Seduction on the CEO's Terms (6 page)

While the exterior held the ambience of old times, the interior had been transformed into offices that represented the most modern and up-to-date technology and equipment
in the country. For all his old ways, Joe's father, Santo Carlino, had also been a forward thinker.

Joe headed past the reception area and aimed his way toward his office, stopping short as he approached Ali's outer office. He blinked his eyes then drew his brows together.

Ali sat at her desk, her gaze focused on her computer screen. Her auburn hair was drawn severely back and clasped at the nape of her neck with a band, and her face, free of makeup was adorned with plain, wire-rimmed eyeglasses. He approached with caution. “Ali?”

“Hi, Joe,” she said, barely casting him a glance. “Just catching up on work.”

He swallowed. “I didn't know you wore glasses.”

Ali stopped what she was doing to grant him a little smile. “My contacts were bothering me under the fluorescent lights. I think I need to see my eye doctor.” She shrugged. “It's just easier to wear glasses at work.” She tilted her head to one side. “Do you mind?”

“Mind?” Joe stepped back a half step. “No, of course not.” He pushed his own glasses farther up his nose. “I just didn't realize you wore them.”

Ali stood up and came around the desk. “I came in early to finish up those reports you'd asked for.” She handed them to him, and Joe noticed the diamond bracelet around her wrist.

His heart gladdened at the sight.

She wore no other jewelry but a pair of tiny heart-shaped gold earrings.

Joe took the files from her. The brush of her hand against his created an immediate spark. They stared at each other, their eyes behind their eyeglasses, locking. Then he scanned her body, taking in her soft pink knit sweater and straight-leg, gray slacks. Something was way off, and
it had little to do with the clothes she wore. Joe couldn't put a finger on it until his eyes ventured farther down her body to her feet.

She wore flats. Aside from the glasses and clothes being different, Joe realized he towered over her by three
extra
inches. “You're shorter today.” He hadn't meant to blurt that out.

Ali stifled a giggle. “That's what happens when I don't wear high heels.”

Joe smiled, reminded of the night he'd fixed her computer, after she'd come out of the shower. She'd been barefoot, but he hadn't noticed how he'd towered over her. He'd had other things to focus on then. In the workplace, though, it caught him off guard. “I guess so.”

“Anything else?” she asked.

“No, not at all.” Joe tapped the file against his other hand. “Thanks for this. There was no rush on it.”

Ali sat behind her desk. “It wasn't a problem. I came in early.”

Joe continued to stare. He couldn't help from peering at her mouth and remembering how her lips felt pressed up to his. The kisses they shared the other night couldn't be repeated, yet they'd stayed with him all weekend long. If he were honest with himself, he'd have to say the memory had haunted him.

He remembered holding her and pulling her against him, having her body pressed to his, his desire evident and obvious to both of them. He shoved that memory aside and instead recalled the joy he'd witnessed on her face when he'd given her the bracelet.

Putting it on her.

Seeing her green eyes sparkle as bright as those diamonds.

Feeling contentment that he'd made her happy.

“Joe,” Ali was saying, holding the phone to her ear. “You have a call, line two.”

“Oh,” he said, coming out of his reverie. “Thanks, I'll get it in my office.”

“Mr. Carlino will be right with you,” Ali said into the phone, and Joe strode to his office and closed the door.

The rest of the week had been pretty much the same. Joe found himself immersed in Ali. He stole glances at her whenever the mood struck, watched her talk on the phone or interact with other employees. She'd play with a rebellious lock of her upswept hair as she studied something on her computer screen, and Joe's methodical mind would wander to the land of Ali Pendrake.

“This is crazy,” he muttered to himself on Friday afternoon. He'd been avoiding spending more time with her than necessary, but he owed her. And Joe was a man of his word.

He shot up from his chair and walked over to her desk. She peered up at him over her glasses, and Joe thought she looked adorably sexy.

Don't go there, Carlino.

Those thoughts were exactly why he'd procrastinated all week long.

“Do you need something, Joe?”

“Ali, this is really short notice.”

“What is?” She looked puzzled and glanced at her watch. “If you need those invoices sooner, I'm on top of it. They're almost done.”

“No, it's not about invoices.” Joe scratched his head. “Do you have plans tomorrow?”

“Saturday? Well, nothing that can't be changed. I can come in if it's urgent.”

Joe shook his head and stared at the diamond bracelet
he'd given her. She'd worn it every day this week. “This isn't about work.”

She stopped what she was doing and took off her glasses. Her eyes were the prettiest shade of light jade. Joe leaned over her desk, bracing his hands on the edge. “I thought you might like to see some of the sights in Napa.”

Realization dawned, and Ali pursed her lips, drawing his attention there. Her mouth looked glossy and soft pink, kissable. He forced his attention back up to her eyes.

Ali drew in a breath, then sighed. “Joe, I know you don't want to do this.”

The disappointment registering on her face made him feel like a heel. He shouldn't have waited until the last minute. From the look in her eyes, he could tell she'd let him off the hook. Yet, suddenly, that's the last thing Joe wanted. “I do, Ali.”

“Because you owe me?” she asked softly.

“Because we made a deal, and I want to show you—”

“Show me?”

“Around. I'd like to show you around wine country. I've been checking out some places during the week that I thought you'd like to see.” The fib flowed easily through his lips.

“Really?”

Joe nodded. “Just tell me what time you can be ready.”

“I just need to make a phone call to cancel a lesson.”

“A lesson?”

She shook her head. “With Royce. He was going to teach me how to cook a—” Ali stopped in mid-sentence and made a slight gesture with her hand “—it's not important. He can show me another time.”

Royce again? Joe was glad he'd foiled her plans with
Royce. He felt no compunction whatsoever, and a sly smile curved his lips. “How strong are your legs?”

Ali snapped her eyes to him. “My legs? Pretty strong, I guess. Why?”

She worked out. Joe remembered the night she'd opened the door to him in her workout clothes, her body gleaming with moisture. He'd also seen her going into the on-site gym during her lunch hour. “We're going on a bike trip. It'll take the whole day and into the evening. Are you up for it?”

Ali's expression brightened, and for a second, he thought she'd jump out of her chair. Then she took a deep breath and sent him a sweet smile. “Yes. I'm up for it.”

“I'll pick you up at nine.”

“Do I need to bring anything in particular?”

Joe shook his head. “I've got it covered.”

Joe walked back to his office and sat behind his desk and waited until Ali left her desk. Then he called his friend from high school who ran the Napa Wine and Dine Bike Tour Company. “Hey, Benny. I'm calling in a favor. I need to arrange a private bike tour ASAP. Can I count on you?”

After his phone call with Benny, Joe leaned back, arms behind his head, and rocked in his leather seat, thinking about Ali and looking forward to spending the entire day with her.

An unexpected peace washed over him.

Joe bolted upright in his seat, coming to grips with what he was feeling for her.

Lust, Carlino, he told himself.

That's all it was.

He could deal with it.

He refused to admit it was anything more.

A
li spent Friday night floating on air. She'd had a dickens of a time restraining herself when Joe had approached her at the office about the bike tour. She'd wanted to jump for joy, but instead she'd kept a reasonable sense of decorum. She sensed that when Joe gave her the diamond bracelet it was his way of getting out of their deal, yet he'd surprised her with the offer.

Excited, Ali picked up the phone and dialed Rena's number. She had to share the news with someone. When Rena picked up, Ali greeted her in a rushed voice. “It's Ali. Guess what? I'm going out with Joe tomorrow!”

“Oh, Ali. That's wonderful. So is our little plan working?”

Ali's joy ebbed a little, reminded of the deception that she'd engaged in with Joe. If there was any other way to get Joe's attention she would have tried it, but she couldn't
look this gift horse in the mouth. “Apparently so. I'm so happy now that I could throw a party.”

“You already did, for me. And it was perfect, Ali. So tell me all about this date.”

Ali told her about the bike tour and then relayed the events of the past week and remarked that Rena had been right. Joe seemed to notice the more demure, subdued Ali more. At least, they'd been interacting on a personal level now.

Ali would do anything within her power to have her love returned by Joe, yet as she spoke with Rena, a thought wiggled into her subconscious that she wanted Joe to love her for herself—the woman she truly was.

Rena's bright voice broke into her thoughts. “I can't wait to see you in glasses, Ali. Nice touch.”

“You'd hardly recognize me, Rena.”

“You're beautiful with or without glasses, Ali. With or without flashy clothes. Joe will come to see this. Right now, you're giving him a very loud wake-up call.”

Ali immediately felt better. Rena was right again. She'd needed to change things up a little to get Joe to look at her as more than his devoted assistant. Who'd have thunk she'd needed a reverse makeover to achieve her goals.

Yet, Joe wasn't like most men. And that's what she loved about him.

“I guess you're right, Rena. I hadn't really thought about it that way. I'm glad I called you. I was about to burst outta my seams.”

Rena chuckled. “Hey, you're giving an old pregnant lady a thrill.”

“Glad to help. Now, if only I could get some sleep tonight.”

“Look who's talking about not sleeping. What if you had
twenty pounds of extra baby weight around your middle and no way to get comfortable.”

“I wish,” Ali said with longing.

Rena's tone sobered a minute. “You'll get there, Ali.”

“Will I?”

“Remember what I said about being patient.”

“I'm trying. But with every beat of my heart I want to jump Joe's bones and tell him how I feel.”

Rena laughed. “Your time will come. Have faith.”

“I do.”

After Ali finished her conversation with Rena, she felt much better. She poured herself a glass of milk and grabbed an organic oatmeal cookie Royce had brought over the other day.

She sat down on her sofa, propped her feet up and clicked on the television remote. She found her favorite cooking show, munched on the cookie and sipped milk, settling in for a relaxing evening.

Not five minutes into
The Rachel Ray Show,
breaking news flashed on the screen. Images of a yacht off the Florida waters appeared, and the newscaster's somber tone alerted Ali immediately—she recognized the yacht. She leaned forward and turned up the volume on the television.

“While Senator Rodney Holcomb and his family vacationed off the coast of Florida on his yacht, Harold Holcomb, the senator's younger brother, had what is alleged to be a heart attack. The senator acted quickly administering CPR, but it is unknown whether his attempts helped to save his brother's life. Harold Holcomb was airlifted to West Palm Beach Memorial Hospital, along with his wife. The senator will be making a statement in the morning….”

Ali bounded up from the sofa and reached for her phone, dialing her mother's number. Thoughts of their last conversation ran through her head.

We're fighting all the time.

He's so strong-willed. He never gives in.

Her mother married a powerful man, a man who was accustomed to making all the decisions. Justine wouldn't let him get away with bulldozing her. She needed to have a say-so in their lives. Originally, according to her mother, it was what Harold liked best about her. She'd always challenged him.

And what had Ali told her mother to do?

Take a vacation. Get away from their routine and daily life. Take a cruise and talk things out.

Apparently, that's what they'd been doing, trying to work out their differences, perhaps.

Her mother's cell phone rang and rang. Ali's nerves went raw. After the sixth ring, finally someone picked up. “Mom, Mom, is that you? Are you okay?”

“This is Judy Holcomb. Is this Ali?”

It was the senator's wife. “Yes, it's me, Judy. Where's my mother?” Ali couldn't keep the panic out of her voice.

“We're in West Palm Beach Memorial Hospital. Your mom's in with Harry. She's pretty shaken up.”

“And what about Harold? The news report said he had a heart attack.”

“Yes, they've confirmed it now. They are running tests.”

“I'm so sorry. Mom must be beside herself.”

“Well, yes. I won't lie to you. She's quite upset. It was a shock to all of us. We were having such a nice time after dinner. Harold and your mother were walking on deck, and she came running for help, crying that Harry had collapsed. We assumed it was a heart attack, and Rodney gave him CPR. We don't yet know the damage, if any, to his heart.”

“Oh, I pray he'll be all right. Thankfully your husband acted quickly.”

“That's what the doctors are saying. He may have saved Harry's life.”

“I should be there,” Ali said, thinking aloud.

Judy didn't hesitate to reply. “Ali, I've never seen your mother so frightened and nervous. I tried my best to calm her down. Perhaps you should come.”

“I'll take the red-eye. Please tell my mom that I'm on my way.”

“I will. I know she needs you, Ali,” Judy said. “She's trying to be so brave, but having you here would really help.”

“I should be there early in the morning.”

“I'll tell her you're coming. I think it's going to be a long night.”

For both of us, Ali thought. She hung up and made reservations at Sacramento International Airport. Then she packed an overnight bag. If she left right now, she'd have just enough time to make her flight.

 

Ali waited until she checked in for her flight before calling Joe. She'd almost forgotten about him and their weekend plans. She couldn't imagine having Joe show up at her door in the morning and realize he'd been stood up. It was either that or calling him at midnight.

He answered on the third ring. “Hello,” he grumbled, his voice raspy. It was clear that she'd woken him up. “Sorry to call so late, Joe.”

“Ali?”

“Yes, it's Ali. I'm at the airport. My stepfather had a heart attack. I'm on my way now to be with him and my mom.”

“Oh,” he said, his voice sounding more alert now. “Sorry to hear that.” He seemed a little confused.

“I'll be in Florida this weekend. Just wanted you to know in advance so you could cancel the bike tour for tomorrow. I'm sorry. I was really looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, I was, too,” he said. “But that can be rescheduled. You need to be with your family now, Ali.”

Ali's heart surged. She didn't have much family, and she hadn't had a great childhood, but she loved her mother, even with her flaws. And she knew that she needed to be by Justine's side now. “I hope to be back by Monday.”

“Don't worry about it. I can manage at the office without you for a few days,” he said, and then added, “barely. Take the time you need.”

Ali smiled for the first time since she'd seen that newscast on television tonight, and her mood lightened a bit. “Thank you, Joe.”

“Have a good flight. I'll see you when you get back.”

“Okay.”

Ali hung up the phone, and her good mood immediately vanished. Oh, how she wished Joe were here, lending comfort and holding her, telling her it was going to be all right. How she longed to hear him say he loved her. The bike tour would have been a means for them to get closer, to spend time together outside of work.

Then a distressing thought struck. Could this be an omen of some kind? Maybe the deception and her plans to entice Joe into noticing her were backfiring. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. After all, she was forcing every situation with Joe, and that's not how she normally operated.

Ali shoved those plaguing thoughts aside when she boarded the plane. She dozed during the flight, and before she knew it, she had arrived in West Palm Beach.

 

At precisely 9:00 a.m. Ali walked into the hospital, eager now to see her mother and praying that Harold had held on during the night.

“Ali!” Her mother dashed across the waiting room when she spotted her, tears flowing down her cheeks. Ali feared the worst.

When her mother reached her, she wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. “I'm so glad you're here.”

“I am, too, Mom. How's Harold?”

Justine began crying again, and Ali walked her over to a bench seat and guided her down. Ali sat next to her and offered her a tissue. “He's holding on. I'm to blame for this. His heart attack is all my fault, Ali.”

Ali's mother broke down, crying so hard, Ali had to hold her as if she were a baby. She cradled her in her arms and held her, rocking her back and forth. “No, Mom, it's not your fault. It's not.”

“We were always arguing,” she said between sobs. “I wouldn't give in.”

“But that means he wouldn't give in either, right?”

“Right, but what if I caused this? What if…he dies? Oh, Ali. I couldn't live with myself.”

Now was not the time for blame, and Ali understood that. “Let's hope he survives this, Mom. Then you both will have to change your ways. But let's not think about that. Let's focus our energy on Harold getting better.”

“I just wanted him to slow down,” her mother said quietly, her voice drifting. “We're not getting any younger, and I wanted him to stop working so much. He needed a vacation. We both did. It was the best advice, Ali. I finally got him to go on that cruise and we were having—” she stopped to take a breath and dab at her eyes with the tissue
“—we were having such a lovely time. We hadn't argued once on the yacht. Then all of a sudden, he collapsed, right there on the deck, and I thought he'd died.”

“You got him help quickly. The senator might have saved his life.”

Justine looked at her with soulful eyes. “I've been praying so hard for him, Ali. Lord, I love him so much.”

Ali had never seen her mother react this way. Justine had always been indulged. Her husbands had spoiled her, and she'd relished their attention and gifts. In some ways, her mother had been selfish and self-indulgent.

But Justine Holcomb was a different woman now. Ali saw the truth in her eyes and heard the sincerity in her tone. Her mother had finally and fully fallen in love.

Ali's heart ached thinking her mom might lose Harold now, after she'd found the right man to share her life with. It had taken her five tries to do it and all those years of searching. Ali was convinced that her mother would fall apart if she lost her husband.

Though Ali would never want to walk in her shoes, she believed her mother was ultimately a good person. She refused to believe any of the hushed rumors that Justine was a gold digger.

She shuddered at the thought. It was such an ugly label.

“Mom, let's go grab a cup of coffee. I'm operating on a few hours' sleep.”

Her mom nodded and they rose, Justine taking one quick look at the critical care room where Harold rested.

“C'mon, Mom. He's not alone. And I bet you've been in there all night with him. Let's get you some breakfast.”

 

On Saturday, Joe rose early and swam his usual one hundred laps in the pool. He ate a breakfast of cooked oats,
toast, eggs and orange juice on the patio then showered and dressed. Glancing at his watch, seeing the time approach when he would have been picking up Ali for their bike tour, disappointment registered.

He admitted how much he'd been looking forward to spending the day with her. He wondered how she was faring, taking the red-eye and flying across the continent in the middle of the night, not knowing what she'd find when she arrived. He realized he didn't really know much about Ali's family life. He'd never asked. Had she been close to her stepfather? How would she handle it if the worst happened?

Joe hoped, for Ali's sake, that she wouldn't have to deal with any loss. Having lost his mother and father, he knew firsthand about grieving and heartache.

He didn't want Ali to go through that alone.

Joe drove to the office and finished up some work he'd had to do. “Busy work,” he muttered, staring at his computer screen after he'd accomplished his goal in thirty minutes.

He felt at loose ends today with thoughts of Ali never far from his mind. But Joe was resolute, if anything. His vow to keep his distance and not get involved with her was imperative to his sense of well-being. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He'd glanced at the phone a half dozen times since walking into his office, tempted to call her.

But wouldn't she read something more into that than he intended?

When his phone rang, Joe's heart sped up. He grabbed his iPhone and quickly saw Tony's image pop up on the screen. He felt a measure of disappointment and almost laughed aloud at how ridiculous that was. Had he really
thought Ali would call him? She'd barely been gone twelve hours.