A Bargain with the Boss (12 page)

“What would you do?” he asked. “If you were me? If you had what I have?”

“I'm not trying to tell you that I'm morally superior.”

“What would you do?”

Her instinct was to continue arguing the point. But instead, she considered the theoretical question. “Then or now?”

“Then. No, hindsight is too easy. Now. What would you do now?”

“If I were you,” she said. “I'd go home. I'd leave Dixon alone, and I'd go home, work hard and prove to my father that he was dead wrong.”

“Because that's the hardest path?”

“Because that's the most satisfying path.”

Tuck stared into her eyes for a long time.

She grew uncomfortable, worrying she'd made him angry.

“Will you help me?” he asked.

The question surprised her. But there was only one possible answer. And she meant it sincerely. “I will.”

“Will you like me?” As soon as he'd uttered the words, he looked away. But he wasn't fast enough to hide the uncertainty in his eyes.

She realized he'd made himself uncharacteristically vulnerable with the question. She knew she had to be honest. “I already like you.”

His posture seemed to relax. “You're one in a million, Amber.”

He couldn't be more wrong about that.

“I'm incredibly average,” she said. “Thing is, in your world, you don't often come across incredibly average.”

A knowing smile came across his face. “Stand up.”

The request was abrupt and she wondered what she'd done wrong. Did he want her to leave? He didn't look angry. But then, it was getting late.

She stood.

“Put on your shoes.”

She slipped her feet into the delicate high heels. But as she made to head for the door, he gently grasped her shoulders, turning her away, propelling her in the opposite direction.

“What are you doing?”

Before he answered, they were through a set of open double doors and into the bedroom.

“Look,” he said, turning her toward a full-length mirror.

“What?”

There was nothing to see. The dress still looked great and it still went with the shoes. But her hair was coming loose and her makeup had faded. Her cheeks were rosy from the earlier wine and maybe from debating with Tuck. Her eyes were slightly shadowed with exhaustion. She really did need to get some sleep.

He brushed his fingertips across her shoulder, his tone going deep. “Is there anything about you that is remotely average?”

His words sent a tingle down her spine.

“You're amazing, Amber. You're flat-out amazing. You're gorgeous and smart as a whip. You're insightful and funny.” He brushed her hair from the side of her neck. “And I can't get you out of my mind.”

He eased slowly forward until his lips connected with the crook of her neck. They were soft and hot as she gazed at his image in the mirror. He kissed her again, lips wider this time, leaving a circle of moisture behind.

He planted a chain of kisses along her shoulder while his palms slipped down her bare arms. She watched his dark head, felt the air cool the moisture on her skin, let desire and arousal throb to life inside her. Then his hands came to rest on her waist, his blunt fingers splayed on her stomach, dark in relief against the glittery blue of the dress.

She leaned back against him. He was solid, a tower of muscle and strength. Their gazes met in the reflection, midnight blue and pewter gray. She let him in, not flinching, absorbing his obvious passion and returning it with her own.

He reached for the zipper at the back of her dress, watching her reaction closely as he drew it down. The air brushed her back and she quivered with the mix of sensations. He brushed aside the fabric and kissed her shoulder. His fingers delved into her hair, tugging at the clip and releasing thick waves.

She gasped in a breath and her hands curled into fists. It was the point of no return. No, it wasn't. She'd already passed no return when she'd met his eyes in the mirror. Her and Tuck, for now, at least for this small moment, were inevitable.

She shrugged her shoulders and the dress slipped down, the fabric cascading over her breasts, past her hips, pooling on the thick carpet.

His eyes darkened, his gaze pausing on her pink satin bra. It swept over her navel to the tiny matching panties, down the length of her legs to the sparkling shoes.

“One in a million,” he whispered in her ear.

His hand closed over her breast and he kissed that first spot on her neck.

She knew she should look away, close her eyes and safely drown in the sensations of his touch. But she watched while he unhooked her bra. He set her breasts tumbling free. Then he let his fingertips roam from the curve of her hip, to the indentation of her naval, to the mound of her breast and her pearled nipples.

He touched and fondled while her temperature rose and her lungs dragged in air. When his hand dipped under her panties, urgency overwhelmed her. She turned in his arms, meeting his lips, tangling her limbs around him while his hand drove her to heights of passion.

“You are incredible,” he rasped between kisses, peeling off the flimsy panties.

She pushed off his jacket, then struggled with his tie.

He tore off the new shirt and they came together, skin on skin, finally. He embraced her, held her tight, strong arms wrapped firmly around her as he explored every nuance of her mouth.

Then he lifted her and carried her to the big bed, yanking back the covers to deposit her on the crisp sheets. She lay on her back, watching as he stripped off his clothes.

When he was naked, he gazed down. He took in her disheveled hair, his eyes moving over her breasts to the shadow of her thighs, down the length of her legs. Then he smiled.

She realized she still wore her shoes.

She couldn't help but grin sheepishly in return.

“One of the things I love best about you,” he said, coming to lie next to her on the mattress.

He renewed his exploration of her body, and she returned the favor, reveling in the taut muscles of his shoulders and arms, his washboard stomach and the strength of his hips and thighs. She kissed her way over his salty skin while he found her sensitive and erotic spots, the crook of her knee, the inside of her thigh, the tips of her nipples.

Then he rolled on top, his solid weight pinning her satisfyingly to the mattress. He took a second with a condom, then stared straight in her eyes.

She flexed her hips upward and felt him sliding inside. Her head tipped back and her eyes fluttered closed. Her world contracted to the cloud of sensation that was Tuck. His scent surrounded her. His heat enveloped her. His fingertips were magic and his lips were delicious.

His rhythm was slow and steady. First her bones melted to nothing. Then her limbs began to buzz. His pace increased and she couldn't contain her moans. Wave after wave of passion washed over and through her.

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. Her mind had gone into a free fall. And then the world burst open, and she cried out his name, hanging on tight, never wanting to let go.

Nine

T
uck knew that making love couldn't have been an easy decision for Amber. But for him it had been the easiest path, and definitely the most pleasurable path.

He eased onto his side, taking his weight from her and gathering her close. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“For?” she whispered back. “Was that not your best work?”

He wanted to laugh, but he was afraid it would be the wrong reaction. “I know you weren't sure.”

She turned her head and looked questioningly up at him.

“About making love,” he elaborated.

“Did I not seem sure?”

“I guess you did.”

“Should I have made you wait?”

“That might have killed me. I've been desperate for you since day one.”

She smoothed her hand across his chest. “I've been resisting you for a while now.”

He let his ego absorb the compliment.

She curled herself into a sitting position.

“What are you doing?” He wanted her to stay exactly where she was.

She moved to the edge of the bed. “Now that we've got that out of our system.”

“Whoa, what?” His system was just getting started.

She rose and crossed the bedroom. “I realize it was inevitable. It might be nothing but chemistry, but it's still pretty powerful stuff.”

Nothing but chemistry?

Okay, sure, he remembered saying that. Problem was he couldn't remember why.

She slipped into her panties, turning to face him while she dressed.

For some reason, he'd expected her to be shy. He wasn't sure why, maybe because of the clothes she usually wore.

He sat up, draping his legs over the edge of the bed. “You don't have to leave.”

She stopped in the midst of fastening her bra, looking surprised. “We need to get to sleep. I assume we'll be leaving first thing in the morning.”

“There's no rush.”

They were flying in a Tucker jet. They could leave any old time they wanted. It didn't even have to be tomorrow.

“We've got a ton of work to do,” she said. “I said I'd help, and I will. I'll do as much as I can. But you've got to do your part, Tuck. Dixon could be back soon. You might not have much time and you need to start proving yourself.”

Wait a minute. “We
want
Dixon back.”

“Sure we do. But not right away, not if you want to show your father you've got what it takes to run the company.”

Tuck came to his feet. “I don't have what it takes to run the company.”

Amber dropped the dress over her head, pushing her arms through the flimsy cap sleeves. “Maybe not yet.”

“I don't know what you think I can do.”

“You can start by hiring some new executives. Lucas needs help.” She turned and presented him with the zipper.

He didn't want to zip her up. He wanted to strip her down again. He wanted her naked again, in his bed, in his arms, making love until neither of them could move and then sleeping until noon.

“I can't hire new executives.”

“Zip me up. Yes, you can.”

“That's a permanent decision. I'm temporary.”

“You're a Tucker and you're in charge. Make a decision.”

This was the first time Amber had struck him as being cavalier. She was normally careful and methodical.

“Is there something wrong with my zipper?” she asked.

“You don't have to go yet.”

She reached back and zipped herself, making it most of the way up. Then she turned and gave him a quick kiss. “I'm exhausted.”

“Sleep here.”

She stilled, a stricken expression crossing her face. Just as quickly, it disappeared. “That's not going to happen.”

“Why not?”

“This was a bad idea. I mean, it was a good idea, because it had to happen. But at its foundation, it was a terrible idea. We need to forget about it and move on.”

“Move on to
what
?”

He didn't want to forget about what had just happened between them. It was the greatest sex of his life.

“Haven't you been paying attention?” she asked. “You're going to run Tucker Transportation. It goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway, absolutely no good can come from a fling between us. It'll compromise your credibility and it'll destroy my career. You've fired me once. I'm not about to give you or Dixon or your father a reason to fire me again.”

“Nobody's going to fire you.”

She shook her head. “That's the
only
sure thing that happens when assistants get involved with their bosses.”

“You can't know that.”

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “Do you want to do this?”

He didn't dare hope she meant make love again. “Do what?”

“Do you want to
try
? Or do you want to spend the rest of your life as a self-indulgent playboy and a vice president in name only?”

“Those are my only two choices?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I'm willing to try.”

At least he could still spend time with her. And maybe he could manage to impress her. And maybe, if he was very lucky, their chemistry would rear its head again and she'd come back into his arms.

* * *

In the breezeway outside Tuck's hotel suite, Amber sagged against the wall. It had taken everything she had to pull off the act, to pretend that making love with Tuck hadn't thrown her for an absolute emotional loop.

She might not have been able to stop herself. But she knew she'd made one of the world's biggest mistakes. She had hopped into bed with her boss. She'd hopped into bed with her boss, and it was fantastic.

At least it had been fantastic for her. Who knew what it was for him? Maybe he had sex like that every Saturday night.

Maybe she'd been mediocre. Maybe he'd been disappointed. She forcibly stopped her brain from going there.

She wasn't going to do that to herself. If it hadn't been good for him, too darn bad. He'd have to get past it, maybe move on to someone else. She was moving on. She was definitely moving on.

She straightened from the wall, putting one foot in front of the other. Her room was along the courtyard and up one flight of stairs. She was going to shower and sleep, and then she was going back home to focus on Jade, the baby and Tucker Transportation.

Tonight was a lark. It didn't have to define her. It didn't even need to define her relationship with Tuck.

“Amber?” Jackson's voice came from a pathway at a right angle.

She stopped. Her heart sank and her stomach contracted into a knot of embarrassment and guilt.

She forced herself to turn and face him. “Hello, Jackson.”

“I'm glad I caught you.” His expression wasn't condemning, nor was it judgmental.

Maybe he hadn't guessed what had just happened.

She should play it cool. She could have taken her hair down for any number of reasons. From this angle, he couldn't see her zipper was partway down. She made a mental note to keep her back away from him.

“Did Dixon ever mention a woman?” he asked.

Amber forced herself to stay calm and collected. “What kind of a woman?”

She fought off the urge to smooth her hair. It would only call attention to the mess.

“Someone other than Kassandra.”

“You mean a girlfriend?” She knew that wasn't possible.

“Yes.”

“Dixon wasn't fooling around. He was as honorable as they come.”

“I know you're loyal to him.”

“That's not loyalty talking,” said Amber. “Jackson, he didn't cheat on Kassandra.”

“What about after they separated?”

“Nobody I ever heard about.”

Jackson showed her his phone with a photo of a pretty blond woman. “Recognize her?”

“No. Who is she?”

“Is there any chance, any chance at all, that Dixon left Chicago to be with another woman?”

“He wouldn't leave Chicago to do that. His friends would be cheering from the rooftops. He wouldn't hide it.”

Jackson was obviously deep in thought.

“What's going on?” she asked.

“I'm covering all the bases.”

“Where did you get the picture?”

“She might be connected to the sailboat. We're tracking it down the coast.”

“There might not be so much of a rush now.”

Amber was warming up to the idea of Tuck proving himself to his father. He'd obviously spent his whole life riddled with self-doubt. She knew he'd feel good if he succeeded. And she knew he had it in him. He just had to apply himself.

Jackson's brow rose. “Why do you say that?”

“Tuck's going to run the company. It's the first chance he's ever had. This might even turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”

Jackson didn't respond, but skepticism came into his eyes.

“You think it's a bad idea.” She wished she hadn't come to respect Jackson's opinion.

“I think it's not Tuck's idea.”

“It was. Kind of.” She struggled to remember the exact details of the conversation. “He's always felt inadequate.”

Jackson looked amused. “He's been too busy having fun to feel inadequate.”

“You're wrong.”

“You've known him how long?”

“A few weeks,” she admitted.

Jackson gave her an indulgent smile. “He's not what you think he is.”

“Don't patronize me.”

“Then, let me put it another way. He's not what you want him to be.” Jackson's sharp eyes took in her messy hair and what had to be smeared makeup.

In that second, she knew she was caught. And it was humiliating. Jackson thought she was going after Tuck. He thought she wanted to domesticate Tuck. She could only imagine he thought she was one of a long line of gold diggers out to become Mrs. Tuck Tucker.

She had to get out of here. “Good night, Jackson.”

“I like you, Amber.”

She gave a chopped laugh of disbelief.

“You're too good for him,” said Jackson.

“I don't want him.”

Jackson's smile was indulgent again. “You want him to be a better him.”

She opened her mouth to deny it.

But Jackson spoke overtop her. “There's only one reason a woman wants that.”

“There could be a hundred reasons why a woman wants that.”

“You might not know it yet. But you're falling for him. Don't fall for him, Amber. You'll only get hurt.”

“Advice to the lovelorn, Jackson?”

“Advice from a guy who knows Tuck.”

“Well...” She had no good comeback to that. She truly didn't know what to say. All she knew was that she wanted the heck out of this conversation right now. “Thank you.”

She turned sharply away, then realized he'd seen her partially undone zipper.

She swallowed. She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. He'd obviously already guessed. He'd come to all the wrong conclusions afterward, but he knew full well that she'd just slept with Tuck.

* * *

When she looked up and saw Amber, Jade closed her textbook and pushed the wheeled bed tray off to one side. “Welcome back to the real world.”

“I'm on my way to the office,” Amber told her, moving closer. “We landed about an hour ago.”

Taking a private jet to Scottsdale and back had been a surreal experience for Amber, but there was no disputing the convenience.

“How was it?” asked Jade with enthusiasm. “Warm? Great? I looked up the resort—
nice
.”

“We were pretty busy working.” Amber had struggled all night long, then especially during the flight back, to keep focused on the work and not to think about Tuck.

Jade gave a mock frown. “You didn't spend hours at the spa?”

“I'm afraid not.”

“I was hoping to live vicariously through you.”

“I could lie,” Amber offered.

“Would you? That would be nice. I'm so bloated and tired and achy, I'd kill for a massage or a few hours in the hot springs.”

“The weather was great,” said Amber. “The hotel was gorgeous, the food, rooms. The beds were really comfortable.”

“Was that a Freudian slip?”

Amber didn't understand Jade's point.

“Beds,” Jade elaborated. “Plural?”

Amber realized it was a joke, but embarrassment made her mind go momentarily blank.

Jade's eyes went wide. “Wait a minute.”

“It was a figure of speech,” said Amber.

Jade's surprise turned to concern. “Tell me you didn't.”

“I didn't do anything.” At least nothing that was Jade's business, nothing that was anybody's business, except hers and Tuck's. And they were forgetting all about it.

“You
slept
with him?”

Amber didn't want to lie, so she didn't answer.

Jade reached for her hands. “Oh, Amber. You're usually so smart.”

“It wasn't stupid.”

“I don't want you to get hurt.”

“I'm not getting hurt. It just...happened.” Amber realized how trite that sounded. “It was only the once.”

“He's your boss.”

“Only for a little while. Dixon will come back and then it'll all be over. Tuck barely shows up at the office.”

When Dixon got back, Amber fully expected Tuck to return to his previous life. He might want to impress his father, but he wasn't likely to give up the parties and vacations in order to work his butt off.

Last night she'd had a few moments of optimism. But she knew Jackson was right. Tuck liked his life exactly the way it was. Last night Tuck had told her what he thought she wanted to hear. He probably always told women what he thought they wanted to hear.

She lowered herself onto the bedside chair. “I don't know what I was thinking.”

“You were thinking he was a superhot guy. At least, that's what I'm usually thinking.”