out Posh Lounge in the evening—”
“Sean, I’m not off on Thursdays. I work from home. There’s a big difference.”
“Then, play hooky.” He put a finger to his lips. “It’ll be our little secret.”
“I can’t do that. You know summer is the busiest time of year at the resort, and if I don’t keep on top of my paperwork, I’ll make enemies in the HR department.”
“You’re beginning to sound like a broken record,” he said, leaning against her car door to prevent her from leaving. “Every time I ask you out, you turn me down. That hurts.”
Robyn raised an eyebrow as if she was surprised by his confession and playfully poked him in the shoulder. “Sure it does,” she said with a sarcastic tone. “You have tons of girlfriends. You don’t need me.”
But I do. More than you know. You’re the only person I can confide in. “Of course I do,” he said, his gaze glued to her lips. “You’re my number-one girl, and that will never change.”
“Sean, you’re a great guy, and I value our friendship too much to—”
Driven by need, he captured Robyn around the waist and pulled her to him, right up to his chest. Sean lowered his mouth to hers and stole a kiss. A slow, sensuous kiss that awakened every nerve in his body. It was magic, the best thing to ever happen to his mouth. She tasted sweet, and he was instantly addicted. He felt her shoulders stiffen, sensed her trepidation and, for a split second, regretted his impulsiveness. But then he heard Robyn moan, and he deepened the kiss. The longer they stood there, teasing and arousing each other, the more he wanted her, desired her, ached to have her in his bed.
Electricity crackled in the air, exploded around them like fireworks. He felt it, knew she did, too, when she draped her arms possessively around his neck. On the surface, Sean was calm, collected, in complete control of the situation, but his heart was pounding so loud he couldn’t think straight. He loved the way she felt, her body pressed hard against his, her flesh warm and soft in his hands. He stroked her neck, caressed her shoulders and hips. They were in a restaurant parking lot, in broad daylight, not in the privacy of his home, but Sean didn’t give a damn. He wanted Robyn to know that he desired her, that he wanted more than friendship, and what better way to prove his feelings than a little public display of affection? Kissing her wasn’t enough; he wanted more, needed more. He wouldn’t be satisfied until she was in his bed.
Sean heard Robyn’s cell phone ring and tightened his hold around her waist. She broke off the kiss and turned away from him. “Sean, you shouldn’t have done that,” she said, her eyes darting nervously around the parking lot. “Someone from the resort could have seen us.”
“I want you, Robyn, and I don’t care who knows.”
“That was Kim calling. I could tell by the ringtone. I’d better go or I’ll be late for our hair consultation.” Robyn threw open her car door, slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Thanks for lunch.”
Before Sean could answer, Robyn was gone, speeding through the parking lot as if her life depended on it. He stood there, stroking the length of his jaw, reliving every moment of that kiss. He needed Robyn in his life and wouldn’t let anyone—not even his family—keep them apart. She was one in a million, the kind of woman he’d be proud to have on his arm, and Sean decided, right then and there, that he wasn’t going down without a fight.
Robyn’s gaze fell across the flower arrangement perched on the corner of her desk, and a smile tickled her lips. The gift had been delivered fifteen minutes earlier, and she’d been admiring it ever since. The message inside the Hallmark card touched her deeply, made her feel like the prettiest girl in the world, and every time she read the note, happiness bubbled up inside her.
The flowers don’t compare to your beauty, but please accept them as a token of my affection, and know that you are always in my thoughts.
The card wasn’t signed, but the lavish, colorful flower arrangement could be from only one person—Sean. Admiring the long-stemmed pink roses, she thought about their cozy lunch yesterday and wondered when she was going to see him again. Sean was a sensitive, soft-spoken gentleman, but he had no shortage of confidence. Or sex appeal. He turned heads every time he entered a room and had such an imposing presence women approached him from every direction. He was a dark-chocolate hottie with killer swag, and just thinking about that kiss they’d shared in the restaurant parking lot made Robyn’s mouth water. Sean was the perfect combination of bad boy and boy next door, but she appreciated his chivalrous, old-fashioned ways.
Robyn closed her eyes, but she couldn’t get Sean—or that kiss—out of her mind. Inhaling the fragrant scent in the air, she ran her fingers along the smooth, soft petals. She wanted to call him and thank him for the flowers, but he was busy preparing for the grand opening of his new restaurant, and Robyn didn’t want to disturb him. Later, when she returned to her condo, she’d give Sean a ring. Talking to him made her nervous—even on the telephone—but she was determined to keep it together.
Girl, please, quipped her inner voice. When it comes to Sean you’ve never been able to keep it together, so just quit while you’re ahead.
Memories of hanging out with Kim and Sean at the Parker family estate filled Robyn’s mind. She’d harbored a crush on him ever since they’d slow danced to “Fallin’ ” by Alicia Keys at Kim’s birthday party, but it was nothing Robyn would ever act upon. She didn’t want to lose her job or upset her friend. Besides, she and Sean were all wrong for each other. They were both stubborn, opinionated people with fiery personalities, and back when Sean was the head chef at the Belleza, they’d clashed repeatedly.
That’s true, but arguing with him only made you want him even more.
Breaking free of her thoughts, Robyn scooped up a pen and flipped open her monthly planner. Enough daydreaming—she had to focus, had to get her head in the game. She had plans with Kim and Gabby that evening, and if she wanted to leave the office by six o’clock, she had to quit fantasizing about Sean—a man she knew she could never have—and get back to work.
Robyn scanned the items on her to-do list and groaned in despair. Contracts had to be proofed, and entertainment booked. The longer she looked at the list, the more hopeless Robyn felt. She had a staff of three in her department, but it wasn’t enough. She’d been working ten-hour days all summer and feared if she didn’t get some help she’d collapse from exhaustion. That week alone, she’d planned a Moroccan-themed bridal shower, two engagement parties and a book-club luncheon for a hundred women.
Drumming her fingertips on her desk, she considered what to do. One person came to mind, and even though Charlene Vincent had a reputation for being flaky, Robyn decided to ask the restaurant hostess to give her a hand. She had no choice; if she didn’t swallow her pride and ask for help, the Dunham Foundation gala would be a disaster. The biggest charity event of the year could make or break the Belleza.
Robyn didn’t want to disappoint Kim and her parents. They’d welcomed her into their family with open arms, and even though she’d been raised in the worst housing project in New York, the Parkers never looked down at her or made her feel inferior. After graduating from Merriweather Academy, she’d enrolled in Boston University, and received a master’s degree in Public Relations. She’d landed a job at a chain hotel fresh out of university, and although the
