of her from head to toe. She suddenly wondered if her skirt was too short or too tight. She fought against the blush that tried to take possession of her cheeks and returned to her seat behind the desk.
“So, tell me about Colette Carson,” he said, then took another sip of his coffee.
She shrugged. “There really isn’t much to tell. I was born and raised right here in Kansas City and have been here all my life.”
“Is there a boyfriend in the picture? An attractive woman like you probably dates every night.” His eyes flashed with what she thought might be a flirtatious light.
She laughed, oddly pleased that he thought she was attractive. “I can’t remember the last date I had.” He was probably wondering how many nights a week his sister spent alone in the apartment. “Most evenings I’m either looking at catalogs, trying to figure out what might be the next hot item, or going over the books to see exactly how the shop is doing. Gina tells me you don’t do much dating, either.”
“Like you, it’s difficult to find the time.”
Colette grinned teasingly. “That’s not what Gina says. She said you don’t have a girlfriend because you’re too mean and stubborn. I believe her exact term was ‘cursedly stubborn.’”
He laughed, a deep rumbling sound that was pleasant. “She’s probably right. I’ve been known to be pretty bullheaded. Still, it seems a shame that a pretty girl like you spends all her time on business. How are you going to find Mr. Right if you don’t date?” Again his eyes were filled with a light that unsettled her yet shot a streak of heat through her.
“Finding Mr. Right has never been a priority of mine,” she replied.
With his million-dollar smile warming her, and his overwhelmingly masculine presence filling the office, Colette felt a sudden need to escape.
She looked at her watch and stood. “It’s time for me to open up the shop,” she said, although it was still earlier than her usual opening time. “You’re welcome to stay here and finish your bagel and coffee or whatever. As I told you earlier, Gina doesn’t come in until noon.”
She was aware of his gaze sweeping the length of her as she headed for the door that led out into the shop. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just finish up my coffee back here,” he said.
Nodding, she fled the office, grateful to get some distance from him. Although she had certainly admired his attractiveness and charm the night before, she hadn’t felt the utter magnitude of his sexual appeal the way she had this morning.
She unlocked the front door and flipped the Closed sign to Open, then walked over to the chair behind the small counter that held the cash register.
She had the distinct impression that he’d been subtly flirting with her when he’d spoken about her dating habits, and her pulse had accelerated to an uncomfortable pace.
As she greeted her first customer of the day, she remembered Gina’s words of warning about Tanner. She’d warned Colette not to be fooled by his charm, and Colette realized she would do well to take heed.
She did find Tanner charming, and although she had never felt herself particularly susceptible to any man’s charm, she had a feeling if she allowed it, Tanner Rothman could definitely be a threat to the carefully controlled, safe life she’d built for herself.
Tanner knew she’d expected him to leave after he finished his coffee and to return later when Gina arrived for work, but instead he rinsed out the cup, then joined her at the counter out front.
He leaned against a back wall, watching as she took care of a pregnant woman who looked about ready to burst open like a ripe watermelon.
Tanner had never thought much about having children of his own. At the time when most men began thinking of having families, he’d been busy raising Gina. Now, at thirty-two years old, he almost felt as if it were too late to think about babies of his own.
He redirected his gaze to Colette. Again this morning she was dressed in a three-piece suit. The deep gray jacket was short and fitted over a crisp white blouse, and the skirt was pencil thin and short enough to display her long, slender but shapely legs.
It hadn’t taken long into their conversation for his suspicions about Colette Carson to be confirmed. She was certainly not the kind of woman he wanted as a role model for his impressionable sister.
Despite the fact she had dynamite legs and the longest, darkest eyelashes he’d ever seen. In spite of the fact that she had the sweet features of an angel and a body that would make most red-blooded men think of sin, he had the feeling she was a cold, heartless woman driven by ambition.
He’d been vaguely disappointed when she’d told him why she’d decided to open a shop selling baby items. Although it appeared to have been a smart decision, he was disappointed that the decision was made strictly from a business perspective.
Gina had lacked a female role model in her life. There had been no aunts, no godmother, nobody to step into the void the loss of their mother had created in Gina’s life.
Colette was a distinctive threat to all that he wanted for Gina’s future. He certainly didn’t want Gina to emulate a hard-driven ambitious woman who, he suspected, didn’t have much of a heart.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel a grudging admiration for Colette as he watched her working with the customers who came in…and there was a steady stream of customers.
She was courteous, respectful and infinitely patient with every shopper. He also couldn’t help but admire the natural grace with which she moved as she guided customers from display to display.
He could tell she was surprised that he was hanging around. As she attended to her customers, her gaze continually sought him.
Maybe by hanging around long enough he’d irritate her and she would decide that Gina was more trouble than she was worth. Then she’d join him in the war to get Gina to return home.
“I never knew there could be so many expectant parents in one city,” he said when there was a lull in the customers.
She smiled and straightened the blankets in one of the cribs on display. “Not everyone who comes in is expecting a baby. Friends and relatives of expectant or new parents come in to find a gift for the birth or for a shower.”
She gave the blanket a final pat, then straightened. “But this has all got to be terribly boring for you.”
“Not at all. Is Gina as good a salesman as you are?”
Colette smiled and Tanner felt a renewed tug of attraction. “She’s a great salesclerk.”
“Is Gina your only employee?” It would require ridiculously long hours for only two people to run the store.
“I have two other women who work for me on a part-time basis,” she replied. “But Gina is my only full-time worker.” She smiled and excused herself as another customer came through the door.
Tanner resumed his position against the back wall, surprised when a few minutes later Gina came through the shop door. He was shocked to realize he’d been standing around and watching Colette work for the past several hours.
“How
