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Wittier didn’t flinch at the fee Nick quoted, which made him wonder if he should have asked for more. He took the deposit the executive paid and put it in the drawer, then promised to get to work right away.
When Wittier was gone, Lexie came into his office. “You don’t look very happy,” she said. “Did he not hire you?”
Nick leaned back in the chair and frowned at the drawer where he’d slipped the check. “He hired me. To find evidence that his wife is cheating on him.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What has she done to make him think she’s cheating?”
“She’s ‘restless’ and apparently behaving exactly the way his first wife did when she was cheating on him.” Not much to go on, but then, Wittier knew his wife better than Nick. If Wittier thought she was up to something, she probably was.
“That doesn’t sound like much evidence to me,” Lexie said.
“Which is why he hired me. He needs concrete proof so he can divorce her and, I suspect, avoid paying through the nose for the privilege.”
“How lovely.”
He shrugged. “It pays the bills. Yours and mine.”
She looked thoughtful. “I guess so. Is it okay if I go to lunch now?”
“Sure. Where are you going?”
“I’m meeting a friend at Jose O’Shea’s.” She smiled at him, a look that never failed to make him feel a little less weighted down. “Want me to bring you something?”
“That’s okay, but thanks.” What kind of “friend” was she meeting? A boyfriend? For a second, he had the absurd idea to follow her to see, but immediately dismissed it. What did it matter to him if she was seeing one man or ten?
“Okay. See you in an hour.”
He watched her leave, breathing in the lingering scent of her floral perfume. He’d thought he might drive somewhere and buy a burger or a sandwich, but now that Lexie was gone off to meet her mysterious luncheon companion, he found he’d lost his appetite.
CANDACE WAS WAITING at a booth when Lexie rushed in. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “We had a client and I had to wait for him to leave.”
“A client. Sounds like business is picking up.”
“Nick’s new in town.” She slid into the booth and helped herself to a fresh tortilla chip from the basket in the middle of the table. “Things will get better. Besides, when things are slow I can study.”
“How are the Spanish lessons coming?”
She shook her head. “Not so well. I don’t seem to have much of a knack for languages.”
“Hang in there. You’ll pick it up eventually.”
She nodded. “I will. I’m determined to speak the language by the time I go to Spain.”
“And when will that be?”
“This fall, maybe? I think I can have the money saved by then.”
“That’s amazing to me, considering the pittance this detective is paying you.”
“It’s not that bad. And I still have some insurance money left from the accident.”
The waitress came to take their orders, then the conversation resumed. “Speaking of work,” Candace said, “guess who they hired to take your place?”
“Who?”
“A man. His name’s Charles Lewis and he’s gorgeous and single.”
“Then I’m sure he was immediately the most popular person in the office. Is he straight?”
“Apparently so. I should introduce him to you.” She crunched a chip. “He might be the perfect candidate for the first affair on your list.”
Lexie shook her head. “I’ve already found the man I want.”
Candace leaned toward her, expression eager. “Who?”
“My new boss, Nick Delaney.” Lexie tried to keep the triumph out of her voice, but failed. The look on Candace’s face was worth all the pain of keeping her plans a secret until now.
“Are you crazy?” Candace said. “He’s your boss.”
“And he’s perfect.” Lexie ticked off the reasons on one hand. “He’s recently divorced and definitely not interested in any kind of serious relationship right now. He’s hard-nosed and practical. And he’s gorgeous and sexy.”
“Do you think he’s interested?”
She smiled, remembering how Nick always watched her when he thought she wasn’t looking. “Oh, he’s interested.”
“Has he said anything?”
She shook her head. “And I don’t think he will. Which is why I’m going to proposition him.” She’d made the decision last night after realizing that in over a week on the job, Nick had been nothing but an absolute gentleman. She was pretty sure he wanted her, but just as sure the practical, sensible side of him she so admired didn’t intend to let him do anything about the attraction. If she was really going to have an affair with Nick, she’d have to make the first move.
“What, you’re just going to walk up to him and say, ‘Let’s sleep together. How about it?’”
On these words the waitress arrived with their lunch. She gave Candace a puzzled look, then left them with their enchiladas.
When they were alone again, the two friends burst out laughing. “Seriously,” Candace gasped when she’d regained control. “How do you bring up a subject like that?”
Lexie spread sour cream over her food. “I’ll simply point out that we’re obviously attracted to each other, and that I’m interested in a sexy affair with no strings attached. I’ll explain that I plan to leave for Spain in about six months, so he doesn’t have to worry about long-term commitments, and I’ll reassure him that I won’t let our private relationship interfere with my work at the office.”
“It sounds as exciting as negotiating a lease agreement for a car.” Candace sliced into her beef enchiladas with the side of her fork. “So when are you going to do this?”
“Friday after work, I think. That will give us the whole weekend to get to know each other.” Lexie grinned. “We’ll be great together, I just know it.”
“Aren’t you forgetting one thing?”
“What’s that?”
“A lot can happen in six months. What if you fall for this guy?”
Her stomach quivered, but she ignored it. “It won’t happen. Neither of us is interested in an emotional attachment right now.”
“All right then, what if he doesn’t go for it? That’s going to make continuing to work for him a little awkward, isn’t it?”
She dismissed this idea with a wave of her fork. “Why wouldn’t he go for it? Isn’t casual, noncommitted sex on a regular basis with an attractive woman every man’s fantasy?”
“He could still say no. Men do, for whatever reason.”
She shook her head. “He won’t.” Sometimes when she looked at him she was struck by the sadness that seemed to weigh him down. “I think he’s really lonely.” She shrugged off the melancholy image of Nick and reached for another chip. “I think I’m just what Nick needs in his life right now.”
“Maybe. But you need to be careful.”
Familiar advice that she’d long ago grown tired of. “I’ve spent my whole life being careful and it taught me one thing.”
“What’s that?” Candace continued to look worried.
Lexie smiled, and enjoyed the thrill that filled her at the thought of her own daring. “I’ve learned that caution is really overrated.”
After all, caution hadn’t saved her from almost dying in that car wreck. It hadn’t gotten her through rehab or into a new job. Playing it safe wasn’t going to get her Nick Delaney, either. For that she’d have to tell caution to take a hike while she mustered up all the daring she could manage. But she had no doubt a hot guy like Nick would be worth taking a few chances for.
WHEN NICK HAD HIRED Lexie they had agreed she would work until five o’clock. He usually stayed at least until six, sometimes later. He told himself he needed the time to catch up on paperwork, but the truth was he delayed going back to his apartment as long as possible. There was nothing at home to hold his interest and a man could spend only so many evenings watching TV and eating take-out before he snapped. Sometimes he stopped by a bar, but he’d never been a big drinker, and more often than not the cheerful crowds only underscored his solitude.
So he was both surprised and pleased when Lexie lingered at the office at the end of her second week of employment. “Are you busy?” she asked, standing in the doorway between their two work spaces.
He shook his head and pushed aside the report he’d been writing for a skip-trace firm that had subcontracted some work to him. Locating people who’d skipped out on bills and other obligations was tedious, but fairly lucrative. “I figured you’d be out of here by now. Off to class or something. Or maybe a date.” He couldn’t imagine a woman like Lexie spending many Friday nights alone.
She shook her head and moved into the room. “No class tonight. No date, either.” She glanced at him, seeming almost shy. “Can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure.” He ignored the cold feeling in the pit of his stomach that rose at her words. This was it. She was leaving him already. He couldn’t blame her. The job had been anything but exciting so far, and her paycheck was a third less than what she’d brought home from her previous employment. Still, he was going to miss her.
She sat in his client’s chair, crossed her legs and smoothed the skirt of her tropical print dress over her knees. She wore a red scarf today, the ends tied in a small bow on the left side of her neck.
“What did you want to talk about?” he prompted.
“I have a proposition for you.”
A proposition. The word set him on alert. Most of the propositions he’d encountered had been shady deals. “What is it?”
“Well…you and I seem to get along great.”
“Yes.” She wasn’t a hard woman to like.
“And I find you very attractive.”
“You do?” He’d thought he was past the point where such praise flattered him, but obviously he was wrong.
She smiled, the warmth in the look stoking a fire inside him. “Of course. And I believe you’re somewhat attracted to me as well.”
He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t deny it but he wasn’t ready to reveal too much, either.
She shifted in the chair and smoothed her skirt again. He fought back a smile. It was different seeing her so…unsettled. She generally had more self-confidence than most women he’d met. “Do you remember I told you about the list I’d made? The list of one hundred things I intend to do?”
He nodded. He’d glimpsed the little red notebook poking out of the top of her purse a time or two and had wondered what was in it. “How many things have you done so far?”
“Only about five, but I’m working on the others.” She gave him a coy look. “I thought maybe you could help me with one of the items on my list.”
Oh yeah? “What’s that?”
“I think you and I would do well together as lovers.”
He blinked. Was his horny imagination getting the better of him? “Did you say what I think you said?”
“Yes. What do you think?”
He shook his head. “No. Not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
He cringed at the hurt in her eyes, and tried to soften the rejection. “It’s not that I don’t find you attractive. I do. But we have to work together every day. Adding sex to the equation isn’t a good idea.”
She lifted her chin, defiant. “I think you’re wrong. I can be a professional and do my job during the day and sleep with you at night. People do it all the time.”
Really? Was she that experienced with situations like this? “I don’t. Besides, I’m not exactly in the market for a relationship right now.”
“I’m not talking about anything serious. Just fun and sex.” She smiled. “I’m not ready to get serious about anyone, either, which is the reason I picked you. And it would only be for a few months—no more than six.”
He should have ended the discussion already, but her determination intrigued him. And what man wouldn’t be turned on by the idea that a woman wanted him that much? “Why is that?”
“In six months I plan to take an extended trip to Spain.”
“Another item on your list?”
“Yes. But I promise to find someone to take over my job here before I go, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
A relationship with a built-in expiration date. The idea was absurd, yet at the same time, held a certain appeal. He studied her a long moment, as if by staring at her enough, he’d figure out what was really going on inside that gorgeous head. “I didn’t think women thought that way,” he said.
“Thought what way?”
“About casual sex and temporary relationships. I thought those were male fantasies, while women were all about hearts and flowers and settling down.”
“Some women, maybe. Even me at some point in my life.”
“But not now?”
She shook her head. “I have too many things I want to do, things to learn and accomplish, places to see, people to meet. I can’t do all that if I’m tied to a relationship.”
Right. She made it sound so simple, but he couldn’t believe intimacy between two people was ever that simple. “I’m flattered,” he said. “But I still say no.”
Her expression clouded. “You’re not attracted to me?”
“I told you I am. Very.” He leaned toward her, eyes locked to hers, telegraphing just how strong the attraction was, how much he wanted her. Her pupils were dilated, her lips slightly parted like a woman overtaken by passion. At that moment it was all he could do not to clear his desk and start removing all their clothes. “A man would have to be dead not to be attracted to you,” he said, his voice low. “Last time I checked I still had a pulse.”
