скачать книгу бесплатно
She paused, holding the handle to the ladies’ room. ‘Something like that.’
‘Well, when you’ve had enough closure—’
‘Absolutely.’ She yanked open the door. It wouldn’t be long and she’d close the door on her Director of Sales position and be in her rightful one, with Case somewhere far more suitable.
Chrystal sashayed towards her. ‘What do you think about mixing business with pleasure?’
Tahlia swung to face Chrystal, her mouth open. Did she have that ‘Lusting after the Boss’ label on her forehead too?
‘Don’t look so shocked. I know I’ve dated nearly everyone in the building—’
She was asking for herself? ‘In general, not a good practice, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.’ Like flirting with Case. ‘Why?’
Chrystal sighed, clasping her bag to her chest. ‘Just this guy I really really like. He’s sort of conventional and uptight like you.’
‘Thanks.’ Tahlia moved through the door.
Chrystal followed. ‘Although he did say that he was still getting over the wounds of a really nasty divorce and couldn’t entertain a relationship…he’s a real wounded soul…and I want to help heal him.’
Tahlia sighed. Poor girl. The last thing she would ever want to get was tied up with a guy with those sort of issues. ‘Don’t get your hopes up. A guy like that…’ Could seriously be a problem. ‘Will have so many issues you may not have a chance for happiness.’
‘Maybe, but he’s so handsome and hot. I think he’s worth a try.’
‘Good luck.’ Tahlia sighed. At least her parents had started out well, without lies, without issues that would destroy what they had. Her father had managed that on his own.
She would never go near a guy like that. Too much to deal with, too hard to wade through the baggage, too much like asking for trouble and disappointment.
Chrystal fluttered her fingers at her. ‘Good luck to you, too.’
Tahlia didn’t need luck. She had Case to practise her arts on tonight and a list of criteria for her ideal mate. She had nothing to worry about.
TO: TahliaM@WWWDesigns.com
CC: KeelyR@WWWDesigns.com
FROM: EmmaR@WWWDesigns.com
RE: Baby Shower
Of course all the studs are booked for my hen night. Only the cakes, clown (joking) and cocktails (non-alcoholic) are for your shower. Can’t wait. Counting down the days.
Saw Chrystal. Will all her work on herself pay off? Dunno. But Liam can’t get enough of Chrystal… he’s breaking and losing stuff all over his cubicle so he can put in acquisitions to her. At least twice a day…and she hasn’t noticed!
I think it’s someone else who has caught her eye. But who? Maybe someone from outside work.
Em
Chapter Thirteen
Tahlia’s rule number 103: when in doubt, wear black and show a lot of leg.
TAHLIA threw another dress on to the bed. She had to get exactly the right outfit for tonight—one that said she was cool, calm and collected.
The phone rang.
Tahlia dropped the coat hanger, the outfit dropping to her feet. Please let it not be Case. She didn’t want him to cancel…
She snatched up the phone. ‘Tahlia, how may I help you?’ she chimed.
‘Hello, honey, how is everything with you?’
She swallowed hard, the butterflies in her belly subsiding. ‘Mum. I didn’t expect to hear from you again so soon.’
‘Can’t a mother ring her daughter to find out if she got the promotion?’ There was a pause. ‘Surely they’ve made a decision by now.’
Tahlia dragged in a deep breath. She couldn’t do this a moment longer. She couldn’t lie again, not even to spare her mother’s feelings, or to save herself a lecture on how she should have got it. ‘I didn’t get it.’
A long pause. ‘You’re kidding, right?’
‘No, Mum. Truly. They got someone else.’ And what a someone else he was.
‘Oh, honey…’ Her mother tsked.
She shrugged. ‘I did the best I could. I put in the hours. I did the extra mile but the General Manager just felt some new blood was better for the company at the moment.’ And hopefully her moment would still come.
‘Of course you did.’
She sat on the only edge of the bed not covered in clothes. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep working for it.’
‘Tahlia, honey. I know I’ve pushed you to make something of yourself but you can’t just focus on work; you need a life too.’
She froze. ‘What?’ This couldn’t be her mother.
‘You can’t leave it too late,’ her mother warned.
‘You’re not getting any younger.’
‘Mum,’ Tahlia gasped. She didn’t want to hear this. She’d done everything to live up to her mother’s aspirations for her; she couldn’t change the rules on her now. ‘What’s going on?’
Her mother sighed heavily. ‘I know I haven’t exactly been a great example to you with men. What with your father—’ Her voice got tighter. ‘Then with ignoring the whole species. But I figured I’d already had love, my time, my lessons—’
‘So, now you want me to find a man?’ Her voice broke into a high-pitched squeal.
‘Honey, I want you to be happy.’
She shook herself. ‘I’ll be happy when you’re proud of me.’
‘Oh, baby. Of course I’m proud of you. I’ve been proud of you since the moment I saw you.’ Her mother’s voice thickened.
Tahlia nodded tightly, her chest warm.
‘You know that, right? But look…I didn’t call about your promotion… I went out at the weekend… with a friend of mine…’
‘What is it, Mum?’ Her mother didn’t usually beat about the bush.
‘And I’d like you to come around next week for dinner,’ her mother asked tentatively.
‘Why? What’s going on?’ she blurted. She hadn’t had a meal with her mother since…for ever. She was always too busy.
Her mother sighed. ‘I want you to meet someone.’
Tahlia swallowed hard. ‘Your friend? You’ve met someone?’ Her blood ran to her toes. How could her mother do it? How could she let herself take another risk? When the last one had cost her so very much.
‘Yes, he’s been asking me for ages and I finally just went out with him and it was…so nice. Will you come and meet him, honey? It would mean a lot to me.’
‘Of course I will,’ she said in a rush and she rang off, placing a hand on her chest.
What in heaven’s name could induce her mother to want a man in her life again? How could she trust one? It was just not possible.
Was it?
Case was losing it. He had to be. He had meant to take the romancing of Tahlia Moran slow and steady, not ask her to dinner.
It had been a spur of the moment thing, and he had to admit that it felt great. For the first time in a year he wasn’t beating himself up about Celia. His mind was totally absorbed elsewhere.
It was crazy how one woman could haunt him while another one pushed so many buttons he felt as if he was going to short-circuit if he didn’t drag her to him and taste her lips.
His blood stirred at the thought…
He sobered. No. He’d pushed those thoughts down to work with her today and it had worked. He’d survived her perfume, her soft looks, sweet voice and that long fringe that begged to be brushed back so he could see her emerald-green eyes.
Hell. It was bad enough at work. What had possessed him to further the torture? He couldn’t trust himself around her, let alone out at night.
He’d wanted a challenge…
He rapped on Tahlia’s door. The building was well located on a good side of town, with great street appeal. It wasn’t too old, but old enough to have established gardens and that lived-in homeliness about it. All in all, a good investment. She’d do well with it, despite it being on the first floor and liable to be lacking the requisite view of the city for optimal capital gains.
Case reached for his tie. Not there. He was going casual…and the fact that he truly liked this woman was terrifying. The other women he’d dated over the last six months were all predictable, uncomplicated and easy to be with because they were no threat to him.
He couldn’t say the same about Tahlia.
He’d survive tonight, take it slow. It wasn’t a hot, brief, passionate affair he was after but something more serious, something he wanted to think about, something to take time over…something that was going to last. That couldn’t happen until he could tell her all she wanted to know, and more.
He wanted to tell her how he had started his first business at twelve, how he had invested money in the stock market at eighteen, how hard he had worked in college to buy into his first business.
He straightened the collar on his mauve shirt, tucking it in tightly against his black trousers and adjusting the fit of his black jacket. For now, he’d have to play this cool.
The door opened.
Tahlia stood like a vision in the doorway. Her hair was in another spiky knot at the back of her head, but her make-up was darker, richer, highlighting the colour of her eyes, the silky creaminess of her skin and the deep red lips that beckoned him.
A black dress clung to every luscious curve of her body, plunging low over her breasts, delighting his mind and hands with their gentle softness. Thin straps held the slip of fabric on her, straps that looked so easy to slide off her smooth shoulders…
His body ached.
His heart thundered.
His blood fired to her call.
‘Case,’ she said, her voice sweet and soft. ‘You look great… It’s great… I’m so glad you came…’ She paused. ‘I’m happy to see you.’
He couldn’t help but smile. She looked so together… The staff at WWW Designs had only praise for the woman and her competence. Did he make her nervous? ‘You thought I wouldn’t come?’ he asked carefully, trying to slow his heart and regain control. ‘How could I stand you up?’
‘The thought crossed my mind…like the flowers. That tonight was an impulse that you weren’t going to follow through on.’ She gave a soft shrug. ‘I don’t want you to be here if you don’t want to be here.’
He straightened tall. Dammit. He’d never failed to follow through on anything in his life; he damned in hell didn’t want to give her the wrong impression. ‘I assure you there’s no other place I’d rather be but with you tonight.’
She smiled, her cheeks flushing softly. ‘Shall we go?’
‘You’re not going to invite me in…to meet your fish?’ Case cast a glance behind her, up a polished timber hallway to where he could just see a cream sofa. He could tell a lot from a person’s home and he wanted to know everything about this bewitching enigma.
‘Would you like to come in?’ she offered carefully, glancing up at him with her sea-green eyes and a coy smile on full red lips that he couldn’t afford to taste again, just yet.
His body ached, impatient for more of her. He swung his attention to the landing. ‘No. That’s okay. Reservations and all. Maybe later.’ He cringed. That sounded as if he wanted to—do all the things to her that had been running through his mind all day.
‘Maybe,’ she said softly, her mouth twitching as she pulled the door closed.
Was she playing with him? Teasing him? She sure as hell was hitting the mark. He wanted to pull her into his arms, smother those red lips with his mouth and strip off the layers that she wore.
‘Case,’ she whispered.
He pulled his gaze from her sweet mouth. ‘Yes?’
‘Dinner?’
‘Yes.’ He urged his feet to move, despite every inch of him wanting to stay, somewhere quiet, somewhere where he could explore Tahlia Moran, Director of Sales, with the utmost care and attention.
He followed her to the lift, watching her hips, her shape, her body move in that incredible dress, an incredible amount of smooth leg flashing with every step.
A split ran up the right side of the dress to her thigh, affording him far more than he could cope with seeing of her very nicely shaped, very smooth-looking leg.
Blood rushed southward, hot and fiery. His hands itched to swing the woman into his arms and show her just what sort of danger she was toying with.
He clenched his fists by his sides, breathing deep and slow, pulling his gaze from her mesmerising sway and tantalising show of flesh, watching the floor in front of him.
So much for staying in control…
Tahlia waited in Case’s silver Saab for him to come around to her. She needed the space to catch her breath. She wasn’t sure who she was kidding, who was playing who— The man was driving her wild.
