Now, if she could just convince him to continue helping her. After all, look how much shed learned with just one try. Her eyes were now opened to the fact that Roger had been the problem all along. It was obvious now. He had never kissed her the way Brandon had kissed her. She wouldve remembered.
Oh yes, she said with another sigh as she forced herself to take another bite of her dinner. She wouldve remembered a kiss like that.
So how could she convince her boss to let her practice her kissing with him some more? Roger would be here next week so it wasnt as if he would be forced to keep kissing her forever. It would only be for a few days. She needed to make it clear that lessons in romance and seduction would be all she needed. The more skilled she became at romance and seduction, the better her chances would be of putting Roger in his place.
Brandon could appreciate that, right?
Still, it was a dilemma. Brandon was her boss. If she was smartand she wasshed just forget about Brandon and use her own best instincts to attract Roger.
What instincts? she wondered, and grimaced. When it came to romance, she had none!
As she took another bite of chicken and rice, she realized there had to be a website somewhere with instructions she could follow. There was a website for everything else, so why not seduction?
Oh, but it would be so much better to learn from a real live expert. And Brandon was indeed an expert. She couldnt help thinking that if mere kissing had given her this much perspective into her problems with Roger, then having sex with Brandon would be absolutely revelatory.
What? She jumped off her chair and wrapped her arms around herself. Where had that thought come from?
You stop thinking about that right now, she admonished herself as she grabbed her plate and glass and carried them to the sink. Youll just embarrass yourself. Again.
But now that shed thought it, she couldnt get the image out of her mind. What in the world would happen if she and Brandon ever had sex?
Oh, no, she said, gasping. What if they had sex and she found out she really was bad at it? How could she face Brandon at work? She would have to quit.
But wait. What if she was really good at it? Would he think shed been lying about her lack of experience? Would he assume shed been having sex all along, with every guy in town? How could she face him at work? She would have to quit.
And oh, dear Lord. What if Brandon was no good at sex? Would she have to lie and tell him it was wonderful? He was her boss, after all. She couldnt exactly tell him he was a loser in bed. She would have to quit.
She moaned and took another sip of water.
Okay, thats it, she said, as she tapped her fingers on the counter anxiously. Just forget the whole thing.
This whole kissing thing was too much to think about. She had to figure out some other way to deal with Roger. She would explain to Brandon tomorrow that shed been wrong. He would have to forgive her. And she was certain that he would. After all, before today, shed never done anything to cause her employer the least bit of consternation. Tomorrow, after she explained to Brandon that her brief lapse into lunacy was over, everything would be fine. Theyd go back to normal. She would assure Brandon that he would never have to worry about inappropriate behavior from her again.
And a year from now, she would look back and be able to laugh over this momentary ripple in her otherwise unblemished record.
The doorbell chimed and she jumped.
Checking her wristwatch, she wondered if it might be Housekeeping at the door. Shed asked them not to stop by with those yummy evening chocolates anymore. But tonight, maybe shed take one. Anything to provide a diversion from her disconcerting thoughts. She ran to open the door and her resolutions of a moment ago flitted away.
Brandon, she whispered.
We need to talk.
Brandon stared at Kelly and could no longer remember why hed thought it would be a good idea to come by her room.
After a long run around the hotel grounds after work, then another brief conference call with his brothers to finalize arrangements for their familys arrival to attend the resorts grand opening, followed by a quick taste of the chefs latest creations for the harvest festival menu, Brandon had retired to his suite to watch Dallas eviscerate Denver on TV. But he hadnt been able to concentrate on the football game, and that was a first.
He blamed it on Kelly.
The fact was, he couldnt get her out of his mind. Not in a sexual way, he hastened to tell himself, despite the vivid memory of her warm mouth and sweet tongue and an explicit picture of exactly what hed like to do with. but he wasnt going to go there. No way. Not with Kelly. Not in this lifetime.
In the first place, she worked for him. How big a fool would he be if he jeopardized his working relationship with the best assistant hed ever had? And even if he was willing to overlook that little fact, Kelly just wasnt his type. She wasnt sophisticated and worldly like the women he usually dated. She wasnt the kind of woman Brandon would ever think of calling on the spur of the moment for a night on the town, followed by a rousing round of sex, followed by no commitment to call again.
No, Kelly was more like the girl next door, the one who was meant to find a nice guy and get married. As far as Brandon was concerned, she might as well have worn a banner that said Hands Off. And he would be wise to heed that invisible warning.
Hed had some pretty awful role models early in his childhood, before Sally Duke adopted him. Hed seen all the ways people could hurt each other in the name of love and marriage, so he wasnt about to go that route. With that in mind, he had decided not to touch Kelly again.
But shed looked so pensive and uncertain when hed left the office earlier this evening. Hed never seen Kelly less than one hundred percent confident in herself and her abilities, so this change in attitude worried him.
And then there was that kiss. Which he wasnt going to think about again, damn it.
So why was he standing here at her door, holding a bottle of wine? Oh, yeah.
We need to talk, he repeated. Hed used the same stupid line in the office much earlier today. It sounded somehow lamer now, even if it was the truth. When she stepped aside, he strolled into her mini-suite. I hope Im not interrupting your dinner.
No, Im finished, she said, and rushed to dispose of the remnants.
He held out the bottle of wine, a Duke Vineyards pinot noir. Will you have a glass of this if I open it?
She stared at the bottle, then up at him. Sure. Ill find an opener.
He could tell she was nervous as she rattled around in one of the kitchen drawers. And why shouldnt she be? It wasnt every day a woman kissed her employer. And it wasnt every night that said employer showed up at her hotel room carrying a bottle of wine. He just hoped she wouldnt get the wrong idea. All he wanted to do was clear the air so their working relationship could go back to being as exceptional as it had been before the kiss. It was a simple problem and it wouldnt take him long to explain his feelings, but he had to admit that a quick glass of wine would probably help them both relax.
Here you go, she said, and handed him a corkscrew.
Here you go, she said, and handed him a corkscrew.
Glasses?
Oh. She swallowed anxiously. Right.
As he worked to remove the cork, he took a moment to study his longtime assistantand wondered how hed ever thought hed be able to relax in her hotel room.
She wore cutoff shorts and a T-shirt, an outfit that a jury of his peers would consider thoroughly appropriate for spending a balmy night alone in her room. But as she reached for the wineglasses on the second shelf of the cupboard, he watched her T-shirt inch up to reveal the leanness of her stomach. On her tiptoes now, her shorts stretched just enough to show the soft, pale skin above her tan line where the curve of her bottom met her perfectly toned thighs.
Here you go, she said, placing two glasses on the counter.
Brandon let go of the breath he hadnt realized he was holding. Thanks. He took his time pouring wine into the glasses and handed her one. Kelly, I
Look, Brandon
Sorry. What were you going to say?
She blinked, then said in a rush, No, you go first.
Fine. I just think
Okay, Ill go first. She glanced briefly toward the ceiling as if she were looking for guidance from above. Brandon watched her chest move up and down as she inhaled, then exhaled. She was clearly edgy. She picked up her wineglass and took a gulp, paced a few steps back and forth across the small kitchen, then stopped and met his gaze, her face a mask of regret.
I want to apologize for the way I behaved today, she said. I dont know what got into me. Ive been going crazy ever since I learned that Roger would be coming here and I guess I I lost my head. Im mortified about what happened. I just hope youll accept my apology and trust that itll never happen again.