His fingers tightened on her hips for one moment, then he dropped his hands from her and stood back.

Which was a good thing. It reminded her why she was here. Work. Just work.

She didn’t want to feel this tug for him. She wanted him to go far, far away and leave her to that work before she forgot her entire humiliating experience with him at Eddie’s and did something stupid.

Like kiss him for a third time.

Oh, no. No, the next time they kissed, he was going to initiate it. He was going to want it. Because she already knew that if he did kiss her, she’d give in, she’d let him do it. She’d let him kiss them both senseless.

And then he’d walk away. Pretend it didn’t happen. She didn’t have to be ex-CIA to know that.

But he didn’t kiss her.

Not even once.


THE NEXT DAY Reilly was on his way into the office when Cheri called him on his cell phone.

“Oh, honey. Glad I caught you. I’m not working for you today.”

Reilly had already gone for his run that morning and was eating his way through a fast-food breakfast as he drove. He knew the two cancelled each other out, but he didn’t care. He ran because it felt good and he ate what he ate because it tasted good. “Are you sick?” he asked her.

“I’m never sick.”

Oka-a-ay. “Attitude adjustment day?”

“Why would I need that, I don’t have an attitude.”

“So it’s…a woman thing?” he asked warily, not really wanting to know.

“Reilly, I’m working for your father today. He’s behind, and-”

“What?”

“And I’ve got you all caught up, so-”

“But…” This was so far from what he expected, he couldn’t think. “You work for me.”

“Yes,” Cheri said with that calm reasonableness she had, that made his brain feel like she was scrambling it. “But he needs me.”

“But…”

“Reilly, honey, honestly. Tessa could do my job blindfolded. You’ll be fine.”

He nearly missed his turnoff. “But Tessa isn’t my office manager. You are.”

“And I need a day off.”

“To work for Eddie.”

“That’s right.”

This made no sense. “You want to work for the man who deserted you when you were a pregnant teenager.”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Cheri said, making an annoyed sound. “Look, it’s time you knew this. I’m the one who jumped his bones when I was sixteen. And I’m the one who-”

“Jeez!” He nearly rear-ended the car in front of him. “Over-share!”

“I knew the chance I was taking,” she said calmly. “We’ve long ago established how naive I was, but if you think I have regrets you’re the naive one.”

“Mom.” She was certifiable. “He has a hundred other women he could use for today.”

“Yes, but he wants me. And let’s face it, I’m the best.”

“What about whoever he took to Cabo?”

“Well, I doubt whoever she was knew accounting.”

True.

“Stop acting like an old man, Reilly. I’ll be back in a few days. Live a little while I’m gone, okay?”

“You sound just like him when you say that,” he said, broodingly.

“Have a good day, honey.”

He stared down at his cell after she hung up on him, then tossed it onto the passenger seat. Live a little. He’d lived plenty. He’d lived long and hard, and frankly, was happy with how things were going. Nice and quiet and even-keeled. No surprises. No being konked over the head by idiotic burglars. No being kissed stupid by a little hottie who had somehow-and he was still dizzy over this one-ended up working for him.

By the time he got into his office, he was ready to bury himself in numbers. Lots of numbers.

Tessa sat behind the front desk on the phone, her brown hair swinging as she turned to watch him walk in. Her big, bright-green eyes gave away her every thought, as usual.

She was thinking she would have been happier if he hadn’t shown up.

Join the club, baby.

She recovered nicely, even gave him a little wave accompanied by what seemed like a very genuine smile. So genuine he nearly waved right back.

“I’ll be sure to note the changes to the payables,” she said sweetly into the phone. “Oh, why, yes, I’ll tell Mr. Ledger that you think I’m the very best temp he’s ever had,” she said, laughing. “Just so happens that I think so, too. Bye, now.” She hung up and sent him a saucy look that dared him to say otherwise.

“Maybe you should tell Eddie you need a raise,” he suggested.

“Then he’ll charge you more.”

“I can handle Eddie.”

She smiled. “So can I.”

“I don’t imagine there isn’t much you can’t handle,” he heard himself say.

“Nope. That comes from being the baby of the family,” she said proudly. “My sister and brother like to worry about me, but it’s their own fault I’m this way. They created me.”

“So you’re close to them.”

“Very.”

“They probably don’t try to run your life,” he muttered, thinking of his mother.

She laughed at that. “Are you kidding? They live to run my life. That’s what love’s all about, Reilly.”

Yeah. Love. He forced his eyes off her and the sunshine-yellow suit dress she wore and looked around the counter that just yesterday had held a bag of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, reading his mind. “I’m fresh out of cash until payday.”

Ah, hell. He came back toward her. “Don’t buy me doughnuts with your own money. There’s no need. There’s petty cash in Cheri’s desk.”

“But then it’d be you buying you doughnuts.”

“Yes, and then no one owes anyone anything.”

She just looked at him.

Resisting the urge to squirm, he walked past her and headed down the hall toward his office.

“Good thing Cheri told me you weren’t a morning person,” she muttered.

Which stopped him in his tracks.

“She also said you’re not an afternoon or evening person,” she said. “In case you were wondering.”

He had to ask, even knowing he shouldn’t. “What else did she say about me?”

Her smile widened just a little bit wickedly.

He did squirm now.

“She said you’re egotistical, grumpy, stubborn and innately suspicious.”

Okay, that he could handle, as it was true.

But then she put a finger to her chin as she thought. “Oh, and that she felt none of those things were your fault.”

“Really? Why not?”

“Because she and your father screwed you up and what they didn’t screw up, working for the CIA finished off.”

10

“CHERI TOLD YOU all that,” Reilly said slowly.

“Yep.” Tess nodded. “But I already knew you weren’t just some ordinary accountant. You had big, tough, alpha male written all over you the moment I first laid eyes on you. Even half-naked and holding your bruised head, I knew.”

He really should have stopped for caffeine. In his present state, he wasn’t equipped to deal with this. He rubbed his temples. “What else?”

“She said you need kindness and compassion.”

Because, apparently, he was pretty damn pathetic. “You know, for future reference, when someone asks you a question like ‘what else did they say?’ and when that something else is so blatantly negative, you should probably just keep it to yourself.”

She cocked her head and said, “I didn’t realize you weren’t looking for the truth. You seem like a guy who appreciates the truth.”

He moved toward her yet again, because apparently he hadn’t tortured himself enough when it came to her. “I know I’m going to regret asking this, but why were you two talking about me in the first place?”

“Cheri said I should forgive you for being such a jerky boss, that you didn’t mean to be so short and abrupt all the time.”

“And she said this because…?”

“Because you’d just reminded me that you needed the Morrow file, when you’d already told me three times, and I was still on the phone with another client. You didn’t appear very happy with me, even though I was doing my best.”

He stared at her. Had he done that? Obviously he had, but coming out of her mouth he sure sounded like an ass…

“She also said that despite your impatience, your rudeness and your temper, you have a heart of gold and, if I stayed long enough, I’d see it for myself. She told me not to let you scare me off.”

Suddenly, he was glad his mother wasn’t there because he had the urge to wrap his hands around her meddling neck.

“And then I said that not much could scare me off-” She broke off and looked away for a moment, as both of them clearly remembered what exactly did scare her.

Armed burglars.

“And then I told her,” she whispered, “that I already knew you had a heart of gold and I wasn’t going anywhere until the job was done, which it will be in two more days.”

He stopped fantasizing about strangling Cheri and took a closer look at the woman in front of him. She was small, almost deceptively fragile and yet, he knew damn well how much inner strength she had. More than any woman he’d ever met. “I don’t have a heart of gold. Not even close.”

“We met under unusual circumstances,” she said, still very quietly. “It accelerated everything. Don’t say that isn’t true.”

“Tess-”

“You saved me that night.”

“Anyone would have done the same.”

“No.”

He let out a disparaging breath, and she got up out of her chair and came around the desk to stand right in front of him. “You saved me and I’ve never even thanked you.”

“Don’t.” God. He couldn’t take that. Without even knowing why, he reached for her hand. “And don’t make me out to be someone I’m not.”

“I just want to know more about you.” She lifted her face. “Cheri told me something bad happened to you on your last job. That you’ve been messed up because of it.”

“Cheri talks too much.”

Her other hand came up and sandwiched his, then she brought it up between her breasts, against her heart, which he could feel beating strong and steadily.