Simply Sexy
Carly Phillips

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

PROLOGUE

EMMA MONTGOMERY STOOD by the window in the newspaper offices and tapped her manicured nails impatiently. Snowflakes told her Christmas was around the corner and she adored the holiday, the cheer, the parties. She had no patience for imbeciles, a thought which reminded her to look back at the road. Still no sign of her driver. The man came and went on his own schedule. She wished she still had her license but those days were gone. Thank goodness she had other skills that hadn’t dwindled with age. Matchmaking was her specialty and obviously Corinne, the present publisher of the Ashford Times, had recognized her talent.

Emma was now the columnist for the Ashford Times’s “Meet and Greet” column. And she couldn’t forget that this job had also saved her elegant behind from a nursing home. Her son, the Judge, had had it with her parties and antics, and if she didn’t get busy with something, he’d threatened to put her in an old-age home.

She shivered, blaming the cold seeping in from the window. But the Judge’s bellowing had done her a favor. She loved this job and the people here appreciated her talent and humor.

“Oh, Rina!” Emma called out to the only employee left in the office, the new girl named Rina Lowell.

Pretty name. Pretty woman. No makeup, but if Emma had that gorgeous skin, she wouldn’t bother with blush, either.

Rina glanced up from her desk where she was typing away. “Yes, Emma?”

“You know that expression, all work and no play makes Rina an old fuddy-duddy?”

“I don’t think you quite nailed it.” Rina laughed, a light sound that would be musical to a man’s ears. “Are you saying it’s time I went home for the night?”

“Goodness, no!” Emma waved her hand in the air. “I’m saying we should hit the town and celebrate the new lives this paper has given us.” Emma had been working for a few months and Rina had just recently started.

The young woman obviously wanted to make a good impression, arriving early and leaving late. But even the most dedicated worker had to have some fun.

“What did you have in mind?” Rina asked.

From the corner of her eye, Emma saw her car approach with her good-for-nothing driver, hired by her son, at the wheel. She might as well make use of his time and let him earn his money. “I thought we could go to O’Dooley’s and have a beer.”

Rina burst out laughing. “I’m sorry. I just can’t picture you, an eighty-year-old woman, drinking beer.”

“Phooey. You shouldn’t make fun of an old lady. Would you prefer I have a shot of tequila?”

“I’ll do one with you,” Rina offered, her eyes twinkling with the challenge.

“You’re on.” Emma stuck out her hand for a shake. “At least I don’t have to worry about drinking and driving. And if you come with me, neither do you. Leave your car here. I’ll drop you off at your home tonight and pick you up on the way to work tomorrow.”

Rina pretended to give the idea some thought, but Emma caught the smile on her lips and knew the young woman had already decided.

Finally she nodded. “Okay. I’m up for partying.” She slid her chair back so she had room, and pushed herself in a circle, hanging her head back and spinning the chair around before letting loose a loud whoop.

“What was that for?” Emma asked.

“I just wanted to act as free as I feel.” Rina giggled girlishly. “I’m just so happy to have this job and so excited to start life over in Ashford.”

Emma took in the young woman’s pink flushed cheeks and wide smile. With her carefree attitude, she was the perfect candidate for Emma’s matchmaking skills. She rubbed her palms, warming them together. “So we’re off to O’Dooley’s.”

“Do you think we’ll meet any men at this joint?” Rina asked as she pulled her purse out of the drawer in her desk. “Because with my new ‘Hot Stuff’ column, I could use some good interaction.”

Rina might claim her interest was in work, but Emma didn’t miss the sparkle in Rina’s gaze at the mention of meeting a member of the opposite sex. Oh, this was going to be fun, Emma thought. “With your cheekbones, you’d meet men anywhere.”

“Why, thank you, Emma.” Rina fluttered her mascara-free lashes with obvious exaggeration, then grabbed her winter coat from the back of her chair.

Emma wrapped her heavy shawl more securely around her shoulders. Together, they started for the door, but as they walked by the empty desk beside Rina’s, Emma paused. “Did you hear the news?” she asked.

Rina shook her head. “I came in late today and worked all afternoon.” She pointed to the Walkman she often wore when deep in thought. “What news?”

“That desk will have an occupant soon. The prodigal son has returned.” Emma ran her hand over the old, empty desk. One no one was allowed to take in case Colin Lyons should return.

“I don’t understand,” Rina said.

“You already know that Corinne took over the paper from her sick husband, Joe.”

The young woman nodded. “He’s in the hospital and Corinne’s worried.”

“Right. And so is Joe’s son. The man’s a wanderer. He never stays in one place, to his poor father’s chagrin.” Emma placed a hand over her heart, knowing how she loved having her children and grandchildren around her. Even New York, where her granddaughter, Grace, lived, was too far away from Emma’s home in Massachusetts. She couldn’t imagine having a world traveler in the family. “But he’s home now. And Corinne said he’ll be working here.” Emma pointed to the empty chair…a chair a few feet from Rina’s desk.

The possibilities flitted through Emma’s mind, giving her an adrenaline rush. Colin was a gorgeous man with sparkling blue eyes and the most amazing smile. But he’d never stick around for longer than he had to. Emma knew this because he’d been her grandson Logan’s college roommate. She loved Colin like he was her own grandchild, but felt he was missing out on so much that life had to offer. A warm bed to come home to, a good woman…

A woman like Rina. Emma pursed her lips in thought. This was definitely something to consider. “Let’s get going and I’ll tell you all about Colin,” Emma suggested.

“Sounds like a good plan.” Rina headed out first, holding the door open for Emma. “Is he cute?” Rina asked.

“Gorgeous.”

She raised an interested eyebrow. “Attached?”

Emma shook her head. “Completely free,” she said and hoped she wasn’t lying. She hadn’t heard much about Colin’s personal life lately. She’d have to ask Logan.

“Hmm.”

“What does hmm mean?” Emma asked as she pressed the elevator button. She needed to know that Rina was open to a short-term relationship before she hooked her up with Colin. She’d never intentionally set anyone up for heartache, and though Emma would work toward something more permanent with these two, she couldn’t be certain Colin would ever settle down.

Rina shrugged. “Just hmm.” She tipped her head to the side. “You know, with this new job and new life, I can’t help but think a little fun and excitement with a man ought to follow.” She wriggled her eyebrows playfully. “You know what I mean.”

Emma nodded. She certainly did. Fun meant something short-term. If Rina meant anything else, she would have chosen the word relationship. “You’re horny.”

“Emma!” Rina blushed a deep crimson. “You’re terrible.”

“I beg to differ. Holding back your thoughts is terrible. Speaking your mind is completely appropriate. Well, when among friends. And you are my friend.” She put a hand on Rina’s arm. “Something about you reminds me of my granddaughter, Grace. Or, at least, the way she was before I sent Ben to look after her. All this youthful exuberance and pent-up energy. All you need is the right man to let loose with.” Emma nodded, certain she was correct.

“You think I’m horny, huh?” Rina laughed. “Believe whatever you want, but you’re right about one thing. Letting loose is exactly what I have in mind.”

CHAPTER ONE

“MARK MY WORDS, Joe. Sex will lead to the end of the world as we know it.” Colin Lyons glanced at the hospital bed, where his adoptive father and mentor lay sleeping.

Asleep, not dead. Thank God. After finding out Joe had had a stroke, Colin had hightailed it home from South America. He’d been covering a rigged election in a country where money laundering commingled with drug trafficking and guns blazed on the sunbaked streets. Now, one week later, Colin sat in the quiet hospital room watching the monitors prove to him Joe was alive. In the background, snow fell outside, a serene and peaceful reminder of winter. Of Christmas, of life and hope.

Colin had taken leave from his job to come home and run Joe’s beloved Ashford Times until the older man recovered, only to discover that he’d been usurped. Prior to his stroke, Joe hadn’t been feeling well. Yet, instead of calling on Colin, Joe had given his second wife, Corinne, power of attorney, which she’d used to almost run the newspaper and Joe’s legacy into the ground. Colin’s stomach cramped and twisted with guilt because he hadn’t been around when Joe needed him. Worse, Joe hadn’t thought his health was important enough to bother Colin with while he was on assignment.

He glanced toward the bed. A loud snoring sound reassured him that Joe wasn’t down for the count. The doctors promised a full recovery, and he’d already begun the slow road toward recuperation. But time was something neither Colin nor the Times had on their side.

“Do you know that Corinne’s turning the paper into a fluff-fest,” he asked, wondering if his words would penetrate Joe’s sleepy fog.

They didn’t. Joe’s mouth opened wider in slumber as the clock on the wall ticked away the minutes of the day. Colin didn’t mind. “There’s a new column called ‘Meet and Greet: Matchmaking for the Aging but Still Sexually Inclined.’” Colin didn’t expect a reply and wasn’t surprised when he didn’t get one.

He not only blamed Corinne for the beginning of the paper’s change away from hard news, but also for squandering the bank account, not keeping up with advertising and her general lack of oversight. She’d brought the paper to the brink of bankruptcy, then foolishly thought she could fix things herself. Beginning by moving Emma Montgomery, a spunky senior citizen and his best friend’s grandmother, from a desk job to a columnist with better placement than Dear Abby or Miss Manners, the syndicated giants.

He leaned back in his chair. “Emma means well but she takes this matchmaking thing too far. It’s Christmas season, right? So she hangs mistletoe over the watercooler. My first day back I got a smack on the lips courtesy of Marty Meyers.” He was Joe’s male secretary, who was one hundred percent gay and taken. Colin didn’t find it amusing at the time, but looking back, it had been a pretty funny scene.

But the reality of the situation wasn’t funny. Colin doubted Joe knew how bad the Times’s financial situation was, and telling him would only add stress and compromise his recovery. Besides, Colin already had things under temporary control.

He’d borrowed money from Ron Gold, an old friend of Joe’s who believed, like Colin, that the paper had to return to the hard news that had made it a success to begin with. Based on a gentleman’s handshake, Colin had promised to do everything in his power to shift things back to the status quo.

Colin could handle working on Corinne to affect a change, but he needed time. Ron Gold understood. The paper’s biggest advertiser didn’t. Fortune’s Inc., a conservative investment company, demanded Corinne’s promise in writing to turn things around—focus on the news and get rid of the, in their opinion, risqué columns that now graced the front page.

Otherwise they threatened to pull their new ads scheduled for the first of the year, and the Times would lose its largest source of funding. Then even Ron Gold’s loan wouldn’t save the paper. Colin had until January 1. No longer. And he had no idea how to accomplish his goal with a woman who wouldn’t listen to reason.

“Hello, Colin.” Corinne breezed into the room, bringing with her the scent of heavy perfume. “How is he?” She walked over to the bed and stroked Joe’s forehead.

Her gentle treatment of Joe didn’t mesh with Colin’s perception of her as being cold and self-absorbed. Then again, he hadn’t been home often enough in the last couple of years to know her well. “He’s sleeping.”

She nodded and shrugged her jacket off her shoulders, revealing a low-cut, designer suit. Like the direction she was taking the paper, Corinne, her exposed cleavage and outward demeanor, oozed sex.

He glanced at his watch. Nearly three. “Long day at the office?” he asked.

“No, a fabulous one.” Her eyes lit up as she spoke. “Wait until you read Rina’s first column,” she said of her newest addition to the Ashford Times’s staff.

Rina Lowell, a woman who Corinne had hired to write a weekly column with the heading “Hot Stuff.” A woman who intrigued Colin on many levels.

She had a creamy complexion and didn’t bother with makeup to enhance her image. He was fascinated by a woman comfortable in her own skin. Her hair was pulled into a conservative bun he was dying to undo, and see just how far the strands fell down her back. Her bare, naked back if he had his way. She possessed a husky voice with a New York accent she’d refined, and hid her assets beneath bulky sweaters and baggy pants.

He had no idea what lay under the packaging, but damned if he didn’t want to find out. Hell, his fingers itched to strip off the thick layers and explore, inch by tantalizing inch.

Even with her eyes hidden by a pair of black-rimmed glasses, it was obvious that she thought and felt deeply. Rina got to him in a visceral sort of way and incited his journalistic blood, making him wonder what secrets she hid behind her intelligent brown eyes.

“Do you want a preview of what Rina has to say?” Corinne asked, breaking into his thoughts.

“Go ahead. I’m sure it’ll be the highlight of my day.”

“It’s simply sexy,” she replied, either missing or ignoring his sarcasm.

Her excitement over her new employee was almost tangible, reminding him of why he needed to steer clear of Rina Lowell. She sided with the opposition and contributed to the fluff Corinne still seemed to think would sell papers.

That alone put Rina off-limits. “What’s simply sexy?” he forced himself to ask. “Rina’s column?”

“No, the title of her series of articles is Simply Sexy.” Corinne shook her hair, deliberately letting her blond mane flow over her shoulders. “Simply fabulous if you ask me. She’s going to bring in a whole new set of readers.” She still sounded so certain despite her track record of mistakes in the past few months.

He shook his head, amazed reality hadn’t set in. She hadn’t conceded defeat, not even when forced to accept Colin’s check to keep the paper afloat for an extended period of time.

“Corinne, people buy the newspaper for one reason. To read the news.” He figured he’d try one more time to make his point.

“The news is everywhere. Television, radio, even on people’s computer screens. They can buy the Boston Globe for news. I want to give them something different.” She waved her hand for emphasis, and her gold bracelets clinked together.

Surprisingly, Joe didn’t react. It was a noise he must be used to hearing in his sleep.

“I admit I started off slow and on the wrong foot, but with Rina and Emma on board, I’m getting there. People may be resistant to change, but that doesn’t mean I can’t win them over,” Corinne insisted.

Colin groaned, resigned to the inevitable. She wasn’t ready to cave in yet. But no matter how hard Corinne tried, sex wouldn’t sell newspapers.

It wasn’t that Colin had anything against sex. Hell, he was a man, wasn’t he? But sex had its time and place. And it had been sadly lacking in his life, he silently admitted. The dry spell had gone on too long. Still, he wasn’t about to embark on a meaningless fling. Casual sex was neither smart nor satisfying, and travel didn’t lend itself toward establishing long-term relationships.

Apparently, neither did sticking around. His marriage had bottomed out fast because his wife didn’t know the meaning of fidelity. She’d cheated on Colin. Twice. Two different men, Lord knew how many times with each. Colin had left town soon after the discovery. Sick of the reminder of past failure, he’d booked a flight to Europe, trading in a local TV anchor job for one abroad.

“I’m going to make sure Joe’s doctor knows to stop by and talk to me before he leaves the hospital tonight,” Corinne said as she walked toward the door.

“That’s fine. I’ll stick around until you get back.” He wanted the older man to know he had people by his side and a family to return to when he walked out of the hospital, even if Colin wasn’t sure Joe knew that anyone was in the room.

Corinne disappeared out the door just as Joe’s snoring became obscene. Colin grinned, the sound calming him in ways only his heart understood. Joe and his first wife, Nell, had taken Colin in when his parents died. At twelve, he’d been a pain-in-the-ass kid who thought he knew best and resented the world because his parents were gone. But Joe and Nell understood. They gave him time, space and a home in which to adjust. Later on, they’d adopted him, even knowing he couldn’t bring himself to call anyone but his birth parents Mom and Dad. They’d just wanted him to feel loved and know he had family. The same thing Colin wanted for Joe now. Which was why he forced himself to get along with Corinne, even if he wanted to throttle her.

Joe’s snoring continued and Colin laughed. When Joe wasn’t at work, he always spent a great deal of time snoring in his old recliner chair. A chair Corinne had dragged to the street corner the day she’d said “I do.” Colin didn’t know what possessed Joe to marry a woman the complete opposite of Nell. But he had.

“I’m back.” Corinne carried two soda cans in her hand. “I brought you a cola.”

Again, Colin was struck by the incongruity of her actions. “Thanks,” he muttered. Obviously Joe had seen something in her, which was another reason Colin wanted to give her a chance.

Just not where Joe’s beloved paper was concerned.

“When you get back to the office, take a look at Rina’s column. I promise you’ll be impressed,” Corinne said, taking his place in the chair by Joe’s bed.

Colin forced a nod. But at the reminder of what he had waiting for him, he snorted in disgust. Matchmaking ads, self-help columns and a series on what men want? He was beginning to doubt either Corinne, Rina Lowell or any other woman had a clue.

He let himself out of the hospital room and leaned against the back wall next to a utility cart. Corinne had already told him she didn’t believe Fortune’s Inc. would pull their new ads, not once they saw how readers reacted to Rina’s first column and the other assorted new things she had planned. Reality wasn’t a part of Corinne’s thinking, and Colin’s frustration flew as fast and furious as his thoughts.

Corinne was so caught up in her newest scheme, she didn’t care or understand that her livelihood and Joe’s legacy were at stake. How the hell could he reach her? She was so damn excited about Rina’s new series, she wouldn’t listen to reason.

He ran a hand through his hair. And the solution dawned.

Rina. Corinne’s newest flavor of the week. An employee she obviously trusted. Someone with whom he’d heard Corinne shared a family connection. A bond. Rina Lowell might be the only person who could make Corinne see the error of her ways. If Colin could get Rina on his side.

He’d have to spend time with her in order to subtly sway her to his way of thinking. Considering she’d piqued his interest from day one, being with Rina would be no hardship. But gaining her trust under false pretenses didn’t sit well with him, and guilt gnawed at his insides. He’d be pursuing friendship, all the while knowing he was plotting a return to hard news at the expense of her job.

He attempted to assuage his guilt with the facts. Rina would be out of a job whether Corinne ran the paper into the ground or Colin got things back on track. But if he got to know her first, if she believed he wanted what was best for all involved, maybe she’d be willing to help him talk Corinne into accepting the best of all possibilities. They could save the paper, and in return, he could promise Rina a good recommendation for another, more appropriate job.

He groaned, still feeling like a shit for considering the plan. But feelings didn’t change the fact that the Times was a newspaper, not a woman’s magazine, something the advertisers and now Colin’s lender understood. The money he’d contributed would only hold out for so long. They needed positive cash flow again soon.

A smart man would hop on the next plane back to South America. But Colin couldn’t. Not yet. Financial debt and gentleman’s agreement aside, Colin had more compelling reasons to stay. He hadn’t been here when Joe first got sick and Colin lived with that knowledge every damn day. He loved, respected and owed the man. Joe had given him a shot in life and Colin wouldn’t betray him now.

Colin wouldn’t allow anyone to destroy the paper Joe had built. He’d do anything he had to for the older man. Even if it meant using Rina Lowell.

RINA WATCHED with amusement as the head of the maintenance crew tried to hang mistletoe according to Emma Montgomery’s direction. The older woman had already hung sprigs in unsuspecting places around the Ashford Times’s offices and had taken to adding a bit more each day. Of course, she did her decorating after five, when the core staff had gone home for the day.

“A little more to the left. No, to the right. Left. No, right.” From her seat, Emma tried to choreograph everything and everyone in her sphere of influence, a mean feat for an eighty-year-old woman. At least Rina thought she was eighty. Emma never discussed her actual age.

“Geez, lady, make up your mind.” The man’s weight tipped the ladder precariously with each stretch of his arm in a different direction. “I haven’t got all night.”

Emma sniffed. “That’s the problem with today’s generation. Everyone’s in such a rush. What do you think, Rina? Come here and check it out from my perspective.”

Knowing Emma wouldn’t be satisfied unless she complied, Rina shut down her computer for the night and joined the older woman. She glanced upward at the ceiling. “Looks good to me. Want to test it out? Emma’s willing,” Rina jokingly told the maintenance man.

He glared, obviously not enjoying his role in holiday merrymaking.

Emma laughed. “You need holiday spirit,” she informed the man, then squinted upward once more. She nodded at last. “That’s it then. Leave the mistletoe there.”

Directly over Colin Lyons’s hair. Despite Corinne’s warning, his return had shocked the staff. Those who knew Colin had expected his long absences to continue. Instead, as soon as he’d arrived home, he’d come on board at the paper. Corinne had agreed to let him take over the small news department, admitting that wasn’t her forte. But even she didn’t think he’d stay. According to office gossip, he never did.

Rina glanced at the greenery over his seat and grinned. “You are one wicked woman, Emma.”

She rubbed her hands together with glee. “Tell me you wouldn’t love to get that man underneath the mistletoe.”

Of course she would. But Rina wouldn’t be admitting anything to Emma. No way would she give the queen of the “Meet and Greet” column a cause to focus on. She could handle her own affairs, thank you very much. Because if Emma discovered that Rina was attracted to Colin—incredibly attracted, in fact—she’d pull out all the stops to get them together. And the timing was all wrong for Rina to find herself on the receiving end of Emma’s renowned matchmaking skills.

With her series coming up, she had put together a plan to decipher what the opposite sex wanted. She couldn’t have Emma meddling in her social life. Not now.

Even if Colin did light megawatts of electricity inside her every time he walked into the room. Those arresting blue eyes, that thick black hair, his distinctive masculine scent all set off heavy-duty sparks of desire. Instant sexual attraction, she thought. And female intuition, plus the fact that she’d often caught him staring, told her he felt the chemistry between them, too.

Emma narrowed her gaze. “Silence is an answer in itself.” She patted Rina’s arm, rose and headed slowly back to her own desk.

“Come on, Emma. Pick on someone your own age,” Rina said.

The older woman laughed. “You’re a challenge, Rina. I thrive on challenges and I live to matchmake. What exactly do you live for, dear?”

“Until lately, not much,” she admitted. After her husband’s death, guilt had consumed her. He’d been rushing home from a business trip in the pouring rain, coming to be with her instead of sensibly spending the night at a hotel.

For a long while after, Rina hadn’t thought life had much to offer. But after some soul-searching, she sold the New York City penthouse she and her husband had shared, and decided it was time to live again. Financially secure and free to do whatever she wanted, Rina had had no desire to return to her job as a legal secretary. It had been a decent means of earning a living, but it didn’t satisfy her.

She’d asked herself what would, looking inside herself for answers. She’d always been curious about human nature, drawn to people and relationships. Like Emma, she’d even indulged in matchmaking with her brother, Jake, and his wife, Brianne. She’d decided to use her people skills and her childhood habit of writing and documenting ideas, and put them to good use.

And now she had her column. “But my outlook is fresh and new since moving to Ashford,” she said, meaning every word.

Emma nodded. “Good thing you packed up and moved on.” She studied Rina with eyes full of wisdom.

“Amen, sister.” Rina grinned and hit Emma’s hand in a high five, laughing at the older woman’s spunk.

Rina had no doubt Emma had seen a lot in the decades she’d lived, and she’d obviously learned how to get the most out of every person she met and opportunity she saw, a philosophy Rina had adopted too from the minute she’d decided to sell the penthouse and move on. So what if she’d had to pull a few strings to get this job?

Corinne’s father lived in the same retirement community as Rina’s parents. Of course, Corinne’s father was much older than Rina’s parents, but in Florida, if a man had teeth and the ability to walk upright, golfing and bridge buddies formed. When Rina learned that Corinne had taken over her husband’s newspaper, she picked up the phone, the two women hit it off, and Rina had herself a job. One she wouldn’t hold on to if she wasn’t successful.

But she would be.

“Ah. More silence. You’re thinking. That’s okay. As long as you speak wisely to yourself, that’s what counts.” Emma broke into Rina’s thoughts. “But if you should want to share your thoughts, I’d be more than happy to listen.”

“You’re so nosy.” Rina glanced at Emma with all the warmth she felt toward her. “Not to mention perceptive.”

“Live as long as I have and you’d better have learned something,” Emma replied with a wink. “Now, I want to hear more about your upcoming series. Did I mention that I admire your gumption?”

“Not lately,” Rina said wryly.

Ignoring the writing implement tucked behind her ear, Emma picked up a pencil and tapped the eraser against the desk. “Catching a man is so much more complicated today than in my youth. Instead of pinching cheeks for color, you swipe on blush, and in place of tissues, I hear the water bra is all the rage now.” She paused for an obvious inspection of Rina’s attributes. “And though you’re a natural beauty, it would help you with the competition if you used some enhancement, too.”

Rina shook her head. The older woman was unbelievable.

“What do men want? Pfft,” Emma said. “You’ll never know because they’ll never tell.” She waved a regal hand in the air, dismissing the notion out of hand.

“I don’t want them to tell me, I plan to use my powers of observation to figure it out. Methodically.” Rina pulled out the list she’d compiled from the folder on her desk. “And it’s not just appearance. It’s also in how a woman acts, walks and talks.” She swiveled her hips for effect.

“More movement,” Emma suggested.

Rina sashayed her waist and ended with a rendition of Britney Spears that would do any twenty-year-old proud. From across the room, one of the remaining layout editors, who was just putting on his jacket, applauded.

Rina grinned and bowed. “You see? Attitude makes a difference,” she said with a nod. “The question is, what’s more important? Attitude or intellect? Wouldn’t a smart man want a woman with whom he can carry on a breakfast conversation?” she asked Emma.

“No. Men want arm candy.”

Rina cocked her head to the side. “Come on. They can’t be that shallow a species.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Get with the program, Rina. All men want a woman they’re proud to display on their arm. It’s the male ego, dear.”

“That’s true.” Much as she hated to admit it. Take her deceased husband. After their marriage, he’d ostensibly fired her as his legal secretary, giving her a life of luxury most women would die to live. In exchange, he’d wanted a stay-at-home wife, one who was comfortable entertaining guests and who dressed well so he was proud to have her by his side. “You do have a point.”

“And trust me,” Emma said. “The reason you’re still flying solo after being in this town for three months is because you’re doing nothing to enhance your appearance.”

Rina put a hand to her unflattering bun and grinned. “I know.”

“Forgive me, but I simply don’t understand.” Emma shook her head, her look of confusion obvious. “I can see your potential. I’ve offered to have my limo driver take us to Bloomingdale’s for a clothing makeover, offered to have my stylist come do your hair. You refuse. Care to tell me why?”

“Corinne hired me to bring life to the paper with my series idea. I can only do that by giving my readers personal experience. So I started by establishing myself in town as a quiet, inconspicuous woman.”

Emma pursed her lips. “Go on.”

“I’ve been researching from day one here. Recording men’s reactions to this Rina.” There hadn’t been much interest in the woman who wore baggy clothes and no makeup, one who possessed a mild-mannered personality. Although Colin’s heated gaze more than made up for the other men’s lapses. “So now I’m going to alter my appearance and actions, and see what kind of changes men react to. So I can impart firsthand wisdom to my readers.”

“You’re going to strut your stuff.” Emma grinned. “I like that.”

“You would.”

“Can I help it if I’ve got my finger on the pulse of male-female relationships? Why, just look at Logan and Cat,” she said, referring to her wealthy grandson and his beloved wife.

Rina knew Emma credited herself with that pairing.

“Then there’s Grace and Ben. If only they didn’t live in New York,” Emma said wistfully. “You’ll meet Logan and Cat at the Christmas party Saturday night, but you’ll have to look up Grace next time you return to New York for a visit.”

The older woman also took responsibility for her granddaughter Grace’s marriage to the detective Emma had hired to look out for her in New York City. Rina suspected that both of her grandchildren would have succeeded without their grandmother’s help, though Rina had to admit, they wouldn’t have met without Emma’s meddling.

“So we’re talking a random sampling of men?” Emma asked.

Rina nodded. “Anyone and everyone, including the deliveryman. And the pizza guy is particularly cute.” Not that he’d been attracted to Rina and her plain, unflirtatious side, but the time had come to change her attitude. Because not only was this series her journalistic debut, but it also marked her return to the social scene.

She was ready to begin flirting again, testing her wiles on the opposite sex. The best part was that she’d been able to use her daily life as research since she met men at the coffee shop next door and at the bar favored by her downstairs neighbor, Francesca. Frankie, for short. They both rented apartments in a Cape house Rina had heard about from Corinne. One look and Rina had fallen in love with the house and made friends with Frankie, whose favorite pastime was discussing dating in Boston. They shared information, and Rina’s ideas flourished. She’d already outlined her series and written most of the first week’s draft.

With work put aside, she could focus on her private life. And Emma had been right on when she’d called Rina horny. She hadn’t been with a man in years and she was finally open to the concept of monogamous sex. She wasn’t ready for a relationship, but a satisfying fling appealed to her new independent streak and resolve to live life on her own terms.

“Any ideas who should be your first guinea pig?” Emma asked, obviously referring to Rina’s column.

Rina, on the other hand, contemplated what kind of man she’d like in her bed. “A dark-haired, blue-eyed Mr. Perfect,” she said dreamily. An attentive man who catered to her every need and desire.

“Afternoon, ladies.” As if she’d conjured him, dark-haired, blue-eyed Colin Lyons appeared near where Rina stood. She hadn’t noticed him come in, but she was very aware of him now.

She inhaled and smelled the musky scent of his cologne and her stomach curled with delicious warmth. She told herself it had to be the thought of sex that had her hot and bothered, but she knew she lied. Just looking at Colin elicited a definite chemical reaction inside her body, obviously short-circuiting her brain.

“Hello, Colin. I take it you were at the hospital again?” Emma asked, knowing Colin had visited Joe every afternoon since his arrival the day of the publisher’s stroke.

Colin nodded.

“How is our dear Joseph?” Emma asked.

“Resting more comfortably today.”

“That’s wonderful. I know Corinne’s worried about him,” Rina added, joining the conversation and trying to act polite, not like the oversexed female he inspired her to be.

“Corinne’s got a lot to be worried about,” he muttered, then turned to Rina. “But I appreciate you asking. I’ll be sure to tell Joe you care,” he said, his voice warm.

As usual, his attention set off a tingling reaction. “Emma asked about Joe first,” she reminded him, trying to deflect attention from herself. Surely Joe would rather hear about Emma’s concern than an employee he hadn’t even met.

“She did. But so did you, and as Joe’s family, I appreciate it.” A smile tilted Colin’s lips into a lopsided grin, and Rina forgot to breathe.

A former local newscaster, he had the chiseled features television adored, dimples and a gleaming white smile made more charming by the slight overlap of his two front teeth. Razor stubble darkened his cheeks, and that hint of musky aftershave enhanced his potent allure. Her gaze traveled downward. Even his fisherman sweater and worn jeans added to his rugged appeal.

“See something you like?” he asked, arms folded across his broad chest.

“Everything,” she said, immediately biting her tongue, but it was too late. The word had escaped.

Caught, she flushed and quickly transferred her gaze to Emma. Rina tried to look innocent. She really did. But when Emma nodded Colin’s way and murmured, “I agree he’s hot, but put your tongue back in your mouth,” the slight flush in Rina’s cheeks started to burn.

“You’ll have to forgive Rina. She’s off balance,” Emma said to Colin. “And I can’t really blame her, considering.” She propped an elbow on her desk.

“Considering what?” Colin spoke to Emma, but his blue-eyed gaze never left Rina’s. He hadn’t stopped staring since her blunt admission.

Emma sighed. “Young people. You never take time to look around you and appreciate the scenery.”

Oh, if Emma only knew how wrong she was, Rina thought wryly, realizing Colin’s eyes had small laugh lines surrounding them, a sexy attribute that added character to an already amazing face.

“Look up, children. You’re both standing under mistletoe,” Emma said with glee. With a huge smile on her face, Emma pointed up.

Rina groaned, and Colin, one eyebrow raised, followed Emma’s lead to look at the ceiling. Sure enough, the green sprig hadn’t moved, changed or fallen to the floor. And neither had Rina since the time Emma had called her over to Colin’s desk.

She’d been had. A notion the older woman verified when she not so subtly picked up her purse.

“Well, Colin?” Emma asked. “Aren’t you going to follow tradition?”

Rina knew from experience life rarely doled out second chances. Standing under the mistletoe with Colin was a one-time opportunity. She’d been doing a lot of talk about living a new life and starting over.

She glanced up at the mistletoe that teased her and tempted her to follow her most erotic impulses. Emma obviously caught the sexual undercurrents that had been running between Rina and Colin since day one.

No sense trying to hide them now.

“I wonder,” she whispered softly, for Colin’s ears only. Taking advantage of the new, liberated Rina, she leaned forward, closer to Colin and those super-sexy lips. “Do you have the nerve?”

CHAPTER TWO

FROM THE CORNER of her eye, Rina saw Emma slip out the door.

“Emma’s gone,” Colin said. He sounded as stunned as she felt at this sudden turn of events, and his voice held a husky, low timbre that resembled rough whiskey.

“And she definitely left some excitement in her wake.”

“Is that what you’d call it?” He studied her shamelessly, as if taking her measure. Looking for what, Rina couldn’t be sure, but with each passing second, those blue eyes seemed to see inside her.

To read her mind. If he could, he’d know she took this tradition seriously. Now that Emma had put the idea in her mind, she wanted to know what it would feel like to be kissed under the mistletoe. Right now. By Colin.

His hands came to rest on her shoulders, his palms hot and strong. Heat burned within her and her stomach curled with silken anticipation as the need to taste him grew.

“Rina?”

“Yes?”

He removed her glasses, placing them on the desk, and stared. “Did you know you have golden flecks in those brown eyes?”

Unable to speak, she licked her dry lips and was rewarded when his hungry gaze followed the movement.

“Reminds me of sunshine.”

Warmth tingled through her veins. Born and raised in the Bronx and a New York girl at heart, Rina wasn’t shy about asking for what she wanted. And she wanted her new life to begin now. Despite barely knowing Colin, she was going to test the waters. Take whatever he was willing to give. “You should know, I’m not one to let a mistletoe moment pass.”

“And you should know, I’m not a man who takes a challenge lightly,” he said, obviously referring to her earlier question. Did he have the nerve to kiss her? “Nor am I the type to defy tradition. No matter how unexpected,” he whispered an instant before he lowered his head and his lips touched hers.

He’d called her bluff, taken the initiative, and now he toyed with her, playfully testing, learning the feel of her mouth and letting her learn him. Then his tongue slid briefly, seductively, over the seam of her lips, electrifying her with his moist touch until their tongues lightly met.

The experiment yielded high-impact results. Colin tasted of pure male desire, a flavor that stirred a hunger long denied, and awakened passions she’d never experienced before. Passions she’d never thought existed before now. She trembled, and in response he squeezed her shoulders, his fingers biting into her skin, providing a carnal awareness of the fact that she affected him, too.

But from deep inside, caution clawed its way to the surface, breaking through the surprising desire that still burned hot inside her. She’d been floored by a simple kiss.

As if anything about this kiss—or Colin—was simple.

She lifted her head, breaking the kiss but not the awareness. He met her gaze. Heat flared bright in his eyes and flushed his cheeks, and the shock that reverberated inside her was evident in his expression. Another emotion shared.

She stepped back and ran trembling fingers over her lips. “That was…”

“Fun.”

Not exactly the word she’d have chosen and Rina blinked, startled.

“Isn’t that what kissing under the mistletoe is supposed to be?” Colin shot her a boyish grin.

She wished it was as easy for her. She exhaled hard and forced a casual smile before meeting his eyes. “Of course it was fun. Emma set us up and we responded like any two adults caught under the mistletoe would.”

She took a step backward, then another. A few more and she made it to her desk so she could regroup, leaving Colin alone under the mistletoe laden with tradition.

“Fun’s meant to be repeated.” His expression still showed shocked surprise, but he couldn’t hide the warm appreciation in his gaze.

She reached for her jacket, caught off guard when he stepped forward and helped her slip on her wool coat. His hands were gentle as he adjusted her collar, and his callused fingers brushed her nape, eliciting a tingling sensation that shot straight to her toes.

She hadn’t known he was a gentleman. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

Without turning, unwilling to look into those blue eyes once more, she barely managed to grab her series folder, call a quick goodbye and beat a hasty retreat to the door.

“Rina, wait.”

She turned, her heart pounding hard in her chest. “What?”

“You forgot something.”

She accepted her glasses and bolted into the cold night.

As the icy whip of wind hit her cheeks, it was easier to think clearly. With that kiss, her experiment had taken on even more exciting, somewhat illicit overtones.

She still planned to experiment for her column. Starting tomorrow, she’d test out men as a group in general. But when it came to Colin, she was fully aware of his impact. With a single kiss, she’d learned he wielded power. Sexual, seductive power, and she found that lure thrilling.

Before tonight she’d merely toyed with the notion of a fling, but now the idea of an affair took on real possibilities. Colin possessed enough sex appeal to light Rina’s fire. He also used jet fuel to propel his frequent departures. Colin wasn’t a stick-around sort of guy. If she were looking for a future, he’d be the last man on her list. But after losing her husband, she was wary of a long-term relationship and was no longer sure she believed in forever. Which made a fling the perfect solution.

And Colin the perfect man.

COLIN KICKED BACK, propped his feet on the desk and watched the door slam closed behind Rina Lowell, the woman he’d just kissed under the mistletoe.

He’d been given an unexpected opportunity, and being human, as well as damned attracted to Rina, he’d kissed her. He shouldn’t have. Through Rina, Colin hoped to understand how to get through to Corinne, but he’d never intended to take advantage. Especially since he held her career in his hands.

Getting involved with Rina would tear at his loyalties, though he had no doubt who would win. Colin had let Joe down once before. He refused to do it again, so Joe and his paper had to come first. Yet the paper had been the last thing on his mind when he’d had Rina in his arms.

And now he was in deep. Because he hadn’t counted on being completely seduced. And from the moment he’d opened the doors to the office and seen Rina shaking her hips and shimmying her body, he had been seduced. Enough to make him watch, like a damn voyeur, as she’d continued her conversation with Emma. She’d called out to him, luring him in, and by the time he’d walked over to the desk, he’d been entranced by her combination of natural beauty and erotic movement.

He couldn’t delude himself into thinking he’d imagined the combustion they’d created together. The heat. The texture. The intensity. The unexpected connection. She’d felt it too or else she wouldn’t have run far and fast.

He rubbed his hands against his jeans and groaned. In the aftermath, she’d stared at him warily, shock in those huge brown eyes. She didn’t know what to make of him.

Unexpectedly, that bothered him.

Guilt nudged at him again, stronger now when he contemplated his need to dethrone Corinne and her new entourage of employees. He liked Emma. And Rina, well, he’d more than enjoyed her. His gut told him not to mix business with pleasure, and everything about Rina screamed pleasure.

But Colin was a man cornered by necessity and all out of options, save one. A gorgeous brunette named Rina Lowell.

THIS WASN’T RINA’S first day of work, but excitement rushed through her veins. She was on a dual mission today, beginning her experiment at work and laying the groundwork for seducing Colin. She tried to swallow but her mouth had grown dry.

The day started like any other. Her first stop was the coffee shop downstairs from the Times’s offices. Because Ashford was a wealthy oceanside community, the café was an upscale place offering a variety of designer drinks. The owner, a good-looking man in his mid-thirties greeted everyone with the same compulsory smile. Rina had made many conversational openings in the past, but he’d never reacted or picked up on any of them. Yet she’d heard through the building grapevine that the more attractive women were offered an extra shot of caramel or mocha in their lattes, free of charge. Plain Rina had always paid for hers.

She’d only worked on some subtle physical changes today, as she was saving the big guns for the Christmas party over the weekend. She didn’t expect any special treatment just yet, but she intended to find out if makeup, even light brushes of color and hue, made a difference in how men treated women. And she planned to impart that wisdom in her next column.

“Next.” The man wiped down the counter and glanced at Rina. “What can I get for you?”

Coffee, tea or me sounded too clichéd, so she opted for a straightforward “Whatever you do best will suit me just fine.” She tipped her head, letting her ponytail hang down over her shoulder. Same head-tip she’d given him when she’d worn her plain old bun. But today, it was no coincidence that her hair dangled just over one breast.

He leaned down on one elbow, getting closer and meeting her gaze. Up close, he was too pretty for Rina’s taste. She preferred a dark-haired, masculine man whose kiss lingered and who’d starred in her late-night fantasies. At the thought of Colin, she could have purred out loud.

“Dave’s special is chocolate malted cappuccino,” he said with a ridiculous abundance of pride.

“Which means you’re Dave.” Rina forced a welcoming, wide smile for a man who did nothing for her. “Make mine with extra chocolate and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Five minutes later, she walked back onto the snow-covered street with an extra-large chocolate malted cappuccino for the price of a regular-size latte in one hand, a black coffee in the other and a date request for Saturday night. Thank God she’d had Emma’s Christmas party as an excuse to decline.

Score one for men being visual animals, Rina thought. Dave had reacted to her looks, or maybe it was the hair. He’d hit on her today when he hadn’t given her a second glance yesterday. In this case, chemistry didn’t matter as much as superficial impressions. If she had a free hand, she’d jot notes on the pad she kept in her purse. She decided she’d handle it upstairs. Rina had no doubt she wouldn’t forget details about this particular outing.

She turned and headed inside her office building. Rina knew most employees’ schedules as well as she knew her own. Colin tended to arrive early in time to get Marty’s freshly made coffee before it’d had a chance to gel and petrify. She strode through the office, a room comprising desks, computers and an occasional portable divider for the more senior editors. And she immediately noticed that Colin was already in his chair, but he didn’t have a mug in front of him. Yet.

Instead, he sat flipping through mail and muttering to himself. Even aggravated, the man was so darn sexy. It wasn’t just the black leather jacket that hung on his chair, though it added to his rugged appeal. And it wasn’t his windblown hair or the intelligence lurking in his blue eyes. His allure came from somewhere deeper, somewhere inside him. Intensity defined Colin Lyons and every move he made.

She paused a moment, gathering her courage, and when she bit down on her lip, she tasted lipstick, a reminder of today’s changes. Like Dave, she expected Colin to notice and react. Her heart rate picked up rhythm at the prospect. Taking the coffee she’d purchased, she strode to his desk, coming up beside him.

He leaned back and glanced toward the corner, oblivious to her presence. “How is it I barely recognize this place?” he asked himself.

His dark tone didn’t bode well for her plan to dazzle him. Taken with the depth of his feelings, she felt an unexpected tug at her heart. She glanced around, wanting to view things from his perspective and see just what was upsetting him. Mistletoe still hung from the ceiling and a gorgeous tree stood in the corner adorned with gold and silver tinsel and exquisite decorations.

Yet despite the holiday cheer, he’d sounded distressed.

“That sounded depressing. Do you have something against Christmas?” she asked.

“Against the holiday? No. Against the tree? Hell, yes.” He didn’t turn to face her.

As someone who’d grown up with handmade ornaments, then progressed to the expensive, exclusive store-bought kind when she married, Rina recognized Corinne’s tree as the latter version. That obviously bothered Colin, though Rina couldn’t imagine why.

Despite all the reasons not to get emotionally involved, she wanted to know what he was feeling and why he was feeling it. “What do you have against some poor defenseless tree?”

“That corner is usually reserved for Joe’s hand-cut pine.” Colin’s voice held a hint of gruffness combined with tender emotion.

And this poor tree had obviously replaced Joe’s. “I’m sure Corinne meant well. Maybe she thought some tree was better than no tree,” Rina offered, trying to soothe the sting he suffered.

“Corinne didn’t mean anything except satisfying her own personal need to spend.”

It was the first time she’d heard him attack Corinne, and the shock rattled her. Though she didn’t know the other woman well, Rina had always been a decent judge of character, and Corinne seemed to genuinely care about people in general, her employees and especially her sick husband.

He shook his head. “Never mind. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”

“Maybe not, but something’s bothering you. Whatever it is, you need to get it out.”

“And you want to hear?” He sounded surprised.

Was it so shocking that she wanted to help him? They were strangers, but the holidays often brought unexpected people together, and the mistletoe had begun their journey.

She nodded, then realizing he couldn’t see her, she answered with a soft “Yes. I’d very much like to hear.”

He leaned back in his seat. Silence reigned. Maybe he was considering whether he wanted to share.

“We had a yearly tradition, Joe and I,” he said at last.

Rina released the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding.

“It started the year Joe and his first wife, Nell, took me in after my parents died in a car accident. I was twelve at the time.”

Having grown up with both parents and having lived a decent family life, her heart squeezed tight at the admission that he’d lost his parents young. Family was important to Rina and she found herself glad that Colin had had Joe and Nell to compensate for his loss. “I didn’t know.”

“No reason you should. Joe and Nell ended up adopting me. And since it’s part of Joe’s earlier life, it’s probably not something Corinne likes to discuss.”

Rina doubted that, but Colin obviously had issues with his adoptive father’s young wife. It was the story of many families, so she chose to listen rather than defend Corinne now. “I’m glad you had people to turn to,” she said lightly.

“Me, too.” His harsh profile eased, along with something inside Rina. Something warm, compelling and far more dangerous than pure sexual desire. Which didn’t bode well for an emotionless fling. “Want to tell me about this tradition you two shared?” she asked despite her better judgment.

Standing, he walked to the big window overlooking a neighborhood park. She left the now-cold coffee on the desk corner and followed. In silence, she glanced out over his shoulder. Snow covered the ground and trees in true holiday tradition. There’d be a white Christmas this year, Rina thought.

“Joe’s as close to a father as I’ve got.” Colin’s voice intruded on her thoughts. “And every year since he took me in, we’d go stalking through the woods in search of the perfect tree.”

“You didn’t shop for one?” she asked. “Because where I grew up, we chose the cheapest tree off the neighborhood supermarket parking lot.”

His deep chuckle warmed her. “No, we played mountain man. We’d go to the far end of Joe’s property, which included forest, and we’d pick and cut our own tree.” He shoved his hands into his back pockets, staring, she assumed, at the pines behind the building. “We never missed a year, either.”

“Until this one,” she guessed.

She heard his unspoken words and felt the empty space in his heart as if it were her own. At heart, he was still the little boy who’d lost his parents and only had Joe to turn to.

Unable to stop herself, she lifted her hand, letting her palm rest on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Heat sizzled on contact, traveling faster than an electric current through her veins, creating a heaviness in her breasts and a slow simmer low in her belly. She should have been prepared.

Instead, she struggled for an even breath. “Corinne says Joe’s prognosis is good,” she said, fighting even harder to concentrate on simple conversation.

He touched her hand briefly, acknowledging her compassion. “Joe’s prognosis is good. But it’s hard having him out of commission. A lot of things are tough these days.”

His voice was as rough as his skin, both conjuring images of hot nights as his hands skimmed her bare flesh and he muttered raw, sexy words in her ear. She trembled at the carnal, erotic thoughts. Not unexpected for a woman who’d decided she wanted a sexual encounter with the man standing before her. But strange thoughts for a woman who’d liked sex yet had never before wanted it this badly.

And she needed him to know she understood his emotions, too. “It’s not the same thing, but I know what it’s like to miss someone you care about. My brother lives back in New York.”

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Just Jake, and believe me, having a cop for an older brother makes up for any other watchful eyes. You try making out on the doorstep after a date while your older brother plays unwanted bodyguard.”

Colin laughed and she was grateful to hear the sexy sound. “Something tells me you’ve been a handful for him.”

His teasing words, along with the rebirth of his light, flirting tone, reminded her she was on a mission. A professional mission to test Colin’s awareness of any changes, and a personal one to tempt him into being the man with whom she’d begin her affair.

In favor of getting to know Colin and easing his obvious pain, she’d almost forgotten her agenda, and as a result, she’d grown closer to him. Emotionally closer, something that hadn’t been part of the plan.

But now that he seemed back to his teasing self, she intended to control her feelings better, too. “I’ve given Jake a run for his money a time or two,” she said, keeping things light.

“I just bet you have.” He turned her way at last.

She let out a flirtatious laugh before pursing her heavily glossed lips. Like a magnet, his gaze zeroed in on its target and the temperature in the room soared upward. Mission accomplished, she thought. He’d noticed her, though she wasn’t certain exactly what had drawn his attention.

Continuing simple conversation wasn’t easy with the awareness simmering between them but she managed. “There was the time I took a vacation,” she mused, pretending to concentrate solely on her story. “Then I left him to apartment-sit and neglected to mention I’d invited someone else to join him.”

Remembering how Jake and Brianne had gotten together sent shivers of happiness through her. They were proof that two different people could join on an equal footing. Jake allowed Brianne the freedom to be herself, while Brianne put up with her brother’s macho demeanor without giving up any of her independence in the process.

“Good thing he’s a cop. At least he’s trained to keep a step or two ahead of you.” Lightness shimmered in his expression, in complete opposition to his earlier black mood.

If she’d brought him out of his funk, she was glad.

“Jake’s got an edge over us poor civilians who you manage to take off guard,” he continued.

“I’m easy enough to read.”

His gaze roamed over her, settling again on her face. “Oh no, you’re not. Something’s different.” He studied her, deliberately taking his time and playing her game, a grin on his face. “Same glasses, same type of large, comfortable sweater.” He shook his head and Rina held her breath.

She wanted details. What did he notice? What did he like best about the subtle changes? Dammit. She shouldn’t care so much. At the very least she should view him as another means to document results for her column. But unlike the guy at the coffee shop, she did care what Colin thought.

And her body tingled with anticipation and hope that he’d like what he saw. “Come on. You’re a reporter. I’m sure observing is your specialty. So what do you see?”

He raised an eyebrow, then lifted his finger to her cheek, his touch gentle as he glided over her skin. He turned his hand toward her to reveal the combination of foundation and blush that had transferred onto his skin. “What I see is that you look pretty, Rina. Then again, you always do.”

The compliment, one that encompassed yesterday’s Rina, too, sent nervous flutters to her stomach and a ridiculously pleased rush to her heart.

“But you don’t need makeup to enhance what’s already beautiful.” Male appreciation flickered in his gaze as he leaned forward, those delicious lips a kiss away. “But I have to know. Was the change for me?” he asked.

“You wish,” she teased. “I’m experimenting for my column. Just call yourself one man with brilliant powers of observation, that’s all.” She hoped she sounded nonchalant, though she felt anything but. She had thought of him when applying the light shades of color and fixing her hair. Rina swallowed hard. “I already know the guy in the coffee shop downstairs reacted. I just wanted to see if the rest of your species gets as high a grade.”

He raised one eyebrow. “You’re going to make me compete for your attention?”

“Any reason why I shouldn’t?” she asked, deliberately playful. The ability to flirt had returned, Rina thought. And she was enjoying it very much.

“Because I’m not a man who shares easily.” His deep gaze told her he was serious.

And now her insides were quaking. He didn’t care whether or not she altered her appearance with makeup. He was attracted to her anyway, and considering he’d always stared hard and seemed interested, she knew he wasn’t lying. But he was screwing up her results for her column and wreaking havoc with her body and her brain.

“Come with me to Emma’s Christmas bash Saturday night,” he said, changing the subject.

His words surprised her. “As colleagues or something more?” She wanted the rules spelled out, no misunderstandings allowed.

“Call it what you want,” he said in a determined voice. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”

She wanted to go with him, but something about the way he’d ordered her around didn’t sit well with her. “If I show up with you, I can’t mingle with other men, and the opportunity to research is lost.” She treated him to a pout for effect.

“That’s the point.” Biting back a grin, he folded his arms over his chest. “I want you to myself. Besides, you said yourself you’re alone for the holidays.”

Actually, she’d only said her brother lived in New York. He was coming to visit next weekend for Christmas Eve, but that didn’t seem relevant right now.

“With Joe in the hospital I’m solo, too. Are you going to make me spend the holidays alone?” Colin’s eyes twinkled as he obviously played his trump card.

He knew it, so did she. How could she turn down a man she’d seen in real pain over his father’s stroke and the changes Corinne had brought to the office?

“Come on, Rina,” he said, resorting to shameless pleading. “Emma’s grandson was my college roommate. I know from personal experience the Montgomery-family bash is enough to brighten anyone’s holiday. It’s an event you have to see for yourself. But not alone,” he quickly added, before she could jump in with that very suggestion.

She eyed him warily.

“If I promise to leave you alone long enough to work your wiles on the unsuspecting men there, will you let me pick you up at eight?” he asked, giving her a choice.

She expelled a breath of air. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized she’d really been about to say no. Because his pushing, no matter how flirtatious, made her feel cornered when she wanted to make her own decisions. His insistence, she acknowledged now, had reminded her of Robert, of the times he’d wanted to go to a legal benefit of some sort and she’d preferred to stay home. Back then, there had never been a compromise. Her husband’s way had always prevailed.

The realization surprised her and she rubbed her hands over her arms, shocked that Colin had provided a parallel to her marriage. An unflattering one at that. But Colin had offered her a real choice now. He honestly cared about her feelings.

Which allowed her to say yes. Pleased and suddenly excited, she met his patient stare, letting her smile grow before she spoke. “Okay. Eight’s fine.”

His eyes widened. Apparently she’d surprised him. “I’m glad,” he said.

“You’d better be prompt.” The night would give her even more opportunity to implement changes and ply her charms on the upper crust of Ashford society. As well as on Colin, she thought with yearning and anticipation.

He grinned. “I wouldn’t miss one second of our time together.”

Neither would she, and she wondered what other surprises the holidays had in store. “I need to get back to work.”

He inclined his head toward her desk. “I’m not stopping you.”

Yes, he was. Just by being in the room. She started for her work area, ignoring the curious stares, and the feel of Colin’s gaze branding her back. For the first time, she realized they’d created a world apart in the crowded office. Talking as if no one else in the room existed. She trembled at the discovery. If he had the power to entrance her so thoroughly in public, she wondered what he’d do if he got her alone. She had this weekend to tease herself with all the exciting possibilities.

And she had Emma’s party at which to find out. Because if she had her way, she and Colin I-don’t-stick-around Lyons were about to embark on a brief but oh so very satisfying affair.

CHAPTER THREE

SO RINA CLAIMED the makeup was part of her experiment for her column? Like hell, Colin thought. He’d prefer to think it had something to do with him.

It was no secret he’d been attracted to her from day one, but he hadn’t known anything about her. In one brief talk he’d learned plenty. She’d shocked him by being so down-to-earth and understanding, so interested in his life and his past. He’d turned, intending to thank her. Instead, he’d been surprised by her new look. Rina didn’t need makeup to turn him on. But he couldn’t deny that her newly made-up face, glowing skin and full, pink, made-to-be-kissed lips had entranced him anyway. And he wanted to taste that glossy pout again now.

Ever since he’d let down his guard for that kiss, he’d been in a constant state of arousal. And from the minute he’d seen her today, long strands of hair hanging down her back, he’d wanted her even more. Unbelievable but true. He swallowed a groan, feeling as though he’d been sucker punched, because it didn’t end there. When she’d let down her guard enough to listen to his problems, lust had turned to something a little more. She’d crept under his skin.

She was the first woman who’d affected him on a gut level. Even now, back at their desks, his horizontally next to hers, they sat in aware silence. Every so often, she’d glance his way, her eyes opened wider than usual. And even through the eyeglass lenses, their golden sparkle twinkled at him, extending an invitation, one he wondered whether she was even aware of issuing.

Though he should have invited her to Emma’s party as a means to feel her out on the subject of Corinne, his initial reasoning had been far different. He’d be damned if he’d let her spend the holidays alone in a new town, no family, few friends. Not after she’d been there for him at the awful moment he’d been forced to acknowledge Corinne’s expensively decorated tree.

When was the last time he’d trusted a woman with his feelings? Certainly his ex-wife, Julie, had taught him the pain inherent in sharing and the benefit of accounting to no one. After his parents died, travel had always beckoned to him. It didn’t take a shrink to figure out that he was running from the pain, but there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about his overwhelming desire to go.

As he matured, he’d realized that he could do some good by combining travel with his journalistic talent and bring world news back home. When Julie had cheated on him, leaving him emotionally, as well as physically, just as his parents had, it was time to move on. Colin had quit his day job and left the country.

He’d never gotten close to another woman since, yet here he was, sharing his pain with Rina, a woman he barely knew. Ironically, he felt as if she understood him better than Julie ever had. But he had a paper to save and he couldn’t forget his mission again. Couldn’t let his goal drop in favor of enjoying Rina’s warm, giving personality or sexy new look. If the time seemed right to question her about Corinne, he’d damn well better do it, since he had a phone message on his answering machine from the CEO of Fortune’s Inc., asking about progress. In reality, the clock was ticking down.

And psychologically, the situation settled on Colin’s shoulders in a different way. Both Ron Gold, the lender, and Bert Hartmann, head of Fortune’s, were old friends of Joe’s and had helped him fund the paper back in its early days. Hartmann currently brought in a huge chunk of change for the paper every year, and the Times couldn’t afford to lose the company’s support. Nor did Colin want to disappoint Joe and have him come back to a sunken ship and lost respect in the eyes of his colleagues. Colin was determined. If nothing else, the Times would be on the road to recovery by the time Joe left the hospital.

“’Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la.” A distinctive, high-pitched voice traveled into the room, and Colin cringed as Corinne, decked out in a sable coat that he knew hadn’t come cheap, sauntered through the place.

She swirled through, dispensing tinsel in her wake, and he picked a gold strand off his black sweater. “I’ve come to invite you all to a Christmas party,” she said.

Her voice grated on his nerves. So did her words. “Emma’s family is having a party Saturday night.” His objective was to bail out the paper. He didn’t need her spending any more cash they didn’t have. “We’re all invited, so why don’t you save money and celebrate there?”

“Oh, don’t be a spoilsport, Colin,” Rina said. “It’s nice of Corinne to want to show her employees holiday spirit and a good time.”

Which cemented for him whose side Rina was on. Of course, he doubted Corinne had informed her of the paper’s precarious financial position. He couldn’t fault Rina for having holiday spirit and let her comment slide. But after their talk today, Colin understood Rina a little better, too. She hadn’t grown up wealthy. That put him in a better position to appeal to her regarding Corinne’s excessive spending—once he felt more sure she’d trust where his interests lay.

“Rina’s right.” Corinne smiled and readjusted the collar of her coat. “I’m glad to see someone here appreciates me.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Corinne. I appreciate you and everything you stand for,” Colin muttered.

Rina coughed and he glanced over. Her eyebrows were raised but she said nothing.

Intelligent and circumspect, she’d obviously picked up the undercurrents and decided to let things play out without interrupting.

“Everyone, listen.” Corinne clapped her hands and all heads lifted from computer screens, keyboards and layouts in order to glance up. “We’re having a party Friday night at the Seaside Restaurant. Guests welcome.” With another toss of tinsel, she started for the door.

“Corinne, wait,” Colin called.

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