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“Luc,” she forced herself to say. “This isn’t smart. We can’t do this.”
He laughed with genuine humor, the sound warm and beguiling. “Of course we can. I’ve wanted to do this for ages. Haven’t you?”
She shied from his question, asking one of her own instead. “If you wanted to do this for so long, then why haven’t you?”
He hesitated, then shrugged. “There were roadblocks.”
As far as she knew, most of the roadblocks remained. He might suspect her engagement to William was an invention. But he had no real proof. And though he wasn’t aware her agreement with Dom prevented a personal relationship with him, their business association should be more than enough to give him pause before starting a fling.
“And now there aren’t any roadblocks?” she questioned.
He eyed her closely. “You tell me.”
She didn’t dare mention William or Dom. “What about my job?” she asked instead, seizing on the one obstacle they could openly discuss.
“What about it? It’s not going anywhere.”
“What about after we...? What happens to my job, then?”
He pulled back and frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”
She shook her head. “You think I haven’t heard about my predecessors? There must be a regular army of women who’ve left your employment because they fell in love with you.”
“For your information, I have never had an affair with anyone who worked for me.”
“Until now?”
The question seemed to hang between them. For a minute she didn’t think he’d respond. Then he nodded. “Until now,” he conceded roughly.
He cupped her face and kissed her with a desperate urgency, as though he wanted to drive all thought, all resistance, from her mind. She almost allowed herself to give in to desire, to let him sweep aside all concerns but a selfish need to be loved.
In that instant, she saw her choices more clearly than she ever had before. She could break all the rules she held dear, and have a few brief, stolen moments with Luc. She didn’t doubt they’d be wonderful memories, memories she’d retain for the rest of her life. But then his interest would move on to the next woman and he’d break her heart. Or she could stop the relationship now, before it went any further.
In a few weeks, Dom would return and she’d leave Luc’s employment. Maybe she’d experience a few regrets. Maybe more than a few. But she’d have Baby Dream Toys, the dream she and her mother had shared. More important, there was still a slim chance she could emerge from this with her heart intact. Which left her only one option.
Now all she had to do was find a way to convince Luc.
Not giving him time to realize what she intended, she ripped free of his embrace and stood. “Why are you doing this?” she demanded, driven by sheer self-preservation to take the offensive. “I’m your employee, trying to help you out of an awkward situation. And you’re attacking me.”
He lifted an eyebrow, his expression amused. “What a vivid imagination you have. Do you really consider what I did attacking you?”
“Yes! No!” She’d never succeed at putting him off if she couldn’t do better than that. There was only one out available, and she’d darned well better take it. She lifted her chin and folded her arms across her chest. Using her most businesslike voice, she said, “If you want my continued help, you’ll keep our relationship professional. I don’t want you to make suggestive remarks. Nor do I want you to touch me. If you do, I’ll leave. Is that clear?”
She held her breath, praying this time he’d believe her, that she wanted neither his touch nor his seductive comments. Of course, it was a lie. She wanted much more than a professional relationship with Luc, despite the path she’d just chosen. In fact, far from finding his remarks suggestive, she found than romantic and all too appealing. She shied away from thinking about his touch, and the fact she’d begun to crave each casual caress with a passion that frightened her. She had to remember Baby Dream Toys and her mother. She had to.
He sat up, his expression unreadable. “It’s clear.” He studied her for several minutes, as though trying to understand what had gone wrong. And then his voice softened. “There’s no need to be afraid, you know. We can take this slow. If I’m rushing you, then you set the pace.”
Temptation beckoned. Four weeks, she almost said. Just wait four more weeks. Then she could come clean about everything. William. Baby Dream Toys. Her agreement with Dom. And once she told Luc the truth? How would he respond to her endless litany of deceptions? She knew the answer to that. It would end their relationship. There wasn’t a question in her mind. What she’d done was unforgiveable to someone like Luc. Which meant, it came down to a simple choice. Luc or her mother. And that left no choice at all. Honoring her mother and all of her mother’s many sacrifices through the years was paramount.
Grace shook her head. “I’m not interested in setting any pace.”
“Except a full retreat?” Irony colored his words.
“Shall I go pack?”
He held up his hands. “You win. If you don’t want to see where this might lead, I won’t push it.”
“Thank you.” There wasn’t anything left to be said. Without another word, she headed from the room.
