Deceiving Her Boss (22 page)

 
"May I come in?" she asked quietly.

 
He stepped back immediately, letting her move into the suite as he closed the
door behind her.

 
"Is everything OK, Allie?  Are you all right?"  He sounded worried,
but Allie knew better than to think he might be worried about her.

 
She sat down on the couch, her hands folded in her lap.  Looking up at him, she
closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

 
"I can't do this, Mr. Greyson," she said finally.  "I'm sorry. 
But I can't.  I've thought about this a lot, and you'll be fine.  I'll resign, immediately. 
You can say anything you wish -- that you found out something awful about me,
or that I'd been married before and my divorce wasn't final, or even that I got
cold feet and ran.  Everyone will sympathize with you, Mr. Greyson.  It's the
perfect solution -- nobody will blame you for anything."

 
Sean remained standing, though if Allie had been watching, she would have seen
the look of pain and disbelief cross his face before he masked it.

 
"What happened?" he said at last.

 
"What do you mean?" Allie asked.

 
"Between last night and this morning.  What happened?"

 
Allie looked straight at him, then, her gaze steady as she watched his face. 
"I had time to think, Mr. Greyson."

 
Sean shook his head as he tried to understand what she was saying.

 
"You've had plenty of time to think about this.  I'm asking you again,
Allie.  What happened to change your mind?"

 
Allie looked down at her hands then, and just shook her head slightly before
she seemed to gather herself together again.

 
"I changed my flight -- I leave in three hours.  I'll clean out my office
before you're back, and then I'll leave town.  You won't ever need to see me
again."

 
Sean shook his head in disbelief.  "And if I don't agree to this?" he
asked.

 
"You must, sir.  If you think about it, I think you'll realize that it
really is the right thing for you."

 
"For me," Sean repeated.

 
"For you," Allie agreed.  She stood up then and pulled the ring from
her finger, laying it on the coffee table in front of her.  As she moved to the
door of the suite, Sean realized that if he didn't stop her, she was walking
out.  And if he let her go, he may never see her again.  In two steps, he stood
between her and the door.

 
She looked up at him in surprise.  "Please.  Let me by."

 
But Sean shook his head.  "No.  Not until we work this out."

 
"I need to go catch a flight, sir.  I want to clean out my desk over the
weekend when nobody is there.  Please.  Just let me go."

 
"I can't do that," he said quietly, reaching out to lightly clasp her
shoulders.  "Allie.  Talk to me.  For God's sake.  Don't do this to me."

 
"Do what to you?" she asked incredulously, shrugging free from his
touch, and finally showing some signs of emotion.  "This won't do a damn
thing to you.  Your reputation will be fine.  You'll be fine.  Your heart will
be intact.  Even your pride, since everyone will assume that I'm the idiot
here."

 
But Sean caught her arm again and pulled her closer to him.  Looking down at
her, he asked again, "Allie, tell me why you're walking out on me."

 
She stayed silent, fighting the emotion.  Fighting the pain.  She couldn't cry
in front of him, she thought.  He'd know how badly he hurt her, and he'd know
that she had fallen for him.  And her pride couldn't take it.  She swallowed
hard.

 
"Allie....," Sean said quietly, bending down to look her in the eye.

 
"I saw you with her," Allie finally managed to say.  "Last
night.  In the bar.  I saw you."

 
Sean's gaze narrowed.  "Allie..."

 
She pulled free from his grip, and moved away from him, rubbing her arm as she
did so.  "I thought I could do this.  But I can't.  I'm sorry."

 
She again moved toward the door, but Sean was faster.  She looked up at him in
reproach.

 
"Get out of my way.  Mr. Greyson," she added bitingly.

 
Sean shook his head.  "I can't, Allie.  If I do, you'll walk out on me for
good.  Please.  Come sit down.  Talk to me."

 
"I don't want to talk to you," she said quietly.

 
"I know," he said.  "But let me explain.  If you still want to
leave after that, I'll let you go."

 
She looked up at him, her gaze skeptical, but she nodded.  "Just don't touch
me," she warned him.  "I mean it."

 
He stepped back, and motioned her to the couch.  He moved a chair to sit across
from her, and leaned forward, his arms on his legs, his gaze direct.

 
"The woman you saw me with last night is an old girlfriend," he admitted. 
"I hadn't seen her in over three years, Allie.   I was on my way to my
room when I ran into her, and we started to talk.  She asked me if I wanted to
have a quick drink, and I agreed.  We went to the hotel bar.  I'm not sure what
you saw, Allie, but I told her that I was getting married today.  She hugged
me."

 
Allie waited for him to continue, to tell her that she had kissed him.  To
explain why he had kissed her back.  So when he stopped there, Allie looked up
at him.

 
"Is that all?" she asked quietly.  "I can still catch my flight
if I leave now."

 
Sean shook his head.  "She kissed me, Allie.  I stopped it immediately,
and I stepped away, and I left."  He paused, needing to collect himself
before continuing.  Looking straight into her eyes, he said quietly,
"Allie, don't you know by now that the only woman I want to kiss is
you?"

 
Allie sighed, willing herself to keep her emotions in check.   If nothing, this
all had taught her how emotionally involved she was, while he was still only
interested in pursuing the physical.  Standing up, she forced herself to look
down at her boss.  The man she loved.  The man she wanted.  But the man who
didn't love her.

 
"Thank you for the explanation, Mr. Greyson.  I appreciate your
honesty."

 
"The only woman I want to make love to is you.  The only woman I want to
marry is you.  The only woman I want to have a family with is you.  Allie,
please don't walk out that door," he begged.  "You'll destroy
me."

 
Allie's eyes filled with tears.  "I have to go, Sean," she said, so
quietly that he had to strain to hear her.  "Or you'll destroy me."

 
She was almost at the door when she felt his hand on her arm again.  She
turned, ready to beg him to let her go, but she looked up into his eyes, and
what she saw filled her with hope.

 
"Sean?" she asked tentatively.

 
His gaze was intense as he held her steadily, looking directly into her eyes. 
"I love you, Allie.  And I hope to God you love me too."

 
Allie tried to find her voice, but she was too overwhelmed to say a word.  He
loved her?  Did he really say that he loved her?

 
He kissed her, once, gently, then drew her to him and held her tightly, her
head pressed against his chest, his chin on the top of her head.  Running his
hands over her back, he said quietly, "You're not saying anything. 
Sweetheart, I can take a lot of things that you might want to tell me, but
please.  Please tell me that you're not going to leave me."

 
Allie shook her head.  "I'm not leaving," she whispered.

 
Drawing her over to the couch, he pulled her down next to him and turned to
face her, his arm draped along the back of the furniture.  Allie sat sideways
on the couch and curled her legs up in front of her, looking seriously at
Sean.  He reached out, gently caressing her face with the back of his hand.

 
"It took me a long time to figure it out, Allie, which makes me the
world's biggest idiot.  But the night that I was with you, in your apartment,
and you asked me if I'd be sleeping around once we were married....  your
question infuriated me, Allie.  I could not understand how you could have so
little faith in me, but when I called you on it, you told me the truth -- that it
was a business transaction, and not a matter of the heart.  So you needed the
business contract to be spelled out for you.  I went home that night and sat in
the dark and thought about you.  And I realized then that what I felt for you
was far different from what I had been telling myself, and that I saw our
marriage as much more than a business transaction."

 
Allie looked stunned.  "But... I thought you just saw this as a physical
attraction.  That you just wanted to sleep with me, get me out of your system,
and move on."

 
Sean shook his head, smiling ruefully.  "Sleeping with you made me want
you more, not less, sweetheart.  I won't ever be able to get enough of you. 
When I saw you at Anna's wedding, it was all I could do to stay in my seat, and
not run to the front of the church and carry you out of there over my
shoulder.  But it's not all sexual, Allie.  Even before I saw you at the
wedding, I was drawn to you."

 
"But... why?  Sean, I'm nothing like the women you date.  That woman I saw
you with last night..."

 
"...is beautiful on the outside, Allie.  But she doesn't have even a tenth
of your character, your kindness, your loving spirit.  You're beautiful where
it counts, Allie," Sean told her seriously.  "But make no mistake,
sweetheart, you're one of the sexiest, most beautiful women I've ever been
with, and I want you like I've never wanted anyone before.  None of the women
I've been with hold a candle to you.  I want you, Allie, not any of them."

 
He reached out then and cupped her face tenderly.  "Look, Allie.  I know
that this is sudden.  And I know that you may not feel the same way about me
that I feel about you.  I've been rough on you.  I've forced you to agree to
marry me, for reasons that I'm only now beginning to understand.  You may not
want to have anything more to do with me, though I hope to God that's not
true.  But if you want to step back, take some time, we can do that.  I can
handle anything, Allie, except losing you."

 
Allie sat still, wanting so badly to believe him, searching his eyes for the
truth.  "So if I want to wait..."

 
"We go home, tell people we changed our minds about the Vegas wedding, and
we see how things progress."

 
"And if I want to break off the engagement completely, and see what
happens between us?"

 
Sean swallowed hard, but nodded.  "Allie, you have to understand.  I don't
care about my reputation or my company enough to lose you.  I'm done forcing
you to do anything.  As long as you're not leaving me for good, I'll do what I
can to show you, really show you, how much I love you.  And one day, perhaps
you'll trust me enough to marry me."

 
"And if I want to go through with the wedding today?" she asked
softly.

 
Sean took a deep breath, and his eyes caught hers as he said firmly, 
"There is nothing in the world that would make me happier.  But this is
your decision, Allie."

 
She smiled softly, reaching out to take Sean's hand firmly between hers. 
"I love you, Sean.  I have for months now, though I didn't realize it
until a few weeks ago.  Seeing you with that other woman made me realize that I
couldn't share you.  I couldn't just be a token wife to you.  It would break my
heart into pieces, and I wouldn't ever be able to put it together again.  To be
whole again.  So that's why I decided to leave.  Not because I didn't love you,
but because I love you too much."

 
Sean put his head back and let out the breath he'd been holding.  "Thank
God," he said quietly.   He reached over to the coffee table where Allie
had set her ring earlier and picked it up.  Dropping to his knee in front of
her, he slid the ring back onto her finger and simply said, "Marry me.  Be
my wife.  Have my children.  Love me."

 
Tears in her eyes, she smiled down at the man in front of her.  "I
will," she said quietly. 
"I do."

 
He stood up then and pulled her up into his arms.  Framing her face with his
hands, he looked down into her eyes.  "I love you, Allie."  And with
that, he kissed her.  A long, seductive, sensual kiss.  One that held all of
his feelings, all of his dreams, and his heart.  And Allie kissed him back.

 
"Should I cancel the wedding today?" he asked quietly.  "Do you
want to go home, plan, have a church wedding with all the trimmings?"

 
Allie laughed.  "Oh hell no," she said immediately.  "I want to
marry you, go play blackjack in my wedding dress, and then come back here and
make love to my husband," she stated firmly.  "And you?  Would you
prefer to wait?"

 
"Oh hell no," he laughed in response.  "I want to marry you,
watch you win every hand at the card table, use your winnings to buy the best
champagne we can find, and then come back here and make love to my wife."

 
And Allie kissed her boss, and soon-to-be-husband on the cheek.  "I just
love it when we agree."