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He moved slowly, only touching her mouth with the lightest of brushes. He kept his hands to himself, or at least didn’t do more than rest one on her shoulder and the other on her arm. He waited for her to kiss back.
And waited. One heartbeat. Two. Then slowly, almost tentatively, her lips moved on his. She pressed a little harder, then touched his bottom lip with the very tip of her tongue.
It was as if she’d just taken a blowtorch to his bloodstream. Heat and need exploded and he was instantly hard. He’d heard that it took longer for a man to get aroused as he got older. Apparently he hadn’t crossed that threshold yet.
But as much as he wanted to pull her close, to rub his hands all over her until she was wet and weak and begging him to take her, as much as he wanted to take off her clothes and run his tongue over every inch of her, he did nothing. He sat there letting her take control of their kiss. Let her set the pace.
When she touched the tip of her tongue to his lip again, he tilted his head and parted for her. She slipped into his mouth and traced the inside of his lower lip.
Everything got hotter, harder and more intense. The need to take control, to claim her, threatened to overwhelm him, but he was determined not to screw up again. She’d made it clear that he pushed all her buttons, so it made sense to go slowly.
But when she circled his tongue with hers and sighed, it took every bit of self-control he had not to reach for her. Instead he mentally ground his teeth in frustration. He kissed her back, but slowly, without letting her know how deep the passion flowed. And when she withdrew slightly, he straightened, as if he were unaffected by what they’d just done.
She ducked her head and smiled. “That was nice.”
“Yes, it was.”
She glanced at him from under her lashes. “I’m a complete adult and I accept responsibility for what just happened.”
Was that her way of saying she wasn’t going to back off and run this time?
“And?” he asked, knowing there had to be a punch line.
“No and. Just that. And me saying thanks for being patient.”
“My pleasure.” Although pleasure didn’t exactly describe his painful state of arousal. He reached for another chicken wing and bit into it. In time, the need would fade to a manageable level. His erection would cease to throb with each beat of his heart and the temperature in his body would slowly cool. But until then, life was hell.
“You’re going to have to go to a few Cubs games when the season starts,” he said.
She laughed. “You’re deliberately changing the subject.”
“You noticed.”
She smiled. “This is in an effort to erase the tension here and keep me from feeling awkward.”
“Something like that.” Some of his motivation was selfish. Thinking about baseball was a time-honored way to keep from thinking about sex.
Her smiled widened. “Okay. Then tell me everything you know about the Cubs.”
“At least the news isn’t getting worse,” David said.
“Not exactly the sign of forward progress I would like,” Jack said. “But it beats the hell out of our string of bad news. You’ve been working hard to get us favorable play in the press.”
“It’s my job.”
Jack leaned back on the sofa in his uncle’s office. “Helen came to see me last week. She wanted to talk about how I was doing. It was almost as if …”
David raised his eyebrows but didn’t speak.
Jack shook his head. “It was almost as if she was worried about me.”
“Is that impossible to believe?”
“Yes. Why would she care?”
“Why wouldn’t she? You don’t know anything about Helen.”
“Do you?”
“Not really. George and I haven’t been exactly tight these past few years. But I’ve spoken with her, spent a few dinners with her. She seems reasonable and intelligent. You might want to take the time to get to know her.”
“That’s what Samantha says. She’s a serious advocate.”
David smiled.
Jack narrowed his gaze. “What?”
His uncle’s smile turned into a grin. “There’s something about the way you say her name. So things are progressing.”
“No and no. We’re getting along. She works for me. That’s it.”
“Like I believe that.”
“It’s true. She is just getting over a divorce. I’m not interested in getting involved in that process.”
“Have you considered the fact that you already are?”
Was he? Jack thought about the weekend, when he and Samantha had spent so much time together. Hearing about her past and her marriage made a lot of things more clear to him. But that didn’t mean he was interested in her. Not in any way but sexually.
“I’m not involved,” he told David.
His uncle nodded. “Keep telling yourself that. Eventually it will be true.”
Chapter Eight
The company had gone all out for the advertisers’ party. As this was the first one Samantha had attended, she didn’t know if the stunning decorations, incredible view and fabulous food were normal or if this party was a little bit extra-special in an effort to soothe their accounts.
Either way, she was excited to be there and felt just like Cinderella at the ball. For once, she’d left her loose and comfy clothes behind and had instead worn a form-fitting strapless gown in dark apple-green.
The shimmering fabric very nearly matched the color of her eyes. She’d gone simple in the jewelry department, wearing vintage paste earrings that looked like amazing diamonds. The antique settings made them look like the genuine article. Last, she’d spent nearly two hours on her hair, curling it on big rollers and then drying it. But the effort had been worth it. Her normally tight, natural curls were now loose and sexy. She’d pinned up the sides and left the back to cascade over her shoulder blades.
She felt good and knew she looked her best. The question was had she done enough to dazzle Jack?
“Not that I care,” she murmured as she made her way to the bar for the glass of white wine she would hold on to for most of the evening. She refused to define herself by a man.
Not that she was. Wanting to knock Jack’s socks off had nothing to do with definition and everything to do with the fire she’d seen in his eyes last weekend when they’d kissed.
She saw David and moved toward him. It was early and most of the guests hadn’t arrived.
“You look beautiful,” he said with a smile.
“Thank you. Great place. I love the view.”
From one set of floor-to-ceiling windows was the lake and from the other were the lights of the city.
“We have a lot on the line,” David told her. “Are you rethinking your decision to take this job? This isn’t Hanson Media Group’s most shining moment.”
“Jack asked me that as well. I meant what I said then. I’m excited about the opportunity to create something wonderful.”
“I’ve seen the preliminary designs on the Web site. They’re great. And I’ve been over the security you want to put in place. It could be called obsessive.”
She laughed. “I’m sure I’ll hear worse before the launch. The point is to make this a safe destination for children. I’m willing to do everything possible to make that happen. Even if it means driving the IT guys a little crazy.”
David grinned. “Good for you. Next week let’s set up a meeting to talk about publicity for the launch. I’ve already reserved some space in a couple of kid magazines and there will be a few Saturday morning cartoon spots.”
Samantha stared at him. “Television advertising?” She knew how much it cost.
“Jack said you were going to be the one to save the company. So he told me to think big.”
She doubted Jack had ever said she would save the company but she knew the Web site could go a long way to boosting the bottom line. Still, she was surprised and pleased to find out how much he was supporting her.
“I’ll call you,” she said. “I have a lot of ideas for the advertising.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
She laughed. “I have ideas for pretty much everything.”
“That’s what Jack said.”
There was something in David’s voice that made her wonder what else Jack had been saying about her. Not that she would ask.
Several clients walked into the ballroom. David excused himself and went over to greet them. Samantha followed more slowly, wanting to give him a moment to talk before she moved close and introduced herself.
She’d done plenty of industry parties. They had a simple formula for success. She had to make sure she spoke with everyone, was charming and friendly and remembered their names. Then, during the second half of the evening, she needed to circulate, chatting about anything and finding subtle ways to talk up the company. She’d also learned to pay attention to anyone who seemed to be on his or her own. Being lonely at a party was never a good idea. Taking a little time to be a friend and then introduce the shy person to others went a long way to making the evening a success.
David spoke with the group of eight men and women. She waited for a lull in the conversation then moved in closer.
David smiled at her. “This is Samantha Edwards, one of our newest and brightest additions to Hanson Media Group. Samantha is working on an incredible expansion of our Internet site for kids.”
One of the women raised her eyebrows. “Do I want my children spending more time on the computer?”
Samantha smiled. “Probably not. Aren’t they on there so much now?”
The woman nodded.
“It’s a real problem,” Samantha told her. “One I’ve been working on. My goal isn’t to trap them inside for more hours, but to make their computer time more efficient, fun and safe, all the while making sure their homework gets done and their parents are happy.”
“That’s a big order,” one of the men said. “Can you do it?”
She nodded. “Absolutely. Let me tell you how in two minutes or less.”
She launched into the pitch she’d spent the last week perfecting, then stayed long enough to answer a few questions. When the group had moved away to sample the buffet, David took her by the elbow.
“Well done,” he said.
“I believe in being prepared.”
“Good. Let’s go over here. I have some more people I want you to meet.”
About an hour later, Samantha felt a distinct tingling on the back of her neck. Careful to continue to pay attention to the conversation, she casually looked around to find the source of her hyperawareness.
It didn’t take her long to locate Jack standing by the window with two older men.
At the sight of him, she felt her blood surge a little faster. Her skin seemed to heat as her toes curled.
He looked pretty amazing in his tailored tux, but then he had the James Bond sort of good looks that were made for formal wear. The stark white of his shirt contrasted with his black tie.
Yummy, she thought, instantly recalling the kiss they’d shared and how her body had reacted to his nearness. Despite the fears left over from her previous marriage and her general wariness of men like Jack, she found herself wanting a repeat of their make-out session along with the time and privacy to take things further.
She forced her attention back on the conversation and away from Jack. After a few minutes, the tingle increased, then she felt a warm hand on the small of her back.
“Having a good time?” he asked everyone, even as he continued to touch her.
“Great party,” Melinda Myers, the president of the largest string of car dealerships in the Midwest said. “Your father would be very proud, Jack.”
Samantha guessed she was the only one who felt him stiffen slightly.
“Thank you,” he said graciously. “Despite everything that has happened recently, I wanted to keep the family tradition going. Your business has been very important to us.”
Melinda smiled. “Hanson Media Group has been a good partner for me. I don’t want that to change.”
“Nor do I,” he told her.
Melinda nodded at Samantha. “I’ve been hearing great things about the new Internet site. Impressive. Samantha was just telling me about her plans and some innovative ways for my company to be a part of it.”
“I hope you take her up on her offer,” Jack said.
Melinda smiled coyly. “Of course I will. I know a good deal when I hear one. That’s how I got to where I am now.”
Samantha did her best to pay attention to the banter but it was difficult with Jack’s fingers pressing against her skin. Heat radiated out from him, feeling hot enough to burn.
Warmth spread out in all directions, making her breasts swell and her thighs melt. She wanted to blame her reaction on the liquor, but she’d yet to take more than a sip of her wine. Her next best excuse was that she hadn’t had much to eat that day.
A tall older man approached and asked Melinda to dance. Several other people excused themselves, leaving Samantha and Jack standing together beside the dance floor.
“So what do you think?” he asked, his dark eyes locking with hers.
She assumed he meant about the party and not her awareness of him. “The night is a hit,” she said. “I had wondered how our advertisers would react to all the recent bad news, but they’re taking it in stride. A lot of that is you.” She grimaced. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s true. They see you as a capable replacement for your father.”
