The Billionaire's Secretive Enchantress (The Berutelli Escape) (9 page)

She could actually feel his smile without turning to look at him.  “I don’t believe you.  Let me watch you put your slacks on tomorrow morning,” he said with another one of those sexy laughs. 

She wished she was one of those people who had a pithy comeback for whatever was said.  But she was more math oriented and the humor bone had been forgotten when God made her.  So she sat in the ultra-luxurious seat, fuming at his wit.  She sighed with relief when he turned down the street where her apartment was.  “I don’t think I like just anyone being able to read my personnel file. Those records are for management.  They’re supposed to be private.”

He chuckled as he turned into her parking lot.  “I think yo
u’re forgetting that I’m now your management.”

She gritted her teeth to keep herself from responding.  “Thank you again for dinner,” she said
when he turned the corner into her parking lot.

He pulled into a parking space near her building and turned off the engine.  When she started to reach for the door handle, he stopped her with his strong hand on her forearm.  She turned back to him, wanting to just jump out of the car, but something in his tone stopped her, made her listen. 
“Sierra, just a head’s up that you’ll be working on a special project starting tomorrow.”

That captured her attention
and her hand on the door froze.  “What kind of special project?”  She was both wary and alert, trying to read the truth in his eyes through the darkness.  She shook her head suddenly.  “It doesn’t matter.  I have too many projects right now.  I mentioned this earlier today.  I can’t take on anything else.”  She remembered her manners and forced a smile.  “Thank you for the opportunity though,” she said, even though she had no idea what the opportunity was.

He ignored her
rejection of the new project and continued on as if she hadn’t said anything at all.  “Come to Todd’s office tomorrow morning at nine.  Everything will be explained to you.”

She sighed with relief.  Todd’s office was safe.  She didn’t need to be wary of having to speak with this man tomorrow.  “I’ll be there.  Thank you.”

As she quickly left his car, completely aware that he was watching her while she walked into her building, Sierra wondered what the special project might be.  But she resisted the urge to turn around and ask him.  She didn’t want to give him any encouragement.  The man was confident enough as it was and she’d just told him unequivocally that she wouldn’t have the bandwidth to take on any new projects at this point. 

She didn’t sleep well that night, her mind going over the conversation with
Drake during dinner, wondering how she could have gotten so wrapped up in both the laughter as well as the ever increasing sexual tension and had such a nice evening.  Well, except for the moments when he was being irritating, that is.  And the times when he’d kissed her.  She definitely hadn’t enjoyed those moments. 

She punched her pillow
and glared out the darkened window.  She was lying again.  It was one thing to lie to him because she told herself she was protecting him.  But even that was a lie.  She was protecting herself.  She was protecting her job. 

She sighed, feeling sad all of a sudden.  She didn’t know what to do or how to deal with this man.  For the first time in a very long time, her future was unclear in her mind. 

She tossed and turned that night, staring at the ceiling for hours until she finally went into her kitchen to get a cup of warm milk.  That put her to sleep, but because she was so exhausted from a rough night, she didn’t wake up with enough time to get ready. 

There was a text on her cell phone from the very man that had invaded her dreams last night, informing her that he’d arranged to have her car delivered to her apartment.  And even at such a thoughtful gesture, she refused to give him points for being considerate.  If he hadn’t forced her to dinner, she wouldn’t have left her car at the office. 

Good grief, she thought s she pushed herself to move faster.  She was even being petty now! 

Mentally reviewing her schedule
while she jumped into the shower, she knew that she didn’t have any clients today, nor any meetings that would put her in the hallways too often.  So instead of the normal, stiff business suit she wore to the office, she pulled out a pair of black slacks and a soft, pink sweater.  It was much more comfortable and, hopefully, she could get more work done today.  She didn’t even bother to pull her hair back, just blow drying it straight and letting it hang over her shoulders and down her back.  It felt good to be so free and she chose flowery shoes that would match her pink sweater.  Feeling pretty and courageous, she grabbed her purse and headed out into the day.  She was pretty sure she wouldn’t run into one outrageous, gorgeous and sexually enticing male, but if she did, she felt better prepared today. 

As she drove into the office, only a little later than normal, her mind went over different ways she could avoid
Drake if he actually showed up in the office.  She doubted he would be there.  She knew that the man had massive construction projects all over the world.  So he definitely didn’t have the time to schmooze with all the little people two days in a row. 

It worried her that the acquisition might force them all to move
to a different city.  She loved the Denver area and would fight to stay here if that was possible.  But if it was a non-starter, if Harrison Holdings was going to move everyone to their headquarters in Chicago, she would just resign and find another job.  She definitely couldn’t move back to Chicago.  Too many people knew who she was and she didn’t want any connection to her old life.  She’d created a new one and she much preferred this one to the life her father had created around his criminal enterprises. 

Maybe she could go out on her own. 
If Drake wanted to move everyone to Chicago, would she have the courage to start her own architectural design firm here in Denver?  The thought was enticing but could she afford it?  What would she really need to get started?  Besides clients, that is.  A website, definitely.  But her sister Marissa was a genius at that.  So no problems there.  What else would be needed besides office furniture and an advertising budget?  She wasn’t exactly sure what she had in her bank account, but surely it wouldn’t require too much up front money to get started.  And if it kept her away from one gorgeous, dangerous male that scared the heejeebees out of her, wasn’t it worth it? 

She was lost in thought as she walked into the office, smiling absently at Belinda, the receptionist
, who always had a bright, happy smile for everyone that came through the doors. 

When she reached her office, she saw the note attached to the middle of her current work project.  It was written in a bold scrawl and just reminded her of the nine o’clock appointment with Todd.  Somethi
ng inside of her started to get that funny feeling again as she read and re-read the words on the note.  No matter how many times she tried to rationalize the message, she knew with certainty that it had been personally written and placed here by Drake. 

He was getting around her forgetfulness about reading her e-mail messages.  Drat the man!  Why was he always one step ahead of her?

She glanced at her watch as she stored her purse in her desk drawer.  Glancing at her watch, she knew she didn’t have much time because of her sleepless night and her late arrival.  So instead of sitting down and going through her projects one more time, she crumpled the note, tossed it in the recycling bin and grabbed her notebook so she could head down the hallway towards Todd’s office.  She would get there a bit earlier than needed, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on something for a short period of time, knowing she’d have to stop in only a few minutes. 

She stood outside the closed door, leaning her head against the wood and
mentally bracing herself for a confrontation with Drake.  What outrageous thing would he suggest today?  Would he…she simply didn’t know what that man would do.  She thought about him in the hospital bed six years ago, holding his hand and watching his chest, willing him to breathe, praying almost non-stop that he would survive and recover well enough to have a good life.  It meant that her father hadn’t won, at least in this instance.

If her father were still alive, he would be furious to
learn that the man was even more buff now than he was back then.  Why had her father even beaten Drake?  What had been the reason?  Of course, her father was so horrible, he might not have a reason for his brutality, but she hoped that he had some sort of reasoning and it hadn’t just been for amusement. 

“Any chance you might share?”

Sierra jumped, spinning around and almost tripping over her own feet.  Drake reached out and easily steadied her before she made a fool of herself and Sierra vehemently wished she didn’t react this way whenever he was around.  This was the third time he’d surprised her and she was really becoming irritated with the problem.  Why was she so jumpy?  What was it about his deep, gravelly voice that just…did something to her?

“Why do you have to sneak up on me like that?” she growled angrily, trying to move out of his arms but he held her still as he looked down into her angry, blue eyes. 

“What were you smiling about?” he asked, standing very close, his hands still on her waist and his large hands conveying his heat even through her pink sweater. 

She looked confused with his sudden closeness.  She’d been mentally girding herself to see him so his sudden presence and his intimate closeness surprised her.  Even the way his body was so large caused her breath to catch in her throat.  His height and the breadth of his shoulders blocked out almost all the light as well as the other people who might be passing by.  It was as if they were in their own world, completely private and sensuously intimate. 

“I wasn’t really smiling,” she whispered.  She cleared her throat.  “I have that meeting you reminded me about.”

He smiled slightly, his eyes dropping down to her lips.  “See?  I’m already starting to learn your secrets.”

She blinked, confused by his statement.  “What secret?” her heart panicked.  Please don’t let him make the connection!  It suddenly occurred to her that, maybe if he knew who her father was, he would be so repulsed he would leave her alone.  Then these confusing feelings that continued to swamp her every time she was near him would go away and she could get on with her life.  He wouldn’t want to touch her if he knew who her father was. 

He looked at her with concern
and curiosity.  “Why does the idea of me discovering your secrets terrify you so much?” he asked softly, his long finger sliding gently down her cheek.  “You’re not a criminal, are you?” he asked with a teasing grin.

She grabbed his finger, her whole body shaking at how close he’d come.  It didn’t matter that they’d known each other for less than twenty-four hours.  The man was already closer to her, impacted her senses more than any other man she’d ever dated.  She was twenty-four years old and had never been near a man who could make her feel anything so intensely as this man. 

Oh why couldn’t it have been someone else?  Someone she didn’t fear!  Someone who wouldn’t hate her when he learned the truth of her past. 

She blinked and stepped to the side.  Why was she even thinking that?  She didn’t like this man!  He was arrogant and irritating.  And he always invaded her space, making her feel small and…delicate!  She wasn’t ever delicate!  She was strong and capable.  She’d had to be in order to survive in her father’s household.  She and her sister were tough!  Definitely not delicate. 

“You never know if I’m a criminal. I could be.”  She said it as her chin went out.  Daring him. 

He laughed
outright at the idea.  “You’re not a criminal,” he countered, looking her up and down.  “You’re too cute.”

Sierra knew too well that
a sociopath could easily come across as charming and even normal.  Her father was one of those people.  He would order someone’s death without a second thought and go about his day as if he’d just decided on spaghetti instead of lasagna for dinner.  “So I’m a regular Bonnie Parker. What can I say?”

He laughed and bent even lower.  “Can I be your Clyde Barrow?  Minus all the killings, robberies and mayhem, of course.”

She blushed, knowing that Bonnie and Clyde had a torrid love affair until they were both shot during an ambush.  “I don’t think we have the right personalities.”  She bowed her head so he couldn’t see her blush.

He cocked his head to the side.  “We definitely have the spark.  Let’s just take a go at it,” he suggested.

She wasn’t sure how to handle that since all she wanted to do was reach up and touch the dark part of his jaw, the part that looked like it still had a bit of stubble to it despite the use of a good razor only hours ago.  “I have that meeting,” she whispered, unable to make her voice stronger.  “I really have to go now.” 

He didn’t move away immediately
, his eyes looking down at her and she suspected that he could read her mind, knew that she was both irritated and excited.  “So you do,” he finally said.  With that, he stepped back and gave her space, his hands in his pockets as he watched her take a deep breath and knock on Todd’s door. 

“You can go on inside,”
Drake said from behind her.