Deception

“In other words, you want to satisfy some curiosity?” she tossed back.

“Maybe.”

Terri jutted her chin forward. “I’m not a curiosity piece, Mr. Steele,” she said, emphasizing the word piece.

Clint took the barb in stride. “You also have a way of twisting my words around.”

Terri sighed. “What’s your point, Mr. Steele?”

“I’d like to take you to…lunch.”

Her heart thumped. “I don’t think…”

“Dinner?” He flashed her a taunting grin. “I’d love to prove you wrong,” he challenged.

Terri knew her fragile emotional state was not yet equipped to handle a relationship, especially not one with a man who effortlessly made her senses go crazy. Yet she couldn’t deny that she was just as interested. Maybe a night out was the medicine she needed after so many months of loneliness. And she was never one to back down from a challenge.

She looked boldly up at him. “How about tomorrow? I finish about seven.”

His voice stroked her. “I’ll meet you out front.”

“I’ll see you then. Good night, Mr. Steele.” She made a move to leave in search of Mark, when Clint’s captivating voice stopped her.

“It’s Clint,” he said, throwing her a heated look that turned her center into liquid fire.

Her voice wrapped around him in invitation. “I’ll try to remember that.”

Chapter 2

The following morning was filled with chaos. There were press releases to go out, writers to interview and an assortment of trivial things that taxed the brain.

Yet even in the midst of the confusion and harried schedule, Terri could not shake Clinton Steele from her thoughts.

How could a man whose unsavory reputation preceded him evoke in her such warm feelings of desire? Terri had found herself lying awake the previous night reliving his touch, the depth of his voice, the scent of him that had clung to her hours after she’d left the reception.

She just found it difficult to believe that a man who could be so warm, so charming, so sensual would have done the unethical things that had been associated with him. Could she have been wrong?

The ringing of the phone intruded on her thoughts. She snatched up the receiver from its cradle.

“Terri Powers,” she said, her mind snapping back to business.

“I thought I’d wait at least twenty-four hours before I called.”

She swore that her heart stopped beating. A rush of heat flooded her body.

“Who is this?” Her fingers gripped the receiver—knowing.

His tone was lightly teasing. “I guess I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous to think that you’d remember me.” He paused a heartbeat of a second. “It’s Mr. Ego.”

She leaned back in her seat, took a silent deep breath and smiled. “Mr. Steele. What can I do for you?”

“Ah, so you do remember.”

Terri laughed outright. “You’re not an easy man to forget.”

“Then I guess that means we’re still on for dinner.”

His voice gently caressed her, and she trembled as if she’d been stroked by fire and ice.

“Yes. Of course. Did you have anyplace special in mind?”

“Why don’t I surprise you?”

“All right. Just as long as it’s not a late night. I have a very heavy schedule on Saturday.”

“What might that be? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Well, if you must know—” she pretended to sound annoyed but she was proud of her work, and it came through in her voice “—I teach African dance to a group of kids in my building on Saturday morning.”

Clint was impressed. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you? Are your students any good?”

Laughter bubbled in her voice. “Let’s just say they have potential.”

“In that case, I promise to get you home early.”

“Then I’ll see you at seven.”

Terri gently hung up the phone and tried to suppress the exhilaration that had taken control of her body. Then reality struggled for the upper hand. What in the world was she doing? She’d been divorced for only a year, although her marriage had been over before then—and now she was considering another man. A man who she had serious concerns with regarding his principles. Was it too soon? Well, maybe tonight she could put her unsettling feelings to rest.

The cheerful greeting from her friend and employee wrestled her away from her musings.

“Girl, it’s good to have you back,” Stacy declared as she hurried over and gave Terri a warm hug. “You have definitely been missed,” she added in her North Carolinian drawl.

“Thanks.” Terri chuckled, returning the embrace. “I feel as though I’ve been away forever instead of three months.”

“It felt like forever.” Stacy groaned as she took a seat on the sofa and slid her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ear with the tip of her finger. “With mad Mark Andrews in charge, I thought I’d go stark ravin’ outta my mind.”

Terri smiled knowingly. “He can be a bit much at times, but he’s one of the best advertising men in the business. Unfortunately we don’t always see eye to eye.” A slight frown creased her otherwise smooth mahogany brow.

“I can tell by that look that you’re not too pleased with that deal he’s been working on with Hightower Enterprises,” Stacy said. “I just got wind of it myself when I got back from vacation. I knew you’d want to know, and I was pretty sure that Mark hadn’t breathed a word to you about it.” Her green eyes, fringed with long black lashes, widened in question. “Am I right?”

Terri slowly crossed the airy office and took a seat behind her desk, twirling one of her ebony locks between her slender fingers.

“That’s an understatement. Mark knew perfectly well how I felt about Hightower Enterprises and its head honcho, Clinton Steele, in particular.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“We met yesterday, and I initially told Steele to find another agency. However, I’m considering taking another look at the proposal. But there’s some investigating I want to do on my own about Mr. Steele before I make my final decision.” She paused a moment. “We’re having dinner tonight.”