“How many men have you kissed, Liv?”

“Enough. Ask anyone.” The pulse in her throat fluttered frantically. “Unlike you, I don’t have a reputation for not being much in the kissing department.”

That was a semi-desperate attempt to create a diversion, but Brady was intrigued, in the mood to push the advantage. And he couldn’t stop looking at her mouth.

“I’ve never had any complaints about my technique. You shouldn’t believe rumors.”

“That’s hard to do without any contradicting data …” She shrugged, but it was uneasy, not the nonchalant gesture she was going for.

“Well, then, with my reputation on the line, I feel obligated to provide you with the necessary information to prove myself.”

Her mouth dropped open, and Brady forgot about his reputation and everything else except the need to taste her lips. He closed the distance between them and pulled her close.

“Here goes.”

* * *

The Bachelors of Blackwater Lake:

They won’t be single for long!

One Night

with the Boss

Teresa Southwick

www.millsandboon.co.uk

TERESA SOUTHWICK lives with her husband in Las Vegas, the city that reinvents itself every day. An avid fan of romance novels, she is delighted to be living out her dream of writing for Mills & Boon.

To Claudia Haugh Stepan with thanks for being my friend.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Extract

Chapter One

Olivia Lawson would rather walk naked in a hailstorm than say what she had to say to her boss.

Again.

She hesitated outside his office—which also happened to be in his house, because it was a really big house. Brady O’Keefe owned and headed an internet conglomerate and, except for her, all of his one hundred plus employees worked remotely from leased office spaces in L.A., Chicago, New York and Austin. He managed everything effortlessly from his six-thousand-square-foot command center in a very exclusive, very upscale housing development in Blackwater Lake, Montana.

Her parents still lived in the house where she’d grown up, several doors down from the O’Keefes. She’d known Brady since they were kids and had worked as his administrative assistant for the last five years. Delivering the news that the professional relationship was about to end wouldn’t be easy. She knew that because she’d tried to do it twice before.

As much as she loved her job, and dare she say it, cared for her boss, she had to make a break. She saw Brady not as her boss, but as a man. A handsome, charming, intelligent man. The problem was, he hadn’t noticed her as a woman. As far as Brady was concerned she could be a piece of office furniture. She was as necessary as a computer, desk or stapler. The reality had finally hit her that this wasn’t going to change and unless she wanted to end up a spinster with too many cats, she had to leave.

His door was open, so she knocked on the frame of the doorway separating their offices and heard the usual grunt that meant she should come in. He was at the familiar spot behind his L-shaped desk, staring at the computer screen. His back was to her and, as always, he didn’t look up.

“Brady, I need to talk to you.” His focus was extraordinary and normally she was awed by it. Not today. “There’s a fire in the kitchen and I called nine-one-one.”

“Uh-huh.”

In the spirit of today, this was the first day of the rest of her life; today was the day she was going to tell him that everything was going to change. But she couldn’t do that until he was listening. Time to get creative.

She walked over to his desk and picked up the orange foam rubber ball that he squeezed when deep in thought. After crushing it in her palm, she threw it at his head. Hard.

He glanced over his shoulder. “The kitchen’s not really on fire, is it?”

“So you heard me.”

“I always do.”

If only that were true. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“I guess it’s important enough to hurl spheres at me.” He slid his chair away from the computer, swiveled and faced her. Then he picked up the orange ball that had landed on his desk. Squeezing it he said, “Okay. You have my undivided attention.”

Since turning fifteen years old, she’d wondered how it would feel to have all his concentration focused on her. This token of his interest wasn’t what she’d had in mind, but sadly, it was all she would ever know. And that wasn’t enough for her. But this was a poor substitute. She had to get away before her spirit shriveled and disappeared.

“I’m giving my notice.”

“Of what?”

For a smart guy, he could be irritatingly dense. Or he was deliberately deflecting, hoping to get her off message. Not this time. This time was going to be different.

“I’m tendering my resignation.”

“You’re leaving me? There’s nothing tender about that.”

“Not you.” That was a lie of self-protection. No way could she tell him how right he actually was. “I’m leaving your company.”

“You’re abandoning me?”

“You’re so melodramatic. Not everything is about you.”

He squeezed the orange ball until his knuckles turned white. “Didn’t we just go through this?”

“Not just.”

“Same time last year.”

“Pretty close,” she allowed.

It was exactly the same time. There was something about being a few weeks into a new year that made a person want to change their life. And she should have known better than anyone that this man would remember, because he had a mind like a steel trap.

Not to mention a face and body that could make him a model or movie star instead of the megasuccessful businessman he was. Dark brown hair, short and carelessly mussed, complemented the scruff on his cheeks and jaw. He probably hadn’t shaved because he didn’t have to. There were no outside meetings today. No hot date later. Since she kept his calendar, she knew about things like that.

He certainly wasn’t trying to impress her. She thought he looked amazing no matter what. Not that he cared.

Olivia secretly sighed over the scruff—and everything else about her boss. Piercing was the only way to describe his green eyes, which snapped with intelligence and wicked humor. The casual white cotton shirt and worn jeans perfectly showcased his broad shoulders, muscular chest and flat abdomen that were the result of disciplined workouts on the state-of-the-art equipment in his upstairs gym. He could be People magazine’s sexiest CEO and most eligible bachelor.

She would miss the view when she was gone, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.

“Okay.” He nodded as if he’d made up his mind. “Based on past data from this time last year, giving notice is your way of asking for a raise.”

“Not really.” When she tried to quit last year, he’d offered her more money, but that wasn’t why she’d stayed.

“Let’s call it a cost-of-living increase. When you do the paperwork, give yourself however much you think is reasonable.” The right corner of his mouth quirked up, unleashing a rogue dimple.

Damn that dimple. It opened the incredibly insubstantial door that was holding back all her insecurity and weakness. Determination, don’t desert me now, she silently begged.

“What if I think the majority share of the company is a reasonable increase?” she asked.

“You don’t.”

“How do you know?”

“There’s not an unfair or dishonest bone in your body.”

So, he’d taken note of her bones. Should she be flattered? Just thinking that made her pathetic. “You can’t be sure I haven’t turned demanding and greedy.”

“I’m willing to risk it.”

The grin punctuating his words was proof that he saw her as a Goody Two-shoes. Wow, warm fuzzy from that.

Back on task. “I’m not here for a raise. I just want to resign.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do,” she said firmly. “Giving notice is the courteous thing to do when one is leaving one’s employer.”

The smile curving his mouth disappeared and those green eyes narrowed, as if he’d finally noticed something different this time. “You can’t be serious about leaving.”

“Sure I can.”

“Well, I don’t accept your resignation.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“The hell I don’t,” he said stubbornly.

“That’s up to you.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her slacks to hide the shaking. “But you’re on notice that two weeks from now I’m not showing up.”

He stood and walked around the desk. This was the part she dreaded, the part where he invaded her personal space without any clue how his blatant masculinity threatened to chase off her determination.

She turned away and concentrated on the fireplace, where wood was burning and crackling. The fire, the furniture, the man—everything—made a person feel warm and cozy inside as a dreary rain soaked the world on the other side of the window.

“Two weeks’ notice is all you’re giving me?”

“It’s standard.” She turned to face him.

“I can’t find a replacement in that short a time. You need to give me a month. Two would be better.”

She shook her head. “I know you, Brady. If I don’t give you a deadline, you won’t even look for anyone.”

“I don’t have time. You know that.”

“So you better get cracking on my replacement.” She turned away again, because the look on his face showed it was starting to sink in that she was completely serious this time. Feeling sorry for him was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

“Don’t do this, Liv.”

The nickname chipped away at her defenses, weakened her resolve. “I have to.”

“Why now? Nothing’s changed in your life.”

She whirled around to look at him. “How do you know?”

“I just do.”

It was his cocky confidence that had anger coiling in her belly. The smug expression in his eyes conveyed his utter belief that her world revolved around him and he was very nearly right about that. Twice before she’d caved after giving notice, and if she didn’t have anything to fight back with she’d cave this time, too.

She could barely breathe, almost as though she needed an oxygen mask, which was why she blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind.

“You’re wrong, Brady. Something in my life has changed, and it’s big.” She looked him straight in the eye and told the biggest lie ever. “I met a man and I’ve fallen in love. I’m moving away from Blackwater Lake to be with him.”

There was some satisfaction in the fact that he was sincerely shocked. “You’re leaving town?”

That’s what got his attention? Not the fact that she was in love? “Yes. For a man.”

She felt compelled to add that last part in case there was any question.

“Where did you meet this man?” His tone was neither suspicious nor curious. Mostly he sounded irritated.

Clearly Olivia hadn’t thought through the made-up boyfriend exit strategy. It never crossed her mind that Brady would ask questions, and she wasn’t particularly good at spontaneous deceit.

“It’s none of your business.”

He folded his arms over his chest and stared her down. “I couldn’t disagree more. You’re not just a valued employee, you’re...”

“What?”

“My friend.”

Olivia made sure the expression on her face didn’t change. For just a second she’d felt hope that he might think of her as more. After five years of not being more it was silly, foolish and stupid to be disappointed, but none of that stopped her. Still, she was determined that he wouldn’t know, not even by the barest flicker of an eyelash.

“You’re my boss,” she corrected him. “That’s all. Our working relationship doesn’t entitle you to information about my personal life.”

“I just asked where you met him. How is that personal?”

“It’s prying.”

“I’m curious. So take me out back and flog me.”

“Tempting,” she said. “But it’s raining and I don’t want to get my hair wet.”

“Oh? Do you have a hot webcam date?” She gave him a look and he held up his hands. “The least you can do is tell me his name.”

“Again—prying.”

“Are you ashamed of him? Ichabod? Aristotle? Sven?” He tapped his lip thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s a girl name. Lindsay? Lynne? Carroll?”

She almost laughed, almost succumbed to the charm. Instead, she decided to run for cover. She turned away and headed for the door. “You’re incorrigible and listening to this isn’t in my job description.”

“Why can’t he move here to Blackwater Lake?”

Because he doesn’t exist, she thought. “It’s just easier if I go there.” That was sort of true.

“Easier on who?”

“Me.”

“So where are you moving?”

“Again—prying. Look, I did what I had to do. You’ve got your two weeks’ notice. Now I’m going back to work. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up.”

Behind her he said, “Most administrative assistants would be eager to give their boss all the juicy, gossipy details of a love affair.”

“I’m not most assistants.”

“Tell me about it.” He sounded like a petulant little boy, pouting about not getting his way.

That should have reinforced her decision, but as always, she found the behavior oddly endearing.

She stood in the doorway between their offices. “So, I’ll advertise my position and hopefully you can promote from within the company. I’ll also contact an employment agency and recruiters we’ve used in the past. I’ll work over the weekend and on Monday there will be a slate of candidates for you to interview.”

“Whatever.”

Olivia closed the door, then walked over to her desk and sat behind it. She let out a long breath and realized the last few minutes in Brady’s office were just a preview of what she could expect from him for the next two weeks. Giving him her resignation was a walk in the park compared to the prospect of actually working with him every day until she left.

He wasn’t going to make this easy on her.

* * *

Three days after Olivia had given her notice, Brady leaned back in his desk chair and squeezed the orange ball. It was Monday and she’d kept her word about lining up people for her job. He’d just completed the second of two interviews she’d scheduled for today and she was seeing the applicant out.

“Olivia must be really anxious to get out of here,” he said to himself, crushing the round foam rubber in his palm.

Who was this guy she’d met?

He’d never thought about her dating, let alone getting serious. And he wasn’t sure what bothered him more—losing the world’s best assistant, or the fact that she was leaving because she’d fallen in love. He hated change—and the thought of her with a guy made him want to rip what’s-his-name’s head off.

The situation basically sucked.

He swiveled in his chair and looked out the big arched window. No rain today. It was beautiful outside, with the sun turning the surface of Blackwater Lake to sparkling diamonds. The other window had a view of the mountains and he knew that from her desk just a few feet away Olivia could look at the same beautiful surroundings.

Was there mind-blowing scenery where what’s-his-name lived?

“So, what do you think about the interviews?”

Brady knew Olivia’s voice, but he’d realized she was in his office before she’d said a word. The scent of her filled the room and always made him think of flowers. A garden. Serenity.

But not anymore. Now she was going to turn his life upside down to move somewhere he didn’t know with a guy she wouldn’t name.

He swiveled his chair around and looked at her. She was wearing a very businesslike, conservative navy pantsuit and matching pumps. Today her strawberry-blond hair was pulled away from her face in a ponytail, emphasizing her high cheekbones. Her big blue eyes filled with eager anticipation when she sat in one of the club chairs on the other side of his desk.

She wasn’t tall and willowy or classically beautiful, but her smile always brightened the room on a cloudy day. And there was something about her voice, a huskiness that wasn’t quite a lisp but tapped into his devilish streak and made him bait her into saying S-words.

She was staring at the rubber ball in his fist. “You’ve clearly been giving the interviews some thought.”

“Sort of. In a manner of speaking. But only because you forced me into this.”

She rolled her eyes, then looked at the yellow legal pad in her lap that she used for notes. “Okay, then. Let’s start with candidate number one. Shannen Dow.”

The corners of his mouth curved up. “I like her name.”

“That’s a good start. The recruiter says she’s one of their strongest applicants.”

“Of course they would. Commission is their revenue stream.”

Olivia ignored that. “I thought she was very bright, with a solid background in computers and business. That’s really important so she can hit the ground running. The sooner you hire someone, the more training I can do before my last day.”

The last day part hit a nerve. “She was okay. But it has to be said—not a fashion plate.”

Her blue eyes narrowed on him. “I didn’t list accessorizing as a qualification you were looking for. Since when do you care about that?”

“Since always. She’ll have to meet clients and there will be meetings.”

“Not often. When I interviewed, you told me that since your corporate office is in your home, I could wear jeans to work.”

Because jeans look good on you, he thought. But Shannen Dow was skinny and her voice wasn’t the least bit gravelly or interesting.

“But you never did go casual and that’s set a very high bar for your replacement.”

“So take her to the mall.”

Brady ignored the sarcasm. “Didn’t you find the tone of her voice to be like fingernails on a chalkboard?”

Olivia’s expression was wry. “Not until you asked her to make a pot of coffee.”

“Really? I thought the pitch was on the shrill side. Too much of that would give me a headache.”

“No one wants to work for a male sexist pig,” she pointed out.

“She needed to know I’m missing the sensitivity chip,” he defended.

“Making coffee isn’t a skills requirement for this position.”

“Says who? It’s important to me and I’m the one who signs the paycheck.”

“Okay then. Moving on.” She made a note on the legal pad. “Let’s talk about candidate number two.”

“What’s her name again?” he asked innocently.

“Shelly Shows.” She met his gaze. “Did you approve of her outfit?”

“It was lovely.” He added, “But I wasn’t wowed by her, even in plaid.”

“Her letters of reference are glowing. At her current place of employment she’s very well-liked and efficient.”

“Then why does she need this job?”

“It’s closer to home. She’s been working as executive assistant to the administrator of the hospital, which, as you’re aware, is about seventy miles away. Currently she rents a room near work then comes home on the weekends.” Olivia met his gaze. “So, what are your thoughts?”

He thought it would be possible to sympathize if the best assistant he’d ever had wasn’t leaving him. Instead of answering, he asked, “Speaking of distant towns, where are you moving?”

She blinked at his rapid change of topic. “What?”

“When you abandon me, where are you going to live?”

“That’s not information you need in order to hire my replacement.”

Why was she being so stingy with details? “The least you can do is tell me his name.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

He leaned back in his chair and grinned. “See how well you know me?”

“All right. It’s Leonard,” she finally said. “There, go ahead and make fun.”

“Would I do that?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“That’s harsh.” But accurate. He’d almost said it was marginally better than Aloysius. “So, where did you meet Leonard?”

“Out of town,” she said vaguely.

“That goes without saying. If you were dating a guy from Blackwater Lake, it would be all over town.” For a to-the-point person, she was being uncharacteristically difficult. This was frustrating and Brady felt his curiosity picking up momentum. “Where specifically did you meet? On vacation?”

“Vacation?” She laughed. “What’s that? When you’re in the office I am, too. And you’re always in the office. There’s no such thing as time off.”

“Point taken. I’m a workaholic. Would you consider a leave of absence instead of resigning? I could spare you for that.”

“No.” Primly she folded her hands in her lap. “Not everything is about you.”

“So you keep reminding me. And now it’s about Leonard.”

“Exactly.” She brushed imaginary lint from the leg of her slacks.

“If you didn’t meet him on vacation, it must have been a trip for work.”

“Remind me not to try and put anything over on you.”

Sarcasm was one of his favorite things about her. “So, was it in Austin? L.A.? Chicago?”

“I definitely went to those cities. You should know. We were there together.”

She was right about that, but when business hours were over they’d gone their separate ways. He’d picked up women and if Olivia had met men she never said anything to him. Until now. He’d never thought to ask how she filled her time away from work. Clearly she’d found Leonard, and the sense of betrayal Brady felt was out of proportion to the situation. He was being unfair. Not to mention completely irrational.

As crazy as he knew it was, he wanted to know everything. “Do you have a job lined up in Leonard’s neck of the woods?”

“I have an offer.”

“I’d be happy to give you a glowing recommendation.” Well, not happy, exactly, but he’d try not to be spiteful, what with his festering bitterness about her jumping ship.

“But I’m planning to take some time off first.”

“What are you going to do with yourself?”

“Anything that strikes my fancy,” she said, a little defiantly. She stood and walked to the doorway of his office. “Any other questions?”

Why are you leaving me?

Brady didn’t say that out loud, even though the idea of it had preoccupied him way too much since she’d dropped her bombshell. Besides his mother, sister and niece, he had no personal attachments—yet somehow he’d become attached to Olivia. He wouldn’t be making that mistake with his next assistant.

She looked over her shoulder on the way out the door. “Think about Shelly. And I’ll be lining up more candidates to interview. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll approach this process more seriously than you just did.”

“I conducted those interviews very seriously.”

She ignored that. “You need to ask yourself what’s wrong with the two women you saw today.”

“I don’t need to ask myself anything. I already know what’s wrong.”

“Care to share?” She put a hand on her hip.

“Neither of them is you.”

Chapter Two

After work, her boss’s words sent Olivia to her best friend’s house. A friend who just happened to be Brady’s sister. Now she sat on Maggie Potter’s comfortable sofa in the cozy, spacious log cabin home where Maggie lived with her infant daughter, Danielle, after her husband was tragically killed in Afghanistan. Danny had built this place for her and it was where they’d planned to spend the rest of their lives and raise their family. That was before his Army National Guard unit had been called up and deployed to Afghanistan, where he was killed by a roadside bomb, leaving his pregnant wife a heartbroken widow.

Maggie was a petite brunette with big brown eyes that now always seemed a little sad. After Danny’s death Olivia had tried to be there for her friend as much as possible and had insisted on a weekly girls’ night out. After baby Danielle was born, Olivia brought dinner to the house so the little girl wasn’t left out of the female ritual. But tonight the toddler had gone to bed early, worn out from a play date.

Olivia scooted forward and took her glass of Merlot from the coffee table where it sat by the pizza box. “I have something to tell you,” she said.

“Gossip?” Maggie’s brown eyes gleamed with undisguised feminine interest. “Please tell me it’s juicy. There hasn’t been any good buzz since Emma Robbins came to town, got a job as nanny to Justin Flint’s little boy, then announced she was the long-lost daughter of Michelle and Alan Crawford.”

Olivia grinned, remembering the sensational events. “Don’t forget the part where she and Justin fell in love and are now engaged to be married.”

“I couldn’t have said it better.” Maggie put her paper plate with the half-eaten slice of pizza on the ottoman in front of her. “So, what’s the scoop?”

“This isn’t gossip or even buzz. If you haven’t heard about it already, you will soon and this news should come from me.”

“You’re not sick, are you?”

“No.” She hadn’t meant to be so melodramatic. This woman had lost the love of her life and didn’t need another scare. “I’ve never felt better. Have you talked to your brother?”

“Not for a few days.” The frown eased, but only a little. “Just spit it out. What’s going on and how is Brady involved?”

“I gave him my notice. I’m quitting and moving away from Blackwater Lake.”

Maggie looked shocked, but not alarmed. “Where are you going?”

“California. A friend from college is going to start a tech business and offered me an upper management job.”

“I see.” Maggie smiled sadly. “So you’re really going to quit this time?”

“Third time is the charm.” Olivia wasn’t sure she could pull off a this-is-good-news face, so she took a sip of wine instead.

“What makes you think Brady can’t talk you into staying? Just saying...past history and all.”

Cradling her wineglass in her hands, Olivia said, “That’s the thing. I didn’t plan to say it. The words just slipped out.”

“What words?”

“He was so smug. So confident that I didn’t mean what I said.”

Maggie’s full lips curved up. “So, my brother’s management style remains exactly the same and he’s taking you for granted.”

Maybe it was guilt about the lie, but Olivia felt compelled to defend him. “He’s a really good boss. Generous compensation and a comprehensive benefits package for his employees. Bonuses. Working conditions are good.”

“And yet you’re determined to leave,” her friend pointed out, looking puzzled.

“I have to.”

Olivia shared everything with Maggie—except about Brady. Once after a night out with Sydney McKnight she’d had her friend drop her at Brady’s house and had every intention of confessing that she cared for him. Two glasses of wine later, she’d fallen asleep on his couch without spilling the beans. Later, she’d realized that was for the best. If he couldn’t return her feelings honestly, she didn’t want him to know how she felt.

Maggie sat forward in the chair. “So, what were the words that just slipped out?”

Olivia met the other woman’s gaze. “I told Brady I met a man, fell in love and I’m quitting. That I have to move away to be with him.”

“Wow, that’s a pretty big lie. I hope it wasn’t National Honesty Day or anything.”

“Me, too. That would probably send me deeper into the pit of hell than I already am.” Olivia took another sip of wine. “I feel awful about it, Mags, but like you said, he has this way about him. Some kind of powerful charisma that completely obliterates a person’s will even when they’d made up their mind about the best thing to do.”

“A person.” Maggie slid back and tucked her legs up beside her in the chair. “Hmm...”

“What does that mean?”

Instead of answering the question, Maggie said, “Did you notice that I never asked why you’re leaving Brady?”

It must be a sibling thing, she thought, remembering his all-about-me response to her two weeks’ notice. “I’m not leaving him. I just won’t be working for his company any more.”

“Okay.” Maggie used her exaggeratedly patient voice. “I didn’t ask before, but I am now. Why did you quit?”

“It’s time. This job offer came up...” She shrugged.

“Maybe it’s because you have feelings for him.”

“Of course I do,” she said, trying to make light of it. “He’s a terrific boss. And sort of like an honorary brother, through my association with you.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Maggie scolded. “You think I don’t see the way you look at him when you think no one’s watching? A woman who’s known that feeling can easily see it in someone else.”

Olivia recognized the knowing expression in her friend’s eyes. “You never said a word.”

She lifted a shoulder. “It’s your business. As your good friend, I stood ready to help if and when you wanted to talk about it.”

“I wanted to tell you.” She reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand. “But I was afraid it would put you in the middle and didn’t want to chance that Brady would find out. You wouldn’t mean to say anything, but stuff has a way of slipping out. Then things get awkward. If you didn’t know, everyone is protected.”

“Everyone but you, Liv.”

“So you and I are okay?”

“Of course. Pinkie swear.”

Olivia held up the correct finger and hooked her friend’s. “Thanks, Mags.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m on your side. I know that you haven’t been happy lately.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Only to me. My brother is oblivious and charming in equal parts. He also has this annoying habit of getting everything to go his way. I’m not at all surprised you made up a boyfriend as a way out.”

“You’re not?”

Maggie shook her head. “A self-made man as prosperous as my brother didn’t get where he is without being determined. And having good people around him.”

As Olivia was one of his people, she said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. He also doesn’t like change and will do anything he can to prevent it.”

“No kidding. Today he interviewed several women who applied for my job and found deal-breaking flaws in all of them.”

“Because he doesn’t want to lose you.”

Olivia nodded. She knew she was good at her job. “The only reason he could come up with for not hiring either of the qualified applicants was that none of them were me.”

“Wow.” Maggie’s eyebrows rose. “So he does care.”

“It wasn’t personal.” But the words had had her heart going for a minute. Then reality had set in and she remembered the last five years of impersonal behavior. He was always friendly, but never asked her to dinner or a movie. There was never even a flicker of awareness or any sign that he’d wanted to kiss her. It was time to face reality. She had feelings for her boss that wouldn’t stop and the only way to go after the life she wanted was to ditch the job.

“I don’t think he believes that I’m serious about quitting,” Olivia said.

“So you had to do what you had to do.”

“Yes.” She sighed. “I hope you know that I’m not normally a liar.”

“You’re the most honest, straightforward person I know.” Maggie smiled.

“Thanks for understanding.”

“I understand more than you know. It’s not easy to let go.” Maggie glanced at a framed picture sitting on the end table beside her. The Tiffany lamp highlighted her handsome, smiling husband in his camouflage uniform and her eyes filled with a wistful, sad expression. “This isn’t making excuses for my brother, but you know that he took our father’s death pretty hard.”

“Who wouldn’t? I can’t even imagine losing my father.”

Maggie’s remote expression indicated she was remembering. “Brady had just gotten home from college for Christmas break and we were all looking forward to being together for the holidays. Dad had a heart attack and literally died in his arms.”

“I remember.”

“He was different after that. More aloof. Driven.” She shrugged.

Olivia hadn’t really seen that much of him then. They never talked or hung out and he went back to school. She only knew the now Brady, and he showed no sign of ever seeing her the way she wanted him to.

“He is the way he is, Mags, and I finally realized this isn’t about him. It’s about me and my life. If I don’t make the break now, I never will.”

“True enough. So, not only do I get why you fibbed, I will help you pull this off. I’ll back up your story.”

“You will?”

“Absolutely.” She raised her arm and curled her fingers into her palm. “Girl power.”

Olivia bumped her fist. “Females unite.”

“Brady will ask me about this and I’ll tell him how deliriously happy you are with...does he have a name?”

“Leonard.”

“Really?” Maggie’s lips twisted as if she’d sucked a sour lemon. “Not Lance? Stone? Or Indiana Jones?”

“Like I said...didn’t plan this. The falsehood was in no way premeditated or I would have come up with something romantic like...Jean Luc.”

“Okay. Leonard it is.” Maggie laughed, then turned serious. “Stay strong, Liv. Stick to your guns if it’s what will make you happy.”

Olivia wasn’t sure about future happiness, but she knew for a fact she wasn’t content now. The clock was ticking and she wasn’t getting any younger. Doing nothing wasn’t an option.

* * *

Ever since Olivia had left for the day, Brady had been battling the urge to go through her computer files and get more information on Leonard.

“The loser,” he muttered.

She’d left him no choice what with her tight-lipped lack of details. He was hurt, really. They were better friends than this. He would give her data about a woman if he got serious. Then again, he made it a point not to get serious.

Olivia was different. She deserved all the best things that life had to offer and it was incumbent upon him as her boss, and friend, to find out about this guy and make sure he was on the up-and-up.

Like a dieter looking at a seven-layer death-by-chocolate cake, he paced back and forth in her office, fighting the itch to search her files for Leonard-related information.

“What can it hurt? Who will know?” When his damned annoying conscience pointed out that he was better than this, he said out loud and with self-righteous defiance, “No, I’m not.”

He sat in her chair and hit the power button, then waited impatiently for the machine to boot up. It seemed to take forever. She should have told him she needed a faster computer. This was a waste of time and money. Finally it was ready and he clicked on the first file, which was data on her out-of-town trips. Where she’d met Leonard.

“The loser.”

She kept copious notes on everything work-related and her travel was no exception. He’d hoped to hit pay dirt right away, because the less time he spent digging, the less dirty he would feel. A man had to cover his backside, too. On the off chance his poking around was found out, there was plausible deniability. She wasn’t here; he needed a file. It was his story and he was sticking to it. But he was getting frustrated. Everything he saw was budgets, meetings, cost projections and troubleshooting.

The next step was her email, if he decided to go there. It wasn’t an easy choice, because that crossed into her personal life. Although now he knew that was probably where information on Leonard would be found. None of his business. Then again, she’d quit for personal reasons and was leaving him. That kind of made it his business.

“Okay, then. My motivation is quantified.” He clicked on her work email, which was password protected.

In case he ever needed files, she’d given him her core code word and the system she used to change it, one she could remember: her mother’s maiden name with the number of the current month and year. This was January, so he hit the one key, and it was an even-numbered year, so he entered it after Clark. In an odd-numbered year, it would have been before the name.

“I’m in,” he said triumphantly, even as he felt his conscience protest.

Patting himself on the back seemed a little excessive, since it wasn’t even a challenge. There was nothing the least bit stealthy or surreptitious about Olivia. She was open and honest, completely incapable of seeing the dark side to people. Otherwise she’d have seen Brady’s dark soul a long time ago. That also meant she couldn’t see anything bad in Leonard if it was there, which was why he was scanning her emails.

“Hmm. That’s weird.”

“What would that be?”

He looked up and Olivia was standing in the doorway. Crap and double crap, he thought. What would James Bond do in a situation like this?

Charm his way out of it.

“Olivia.” He stood up and gave her the smile that had always kept his mother from taking away his computer when he was in teenage trouble. “You’re looking especially lovely this evening.”

“Really?” One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows lifted. “I look exactly the way I did all day and you never said a word about my appearance.”

“Speaking of that...” He walked around her desk and assumed a casual pose, leaning a hip on the corner. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I used my key and the disarmed security system chirped the way it always does. You must have been really wrapped up in something.”

“Ah.” Since she came and went at will, she needed the system code to deactivate. And he had been oblivious to the sound of the front door opening. Time to shift focus. “I was very comfortable giving you a key. You see? That’s how much I trust you. How can you expect the total stranger who replaces you to be entrusted with easy access to not only my home, but my company?”

Her purse strap slid down her arm and she readjusted it to her shoulder. “It’s about time you built a corporate office for O’Keefe Technology, Inc. with state-of-the-art security.”

She was right. He’d been talking about it for a while and had made up his mind to get the project started. The only reason he’d been dragging his feet was because that move would change everything—and he hated change.

“So, how is Maggie?”

“How did you know I saw your sister?”

Apparently helping himself to her computer made her suspicious about everything. “You told me you were leaving early to pick up a pizza to take over there.”

“Right. I forgot.” Wariness faded for a nanosecond before her eyes narrowed. “A slipup caused by the shock of finding you going through my computer.”

“Oh, that.” He glanced at it over his shoulder. “I was looking for your notes on the job applicants we saw today.”

“I’m efficient, but not quite that good. I haven’t input them yet. Why would you want anything that I might have jotted down?”

“Because I’m the boss.”

He shrugged, but that was more about hiding the shudder those words produced. That response was the equivalent of a mother’s final argument against a child who refused to take no for an answer. Plus her implied accusation was true and he needed something irrefutable to cancel out his devious behavior.

“You didn’t like any of the women you interviewed,” she pointed out.

“I might have been a tad harsh.”

“You don’t mean that.” Her tone challenged him to deny it.

She knew him too well. It was both a blessing and a curse. Time to change the subject yet again. “So, what are you doing back here tonight?”

“There’s some work I need to finish up and I forgot the file.”

“Don’t worry about that. It will keep until tomorrow.”

She shook her head. “That’s where you’re wrong. I need to wrap up everything I can in the next week.”

“And a half,” he added.

“What?”

“It’s a week and a half until your notice is up.”

“What a relief.” There was a touch of sarcasm in her tone. “And I thought there was nowhere near enough time to tie up a bazillion loose ends before my last day.”

“I have complete faith in your ability to do that.” Brady knew the file she wanted was on her desk behind him. But so was her email. So far he’d kept her from seeing it. “Go home and relax. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“Since when?”

“That’s a cheap shot.”

She sighed. “You’re right. It’s never been your management style to insist on overtime. This is my problem. I have a tendency to obsess about finishing up projects.”

“So, I’m giving you a dispensation. Take the night off and don’t think about the office.”

“Very generous of you,” she allowed. “But I feel an obligation to get as much done as possible for as long as I can.” She moved closer and started to walk around the desk.

Without thinking it through, Brady suddenly stood in her path and she walked into him. She put her hands on his chest and looked up, her eyes opening wide.

His fingers automatically curved around her arms, urging her even closer. She was wearing a coat, but it was unbuttoned and he could feel her breasts pressed against him. The sweet scent of her skin invaded his senses and he had the most insane desire to wrap his arms around her and kiss her until they were both out of their minds. This wasn’t the first time touching her had produced this reaction, but it was definitely stronger than ever before. Her full lips parted and there was a catch in her breathing that pointed toward her feeling the same kind of crazy he did.

She backed up a step and took a deep breath. “What is it you don’t want me to see, Brady?”

Damn. There was that knowing-him-too-well thing again and this time it was the curse part. Create a diversion. “What makes you think that?”

“This is me. The innocent act doesn’t work. You’re up to something.” She made a sudden move and sidestepped him.

She wasn’t really that quick; he was simply that slow. It’s what happened even to smart guys when blood flowed south of the belt. In the split second he’d been getting his breathing under control, Olivia was around the desk and staring at her computer monitor.

“This is my email.” There was outrage in her tone.

“It is.” What else could he say when caught red-handed? “But it’s my computer.”

“An employee has an expectation of privacy.”

Again he needed a distraction. “Is there something in it you don’t want me to see?”

“Of course not. But this is beneath you.”

He should have listened to that annoying voice of his conscience when it said something similar. But it was the bruised and betrayed expression in her blue eyes that was his undoing. He couldn’t stand it when she looked at him that way.

“Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this.”

“How could you?”

“In my defense, I want you to know that this is the first time. And it’s kind of your fault.”

“Oh, that’s a good one. How do you figure?”

“If you hadn’t been so stingy with details about Leonard...”

The glare instantly disappeared, replaced with an expression that was sheepish. Or guilty? “It’s my business.”

“So you said. But I’m concerned about you and what you’re planning to do worries me. Because of my company,” he amended.

“I don’t know whether to be furious or flattered.”

“Probably both.”

“I’d warn you not to do it again, but you are the boss. My files are your files.” She picked up the manila folder on her desk and met his gaze. “So what was weird?”

He realized she could teach him something about diversionary tactics. The question caught him off guard. “What?”

“When I walked in you were talking to yourself. Which, by the way, is the definition of weird,” she said. “But that’s not what you meant. You were referring to my messages. So, what did you find that was weird?”

He shrugged as if to say he’d forgotten whatever it was that had brought those words to mind. “Whatever it was is gone now.”

“Okay. And that’s my cue. I’m gone, too.” She turned and headed for the doorway. “See you in the morning, boss. And from now on I won’t be doing email here.”

“Okay.” He deserved that. “Night, Liv.”

She walked out faster than he’d thought those short but very lovely legs could go, obviously anxious to get away from him. Perversely, he realized that he was very much looking forward to seeing her tomorrow.

It had a lot to do with the fact that there was now a time limit on morning coffee with Olivia. Her warm smile when she asked how he was every day. The fragrance that she brought into the room with her, a chemical reaction created by her perfume interacting with her skin that made him acutely aware of her presence. Knowing why didn’t make it any less potent when it happened.

But it wasn’t going to happen very much longer, and he didn’t like that one bit.

She had every right to be more furious than she’d been and that made him more curious, if possible. Brady glanced at the list of messages on the screen. There were some from her mom, dad and sister. Maggie had sent her a joke and a link to a cooking site. There was spam from shopping sites she’d browsed, but the weird factor hit him again.

“There’s not a single thing from the man you quit your job for, Liv. What’s up with Leonard?”

Chapter Three

At work the next morning, Olivia still couldn’t believe what Brady had done, although they had a nontraditional working relationship and she’d shared messages with him before. And, being a liar herself, she couldn’t afford to be sanctimonious and judgmental. Since she’d arrived an hour ago, the door to his office had been closed, and it was almost never closed. Maybe because she’d caught him in the act, he was sufficiently shamed into backing off.

One could hope. That way all she had to do was work out the remainder of her notice and the unfortunate incident would be behind her. There’d be no reason to speak about Leonard again.

What she had to do was put all her energy into finding her own replacement. Time was getting short and it wasn’t fair to throw some poor, unsuspecting woman into the deep end of Brady’s pool. So to speak.

Then a thought occurred to her. Her boss had found fault with every female candidate he’d met so far. Maybe she should look more closely at male applicants. Olivia threw herself into the search and lost track of time as she browsed internet employment sites and dissected résumés.

When the sound of the opening front door and the subsequent security system chirp drifted to her, she glanced at her clock and realized almost two hours had slipped away. Knowing the visitor was probably Brady’s mother or sister, both of whom had keys, she figured it was time for a break.

A few moments later Maureen O’Keefe appeared in the doorway with her fifteen-month-old granddaughter in her arms. “Hi, Olivia. How are you?”

“Great.” She stood and walked around her desk, smiling at the toddler. “Hello, Miss Danielle. You’re looking very pretty in your pink shirt and denim overalls.”

The baby had dark hair and eyes like her mother and grandmother. But Maureen’s short hair was shot with silver and done in a piecey style with the back flipped up in a saucy shape. She was taller than Olivia and looked trim and attractive in designer jeans, expensive brown leather boots and a trendy camel coat over her thick winter sweater.

“How are you, Maureen?”

“Could be better.”

When the toddler held out her arms, Olivia took her. “Are you okay, baby girl? Why is your nana making that frowny face? You tell her that causes wrinkles.”

“I have a very good reason to risk wrinkles with this face,” the older woman said grimly. “Do you remember Tiffani Guthrie?”

Olivia would never forget the witch who’d dumped Brady when he left college just before finals in his senior year. Instead of supporting him, whatever his reasons might be, Tiffani with an I took up with a guy on his way to the Texas oil fields by way of Vegas, where, rumor had it, they married at the drive-through Elvis chapel.

“Brady’s old girlfriend.”

“Miss Fake Boobs and Big Hair.” Maureen’s voice dripped with loathing. “I was at the Grizzly Bear Diner this morning and heard from Cissy Johnson who was talking to Betty Cordoba who’s a friend of Tiffani’s cousin George. Word is that she’s coming back to Blackwater Lake.”

“No.” Olivia couldn’t believe she’d have the nerve to show her face back here after treating Brady so badly. She hugged the baby close. “Why would she do that?”

“No one is exactly sure. And this is just a guess from piecing together snippets of information,” the other woman confided. “But we think she landed herself in a bad situation with that Texas wildcatter. We’re speculating that she’s coming here to look up her old boyfriend—her wealthy ex-boyfriend—who can get her out of the whole mess. Can you believe the nerve of that woman?”

“Yes.” Olivia had never liked her.

She’d watched Brady and Tiffani together, hating the fact that she’d been born too late for him to notice her. She’d never figured out what Brady saw in the woman. Well, maybe the well-endowed bosom. Pretty face. Gorgeous red hair. But it was her attitude that was so infuriating. She’d had a way of making a person feel small and insignificant. Once she’d told wide-eyed high schooler Olivia not to hold her breath that Brady would ever give her a tumble. It had never occurred to Olivia that the feelings she thought buried inside were actually there on her face for the world to see. After that she’d worked very hard at making her expression neutral.

When the baby grew restless in her arms, Olivia handed her over to her grandmother. “Maybe you’re wrong and she’s not coming here.”

“Maybe. But Brady needs to be prepared. And so does every other bachelor in Blackwater Lake. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t warn him?”

“I see your point.”

Olivia had never known this woman to interfere in her children’s lives. She was always there with support, advice when asked, a shoulder to cry on when needed and babysitting when necessary. If she felt honor bound to share this rumor with her son, there was probably a very good reason.

“So, is Brady busy?” She settled Danielle on her hip.

“Always.” But she had no idea what her boss was doing. “I can buzz him for you.”

“In a minute.” Maureen set little Danielle on her feet and she immediately squealed in a decibel level that would shatter glass. She toddled around Olivia’s desk toward the closed door of her uncle’s office. Small hands slapped on the door and a few seconds later it opened.

“Well, look who’s here.” He picked up his niece and held her high over his head until she laughed delightedly. “Hi, sweetie pie. Nice to see you, too, Mom.”

“I hope you still feel that way when you hear what I came to say.”

“Oh?”

“It will keep for a minute. I was just about to ask Olivia what’s going on with her these days.”

He walked over to them, holding the baby and looking so comfortable with the child that it tugged at Olivia’s heart.

“I can’t believe she hasn’t told you the breaking news,” he said.

“What? You’re getting married?” Maureen’s eyes grew wide. “You’re pregnant.”

“Do you know something I don’t?” His gaze met Olivia’s as his niece’s chubby index finger toyed with the button at the collar of his white cotton shirt. “Is there something you need to tell me?”

“No!” It was pretty much impossible to get pregnant when you weren’t having sex. Not that she planned to share that personal information.

“What’s going on?” Maureen looked between the two of them, obviously sensing undercurrents.

“Olivia has a boyfriend and she’s given notice that she’s leaving O’Keefe Technology.”

His mother looked more shocked than if a pregnancy had been confirmed. “What?”

“Yes,” Brady continued. “She’s going to abandon me.”

“That’s a tad melodramatic, but essentially true,” Olivia defended. Also true was the need to shift attention from herself before she was forced to lie to his mother. “The problem is that Brady’s showing more than a little resistance to hiring my replacement.”

“I don’t believe it.” There was a puzzled expression on his mother’s face.

“It’s true,” Olivia and Brady said together.

“That you’re being difficult? It’s a given.” Maureen waved her hand dismissively. “I’m surprised your mother didn’t say anything. We had breakfast together this morning and she never mentioned anything about you quitting. Or leaving town. Or even having a boyfriend.”

There were questions in Brady’s eyes when he said, “Olivia is very secretive about Leonard.”

“That’s your boyfriend’s name?”

So much for not having to speak of Leonard ever again. And if Maureen reacted like her son and daughter, there would be a fair amount of teasing about the name. She braced herself and said, “Yes.”

When the little girl squirmed in his arms, Brady set her on the rug and she toddled over to the wastebasket to explore.

“What kind of work does Leonard do?”

“Oh, this and that.” For the first time in her life Olivia wished she’d practiced the art of deceit, because then she’d be better at it.

“This and that in what field?” Maureen persisted.

“Tech.” That was sort of true. She worked in the industry and Leonard was a figment of her imagination, therefore a part of her. It was a stretch, but a case could be made.

“Way to go, Mom. That’s more information than I’ve been able to get out of her.”

“Not for lack of snooping,” Olivia said pointedly. “The thing is, Maureen, this sort of information has a way of spreading around town and I just wasn’t ready to talk about it yet.”

“I’ve known your mother since you were a baby and she’s never been able to keep a secret. The fact that she did now means you’re holding something over her head. It must be big.”

“Kind of.” The other woman was assuming her mother knew all about this news, and it was less complicated not to correct the impression. Meaning she’d stooped to lying by omission. If she’d been Pinocchio, by now her nose would have grown long enough to put someone’s eye out. Mental note: call Mom ASAP.

Maureen looked skeptical. “Are you sure about all this, sweetheart?”

“I’ve given it a lot of thought and this will be good for me.” Finally, a question she could answer truthfully.

“Then I certainly wish you the best of luck and every happiness.”

“What about the part where she’s leaving me in the lurch?” Brady complained.

“You’ll survive.” She glanced at the baby, who had tipped over the wastebasket, and hurried to grab her up. “No, Danielle.”

“I’m not so sure I will survive, Mom.”

“Man up, sweetheart.” She headed for his office. “Hiring someone to replace Olivia will seem like a walk in the park compared to the news I have for you.”

He shot Olivia a questioning look and held out his hands in a what’s-up gesture before following his mother into the office and closing the door.

Olivia blew out a long breath and sat in the chair behind her desk. “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

She glanced over her shoulder and realized this might be her only chance to call her mother before Maureen O’Keefe did. Good news and bad traveled fast in Blackwater Lake, the blessing and curse of a small town.

She picked up the phone and punched in her mother’s number because this news—like the fact that she was moving away—should come from her.

* * *

Maureen’s news about his old girlfriend was a piece of cake for Brady, compared to the interviews Olivia had arranged for the afternoon. He stared at the young man sitting across the desk from him, the one who wanted Olivia’s job. He glanced at the name on the résumé again. Christopher Conway. Along with Olivia, he’d been chatting with the guy for about fifteen or twenty minutes. He was good-looking, articulate and had a sense of humor.

“So, Chris, you graduated from the University of Montana last year. Since then you’ve worked for a large retail chain. Doing what?”

“Workman’s comp.” The blond, blue-eyed applicant looked about twelve.

“Okay.”

He looked at Olivia, who was sitting in the club chair beside the impossibly young kid and thought she looked maybe fifteen. Suddenly he felt old and tired and a little desperate. She’d tried to quit twice before but both times he’d been able to talk her into staying. They’d never gotten to the point of interviews for her job, let alone a second round of them.

On paper this kid looked good, if he checked out. He was moldable. Graduated top of his class with a double major in computer science and business. His current job wasn’t in his chosen field, but he’d probably taken it out of necessity in bad economic times while scoping out something better.

It was actually pretty shrewd of Olivia to recruit a man for the position, and Brady was tempted to make Chris an offer. But his current assistant was still his first choice.

“I know what you’re thinking, Mr. O’Keefe.”

Brady sincerely doubted that. “What is it you think is on my mind?”

“That I’m too young and I don’t have the experience. But I’m smart and a hard worker. If you give me a chance, I promise you won’t be sorry.”

Brady believed him. This kid reminded him of Henry. He still missed his best friend. The two of them had dreamed of starting this company together, but fate had other plans.

“Brady?” Olivia’s voice grounded him in the present.

Of all the interviews he’d done, this guy was at the top of the list, but he hadn’t quite thrown in the towel on letting his assistant get away. He was also a pretty good judge of character and talent and wouldn’t let a smart up-and-comer get away either.

“Okay, Chris. I’ll be in touch.” He stood and held out his hand.

“Thanks for seeing me, Mr. O’Keefe.”

“The pleasure is mine. I’m sure you’ve got a bright future ahead of you.”

That must have been the right thing to say, because Olivia smiled at him as if he’d hung the moon. Her approval always made him feel like a better man than he was.

“I’ll show you out, Chris.”

For just a moment there was the slightest lisp in her voice and that made him smile as he watched the two leave the room. But he couldn’t indulge himself for long, because when she came back the game would be on.

A few moments later, she walked back into the room and sat in the chair where she’d observed the interview. “So what do you think?”

Here goes round two, he thought.

He moved to the club chair side of his desk and rested a hip on the corner. Her knees were inches from his leg and she angled them away.

“Who are we talking about?” he asked.

“Who do you want to start with?”

Could be his imagination, but along with the lisp there was a breathless quality to her words. “You pick.”

“How about candidate number one? Heather Fontaine.” She glanced at her notes. “Good computer skills. Experience. Qualified. A good fit.”

“Those were your impressions?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t jot down anything about her attitude?”

“No.” Her eyes narrowed and gone was any trace of her approving smile. “I didn’t notice anything about an attitude.”

“Hmm.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. There was just...” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Something. Instinct, maybe. A sense that she could be difficult.”

“Meaning she would stand up to you and not get steamrollered?” One eyebrow lifted, a dare to challenge her assessment.

“In a job interview, I have a finite amount of time to form an impression about someone I’ll be working with.” He shrugged. “In that time with Heather, my impression became aware of attitude.”

“Did it occur to you that she was trying to project confidence?”

“No.” When there was no response, he figured she was waiting for more. “When I interviewed you, you had an air of confidence and competence without even a hint of attitude.”

“I see. So, even though time is getting short, your attitude hasn’t changed.” Her full mouth pulled tight. “Okay. Number two. Annabel Brown.”

“She seems like a perfectly nice young woman. The right skill set. Good résumé.” Brady put a hint of doubt into his tone.

“Attitude?” Olivia called his doubt and raised him a whole lot of sarcasm.

“Not from her, but you’re walking a little close to that line.”

“So fire me,” she challenged.

“I think I can handle it a little longer.” Brady couldn’t imagine not handling it. Liv was dipped in determination, but wielded it wisely and with a sense of humor. For whatever argument she chose to pull out her attitude, it always passed the level-of-importance test.

“So Annabel has everything you’re looking for. I’ll contact human resources and get them going to fast-track a job offer...”

“Hold on.”

She looked up. “What?”

Was that impatience he heard? “I didn’t say I wanted to hire her.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“There’s something missing. A focus. Fire in the belly. It’s hard to put into words.”

“Ellie Hart recommended her. She works for one of Ellie’s brothers at Hart Incorporated. That’s the big time and they don’t tolerate fools. Annabel knows what she’s doing but wants to do it here in Blackwater Lake. What are you trying to say, Brady?”

“She seemed a little less than motivated. On the lazy side.” He was making that part up.

“She’s from Texas.” Olivia stood and shoved her hands on her hips. If it was possible to breathe fire, she would have. “People from the South have a drawl. That doesn’t mean they can’t be forceful when necessary.”

He loved it when she got riled up, and it made her crazy when he suddenly switched gears. As he was about to do. “You’re right. I’m no doubt misjudging her, so we’ll just chalk it up to lack of chemistry.”

“Okay. So it’s a no on Annabel.” She blew out a breath. “What about Chris? So far he’s the first one you promised to contact.”

“I like him.”

“There’s a but.”

“How do you know?”

“Chalk it up to a lot of years working for you.” She met his gaze. “Plus you had a funny expression on your face during the interview. What was that about?”

A feeling had come over him that he hadn’t experienced for a long time. Survivor’s guilt. Henry was dead and Brady was alive. In college they had been excited about a future in business together, then suddenly Henry had died and all those dreams disappeared with him. Brady had to carry on alone. It was a stark reminder that anyone he cared about could be gone in an instant.

Brady looked at Olivia’s face, so familiar, so alive, and realized he didn’t know what he’d do without her. At work, of course. And she was waiting for an answer to her question.

“Chris reminds me of someone I used to know in college.”

“Henry Milton,” she said. “I noticed the resemblance, too.”

He nodded. The two of them had been inseparable all through school, always at each other’s houses. “Chris is bright, enthusiastic and would be an asset to this company.”

“I thought so, too. So I’ll offer him my job.”

“No.” He straightened away from the desk and looked down at her. “He’s too young and inexperienced and smart enough to realize it.”

“He can learn. I did.”

“The thing is that you and I learned together. He’d be stepping into a high-power situation.” He shook his head. “No, I think his talents would be better utilized in research and development. Contact human resources and tell them to find something for him.”

“Okay. He’ll be an asset to this company. But that means we’re back to square one.”

“It would appear so.”

“You’re too damn cheerful, Brady.” Her eyes flashed with frustration. “You do realize that in another week I’m leaving. Whether or not you’ve hired anyone to replace me. This isn’t a joke and I wish you would stop treating it that way.”

She was being incredibly stubborn about this, and he blamed Leonard. “Why do you have to go?”

“You know why.”

“Don’t you think it’s incredibly selfish of Leonard to insist that you move away?”

“He’s not insisting.” She met his gaze as if she expected a challenge.

“Okay, then. Why doesn’t he relocate from...” He waited for her to fill in the blank with a city or state and when she didn’t, he was peeved. “He should be the one to move, find a job in Blackwater Lake.”

She blinked up at him for several seconds. “It’s a small town and there’s nothing here that would utilize his particular skills,” she said after some thought.

Brady recognized the expression on her face. It was the one she wore when she had to think fast, to come up with an explanation or particular spin. The truth shouldn’t take that much effort.

“What particular skills does he have?”

Her chin lifted in that stubborn, familiar way, just before she got defiant. “Well, for one thing, he’s a good kisser.”

“Is that right?”

That might get him a volunteer job at the charity fund-raiser kissing booth, but gainful employment was questionable. He was aware of the edge in his voice and the tight knot in his gut. It was the first time he’d thought about her actually kissing Leonard. Or in Leonard’s bed. A man touching her, any man. He didn’t like any of the above, not even a little bit.

This sensation had all the characteristics of jealousy but he couldn’t believe that’s what it was and didn’t care right this minute. He still had questions. Like...

Were there other men? Wouldn’t he know if there were? Who were they and why hadn’t he met them?

He hadn’t known about Leonard and suddenly, with an intensity that surprised him, he wanted to know everything.

“How many men have you kissed, Liv?”

“That’s none of your business.” Annoyance and indignation looked really good on her.

“I’m making it my business. You’ve worked for me a long time and I don’t know who you hang out with. You say Leonard is a good kisser. How many men have you kissed to compare him with?”

“Enough. Ask anyone.” The pulse in her throat fluttered frantically. “Unlike you, I don’t have a reputation for not being much in the kissing department.”

That was a semidesperate attempt to create a diversion but Brady was intrigued, in the mood to push the advantage. And he couldn’t stop looking at her mouth.

“I’ve never had any complaints about my technique. You shouldn’t believe rumors.”

“That’s hard to do without any contradicting data...” She shrugged, but it was uneasy, not the nonchalant gesture she was going for.

“Well, then, with my reputation on the line, I feel obligated to provide you with the necessary information.”

Her mouth dropped open and Brady forgot about his reputation and everything else except the need to taste her lips. He closed the distance between them in one step, then threaded his fingers into her silky hair with one hand and pulled her close with the other.

“Here goes.”

Chapter Four

Olivia couldn’t believe this was happening. She’d wondered forever how it would feel to be in Brady’s arms, with their bodies pressed together from chest to knee. The reality was so much better than anything her imagination had cooked up.

If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

For one thing, she hadn’t thought about his fingers threaded through her hair and how exquisitely romantic that would feel. Or the intensity darkening his eyes. The expression did things to her insides, things she couldn’t put into words because the feeling was simply AWESOME. All caps!

His mouth hadn’t officially touched hers yet and it was already the best kiss she’d ever had, proving that it wasn’t how you kissed, but whom.

“Liv,” he whispered, brushing his thumb across her cheek and then her lips.

The touch had heat mixed with shivers racing over her shoulders and arms. So near yet so far, she thought as his warm breath caressed her lips. It taunted and teased and she’d already waited years for this. She was so over being passive. On tiptoe, she closed the infinitesimal distance between them and softly pressed her lips against his as she slid one arm around his waist and the other hand up to his chest.

His heart thundered beneath her palm, making her heart thunder, too. His mouth was soft and met her own just before his tongue lazily skimmed her bottom lip. The flash was like tissue paper igniting and threatened to make her go up in flames.

Worse, the touch made her anticipate. She wanted his hands to find their way to her breasts, to settle on her hips and slide possessively over her stomach.

He nibbled the corner of her mouth and worked his way across her cheek to her ear. When he took the lobe gently between his teeth, she nearly gasped from the delicious sensation, came close to dissolving in a puddle at his feet. The touch almost made her forget that he was her boss. He was simply a man—who made her ache for so much more.

Olivia wished that she’d been the one to pull away first, but that wasn’t the way it went. The only small satisfaction she got was that Brady looked surprised. And his breathing was definitely not steady. With luck that would keep him from noticing that she was having a bit of trouble pulling enough air into her lungs. Or that she was quivering with reaction and wanted more.

“So...” He took a step back. “What’s the verdict? Are the rumors true?”

She blinked up at him and the words sounded like a recording played back on slow speed. That was because her brain didn’t have enough oxygen to process his question at more than a crawl. “What?”

“You know. The rumor that I’m not much in the kissing department?”

Olivia snapped to as surely as if he’d dumped ice-cold water over her head. Her mind kicked into high gear as she put a thoughtful expression on her face.

“I can’t speak for your other women,” she said, “but as kisses go, that was adequate.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” She tapped her index finger against lips still throbbing from the all-too-brief, way-above-adequate close encounter. “I think that’s a fair assessment.”

“Adequate?” He sounded shocked and annoyed in equal parts.

“Yes. It was nice. I think the rumor must have come from someone who had expectations of more.”

Technically that was true because, she’d made it up when he started pressuring her about Leonard being the one to relocate. Where Brady was concerned, she couldn’t quite suppress expectations. In her own defense, she’d had to think fast, something that was becoming a necessity of late.

“Adequate? Wow. I never thought I’d say this, but that makes me wish you’d said it was fine.”

From that she guessed he hated it when a woman used less than glowing adjectives about his performance. She couldn’t resist messing with him, just a little.

“That works too,” she agreed. “It was fine.”

He groaned. “You’re killing me here, Liv.”

“I didn’t mean to offend your fragile male ego. I’m just trying to be honest.”

And failing miserably. That kiss was so much better than fine or adequate. It was truly spectacular and she would swear the earth moved.

“From now on, I think I’d rather you lie to me.”

“I can do that.” Better than he knew.

“Okay, then.” Brady dragged his fingers through his hair. “Look, do you mind locking up? I’m going to see Maggie and my niece. It’s been awhile and I want to spend a little more time with them.”

The visit was on his schedule and Olivia looked at her watch. This was a little earlier than he usually left. Frankly, she could use some time alone to collect herself. “Of course. I have some work to finish, but I’ll make sure everything is shut down and the alarm is on.”

“Thanks.” He moved past her on his way to the doorway.

“Yeah. Tell Maggie hi and have a good evening.”

Over his shoulder he said, “See you tomorrow.”

When he was gone, a wave of sadness broke over her as reality sank in. He wouldn’t be saying that to her too many more times and she would miss it terribly.

Sighing, she shut down his computer. Just then her cell phone rang and the caller ID announced her mother. Her stomach knotted because they hadn’t talked yet. She’d had to leave a message and now her mom was getting back to her.

She hit the send button. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hey, Livvie. Sorry I didn’t call you sooner, but your text said to call when I had time to talk. Even now I barely have a minute, but wanted to get back to you. What’s up? Is everything okay?”

Without actually answering that question, she asked one of her own. “Have you seen Maureen O’Keefe?”

“Not since we had breakfast this morning. Why?”

“There’s something I have to tell you, Mom. You’re aware that I’ve been thinking of quitting my job.”

“Of course. You already gave your notice twice and Brady talked you into staying.”

“He has a way of doing that. But this time I made sure it will take.”

“You quit?” There was barely a question mark in her mother’s voice.

“Yes. I didn’t tell you guys in advance this time because of the other two times it came to nothing. But I had to tell Brady I was leaving.”

“Well, of course you did. He’s the boss and will need to replace you.”

“Exactly. But Maureen dropped by and he told her.”

“So that’s why you’re sharing now. You wanted us to hear it from you.”

“Partly. It’s just that this time I wanted to make sure I went through with it. The thing is, Mom, I’ve accepted a job with a college friend of mine who’s starting up a technology company in California.”

There was a moment of silence, long enough to make Olivia hate herself for not delivering this information face-to-face. But she couldn’t chance that the news would get back to her mother before she’d had an opportunity to say something.

Finally words filled the silence. “That sounds like an exciting opportunity, sweetie. It’s good to shake things up.”

“Speaking of that...” She took a breath. “Maureen will ask you about my boyfriend...”

“You’re going out with someone? Have I met him?”

“I’m pretty sure you haven’t.” No one had. Not even Olivia.

“That’s wonderful, honey.” Her voice sounded rushed. “Look, I’m so sorry. But I have to run. Are you still coming for dinner this weekend?”

“Of course.”

“Good. You can tell us all about your news then. Bye. Love you.”

“Okay, Mom. Love you.”

She hit the end button, then looked around Brady’s office as she was about to turn off the lights. Her gaze rested on the place where they’d stood when he kissed her. Memories of that perfect moment squeezed her heart.

Why did he kiss her now, when she was really leaving? It would be one more thing to miss when she was gone. And she had a bad feeling that no man’s kiss would ever be quite as incredibly, deliciously adequate as Brady’s had been.

* * *

On the drive out of Blackwater Lake to his sister’s house, Brady still couldn’t quite believe he’d kissed Olivia. He was used to being the smartest guy in the room, but what he’d done was colossally dumb. In fact it set a new and higher bar for dumbness. Thanks to probably the hottest kiss he’d ever had, it made him completely aware of his executive assistant in every way. Not only that, he couldn’t stop thinking about how easy and natural it would have been to sweep her upstairs and into his bed. And he was still regretting that he hadn’t, because there was no doubt in his mind that she’d have gone with him.

Since the day he’d hired her, he’d always been able to close off these thoughts, but kissing her opened the door and there was no way to shove the messy flood of feelings back inside. So he needed a distraction.

“And I know just the thing.”

He turned off the main road into Maggie’s driveway and up to the three-story log cabin set in a clearing surrounded by evergreen trees. The yard in front had grass bordered by bushes and flowers, which were not blooming in January. This place was like something out of a fairy tale and any second he expected the seven dwarfs to march out of the woods singing “Hi Ho.”

Brady exited the low-slung sports car then jogged up the steps and knocked. A few seconds later the dead bolt clicked.

Maggie opened the door. “Hello, Uncle Brady.”

“Ba-ay!” His niece, pretty in pink from head to toe, toddled over and grabbed her mother’s leg.

“If it isn’t Snow White and the littlest dwarf, Sunshine.” He grabbed up the little girl and lifted her high in the air, where she giggled happily. “How are my two favorite girls?”

“Don’t let Mom hear you say that.”

“She knows I put her into a completely different category.”

“Right.” Maggie grinned. “You’re still her favorite.”

“And you’re still bitter about that.” He settled Danielle on his forearm and moved farther into the room.

“Always.”

His sister was a beautiful woman, and that was a strictly impartial male observation. Shiny brown hair fell past her shoulders to the middle of her back and her eyes, depending on her mood, were warm like dark cocoa or cool and shaded like smooth brandy. For nearly two years they’d been more like the latter. Any man would be lucky to have her, but the one who’d won her heart had died almost two years ago while bravely serving his country in Afghanistan. Now his two favorite girls were alone.

“You’re here earlier than expected. Want a beer?”

“Love one.” When Danielle wiggled to get down, Brady set her on the wooden floor in the big, open great room. “I’m here early because I missed you guys.”

Maggie walked around a kitchen island big enough to land a helicopter before stopping in front of the refrigerator. Glancing over her shoulder, she said, “What’s wrong, Brady?”

“Nothing.” No way he was that easy to read. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”

“You look funny.” Maggie set his beer on a coaster on the coffee table. “Everything okay at work?”

“Fine.” If you didn’t factor in him kissing Olivia.

He sat down on the earth-tone woven area rug that covered the middle of the room to play with his niece. Danielle pulled over a wicker toy basket filled with dolls, stuffed animals and fat play figures that fit in her tiny hands. Chattering to herself in a language only she knew, she started unloading her toys one at a time into his lap.

“How are you?” he asked his sister.

“Good. I’m thinking of expanding the ice-cream parlor into the available business space next door. Make it a sandwich shop. With homemade soup. Quiche. Salads made with organic greens. Free-range chicken and grass-fed beef.”

Brady held still while his niece crawled onto his thigh and threw a teddy bear out of her way to make room. When she was settled, he braced a hand on her back for stability.

“Are you going to have hamburgers?”

“Hadn’t considered it.” Maggie sat on the dark-colored sofa and thought for a moment. “Maybe veggie and turkey.”

“You don’t want it too girly. You want your marketing window open wide. Don’t turn off the guys with too much chick food.”

“Good point.” She smiled fondly at her daughter, who’d pulled a pink feather boa from the bottom of the toy basket and was doing her best to wrap it around Brady’s neck. “Speaking of girly...”

“Don’t you dare take a picture. No way this leaves your house,” he warned.

“Serves you right for buying it.”

“I couldn’t come home from that San Francisco trip empty-handed.”

“Danielle wouldn’t know the difference.”

“She’s smarter than you think. She would know Uncle Brady went away and didn’t bring her something.” He smiled at the solemn concentration on the little girl’s face. “Besides, I’m all about retail bribery to secure her affections.”

Maggie beamed at him. “You would be a terrific father, Brady.”

“Why? Because I spoil your child?”

“No. Although that’s important, too.” Her expression turned tender. “Just spending a lot of time with her like you do means so much. Every little girl needs a positive male role model in her life so she knows what to look for when she grows up.” Her eyes took on the familiar sadness. “You should have a bunch of kids to fill up that obscenely big house of yours.”

“Not likely,” he said.

“Surely you have women throwing themselves at you. You’re okay-looking if one can ignore those ears.”

Brady threw a foam-rubber pink ball in her direction. “Funny.”

“Seriously, you’re rich and handsome. A pretty good personality. And, quite frankly, you’re getting to the age where people are beginning to wonder and ask questions.”

Folks in Blackwater Lake gossiped about anything and everything anyway. But Maggie meant something more. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re not getting any younger, and inquiring minds want to know if you’re gay. Or if there’s some dark and twisted reason for you not getting married and having children.”

“I don’t need to explain. Let’s just call it highly unlikely.”

“But why?” Maggie persisted.

“It’s not complicated.” He watched his niece totter over to pick up the ball and then put it in her mouth. “I’m just not a falling-in-love kind of guy.”

And that was the primary reason to acknowledge his not-just-business awareness of Olivia Lawson all these years. Hurting her wasn’t an option—and that’s what would happen if he started something he had no intention of finishing.

Except a little while ago he had started something.

“You’re wrong,” Maggie said.

“About?”

“Being the falling-in-love sort.”

“Oh?” He grabbed his niece and lifted her onto his shoulders, where she squealed with delight and slapped the top of his head with her little hands. “Why do you say that?”

“Here’s my theory and worth what you paid for it. Feel free to blow me off.” She met his gaze. “You won’t let anyone close because you’re afraid of losing them. Because it hurts when you lose them.”

“Don’t quit your day job and take up psychoanalysis,” he teased, but there was a lot of truth in her words.

As if she hadn’t heard the taunt, Maggie continued. “We lost Dad that Christmas you came home from college.”

“Yeah.” A trauma like that stayed with a guy forever.

Brady and his father hadn’t always been close but then his dad changed jobs, allowing him to be home all the time. He’d coached Brady’s baseball team and never missed a high school football game whether or not his son was playing.

He would never forget how his father had collapsed and died in his arms. One minute life was normal and happy, the next it changed forever. And the absence of the man he’d grown to love and emulate was a gaping black hole. It did hurt. So sue him.

“Is there a point to bringing this up?” he asked irritably.

“Then Henry was killed in the accident.”

His best friend. The two incidents were a painful lesson that someone you love can suddenly be gone. The only way to keep from hurting was not to care.

Brady met his sister’s gaze. “Of all people, you should understand. You lost Dad, too. And then Danny. I know how hard that was on you.”

“Still is.” The words were spoken softly as she stared at her daughter. “She has his dimples and the shape of his face. Losing him was the worst thing I’ve ever gone through.”

“So you understand why it’s unlikely there will ever be anyone special for me.”

“No, I really don’t.” She was still looking at her little girl. “At least I had a great love and know what that feels like.”

“If it was so great, why don’t you do it again?” Brady countered. “Why aren’t you dating?”

She sighed. “For one thing, it’s not easy when you have a child. How many people want to start a relationship with someone who has a kid?”

“I think you’d be surprised. Look at Adam Stone and Jill Beck. He adopted C.J. after they got married.”

“Okay.” She thought for a minute. “But then there’s Cabot Dixon and Tyler.”

Cabot was a good friend of Brady’s. His wife had walked out right after Tyler was born and he remained happily single. “Maybe he’s not the falling-in-love sort, either.”

Maggie made an unladylike snorting noise. “We can trade examples all night, but that won’t change what’s going on with you.”

“And that is?”

“Your only excuse for refusing to open yourself up to love is that you’re chicken.”

“What is this? Pick-on-Brady day?”

“Did someone else tarnish your image?”

“No way I’m passing this one on. You know how rumors spread here in Blackwater Lake.”

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