High-Powered, Hot-Blooded(8)

"Is she really a kindergarten teacher?"

"Yes. She's exactly who you told me to find. Nice, connected to her family, pretty and articulate."

"The reporter is smitten," Lawrence said and picked up his glass. "How long are you going to see her?"

"Until Christmas."

His uncle's gray eyes sharpened. "It's strictly business?"

Duncan thought about the brief kiss he and Annie had shared, then did  his best to convince himself he'd only done it for show. "We're not  dating, if that's what you're asking. I've hired her to do a job,  nothing more."

"I'd like to meet her."

"You're too old for her."

His uncle grinned. "We'll let her be the judge of that."         

     



 

They ordered lunch and talked business through the meal. On the way to  his car, his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen-the number was  unfamiliar.

"Yes?"

"Hi. It's Annie."

They had a business dinner to attend tomorrow night. "Is there a scheduling problem?"

"No. We're going to get our Christmas tree this afternoon and I thought you might want to come with us."



He stared at the phone a second before putting it back against his ear. "Why?"

He heard the smile in her voice as she spoke. "Because it's fun and you  need a little Christmas in your life. No pressure. You don't have to if  you don't want to."

Which he didn't. But instead of telling her that, he found himself asking, "What time?"

"Four. My house. I don't suppose you have a truck we could borrow? The tree never fits well on the top of my car."

"I have a fleet of trucks, Annie. That's what I do."

"Oh. Right. Could we borrow a little one? Nothing with more than four wheels."

He shifted the phone to the other ear. "This isn't about me at all, is it? You just wanted to borrow a truck."

"No. Well, the truck is a part of it, but I would have wanted you to come even if you'd said no to the truck."

"I'm not sure I believe that."

The humor fled her voice. "I won't lie to you, Duncan."

"I'll see you at four."

He hung up.

Women had lied to him before. A lot of them. They lied to get what they  wanted. He would swear sometimes they lied for sport. Valentina had been  the biggest liar of them all. She had told him she loved him and then  she had left.

Annie changed out of her dress and low heels. She usually put on jeans  after she got home from school, so there wasn't anything unusual about  that. The difference was this time she wasn't just going to be hanging  out at home. She would be seeing Duncan again and as much as she told  herself it wasn't a big deal, she'd yet to be totally convinced.

To be honest, the man confused her. He'd bought her services as a  pretend girlfriend to improve his reputation. Not exactly something that  happened every day. She'd gone online and read several articles about  him, which had proven he really was considered something of a bastard in  the business world. But he'd also paid for an impressive party  wardrobe, given Tim a second chance and he'd kissed her.

The kiss was actually the most startling event, but she didn't like to  think about it too much. It had probably been for show, so everyone  would think they really were together. A meaningless, practically  sexless gesture. Well, for him. For her … there had been tingles.

Not like the tingles when they'd danced. Those had been in her chest,  more about feeling safe and content than anything else. But the kissing  tingles were completely different. They'd zipped and zinged all the way  through her body, pausing in her breasts and between her legs. Those  tingles had made her think about kissing him again and what Duncan would  be like in bed.

Focus, she thought as she pulled on jeans. All the articles she'd read  had talked about how he always got the details right. It was an  excellent quality for a man to have in bed.

She didn't usually daydream about making love with a guy after a single  date. Especially not a date that wasn't real. But something had happened  when his mouth had briefly claimed hers. Something wonderful.

Now she reached for a red sweatshirt with Christmas geese marching  across the front. Before putting it on, she wondered if she should wear  something less boxy and more flattering. Something that would cause  Duncan to see her as a …

What? A woman? He already did. An actual girlfriend? Not likely. They  were only pretend dating. She couldn't let herself forget that. Besides,  two guys had already broken her heart. Was she going for a personal  best by making it three?

She grabbed the sweatshirt and pulled it firmly over her head. She knew  better, she reminded herself. The trick was going to be remembering  that.

"We won't be decorating the tree tonight," Annie said as she sat next to  Duncan in the cab of the truck he'd driven to her house. "The girls all  have something they have to get to. A class or work. Besides, you're  supposed to let the tree sit out in the garage for a couple of days  before bringing it in."

"Why? It's not a puppy. It doesn't need to get used to being away from its mother."

She laughed. "I think it's about the branches settling. I have the tree  stand set up in the garage, so we can put it in water as soon as we get  it home."         

     



 

Duncan had arrived right on time. Based on the suit he wore, he'd come from work.

"Did I take you away from something important?" she asked.

"Nothing that can't wait." He smiled. "My assistant was surprised when I said I was leaving."

"Imagine what she'd think if she knew where you were actually going."

He chuckled.

She studied his profile. She liked the strength of his face, the  chiseled jawline, the shape of his mouth. Her gaze lingered on the  latter as she thought about him kissing her. Would he do it again? If he  kissed her in a nonbusiness setting, then she would know for sure that  he'd liked it as much as she had. Craziness, she told herself. She  couldn't think about Duncan as anything but her boss. The hard part was  that she wanted a husband and a family to love, but all she had was a  bruised heart and a fear that no man was going to think of her as more  than a friend.

They pulled into the Christmas-tree lot. Jenny, Julie and Kami were already there. Duncan parked next to Jenny's car.

"Brace yourself," Annie told him. "You're about to meet your match."

He raised his eyebrows. "I can handle it."

She grinned. "That's what every man thinks, right before he runs into trouble. You've been warned."

Annie watched Duncan get out of the truck and introduce himself to her  cousins and Kami. By the time she reached them, the easy stuff was done.

"That article about you in last March's issue of Time was interesting," Julie said. "The press really hates you, huh?"

"A hazard of my occupation," Duncan said calmly.

"Except there are a lot of CEOs out there," Jenny pointed out. "They're  not all hated. Although I'll give you the coverage of the purchase of  the mobile home park wasn't fair. You offered the residents a fair deal  and made sure they were taken care of."

"The thing is," Julie added, "If one person thinks you aren't nice, it's  probably them. But if all the press people feel that way … "

"I'm misunderstood," Duncan said.

"Uh-huh." Jenny and Julie moved between him and Annie. Kami seemed more comfortable keeping out of the conversation.

"What is this, the Inquisition?" Annie joked, warmed by her cousins'  protective questions but trying to lighten the mood. She might not have a  husband and a baby, but she still had a family. She had to remember  that.

"They have bright futures in the law."

"I'm not going to be a lawyer," Jenny said. "But I am watching out for Annie. We all are."

Duncan did his best to look attentive rather than incredulous. Were  these two college girls going to threaten him? They had neither the  money nor the resources, and if it came to a battle of wills, he would  leave them coughing in the dust.

None of which he said to them.

"I don't need that much defending," Annie said, looking uncomfortable.  "Duncan, I'm sorry. I didn't know the twins were going to gang up on you  this much."

"But a little would have been okay?"

"Sure."

He turned to the cousins. "Annie and I have a business arrangement. She'll be fine."

"You have to promise," one of the twins said. Duncan couldn't tell them apart.

"You have my word on it." Even if he and Annie didn't have an agreement,  she wouldn't be at much risk. He didn't get involved enough for anyone  to get their feelings hurt. Life was easier that way.

They went into the lot. The girls fanned out to look at trees, but Annie stayed by him.

"I'm sorry if they offended you," she began.

"Don't be. I respect them for thinking they can take me."

She tilted her head. Blond curls tumbled to her shoulder. "No, you don't," she said slowly. "You think they're foolish."