Totally Tempting. Mary Lynn Baxter
straightened. “So you’ll do it?”
“Within reason. I’m busy with school, as you know, but maybe once a week or so we could spend some time together.” She brightened. “We could meet for coffee after my classes. Have dinner on weekends. Is that what you want?”
“Never mind what I want. I’ll take what I can get.”
“All right then.” She stood up. “I brought home a sandwich from the deli. I’m willing to share it if you’re hungry.”
“As a matter of fact, my appetite is definitely returning.” He stood, putting him a step or two away from her. “Shall we seal our agreement with a kiss?”
She looked wary. “We were talking about food.”
“Of course. Why don’t I take you out for lunch? It’s a beautiful day for this early in the year. We might take a drive after we eat.” He lifted her chin with his forefinger. “Just know that food isn’t the only cause of my hunger,” he said and kissed her.
Not fair, not fair at all. He knew how his kisses affected her. There had been too many occasions when he’d felt her reaction.
This kiss was no exception, even though she stiffened at first, determined not to be swayed. It was his gentleness that destroyed her resolve, because she’d never considered him a gentle person until they’d spent the week together.
Now all the emotions he evoked within her poured out and she knew they were more powerful than her determination not to succumb.
The problem was that all her valid reasons still stood.
The problem was that she found him too compelling to resist spending a little more time with him.
The problem was that she was going to be hurt badly when the relationship ended. All she could do at this point was deal with the pain at that time.
Eleven
The following Wednesday Jodie reached for her purse as she prepared to leave the office when Dean called to her. She went into his office.
Without looking up from the schematic drawing covering most of his desk he asked, “What time are your classes over tonight?”
His question was the first personal remark he’d made to her since he’d left her on Sunday. Jodie had begun to wonder if she’d dreamed that her boss had come over to plead his case for seeing her socially or whether it was some fantasy she’d concocted to relieve an otherwise boring weekend.
“Nine.”
“Tell me where to meet you,” he said, marking something on the drawing.
“Uh, well, there’s a coffeehouse a couple of blocks from—”
“No. I’ll pick you up at school. Where are your classes being held?” When she didn’t answer, he straightened away from the desk and looked at her. He was still in his boss mode, snapping out orders.
After a moment she gave him the address, turned around and walked out.
Dean watched her leave with a frown. He hadn’t handled that right. He wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong, but he could tell from the stiffness in her shoulders as she walked away that she wasn’t pleased with him.
He rolled his head, trying to loosen the muscles in his neck and shoulders. Women were a mystery he’d never been able to solve. Until now he’d never particularly cared.
Ever since they had returned from Hawaii he’d had a tough time concentrating whenever she was around. He’d been disgusted at himself for not being able to clamp down on his emotions. All she had to do was walk into the room and he immediately wanted to make love to her. He’d been forced to stay behind his desk so that she didn’t see his physical response to her.
So he didn’t look at her any more than was absolutely necessary.
Not that his idea was much help, since he had a similar reaction whenever he heard her voice.
She was driving him crazy.
The problem was that it was too late to do anything about it. When they’d first returned from Hawaii and she’d refused to have lunch with him, he’d tried to force himself to forget about his attraction to her. He’d only been kidding himself.
Now that he’d finally gotten her to agree to see him, he’d managed to offend her in some way.
Great going, Logan.
When Jodie walked out of the classroom that evening, she saw Dean leaning against the opposite wall, his arms crossed. She did a double take. He looked too much like the man she’d gotten to know in Hawaii, not the man she worked for.
She started toward him at the same time he straightened.
“Hi,” she said.
He smiled at her. “Hi, yourself. Ready for some coffee?”
“Sure.”
“The weather is nasty. Would you like to go to my place?”
She lifted her brow. “For coffee?”
He looked innocent. “Of course.”
“All right.”
When they reached the doors of the building, she could see that rain and touches of sleet poured from the sky. He opened an umbrella she hadn’t noticed and, pulling her close to his side, hurried her to the car.
“Wow,” she said, a little breathless, once they were inside the car.
“Where’s your car?”
“At home. I took the bus.”
“Good thinking.”
She watched the windshield wipers ferociously battle the rain and sleet. “I decided before all of this hit.”
“You knew I’d get you home.”
“There is that.”
She’d never been to his home, although she knew where it was: in one of the high-rise buildings overlooking Lake Michigan. He entered the underground parking area and parked by the elevators in a space with his name and the word Reserved.
The elevator silently whisked them to his floor, and by the time he opened the door to his home, all Jodie could think was that she was way out of her league.
He helped her off with her coat and said, “Have a seat. I’ll go make coffee.”
Jodie wandered over to the windows and looked out at the shimmering lights muted by the rain. If ever she’d needed a reality check, his place did that for her. She remembered how she’d gone on and on about the luxury condo while they were in Hawaii. His home was more luxurious.
She closed her eyes. She would be an idiot to think that he could have more than a passing interest in her.
“Here you go,” he said from behind her. Jodie turned and watched him put a tray on the coffee table in front of the long sectional furniture arranged to take in the view.
“What am I doing here?” she asked, walking toward him.
He straightened and looked at her. “Having coffee?”
She gave her head a quick shake. “That isn’t what I mean,” she replied and sat down on the edge of the sofa. “This isn’t going to work.”
He sat a couple of feet away from her. “I noticed you seemed to be upset with me when you left the office.”
She reached for the coffee. “That was something different,” she replied and sipped on the drink. She realized she was shaking, as much from nerves as from the weather. She held the cup with both hands, warming them.
“So what happened to cause you to change your mind in three days?”
She didn’t