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“I am stopping by the hospital on my way home. I think it’d be a good idea for you to call the injured workers—I’ll send you a text with their names when I’m done.”
“All right, that sounds good. Lexi and I are going to fly back to Houston together tomorrow.”
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to her. She called me earlier. Will you let her know that until the mess at the refinery settles down, I can’t talk?”
“Sure thing,” Mitch said.
“Did you come up with any ideas for a gift yet?” Lance asked.
“Not yet. I haven’t been thinking about your love life.”
Lance hadn’t been, either. “This is business, Mitch. Remember, you told me that. We need the Cavanaugh connection. Today proves that.”
Mitch didn’t add anything to that. And Lance had to guess that being a brilliant strategist meant his brother wasn’t surprised that his planning had worked to their advantage.
“I forgot to mention that Kate gave her notice today.”
“She did? Why?”
“She thinks this will be a good time for her transition out of her job with us. She’s not being challenged enough or something like that.”
“Maybe it is time she moved on.”
“I’m trying to convince her to stay,” Lance said.
“Why?”
Lance didn’t know, but there was no way in hell he’d admit it. “She’s part of the Brody Oil and Gas family and we need her.”
“Maybe she wants to be more.”
“Like how?” Lance asked remembering Kate’s comment earlier.
“Think about it,” Mitch said. “I’ve got to run. Don’t forget to send me the names of the injured men.”
“I won’t. Ally got them interviews on the morning shows for tomorrow. She’s going to talk to the families and prep them on what to say.”
“Good. I’ll advise the senator of this so maybe he can get a sound bite in, as well.”
“This could have been a lot worse,” Lance said.
“Why wasn’t it?” Mitch asked.
“I think because of all the preparedness we worked on after the hurricane last fall. The guys really knew what to do and how to handle things.”
Lance pulled into the hospital parking lot and chatted a few more minutes with his brother before hanging up. He didn’t like hospitals. Never had, to be honest. Maybe because he’d visited more than his share of emergency rooms as a child.
His father had always been blunt in the parking lot. Telling him what to say when the doctors asked about how he’d broken his arm or his leg—bicycle accident; how he’d hurt his ribs or broken his fingers—skateboard accident. Never did he tell anyone the truth. And after a while, Lance realized even he kind of believed his dad’s stories.
He rubbed his hand over the scars on the back of his left knuckles. Some days he felt damned old, older than his years. He knew he had to be careful with Lexi. Had to remember to keep the engagement and their eventual marriage manageable.
Lance was always conscious that he’d inherited his father’s legendary temper. And as he sat in his truck looking at the modern hospital, he couldn’t help but remember the promise he’d made to himself when he was thirteen. The promise that he’d never bring a child of his to the emergency room, because he’d never have children.
He wondered if that was going to be an issue for Lexi Cavanaugh. A part of him hoped it would be so he could end the engagement and get his life back to the way it had been.
Kate was nervous as she got of out of her car the next morning. Last night the new clothes she’d purchased with Becca in Houston had seemed fun and daring but this morning when she’d put on the slim-fitting sundress and styled her new hair, she’d felt like an imposter.
It had taken her three tries to get her contacts in but at last she had her look as close as possible to the way the stylist had done it last night.
But she was nervous… and babbling, she thought. She always talked to herself but this morning her internal talk bordered on inane.
It all boiled down to one thing. What if everyone saw her and laughed?
Wasn’t that silly? She was a grown woman and shouldn’t care what anyone else thought but she was trying a new look—one that she was not certain of, despite Becca’s reassurances that she looked hot. Kate still felt like fat, frumpy Kate, trying to be someone she wasn’t.
She walked into the lobby, and Stan the security guard looked up. “Good morning….”
“Morning, Stan,” she said, feeling awkward as the older gentleman just kept staring at her.
“You look nice today, Miss Thornton,” Stan said. “Real pretty.”
“Thank you, Stan,” she said, the warmth of a blush on her cheeks.
She scanned her ID card and went to the executive elevator. While she waited, she stared at her reflection in the polished, mirrored wall that surrounded the elevator bank.
The hardest part about this makeover was that she simply didn’t recognize herself.
“Excuse me, miss, but this elevator is for executive personnel only,” Lance said, coming up behind her.
She turned around.
“Kate?”
She waited to see if he’d say anything else, but he didn’t. That hurt a little bit but it was okay. Last night she’d decided to stop trying to please Lance, something that she’d done without much thought for a long time.
“I saw the workers on the Today show this morning. I thought they sounded good.”
“Ally did a good job of prepping them. I’m glad they will all make a full recovery,” Lance said.
The elevator car arrived and he waited for her to enter. She felt his eyes on her back as she moved in front of him. Was the skirt too short for the office?
But when she turned and saw him staring at her legs, she realized that the dress was having its desired effect on him. He was finally seeing her as a woman. Kate felt… weird, actually.
Lance’s attention was the one thing she’d craved and now she had it. But she wasn’t sure what to do with it.
“How was your night?” she asked.
“I spent most of it on the phone… something that would have been easier if my assistant had been here.”
She pursed her lips. “Maybe your assistant decided it was time to get herself a life.”
“Did you, Kate? Is that what this is all about?”
She shook her head. “I’ve been ignoring myself for too long. I know my timing stunk last night but I had no idea there would be a fire at the main refinery.”
“Who could have known? I don’t mind if you take an afternoon off. In fact, if it would convince you to stay then I think we could work out more time off in your schedule,” Lance said.
The elevator arrived at their floor and once again he gestured for her to go in front of him. As she walked past him, she heard him inhale sharply.
“Are you wearing perfume?” he asked.
She raised both eyebrows at him. “I am.”
He shook his head. “Sorry. It’s a very nice scent.”
“Thank you,” she said. Her new look seemed to be bothering Lance. Or maybe he just wasn’t himself this morning. “I can handle the office this morning if you want to go back to the refinery.”
“Thanks, Kate, but I think I am needed here. Especially if you are determined to quit.”
She nodded and entered her office. The voice - mail light on her phone was flashing and she imagined she had a lot of messages waiting for her.
Lance closed the door and brushed past her to go into his office, knocking her off balance in the one-inch heels she was wearing. Lance steadied her with a hand on her waist. She turned her head and her hair brushed his shoulder.
Lance smelled good this morning but then she had always liked the scent of his aftershave. He put his other hand on her shoulder and looked down at her.
“I never realized how pretty your brown eyes are,” he said.
She flushed. “I guess you couldn’t really see them behind my glasses.”
“Or maybe I never looked,” Lance said.
“I think that there wasn’t anything to look at before,” Kate said. Becca had made a good point last night when she’d said that Kate hid behind her clothes and glasses.
“You are always worth a second look, Kate.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t notice before now.”
“Why sorry?”
“Because you are so damned pretty.”
“It’s not me, it’s the haircut and makeup,” she said, uncomfortable with the compliment. She started pointing out all the things her mom had always told her were wrong with her. “My mouth is too big for my face.”
He shook his head, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. “Your mouth is perfect for your face. Very lush and tempting….”
“Tempting? It’s me, Lance. Kate Thornton. You’ve never thought I was tempting before.”
“I must have been blind, Kate, because you are tempting me now,” he said, lowering his mouth to hers. He kissed her.
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him back. The moment was everything she’d imagined it would be and also completely unexpected. There was no way she could have imagined the way he tasted as his tongue slid over hers. Or the feel of his big hands in her hair. Or the way that one kiss could change her life completely.
Four (#ulink_8e35ca92-936c-5deb-99c5-2f99920162d4)
Kate tasted like heaven. She was pure temptation in his arms and he knew he’d never get enough of her. He didn’t want to.
He slid his hands down the sides of her body. How had he missed this curvy body and those big, pretty eyes? Glasses and baggy clothes be damned, he’d have to have been blind to not see what a hottie his secretary was.
He turned to lean on the edge of her desk and pulled her more fully against him. Her breasts were full and felt good against his chest. He angled his head for deeper access to her mouth. He wanted more. He couldn’t get enough of the taste of her. How had he missed this Kate all these years?
He lifted his head, rubbed his lips over hers and realized her eyes were closed. She looked so innocent in his arms. He remembered that he was a man who’d never learned how to handle the softer things in life. Having a lover was one thing, but this could never go beyond the physical.
As he traced the line of her face with her hair hanging free, he realized how delicate she was. “Should I apologize for that kiss?”
She opened her eyes and looked dazed for a moment but then she recovered. “Do you want to?”
“Not at all. I want to do it again but I don’t think the office is the place for it.”
“I agree.”
His line rang, and Kate smiled at him as she reached over to answer it. “Brody Oil and Gas, Kate speaking.”
Her smile faded. “Please hold.”
“Who is it?”
“Your fiancée. You probably want to take that in your office.”
Lance nodded. He didn’t like that Lexi had interrupted his moment with Kate but he couldn’t ignore her again.
“We’re not done talking,” Lance said.
“Of course not. We have the next two weeks to get through,” Kate said, pulling out her chair and sitting down.
“When I’m done I want to see you in my office,” he said. He wasn’t going to pretend there wasn’t a fierce attraction between them, but he didn’t know how to deal with this new Kate who argued with him and didn’t just do everything the way he wanted her to.
“Sure thing. You better go, you don’t want to keep your fiancée waiting.”
He pivoted on his heel and walked away from her. He went to his desk, sprawling in his leather chair. He reached for the phone and picked up the line where Lexi was holding.
“Hi, there, Lexi.”
“Hi, Lance. I know you must be busy this morning but I wanted to thank you for the invitation to come to your Fourth of July party. I wanted to know what you need from me as your hostess.”
Lance hadn’t thought about Lexi acting as hostess. “My secretary has taken care of all the details.”
“I’ll give her a call and see if I can help with anything. I think if we are going to make our marriage work, I should be involved with Brody Oil and Gas.”
