Reasons for Revenge: Scorned by the Boss

“Is that what I’m doing?”

She hoped so.

No, she didn’t.

Oh, hell. Yes, she did.

“It’s what you always do,” she said, carrying her wine with her as she walked a few steps away from him. Staring out at the ocean, she felt the kiss of the wind, inhaled the scent of the sea and used them both to steady herself. “You’re a generous man, Jefferson, but you buy jewelry for women for two reasons only.” She turned her head to look at him and saw the bemused expression on his face.

“Is that right?”

“Yep.” She braced her arms on the cold iron railing, and still watching him, said, “You’re either trying to seduce me or get rid of me. And since we both know it’s not the latter … that really only leaves one option.”

He walked closer and she caught the tangy, spicy scent of his aftershave. She’d been surrounded by that scent for days now, sharing her hotel room with him, fighting for bathroom space and always, always having his scent all around her.

“You know me so well, Caitlyn,” he said softly, taking a spot beside her on the rail. His arm brushed against hers, and even through the fabric of his suit coat, Caitlyn felt heat pour into her body from that small point of contact.

“Better, I think, than you know,” she said.

He reached out, brushed a strand of her hair back and tucked it behind her ear, trailing the tips of his fingers over her skin. She shivered.

“Well, then,” he said, “if I’m trying to seduce you … how am I doing?”

“Not bad,” she admitted, though it cost her, since there was an invisible fist tightening around her throat, making breathing, much less talking, difficult.

“Let’s see if I can’t improve on things then,” he whispered, and took her wineglass from suddenly nerveless fingers. Setting it down on the table behind him, he turned her in his arms, stared down at her for the longest moment of Caitlyn’s life and then slowly lowered his head to hers.

She should stop him.

She knew that she should back away now and run screaming into the night. Kissing Jefferson would only make an unbearable situation that much more difficult.

But she wasn’t going anywhere, so she told herself she might as well stop pretending otherwise.

His mouth touched hers. Once. Twice. Soft, quick kisses that jump-started her heart and had her stomach doing dips and spins in heady anticipation. That slight brush of his lips to hers made her feel heat that she’d never known before. Made her want him as she’d never wanted anything in her life. Made her hungry for the taste of him.

And just when she hoped he would kiss her more thoroughly, more completely, he pulled his head back and she opened her eyes to look up at him. He was frowning and his eyes glittered with an emotion she couldn’t read.

As she stood in his grasp, every nerve ending bristling, he looked at her as if he’d never seen her before and ran the tips of his fingers along her cheek. “Sweet,” he whispered. “So soft and sweet.”

His gaze moved over her, studying her as if trying to puzzle something out. But then the moment passed and fire leaped into his eyes. His hands slid up and down her bare arms and his touch was like a flame.

“Jefferson …”

“Another taste,” he said so quietly his voice was almost lost in the rush of the sea below them. “I have to have another taste.”

Hunger erupted between them, and this time, when he bent his head to hers, he took more than a simple brush of mouth to mouth. This time he plundered her. Hard, ferocious, his mouth took hers in a frenzy of need that she felt echoing within. He parted her lips with his tongue, and Caitlyn sighed into him as she felt the damp heat invade her.

Her legs wobbled, and deep inside her, she felt liquid warmth pool at her center and ache for what only he could give her. His strong hands moved up and down her spine, then slipped to her behind and held her pressed tightly to the hard, rigid length of him.

Caitlyn lost herself in the magic of the moment. She forgot all about her determination to avoid Jefferson’s seductive powers. Forgot all about the fact that she knew he was deliberately toying with her. Didn’t care that his amazing kiss meant no more to him than it had with any of the other women in his life.

For now, for right now, this was enough.

She was pliant in his arms. Warm and curvy and eager. Jefferson knew that in a seduction, timing was everything. He should slow down now. Back away before he pushed her too far too quickly. Seduction was a slow, deliberate business. A careful dance to which he knew all the steps.

And yet, he didn’t want to stop kissing her. She melded against him, and his body went tighter, harder than he would have thought possible. Every inch of him ached for her. His hands held her to him, ground her hips against his, and it wasn’t enough.

He took her mouth, invaded her damp heat, and it wasn’t enough. Felt her breath puff against his cheek and only wanted more. Heard her soft sigh and felt himself inflamed at the gentle sound. Her scent welled up inside him, flowers and spice, and flavored her kiss until he thought he would never again draw a breath without tasting her.

And that thought was enough to drag him back to his senses—or what was left of them. Reluctantly, he tore his mouth from hers and eased her from the iron grip he’d held her in. He had to let her go if for no other reason than to prove to himself that he could.

But when she turned those big, dark eyes on him, Jefferson knew that whether or not he was touching her, the connection was still there. Linking them together. Drawing them closer.

He took a step back to give himself time to settle, turned and picked up their wineglasses. Handing her one, he took a long drink of the chilled wine and let the icy liquid cool the fires burning within.

“Okay,” she said, and swallowed hard. “That was better than not bad.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, taking her hand and leading her to her chair, “it was.”

Much better. The seduction was working just as he’d planned. But if he wasn’t careful, he might just get caught in his own web.

Seven

A couple of days later Caitlyn felt as though she were balanced on a delicately thin wire stretched taut, high over a cage filed with hungry lions.

“Or,” she told herself, “make that one very hungry Lyon.”

Who would have guessed that Jefferson could pack so much power into a kiss? That she could feel all she’d felt in those few moments on that moonlit patio? Want all she’d wanted. And in the past two days he’d been even more attentive. Going with her for swims, into the village to shop, having dinner with her, glaring at any men who might think about approaching.

The man was a force of nature. Irresistible, overwhelming and just so damned appealing.

Oh, she was in serious trouble.

She leaned back in her chair and let her gaze wander over the elegant yet sleekly casual resort restaurant. The floor here was blue tile, as well, and the walls were a soft sea-green. One side of the room was glass with French doors leading onto a patio with the ocean just beyond. There weren’t many customers at the moment, as it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Caitlyn had come in and ordered tea and scones. She’d simply needed a quiet place to sit and think. Somewhere away from her former boss and current pain in the behind.

And it had been quiet. Until her cell phone rang a moment ago.

“Oh,” Debbie said firmly, “he’s hungry, all right. Just make sure he doesn’t start snacking on you.”

Caitlyn frowned. Her friend had a point. Although, the thought of being nibbled by Jefferson did have its appeal.

“Oh, man,” she said on a groan, “this is bad.”

“That’s why I called. Janine told me you’re having some problems with Jefferson,” Debbie said, and Caitlyn calmed down just listening to her more even-tempered friend’s quiet voice coming over the phone.

“Problems. Oh, that’s fair to say,” she said, picking at the corner of one blueberry scone. “He’s throwing me off balance because he’s being so nice.”

“Uh-huh.”