She was contradictory. There were her classically tailored work clothes, and then there was the French-maid persona she let loose in closets. He liked the paradox.
His gaze hung on her lips. Rich, ripe, painted the color of summer strawberries. He caught his breath and waited.
For what, he didn’t know.
Katie flicked out her tongue and touched the tip of it to the glistening gloss of her upper lip. Slowly, she traced around the moist pink edges of her mouth with the cool certainty of a woman who knew exactly the effect she had on a man.
The overhead florescent hallway lighting slanted a shaft of illumination across her face. He looked down at her and was surprised to see a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. Tender feelings rose up in him. Feelings he’d never felt before and didn’t understand.
As they stared into each other’s eyes, the air leaked from their lungs in a simultaneous exhale.
Liam knew he was a goner. His gaze beaded on her lips. Lips he yearned to kiss again. He leaned forward, resting his arm on the wall above her head. Not thinking, just wanting.
Katie didn’t pull away. She was so near he could feel the heat of her skin. If they weren’t standing in the corridor of Sharper Designs, he would have kissed her.
They stared at one another with an astonishing mix of surprise, delight and stark sexual heat. He had to have her. Tony was right. The only way he was ever going to get Katie out of his system was to embrace his desires and find a way to charm this bedazzling woman into his bed.
“I’m coming back on Friday. Around one o’clock,” he said. “That gives you three days to come up with an art design for my condos. Do you think you can handle it?”
She lifted her chin. “I can handle it.”
“Oh, and there’s one other thing.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I’m expecting to have my socks blown off.”
5
“ARE YOU SURE it has to be cold turkey?” Katie asked Tanisha after Liam had left Sharper Designs and they were in their office again. “Can’t I sort of taper off impulsive sex?”
“Absolutely not. It’s like when you’ve convinced yourself you’re only going to have one Oreo cookie and you end up scarfing down the whole box.”
“You are a tough taskmaster,” Katie grumbled.
“It’s for your own good,” Tanisha said sagely. “Builds character.”
“Sure, I’d like to see how good you’d be at giving up sex.”
“I’m not the one who was caught doing the deed with the wrong man at a masquerade party.”
“Touché.” Yes, while initially Liam might have been the wrong man, Katie found herself wondering if fate, in its roundabout way, might have actually dealt her the right man.
She thought of how he’d stared at her when she’d called him out into the hallway for their private chat. How very close his lips had been to hers. She felt hot and bothered all over. But before she had time to fully ride that train of thought Max marched into the office.
“Winfield,” he barked.
“Yes, sir?”
“I don’t have to tell you what landing the James account means to this firm.”
“No, sir.”
“And if making you art director is what it takes to seal the deal, then of course, I’m agreeing to it.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But I’m not happy about this development. I don’t know what you’ve got going on with Liam-”
“Sir, let me assure you, there’s nothing going on,” Katie said.
Max snorted. “Please, I saw the way the man was staring at you. If nothing is going on yet, then he’s looking to start something up.”
Katie’s face heated. Was their attraction that obvious? “Nothing’s going on,” she reiterated. Hadn’t she just turned over a new leaf?
Max impatiently waved away her denial. “Here it is. I don’t know what’s happening with you two and I really don’t care. All I care is that you pull off this campaign to his satisfaction. Personally, I don’t think you’re ready for the art-director position. You’re too young, too unmotivated.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but Max cut her off. “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. Do well with this project and the promotion will be permanent. But if you screw this up, you’re out on your can. Got it?”
“Got it.” She resisted the urge to salute.
“As long as we’re clear on this. Now, get to work.” Max turned and stalked out of the office.
Katie slumped down in her chair. Talk about pressure.
She only had three measly days to come up with a design plan that would blow Liam’s socks off. If she wanted to keep her job, she had to make sure their attraction stayed firmly under control.
How to accomplish both goals?
She spent the remainder of the workday pondering the question. On the way to her car that evening, she passed by the pet shop and noticed that the cocker spaniel was still in the window. The minute the pup spied her, he went up on his hind legs, pushing his front paws up against the glass, tail wagging madly.
“Hey, boy.” She greeted him.
The pup barked.
Katie started to back up.
He barked louder.
Katie’s heart melted. She cupped her hands around her eyes, pressed her face to the glass. The lights were on inside and she saw customers moving around. The store was still open.
The quaint silver bell over the door tinkled welcomingly as Katie stepped inside. The woman behind the counter greeted her with a New Englander’s slow, syllabled “Hey-ya.”
“Hello.” Katie smiled at the woman, but her eyes were on the puppy. She leaned over the barrier keeping the cocker penned in the window and tickled her fingers over his soft fur. The puppy licked Katie’s hand with his warm, wet tongue.
Katie giggled.
It would be so easy to fall in love with him.
Like there’s any room in your life for a pet. You, who’ve killed every houseplant you’ve ever owned.
Yes, but she was doing things differently now. No more late-night partying. No more random hookups. No more impromptu weekend trips out of town. There would be room in her new lifestyle for a puppy.
It was a nice thought.
Better make sure the changes stick before you rush headlong into buying a dog.
Yes, just because she was giving up men didn’t mean she could use a puppy as a substitute. Sighing wistfully, she left the pet shop.
Twenty minutes later, she walked through the door of her condo, the daily mail tucked under her arm. She kicked off her stilettos in the foyer, tossed her sweater over the back of a kitchen chair, then made a beeline for the refrigerator and the leftover dim sum takeout Tanisha had brought over the night before.
She heated the food in the microwave and ate standing over the sink as she leafed through the stack of mail. Catalog, catalog, bill, circular. She tossed those aside, but stopped when she came to a jazzy pink envelope with her name embossed with gold foil calligraphy.
Hmm, what was this?
It looked interesting. She glanced at the return address, saw it was from a nightclub called Chassys. Frowning, Katie tore into the envelope, trying to remember if she’d ever been to this bar.
Dear Ms. Winfield,
You are invited to join Martinis and Bikinis. We are a social club offering group encouragement and support for women seeking personal growth and empowerment through pushing themselves outside their comfort zone.
You are exactly the kind of member we’re looking for.
Smart, educated, influential. If you’re interested in joining our group, we meet the first Thursday of every month at Chassys nightclub. Please find driving directions enclosed. We’re looking forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Lindsay Beckham
President, Martinis and Bikinis
How timely. It was as if this Lindsay Beckham person had read her mind. Empowerment and personal growth. That was exactly what she needed right now.