A Little Surprise For The Boss

They’d turned off the main road and were headed up the canyon. Terri felt the knot tighten in the pit of her stomach as she realized she was still wearing her single Kokopelli earring. Had Buck found its mate in his bedroom? Or had he not yet left the bed where she’d left him, after the most explosive sexual experience of her life?

They swung up the private road to the gate, and Terri punched in the code. Buck would surely know his daughter was coming. At least he’d been awake enough to have Evie fly down and pick her up. But just to avoid an unpleasant surprise, she pushed the intercom button.

“Hi.” His deep baritone went through her with the shock of memory. It made her shiver to realize she now knew exactly how that voice sounded sex-drenched and husky.

“It’s me.” The words emerged as nervous squeaks. “I’m bringing Quinn.”

“Great. Come on up.” His voice betrayed nothing. Either he was a good actor or he wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened in his bedroom.

Or he didn’t care. Knowing Buck, that was possible, too.

* * *

Buck stood on the front porch watching the Jeep come up the drive. Seeing Terri was a surprise. He’d asked Evie to bring Quinn here. But there must’ve been a change of plans.

Things could be awkward with Terri. He didn’t quite know what to expect from her. But Quinn would be with them. That would make things all right—for now, at least.

The Jeep pulled up next to his Hummer and stopped. Throwing off her seat belt, Quinn bounded out of the passenger seat and raced up the steps to give him a hug. As he swung her off her feet, he could tell she’d grown since Christmas break. With her in Sedona most of the year, he was missing so much of her life. Maybe this summer he could find a way to spend more time with her.

“Hi, Daddy,” she said. “I missed you.”

“Me, too.” He lowered her to the ground. “Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

“She told me she wanted pizza.” Terri had come up the steps with Quinn’s suitcase. Buck looked at her and forced a smile. Terri smiled back at him, but her eyes held a flicker of uncertainty. She was wearing one of her Kokopelli earrings. Her other earlobe was bare.

That clinched it. If Buck had had any doubt about her being in his bed this morning, it was totally gone.

He was still dealing with the reality of it. Terri was an attractive woman—beautiful in an unassuming way. But he’d always made it a rule to keep his hands off his best friend’s sister. Steve had been gone for a dozen years now, but that rule hadn’t changed. Until now, he’d assumed she had the same rule. But this morning had thrown the rule book out the window, for both of them.

He forced himself to speak up. “Pizza it is. How about Giovanni’s?”

“Yes!” Quinn grinned. “Their pizza’s the yummiest! Can Terri come with us?”

“Terri?” He looked at her, half hoping she’d make an excuse not to come along. Terri’s presence was rousing his memory and putting lustful thoughts into his head—the last thing he needed right now. Their interlude this morning had been incredible...but it could never be repeated.

“I’d better not,” she said, avoiding his eyes. “I promised my grandmother I’d come and visit her tonight.”

“Please, Terri!” Quinn begged. “If we go now you’ll still have time to see your grandma.”

“Come on, Terri.” Buck remembered his resolve to act as if nothing had happened. “It won’t be a party without you.”

She hesitated, then sighed. “All right. I am getting hungry. But let me follow you in the Jeep. That way, when we’re finished, I can just go from Giovanni’s to Canyon Shadows.”

“Okay. Let’s get going.” Buck put Quinn’s bag inside the house and helped her into the passenger seat of the Hummer. He had to believe that in time, if he kept up the act, things would go back to normal. But right now, with the memory of Terri’s lithe, lush body fresh in his mind, it was like walking a tightrope over a volcano. One slip and he’d be in big trouble.

* * *

Terri waited until the Hummer had backed down the steep driveway. Then she turned the Jeep around and followed the hulking vehicle down to the road. It wasn’t too late to head off in a different direction. She could always make an excuse, call Buck’s cell, apologize and say that she’d remembered an important errand. But Quinn would be disappointed if she didn’t show up to share a pizza. Buck, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care either way—about sharing a pizza with her now, or about sharing a bed with her this morning.

Part of her wanted to believe that this morning would make a difference, that Buck would look at her and see a warm, desirable woman. But clearly that hadn’t happened. It was time for her to face the truth. No matter what happened, Buck was never going to see her the way she wanted to be seen. There was only one question left: What was she going to do about it?

Twilight was settling over the town and over the sandstone cliffs that ringed it like the setting of a jewel. Main Street glittered with streams of traffic. Shoppers and diners strolled the boardwalks. Music drifted from cafés and taverns.

This was Buck’s town, but that didn’t mean she had to stay here forever. She had the qualifications and the experience to get a job anywhere in the tourist industry. She’d be a fool to let loyalty keep her in a situation where she felt like a piece of furniture.

Giovanni’s Pizzeria was at the far end of Main Street. When the Hummer’s taillights turned into the parking lot, Terri followed and pulled into the next space. Buck and Quinn were waiting for her when she climbed out of the Jeep. “Let’s go!” Quinn seized her hand and pulled her toward the entrance. “Extralarge pepperoni and giant root beer, here I come!”

Buck chuckled as he caught up with Terri. “Quinn tells me her mother’s had her on nothing but wheatgrass juice and tofu,” he said. “She’s probably exaggerating, but it’ll be a pleasure to see her enjoy real food.”

Terri forced a little laugh. The hostess showed them to a booth with a traditional red-checked tablecloth and a candle melting down the outside of an empty wine bottle. They slid into the seats, Terri and Quinn on one side, Buck on the other. Their waitress came right over to take their order. The pretty blonde was a stranger to Terri, but she seemed to know Buck.

“So this is your little girl!” She flashed a toothpaste-ad smile. “What’s her name?”

Buck, all charm, made the introductions. “Jennifer, this is Quinn. And this lady—” He gave Terri a nod. “This is Terri, my right-hand woman.”

Terri forced a friendly smile. Inside, she was seething. Why couldn’t Buck have used her job title, or just her name? Didn’t he know how demeaning right-hand woman sounded? Obviously not, unless it was meant as hidden message to the waitress—don’t worry, she’s not my girlfriend.

Meanwhile, the waitress was looking at Buck as if she wanted to eat him alive. No doubt she’d be happy to sleep with him, if she hadn’t already.

Terri brought herself up with a mental slap. Good Lord, she couldn’t be jealous! Buck had never tried to hide his love life from her. She’d always accepted his shenanigans with a sisterly shrug, burying any hurt bone-deep. Even his shotgun marriage hadn’t shaken her unconditional affection for the man. And she certainly hadn’t expected for Buck to promise her fidelity and exclusivity after one romp in the bedroom together. But to see him now, just hours after their encounter, flirting with another woman while treating her with his usual indifference, she felt a senseless urge to leap across the table and smack Buck’s handsome face.

Grow up and get over it! she told herself as the petite blonde walked away from the table with their order. Even the sway of her jeans-clad hips held an invitation. The art of seduction was one Terri had never mastered. And suddenly she felt very insecure about her performance that morning. She was hardly the alluring, experienced type of woman he usually chose as a bedmate. The sex had seemed fantastic to her...but had it been merely forgettable to him?

She had to forget what had happened. That would be the only way to survive life in Buck’s magnetic aura. That—or leave.

Quinn’s happy chatter was enough to fill the awkward silence while they waited for their order. Lost in her own thoughts, Terri was startled when Buck reached across the table and nudged her arm. “Hey,” he said, “where have you gone to?”

She blinked herself back to the present. “Did you need something?” she asked.

He gave a shake of his head. “You’re not at work now, Terri. I don’t need anything. I just asked you a question. Did you know one of your earrings was missing?”

“Oh, yes.” Reflexively, she brushed a hand to her bare earlobe. Was it an innocent question, or was he testing her? “Bob noticed it was gone earlier today. I’m still hoping it’ll turn up somewhere.”

“Too bad. I know you liked that pair.” His expression was all innocence.

“Yes, I did.” Terri scrambled to change the subject. “Quinn was telling me she’s growing out of her clothes. I think she needs a shopping trip.”

“I’ll let you off early tomorrow to take her,” he said. “Take my credit card and get her anything she wants.”

“Can I have an iguana?” Quinn asked.

Buck raised an eyebrow. “Now where did that come from?”

“My friend has one. It’s really cool. I’d take care of it. Iguanas are easy. They just eat lettuce and stuff.”

“Think about it a minute,” Buck said. “If it eats, it poops. You’d have to clean its cage every day. Could you do that?”