He straightened in his high-backed chair and glanced up from his laptop, a flash of guilt in his eyes.
Ignoring the way her heart lifted at his reaction, she took two steps inside and closed the door behind her. He cared that hed blindsided her. At least that was something.
Not that she cared about him in any fundamental way. She couldnt. They were a brief flash of history, and nothing more.
It was Gramps, answered Hunter. He bought the company and sent me here to run it.
And you didnt know about me? she guessed.
I didnt know, he confirmed.
So, youre not stalking me?
He hit a key on his computer. Right. Like any reasonable stalker, I bought your company to get close to you.
She shrugged. Could happen.
Well, it didnt. This is Gramps idea of a joke. I think he knows I slept with you, said Hunter.
Then theres something wrong with that man. And there was something frightening about a person with enough economic power to buy a four-hundred-person company as a joke. There was something even more frightening about a person who took the trouble to actually do it.
I think hes losing it in his old age. Then Hunter paused for a moment to consider. On the other hand, he was always crotchety and controlling.
Kristy likes him, said Sinclair. Not that she was coming down on Cleveland Oslands side. If Hunter was right, the man was seriously nuts.
Thats because hes batty over your sister.
Sinclair supposed that was probably true. It was Cleveland Osland who had helped Kristy get started in the fashion business last month. And now her career was soaring.
A soaring career was what Sinclair wanted for herself. And what she really wanted was for Hunter not to be a complication in that. She had a huge opportunity here with the planned company expansion and with the development of the new Luscious Lavender line.
She advanced on his wide desk to make her point, forcing herself to ignore the persistent sexual tug that had settled in her abdomen. Whatever theyd had for that brief moment had ended. He was her past, now her boss.
Even if he might be willing to rekindle. And she had no reason to assume he was willing. She was not.
She dropped into one of his guest chairs, keeping her tone light and unconcerned. So what do we do now?
A wolfish grin grew on his face.
All right, so maybe there was a reason to assume he was willing.
No, she said, in a stern voice.
I didnt say a word.
You thought it. And the answer is no.
Youre a cold woman.
Im an intelligent woman. Im not about to sleep my way to the top.
Theres a lot to be said for being at the top.
I guess you would know.
He leaned back in his chair, expression turning mischievous. Yeah. I guess I would.
She ignored the little-boy charm and leaned forward to prop her elbows on his desk. Okay, lets talk about how this works.
I thought wed pretty much demonstrated how it worked last month.
She wished hed stop flirting. It was ridiculously tempting to engage. Their verbal foreplay that night had been almost as exciting as the physical stuff.
Nobody here knows about us, she began, keeping her tone even.
I know about us, he pointed out.
But youre going to forget it.
Not likely, he scoffed.
She leaned farther forward, getting up into his face. Listen carefully, Hunter. For the purposes of our professional relationship, you are going to forget that youve seen me naked.
You know, youre very cute when youre angry.
Thats the lamest line Ive ever heard.
No, its not.
Can you be serious for a second?
What makes you think Im not serious?
Hunter.
Lighten up, Sinclair.
Lighten up? That was his answer?
But she drew back to think about it. Could it be that simple? Am I making too much of this?
He shrugged. Im not about to announce anything in the company newsletter. So, unless you spread the word around the water cooler, I think were good.
She eyed him up. Thats it? Business as usual?
Gramps may have bought Lush Beauty Products for his own bizarre reasons. But Im here to run it, nothing more, nothing less. And you have a job to do.
She came to her feet and gave a sharp nod, telling herself she was relieved, not disappointed, that it would be easy for him to ignore their past.
See you around the water cooler, I guess, she said in parting.
Sure, Hunter responded. Whatever.
Despite the casual goodbye, Hunter knew it would be hell trying to dismiss what theyd shared. As the office door closed behind her, he squeezed his eyes shut and raked a hand through his hair. Their past might have been short, but it was about as memorable as a past could get.
For the thousandth time, he saw Sinclair in the Manchester mansion. She was curled in a leather armchair, beneath the Christmas tree, next to the crackling fireplace. He remembered thinking in that moment that she was about as beautiful as a woman could get. Hed always had a thing for redheads.
When he was sixteen years old, some insane old gypsy had predicted hed marry a redhead. Hunter wasnt sure if it was the power of suggestion or a lucky guess, but redheads were definitely his dates of choice.
The flames from the fire had reflected around Sinclair, highlighting her rosy cheeks and her bright blue eyes. Her shoulder-length hair flowed in soft waves, teasing and tantalizing him. Hed already discovered she was smart and classy, with a sharp wit that made him want to spar with her for hours on end.
So hed bided his time. Waiting for the rest of the family to head for bed, hoping against hope that shed stay up late.
She had.
And then they were alone. And he had been about to make a move. She was his cousins new sister-in-law, and he knew their paths might cross again at some point. But he couldnt bring himself to worry about the future. There was something intense brewing, and he owed it to both of them to find out what it was.
He came to his feet, watching her closely as he crossed the great room. Her blue eyes went from laughing sapphires to an intense ocean storm and, before he even reached her chair, he knew she was with him.
He stopped in front of her, bracing a hand on either arm of the chair, leaning over to trap her in place. She didnt flinch but watched him with open interest.
He liked that.
Hell, he loved that.
Hey, he rasped, a wealth of meaning in his tone and posture.
Hey, she responded, voice husky, pupils dilated.
He touched his index finger to her chin, tipping it up ever so slightly.
She didnt pull away, so he bent his head, forcing himself to go slow, giving her plenty of time to shut him down. He could smell her skin, feel the heat of her breath, taste the sweet explosion of her lips under his.
His free hand curled to a fist as he steeled himself to keep the kiss gentle. He fought an almost overwhelming urge to open wide, to meet her tongue, to let the passion roar to life between them.
Instead, he drew back, though he was almost shaking with the effort.
Stop? he rasped, needing a definite answer, and needing it right now.
Go, she replied, and his world pitched sideways.
With a groan of surrender, he dropped to one knee, clamping a hand behind her neck, firmly pulling her forward for a real kiss.
There was no hesitation this time. Their tongues met in a clash. She shifted in the chair to mold against him, her breasts plastered against his chest while desire raced like wildfire along his limbs.
Her hair was soft, her breath softer, and her body was pure heaven in his arms.
I want you, hed muttered.
No kidding, she came back.
His chuckle rumbled against her lips. Sassy.
You know it, she whispered in the instant before he kissed her all over again.
The kiss went harder and deeper, until he finally had to gasp for air. Can I take that as a yes?
Can I take that as an offer? she countered.
You can take it as a promise, he said, and scooped her into his arms.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and burrowed into the crook at his neck. Then her teeth came down gently on his earlobe. Lust shot through him, and he cursed the fact that his bedroom was in a far corner on the third floor.
A knock on his office door snapped him back to reality.
Yeah? he barked.
The door cracked open.
It was Sinclair again.
She slipped inside, still stunningly beautiful in that sleek ivory skirt and the matching blazer. Her pale-pink tank top molded to her breasts, and her shapely legs made him long to trail his fingertips up past her hemline.
Since its business as usual, she began, perkily, crossing the room, oblivious to his state of discomfort.
Right, he agreed from between clenched teeth.
I have something Id like to discuss with you.
At the moment, he had something he wished he could discuss with her, too.
Fire way, he said instead.
She took up the guest chair again and crossed her legs. Her makeup was minimal, but she didnt need it. She had a healthy peaches-and-cream glow, accented by the brightest blue eyes hed ever seen. Sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling bay window sparkled on her hair. It reminded him of the firelight, and he curled his hands into new fists.
I have this idea.
He ordered himself to leave that opening alone.
Rogers been reluctant to support it, she continued.
She wanted Hunter to intervene?
Sure. Easy. No problem.
Lets hear it, he said.
Its about the ball.
Hunter had just read about the Lush Beauty Products Valentines Ball. They were going to use it to launch the Luscious Lavender line. It was a decent idea as publicity went. Women loved Valentines Day, and the Luscious Lavender line was all about glamming up and looking your best.
Shoot, he told her.
Ive taken the lead in planning the ball, she explained, wriggling forward, drawing his attention to the pale tank top. And Ive been thinking we should go with something bigger.
A bigger ball? He dragged his attention back to her face. Theyd rented the ballroom at the Roosevelt Hotel. It didnt get much bigger than that.
Sinclair shook her head. Not a bigger ball. A bigger product launch. Something more than a ball. The ball is fine. Its great. But its not Her lips compressed and her eyes squinted down. Enough.
Tell me what you had in mind, he prompted, curious about how she conducted business. Hed been struck by her intelligence in Manchester. It would be interesting to deal with her in a new forum.