No doubt, in the heat of the moment, his brother commented with sexual humor, which gained a small grin from Cole. I take it she doesnt have the letter on hand.
No, and she needs it to prove shes innocent and clear her name. From the corner of his eye, Cole watched as Melodie closed the cabinet drawer, then headed toward his desk with a stack of papers in her hand.
He absently flipped through the notes in the Russell file as she stopped beside his chair, sorting out the credit reports, invoices and contracts that needed to be reviewed and signed. She shifted and reached, and Cole caught a whiff of a soft, floral scent that wrapped around his senses and wreaked havoc with his concentrationand restraint. Her hip brushed his arm, inciting another damnable rush of heated desire he was hard-pressed to ignore.
He clenched his jaw and continued where hed left off. Elena claims the letter is at Thorntons hilltop mansion, tucked safely away in a monogrammed leather box she gave him for his birthday. The last she saw of the box, it was in his library.
And she wants you to break into Thorntons house and find it? Noah asked incredulously.
No, she doesnt want me to break in, he shot back, his tone more irritable than was warranted. He inhaled deeply, which did little to soothe the racing pulse that Melodies nearness had incited. Two weeks from this weekend, Thornton is hosting a charity auction at his place for the rich and richer, and she managed to get ahold of two tickets to the formal affair. Since Thornton wouldnt appreciate her attending the event in his house, it gives me the perfect cover to get in and find that letter.
Noah shrugged. Sounds easy enough.
Yes, at least that part of the case was uncomplicated, Cole thought. Unfortunately, Elenas other request wasnt as simple.
Finally, Melodie slowly moved away from him and headed for the door. He breathed a sigh of relief. This part of the case brings me around to needing an experienced, sophisticated woman who can play up the sexy siren act as my date. A one-night, no-strings-attached kind of deal. Before his brother could issue another smart-ass remark about his sex life, he explained the stipulation Elena had insisted upon. Since the letters Elena exchanged with Thornton are risqué and suggestive, and shes uncomfortable with a man reading what she wrote, she requested that a woman read the letters to find the one that mentions the ring as a gift.
Ahh, Noah said in understanding. Now I get it.
Closing the Russell case file, Cole clasped his hands on top of the folder. Considering the bevy of females you know, I figured you could help me out. And if I could have my choice, Id prefer if the woman who accompanies me to the charity function isnt a complete airhead.
So you want sexy, stunningly beautiful, and intelligent. A grin quirked the corner of Noahs mouth. Man, you dont ask for much, do you?
Cole glanced past where his brother sat, noticing that Melodie had paused at the door. One slender hand rested on the frame and shed cast a glance at him from over her shoulder. Shed obviously listened to the end of his conversation with Noah and was watching him in a way that made him feel way too warm. Their gazes locked, and she dampened her bottom lip with her tongue in a slow, sensuous glide that contradicted her wide eyes and guileless expression.
He felt the stroke of her tongue in places too long denied. With effort, he banished his train of thought before his body betrayed his work ethic to keep business separate from pleasure.
Did you need something, Mel? he asked just as the office phone rang out in the reception area.
She shook her head, causing her tidy braid to slap against her shoulder blades. Still, she didnt leave, and there was a feminine kind of longing in her soft brown eyes that added to the growing sexual awareness pulsing through his bloodstream.
Uh, the phones ringing, he said in a neutral tone, which finally pulled her from her daze and got her moving down the hall.
Noah sat up straighter in his chair. That woman has it bad for you, Cole, he said in a low tone of voice.
Startled by Noahs comment, Cole frowned fiercely at him and attempted to brush off his claim. Melodie is like a sister to me, for Gods sake.
Noah laughed, a low, devilish sound. Well, I can guarantee that she doesnt think of you as a sibling.
How would you know? Cole asked, keeping his composure calm and unruffled.
You really dont see it, do you? Noah shook his head in disbelief. God, for a trained P.I. you sure are obtuse sometimes.
Cole didnt appreciate the insult, and refused to be baited into revealing anything his brother could use against him where Mel was concerned. See what? he asked, very interested in finding out what, exactly, his brother had observed.
Noah stared at him for a long, penetrating moment. Lets see, where do I start? He lifted his hand and began ticking off each point on his fingers. Mel arrives early, stays late and brings you lunch when you dont go out and get something for yourself. She picks up your stuff at the dry cleaners while shes at it, runs personal errands for you and is at your beck and call for the ten or more hours a day she works at this office. Figure it out for yourself. Noah stood, once again adopting that devil-may-care attitude of his. As for that woman you need, give me some time and Ill see what I can do for you.
Thanks, Cole murmured as Noah exited his office.
Once he was gone, Cole jammed his fingers through his hair and dragged his palms down his face. Despite his own reaction to his secretary, and the fact that for months now hed denied the growing attraction making itself known, he was completely shaken by his brothers observation about Melodie. And how had he missed the overt clues of her feelings toward him?
Cole shook his head in amazement. Obviously, his subconscious had put blinders on when it came to his secretarys interest in him.
And theyd damn well better stay in place, he muttered to himself. Because there was no way in hell hed ever get personally involved with Richard Turners daughter.
IF COLE WAS in the market for a woman, then Melodie wanted to be the one to fill that rolein any capacity he might need. Even if she had to settle for a temporary, one-night date for the sake of business. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to convince her boss that she was the right woman for that job, or more importantly, the right woman for him.
Dream on, she muttered to herself as she sank dejectedly into the chair behind her desk in the reception area of the firm.
She shook her head as she realized the irony of her remark. Gorgeous, sexy Cole Sommers had been a part of her dreams and fantasies for more years than she cared to recall. Shed met him for the first time when she was sixteen and her father had brought him home for dinner one night after his dad, John Sommers, had been killed. She could still distinctly remember the butterflies that hatched in her stomach whenever he glanced at her with those dark, velvet-blue eyes of his, the way her entire body tingled whenever he was near, and how her heart skipped a beat when he talked to her in that deep, smooth voice of his.
Twelve years later and he still had that same sensual effect on her. And she was still smitten, still dreaming, still fantasizing of himand he was oblivious to her, other than her position as his faithful, efficient secretary.
Not only did she want Cole to notice her as a woman, but shed spent the past two years at the firm trying to prove her capabilities in the P.I. business beyond her secretarial duties. Shed been intrigued by the various cases from her very first day on the job and enjoyed helping Cole, Noah and Joelle research casesdoing background checks, and learning the ins and outs of the business. Now, she was ready to take that next step, ready to show Cole that she could handle more than front-end paperwork.
Noah entered the reception area from Coles office, and Melodie sat up straighter in her chair, shoved her personal secrets away for the time being and started thumbing through the payables she needed to process.
Hey, sweet stuff, he said, calling her by the flirtatious nickname hed christened her with the first week shed come to work for the firm. Ill be out tomorrow for most of the day working on a case, so if you need me for anything important, just give me a page.
She smiled, having always genuinely liked Noah. He was one of those men who had charisma aplenty and liked all women. He was, undoubtedly, a chick magnet as his sister was fond of saying, though Melodie had never thought of him as anything more than a friend and surrogate brother. Will do.
He glanced at his wristwatch. Its almost five-thirty. Why dont you take off early? he teased, knowing full well she usually didnt leave the office until well after six most nights. You deserve the break.
Take off early and do what, she wondered. Her nights were so routine and boring it was patheticpick up fast food on the way home, eat it while watching Entertainment Tonight, take a shower, slip into comfy pjs, check in with her dad, then watch TV or read a book until she fell asleep. Occasionally, on the weekend, shed go out to dinner and movie with a friend, nothing overly exciting or wild. Then again, having been raised by a police sergeant, shed never strayed from what was expected of herdiscreet, proper behavior, in public and in private.
Even Joelle enjoys the benefits of leaving on time, he said, gesturing to the office with its lights out for the evening.
Joelle has a handsome husband to go home to, she countered.
Noah feigned a shocked look. You mean to tell me that you dont have some hot guy waiting for you to get home at night so he can ravish you?
Didnt she wish. She rolled her eyes at his exaggeration. Hardly, and youre a big tease.
Well, heres a little tip for you. He leaned close, as if sharing a well-kept secret, and gave the tip of her braid a mischievous tug. Youre not going to find Mr. Right spending all your time here.
Melodie blinked, unsure whether to take his remark as a subtle warning about his brother, a little friendly advice, or if he was just humoring her with his usual fun-loving nature.
He strolled toward the front door. No matter how you spend the evening, have a good one, sweet stuff. With a playful wink over his broad shoulder, he was gone.
Sweet. The word grated on her sensible nerves, and her lips pursed as if shed just swallowed something sour. She was tired of being thought of as sweet. Sure, being polite and courteous had its time and place, but she was beginning to realize that being amiable had gotten her absolutely nowhere with men. Shed always been prudent and modest, and as a result her life was boring, tedious and so very predictable.
She was tired of being good, of always doing the right thing and making levelheaded choices. She had nothing substantial to show for her exemplary behavior and discerning waysno social life other than a few close friends, no steady dates and certainly no sex life, either. At twenty-eight, she definitely wasnt having fun. She was turning into an old maid while wishing she had the nerve to be hip and contemporary, someone worldly and wise when it came to men and relationships.
Bracing her elbows on her desk, she propped her chin in her palm and allowed a smile to curl the corners of her mouth as she imagined how much fun being bad would be for a change. To break out of the monotonous pattern her life had become. To assert herself and go for what she wanted. No holds barred.
What she wanted was Cole Sommers and the chance to show him how much shed learned about the business over the years, and the perfect opportunity had presented itself in the form of him needing a woman. She might not be sexy or a stunning beauty, but she was intelligent and knew the investigative business better than most. Certainly being familiar with the Russell case had to account for a few extra points in her favor, as well.
Excitement and anticipation rolled through Melodie as a plan formed in her mind, and when Cole entered the reception area a few moments later, she was mentally prepared to fight for this caseand her man.
Heres the new file on the Russell case. Stopping in front of her desk, he set the folder in an empty wire basket, his demeanor strictly business. Once you have the initial report and client invoice typed up, Id like the file back. This evening, if possible. I have a few things I need to follow up on early tomorrow morning.
Consider it done. Another late night at the officeby her own choice, she knew. It was a precedent shed set of her own accord, so she couldnt blame Cole for assuming what had become routine on her part. She loved her job, but there was no denying she craved more excitement and adventure than typing up a report could provide.
He turned back around to leave, and she abruptly stood up before she lost the nerve to address him. Cole? His name escaped her on a breathless note.
Slowly, he faced her again, regarding her with a casual kind of directness shed grown used to. Yet there was something in the depth of his blue eyes that made her heartbeat quicken in her chest and her knees feel weak.
Yes? he asked, his curt tone dissolving whatever awareness and warmth shed seen in his expression a moment ago.
Shed never felt intimidated by Coles size, but his presence in front of her suddenly seemed very overwhelming. He was a tall, powerfully built man and possessed a potent combination of virile strength, rugged allure and understated confidence. Lean and muscular, he was all malefrom his thick, tousled sable hair, to the knit shirt that molded to his broad chest, and fitted khaki trousers that defined his hard thighs and long, sturdy legs. Definitely a candidate for the strong, gorgeous, silent type, and attracted her like no other.
A bout of anxiety knotted in her belly and her throat closed up tight. She swallowed hard, reminding herself that nothing risked equaled nothing gainedwords she planned to embrace from this moment on if she didnt want to live the rest of her life like a nun. I heard you and Noah talking about the Russell case and your comment about needing a woman to accompany you to Thorntons charity auction.
He blinked, his features taking on a curious edge tinged with a bit of caution. Do you know someone in the business who could help me out?
Well, sort of. Her fingers twisted together at her waist, a nervous habit shed developed as a young girl, and she consciously pried her hands apart and set them at her sides. I do have a solution to your problem.
You do? he asked in surprise, his rich tone dropping an octave.
She nodded succinctly, inhaled a deep breath to bolster her fortitude, and blurted, Let me be the woman you need.
His dark brows rose a good half inch on his forehead and his entire body grew tense. Excuse me?