to the rampant gossip that would no doubt circulate during the Christmas party and establish him as the man in Teddy’s life.
Chapter Five
Teddy held her head high and stepped from the elevator with Austin, intensely aware of everyone’s inquisitive stares, and the disheveled way she looked after her interlude with Austin. With Austin gently squeezing her hand and offering silent support, she felt surprisingly confident, and reckless in a purely feminine sort of way. As nervous as she’d been about tonight, Austin had erased a good portion of her anxiety with humor, charm, and hordes of sex appeal—the latter of which had her female colleagues giving the good-looking man at her side a thorough, effusive once-over.
Back off, girls, he’s taken.
Tonight, Austin was her fantasy for hire, and she planned to enjoy the evening, as he’d suggested. The more comfortable she was around Austin, the more convincing they’d be as a couple.
After introducing him to the group of single females obviously waiting to meet him—and watching as he dazzled everybody with his sexy smiles and irresistible personality—they decided to mingle. Over one hundred and fifty employees were present, from mail-room clerks to the top brass, all decked out in their holiday finery. She searched for Louden, but in the crush of people she didn’t see him.
The mood was festive, with a hired band playing upbeat Christmas tunes during the cocktail hour. Being that this was Teddy’s first company Christmas party, she was highly impressed with the show Sharper Image put on.
The ballroom was elaborately decorated for the Christmas season, with garland, holly and mistletoe aplenty. Eight-foot noble firs, gaily decorated in sparkling lights and pretty ornaments, scented the room with traditional pine. Centerpieces of bright red poinsettias and tapered cream candles adorned each table, and lacy snowflakes sprayed with a shimmering incandescent powder hung from the ceiling, giving her the illusion of being in a winter wonderland. The effect was enchanting.
Teddy made sure she introduced Austin to as many people as she could, from the CEO of the company to the front-end receptionist, and watched in amazement as he effortlessly established a male camaraderie with the men, and beguiled the women, while making it apparent, with an affectionate glance, an intimate comment, that he was completely devoted to her. During the moments when they were alone, he’d touch her possessively, run his fingers over her bare back and down her spine, keeping her body in a constant state of awareness. More daring, he’d lean close and murmur naughty comments and jokes in her ear that caused her to blush, laugh out loud, and made them look as though they shared intimate secrets.
Teddy found herself so wrapped up in his attention, even she had to struggle to keep from blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
“Would you like something to drink, sweetheart?” Austin asked. He’d spent the past five minutes charming two women Teddy worked with, and as much as she didn’t want to be alone with the duo answering a barrage of questions, she was getting thirsty.
She gave him a warm, private smile for her co-workers’ benefit. “I’d love a wine spritzer.”
His large, hot palm casually slid over her hip to her waist, pulling her close to brush his lips across her cheek. A tremor of response rippled through her, and her breath quickened.
Striking green eyes glittered with devious pleasure when they met hers again, testimony that the rogue was relishing every minute of their performance. “I’ll be right back, so don’t go far.”
As if her weak knees would allow her to wander off!
Barb, Sharper Image’s payroll clerk, sighed wistfully, not bothering to conceal her lust as she watched Austin walk away. “What an absolute doll he is, Teddy.”
“Mmm,” Karen, an accounts rep, agreed, shaking her head in wonder and envy. “Where have you been hiding him all this time?”
“I, well, uh…” Teddy grasped a ready excuse while absently twisting the diamond and ruby band on her finger. “Austin’s work keeps him incredibly busy. It’s a wonder I get any quality time with him.”
Barb scoffed at that. “Come on, Teddy, the guy is crazy for you. From what I’ve seen tonight, not to mention the rumor circulating about a little incident in the elevator, he doesn’t come across as a man whose been too neglectful.”
Fire burned Teddy’s cheeks.
“I have to agree,” Karen said, her eyes sparkling merrily over the rim of her champagne glass as she took a sip.
Knowing there was no sense denying what both Barb and Karen wanted to believe—what she, herself, needed them to believe—she didn’t bother to correct their assumption. “Would you two stop, already?”
“We’re just jealous,” Barb admitted good-naturedly. “He’s personable, totally into you, and has a body to die for. And he’s probably rich to boot.”
Teddy didn’t think Austin wallowed in wealth, but she imagined his “Fantasy” services kept his bank account amply filled. “Oh, he does quite well for himself.”
“What does he do, anyway?” Karen asked curiously.
