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She looked sexy as hell with her blond hair all wild around her face and her skirt hiked up to show off the tops of her thigh-highs. It was too bad that her face had gone from flushed passion to pale shock. He had to admit that he felt a little stunned himself. He did not lose it like this. Ever. He was the logical, level-headed Beaumont. And yet from the moment he met Olivia, she’d made him crazy. But he refused to let her know that. Tucking his hands behind his head, he smiled up at her. “Well, I think you’ve inspired another new line, Olivia. Women might not pay for invisible panties, but I know men would.”
Her eyes darkened. “You are such a jerk!” She climbed off him, offering one more view of heaven that stuck with him long after her heels hit the floor. “Would you stop gawking,” she hissed, “and get off the table. Parker could walk in at any minute.”
Those words made him stay right where he was. “What is up between you and Parker, anyway? I mean, the guy doesn’t seem to know where you are half the time. What kind of a boyfriend is that?”
“The type of boyfriend most women want—the non-stalking type.” She got on her hands and knees and looked under the table. “What happened to my hair clip? Do you have it?”
“You say that like you think I’m the stalking type. I’m not a stalker. I just like to know where I can find my woman.”
Olivia stood and glared at him. “That terminology went out with the cavemen. Women aren’t possessions.”
“They are if they’re mine.” He sat up. “And if you’re my woman, I don’t mind you calling me your man.”
Her eyes flickered as if she’d just thought of something. “And are you someone’s man?”
“If I were, I wouldn’t be looking at other women’s underwear—or non-underwear. Just like if you were truly Parker’s woman, you wouldn’t have let me.”
“I-I…”
He lifted an eyebrow and waited for her to continue. Instead she released an exasperated grunt and headed for the door, taking a moment to smooth her hair and her skirt before she opened it. Nash stood guard on the other side, his back to the room and his front to Parker Calloway, who looked about ready to bust like an overfilled balloon. When he saw Olivia, he released some hot air.
“This cretin”—he pointed a finger at Nash, who had stepped out of the way—“refused to let me in the boardroom. He said that you were still having a meeting.” He glared at Deacon, but spoke to Olivia. “What is going on, Olivia?”
While Olivia struggled to explain, Deacon hopped up from the table. “This cretin happens to be my brother.” He spied Olivia’s hair clip under a chair and leaned down to pick it up. “Which means he’s your superior. So I’d be careful if I were you.”
Parker’s gaze ran over a grinning Nash, and his eyes widened. “My superior? You’ve got to be kidding.”
Deacon walked to the door and stood next to Olivia. “One thing you need to learn, Mr. Calloway, is that I never kid. I’m what you would call a no-bullshit kind of guy.” He opened up Olivia’s hair clip and clipped it to the lapel of her jacket, his hand not-so-accidentally brushing across the top of her breast and turning her face red all over again. But this time he figured it was more from anger than embarrassment. “I enjoyed our meeting, Ms. Harrington.” With a wink he shouldered his way past Parker and headed down the hall.
As soon as he rounded the corner to Olivia’s office, Kelly jumped up from her desk like an expectant puppy.
“So how did it go? Did they like the new collections?” She came around the desk. “I mean, I thought it was brilliant and the titles are so romantic. Who wouldn’t want to own a pair of Romeo panties?”
Deacon headed for the office. “I appreciate you pulling the PowerPoint presentation together so quickly this morning, Kelly.” A thought struck him, and he paused and slowly turned. “I’m wondering if you could do something else for me.”
“Anything, sir.”
“I want you to come up with an emergency that will get Parker Calloway out of the office—like now.”
It was a pretty underhanded thing to do. Deacon had no business screwing around in whatever Olivia had going on with Parker. In fact he should be thankful that she was in a relationship and wouldn’t put too much time or thought into what had just taken place in the boardroom. But for some damned reason, Deacon wanted her to put some time and thought into it. Probably because he knew he would. Even now he couldn’t forget the heat of her kisses or how she’d looked straddling him. And he’d be damned if he let Olivia be alone with Parker when she wasn’t wearing any underwear.
“Is Mr. Calloway the one who is skimming money?” Kelly asked with wide eyes. “Are we going to case his office?”
Since it wasn’t a bad idea, Deacon pointed a finger at her. “Smart girl. Although until we know for sure, it’s best if we keep this under our hats.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Deacon turned to find Nash standing behind him. Not wanting to get into this in front of Kelly, Deacon thanked her and ushered Nash into Olivia’s office. The door had barely closed before Nash started in.
“And here I thought you wanted to help Olivia because she was our dear cousin.”
“She’s not our damned cousin!” Deacon snapped a little too sharply as he walked around the desk and sat down.
Nash stood over the desk. “Which makes it okay for you to screw her?”
“I didn’t screw her.”
“Only because I interrupted you.”
