“The idea that I would ever be stupid enough to fall for you is pretty funny.”

“Stupid enough?”

“Yes, stupid enough. Let me count the ways.” She held up one hand and began ticking off fingers. “First, you’re a grouch in the morning. You leave newspapers lying around everywhere. You date a woman once and then never call back. You’re a big baby when you’re sick.”

Brandon had heard enough. He placed the file on the chair in front of her desk and stalked closer. He brushed against her, then slipped his hand around her nape and urged her closer.

She moaned. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I am.”

And then he kissed her.

Dear Reader,

I grew up in California and always loved visiting the Napa Valley wine country. So it didn’t take much arm-twisting for me to choose those romantic, grapevine-studded hills and valleys as the backdrop for Brandon Duke’s story.

Confident, handsome Brandon is the third of the Duke men to face his comeuppance from his mother, Sally Duke. The most determined of the brothers to fend off his mum’s matchmaking manoeuvrings, Brandon is nevertheless taken by complete surprise when his bespectacled, sensible secretary, Kelly, returns from vacation looking absolutely stunning. But then he finds out her true reason for getting a fashion makeover—and that’s when he really gets into trouble!

I’ve always enjoyed the forbidden fantasy of the boss and secretary love affair. I suppose you might attribute it to the fact that I worked as a legal secretary for many years. But trust me on this: I never worked for such a gorgeous boss as Brandon Duke! I would’ve remembered!

I hope you love reading Brandon and Kelly’s story as much as I loved writing it. Please stop by my website at http://katecarlisle.com and let me know. While there, you’ll find pictures and links to some fantasy resorts I imagine the Duke men might’ve owned, as well as background stories and fun facts about me and my books.

Happy reading!

Kate

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author KATE CARLISLE was born and raised by the beach in Southern California. After more than twenty years in television production, Kate turned to writing the types of mysteries and romance novels she always loved to read. She still lives by the beach in Southern California with her husband, and when they’re not taking long walks in the sand or cooking or reading or painting or taking bookbinding classes or trying to learn a new language, they’re traveling the world, visiting family and friends in the strangest places. Kate loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www.katecarlisle.com.

How to Seduce

a Billionaire

Kate Carlisle

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Champagne, chocolate and many thanks go to my brilliant editor, Stacy Boyd, for helping me give Brandon and Kelly’s romance a truly happy ending.

One

“Memo to self: Cancel all employee vacations,” Brandon Duke muttered as he reached for his coffee cup and realized it was empty. Yet another reminder that his invaluable assistant, Kelly Meredith, was still away on vacation. She’d been gone for the past two weeks, and that was fourteen days too long as far as he was concerned.

It wasn’t like Brandon couldn’t get his own cup of coffee. He wasn’t that lame. It was just that Kelly always beat him to it, showing up with a piping hot refill at the right time, every time. She was a dynamo in every other way, too. Clients loved her. Spreadsheets didn’t intimidate her. And she was an excellent judge of character, something he’d recognized early on. That was a quality worth its weight in gold and he’d taken advantage of it from the start by having Kelly accompany him to various business meetings all over the country.

Brandon’s own instincts were spot on when it came to judging a potential business partner or the motives of a competitor, but Kelly was a strong backup. Even his brothers had gotten into the habit of having Kelly vet new hires and solve problems in other departments. They called her the miracle worker, for good reason. If there was a thankless job that needed handling, Kelly grabbed it with both hands and worked her magic. Everything ran more smoothly because of her.

Taking advantage of the early morning quiet in the still empty office suite, Brandon grabbed a legal pad and began to scribble notes for a meeting with his brothers later today. Now that the Mansion at Silverado Trail, the Dukes’ newest resort in Napa Valley and the jewel in the crown of the Duke hotel empire, was about to celebrate its grand opening, it was time to focus his energies on new properties and new challenges.

Reading what he’d written, he was reminded of another reason he needed his assistant to come back from vacation: she could decipher his handwriting.

In the middle of bullet-pointing several options for a takeover bid on a small chain of luxury hotels along the picturesque Oregon coast, Brandon checked his calendar. Every hour of the day was filled with appointments, conference calls and deadlines, many of them connected to the grand opening celebration. Good thing his assistant would be back today, and about damn time. The temp replacement had been competent, but Kelly was the only one who could handle the myriad pressures and scheduling conflicts involved in the upcoming festivities.

And speaking of pressures, his brother’s wife was about to pop out a baby soon. This would be Mom’s first grandkid, and you would’ve thought no other child had ever been born. Talk about a major celebration. But what in the world was Brandon supposed to buy the kid? Season tickets on the 49ers’ fifty-yard line he could swing, but otherwise, he was clueless. Didn’t matter. Kelly would know the perfect gift to buy and she’d probably wrap it, too.

Brandon heard rustling and the sound of drawers opening just outside his partly opened door.

“Good morning, Brandon,” a cheery voice called out.

“About time you got back, Kelly,” he said with relief. “Come see me after you’ve had a chance to settle in.”

“You bet. I’ll just make a pot of coffee first.”

Brandon checked his watch. Sure enough, she was fifteen minutes early, one more indication that she was an ideal employee who deserved all the perks the job offered. But he still planned to outlaw vacations from now on.

“Ah, it’s good to be back,” Kelly murmured as she powered up her computer. Hard to believe, but she’d actually missed Brandon Duke while she was gone. The sound of his deep voice gave her a little thrill she attributed to the fact that she loved her job.

She stashed her tote bag and purse in the credenza behind her desk and quickly made coffee. Her hand shook as she filled the pot with water at the small kitchen kiosk across from her office and she forced herself to relax. She really was happy to be back at the job she loved, so why was she so nervous?

Okay, she’d made a few changes while on vacation, but nobody would notice, right? Nobody ever noticed anything about her except for her savvy business sense and can-do attitude, and that was just the way she wanted it. So if she happened to be wearing a dress today instead of one of her usual pantsuits, who would care? The fact that she’d never worn a dress to the office before wouldn’t stand out to anyone here. Even if today’s dress was a beautiful dark gray knit that buttoned up the front and clung subtly to her curves. And that was just fine and dandy.

And if she’d finally changed over to contact lenses, so what? She’d been wearing the same boring eyeglasses for the past five years. Change was a good thing.

“Kelly,” Brandon called from his office. “Bring the Dream Coast file with you when you come in, will you?”

“Be right there.”

The familiar sound of Brandon Duke’s voice made Kelly smile. He should’ve intimidated her from day one. At six feet four inches tall, he towered over her, and she knew for a fact that he was rock-solid muscle underneath his designer suits. She knew, because she’d run into him more than once at the hotel gym and seen him in shorts and a T-shirt. A former NFL quarterback bench-pressing ridiculously heavy barbells was quite a sight. Sometimes, while watching him, she found it hard to breathe steadily, but she chalked up those moments to spending too much time on the treadmill.

She chuckled at the thought of some of her girlfriends, who’d told her they would kill for a chance to see the stunningly handsome Brandon Duke working out in gym shorts. Luckily for Kelly, she’d never been tempted by her boss.

Yes, he was gorgeous, almost unbelievably so, but to Kelly, having a great job meant a lot more than having a brief, meaningless affair with some superstar athlete. And yes, an affair with Brandon Duke would never be anything but brief and meaningless. She’d seen firsthand the women who lined up to date him, and she’d seen them flicked off without a backward glance within a couple of weeks. It wasn’t pretty, and she never wanted to find herself in that line. Not that she would qualify to stand in that line, but—

“What are you thinking?” she whispered to herself. She’d never thought of her boss in those terms before and she wouldn’t start now. Shaking her head in disgust, she had to wonder if maybe she’d taken too many days off.

As the coffeepot filled, Kelly took a moment to glance out the wide bay window and felt both proud and lucky to be here in this job. Who wouldn’t want to work on a hilltop in the heart of Napa Valley, overlooking lush fields of grapevines as far as the eye could see?

Brandon and his small corporate staff had been working on-site at the Mansion at Silverado Trail for the past four months. They would stay here another month or so, until the resort was up and running and the grape harvest was over. Then they would all relocate back to Duke headquarters in Dunsmuir Bay.

By then, Kelly’s plan would be complete, and her life would settle down to normal. But until then, she would simply have to remind herself to relax and breathe.

“Do you hear me, self? Just relax,” she murmured as she ran her hands over her dress to smooth away any wrinkles, then filled two large mugs with hot coffee. “Breathe.”

She stopped at her desk to drop off her own mug and pick up a short stack of mail, then pushed her boss’s door fully open.

“Good morning, Brandon,” she said breezily, and placed the mail on his desk.

“Morning, Kelly,” he said, as he wrote rapidly on a legal pad. “Great to have you back.”

“Thank you, it’s nice to be back.” She placed his mug on his blotter. “Coffee for you.”

“Thanks,” he said absently, still writing. After a moment, he reached for his coffee and looked up. His eyes widened as he cautiously put the cup down. “Kelly?”

“Yes?” She gazed at him, then blinked. “Oh, sorry. You wanted the Dream Coast file. I’ll be right back with it.”

“Kelly?” His voice sounded strained.

She stopped and turned. “Yes, Brandon?”

He was staring at her in… disbelief? Shock? Horror? Oh, dear. Not a good sign. And the longer he stared, the more nervous she became.

“Oh, come on,” she said. “I don’t look bad enough to have stunned you into speechlessness.” She fiddled with her dress collar as she felt heat moving up her neck and settling into her cheeks. No need to be embarrassed, she scolded herself.

“But, what did you do to…” His voice trailed off as he continued to stare at her face.

“Oh, you mean the contact lenses? Yeah. It was time for a change. Be right back with the file.”

“Kelly.” His tone was demanding.

She turned again. He was still staring, this time at her hair. With a sigh, she brushed a strand back from her cheek. “I had it lightened and shaped. No big deal.” Then she waved him off and rushed to find the file.

Great. If Brandon was any example, people would be staring at her as if she were an alien. How was she supposed to relax and breathe and put her plan into action under those circumstances, darn it?

As she anxiously rifled through the file drawer, she heard the distinctive sound of Brandon’s leather executive chair rolling back from his desk. Seconds later, he was standing in the doorway. Still staring.

“Kelly?” he said again.

She stared up at him from the files. “Why do you keep saying my name?”

“Just making sure it’s you.”

“Well, it is, so cut it out,” she told him, then found what she was looking for. “Ah, here’s that file.”

“What did you do?”

“You asked me that already.”

“And I’m still waiting for an answer.”

Her shoulders drooped for a split second, then she straightened. There was no reason to feel self-conscious, especially not with Brandon. He’d given her glowing reviews and generous raises. He respected and admired her ability to work hard and solve problems. He was her employer, not her overlord, for goodness sake. “I got a little makeover.”

“Little?”

She raised one shoulder in a casual shrug. “That’s right. I lost a few pounds, got a haircut, some contact lenses. No big deal.”

“It is from where I’m standing. You don’t even look like you.”

“Of course I look like me.” She wasn’t about to mention the week spent at the pricey spa or the private etiquette and speech lessons. He would think she’d gone insane. Maybe she had. She’d always been levelheaded, and rational to the point of being called a nerd back in college. Now she wasn’t sure what they would call her.

“But you’re wearing a dress,” he said accusingly.

She looked down, then back at him. “Why, yes, I am. Is that a problem?”

It was his turn to look discomfited as he took a step back. “No. God, no. No problem at all. You look great. It’s just that…” Scrubbing his jaw with his knuckles, he searched for the words. “You don’t wear dresses.”

He’d noticed? Color her surprised. With a resolute smile, she said, “I do now.”

“I guess so,” he said, searching her face, still looking doubtful. “Well, like I said, you look great. Really great.”

“Thank you,” she said, still smiling. “I feel great.”

“Yeah. That’s great.” He nodded, then gritted his teeth and exhaled heavily.

If everything was great, why was he scowling?

“Oh!” she said, feeling ridiculous as she thrust the thick manila folder at him. “Here’s the Dream Coast file.”

His hand grazed hers as the file passed between them and she felt a buzz of awareness all the way up her arm.

Brandon’s frown lines deepened. “Thanks.”

“Sure thing.”

He walked back into his office, then turned. “It’s great to have you back.”

And that was how many greats so far? she wondered.

“Thank you,” she said. “And I’ll have the month-end sales figures calculated for you in twenty minutes.”

He closed the door and she sagged down into her chair. Grabbing her own cup of coffee, she took a big gulp. “Oh yeah, it’s great to be back.”

Brandon tossed the Dream Coast file onto his desk and continued walking across the plush office until he reached the floor-to-ceiling window that lined one long wall. He and his team were working out of the owner’s suite on the penthouse level of the Mansion at Silverado Trail, and he never grew tired of the view. Normally, when he gazed out at the gently sloping hills of chardonnay grapevines, he relished the pride he felt when he saw such visible symbols of his family’s success.

A hot air balloon drifted silently in the sky overhead and birds skittered from tree to tree across the hills. But he ignored all of it as he caught the barest whiff of flowers and spice drifting in the air. He wasn’t used to his assistant wearing perfume, or maybe he’d never noticed that she did, but for the first time ever, the arresting scent conjured up visions of a cool hotel room and a hot blonde. Naked. Wrapped in sheets. Under him.

Kelly. He could still smell her. Damn it.

He’d made a fool of himself just now, gaping at her as though she were a juicy steak and he were a starved puppy. Hell, he hadn’t even been able to speak. He’d sounded like a damn parrot, repeating her name over and over. But he would lay the blame for that solely at her feet. She’d succeeded in shocking the hell out of him and that never happened to Brandon Duke.

A makeover? He shook his head as he paced the length of the wall of glass. Who could fathom a woman’s mind? Kelly didn’t need a makeover. She’d been fine the way she was. All business, completely professional, smart, discreet. Never a distraction.

Brandon didn’t like distractions in the workplace. In his office, it was all business, all the time. After ten years in the spotlight of the NFL, he was all too aware that distractions ruined your game. You took your eye off the ball and the next thing you knew, you were buried in a pile of tough, ugly defensive ends who would just as soon see you dead.

Brandon splayed one hand on the plate glass window. Talk about a distraction. Who knew his competent assistant had those amazing curves and world-class legs hidden beneath the boxy pantsuits she’d worn every day? And those eyes, so big and blue a man could get lost in them?

Most disturbing of all, she seemed to be wearing some kind of new, glossy lipstick. It had to be new, otherwise he would’ve noticed her incredibly sexy, bee-stung lips long before today. But he was noticing now. He’d almost spilled his coffee noticing.

Her new dress clung to every curve of her lush body. Curves he’d never known existed before. Even though he saw her in the hotel gym regularly, she always exercised in a big T-shirt and sweatpants. Who knew she’d been hiding a body like that under all those layers of sweaty workout clothes? She’d clearly been working here under false pretenses all this time.

“Now you just sound ridiculous,” he groused. But who could blame him? His sedate, hard-working assistant was simply gorgeous. It was such a betrayal.

And what the hell had happened a minute ago when her hand touched his? He thought he’d felt something sizzling inside him. It had to be his imagination, but recalling that sensation of skin against skin caused his groin to leap to attention. He smacked the wall in disgust.

“Change is good,” he grumbled sarcastically and he sat back down at his desk. No, change wasn’t good. Not when he was used to Kelly’s nondescript hair and the way she’d always worn it pulled back in a sensible ponytail or bun. Now it was the color of rich honey tumbling across her shoulders and down her back. It was the sort of color and style that begged a man to run his hands through the lustrous strands as he eased her down to feast on those luscious lips.

His body continued to stir to life and he squelched the feeling by slapping the file folder open and riffling through the papers to find the document he needed. It was useless.

“This is unacceptable.” He refused to lose the careful sense of order and decorum he had always maintained in the workplace. The job was too demanding and Kelly was too important a part of his staff to allow her to suddenly become a distraction. Or more aptly, an attraction.

It was time to nip this in the bud. He reached across his desk and pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Kelly, please come in here.”

“Be right there,” she said briskly. Seven seconds later, she walked into his office carrying a notepad.

“Sit down,” he said, standing up to pace some more. He didn’t quite trust himself with taking another glance at her legs. Damn it, this just was not going to work. “We need to talk.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked in alarm.

“Look, we’ve always been honest with each other, haven’t we?”

“Yes,” she said carefully.

“I trust you completely, as you well know.”

“I know, and I feel the same, Brandon.”

“Good,” he said, unsure of his next move. “Good.”

Now what? He’d never been at a loss for words before. He glanced at her, then had to look away. How and when had she become so beautiful? He knew women. He loved women. And they loved him. Some might even say he had a sixth sense when it came to women. So why hadn’t he known Kelly was this attractive? Was he blind?

“Brandon,” she said slowly. “Are you unhappy with my work?”

“What? No.”

“Did Jane do an okay job while I was gone?”

“Yeah, she was fine. That’s not the problem.”

“Oh good, because I would hate to—”

“Look, Kelly,” he interrupted, tired of this cat and mouse game. “Did something happen to you on your vacation?”

She was taken aback. “No, why would you think—”

“Then what’s with this makeover thing?” he blurted out. “Why’d you do it?”

“That’s what you called me in here for?”

“Yeah.” And he wouldn’t go into how ridiculous he felt for bringing it up, but he had to know. “Why do you think you have to get all dolled up to—”

Her eyes narrowed. “All dolled up?”

“Well, yeah. You know, all made up and… hell.”

“There’s something wrong in trying to look my best?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Did I overdo it somehow? I mean, the makeup counter woman showed me what to do, but I’m new at this. I’m still practicing.” She lifted her face to gaze at him and her lips seemed to glisten as they caught the light. “Tell the truth. Is my makeup too much?”

“God, no, it’s just right.” Too damn right, he thought, but didn’t say.

“Now you’re being nice, but I don’t believe you. The way you looked at me when I came in this morning…”

“What? No.” Oh, crap, he thought. She wasn’t going to cry, was she? She’d never cried before.

“I thought I could do it. Other women do it, for heaven’s sake, why shouldn’t I?” She jumped up from the chair. It was her turn to pace as she pounded her fist into her palm. “I thought I was being subtle. Do I look like a fool?”

“No, you—”

“You can be honest.”

“I’m being—”

“This was a crazy idea to begin with,” she muttered and leaned back against the wall with a sigh. “I can figure out complex mathematical calculations in my head, but I don’t know the first thing about seduction.”

Seduction? Something hit him low in the solar plexus and he wasn’t sure of his next move.

“This is so embarrassing,” she moaned.

“No, it’s not,” he said, silently hoping he’d come up with something profound to say. He had nothing.

“What am I supposed to do now? I’ve only got a week left to… oh, God.” She covered her eyes for a moment, then stared up at the ceiling. Finally, she folded her arms across her chest and tapped one toe of her shiny new heels against the carpet. “How could I be so stupid?”

He walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Stop that. You’re one of the smartest people I know.”

She glared up at him, her plump lips pouty now. “Maybe in business, but never in romance.”

Okay, romance and seduction were definitely on her mind. And now he realized they were on his mind, too. The question was, why? In all the years he’d known Kelly, Brandon had never once heard her mention a name connected to any romantic interest. And now, all of a sudden, she was making herself over to attract some guy? Just who was she thinking of seducing? Did Brandon know the guy? Was he good enough for Kelly?

Brandon paused to carefully word his next question. “Who are you trying to seduce?”

Frowning now, she stared at her fingernails. “Roger. My old boyfriend. But I should’ve known it wouldn’t work.”

Roger? Who the hell was Roger? Brandon had to admit that the part of him that should have been relieved to hear she wasn’t out to seduce him was surprisingly disappointed. Not that he would ever allow anything to happen between them. But still, who the hell was she talking about?

“Who’s Roger?” he asked aloud.

“I just told you, he’s my old boyfriend. His name is Roger Hempstead.” She stepped away from Brandon’s grip and moved back to her chair. “We broke up a few years ago and I haven’t seen him since.”

“How long ago did you break up?”

“It’s been almost five years.”

He made a quick calculation. “But that’s about how long you’ve been working here.”

“That’s right.” She leaned one elbow on the armrest and looked up at him with a valiant smile. “After Roger and I broke up, I couldn’t stand living in the same small town where everyone I knew could dissect my every word and movement. I decided to relocate as far away from home as possible, so I looked for jobs in California and found this one.”

“I’m glad you did, but it must’ve been quite a breakup.”

“It wasn’t fun,” she said carefully, “but I’ve moved on.”

“Have you?”

“Yes, of course.” She nodded her head resolutely. “But then, last month I found out that Roger’s company booked their corporate retreat here at the Mansion. He’ll be here next week.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “And I wanted to knock his socks off.”

“Ah, I see.” And he did, sort of. Resting his hip on the edge of his desk, he said, “If it’s any consolation, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll knock his socks off.”

She gazed at him skeptically. “You’re just saying that to be nice.”

“I’m not that nice. Trust me.”

Her lips twisted into a frown. “I do. Usually.”

“I never lie, remember?”

“True, you don’t typically lie. To me, anyway,” she allowed.

He chuckled. “So it’s been about five years since you broke up with this Roger character, and now you want to make an impression.”

She nodded with determination. “I really, really do.”

“You will. I promise.”

“Thanks.” Her brief smile faded. “But I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m fine at business, but the world of romance is beyond me.”

“Tell me what I can do to help.”

Kelly regarded him with interest. “You mean it?”

“Sure.” He was willing to do almost anything to get things back on track. If Kelly felt secure, she’d be able to do her work and stop worrying about this clown Roger. Then, once Roger was gone, she’d go back to behaving like the Kelly he was comfortable with. His universe would once more be in alignment.

“That would be wonderful,” she said with enthusiasm. “I could really use advice from someone like you.”

“Someone like me?”

She smiled and he was struck again by how beautiful she was. Damn, how blind had he been all these years?

“It’s just that the two of you are so much alike,” she said. “You and Roger, I mean. It would really help to get your perspective on things.”

“What do you mean, we’re alike?”

“I mean, both of you are strong and handsome and arrogant and ruthless and, you know, type A all the way.”

Huh. That was accurate enough, although he’d always thought he was fairly laid-back compared to his two brothers. He did appreciate the strong and handsome part of her description, though.

Kelly had stopped to ponder what she’d just said, then added softly, “Wow, no wonder Roger didn’t think I was enough for him.”

Brandon bristled. “Enough for him?”

She sighed. “You know what I mean. I wasn’t attractive enough for him.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He told me so when he broke up with me.”

For some reason, Brandon felt an irresistible urge to pulverize something. Like Roger’s face. “You’re kidding.”

“No,” she said wryly. “I’m really not. But you saw what I looked like before the makeover, Brandon. Plain, wholesome, unremarkable. Not exactly supermodel material.”

A twinge of guilt pinged inside him as he realized that was exactly how he’d always felt about her. But he’d considered that a good thing. Now he was just glad he’d never mentioned it out loud.

“But I understood where Roger was coming from,” she continued. “He is very special, after all.”

“Special? He sounds like a jackass.”

She tried to stifle a giggle but didn’t quite succeed. “Oh, he is, but he can’t help it. His family has a very strong influence on him. His mother’s ancestors came over on the Mayflower, you know.”

“Members of the crew, were they?” Shaking his head, he said, “Listen, Kelly, do you want me to have him killed? Because I know someone who knows someone who could—”

Kelly laughed. “That’s a sweet offer, but no. I just want to make him regret what he said when he broke things off, that’s all.”

He studied her for several moments. “He hurt you.” She shook her head. “No, no, he told me the truth and I have to be grateful for that.”

“Grateful? Why?”

She smiled tightly. “Because he helped me see things more clearly.”

“What kinds of things?” Brandon asked warily. “My own shortcomings.”

Once again, his fists were itching to punch something. Roger’s stomach, maybe, since he’d already mentally broken the jerk’s nose.

She smiled brightly. “So that’s why I’ve decided to get him back.”

“What? Get him back?” Why in the world would she want that scumbag back? Hell, Brandon didn’t even know Roger and he already hated him.

“Yes.” She spread her arms out. “And that explains the makeover.”

And with that, she made a show of checking her watch, effectively ending the conversation. Probably a good idea.

“So,” she said, changing the subject, “do you want me to order lunch from catering?”

He wasn’t finished talking about this, but clearly Kelly needed a time out. So he’d let it go. For now.

“Yeah, that would be great. I’ll have the steak sandwich.”

“Sounds good. I’ll call it in.”

He leaned forward in his chair. “Listen, Kelly, if you need any help or advice, anything at all, you’ll come to me. Promise?”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Absolutely.”

She studied his face as if she were weighing the depth of his sincerity. “You’re sure?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”

She seemed to carry on a short debate with herself, then said, “Okay, there is one tiny thing you could help me with. If you wouldn’t mind.”

“You name it,” he said, reaching for his coffee mug.

“I’ll be right back.” She rushed out to her desk and was back in less than twenty seconds, holding a shopping bag from a well-known and expensive lingerie shop. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she pulled some wispy scraps of sheer material from the bag and dangled them for him to see.

“Which do you like better, the black thong or the red panties?”

Two

He choked on his coffee.

Dismayed, Kelly ran around and pounded his back. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he managed to say. “I’m fine.” He’d be even better once she backed off and her curvaceous breasts were no longer rubbing against his arm. He was only human, for God’s sake. And hard as granite.

He’d been tackled by some of the biggest linebackers in football history, but nothing had ever rendered him apoplectic before now. As he took a deep breath and let it out, the thought entered his mind that maybe she was trying to kill him. Could Roger have treated her so badly that she was going to take it out on every man she knew?

It wasn’t enough that she’d changed the playing field with her hot new look, but now she was shoving her panties at him. Didn’t she know that those little scraps of silk would be forever imprinted on his fragile male psyche? Now he would be forced to spend the next millennium imagining her in that black thong. Was she really that clueless?

“I didn’t mean to shock you,” she said. “But you said you would help.”

“Didn’t shock me,” he insisted, his voice sounding as if a frog had taken up residence in his throat. “Coffee went down wrong. Just… give me a minute.”

She finally moved back to her side of the desk and quickly shoved the bits of lace into the shopping bag.

“They’ll work just fine,” he said softly, not trusting his voice yet.

Her eyes glittered with hope. “Really?”

“Believe it,” he said with a nod. “Any normal guy would be grateful to see you in either pair.”

“You mean it?” Her eyes cleared and she smiled. “Thank you, Brandon. Oh, and I apologize again for springing them on you.”

“No problem.”

“To make this work, I really need to know what guys consider sexy.” She frowned, then admitted, “Roger never thought I was.”

“Never thought you were what?”

“Sexy.”

Brandon sat forward in his chair. “Does Roger have some kind of learning disability or something?”

She laughed. “Thanks for that. I’ll go order lunch now.”

“Good idea,” he said, thankful his voice had returned to full volume. “Oh, and Kelly?”

She stopped at the door. “Yes?”

“Go with the black thong.”

Later that afternoon, Brandon hung up the phone from a two-hour teleconference with his brothers and their lawyer.

“That guy never stops talking,” he said, shaking his head at the sheer immensity of the lawyer’s convoluted vocabulary.

“I was thinking you must pay him by the word,” Kelly said, flexing her fingers. She had taken notes during the entire meeting and now she stood and stretched her arms. The movement caused the knit fabric of her dress to stretch so tightly across her perfect round breasts that Brandon had to look the other way to stifle the first stages of another rock-hard erection.

“I’m getting more coffee,” she said. “Would you like some?”

“No, thanks. Will you have a chance to type up your notes and analysis this afternoon?”

“Definitely. I’ll get right on them.”

“I appreciate it.”

She closed the door and Brandon gritted his teeth. He needed Kelly to rethink this new wardrobe situation if he was going to survive the week. Hell, even her ankles were causing him palpitations. There was something about those high heels she was wearing that did awesome things to every inch of her legs.

An hour later, after the rest of his team had gone home, he walked out to Kelly’s area to find a property file and caught her pouting at herself in her compact mirror.

“Oh.” She blinked in surprise and quickly slapped the mirror closed and threw it in her drawer.

He rested one hand on the doorjamb. “I know I’m going to be sorry I asked, but what were you doing?”

“Nothing. What do you need? A file? Which one? I’ll get it.” She jumped up and pulled the top file drawer open.

“See, now you’re just raising my curiosity level,” he said, “so you might as well tell me.”

She clenched her teeth together irately. “Fine. Roger complained about the way I kissed, so I was practicing in the mirror. There. Are you happy?”

He shook his head. “Roger is a complete idiot. Why do you care what he thinks?”

She glared at him. “I told you, I want to get him back.”

“Yeah, that’s what I don’t get.” Disgusted with the subject of Roger, he moved to the file drawer and began to sift through the folders himself. “Where’s the new Montclair Pavilion file?”

“I’ve got it right here.” She picked up a thin folder and handed it to him. She looked so dejected, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for teasing her.

“Look, I’m sure you kiss like a goddess,” he said. “So stop worrying about what Roger thinks.”

“I just wish I could practice on something besides a mirror,” she said gloomily.

“Yeah,” he agreed absently as he thumbed through the file. “It usually works better to go with a real-life target who’ll actually kiss you back.”

She shot him a hopeful look. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help me out with that.”

He glowered at her. “Get real, Kelly.”

“What do you mean?” Realization dawned slowly. “Oh! No, no! I didn’t mean for you to kiss—oh, dear. I would never want you to… well, this isn’t going to come out right, no matter how I say it.”

“So just say it.”

“Okay. I wasn’t talking about you kissing me.” She sat on the edge of her desk. “But the thing is, I’ve made a list of potential, um… participants. So I was thinking maybe you could help by looking it over and making some suggestions?”

“You have a list?” Why was he surprised? Kelly made lists for everything. It was just one of the ways she stayed so organized.

“Of course I have a list.” She jumped up, ran around the desk and pulled a pad and pen out of her drawer. “I’m good at making lists.”

“Let me get this straight,” he said, absently slapping the file folder against his pants leg. “You’ve made a list of men you’re thinking of approaching to ask for help with—what? Kissing lessons?”

She flipped a page over and studied it. “That’s right.”

“But I’m not on the list?” he asked warily.

“What? No, absolutely not.” She shook her head as she held up her hand in a pledge. “Of course you’re not on the list. You’re my boss.”

“Good. As long as we’ve got that settled.” He should’ve felt nothing but relief. So why was he getting more annoyed by the minute? She considered him good enough to judge her damn panties but not good enough to kiss?

Okay, that might be the most ridiculous thought he’d had all day. This entire situation was getting out of hand. With a heavy exhalation of breath, he shoved away his own ludicrous reactions and tried to empathize with Kelly’s bizarre quandary.

“So who’s on the list?” he asked, almost afraid to hear her answers.

She glanced up. “What do you think about Jean Pierre?”

“The hotel chef?” She couldn’t be serious.

“He’s French,” she explained. “They invented the sport, right?”

“No way in hell. Not Jean Pierre. You’d probably start an international incident. Absolutely not.”

“Okay, okay.” She crossed Jean Pierre’s name off her list. “What about Jeremy?”

“The guy who mows the lawns?”

“He’s a landscape designer,” she said pointedly. “Practically an artist. He might know a thing or two about the art of l’amour.”

“He’s gay.”

“Really? Why don’t I know these things?” She blew out a frustrated breath as she drew a line through Jeremy’s name. “Nicholas the winemaker? He’s German, right? He might be—”

“Let me see that list.” He snatched the pad from her and gazed at the names. “Paulo, the cabana boy?”

“He’s cute,” she insisted, a little too desperately. “Forget it. Who’s Rocco?”

“One of the limo drivers.”

“Which one?”

“The big guy with the—”

“Never mind.” He shook his head. “No.”

“But—”

“No,” he said, handing the list back. “Throw that away. I don’t want you going around kissing the staff, for God’s sake.”

“Fine.” Glaring at Brandon, she ripped the page out, crumpled it up and tossed it in the waste bin. “I suppose you’re right. It might send the wrong message.”

“You think?” he said, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

She folded her arms tightly across her chest, which only served to emphasize her world-class breasts, damn it.

“So who can I ask for help?” she wondered, leaning her hip against her desk. “I’ve got a full week before Roger gets here. I could do a lot of practicing in that time. Do you have any friends you could recommend?”

“No.”

“Too bad.” She pursed her lips in thought. “Maybe there’s someone in town who—”

“Not a good idea,” he said in a tone that cut off all discussion. Not a good idea? Talk about an understatement. Hell, it was one of the worst ideas Brandon had ever heard. He didn’t want her kissing the staff or any poor, unsuspecting Napa Valley residents. All he needed was to have the locals talking about the crazy kissing woman from the Mansion on Silverado Trail.

But he could tell by the tension building along Kelly’s soft jawline that she was determined to carry out this cockeyed plan of hers. And if she went behind his back and enlisted one of the pool attendants…

Brandon stared at those pouty, glossy lips and realized the only man who could help her improve her kissing technique was him. Mainly because he suddenly couldn’t stand the thought of her kissing anyone else.

“Fine,” he said brusquely. “I’ll help you.”

She pushed away from the desk. “But you’re not on the list.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m going to help you myself because I don’t want you scaring away the staff.”

She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him. “I know you meant that in the nicest way.”

“Sorry. Yes.” He shook his head as if to erase the comment. “Of course I did.”

She continued staring at him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“It’s the only way I’ll know for sure that you’re not getting into trouble around here.”

“I won’t get into trouble.”

“I know, because I’ll be the one helping you.”

Inhaling a deep breath, Kelly let it out slowly, then seemed to brace herself for impact. “Okay. I appreciate this, Brandon.” She took a hesitant step toward him, but he held up his hand to stop her.

“Wait. We need to set some ground rules first.”

“Ground rules? Why?”

“Because there’s no way I’m having you fall for me.”

“Fall for you?” She blinked, then began to laugh. “Are you kidding?”

“Something funny?” he asked, insulted.

“Yes,” she said, giggling like a schoolgirl. “The idea that I would ever be dumb enough to fall for you is pretty funny.”

“Dumb enough?”

“Yes, dumb enough. Let me count the ways.” She held up one hand and began ticking off fingers. “You’re a grouch in the morning. You leave newspapers lying around everywhere. You date a woman once and then never call back. You’re a big baby when you’re sick.”

“Wait a minute,” he protested.

But she was on a roll now and seemed to be enjoying herself. “And all your weird superstitions left over from when you played in the NFL? My gosh, wearing the same socks for every game was bad enough, but I also heard that you ate only sardines and blueberries the night before every game. Do you still do that before big negotiations?

Who does that?”

Brandon had heard enough. He placed the file on the chair in front of her desk and stalked closer. “The socks were washed between games.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, really.” He brushed against her, then slipped his hand around her nape and urged her closer. “And sardines and blueberries are both excellent sources of omega-three fatty acids.”

“Fascinating,” she whispered, as she stared wide-eyed at him.

“Helps the brain function better,” he added as he caressed her cheek.

“G-good to know.” She sounded wary now, probably smart of her.

He bent to kiss her neck, then murmured in her ear, “The quarterback’s the brains of the team, did you know that?”

She moaned. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I am.” And he kissed her. She tasted as sweet and hot as he somehow knew she would. Even more so. He had to work to keep the contact light and simple, because it wouldn’t do to get carried away. But that didn’t stop him from wishing he could lay her down on the desk, run his hands up her thighs, spread her legs and bury himself inside her.

He had to stop. This was wrong in too many ways to count. If he stepped away from her right now, they could both forget this kiss ever happened.

Then she groaned in surrender and he knew she wanted the same things he did. And he was helpless to stop. He used his tongue to gently pry her lips open, plunging inside her sexy mouth. Her tongue met his in a sensual play of thrust and parry.

He wanted to cup her breasts and flick his thumbs across her peaked nipples, but that was a sure road to madness. So with every ounce of will inside him, he forced himself to end the kiss, reluctantly pulling himself away from her warmth.

“Oh,” she whispered, licking her lips as she slowly opened her eyes.

Brandon’s insides clenched at the sight of her pink tongue tasting him on her mouth.

“Oh, that was good,” she said with a note of surprise. “That was really good.”

“Yeah,” he said, brooding. “It was.”

“I liked it a lot.”

So did he, but he remained silent. Otherwise, he might’ve been tempted to follow through on his desire to have her naked under him. But that would never happen and right now, he needed to regain some degree of control over whatever strange emotions were still churning inside him.

“Roger never kissed like that,” she said, watching him thoughtfully.

“Did I mention the guy was an idiot?” he muttered.

“No wonder he didn’t think I was sexy,” she reasoned. “It’s because he didn’t make me feel sexy.”

“I rest my case.”

“But you did,” she declared and smiled up at him. “And now… wow. You know, I really think Roger was the problem, not me. But I can’t be sure.”

“Yeah, you can,” he said gruffly. “Roger was the problem. End of story.”

She touched his arm. “Thank you, Brandon.”

“You’re welcome.” He started to head for his office, still trying to steady his breathing.

“Wait,” she said.

He turned and looked at her. A slight line of concern marred the smooth surface of her forehead. Her lips were pink and tender and about the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. The fact that he wanted more than anything to kiss her again, made him forge ahead into his office.

“I think I could get really good at this and blow Roger’s mind, but I need to practice,” she said, following him. She had her notepad in hand again, probably hoping she could make another damn list of all the different ways they could kiss each other. If she only knew.

“Not a good idea,” he said, sliding the Montclair file into his briefcase.

“But you said that before and it turned out to be a really good idea.”

He pierced her with a look. “No more practicing. Ground rules, remember?”

“I remember, don’t worry.” After scrutinizing him for a moment, she nodded her agreement. “Okay, I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right,” he said, and snapped his briefcase closed.

“Thank you for your help,” she said. “It was wonderful. On a purely educational level, I mean.”

“You’re welcome,” he said and led the way out of his office. “Now let’s call it a night.”

“Oh, I’m going to stay for a while,” she said, flipping to a clean page, all business now. “I need to make some notes while everything is still fresh in my mind. I’ll need to remember everything later.”

“You’re going to make notes on that kiss?”

“Yes, for future reference.” She’d already begun scribbling what looked like mathematical calculations. “If I write everything down—what you did and what I felt, I’ll be able to recall each sensation the next time, and I’ll know I’m doing it right.”

“The next time,” he echoed hazily.

“Yes. I tend to remember tactile experiences more clearly if I make a record of it immediately. Then later, I’ll study my notes in anticipation of the next occurrence.” She beamed at him. “I’m quite confident I can achieve an exponential jump in my skill level and understanding.”

“Really?”

“It makes perfect sense on paper.”

“On paper. Good.”

Tapping her pen against the pad, she murmured, half to herself, “Of course, an actual kiss would give me a lot more insight….”

She looked up and studied Brandon closely. He wasn’t liking the look in her eyes. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Think about what?” she asked, her eyelashes fluttering innocently. If she were any other woman, Brandon would know she was playing a dangerous game of seduction. But this was Kelly, who didn’t seem to have a clue about feminine wiles and whose every emotion was evident on her face.

That made it Brandon’s responsibility to set her straight.

“Forget it, Kelly. I am not going to kiss you again.”

“Oh, I know,” she murmured, her moist, glimmering lips pursed in thought.

He lost all memory of what they were talking about. He only knew that right now, his throbbing body parts wanted to put those lips of hers to the best use possible. Maybe after that, he would be able to carry on an intelligent conversation with her.

In the meantime, however, it appeared that he had created a monster.

Three

“I am not going to kiss you again.”

Every time Kelly played the words over in her head, she could feel her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. And since she was incapable of putting a halt to the mental words and images, she wouldn’t be surprised if, any minute now, her head spontaneously combusted.

“So stop thinking about it,” she demanded aloud as she popped a frozen dinner in the microwave oven and slammed the door shut. Now she had four minutes with nothing to do but wait. And think. And remember. She glanced around her comfortable mini-suite with its corner kitchen nook and figured she could use the time to straighten up, but there was nothing out of place. Her room was pristine, as usual.

The Mansion had a world-class housekeeping service and even though Kelly was part of the corporate staff, the housekeepers kindly insisted on stopping by every day to clean and straighten up and make sure everything was perfectly comfortable for her.

So, lucky her, she had plenty of time to dwell on all those damning thoughts that wouldn’t stop circling through her mind.

“The fact that you practically begged your boss to kiss you,” she berated herself, “in the office, in broad daylight, wasn’t bad enough. No, you also had to dangle your panties in his face. So classy. And why couldn’t you keep that silly list of kissing candidates to yourself?”

A small sigh escaped as she slid miserably onto the stool at her kitchen counter. Reaching for the bottle of sparkling water she’d opened, she filled her glass and took a sip. And pondered her next move.

There were a few ways she could remedy the situation. One was to go in tomorrow morning and simply apologize to Brandon. She could explain, somewhat truthfully, that she’d ingested nothing but spa cuisine for ten days straight and it had left her brain incapable of clear thought.

He probably wouldn’t believe that story since everyone in the entire company knew that Kelly’s mind was a steel trap. She could recall the minor details of a telephone conference from three years ago or the specifications of a particular construction job from months back. She had the dates of every birthday, anniversary and important occasion in Brandon’s life memorized, along with phone numbers, credit card accounts and travel preferences for him and every member of his family.

There was no way he’d believe she’d suddenly lost the ability to think straight. So her only other solution was to simply move away, somewhere remote, like Duluth, leaving no forwarding address. She was fairly certain Brandon’s memory of the outlandish panty-dangling incident would fade within months, a year at the most.

“Oh, God.” She leaned her elbows on the counter and buried her face in her hands. The fact that Brandon had obligingly recommended the black thong really didn’t help matters right now.

The microwave buzzed and she removed her small dinner. She was proud of herself for continuing to eat lighter portions since leaving the spa, but she could feel a serious ice cream binge coming on.

It was because of the kiss.

She’d vowed not to think about it and had been semisuccessful, deliberately switching tracks whenever her train of thought veered too close to the memory of Brandon’s touch, the feel of his mouth on hers. But now, just for a moment or two, she let herself go and thought about it.

She’d never experienced anything like it. It was just one kiss, but she’d felt more passion and excitement in those few seconds than she’d known in the entire two years and seven months she’d dated Roger.

Now, she closed her eyes and gave in to temptation, reliving the exquisite pressure of Brandon’s hands, the warm smoothness of his mouth…

After a moment, her eyes flashed open and she stared down at her rapidly cooling dinner. She’d completely lost her appetite. For dinner, anyway.

“You need to snap out of it, right now,” she reprimanded herself. Brandon Duke was her employer. Her job was important to her. She couldn’t afford to get dreamy-eyed and moony about the man who signed her paychecks. Especially not that man.

Once upon a time, Kelly had envisioned a fairy-tale romance and a happily-ever-after with Roger. He had been her handsome prince and she’d considered herself the luckiest girl in the world. But her prince had turned out to be a frog, and not very charming at all. He’d made promises he never intended to keep and had busted her dream of love and marriage flat. The breakup had not been pretty and Kelly had to admit she hadn’t handled it well.

Before she met Roger, she had been upbeat and open to every possibility. She knew she was smart and reasonably attractive, knew she wanted to fall in love, get married and have children some day. But after Roger dumped her so cruelly, she’d felt broken, cynical, awkward and unsure of herself, especially around men. She had lost her confidence and she couldn’t think about dating for a long time after the breakup.

Ironically, working in the office with Brandon had been the best antidote for her fears and insecurities. He’d made it clear early on that he considered her an indispensible member of his team. He relied on her intelligence and organizational skills to help him run his projects.

Her self-confidence blossomed and grew until she finally decided she was ready to start dating again. She still wanted to fall in love, get married and raise a family some day. And the only way to achieve that goal was to find the right man.

Being her organized self, she began by calling on her friends and coworkers. Then she’d compiled a list of online dating services as well as a number of local organizations she could join and activities in which she could participate in hopes of meeting eligible men.

She was convinced that she was ready to hit the dating scene—until the day she saw Roger’s name on the hotel’s upcoming conference list. Her throat tightened and her stomach churned. She couldn’t catch her breath. The old insecurities rushed back with a vengeance. That’s when she realized she would never be able to love another man until she came to terms with Roger and the damage she’d allowed him to inflict on her life.

If that meant confrontation, then so be it. The only problem with confronting Roger was that his ego was so overblown, he might get defensive and lash out at her. She wasn’t sure she could endure another unpleasant war of words with him. But how else could she get around his ego? she wondered. And in that moment, Kelly had devised her life-saving plan.

If she could somehow lure Roger back, then reject him, it would help her recapture some of her old optimism and enjoyment of life. She would be free to move forward and love again. In other words, she would get her mojo back.

She also knew for a fact that Roger wouldn’t be hurt by her rejection. Thank goodness, because Kelly could never hurt him on purpose, no matter how unkind he’d been to her. No, the fact was, Roger’s ego was much too healthy to allow himself to be wounded by a woman. He would brush off the insult as easily as he would a speck of lint on one of his impeccably tailored suits.

As far as Kelly was concerned, Roger could make up any story he wanted to about why she’d refused him. The point was, she would be healed and ready to live again, to open her heart to the possibility of finding love and happiness. Right now, that was all that mattered.

The makeover would certainly help her cause. Kissing lessons couldn’t hurt, either, especially from a master of the art. And that brought her back to her current predicament.

“Brandon,” she said aloud, moving her fork around on her plate.

The problem was, she wasn’t sure she had the experience to lure Roger in after just one kiss from Brandon, even though it had been a potent one, for sure. That’s why, on the one hand, she wished she could continue learning the secrets of kissing from Brandon. On the other hand, she knew better. He was her boss! How many times did she have to remind herself? And worse than that—if anything could be worse—was that Brandon could jeopardize her plans for Roger’s payback. After all, if Brandon continued to help her with her kissing, it might lead to something more. Kissing often did.

It was useless to deny that she was susceptible. All she had to do was think back to a few hours earlier when Brandon had kissed her. If he’d wanted to take things further, she would’ve gone right along with him. That’s how good his kiss had been.

“Okay, fine, the man can kiss.” She tossed her fork on the plate and stood, too antsy to eat.

Even if he kissed her again and it led to something more, she would never be so stupid as to fall for Brandon Duke.

She strode around the room, picking up her jacket and hanging it in the small closet, then sorting through her clothes for tomorrow’s outfit.

Yes, she’d laughed at his ground rules earlier that day, but now that she’d kissed him, was she still willing to guarantee that she could remain resistant to his charms?

“Yes,” she said firmly, and shoved the closet door shut. She wasn’t a complete dummy. She knew Brandon’s reputation with women, knew his habit of dating one woman for a brief period of time, then moving on to the next. It would be insane for any woman to expect Brandon Duke to reciprocate her tender feelings. So why would Kelly ever fall for him? She simply wouldn’t.

Brandon wasn’t the “settle down and get married” kind of guy Kelly wanted to meet and fall in love with. He didn’t fit in with her life plan at all.

“And that makes him perfect for this plan,” she said, as comprehension dawned. Since she would never fall for him, Brandon Duke was the perfect man to teach her how to kiss!

Now, if she could just convince him to continue helping her. After all, look how much she’d learned with just one try. Her eyes were now opened to the fact that Roger had been the problem all along. It was obvious now. He had never kissed her the way Brandon had kissed her. She would’ve remembered.

“Oh yes,” she said with another sigh as she forced herself to take another bite of her dinner. She would’ve remembered a kiss like that.

So how could she convince her boss to let her practice her kissing with him some more? Roger would be here next week so it wasn’t as if he would be forced to keep kissing her forever. It would only be for a few days. She needed to make it clear that lessons in romance and seduction would be all she needed. The more skilled she became at romance and seduction, the better her chances would be of putting Roger in his place.

Brandon could appreciate that, right?

Still, it was a dilemma. Brandon was her boss. If she was smart—and she was—she’d just forget about Brandon and use her own best instincts to attract Roger.

What instincts? she wondered, and grimaced. When it came to romance, she had none!

As she took another bite of chicken and rice, she realized there had to be a website somewhere with instructions she could follow. There was a website for everything else, so why not seduction?

Oh, but it would be so much better to learn from a real live expert. And Brandon was indeed an expert. She couldn’t help thinking that if mere kissing had given her this much perspective into her problems with Roger, then having sex with Brandon would be absolutely revelatory.

“What?” She jumped off her chair and wrapped her arms around herself. Where had that thought come from?

“You stop thinking about that right now,” she admonished herself as she grabbed her plate and glass and carried them to the sink. “You’ll just embarrass yourself.” Again.

But now that she’d thought it, she couldn’t get the image out of her mind. What in the world would happen if she and Brandon ever had sex?

“Oh, no,” she said, gasping. What if they had sex and she found out she really was bad at it? How could she face Brandon at work? She would have to quit.

But wait. What if she was really good at it? Would he think she’d been lying about her lack of experience? Would he assume she’d been having sex all along, with every guy in town? How could she face him at work? She would have to quit.

And oh, dear Lord. What if Brandon was no good at sex? Would she have to lie and tell him it was wonderful? He was her boss, after all. She couldn’t exactly tell him he was a loser in bed. She would have to quit.

She moaned and took another sip of water.

“Okay, that’s it,” she said, as she tapped her fingers on the counter anxiously. “Just forget the whole thing.”

This whole kissing thing was too much to think about. She had to figure out some other way to deal with Roger. She would explain to Brandon tomorrow that she’d been wrong. He would have to forgive her. And she was certain that he would. After all, before today, she’d never done anything to cause her employer the least bit of consternation. Tomorrow, after she explained to Brandon that her brief lapse into lunacy was over, everything would be fine. They’d go back to normal. She would assure Brandon that he would never have to worry about inappropriate behavior from her again.

And a year from now, she would look back and be able to laugh over this momentary ripple in her otherwise unblemished record.

The doorbell chimed and she jumped.

Checking her wristwatch, she wondered if it might be Housekeeping at the door. She’d asked them not to stop by with those yummy evening chocolates anymore. But tonight, maybe she’d take one. Anything to provide a diversion from her disconcerting thoughts. She ran to open the door and her resolutions of a moment ago flitted away.

“Brandon,” she whispered.

“We need to talk.”

Brandon stared at Kelly and could no longer remember why he’d thought it would be a good idea to come by her room.

After a long run around the hotel grounds after work, then another brief conference call with his brothers to finalize arrangements for their family’s arrival to attend the resort’s grand opening, followed by a quick taste of the chef’s latest creations for the harvest festival menu, Brandon had retired to his suite to watch Dallas eviscerate Denver on TV. But he hadn’t been able to concentrate on the football game, and that was a first.

He blamed it on Kelly.

The fact was, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Not in a sexual way, he hastened to tell himself, despite the vivid memory of her warm mouth and sweet tongue and an explicit picture of exactly what he’d like to do with. but he wasn’t going to go there. No way. Not with Kelly. Not in this lifetime.

In the first place, she worked for him. How big a fool would he be if he jeopardized his working relationship with the best assistant he’d ever had? And even if he was willing to overlook that little fact, Kelly just wasn’t his type. She wasn’t sophisticated and worldly like the women he usually dated. She wasn’t the kind of woman Brandon would ever think of calling on the spur of the moment for a night on the town, followed by a rousing round of sex, followed by no commitment to call again.

No, Kelly was more like the girl next door, the one who was meant to find a nice guy and get married. As far as Brandon was concerned, she might as well have worn a banner that said Hands Off. And he would be wise to heed that invisible warning.

He’d had some pretty awful role models early in his childhood, before Sally Duke adopted him. He’d seen all the ways people could hurt each other in the name of love and marriage, so he wasn’t about to go that route. With that in mind, he had decided not to touch Kelly again.

But she’d looked so pensive and uncertain when he’d left the office earlier this evening. He’d never seen Kelly less than one hundred percent confident in herself and her abilities, so this change in attitude worried him.

And then there was that kiss. Which he wasn’t going to think about again, damn it.

So why was he standing here at her door, holding a bottle of wine? Oh, yeah.

“We need to talk,” he repeated. He’d used the same stupid line in the office much earlier today. It sounded somehow lamer now, even if it was the truth. When she stepped aside, he strolled into her mini-suite. “I hope I’m not interrupting your dinner.”

“No, I’m finished,” she said, and rushed to dispose of the remnants.

He held out the bottle of wine, a Duke Vineyards pinot noir. “Will you have a glass of this if I open it?”

She stared at the bottle, then up at him. “Sure. I’ll find an opener.”

He could tell she was nervous as she rattled around in one of the kitchen drawers. And why shouldn’t she be? It wasn’t every day a woman kissed her employer. And it wasn’t every night that said employer showed up at her hotel room carrying a bottle of wine. He just hoped she wouldn’t get the wrong idea. All he wanted to do was clear the air so their working relationship could go back to being as exceptional as it had been before the kiss. It was a simple problem and it wouldn’t take him long to explain his feelings, but he had to admit that a quick glass of wine would probably help them both relax.

“Here you go,” she said, and handed him a corkscrew.

“Glasses?”

“Oh.” She swallowed anxiously. “Right.”

As he worked to remove the cork, he took a moment to study his longtime assistant—and wondered how he’d ever thought he’d be able to relax in her hotel room.

She wore cutoff shorts and a T-shirt, an outfit that a jury of his peers would consider thoroughly appropriate for spending a balmy night alone in her room. But as she reached for the wineglasses on the second shelf of the cupboard, he watched her T-shirt inch up to reveal the leanness of her stomach. On her tiptoes now, her shorts stretched just enough to show the soft, pale skin above her tan line where the curve of her bottom met her perfectly toned thighs.

“Here you go,” she said, placing two glasses on the counter.

Brandon let go of the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Thanks.” He took his time pouring wine into the glasses and handed her one. “Kelly, I—”

“Look, Brandon—”

“Sorry. What were you going to say?”

She blinked, then said in a rush, “No, you go first.”

“Fine. I just think—”

“Okay, I’ll go first.” She glanced briefly toward the ceiling as if she were looking for guidance from above. Brandon watched her chest move up and down as she inhaled, then exhaled. She was clearly edgy. She picked up her wineglass and took a gulp, paced a few steps back and forth across the small kitchen, then stopped and met his gaze, her face a mask of regret.

“I want to apologize for the way I behaved today,” she said. “I don’t know what got into me. I’ve been going crazy ever since I learned that Roger would be coming here and I guess I… I lost my head. I’m mortified about what happened. I just hope you’ll accept my apology and trust that it’ll never happen again.”

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