supervisor could charm the tail off a rattlesnake. She ought to know. He'd turned that charm on her a time or two, looking for a date. It might have worked too, but her heart appeared to be stuck on one track… that of loving Marcus.
More the fool, her.
Besides, she had responsibilities at home, commitments that made a casual dating relationship almost impossible.
Marcus and Jack chatted for a few minutes before her supervisor got another call, and she led Marcus to the next cubicle in order to introduce him to one of the technical marketing people. It took her almost an hour to acquaint him with the entire marketing staff. With his easy humor, he made several conquests among the women in the department.
She worked hard at stifling any feelings of jealousy his flirtatious manner caused, but relief filled her when she saw that it was almostfive o'clock and he had met the last member of her department. "I've got some things to finish before I can head home. I'm sure Mr. Kline is expecting you back in his office now that you've met the staff."
Marcus nodded, his hair shining gold in the fluorescent lights. Relieved that he'd taken his dismissal so easily, she turned to go. He put his hand out to stop her. His touch electrified her and she froze in place although his fingers rested only lightly on her shoulder.
"Have dinner with me tonight."
Shock slammed through her. "Why?" she croaked.
"We have things to talk about."
She shook her head. He was right, but she didn't want to talk about those things now. She couldn't. "No."
"Yes."
She stared at him, mute with a combination of longing and fear that paralyzed her mind and vocal cords. Finally she was able to force one word from her dry mouth. "What?"
"There's the little matter of your history as a corporate spy that I didn't share with Kline."
The statement sounded like a threat and she reacted to it as such. Terror washed over her, unadulterated fear that her efforts to rebuild her life would end up a heap of crushed rubble around her.
"I can't."
His eyes narrowed as his hand dropped away from her. "Why? Do you have a date already?"
She shook her head. Not unless she counted her nightly commitment to care for her baby son.
"Whatever it is, cancel it."
"I can't do that," Motherhood wasn't something you cancelled when the mood suited you.
She'd learned that the year both her parents died in a boating accident, leaving her sole provider for and caregiver of her younger sister.
"Can you afford not to? Don't you want to know if I plan to tell Kline about your little act of betrayal at CIS?"
Her heart constricted in her chest. "Are you going to?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
"On what you say over dinner."
He had her over a barrel and he knew it.
"I'll meet you at seven." She named a little seafood restaurant that overlooked the sound in westSeattle . She'd have to ask Jenny to watch Aaron. She just hoped her sister didn't have plans.
Marcus's eyes gleamed azure with triumph and she had a strong urge to wipe that smug look right off his face. He was so confident of his power over her, just as he'd been eighteen months ago.
All she'd have to do to send his arrogant humor on a trip south would be to tell him about Aaron.
Mr. No-strings-no-commitments would fall down in a dead faint to discover he was a father.
Chapter Two
"So, what's the story with you and my marketing admin?"
Marcus leaned back on the black leather couch in Kline's plush corner office.
Huge windows revealedSeattle 's skyline against the backdrop of gray ocean waters. He let his gaze settle on the view for several seconds before answering. He found well-timed silences an effective technique for gaining the advantage in a conversation. Something he'd learned from his former boss and current partner, Alex Trahern.
"I told you she worked for us
More the fool, her.
Besides, she had responsibilities at home, commitments that made a casual dating relationship almost impossible.
Marcus and Jack chatted for a few minutes before her supervisor got another call, and she led Marcus to the next cubicle in order to introduce him to one of the technical marketing people. It took her almost an hour to acquaint him with the entire marketing staff. With his easy humor, he made several conquests among the women in the department.
She worked hard at stifling any feelings of jealousy his flirtatious manner caused, but relief filled her when she saw that it was almostfive o'clock and he had met the last member of her department. "I've got some things to finish before I can head home. I'm sure Mr. Kline is expecting you back in his office now that you've met the staff."
Marcus nodded, his hair shining gold in the fluorescent lights. Relieved that he'd taken his dismissal so easily, she turned to go. He put his hand out to stop her. His touch electrified her and she froze in place although his fingers rested only lightly on her shoulder.
"Have dinner with me tonight."
Shock slammed through her. "Why?" she croaked.
"We have things to talk about."
She shook her head. He was right, but she didn't want to talk about those things now. She couldn't. "No."
"Yes."
She stared at him, mute with a combination of longing and fear that paralyzed her mind and vocal cords. Finally she was able to force one word from her dry mouth. "What?"
"There's the little matter of your history as a corporate spy that I didn't share with Kline."
The statement sounded like a threat and she reacted to it as such. Terror washed over her, unadulterated fear that her efforts to rebuild her life would end up a heap of crushed rubble around her.
"I can't."
His eyes narrowed as his hand dropped away from her. "Why? Do you have a date already?"
She shook her head. Not unless she counted her nightly commitment to care for her baby son.
"Whatever it is, cancel it."
"I can't do that," Motherhood wasn't something you cancelled when the mood suited you.
She'd learned that the year both her parents died in a boating accident, leaving her sole provider for and caregiver of her younger sister.
"Can you afford not to? Don't you want to know if I plan to tell Kline about your little act of betrayal at CIS?"
Her heart constricted in her chest. "Are you going to?"
"It depends."
"On what?"
"On what you say over dinner."
He had her over a barrel and he knew it.
"I'll meet you at seven." She named a little seafood restaurant that overlooked the sound in westSeattle . She'd have to ask Jenny to watch Aaron. She just hoped her sister didn't have plans.
Marcus's eyes gleamed azure with triumph and she had a strong urge to wipe that smug look right off his face. He was so confident of his power over her, just as he'd been eighteen months ago.
All she'd have to do to send his arrogant humor on a trip south would be to tell him about Aaron.
Mr. No-strings-no-commitments would fall down in a dead faint to discover he was a father.
Chapter Two
"So, what's the story with you and my marketing admin?"
Marcus leaned back on the black leather couch in Kline's plush corner office.
Huge windows revealedSeattle 's skyline against the backdrop of gray ocean waters. He let his gaze settle on the view for several seconds before answering. He found well-timed silences an effective technique for gaining the advantage in a conversation. Something he'd learned from his former boss and current partner, Alex Trahern.
"I told you she worked for us
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