Deal of a Lifetime (7 page)

“Ow.” He rubbed the spot.

Taking another step, she jabbed at his chest again. “I’m a big girl and don’t need protecting.”

“Stop that.”

Another poke and step followed hard on the second. Save for the differences in their heights they were nose to nose.

“Tam, I’m warning you.”

Three people emerged from the offices, headed toward Con and Tam.

“I need to attend that tour and luncheon, or…” She spread the fingers of both hands, set them on his chest and pushed.

Con stood firm as the tenuous hold he had on his emotions broke. He’d had enough. He grabbed her wrists and anchored her hands behind her with his arm around her waist.

“…I’d skip the entire thing just to avoid being—”

He pulled her against his body and kissed her.

“Mmpfh.”

He plundered her mouth, invading her soft warmth before she could think to resist.

Tam went rigid.

She’d pushed him too far. She was his, and he would prove it to her. All that stuff about not needing him, not being his, would change as soon as she came to her senses.

He licked at the sensitive corners of her mouth and nibbled along her lips, then soothed the small bites with infinite tenderness until her body went limp. Until she sank into him. Until she kissed him back, taking every ounce of pleasure he had and returning it tenfold.

“Mmm.”

The peaches-and-ginger scent of her filled him. He swallowed her sigh and released his hold on her wrists, allowing his hands to drift over her body, every touch aimed at reminding her they belonged together, in bed, in business, in life.

Her arms circled his neck, her hands thrust into his hair, her lips held his mouth to hers.

His hands settled on her bottom where a gentle squeeze inspired her to rub her hips across the erection aching beneath his trousers.

Filled with need, he groaned. He wanted to haul her down to the carpeted floor in a mindless mating.
The carpet
! That single thought forced him to lift his head.

He sucked air into his lungs.

Her beautiful blue eyes stared up at him. She lifted on her toes reaching for his mouth.

A smatter of applause stopped her.

Con stared over her head.

Still clinging to him, Tam looked over her shoulder.

Two women and one man stood across the hall clapping. The man, who wore an ugly tie decorated with smiling chili peppers, aimed a phone straight at Tam.

“Oh no.” Tam dropped her arms, snatched her portfolio from where it had fallen, and fled down the corridor.

Con let her go. Baring his teeth, he zeroed in on Chili Pepper Guy, then crossed the hall in two strides. He grabbed the man by the lapels and shoved him against the wall. “Delete that picture now.”

Owl-eyed and mouth open, Chili Pepper Guy frantically punched buttons on the phone. The two women huddled to one side. Con gave all three his best icy glare. “Now tell me that I’m not going to see that picture on the internet or anywhere else.”

Chili Pepper Guy nodded.

“Excellent,” growled Con. He swept his glance at the three of them. “You work for Buddswell?”

All three heads nodded.

“My good friend Mike would be very unhappy to hear rumors about any of his guests. He might even fire employees who spread gossip. Do you understand me?” Con made good use of a quietly threatening tone.

Again three heads bobbed.

He released his grip on Chili Pepper Guy but held the stare. The man sagged against the wall.

“Let’s all hope I don’t have to talk to Mike.”

“No, sir, er that is, yes, sir. You won’t have to speak to anyone.”

“Good.” Con straightened his tie, spun on his heel, and left.

****

Tam spent the rest of the afternoon mortified at how easily she’d given in to Con’s kisses and in dread of being identified as the woman making out in a public hallway. Fear of ridicule kept her so tied in knots she didn’t even object when Con joined her at lunch and remained by her side. Not until the dessert course at dinner did she realize no one mentioned the couple making love outside Buddswell’s offices. Nor did she hear her name on anyone’s lips other than Con’s.

He apologized several times in moments when no one else was near, but she dismissed his attempts to smooth over the incident, knowing she was just as guilty of crossing the line.

The minute dinner was over, she made her excuses. “I’m sorry to leave, but I’ve acquired a headache. I’m going to retire early. I want to be well rested for tomorrow’s tour.”

The people sharing their table murmured polite concern and goodnights.

Con caught her hand, halting her progress from the room. Worry frowned on his forehead. “Do you want help?”

Tam shook her head, withdrawing her hand. “I just need a hot bath and some extra sleep. Please stay and enjoy the evening’s activities.”

“Promise you’ll call me, if you change your mind.”

The corners of her mouth lifted. “I promise, but I won’t need to.”

Con watched her leave. Her walk was straight and steady. She talked briefly with acquaintances. All too soon she disappeared from sight.

He tried. He really tried to set worry for Tam aside and enjoy the evening. Buddswell had arranged a silent auction—all monies to be donated to his favorite charities that raised environmental awareness and sponsored wilderness experiences for underprivileged children. Con wandered the aisles, but nothing appealed until he spotted a ruby-and-emerald-crusted pendant in the shape of a chili pepper, suspended from a platinum vine-and-leaf chain. He made a bid for three times what the pendant was worth, confident that few other bidders would be willing to top that number. Tam would love the pendant that was representative of her home state. She wouldn’t have to know that chili peppers would always bring that hallway kiss to his mind. Happy with his purchase but still discontent, Con left the conference area. He needed to see Tam. Telling himself he just wanted to make certain she was okay, he headed for their room.

****

“I love you, Mommy. Here’s Aunt Sarah. Bye.”

“Goodnight, fairy girl, you’re the best.”

As Sarah came on the phone Tam dabbed at the tears that threatened. She missed her daughter.

“How’s Susa doing?”

“She misses you something fierce, but she’s getting along okay. We count the days together, and I try to give her something every day to distract her from your absence. Today we’re having her best buddy Nancy for a sleepover.”

“I trust your judgment, but do you really think a sleepover on a school night is a good idea?”

“Normally no, but tomorrow’s an in-service for the teachers. Susa will be out of school all day. Having Nancy here will keep both of them occupied. Her mom’s taking the girls roller skating around noon tomorrow. Then we only have to get through the weekend until you’re back home.”

“Home sounds really good right now.”

“Is everything okay? You sound a bit frazzled.”

Count on her aunt to pick up on the smallest nuance of trouble. Tam’s emotions were frayed, but she didn’t think elder wisdom would help when the concerns shredding her peace were about one tall, dark, stubbornly territorial man. Tam had never confided the fears that kept her from informing Con about Susa, so her aunt blamed him, despite Tam’s protests. Sarah had been angry at Con for years for hurting her chick. What would she think if Tam told her that Con was back in her life, even for a short time? “I’m just tired. This conference is taking a lot out of me, so I decided to turn in early tonight.”

“Very wise. My niece is a smart woman.”

Despite her aunt’s worries, Tam smiled. She wished she were wise enough to know what to do about Con and the dangerous mix of feelings he roused.

“I’d better go,” Sarah continued. “Before those two pint-sized tornadoes cause a disaster in the kitchen. I love you and miss you. Hurry home.”

“I love you too. I miss you very much. I want to be home more than anything.” She shut her cell phone. As she stood, she noticed the door into the sitting room closing. That was odd. After the other night with Con, she’d been certain to shut the door whenever she came in. Had it unlatched itself? Maybe she hadn’t closed the door properly. Striding forward she gave the door a push. It thudded shut, but as she reached to turn the lock the door bounced backward. Con strode through.

Hand to her chest to keep her racing heart in place, she stepped back.

Concern flooded Con as he reached for Tam. “What? What is it? Are you all right?”

“No, I’m not all right.” Her voice shook.

She drew back, but he grasped her shoulders, then began to search her for injuries. “What is it? Tell me. Where are you hurt?”

She batted his hands away and took two steps back. “It’s you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. You scared the living daylights out of me.”

“I frightened you? You’re just frightened? You’re not hurt?” He reached for her.

She raised both arms to shoulder height, hands up, palms out, warding him off. “Yes, I’m fine, but I’m not
just
frightened, I’m furious. It pains me deeply that you would eavesdrop on a private conversation.”

What could he say? As he’d walked into the sitting room, he’d seen the door to her room ajar and went to close it. He couldn’t avoid hearing her side of the emotion-clogged conversation’s end. She missed her lover and wanted to be home with him more than anything.

“I did not eavesdrop,” he snarled. “I saw the open door and went to shut it. I was trying to give you the privacy you needed to talk to your lover.”

As far as bare details were concerned, his statement was accurate. What Con didn’t say was that he’d seen red. He wanted to smash the unknown man’s face, then beat him to a bloody pulp. Getting angry wouldn’t help his cause with Tam, so Con, leaving the door untouched, had turned away. He intended to take a few moments to get a grip on his emotions, but he’d heard that thump against the inside of the door. Knowing how tired she’d been, he leapt to the worst possible conclusion and rushed inside. She stood there, her hand on her chest, eyes wide, and gasping for breath.

Tam regained her breath along with a stiff-shouldered calm. “This is the second time you’ve intruded on a private conversation. I have doubts about your innocence. However, let me assure you that nothing is physically wrong with me.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I intend to take that hot bath and retire.”

“Okay.” He stood there looking at her, feeling oddly awkward and uncertain. Tam was the only person in the world who kept him off kilter. Normally he loved the challenge of dueling with her, but tonight he just wanted to love her, hold her in his arms, melt into passion with her and keep the big bad world at bay.

“Go away, Con. I need some privacy. I’ll be asleep in an hour or so. Come back then, but don’t you dare wake me up.”

“Leave?” She wanted him to leave? How could he hold her, keep her with him? That was the problem. He couldn’t. “Right. I’m leaving.”

He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Sleep well, Tam.”

Then he was gone. Tam put her hand to her cheek and regretted that when she removed her make-up she’d have to wash away the kiss.

Chapter Six

Despite the long soak, Tam tossed and turned. Memories of other nights disturbed her rest. Con had often worked late, and she’d gone to bed tired, but missing him. When he would finally come in, moving carefully so as not to wake her, her heart had filled with emotion. Wanting the moment to last, she feigned sleep, watching through her lashes as he stripped to his boxers. Moonlight limned his shoulders and broad chest, silvering the arrow of hair that whorled downward. A familiar tightening in her breasts and low in her belly kept her gaze focused on his male beauty. There in the dark, admitting how much she wanted him was easy. She’d never been able to say the words. Finally he’d come to bed, easing his arm around her, his spice-and-citrus scent as much comfort as his sheltering heat.

Now that same spicy citrus aroma curled under the door into her room, keeping her aroused, awake, and aware that sexual bliss rested a few steps away. Only her love for Susannah kept Tam from yielding to temptation.

She remained tense all through breakfast. Tam toyed with her food unable to find any interest in the coddled eggs, ham, or fresh fruit. By the end of the meal she truly did have a headache that stuck with her through the two morning seminars and back into the suite when she retrieved her coat and sturdy shoes for the tramway tour. Con had taken his windbreaker with him before breakfast, so she had a few moments alone. She used the time to find and swallow some ibuprofen. When she joined Buddswell’s group at the tramway terminal, the headache was gone.

“Ah, Tam, I was beginning to worry that you wouldn’t join our little party.” Sheer enjoyment and Mike’s killer smile lit his eyes.

“Oh no.” She wrapped a long narrow scarf around her neck, then pulled on a knit cap and gloves. She glanced around, not seeing Con. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Nearby, some of the other conference attendees huddled inside their suit coats and sweaters. Obviously they hadn’t read or believed the brochure in the pre-conference packet that explained how cold Montana could be in mid-April.

“I see you came prepared.” Mike reached for her gloved hand, pulling her in his direction. “It may be April, but in the Montana mountains that doesn’t guarantee warmth.”

Con stepped up on her other side. That grim smile had returned, baring his teeth and failing to meet his eyes.

“The mountains in Arizona can be just as fickle.” She retrieved her hand from Mike’s grasp only to find Con held her elbow. Consternation balled in her stomach. When she was with the two men she felt like a piece of taffy, pulled in every direction and stretched thin.

“Really?” Buddswell spared a glance for Con before blasting Tam with that stadium lights grin. “I’ll make a point of visiting. Perhaps you’ll be kind enough to be my guide.”

“Given how hard Tamsin must work. I doubt she’d have time to play tour guide.”