time I turn around, I have reason to believe that must hold some kind of appeal for you, too.” He tugged her ponytail, testing the silky texture between his fingers, imagining it spread out over the pillow next to him. “And yes, there’s more in it for me than just a plus-one for events. As a bonus, I gain acceptance by the board of directors. Being with you makes me a de facto member of the family.”
Her eyebrows shot up in horror. “We are not getting married just to lock down your new job in the company.”
“Of course not. I’m not that Machiavellian.” He smoothed her silky ponytail back along her shoulder, her pupils widening with awareness at his touch. “But by the time that would be an issue, you and I can break up.”
“I’m not dating you for that long.” Then she rushed to add, “I’m not dating you at all. Start the elevator.”
Ah, she’d mentioned dating. He was making progress. And that filled him with a surge of success. And desire. “We would only go out for a month, until the vote at the next general board meeting for all the shareholders.”
She hesitated, worrying her bottom lip. “Then we just...what? We break up?”
He pulled his eyes off her moist lips.
“That’s how it works, yes. You can even dump me.” He winked, taking heart in her light chuckle. “And by all means, make it public and humiliating, in front of your entire family and all my friends—”
“You have friends?” Her deadpan words didn’t match the hint of amusement in her eyes.
“I do.” He nodded, leaning in such a way that he blocked the elevator buttons. Before long, someone would start it again, but he intended to make the most of their time alone for now. “I have to pay them to be my friends. But they stay loyal as long as I deliver the roll of quarters each week.” Which wasn’t totally true. He didn’t have many friends, not even paid ones. He wasn’t the sort to hang out with buddies. He was too busy working until midnight.
She scrunched her nose. “You really are weird.”
“Maybe.” He was certainly a workaholic. Although, so was most of her family. It was one of the reasons he now held this CEO position. “But the offer for you to dump me in a billboard fashion stands.”
“How generous of you. Maybe I’ll get one of my siblings to fly a seaplane with a banner.” She lifted her chin, jaw jutting with signature Steele confidence that no amount of years away could erase.
“Trust me, my ego can take it.”
She studied him for a moment, her exotic eyes narrowing. “Then what’s in it for me?”
“Aside from getting to dump me? Isn’t that entertainment and payment enough?” He thumped himself on the chest in faux shock.
She rolled her eyes. “While that is an enticing proposition, I’m going to need a little more before I sign on to this plan.”
He straightened, ditching the humor and closing the deal. “You’ll keep me from ratting you out about being in my office. And you’ll get more access to your family with me as an excuse for you to be in and out of this office.”
“I’m listening.” She waved him on, leaning a slim shoulder against the mirrored elevator wall. “Continue...”
Her sweater pulled snug across her breasts as she folded her arms. His gaze followed the curve of her hip, which was cocked to one side. She drew him in, no doubt.
“I can be a buffer between you and your family.” Which would give him the chance to gauge her motivations. No way was he going to let her tank this company. He’d always been a driven individual at work. But even more so now. His career was all he had left, and he refused to allow any threat to his professional reputation. “If you’re feeling stressed or uncomfortable, cue me and we can leave.”
“Or I could just walk out if they upset me.”
He liked the confidence in her voice. But he also knew the situation with her family was far more complicated than that. “You could. But having a buffer so you could make a speedy, nonconfrontational exit would be easier.”
“How so?” She looked skeptical.
“We come up with a safe word. If you say it in casual conversation, that lets me know you want to leave. I’ll find an out so you don’t have to make awkward excuses on the spot.”
“Safe word?” Her eyebrows shot upward.
“Bear with me,” he said. “I had this uncle who was a preacher. His wife used to get stuck at long functions and meals. So she came up with a conversational gimmick that let her husband know she needed to leave. Immediately.”
“What was their word?”
“Words. Anchors aweigh. Which is technically two words, but you get the gist.” Stifling a grin, he imagined his aunt working the safe word into their conversation.
A smile twitched at her lips, mesmerizing him. “That’s a strange phrase.”
“It worked.” He enjoyed seeing her lighter hearted. He didn’t want a real relationship, not after his bitter divorce, but he couldn’t deny he was enjoying the banter. And she was smoking hot, to boot.
A part of him was hoping she’d say yes to this for more than just reasons related to her family. He couldn’t deny he was drawn to her. And since he was going to be leading this company, he needed to work through the attraction to her sooner rather than later. Issues left unaddressed became distractions.
And she was already a major distraction.
“Okay then. What do you suggest?”
He thought for a moment, his eyes landing on a framed painting of a home with stone figureheads worked into the architecture. “Gargoyle.”
“Gargoyle?” She burst out laughing.
Tension faded from her expression to be replaced by a smile that knocked the air from his lungs. Damn, she was a beautiful woman. Pulling his attention off her delicate features and back on the task at hand, he took heart in making progress with her.
He’d been in business long enough to know when he’d closed the deal. “Do we have an agreement?”
Her eyes narrowed, but her smile didn’t fade. “Just until the next general board meeting.”
“One month,” he said, confident now that he could win her over to extending their time together if needed. For now he’d made major progress. He was going to be able to watch over her. And if she was up to something, he would find out what.
And he had to admit, spending time with her wouldn’t be a hardship in the least. She drew him with everything from her sexy curves to the sweep of her eyelashes when she cast a glance his way... She was definitely a distraction he needed to work out of his system.
“So, this is just pretend?”
“As long as you say so. And if you’re ever uncomfortable, just remember.” He winked, tapping the start button on the elevator. “Gargoyle.”
