Intent to Seduce & A Glimpse of Fire(80)

“Okay,” he said finally, his mind starting to clear. “Frankly I don’t see a problem. Horn’s offer will mean a lot more money, and you’ve already had your juvenile fling.”

Flinching, she looked at him with such a wounded expression, he immediately regretted his words.

“Look, I didn’t mean to sound snide.” He pushed a hand through his hair, glanced around for the bartender, but then quickly decided another drink might not be wise. “Let’s start over.” He smiled.

Dallas didn’t. She sighed and shook her head. “Let’s save us both the grief. There’s nothing you can say to make me change my mind. I can’t accept Horn’s offer.”

“Because of me?”

She laughed softly. “It has nothing to do with you.”

“Why then?”

“It’s complicated.”

“I have time.”

She picked up her club soda and took a thoughtful sip. “I have a question.” Avoiding his intense gaze, she paused to put down the glass. And then she looked him directly in the eyes. “Does this change anything between us?”

He cleared his throat, tried to maintain eye contact but ended up briefly looking away. “What do you mean?”

A sad smile slowly curved the corners of her mouth. “That’s what I thought.”

“Hey—”

She pulled some money out of her purse, laid it on the bar and slid off the stool.

“Dallas, wait, you didn’t let me finish.”

“Good luck with Horn’s account, Eric. I mean it.” She leaned over to kiss him briefly on the cheek and then she left.





CHAPTER EIGHTEEN




“YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR MIND.” WENDY set down an unopened box of Kleenex on the floor near the pink fuzzy house slippers Dallas was wearing. “How could you turn down a job like that?”

Dallas sniffed, huddled deeper into the beanbag chair, pointed the remote at the television and turned up the volume. As if she didn’t already know every word to Pretty Woman. Better than listening to her annoying roommate tell her what a schmuck she was.

Wendy handed her a mug of steaming chamomile tea and grabbed the remote. “Not that I don’t admire your loyalty, but you’ll probably end up getting fired over this insane crusade and then where will you be?”

“Thank you for your support.”

“Hey, kiddo…”

At the sympathy in Wendy’s voice, Dallas looked grudgingly at her. Contrary to what Wendy thought, Dallas wasn’t crying. In fact, she hadn’t shed a single tear. She had got what she wanted out of the fantasy. One week of bliss. The best sex she’d ever had. Now it was over. She was a big girl. She could accept that and move on.

Wendy sighed and curled up on the love seat with her own cup of tea. “I’m on your side, remember? What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t tell you that I think you’re making a colossal mistake?”

“Okay, you’ve told me. Thank you. Now, may I please watch this movie in peace?”

“Have you discussed this with Trudie?”

Dallas groaned. “Am I not speaking clearly enough?”

“I bet she thinks you’re crazy, too. Those women will be fine. Loyalty has to have a limit. Think about your self for a change.”

Dallas cursed—something she rarely did—tightened the belt to her white terry robe and struggled to her feet. She couldn’t listen to Wendy another minute. Sitting alone in her bedroom without a television was better than having the big, fat mess that was her life rubbed in her face.

At the last moment she remembered the small box of Godiva truffles she’d splurged on after knocking off work and scooped it up before plodding down the short hall to her room. Wendy made a comment about Dallas stuffing her face with chocolate not being the solution right before she closed the bedroom door with a deliberate click. Forget about it. She didn’t understand. No body did.

Even with the air conditioner on, her room was warm and sticky, and she threw off her robe. After carelessly shoving her quilt to the foot of the bed, she stretched out in her bra and panties and stared at the ceiling. Almost as if it magnetically drew her, her gaze went to her cell phone. The message light blinked.

Knowing it was Eric, she forced her gaze away. He’d called three times since last night. She hadn’t picked up once. She didn’t have anything to say. Anything he wanted to hear, anyway. It was over. She’d seen the look on his face when she’d asked if anything had changed between them. He hadn’t needed to say a word after that.

She didn’t blame him. In his business, they called what she’d done “false advertising.” She’d worn the pretty clothes, the makeup, the whole thing. She’d be come exactly the type of woman he wanted. But that wasn’t her. Maybe once. Not now. Not for a long time.

Of course, she’d never expected things to go this far. The fantasy was supposed to have been for one night. And then it had stretched into two, and before she knew it, she’d spent over a week with him. He’d even met her parents.

Oh, God. She covered her face and groaned.

What the hell had she been thinking?

It all seemed so complicated. Maybe she needed to see a shrink. Seriously. Because she could deny it all she wanted, but there was still that part of her that wanted to wear the makeup and the dresses and snatch that in credible contract that would put her right back in the game. That didn’t put her in the same category as Wendy. Dallas hadn’t chased the elusive dream. It had fallen in her lap.

And then there was Eric. She liked him. Really liked him, damn it. Not because of the sex, which was beyond totally awesome. He made her laugh and he’d been a good sport about meeting her family. A lot of guys would have stopped at the sex part. Told her she was crazy for even suggesting dinner with the folks.

Her cell phone rang, startling her, and she bolted up and almost automatically grabbed it. Instead she peered at the caller ID. It was Trudie. Absurdly disappointed, she lay back down. It wasn’t as if she wanted to talk to Eric or even wanted him to call again. In fact, she didn’t want to talk to anyone. Not even Trudie.

All she wanted to do was wallow in self-pity for a while. Lick her wounds in private. Be alone with her scary thoughts. And wish she’d never met Horn. Or Eric Harmon.



ERIC SAT AT HIS DESK, STARING at his phone. Three days, and she hadn’t called. Not once. Hadn’t returned his messages. Not even to tell him to go to hell. This was starting to get to him. He wasn’t the one who’d orchestrated the charade.

And contrary to what she assumed, he didn’t care what she did for a living. He’d been surprised. Okay, shocked. And then confused and hurt. Yeah, they hadn’t known each other long, but why couldn’t she have told him? Why the big secret?

Granted, he might have been a little turned off if he’d found out when he’d first met her. Curious, certainly, but not seriously interested.

Tom stopped at his office door, glanced over his shoulder and said, “Webber’s on the warpath. Horn just called him and wants to know why you’re avoiding him.”

“Hell, I’m not avoiding him. I told him I didn’t have an answer yet.”

“Just wanted to give you a heads-up, buddy.” Tom slid another look down the hall before frowning at Eric. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

“You don’t look so good.”

“Yeah.” Eric scrubbed his face, exhaled slowly. He hadn’t slept worth a damn the past two nights. His thoughts were never far from Dallas. How could she possibly prefer her construction job to the opportunity Horn offered? Maybe she simply didn’t understand the magnitude of Horn’s offer.

If she invested wisely, after her three-year contract expired, she wouldn’t have to work for a while. Take time off to figure out what she wanted to do, start her own business, do whatever… So many options would be available to her if she’d only call him back.

“You wanna go to lunch?” Tom studied him with genuine concern. “Might be a good time to get out of here and clear your head before the old man calls you in.”

“No, thanks.” He got up, grabbed his suit jacket off his credenza.

Tom looked confused, his gaze following Eric’s movements as he shrugged on the jacket. “Am I missing something?”

“I need to run an errand.”

“Want company?”

Eric shook his head.

“Anything I can do?”

Eric paused. “Stall Horn. Get him off my back. Tell him I’ll have a final answer for him by tomorrow.”

“Will you?”

“I sure as hell hope so.”



ERIC LEFT TRUDIE’S OFFICE feeling less optimistic than when he’d gone in. Just locating her had been a feat in itself. He’d started with the human resource depart ment, who’d claimed no knowledge of Dallas. Nor had customer service. And not the security officer, who, he was pretty sure, had thought Eric was a stalker. By the time he’d gotten a lead on Trudie and convinced her to talk to him, he’d almost given up.

Might as well have done just that. The problem was bigger than he’d thought, and he had no idea how to fix it.

At the intersection he glanced at his watch. Too early to go to Pete’s for a drink, which he certainly didn’t need anyway, considering the obstacle he faced. But he didn’t want to go back to the office, either. Not until he had a chance to think this through.