Surprise Seduction Read online

  As it was, every existing barrier might not be enough to protect her from his magnetism.

  “I’d prefer Chase.” His tone held a curious quality. She glanced at him. His eyes held an almost hypnotic look, as if he willed her to say his name. Her insides turned to hot butter.

  “I know you prefer a more feminine partner.” His voice became almost a sigh as he continued. “I’m not worried about you attacking me, Adrienne.”

  You should be.

  She had to curb her growing fascination before she did something stupid. Like forget about saving her father’s company from Drew and, instead, throw herself at Chase.

  Why must he be so likable? So provocative to her senses?

  Chase stared at Adrienne thoughtfully. Not for the first time, he wondered why she played down her looks. What he could see of her brown tresses appeared healthy, if a bit dull. He’d love to know what she looked like with her hair loose. Was it short and sassy or long and tantalizing? Her blue-green eyes were large and sincere when they met his, which wasn’t often. He got the impression she feared what he might see in her gaze, and hid behind those God-awful glasses.

  He’d never seen her wear the first bit of make-up to accentuate her high cheekbones and wide eyes. She had a wonderful complexion, although he wondered if she ever spent any time enjoying the warmth of the sun. Maybe he should invite her out on his boat. An afternoon aboard Sinbad would put some color on her smooth skin.

  Hold everything. What was he thinking? He couldn’t take her out on Sinbad. She was his assistant.

  Chase held in the strangled sound threatening to erupt.

  Adrienne Morris was different from any woman he’d ever known, and much as he hated to admit it, she fascinated him.

  He should quit looking a gift horse in the mouth and enjoy that he’d found the right woman for the job, despite his initial doubts. Still, something about her bothered him.

  Her manners were perfect. Too perfect. Her speech hinted at a quality education.

  “What did you do before coming to work at Weston?”

  Although she quickly disguised it, he saw the doe-caught-in-the-headlights look that appeared in her eyes. Interesting.

  “What difference does that make now?”

  “Just curious,” he admitted. “Do you have family?”

  She paused briefly before answering him. “Not anymore.”

  Had her family disowned her because of her alternative lifestyle? For that matter, had she felt the spark when they touched? It seemed impossible she could have missed the lightning jolt that ran through him as his fingers glided over her soft, smooth skin.

  “Are you bringing a date to Weston’s Fiftieth?” Where had that come from? He hadn’t meant to pursue the issue of her relationships. It was none of his business. But hell if his breath didn’t catch as he waited for her answer.

  Her pale cheeks went rosy. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen a woman blush before meeting Adrienne. Those cheeks of hers grew pink on a minute-by-minute basis. Where else did she flush?

  He stifled the groan bellowing from deep within his gut. She liked women. Adrienne represented forbidden fruit, and he’d never get a nibble. Not that he even wanted one.

  He preferred lush blondes, not mousy lesbians.

  “I’m not going.”

  “You’re not going?” That surprised him. The anniversary party would be a grand event. George had requested the presence of each employee. Arrangements had been made for key employees to fly in from several of the branch offices, including Morrigan’s corporate office in Chicago.

  Adrienne didn’t answer.

  “You have to go.” His voice dropped. Just why, he wasn’t sure, but he wanted to see her outside the office. Maybe she’d let her hair down at the party. Literally.

  Her chin lifted, and her eyes took on a deeper blue hue. “Is that part of my job description?”

  He considered her question and the defiant glint shining in her gaze. He bit back a grin. He enjoyed causing that squaring of her shoulders, the glimmer of daring that flared in her eyes.

  “To go to the party if you don’t want to?” He shrugged. He wouldn’t admit the truth, that he wanted her there. “What you do after hours is your choice, but this is an important event and you are my assistant. I think you should put in an appearance, however brief.”

  She didn’t respond. She stared at the folder he’d tossed down. What thoughts ran through that intelligent head of hers?

  “If that’s everything, I’ve got work to do.”

  A part of him wanted to call her on changing the subject, but her social life wasn’t any of his business. What she did in her spare time didn’t matter. Did it?

  “Never let it be said I kept a Weston employee from doing their job.” He straightened the folder on his desk although it had been fine just the way it landed.

  “Never, Sir.” Adrienne’s tone offered a hint of rebellion as she stood to leave.

  Her loose brown dress fluttered about her legs as she walked across the room. The long hem drew his eyes to the sliver of exposed flesh just beneath. She had tiny ankles. Was the rest of her just as trim?

  Chase shook the crazy thought from his head.

  He had a lot to accomplish between now and the time of his meeting tomorrow. The last thing he should be doing was wondering about his assistant’s body. When her hand reached for the door handle, he heard himself call out. “Adrienne?”

  She paused, slowly turning to face him.

  “Thanks for lunch. The oysters were delicious. I’m sure Starr will appreciate your thoughtfulness tonight.”

  Two pink patches lit up her lily-white skin, amusing him.

  When she spun around to leave without so much as a word, he couldn’t resist adding, “But, for the record, I’ve never needed the aid of an aphrodisiac.”

  Chapter Four

  “Still here?” Chase asked when he stepped out of his office a little before six.

  Adrienne glanced up from the computer screen. “Just finishing.”

  Chase sat down on the edge of her desk and watched while she worked.

  She tried to ignore him, but found she couldn’t. With an irritated hiss, she glared at him. “Don’t you have a date you need to rush off to?”

  Adrienne could have bitten her tongue. She’d completely fallen out of character.

  “I think Starr will wait on me if I’m a little late.” His lips twitched.

  She rolled her eyes then actually sank her teeth into her lower lip to keep from doing anything else uncharacteristic. Like tell him what she thought of his oversized ego.

  “What’s wrong, Adrienne? Don’t you think I’m worth waiting for?”

  He was only teasing her, but his voice had taken on that deep, sexy tone. She forgot she had a role to play and did exactly what she’d been wanting to do for weeks. She ran her gaze over him from the top of his shiny, sun-kissed hair, across his startled eyes, down his proud, straight nose, to his all too kissable mouth. Her gaze touched his strong, slightly indented chin and down his throat. She could see the strong, steady beat pulsing there.

  The unexpected working of his throat when he swallowed boosted her courage to finish her visual perusal. Did her staring at him get him hot under the collar? Her eyes lingered. He’d unbuttoned the top few buttons, and she could see smooth tan skin beneath the material. Her fingertips begged to run down his throat to snake her fingers inside.

  Her mouth watered, and she let the saliva pool. No way would she swallow with him watching her so closely. She wouldn’t let him see how much he affected her. How hot and bothered he got her. Intent on continuing her scrutiny of his enviable assets, her gaze skimmed down his broad shoulders, powerful chest, and narrow waist. She dared to let her gaze linger at his hips before moving lower. Only when his shiny leather shoes were in sight did she look back up at his face.

  He appeared a little pale beneath his tan.

  Butterflies of excitement danced merrily in her
stomach. Hiding her inner pleasure, she furrowed her brows, wrinkled her nose in mock disgust and answered his question from earlier.

  “No, you’re not.”

  Needing to busy herself, she punched the save key and shut down her computer. The look of surprise on his face was too much. Laughter threatened to break free from her lips any moment. His poor male ego was stunned she’d denied his appeal.

  Better for her to focus on her own amusement than the multitude of other sensations zinging through her body. No way would she acknowledge them or let Chase know he was easily the sexiest man alive. He’d have no problem tempting a woman to wait all the days of her life for a scrap of his attention.

  Her computer clicked off, and she gave Chase’s leg a pointed look.

  “If you’ll remove yourself from my desk, I’ll get my purse and go home.”

  He shifted his position so she could open the drawer, but didn’t stand from his perch on her desk.

  She closed her fingers around her purse strap, lifting it from the drawer. She locked the desk and stood.

  “Night, Mr. Aaron.” Her tone mocked. “Have fun on your date with Moon.”

  Later that night, Chase looked at the crowded tables of guests at the political fundraiser and stifled a yawn. The hotel banquet room brimmed to full capacity with Boston’s finest.

  “Chase, honey, you haven’t answered the last three questions I’ve asked you.” Starr’s full red lips pouted. The long pale cloth draped over the table hiding her actions from any curious onlooker, she rubbed her hand against his upper thigh in a blatantly seductive motion.

  Chase returned his attention to the blond weather girl. Adrienne calling her ‘Moon’ flashed through his mind. His lips twitched at the memory. Her slip had been intentional.

  He’d been distracted with thoughts of Adrienne all evening. Thoughts of her gaze touching his body like a blue-green velvet caress had him overheating. He took another sip of his ice-cold water.

  What mind trick had she used to accomplish that rise in his blood pressure? To make him feel her gaze as surely as if her fingers stroked over his skin? He’d have sworn she’d looked at him with sexual hunger, but her grimace and harsh words of rejection had tossed a bucket of sub-zero water over his hardening groin.

  That was another thing. Why was he attracted to her? She wasn’t his type. He liked women with bodacious bust sizes. Women who dripped with sex appeal. He didn’t even know what Adrienne’s body looked like. Not really with those awful clothes she wore.

  “Chase.” His date’s tone heightened. “Pay attention to me.”

  He blinked. Here he sat with a woman who ranked second in Playboy’s sexiest weather girl survey last month and all he could think about was his lesbian secretary. He ran a hand through his hair. What the hell was wrong with him?

  He took another sip of water. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Starr gave a knowing, pleased smile. Too bad she wouldn’t be smiling when he dropped her off at her apartment--and left. She didn’t know what he really wanted was to escape thoughts of a pesky mouse who’d taken up residence in his office and mind.

  Adrienne managed to unlock the apartment door without dropping her bag of groceries. She stepped inside and closed the door with a bump of her hip.

  “How was work today?” Sheila asked Adrienne moments after the door slammed shut.

  “Fine.” Adrienne walked into the efficiently designed kitchen to put away the food and supplies she’d purchased on her drive home. Sheila followed.

  “What wild adventures did loverboy have today?”

  Adrienne ignored her friend’s question as she placed a gallon of milk inside the refrigerator’s side door compartment.

  “I can tell he did something.” Sheila removed the remaining items from the brown paper bag. “Spill the beans.”

  “The usual things.” She put the wheat loaf in the wooden bread bin.

  “Such as?”

  Adrienne paused with a bunch of bound carrots in her hand. She didn’t want to share the look she’d given Chase, or his reaction, with her friend.

  “Just Chase things. That’s all.”

  Sheila laughed in commissary, plopping down on a bar stool to watch Adrienne finish storing the groceries. “At least, it’s you whining now about Chase ailments instead of me.”

  Adrienne smiled at the reminder of the week she’d shown up on Sheila’s doorstep with her ‘brilliant’ plan.

  “True,” Adrienne agreed. “You should have warned me how infuriating he is.”

  “Hey, I did warn you. You were just too determined this job would solve all your problems to listen to reason.”

  “Yes, who’d have believed it might actually work?”

  “I have to admit, I had my doubts.”

  “That Chase would hire me?”

  “I knew we could pull that off. It was more your brilliant idea to convince him you were homosexual,” Sheila admitted between giggles. She clasped her hands over her stomach.

  “Easy for you to laugh. You aren’t the one who’s supposed to be immune to men.”

  “Lord forbid!”

  Sheila could almost be accused of being a female version of Chase. She seemed to have a new man in her life every few weeks. This week’s lucky contender was a Channel Nine News cameraman. She’d met him at her gym yesterday morning and had gone out to dinner with him last night.

  “Why are you here? I thought you’d be out with this week’s flavor.” Adrienne put the last few items inside the stylish white oak cabinets. She washed her hands and began taking out items to make a tuna sandwich. “You want one?”

  “No thanks. I’ve already eaten.” Sheila shook her head. “Tim’s covering some snooty charity affair for the Mayor.”

  Adrienne couldn’t help but wonder if that’s where Chase planned to take his date. Probably. Boston’s most eligible bachelor seemed to top everyone’s most wanted guest list. Rare did a day go by that she didn’t sort through an assortment of gold embossed invites. Most met their doom in his trash bin.

  “You know, I believed you’d go home and marry Roger after a few weeks tops,” Sheila mused.

  “I don’t want to go back.” Adrienne shuddered. “At least, not to the way things were.”

  Wednesday. Another hump day, Adrienne thought as she hit the print key on her keyboard. She’d never understood the term until she’d come to Boston. In Chicago, everyday had been the same as the one before--life of luxury and laziness. No wonder her father had put stipulations on her taking control of her stocks. She’d never shown an interest in the company or anything but whether or not her nails matched her clothes. If her father hadn’t died, shook her out of her reverie, she might have turned into a carbon copy of her mother. She’d been too close for comfort.

  The conference room door opened, causing her to look up. George, Chase, Bruce Edwards and several other execs from Weston and Miller RXs poured out of the room and into the reception area where Adrienne’s desk was located.

  Chase barely glanced her way as he walked past, but George’s face crinkled in a smile. Adrienne smiled back.

  Chase looked especially handsome in the suit he wore today. Generally he didn’t wear a suit in the office, just dress slacks with a button down tailored shirt. Today he must have wanted to intimidate, because intimidate he did. The crisp white material of his shirt contrasted sharply where the collar met the tan color of his skin.

  Memories of how she’d ran her eyes over his body the night before flooded her with heat.

  The other VIPs followed closely behind Chase and George. None of the men compared to Chase. Not in looks or presence.

  All disappeared from the room except Bruce Edwards. He lingered at her desk.

  “I’ve never been to Boston. Any attractions I should see before going back to Florida?” He leaned casually against her desk. “I like what I’ve seen so far.”

  Adrienne glanced at him. Was he flirting with her? In her Adrienne Morris garb? Surely no
t. She must be mistaken.

  “I’m new to the city,” she admitted, looking back at her computer screen.

  “Really? Where do you hail from?” He leaned closer.

  “Chicago.” What would it hurt to answer his questions?