Temporary Boss...Forever Husband

Not that it mattered; she wasn’t considering a relationship with Zach. At least, not seriously considering one.

“That’s different. Riana Collins isn’t someone I met in a bar. This is business.” He underscored the word with such emphasis, words like HUGE, IMPORTANT or EVERYTHING could have been used in its place. “Turning her down could offend her. If I so much as hurt her feelings, it could end this deal. And I will not let that happen.”

“Well …” Allison pretended to think for a minute. “I suppose you could always sleep with her.”

“That’s something else I won’t let happen,” he said.

Because sleeping with the client’s daughter could do more professional harm in the long run? Or because using a woman went against his morals? She wanted to believe his resistance to Riana Collins showed his true character, that as important as business was to him, he had boundaries. That he was determined to succeed, but not at all costs. That was what Allison wanted to believe, but truthfully, she didn’t know.

The wanting should have worried her as well as the reason behind it. She would never make the mistake of falling for a man like Kevin Hodges again, but if she was wrong about Zach, if he proved himself different from her avaricious, scheming ex, would that be a green light to the attraction she felt? An okay to ignore the warning signs telling her to stay far, far away and to listen to the pulse of desire that urged her closer anytime Zach came near?

If he was different … maybe tonight would be her chance to safely find out. After all, Zach had already set the ground rules.

“Okay, so no mixing business with pleasure,” Allison stated.

It would be a reminder to herself as well as the on-the-prowl Ms. Collins. Because sitting in Zach’s car, the scent of the leather seats and his aftershave riding on the warm breeze blowing through his open window, Allison could too easily imagine this was a date. That Zach was taking her to some romantic, elegant restaurant. A seductive shiver ran through her as she imagined him focusing that driven, intense gaze on wooing and winning her instead of yet another business deal …

“No.”

Zach’s abrupt denial slapped the daydream right out of her head. “What?” she asked defensively.

He slanted her a questioning look. “I was agreeing with you. No mixing business with pleasure.”

“Right. Of course not. Strictly professional.” As professional as she could be with her mental pants on fire. “So I’m here to … what? Chaperone?”

“Something like that,” he muttered, giving Allison the idea that he might have another plan in mind.

Still, she had agreed, and it was only one night … “You know the old saying, two’s company, three’s a crowd?”

“Yeah,” he said, slowly dragging out the word.

Allison smiled. “I’m your crowd.”

Chapter Two

Zach had known Allison Warner was trouble the first time he saw her. Problem was, the first time he saw her, he had no idea she was the temp hired to fill in for the company’s hospitalized receptionist.

How could he have known? She certainly hadn’t looked anything like a replacement for matronly Martha Scanlon. He supposed Allison had dressed professionally enough—she’d been wearing a cotton candy-soft, pale blue sweater and matching geometric print skirt—but she’d immediately caught his eye as she cut in front of his car in the parking garage with a wink and a wave. Even in the dim light of the underground garage, her short hair boasted every shade of blond under the sun. From dark to caramel to platinum, the strands blended together in tousled perfection, a gorgeous compliment to her golden skin and elegant features.

It would have been easy to label her cute or sweet, but something in that wink told Zach this was one angel with a devil on her shoulder.

He’d spun into the closest parking space, mentally insisting he was hurrying back to the office, yet knowing it was a lie. He caught up with her at the elevator. Glancing over her shoulder, her smile seemed to say she’d been waiting for him. “Going up?” she teased, hitting the only button available.

His thoughts took a turn in the opposite direction as he caught sight of the dimple in her right cheek when she smiled. That single dimple, rather than the typical matched pair, seemed to hint at the woman’s unique take on life, and Zach sensed she was someone who could always find the humor in a situation even if it meant laughing at herself.

He opened his mouth, ready to respond with a clever, sophisticated remark, only to catch another glimpse of her smile and find himself completely tongue-tied. “I, um, yeah.”

Of course you’re going up. You’re in an underground parking garage, idiot!

The woman’s eyes sparkled, telling Zach she certainly had no problem laughing at him.

Accompanied by the ping of the bell, the elevator doors swung open, and Zach gestured for her to precede him, determined to use the short ride as an opportunity to recover his masculine pride. His mother Caroline was always telling him he needed to get a life. To her, that meant a wife and kids, which wasn’t going to happen—no way, no how—but clearly he had been focused on work too long if he’d forgotten how to talk to a beautiful woman.

He stepped into the elevator, tempted by her strawberry scent. He leaned forward at the same time she did, their fingers connecting as they hit the keypad, and Zach swore the spark of attraction lit up the plastic number and shot the elevator car off the ground.

An answering spark flared in her green eyes, revealing she felt it, too. And that might have been enough. Enough for him to consider pursuing the fascinating woman in front of him despite the half a dozen presentations he was working on, not to mention the promotion he was up for.

But then he noticed the floor she’d selected, that the meeting of their hands hadn’t been due to fate but because they’d both reached for the same button. A bad feeling seemed to slow the elevator, pulling Zach back down to earth. “You’re going to the fourth floor?” he asked. “To Knox Security?”

“Yeah, today’s my first day on the job.” Her green eyes brightened even more. “Hey, does this mean we’ll be working together?”

That was, in fact, what it meant and should have been the end of his attraction. Zach never had and never would enter into a relationship at work. Too many pitfalls, too many complications, too big of a chance that management would think he had his mind on something other than the job.

Unfortunately, Zach hadn’t forgotten that first smile, that first touch …

She’s never let me forget, he thought with an accusing glance at the woman sitting in his passenger seat.

Not that Allison had gone out of her way to remind him of their first meeting or that instant spark of attraction. She didn’t have to. Just the sound of her laughter drifting down the hall made his gut clench and sent another electric rush of the energy he’d felt at that first touch charging through his veins.

And every time she smiled at him, the flash of that dimple reminded him of his weakness where she was concerned, reminded him she was a woman who could do what no other woman had ever done—take his mind off his career.

He couldn’t let that happen. His own childhood was a harsh reminder of what happened to a man who let a woman—who let love—break his focus. Zach would not repeat his father’s mistakes.

So why on earth had he asked for Allison’s help?

Because she’s the only one who can do the job. And as long as he kept thinking of the dinner as part of the job, he just might make it through the night.

“When is Martha coming back anyway?” The sooner Allison left, the better as far as Zach was concerned. He’d forget all about her the moment she moved on to some other temp job.

“Monday. I’m coming in for another day or two just to catch her up.”

“Good. That she’s feeling better and ready to come back to work, I mean.”

“Yeah.” Something in Allison’s agreement had Zach wondering if she wasn’t as glad to be moving on. If there was some reason she wanted to stay …

“Have you ever thought of staying on some place? Not at Knox—” please, not at Knox “—but at some other company? A permanent position might give you the opportunity to work your way up—”

“No,” Allison cut him off abruptly. As if realizing she might have given too much away, she flashed a smile and said, “Corporate ladders aren’t for me. Afraid of heights. And I like the temp jobs. Moving from place to place, meeting new people … It’s a good way to make sure I don’t get bored.”

Everything Allison said sounded legitimate, but Zach wasn’t buying it. Who wouldn’t want the chance to move up? To succeed? For Zach that need was a relentless drive that fueled him, pounding through his veins. Like the footfalls of another sprinter pulling away, Zach lived with the fear of not keeping pace, of falling behind, of failing …

But he was going to close the distance this time. He’d seal the Collins deal, if not tonight, then in another few days. Winning the bid would give him the edge over Bob Henderson when it came to the VP of Sales position both men were up for. Zach was sure of it, and he wouldn’t let a complication like the flirtatious Riana Collins get in his way.

But as Allison shifted in the passenger seat, crossing her legs beneath the hint of lace at the hem of her skirt and drawing his attention to her slender calf and smooth skin, Zach feared his solution might prove far more dangerous than the problem.

“You’re having your meeting here?”

Zach couldn’t blame Allison for sounding more than a little incredulous as he pulled into the jazz club parking lot. “The location changed when James couldn’t make it,” he said wryly.

Later that evening, the place would be packed with people sipping martinis and listening to the blues. But six o’clock was too early for that crowd and perfect for an intimate dinner for two.

Maybe that was why his brain short-circuited as he climbed out of the car and circled around to open Allison’s door. Surprise lit her eyes, and he swore silently. What did he think he was doing? He’d brought Allison along to remind Riana their relationship was strictly business, but who was going to remind Zach of that fact when it came to Allison?

I don’t need any reminders. It was a momentary slip, he insisted even as her strawberry scent enticed him to fall even farther.

Taking his eye off the ball.

That was how his father would have phrased it, and Nathan Wilder knew how costly even a momentary slip could be. Nathan had been a high school star, starting quarterback with a promising college career ahead of him when he took his eye off the ball. When he made the mistake of getting his girlfriend pregnant. The echo of Nathan Wilder’s voice, jagged and sharp thanks to those broken dreams, sliced through Zach’s thoughts.

Could’ve had it all …

Nathan might not have been much of a father, but he had taught Zach lessons he refused to forget. He didn’t make mistakes. He wouldn’t let anyone get in the way of the goals he’d set for himself—not Riana Collins’s unwanted attention and certainly not his own equally unwanted interest in Allison Warner.

Hoping to cover the too-personal act, Zach immediately launched into a history of Collins Jewelers—the high-end stores in Chicago and New York. The A-list celebrities who wore the designs to red carpet events. The attention handling the account would garner Knox Security.

He didn’t mention his own goal for winning the account—gaining the edge he would need to convince the board he was the right man for the VP of Sales position.

In his hurry to get his thoughts back on track, he hadn’t realized he was half a step ahead of Allison until she mumbled something he didn’t quite catch. Slowing until she fell in step beside him, he asked, “What was that?”

“Everyone at Knox has been talking about this deal so …” Her voice trailed off, and she shrugged as if making an embarrassed confession. “I went online and did some research.”

Zach stopped short. “You did?”

The extra work showed an initiative Zach hadn’t expected. Allison was a short-term temp, filling in as a receptionist. She smiled and laughed, made their clients feel welcome and drove him to distraction. She answered phones, transferred calls, and offered coffee until the meetings started and the real work began. She said herself she had no ambition to move up, only a desire to move on, so why would she take the time to research one of Knox’s potential clients when she’d be out the door before he signed the contract?

“I ran James Collins through a search engine or two,” she said almost defensively. “But it’s not like that’s going to help tonight.”

“Right. Going into a business meeting prepared isn’t the least bit useful.”

Allison’s eyebrows rose in challenge. “Well, it certainly isn’t why you asked me to come.”

After the shock he’d failed to hide, there was little point arguing otherwise. And she was right. He hadn’t asked her to tag along because of her brilliant mind. He’d hoped Allison’s presence might dissuade Riana, but deep down, he also had a backup plan. One he really hadn’t thought he would need, so he’d ignored just how risky it might be. Kind of like being on a cruise and knowing those flotation vests lined the ship’s railing in case of an emergency, but really … how many people gave a second thought to having to use one?

No one did. Not until the ship started to go under.

And with the look in Allison’s eyes and the awareness eddying around them, drawing them closer with each pass, Zach could definitely feel himself starting to sink. All before he’d even put his suddenly dubious plan into motion.

“So what exactly are you expecting from me?”

If a third wheel wasn’t enough to dissuade Riana, he’d thought he might hint his relationship with Allison wasn’t strictly business. But what had seemed like a solid plan less than an hour ago now seemed much more like navigating through stormy, turbulent seas than smooth sailing.

“Like you said, I need someone to run interference.”

“Okay, but who am I supposed to be?”

“You’re not supposed to be anyone, Allie.” He didn’t know what it was about the use of the nickname that curved her lips into a small smile, but he could have kicked himself for using it. Allison. Her name’s Allison. He didn’t need to add to a sense of familiarity by giving her a nickname. He’d be better off calling her Ms. Warner. “You’re a business associate.”

Her dark blond brows rose higher, more eloquent and expressive than any long-winded argument could be. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she read his mind and … “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He stepped closer to move out of the way of another couple headed for the door.

Dressed in business attire with their arms linked together, the woman’s head on the man’s shoulder, the pair appeared to be doing exactly what he and Allison were not doing—slipping away after work for a romantic rendezvous.

Allison glanced at the couple with one of those looks that women get at the end of romantic movies, all misty-eyed and sappy, like happily-ever-after actually occurred in real life. But then she looked back at him, and Zach wondered if he’d only imagined the moment. Her gaze sharpened to a needle-fine point, perfect for pinning him to a board and …

“What? Enjoying watching you squirm? Just a little,” she said with a smile that said more than a little. “But do you really think my being here will have any effect on Riana Collins as long as she believes it’s strictly business between us?”

Zach was right. She was enjoying this too much, but Allison couldn’t seem to help herself. She knew, of course, anything this fun couldn’t possibly be good for her and might end up biting her in the end, but she couldn’t see how. After all, she had two, maybe three days left working with Zach. She’d move on to her next temp job, and Zach would still be at Knox Security, reaching higher than ever.

So what harm could a not-to-be-missed fantasy of dating Zach Wilder do?

Allison had her answer a second later when Zach’s glower changed into something less dark yet even more dangerous. “You’re right. Riana isn’t the type to accept a subtle brush-off, and she knows I’m not the kind of man who mixes business with pleasure,” he admitted. His voice lowered to a murmur that did more than heat up Allison’s thoughts as he leaned closer and added, “But working with you, day after day, I found myself holding my breath to catch the sound of your voice, making excuses to walk by your desk just to see you smile, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I could no longer resist….”

His words trailed into a silence filled with endless possibilities before he asked, “Is that something Riana might believe?”

Allison swallowed hard. “Um, yeah, that—” She cleared her throat. “That might be convincing.”

She didn’t know about Riana Collins, but for thirty seconds, Zach had her completely convinced! Even now, standing so close, the faint, tantalizing smell of his aftershave tempted her to move closer. To not just breathe in the scent from the air, but to seek it out on the warmth of his skin. Allison’s pulse pounded in her ears like a bass line blaring through the speakers of a tricked out car. Her whole body should have been trembling from the reverberations. “So … I guess the only question now is how obvious do we need to be?”

His gaze dropped to her lips, and Allison unconsciously ran her tongue over her lower lip as if she could already taste Zach there. Kissing her wouldn’t be subtle at all. Kissing her would be obvious, bold, unquestionable … It would also be unnecessary since Riana Collins was nowhere around. But with the thought already in her mind, her own focus drifted from the desire darkening Zach’s eyes to his mouth.

What kind of kisser would he be? If his technique matched his personality, the kiss would be quick, to the point, no messing around. And yet somehow Allison doubted it. Although she’d never seen a more personal side to Zach, the skip in her pulse and quickening heartbeat told her he knew how to kiss.

“Allie …”

The rough murmur of her name brushed against her nerve endings. It didn’t even matter that she’d hated the nickname ever since her sister had started calling her “Allie-cat” back in the second grade. Heart pounding, Allison waited for Zach to lower his head. She swayed slightly, drawn closer by an almost undeniable attraction.

“Zach?” The sultry female voice should have come from Allison, but words were frozen in her dry throat, and not since a bout with laryngitis a few years ago had her voice sounded that husky.

It took Zach a moment to focus on a point over Allison’s shoulder. Only because she stood so close did she hear his disgruntled sigh. “Obvious,” he muttered as he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “Very obvious.”

Allison’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the woman walking toward them. When Zach said Riana Collins wasn’t used to hearing the word no, Allison had assumed that was because the heiress to the Collins jewelry empire was rich and spoiled. She hadn’t expected the reason to be because the woman was completely irresistible.

Dressed in a vibrant red skirt and jacket that hugged her curves, Riana Collins looked like an exotic supermodel. Black hair fell to her shoulders in a razor-straight style that emphasized her high cheekbones, smoky eyes and full red lips. Diamonds glittered at her ears and wrist, silently if not subtly promoting the family business. As the woman drew closer, Allison realized that wasn’t the only advertising the woman did. She’d seen Riana, draped in gemstones and little else, in ads for Collins Jewelers.

This was the woman Zach was turning down—all for the sake of a business deal.

If Allison didn’t know better, she might have thought Zach was hardwired with all the emotion and passion of a computer’s CPU. But there’d been those few, brief moments when she’d seen the flare of attraction in his eyes, the desire of a flesh-and-blood man.

There was no sign of that man now as he greeted the stunning brunette. “Riana.” His voice couldn’t have sounded more professional if it had been a prerecorded phone message. His expression was equally polite, yet remote despite the obvious come-on in the woman’s gaze. “So good to see you.”

“You, too, Zach.” Smoke turned to ash when Riana looked at Allison. “I didn’t realize you’d be bringing anyone tonight.”

“I’ve mentioned how eager Knox is to do business with you and your father.” Sliding his hand to the small of her back, Zach brought Allison forward. “Naturally, we’ve brought out our best.”

Hoping Riana Collins didn’t ask best what, since she doubted the title of Best Temporary Receptionist would impress the woman, Allison held out her hand. “Allison Warner. Pleased to meet you, Ms. Collins.”

Riana Collins looked less than pleased, an expression that didn’t change as they entered the restaurant and followed the hostess to a secluded table obviously meant for two. A third place was hastily set. Zach kept Allison at his side, pulling out the chair to his right.

She might have expected the other woman to have a better chance of holding his attention, seated directly across from him. But he never failed to meet Allison’s gaze before glancing at Riana, just like he never missed an opportunity to rest his hand on the back of her chair or brush his fingers against hers on the table.

At first, Allison thought Zach had decided to be subtle after all, only to quickly realize how wrong she was. The hand on her shoulder could have been a casual, business-related touch—until his thumb stroked the skin along her collarbone. And while even that small gesture might have seemed subtle, the shiver that raced down her spine like a quake down a fault line was anything but.

Judging by Riana’s narrowed gaze, the woman had picked up on the aftershock.

After the first few minutes of small talk, discussing the menu and giving their orders to the waiter, Zach turned his attention to business. Riana nodded in all the appropriate places as Zach explained the different security options Knox offered; she even asked an informed question or two.

But the other woman still had more than business on her mind, and Allison wasn’t surprised when Riana pegged her with a sharp look and said, “You’ve been quiet, Allison. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.”

For a split second her mind went blank, and she felt Zach stiffen beside her, his tension practically telegraphing an unspoken command straight through her. Do not screw this up. Do not screw this up. The added pressure had panic rising up inside her, but then the information she’d copied, collated, stapled and punched started filtering back. She’d always had a good memory for details—a useful talent when she’d juggled clients for Barton/Mills and one that helped with jumping from temp job to temp job now.

“Knox handles security for some of the top businesses in the Valley.” Names from the client list flashed through her memory—a high-end clothing boutique, a chain of furniture stores, an office complex not far from where the new Collins jewelry store would soon break ground.

“I’ve heard your latest ad campaign,” Allison added. It was an occupational hazard she had yet to break, paying more attention to ads than shows on TV or songs on the radio. “You’ve been promoting Collins Jewelers as the fourth ‘C,’ as important as cut, color and clarity. You have a reputation for accepting only the best, and when it comes to security systems, Knox is the best there is.”

For the first time all evening, Allison felt Zach relax at her side, and the glow of satisfaction burned brighter as she caught his almost imperceptible nod of approval.