Seduction on the CEO's Terms (2 page)

Joe hung up the phone and shook his head.

Ali came in then, holding a calendar in her hands. “Joe, I think we'd better set a date for the wedding reception.”

Ali's darn blouse had slipped down again, and it was all he could do to keep from staring at her soft shoulder. She had such beautiful creamy skin. He'd have to be blind not to notice.

Every day with Ali was a fashion extravaganza. Today she looked like a gypsy princess—a very sexy, approachable
one. He'd never noticed her style much in New York, but now, Nick and Tony's prodding was making it hard for him to
keep
from noticing her.

But the more he noticed, the more he was determined to keep her off-limits. She wasn't his type of woman anyway. She reminded him too much of Sheila with her quick wit, flamboyant nature and sense of adventure. He'd been playing with fire in his office relationship with Sheila, and he wasn't about to jump back into the flames anytime soon. A broken engagement and being left for a flashy billionaire wasn't his idea of a good time. Joe had been smacked down by that betrayal, and he had no intention of bounding up on the ten count to take another knockout punch.

“I think that's a good idea. Sit down, and we'll go over some dates. Then I'll check with Tony to make sure it'll work for them.”

“I'm already on it. I just spoke with Rena. She's coming into town today, and we're having lunch. I'll cross-check the dates with her once you and I come up with something feasible.”

Joe smiled and leaned back in his seat. He wasn't sorry he'd asked Ali to come work for him. Time and again, she'd proven to him that hiring her was the smartest thing he'd ever done. “I'm glad you took me up on my offer to come to Napa, Ali.”

Ali's jade-green eyes lit up. “You are?”

“Yeah, you're in line for employee of the year.”

Ali's gaze dropped to the calendar in her hands. “How nice.”

Joe drew his brows together. Ali wasn't thrilled with his pronouncement. Somehow he'd disappointed her, but
he couldn't figure out how. If anyone understood an honest work ethic, it was Ali Pendrake.

He thought she'd be happy that he'd recognized her many capabilities.

 

Rena Carlino was beautifully pregnant. The minute she walked into the office, Ali noticed the bright beam of happiness on her face and the lightness in her step despite sporting a rounded belly.

From all she'd gathered from Joe, Rena hadn't had an easy life and Tony had caused most of her trouble. The former race car champion had left Rena in the dust years ago to pursue his dream of racing stock cars. Jilted and heartbroken, Rena had married David Montgomery, Tony's best friend. She'd come to blame Tony for David's untimely death, faulting him for her heartache and the terrible things done to ruin her family's winery.

But when Tony returned to Napa twelve years later and honored the vow he made to Rena's dying husband to marry his pregnant wife, their rocky road had smoothed out. To his credit, Tony had come through in the end. Now, Tony loved both mother-to-be and baby and the evidence of that love beamed in Rena's eyes.

“Hi, Ali.”

Ali stood and smiled. “Hi.” She walked around the desk to embrace Rena. “You look fabulous.”

Rena rubbed her belly and grinned. “Thank you. Most days, I'd disagree with you. But I made an extra effort today, since I was meeting you for lunch.”

“I don't believe that for a minute.”

“Oh, believe it. I feel
fine,
it's just that I'm moving so much slower these days. I'm used to doing a lot of work. I was always up early, working hard at the winery, but now
things have slowed down. It's to be expected. And Tony is so protective that he won't let me lift anything heavier than my purse.”

Ali chuckled, and a slight wave of envy coursed through her system. Tony adored Rena, and Ali wondered when her time would come to feel that same sort of love from a man. “I hear the baby's healthy as a horse.”

“Yes, and I plan to keep it that way. Did you hear we're having a boy?”

“Oh Lord, love him. Another male Carlino in the world? I feel sorry for the next generation of baby girls.”

Rena grinned. “I know what you mean. The Carlino men are a handful. I guess I'll have my work cut out for me.”

Ali really admired Rena. She'd been given a lot to deal with lately, and she'd taken it all in stride. She'd finally come to accept the role as Tony's wife without giving up her own dream of saving her family's legacy, Purple Fields Winery. But even more amazing was that she'd forgiven Tony for all the hurt he'd caused and accepted him as the father of her child.

Ali grabbed her knockoff Gucci handbag and her briefcase. “Excuse me a second. I'll just let Joe know we're leaving for lunch.” Ali turned and bumped smack into Joe, stepping on his toes and bumping heads. “Oh!”

Joe grabbed her arms to steady her, his touch sending lightning bolts straight through her. She was so close to him that their breaths mingled. The subtle scent of Hugo cologne was heaven to her senses.

“Are you okay?” he asked with concern.

Ali stared at him and nodded. “I didn't see you. That's what you get for sneaking up on me.”

“I wasn't sneak—” But he stopped when he noticed her smile.

“I'm fine, Joe,” she said. “You?”

Joe straightened. For a computer whiz, Joe didn't have an ounce of jelly on his body. He was granite hard, but rather than speculate, Ali would like firsthand knowledge.
If only…

Joe dropped his hands from her arms, blinked and then took a step back. “I'll let you know if I develop a headache later.”

“I'm really sorr—” Then Ali stopped when she realized Joe was joking, something he rarely did.

He walked around her to give Rena a hug. “Hi, sister-in-law. How's my brother treating you?”

Rena sighed. “Like a queen. I've got no complaints, Joe. And I can't thank both of you enough for taking on the wedding details. I'm afraid with all the construction we're doing to the house now it's a bit much for Tony and me.”

“No problem,” Joe said. “With Ali's help, it should run like clockwork.” Joe glanced her way, and her heart did a little flip.

“You're welcome to join us for lunch, Joe,” Rena said, “but I'll warn you, we'll be talking wedding and baby, and there's no getting around it.”

Fear entered his eyes for a moment. “I'll leave you two to hash out the details. Once you have a plan, then I'll chime in. Thanks, anyway.”

“Sure, Joe.” Rena glanced at Ali and they both giggled.

“What's so funny?”

“Having three root canals without anesthesia sounds better to you than having lunch with us today. Admit it, boss.”

Joe shrugged his shoulders in feigned innocence, which made him look sexier than all get-out. “Have a nice lunch, ladies.”

They bid him farewell, and twenty minutes later after a nice walk along the main street of town, they were seated at an outside café that served sandwiches, salads and specialty coffees.

Ali ordered a double vanilla latte, while Rena opted for a glass of cranberry juice. They sipped their drinks while waiting for the salads they'd ordered.

“So how do you like Napa?” Rena asked.

“From what I can tell, I like it. It's a far cry from New York.”

“Did you grow up there?”

She shook her head. “Heavens, no. I'm a southern gal from Oklahoma originally. My mama and daddy divorced when I was just a kid. Seems Mama wanted a better life for us, and Daddy just wasn't up for the task. She was Miss Oklahoma after all and figured she deserved better than a man who worked for the county as a deputy sheriff. As soon as she could, she moved us to the East Coast. I grew up in a string of big cities from Boston to New York. We never really settled anywhere for long.”

“Sounds like you had it tough as a kid.”

She shrugged. “It is what it is. I still keep in touch with my dad. He's remarried now and perfectly happy and still working in law enforcement.”

“And your mom? Do you see her?”

“We see each other whenever we can.” Ali wouldn't tell Rena her mother was on husband number five now. Ali had been bounced around from one household to another, from city to city, her mother never finding satisfaction in the men she married. She'd always wanted to elevate herself and thought money and power would be the ticket. Now, she was married to a millionaire attorney with political ties. “My mama leads a very busy social life.” Ali shook
her head and shuddered. “That life's not for me. So yeah, Napa's a nice change of pace.”

“I wondered why you'd agree to uproot your life to work here…for Joe.” Rena's brows raised, and her blue eyes beamed with clarity. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

Ali nodded.

“Are you and Joe…”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Really?” Rena sounded truly puzzled. “Because I swear, I thought I saw sparks between you two at the office.”

“That's just me being me. Joe isn't interested.”

Rena opened her mouth to reply but then clammed up.

“Were you going to say something?”

Rena stared at her for a moment. “No, it's not my place.”

Darn it. “I understand,” Ali said.

Ali opened her briefcase and took out her calendar. “Shall we set a date for the big occasion?”

“Sure,” Rena said, and leaned over to glance at the calendar.

They settled on a Saturday three weeks away. The celebration would be held on the Carlino estate, the renewal of vows under an arbor of flowers in the backyard and the reception on the grounds.

“I'm doing this for Tony,” Rena said. “For years, I wouldn't step foot on Carlino land. This is one way for me to show Tony that I've truly let the past go.”

“You're very lucky to have this second chance, Rena.” Ali cast her a small smile, suddenly feeling that life was passing her by.

Rena reached over and took her hand. “If I've learned one thing about life it's that you've got to make the best out
of every moment and go after what you want.” She lowered her voice. “If you have a goal in mind, don't let anything stop you.”

Ali blinked. It was a lightbulb moment for her. She'd never been a quitter. Joe Carlino had enticed her to come to Napa, and she'd jumped at the chance because she cared about him. Ali wasn't one to wait around for things to happen.

If Joe needed a little push, then Ali wouldn't mind giving her sexy employer a shove in the right direction.

A
s soon as Ali opened her front door, Joe realized his mistake in coming to her apartment tonight.

“Hi, Joe.” She beamed him a smile. “I can't thank you enough for coming by. I'm in computer hell at the moment. Your timing is perfect, I just finished my Pilates workout.” He'd
noticed.
She wore spandex, a tight midriff top that pushed her cleavage to its limits and black pants that hugged her tiny waist. A glittering sheen of moisture coated her exposed skin.

Damn Nick and his constant jabbing. Joe didn't want to notice Ali as anything but his assistant. Feeling beholden to help when she'd complained about her computer problems today, he'd offered to stop by to look at it. “Happy to help out, Ali.”

She stepped aside to let him in as she sipped from an Arrowhead water bottle. “I don't know what happened to
it. Like I explained at the office, it just froze up on me. But I'm glad you came by anyway. You've never seen my apartment.”

“River Ridge has a great reputation,” Joe said. He'd gone out of his way to find her a good location that suited her when she'd accepted the job.

“It's a great place. I've always wanted a fireplace. I love the view from my living room window, too. Come take a look,” she offered, and walked over to a wide picture window overlooking a garden setting. “There's a little pond out there. Can you see it?”

Joe stepped beside her and gazed out the window, indulging her. He'd made sure she'd gotten an apartment with the best view. He'd checked out this apartment before Ali had moved in. Adjusting the glasses on his nose, he narrowed his eyes. “I see two ducks splashing around.”

“Let me see,” Ali said, brushing up against him. “Oh, how sweet.”

Her joy at such a little pleasure touched him. Joe stepped away from the window. “Different from living in New York, isn't it?”

“That's an understatement,” she said with a groan. Then she sipped her water again. “Well, I'd better get showered and changed. I'll show you my computer, and maybe you can work your magic while I'm cleaning up. Can I get you anything?”

Joe kept his focus on her face and shook his head. “No, I'm good.” He wouldn't allow his mind to conjure up images of her showering.

“Okay, then follow me.” She walked down a short hall way. “This is my bedroom,” she said, pointing and continuing to move.

Joe caught a glimpse of soft yellow hues, a large inviting bed and mismatched furniture that somehow looked
perfect together. A fresh scent of lavender emanated from the room.

He followed her into a smaller bedroom down the hall. “I haven't fixed it up yet. It's sort of my office, slash, junk room, slash, guest room.”

Joe scanned the room. “It's not very messy.”

“You haven't seen what's stashed in the closet.” She grinned.

“Shoved everything in there, did you?”

“
And
under the bed.”

“All this to impress me?”

“Well, I didn't want you to see how unorganized this room is. I have a rep to protect, you know.”

Joe shook his head in amusement.

“Okay, boss. I'll get out of your hair now. Just twitch your nose and fix the darn thing.”

“I'll try.”

Ali turned to exit the room and offered as a parting shot, “If you can't fix it, nobody can.”

Joe grinned. He appreciated the compliment. Joe was good with computers and had been fascinated with them since he was a young boy. While all the other kids were involved in sports or getting into mischief, Joe stayed at home, learning the intricacies of the newest form of technology. He'd never felt he'd missed out on his childhood, though his father would often look in on him in his bedroom and frown.

Fifteen minutes later with the computer problem solved, Joe strode out of the office/junk room/guest room and walked down the hallway, passing Ali's bedroom. The door was closed, the shower had stopped and a vision of Ali towel-drying her naked body entered his mind.

His will of iron allowed him only two seconds to enjoy that image before he proceeded to the living room. He
sat down on the sofa, picked up a
People
magazine then flipped through the pages. When the doorbell rang, Joe stood, glancing at Ali's room down the hallway.

“Ali,” a male voice carried through the doorway. “It's Royce. And I have something for you I think you're going to like.”

Joe stared at the door for a moment. When Ali didn't come out of her room to answer it, Joe walked over and yanked the door open.

A man wearing oven mitts holding a casserole dish raised his eyebrows. “Sorry, I didn't know Ali had company. I'm Royce.”

“Joe.”

The shaggy blond-haired Brad Pitt lookalike didn't seem happy to find Joe in Ali's apartment. And Joe didn't make it easy on him.

“I'm Ali's neighbor.”

Joe nodded.

“I brought her my newest creation. Ali tests out some of my meals for me.”

Joe narrowed his eyes. “Hold on. I'll get Ali.”

“I'm here,” Ali said, coming into the room dressed in jeans and a white knit top, still towel-drying her gorgeous auburn hair. As she whizzed by him, he caught the scent of fresh citrus. “Oh, hi, Royce. What did you bring me this time?”

Royce seemed relieved to see her. “Champagne chicken with a touch of cognac.”

“Yum. Smells great. Come in and set it down on the stove. Joe, this is Royce, my neighbor. He's a chef at Cordial Contessa. Royce, this is my…uh, Joe.”

“We've just met,” Joe said, watching how Royce's gaze fixed on Ali. “Ali works for me at Carlino Wines,” Joe said.

Ali furrowed her brows and stared at the two of them. “Well, thanks, Royce. I'll give you my review of your latest creation tomorrow. Unless you want to join us?”

“Join you? What are you two doing?”

Ali looked his way. “Joe's a computer genius. He's fixing my senior-citizen computer. Poor thing is on its last legs.”

“
Fixed
your computer,” Joe corrected.

“You fixed it already?” Ali's eyes lit up, and Joe took immense satisfaction in her reaction. “There, you see,” she turned to Royce. “He
is
a genius.”

Ali returned her attention to Joe, her green eyes round and bright. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem. Your computer has a lot of life left in it. You just need to upgrade a few things.” Joe took the list he'd jotted down out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Ali's smile faded when she glanced at the items he'd listed. “Okay.”

Joe gently grabbed the list from her hand. “You know what, I'll take care of it for you.”

“Really? But you've already—”

“It's not a problem, Ali. Consider it payback for helping me with the wedding.”

“The wedding?” Royce interrupted, casting Ali a curious look.

“Joe's brother is getting married, and he needs a little help with the planning.”

“Is that part of your job description?” Royce asked with a disingenuous smile, directing his attention solely to Ali.

“She's doing this off-the-clock, as a favor to me. Not that it's any of your business,” Joe said.

Ali intervened, appearing a little nervous. “I'm happy
to do it. I love planning fun events. I know parties the way Joe knows computers.”

Joe met Royce with a hard stare. Who the hell was this guy anyway? Why was he so damn protective of Ali? He tested Joe's even-keeled temper in the span of just a few minutes.

Ali placed her hand on Royce's arm and guided him toward the door. “Thanks for the champagne chicken, Royce.”

“Anytime, Ali,” he said. “Let me know what you think.”

“I will,” she said, closing the door behind him.

Joe walked up to her. “Is he your boyfriend?”

Ali shook her head. “No.”

“Gay?”

She laughed. “Hardly.”

From her laughter and the surprised expression on her face, Joe surmised Royce had ulterior motives for bringing Ali his latest culinary creation.

“I think he's just a little protective of me.”

“You think?” Joe asked between tight lips.

She shrugged. “I've confided in him about some things in my past, and well now, I think I shouldn't have.”

What sort of things? Joe had been work-close to Ali, but they'd never confided in personal matters before. He felt a twinge of jealousy that shouldn't be. But still, it gnawed at him all the same.

“He's interested in you, Ali,” Joe said with blunt honesty.

“I've made it clear that we're just friends.”

Hell, men never took that “just friends” garbage seriously. If they were interested in a woman, eventually it would come out.

Ali walked over to him and stared straight into his eyes.
Her fresh scent surrounded him. Her hair had dried in curls around her pretty face. She glanced at his mouth, and Joe had a difficult time keeping his focus. If she made another move toward him, he didn't think he'd stop her. And that could spell disaster.

He reminded himself that office romances never worked out. An image of Sheila flashed in his mind. He and his bright, feisty, flamboyant onetime fiancée were complete opposites. It had taken months to realize that marrying her would have been a big mistake.

“Can we forget about Royce?” Ali asked. “We have work to do on the wedding.”

“Right, the wedding.” Joe pushed his glasses farther up his nose and nodded. “Royce who?”

 

Ali went to bed that night thinking of Joe. For once, she noticed a chink in his armor. He'd actually seemed perturbed with Royce showing up. She could only find a bit of hope in that.

Royce had offered friendship when she'd first moved into River Ridge. He'd helped her settle in and was always around if she'd needed anything. After a couple of weeks, he began asking her out, but Ali had always made it clear that she wasn't looking for a relationship.

Royce had backed off and offered his understanding. He'd been so compassionate, and one night over a bottle of zin and his delicious shrimp scampi à la Contessa, Ali had confided in him about her past history. She'd explained about her tumultuous childhood with her mother and her latest office fiasco with her employer, Dwayne Hicks, a man who'd hired her under false pretenses, pursuing her sexually and giving her grief at the office because she'd denied him.

She'd filed harassment charges against him, and the
whole ordeal had left her somewhat scarred. No matter the right or wrong of it, lawsuits against employers didn't build great resumes.

That's why working for Joe Carlino had appealed to her. He'd been flawless as a boss and seemed to have no other agenda. Working alongside him, her feelings had grown out of respect and admiration.

Ali snuggled deeper into her bed. Joe was becoming more and more important in her life. Instead of fearing those feelings, she welcomed them with her whole heart. He was the only man on her radar, and she wished they'd met outside of the office environment. They'd had a strictly professional working relationship. Until he'd kissed her at the airport, Ali held no hope for a relationship with him. But after that kiss—and if she'd read his jealousy right tonight—all was not lost.

 

The sun shone warm and bright into her apartment when Ali rose from bed the next morning. The Napa news report called for record-high temperatures today. With that in mind, Ali slipped on a sleeveless white eyelet sundress, tied it at the waist with a red leather belt, added beaded red jewelry around her neck and wrists and tucked her feet into matching three-inch sandals.

After a quick slurp of orange juice, Ali set out for the Carlino estate for her morning meeting with Joe. If she was going to plan a renewal of vows and a reception at the estate, she needed to see the house and grounds. When she'd come up with the idea last night, Joe hadn't balked. Always logical, Joe saw the value in her visit.

After being buzzed inside the gates, Ali drove up the stone driveway and parked the car. The estate and well-groomed grounds were massive, and the colorful
rolling vineyards beyond lent a beautiful backdrop for the house.

A housekeeper named Carlotta met her outside the arched Mediterranean-style breezeway and showed her inside the house. She found herself face-to-face with Nick Carlino, who'd just descended the stairs. “Hey, Ali.”

“Hi, Nick.”

“You're here early. Joe said you'd be coming over for a meeting.” He cast her an assessing look. “You look beautiful today.”

“Thank you.”

“What's the meeting about?” he asked.

“We're going over plans for the wedding before our real workday begins.”

“Joe would be lost without you.” He eased into a smile. “He really relies on you, doesn't he?”

“I guess so.”

“He's always singing your praises to anyone who's willing to listen.”

“And is that all he says about me?” The question slipped out much to her surprise “Sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that.”

“No need to apologize. As far as I'm concerned, Joe's got rocks in his head.” Nick winked. “Come on, I'll take you to him.”

Nick led her outside to a covered stone deck overlooking a swimming pool that blended into the landscape so well it appeared born of the earth rather than man-made.

“Joe does laps in the pool every day. Clears his mind for all the numbers he crunches,” Nick explained.

Ali spotted Joe gliding through the pool. Sleek and well-muscled, Joe dipped in and out of the smooth blue waters, and Ali's heart swelled.

“Hey, Joe. You have company,” Nick called out. He
turned to Ali. “Unfortunately, I've got a plane to catch. Thanks for helping Joe out. He needs it.” Again, Nick winked, and before he turned to walk away, he offered one last parting comment. “Just so you know, my brother isn't as noble as he seems.”