They stopped in front of her door, and Shondra looked up from finding her keys to thank him for the evening.

Before she could get any words out of her mouth, he was pulling her close.

The next thing she knew, she was flattened against his chest and his soft, firm lips were on hers.

A flash of hunger shot through her in his strong, purposeful embrace. Shondra gave herself a moment to enjoy his kiss—soft and heated with just the tiniest flick of tongue—before she pulled away, breathless.

“Connor,” she said when she finally regained her voice. “Thank you for dinner and a really fun evening. But as much as I’d like to continue where we just left off, I really don’t think it’s wise for us to get involved. After all, you’re my boss.”

ROBYN AMOS

worked a multitude of day jobs while pursuing a career in writing. After graduating from college with a degree in psychology, she married her real-life romantic hero, a genuine rocket scientist. Finally, she was able to live her dream of writing full-time. Since her first book was published in 1997, Robyn has written tales of romantic comedy and suspense for several publishers, including Kensington Books, Harlequin and HarperCollins. A native of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, Robyn currently resides in Odenton, Maryland.

Sex and the Single Braddock
Robyn Amos

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is for Adrianne, A.C. and Brenda.

It was a pleasure working with you, ladies.

Dear Reader,

Participating in a continuity series can be both a lot of fun and a really big challenge. The most fun I had writing Sex and the Single Braddock was getting to talk to three other extremely talented authors about how our books were going to fit together. Adrianne Byrd, A.C. Arthur and Brenda Jackson were so easy to work with and as a team we came up with some great ideas.

The most challenging part of writing this story was conquering unfamiliar territory. When I received the story line, I realized I was going to be writing about Texas oil wells, fancy sports cars and decadent escapades to exotic locations. These things were all new to me. Since I couldn’t convince my husband to take me to Monte Carlo on a private jet, I had a lot of fun letting my imagination run wild.

I hope you enjoy reading about how Shondra and Connor find love despite the contrary demands of their families. It takes Shondra a while to learn that it’s okay to let go of control and let new experiences happen. And this is definitely a lesson I learned for myself while working on Sex and the Single Braddock.

I love to hear from readers. E-mail me at robynamos@aol.com or visit me on the Web at www.robynamos.com.

Happy reading,

Robyn Amos

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 1

Shondra Braddock navigated the narrow metal stairs leading down from the helipad. She was on an oil rig in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. And it was hot.

She shook hands with the liaison from Stewart Industries who’d met her at the airport that morning. “And now I’ll leave you in the capable hands of the crew,” the young man said as he turned to leave.

Out of the jumble of workers milling about, an oil-stained man stepped forward. Other than the blond hair brushing his collar from under the hard hat, Shondra couldn’t make out much. Hidden among the streaks of grime were a few patches of golden tan, a pair of ice-blue eyes and a smile containing the straightest white teeth she’d ever seen.

“I’ll be showing you around.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I’d shake your hand, but…” He nodded to his oil-covered hands, which he continued to wipe on a rag. “Sorry about this. I had to do some emergency work on the bottomhole assembly. I didn’t want to make you wait while I showered.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand anyway. “I’m Shondra Braddock, the new chief compliance officer.”

His fingers were strong and firm in hers, and Shondra felt a little jolt when their skin made contact. Deciding the ninety-degree heat was getting to her, she took the rag he offered and wiped her hands before passing it back.

Dressed like the others, he wore brown work pants and a shirt with C.J. stitched on the breast pocket. He’d ripped the sleeves off the shirt, revealing his tanned, muscular arms. Shondra forced herself not to drool. It was no secret that she had a thing for buff, working-class men, and something about this guy was pushing all of her buttons.

Once again blaming the heat, she forced her mind back to the business at hand. “It’s nice to meet you…C.J.?”

He nodded, flashing her another grin worthy of a toothpaste ad. “Let me find you a hard hat, and we’ll get this tour under way.”

Less than a minute later C.J. returned carrying a yellow hard hat. Expecting him to hand it to her, Shondra found herself holding her breath as he reached out to settle it on her head himself. Lifting her chin to inspect his work, he nodded with approval. “Perfect fit.”

Then he winked at her and Shondra felt a tingle shoot down her spine.

Before she could analyze whether or not he was flirting with her, C.J. was leading her down a narrow aisle. “Have you ever been on a jackup rig?” he called over his shoulder.

Shondra stopped cold, thinking he’d said something obscene. “A what!”

“You’re standing on a Tarzan-class jackup rig. We drag it to the drilling site, drive the legs into the sea floor and then jack up the entire rig above the reach of hurricane waves. Once we strike oil, we’ll cap the well, jack down the rig and drag it to the next site.”

“I see,” Shondra said. She had to pay better attention. It wasn’t like her to let the proximity of a man she’d just met affect her this much.

As C.J. showed her around the rig, Shondra became convinced he was touching her more than was necessary—guiding her through narrow passageways with a hand on the small of her back or tugging gently on her wrist.

And she knew he was flirting with her when he asked, “What’s a pretty girl like you doing working in oil?”

“Come on,” she said. “I was born and raised in Texas. It’s practically in my blood.”

“And you’re a chief compliance officer? That sounds very official. Do you enjoy that type of work?” His tone implied that he couldn’t imagine that she would.

Shondra laughed. “I love everything about my job. I work best under pressure, the travel keeps me interested and, believe it or not, I enjoy the meticulous attention to detail that risk management and compliance require.”

“Whoa.” C.J. laughed at her. “Now you sound like you’re on a job interview. You can’t really love all that paperwork, filing and forms…”

“I do and I think I’m going to really like working for Stewart Industries.”

Her new job was shaping up to have everything she needed. She’d only been with the company for a week and before she could set up her desk, she’d jumped on a plane to Mexico to research compliance issues for a new drilling site.

That alone would’ve been enough to keep her interested, but this was more than just a job to her.

A chill tingled her skin despite the heat.

She had a mission that was both personal and deeply painful. So painful, Shondra had to carefully balance her emotions on the subject lest she crack her cool exterior and crumble to pieces on the spot.

Narrowing her gaze on C.J.’s back, she was able to keep her thoughts focused. It was up to her to find out all she could about Stewart Industries. This was a crucial task because her family believed someone within the company had a connection to her father’s recent death.

When her father’s former personal assistant received an anonymous call stating that Harmon Braddock’s fatal car crash hadn’t been an accident, Shondra couldn’t sit back and wait for answers. Then they found evidence of a flight to Washington, D.C., and calls made the day of Harmon’s death that traced back to the main switchboard of Stewart Industries—which made no sense. Her father’s personal assistant, who knew everything about her father’s business dealings, knew nothing about a connection to Stewart Industries. Clearly something wasn’t right.

This information had left Shondra and her brothers, Malcolm and Tyson, with a lot of questions. For the time being, their mother, still deeply in mourning for her husband, was being kept out of the loop. At least until they had solid answers.

Her family needed to know the truth about Harmon Braddock’s death, and Shondra had found a way to get on the inside at Stewart Industries. She’d called in a few favors and wrangled herself a position with the company.

She was good at what she did and the Braddock name carried a lot of weight in Houston. Even though she had her own agenda, she would do her job to the best of her abilities. Her pride wouldn’t accept anything less.

After showing her the technical side of the rig where all the hard work got done, C.J. took her to the crew’s quarters, the cafeteria and the rec room.

Occasionally some of the roughnecks would ogle her openly. Shondra knew she was an attractive woman, but she didn’t take the extra attention personally. She suspected some of these men hadn’t seen a woman in weeks, which could account for their admiring stares. At least that was how she explained the heated looks she felt coming from her tour guide.

But if C.J. did have a bit of a crush on her, she could use it to her advantage and do some subtle probing about the company.

“I was hired by Carl Stewart,” she said, dropping the name of the company’s CEO. “Does he ever come down to the rig and see you guys?”

“Not too much,” C.J. replied, and to Shondra’s disappointment, he did not elaborate.

“I guess he’s starting to pull back from some of the operations. It’s my understanding that he’s preparing to pass the title of CEO on to his son Connor,” she prodded.

C.J. simply shrugged. “That’s my understanding, too.”

Shondra was puzzled. Up until then, C.J. had been chatty and forthcoming. Now he seemed to be holding back. Her initial research suggested that SI was really tight with information. If she couldn’t even get an oil-rig worker to schmooze about the bigwigs, maybe SI really did have something to hide.

“I’ve never met Connor Stewart. What is he like as a boss?”

C.J. turned up the wattage on his winsome smile. “Are you nervous about meeting the company president?”

Shondra shook her head. “Overpaid suits with fancy titles don’t scare me. Trust me, I’ve dealt with enough of those. My only concern is learning the ins and outs of this company so I can do my job effectively.”

C.J. laughed. “Well, I’m sure that’s all that really matters.” He led her around a corner and stopped in front of a door. “I think that covers everything. We’ve got an empty office here where you can start reviewing the paperwork for the new site.”

“Thanks for the tour.” She reached out to shake C.J.’s hand. Once again, she took a moment to appreciate the firm grip of his strong, work-roughened hands.

She found herself wondering what all that grime on his face was hiding. Though his features were smudged, she could tell they were well put together.

Shondra knew it was wrong to mix business with pleasure. But growing up in a household of overprotective men had nurtured her rebellious streak. Besides, it was more than likely she’d never see this man again. In a few hours she’d be on a plane back to Houston.

What would C.J. say if she asked him to join her in that empty office? He’d been eyeing her with those wicked blue eyes all afternoon. He’d probably say yes.

With a sigh, Shondra waved goodbye and ducked into the office alone. As usual, her rebellious streak never extended past her thoughts.

At the end of the day, Shondra was a good girl with a naughty imagination. She grew up under the heavy weight of expectation, and despite temptation, she couldn’t bring herself to let anyone down.

The daughters of African-American families in prominent positions in politics did not make scandal. That made backroom romps with oil-rig workers strictly forbidden.

But she could daydream…

That evening, Connor Stewart reclined in the butter-soft leather seats on the company jet. A smile curved his lips as he watched a helicopter land on the airfield.

Shondra Braddock popped out of the aircraft, waving what looked like an airline ticket. She vigorously pointed toward the terminal.

Connor laughed out loud.

Her company escort shook his head and pointed toward the jet where Connor sat. Finally, clearly confused, Shondra began to approach the plane.

Her professional polish hadn’t faded since he’d left her that afternoon. She wore trim tan slacks that molded her hips, a matching vest and a short-sleeved white blouse. Her long dark hair was pulled back from her face and fastened at her nape in a low ponytail.

Connor watched as she marched, briefcase in hand, up the steps to the plane. It was easy to appreciate her warm brown skin and her elegant beauty. Despite the attraction he’d felt between them from the start, she’d appeared unflappable. Well, he’d just see about that.

Shondra stepped through the curtain and stopped dead in her tracks. Connor grinned wickedly.

Raising her brows, she said, “You could have told me you were Connor Stewart.”

He stood to take her briefcase and pointed her toward the seat across from him. “I could have. But I wanted the chance to get to know you without wondering if you were just putting on a show for the boss. The last two people I took on that tour thought they were too good to rub elbows with the workers that make all of our jobs possible…at least until they were told who I was. Their employment didn’t last long after that.”

“Ah, so they never figured out that you’re just an overpaid suit with a fancy title?”

Connor threw back his head and laughed. She was unflappable and he was charmed. “Touché. Although I have to say, even though I’m paid well, I think I’m worth it.”

She leveled him with her gaze. “Of course you do.”

“But I’ll give you the other two. I do wear a lot of suits, and I guess my title is pretty fancy.” Of course, he was hoping his father would stop dangling the CEO title over his head just to keep him in line. The old man needed to go ahead and retire as promised.

Shondra looked him over. “Speaking of suits, it’s nice to see that you clean up well.”

Connor shifted in his seat under her intent stare. He suddenly felt like he was no longer in control of this situation. “Thanks.”

“So that oil-covered getup was just for my benefit?”

“Not exactly. I met you covered in oil because I really was working on the bottomhole assembly,” he answered.

“A man who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty—impressive. And, C.J.?”

“Connor James. C.J. is what the crew calls me when I’m on a rig. It helps them remember I’m just one of the team.”

Shondra nodded. “So I take it that I passed your little test, then?”

Connor simply smiled.

Shondra looked around, taking in the luxury interior of the private jet. “Then riding back to Houston with the company president must be my prize. What happens to those poor suckers who don’t pass? Do you throw them in the baggage hold?”

He found himself laughing yet again. He had to remind himself he was on a business trip, not a date.

“No, if you don’t pass, we just drop you in the ocean and let you swim for the border.”

“I guess I’d better be on my best behavior then. Sounds like you’re hard to please.”

“Maybe. But you don’t have anything to worry about. Your reputation and résumé are outstanding.”

“Yes, but that clearly wasn’t enough for you,” she said, referring to his little test. “Are you always so distrustful?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a matter of trust. Just experience. Haven’t you met someone who looked perfect on paper but couldn’t live up to their own hype?”

Shondra nodded.

“Then you should understand. I like to rely on what I can see and hear for myself.”

And he was more than a little impressed with Shondra. She was even better in person than she was on paper. Not only did she have a genuine passion for her work, but she had a natural charm that had won over everyone she’d met on the rig. Himself especially.

It wasn’t unusual for him to pour on the charm to put his employees at ease, but he’d found himself going overboard with Shondra. Something about her made him react as a man first and employer second. He’d never let that happen before.

Meeting women came easy to Connor. Finding one that could hold his attention was nearly impossible. Once he weeded out the gold diggers, he was usually left with women who were either brainless or vapid.

It wasn’t lost on him that he was in the presence of that rare find who was intelligent, quick-witted and unfazed by money or position. And all that aside…she was hot.

He’d never dated a black woman, but that had more to do with opportunity than anything else. Everything about Shondra was sexy. From the husky tease of her voice to her fit and firm curves.

But there were obvious obstacles in his path. Not the least of which was that he was Shondra’s boss. He had to tread lightly, because if she didn’t share his attraction, he could find himself in the middle of a sexual harassment incident. His father would love that.

But he had a feeling that the attraction was mutual. At least that was the vibe he’d gotten when he’d been streaked in oil and wearing his work clothes. In that last moment before they’d said goodbye there was…something in the air between them.

She was in sassy mode now, using her acerbic wit to make him pay for trying to trick her. But earlier…there had definitely been some tension.

Maybe she had a thing for the working man. She’d already said she was impressed by a guy who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

Connor shifted uncomfortably in his seat again. Thankfully, Shondra’s attention was caught up with the flight attendant discussing their dinner options.

He had to pull it together. His father had made him promise that his phase of youthful rebellion was well in the past, and that Stewart Industries would be his only priority.

That made having his way with Shondra on the sofa bed to his left strictly off-limits.

He smiled at Shondra from across the table. Unfortunately, Connor had never been able to resist making his wicked thoughts a reality.

It was just a matter of time.

Shondra slipped into her condo and dropped her briefcase on the floor. This could be a problem. She was not supposed to have waking fantasies about buttoned-up blonds in expensive suits—especially when they turned up in the form of her boss.

Her taste normally ran to ranch hands and construction workers. There was something about a blue collar that she found very sexy. The bigger the muscles the better. Plus, it didn’t hurt that it was an easy way to get a rise out of her family.

But getting involved with Connor Stewart went way beyond subtle rebellion. Shondra got a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach when she thought about how her brothers would react. She’d like to hope that their feelings would have more to do with his family business than the fact that Connor was white, but she really couldn’t be sure.

And now wasn’t the time to put Malcolm and Tyson’s progressive thinking to the test. Her family was grieving and everyone needed to pull together. This was Shondra’s opportunity to step up and prove she was her brothers’ equal.

She was a big girl. She could handle her libido. What mattered most was that she had a job to do. Two in fact, because the compliance work had to be done, and she wouldn’t sacrifice her professional reputation for an investigation that might not turn up anything.

When Harmon Braddock died, everything in Shondra’s world came to a halt. Their family hadn’t been perfect, but no one had expected it to be ripped apart by a devastating car accident. The past month had been like living inside a bubble. She watched the world like a bystander—no one could get in and she couldn’t get out.

As Shondra struggled to come to terms with her father’s death, her family got word that his crash may not have been an accident.

It shocked Shondra to think someone might have killed her father…but, somehow, the anonymous message rang true. Politicians couldn’t please everyone, so it was conceivable that Harmon Braddock had made some enemies during his climb from Senator Cayman’s legal counsel to congressman.

Shondra felt, in her heart, that Harmon Braddock had been a good man. And for many years he’d been popular with his constituents. But the family observed his gradual change as years passed. As his hours away from home grew, he became more the political stereotype, working more for corporate interest groups than for the people. It was this change that eventually forced Malcolm out of their father’s footsteps.

When Malcolm and their father became estranged, the Braddock family began to grow apart. And it broke Shondra’s heart that it took losing their father to reunite the family. In the past month they’d all begun to lean on each other again. Then, once more, things started unraveling.

First, her father’s assistant, Gloria Kingsley, had found a mysterious number on Harmon’s phone logs that traced back to Stewart Industries. Gloria had no knowledge or record of any official business between Harmon and SI. And what was up with Harmon’s credit card bill showing a plane ticket to Washington, D.C., on the day he died? Gloria always booked his travel. So why not this one? She received a call implying that Harmon had been murdered, which also tracked back to the multimillion-dollar oil company.

With these new events, Shondra found her purpose again. Investigating her father’s death brought her out of her bubble.

Finally she had something to do besides cry.

Realizing that she’d been standing in the foyer lost in a reverie, Shondra picked up her briefcase and headed for her bedroom.

Fueled by the thought of a relaxing bubble bath, Shondra picked up speed, only to come to a startled halt as her foot squished into a brown mess just inside her door.

“Lisa! Lisa, have you been bringing your dogs to the house again?”

Within a few seconds Lisa appeared in her doorway. “Oh shoot, I thought I’d found all of Muffin’s little presents. I’ll clean that up for you.”

Rolling her eyes, Shondra kicked off her flat sling-backs. “And you owe me a new pair of shoes. These are now yours.”

Lisa, now on her knees scrubbing at the stain, looked up incredulously through her veil of micro braids. “Are you kidding? It’s just a little dog poop. It cleans right off.”

“But the memory lingers. Girl, are your braids too tight? You promised me that you’d stop bringing those dogs to the house. You’re lucky I don’t charge you extra rent for all the cockadoos and peekachoos you have running around here.”

Lisa sat up. “They’re called cockapoos and peekapoos. And I had to bring Muffin here…just for the afternoon. The air conditioner at the shelter broke, and we each had to bring an animal home with us until it was fixed.”

Shondra sighed and stretched out on her bed. Her roommate and best friend since college was a little off. They’d both graduated with degrees in law, but late last year Lisa quit her job with a prominent Houston firm to “find her passion.” And for the past month, her passion had been walking dogs for a ritzy dog kennel downtown.

Shondra couldn’t relate. She’d known what she’d wanted to do for a living since she was five. But as long as Lisa made rent, who was she to judge?

“There. Looks like it never happened.” Lisa stood, brushing herself off. “How was your first business trip on the new job?”

Shondra sank back into her pillows. “It was really fun, actually. I got to fly back in the company jet with the president.”

“Of the United States?”

Shondra leveled a hard stare at her friend. “Of course not. Of Stewart Industries.”

Lisa ditched her cleaning supplies and sat on the corner of the bed. “Wow. Private jet, huh? Maybe I got out of law too soon.”

“It’s never too late, my friend,” Shondra said hopefully.

“Nope,” Lisa finally said, shaking her head so her braids rattled. “It’s better to be happy than rich.”

Shondra grinned. “You know, it doesn’t have to be either-or. Is dog walking really making you happy?”

Lisa shrugged. “I’m not saying I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life. I’m still searching. I just think you can’t make your mind up about something until you’ve tried it.”

Shondra knew her friend was talking about careers, but she couldn’t help applying that theory to her love life. Despite it being against her better judgment, or maybe because of it, over the course of the week, Shondra found herself looking around the office for Connor.

Part of her had hoped they would be running into each other regularly, but no such luck. By Thursday evening Shondra had convinced herself that this was fate’s way of telling her to keep her head down and focus on the tasks at hand.

Which was why Connor caught her completely off guard when he called her at home.

“I’d like to take you out to dinner tomorrow night,” he said.

Shondra’s jaw dropped as she fumbled to find something to say. “Um, to talk about business?”

She heard his warm laugh and could just picture those white teeth glinting. “Not really.”

Say no, she coached herself. “No…problem. Pick me up at eight.”

Chapter 2

Shondra paced the foyer at a quarter to eight.

“Sit down,” Lisa called from the living room sofa in front of their large arched window. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you this nervous before a date.”

“Probably because I’m making a big mistake,” she muttered to herself.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Inhaling another deep breath, she tried to make herself relax. No, this dinner didn’t have to mean anything more than a meal between colleagues. Besides, it was another opportunity to find out more about the company and the man she worked for.

So, she reassured herself, this was not a blatantly reckless act designed to indulge her carnal desires. This was a necessary step in her investigation.

Shondra bit her lip. It was a stretch, but God forbid she had to explain herself, it might fly.

“He’s here.” Lisa slammed her bowl of spicy Szechuan chicken on the coffee table. “Girrrl, you didn’t tell me this guy is loa-ded.”

Shondra snapped to attention. “I—I—how can you tell?”

“In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never dated a guy who drove anything better than rusty pickups or ten-year-old sedans. Your last guy was so broke, he would show up in a cab and then make you pay. Now all of a sudden, this one shows up driving a Bugatti Veyron.”

“A whatty what?”

“Uh, how about a sports car worth over a million dollars.”

Sheesh! “How come you know what that is?”

“Because I have time to live in the world instead of working sixty hours a week like you.”

The doorbell rang and Shondra waved Lisa away. But her roommate hovered behind her, still eating her dinner as she watched Shondra like a movie of the week.

“Hi, Connor. Did you have trouble finding my place?”

He stepped into the foyer wearing khakis and a navy blazer with a blue-striped shirt, open at the collar to show off his tan. “Not at all.”

Lisa shuffled behind her and Shondra rushed to introduce them. “Connor, this is my roommate, Lisa.”

He reached out to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you, Lisa.” His lady-killer smile was in full force and Lisa squeaked in return.

Shondra thought her friend was going to drop her bowl and lick Connor’s face. She turned to Shondra with envy in her eyes and mouthed the words “I hate you.” Then Lisa batted her eyelashes comically in Connor’s direction. “You two have fun,” she called over her shoulder, twisting her hips as she headed down the hallway, fanning herself.

Aside from being embarrassing, her friend’s spectacle got rid of the last of Shondra’s nerves. She met Connor’s ice-blue gaze and the two of them cracked up laughing.

He escorted her out to his car—a stunning combination of midnight and cobalt blues—and Shondra didn’t have to be an expert to know that this wasn’t a car just anyone drove. Her gaze slid over the sexy, rounded curves like silk.

“Okay, now you’re just showing off,” she said as he opened the door for her.

Rounding the car, he slid in beside her. “Damn right. Is it working?”

“I don’t know.” Shondra shrugged to appear casual, taking in the earthy clay-colored leather interior. A stunning mix of chrome and black, the steering wheel and console stood out in the finely crafted luxury surrounding her. She wouldn’t admit she was impressed. “I would think a guy like you wouldn’t have to work so hard.”

Connor pulled off with the attention-grabbing rev of a powerful engine. He winked at her. “No one ever has to work hard. But some of us don’t know any other way.”

As they sped out of her neighborhood, Shondra felt a little thrill bubble up inside her. She was in uncharted waters. Although she’d grown up with money—lots of it—and had always had access to nice things, she was beginning to realize that Connor was playing in a whole other league.

When she dated the average working-class man, Shondra knew where she stood. She was the one in control—often paying or going Dutch on the bills, and dictating when and where for most dates.

Tonight felt very different. Connor was every bit as smart as she was. He had more money. And he was her boss. If she wasn’t careful, she was at risk of becoming Connor’s plaything or worse…a novelty.

Getting involved with a powerful man was dangerous. And that fed her wild streak. The one she never indulged.

Connor must have read the expression on her face, because he looked over and said, “Relax. It’s just dinner.”

So she let herself relax. Determined not to overthink things any further, Shondra sank back into the seat and enjoyed the ride, as downtown Houston whizzed by her.

Twenty minutes later Connor gave his keys to the valet at a trendy restaurant she’d always wanted to try.

“Great choice. I hear the food here is top-notch,” she said as they were seated at a private spot surrounded by potted palms.

“I thought you’d like it. The chef is a friend of my father’s. He makes the most tender porterhouse steak you’ve ever had.”

Shondra looked up from her menu. “A real meat and potatoes kind of guy—is that you?”

He grinned, flashing that smile that tickled her spine. “We’re in Texas. What do you think?”

“I think it’s not healthy to eat a lot of red meat.”

“Ah, you’re one of those.” He winked at her.

She straightened her spine. “One of those what? Sensible people who don’t plan on having open-heart surgery before the age of forty?”

Connor laughed, shaking his head. “So what are you going to order then? Please don’t say a salad. You can’t waste the superior skills of Chef Lerac on greenery.”

Shondra folded her menu. “Actually, I think I’ll have the swordfish.” She eyed him with feigned deference. “If that meets with your approval, boss.”

He looked up, not taking the bait. “I suppose it will have to do this time. But I insist you try Lerac’s sweet potato mousse on the side.”

Shondra agreed and when the waiter arrived, she didn’t bat an eye when Connor ordered for both of them. She sipped her champagne cocktail, realizing it had been a long while since she’d been this relaxed.

Lisa had been right about one thing. She worked too hard. Sixty-to seventy-hour workweeks had been routine long before her father’s passing.

Tensions had been riding high in the Braddock clan ever since her oldest brother, Malcolm, had decided to leave the family business several years ago. Shondra knew it had broken her father’s heart, but she couldn’t fault her brother. Malcolm had always been the type of die-hard defender of the people that never could have lasted in the political game. He couldn’t understand that their father had to give away a few votes to gain ground for bigger battles.

Shondra wasn’t even sure she could agree with all of her father’s decisions. But she and her brother Tyson were determined not to take sides. When Malcolm walked away, their only recourse had been to focus on their own careers.

Not wanting to get lost in the melancholy that rose when she started to think about her father, she focused on Connor. He was talking about the direction he wanted to take Stewart Industries, but she scarcely heard him.

He was a truly beautiful man. His dark blond hair, smoothed back from his face, was tucked behind each ear and hung an inch above his collar. He had a strong, rugged jaw and a sexy dimple in his right cheek. And although she was often captivated by his straight white teeth, it was only because she was avoiding the intensity of his gorgeous pale blue eyes.

Whew. How did any woman in the office get any work done? Suddenly his lips quirked into a sly smirk and he gave her a knowing look. That’s when she realized her mistake.

He had stopped talking and was watching her…watch him.

Hating to feed the ego that a man that hot had to have, she struggled to save face.

“I’m sorry. I let myself get distracted there for a second. I was trying to remember if I renewed my car insurance. I know I wrote the check, but I can’t remember if I mailed it.”

Connor chuckled. He didn’t say a word but she could tell he had noticed her ogling him.

A stinging heat rushed up her neck and bloomed in her cheeks. Picking up her water glass, she fished out an ice cube and began to suck it for a moment before crunching it between her teeth. It was a nervous habit she’d had since childhood.

Anxious to force them past this awkward moment, she began to ramble about her Mercedes and how she should replace it with a hybrid, but loathed car shopping. As she talked, she continued to play with her ice, completely unaware of its effect on her dinner companion.

Connor quickly found the shoe on the other foot as he watched Shondra tease him with her ice cubes. Only moments ago, he’d been awash in masculine pride as he watched her open appreciation of him. He was used to women finding him attractive, and it pleased him in particular to know that Shondra wasn’t immune.

But his smug attitude didn’t last. In her fluster, she began a seductive game of pulling ice cubes from her glass with her neatly manicured nails, sucking them gently with her perfect plum lips, then plopping them into her mouth.

It was mesmerizing and his pants were becoming uncomfortably tight. He’d had women attempt seductions in a variety of ways, but there was never any challenge in that. Shondra’s unconscious act was more erotic to Connor than a thong-clad girl gyrating on a pole.

Connor watched Shondra with new appreciation. He’d found her attractive from the start. Wearing only a bit of eyeliner and lip gloss, she didn’t hide her beauty under a lot of makeup. Her glossy hair was parted slightly off-center and fell in brown-black curls past her shoulders. It was the perfect frame for her heart-shaped face. She was all cheeks and dimples, with a girlishly wide smile that belied her normally serious demeanor.

He was glad she’d worn a dress tonight. It was a simple dark pink tank dress that tied behind her neck, smoothed over her ribs and flared from her hips to her knees. It left plenty of her rich, cocoa-brown skin to gleam in the candlelight, making Connor long to find out if it was as soft as it looked.

Connor knew his father wouldn’t approve of his dating an SI employee. And until tonight, he’d found it easy to resist what few temptations he’d found at work. But after his flight back to Houston with Shondra, discussing business, politics and current affairs, he found himself wanting to look beyond her professional image.

Their easy flirtations were leading Connor to suspect he was in over his head. Her effect on him was more than just the thrill of breaking the rules.

The waiter appeared with their orders not a moment too soon for Connor. It gave him something other than Shondra to focus on, and it gave her something else to do besides frustrate him with those damn ice cubes.

He sliced into his porterhouse, cooked to a perfect medium-rare. “Ah, it looks like Chef Lerac has outdone himself. How is your swordfish?”

Shondra cut into her fish with her fork and tasted it. “Mmm, it’s delicious. Would you like to try some?”

“Only if you’ll take a bite of this.”

She shrugged. “Sure, I’m not morally opposed to eating beef. I just don’t have it very often.”

He held out a juicy pink cut of his steak. And instead of eating it off his fork, as he hoped, she traded utensils with him, offering him a tender slice of her swordfish.

Connor sampled what he was offered. The flavors were clean and simple, but he definitely preferred the savory spice of his steak. “It’s very good—”

He lost his breath watching Shondra chew the steak with her eyes closed. “Oh my God, that practically melted in my mouth.”

“Would you like another piece?”

She eyed his plate guiltily, as though she wanted more but didn’t want to ask. Without hesitation Connor cut a bigger chunk and placed it on her plate.

He’d only taken a couple more bites before he noticed that Shondra had finished what he’d given her and was eating her fish with much less enthusiasm than before.

He grinned wickedly. “Are you regretting your decision not to get the steak?”

Shondra smiled sheepishly. “Yes.”

Connor’s brows rose. He’d expected her to hold her pride by denying it. “An honest answer. For that you deserve a reward.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

Connor picked up her plate and swapped it with his own.

“Oh, no!” She gasped. “I can’t let you do that.”

He waved her off. “Nonsense. You’d be doing me a favor. I probably eat too much red meat. After all, I’d hate to have open-heart surgery before the age of forty.”

Sacrificing his meal proved to be well worth it. Despite her reluctant acceptance, she treated him to a rapturous stream of “mmms” and “ahs” that raised his temperature.

After dinner, the valet pulled his car up to the curb. The young kid was grinning from ear to ear. “Here’s your car, Mr. Stewart. That was my first time in a Bugatti. She sure is powerful.”

“Yes, she is,” he said, handing the kid a tip.

As he steered Shondra toward the car, she commented, “It really is pretty. I guess it’s really fast, too?”

He typically brought the car along on first dates, because he typically dated women who knew exactly how rare and expensive a Bugatti Veyron was. Shondra, on the other hand, had only seemed mildly impressed that it was so “pretty.” And, strangely enough, that pleased Connor.

He knew, for a change, that her attraction to him had nothing to do with his bank account. And despite their exchange of heated looks, he knew their rapport was based on more than the physical. Until then, he hadn’t even known he was looking for more.

Shondra wanted to know if the car was fast. Connor resisted the urge to snort at the understatement. Instead he reacted on impulse, pushing the keys into her hand. “Wanna drive it?”

Handing over his car keys was something he never did. And if he was expecting her to hesitate, he was wrong.

“Hell yes!” she said, circling around to the driver’s seat.

The heavy-duty engine roared to life when she put the keys in the ignition. She pulled into traffic with a jerk.

Shondra looked over at him and laughed. “Don’t look so nervous. I’m a great driver. I just need a second to get used to a car with this much horsepower.”

Connor gripped the door handle. “I’m not nervous,” he lied. “I just want to make sure you realize this is one of the fastest-accelerating vehicles that’s street legal. Take it easy.”

She increased her speed, unfazed by his words. “Get a lot of traffic tickets, don’t ya?”

Connor laughed. “No comment.”

He busied himself cranking up his favorite hip-hop station on the satellite radio so she wouldn’t see him fidgeting.

It didn’t take long for Shondra to get into sync with the car and gingerly maneuver through the downtown streets. She looked over at him as the speakers started vibrating from the thundering bass. “You’re not playing that for my benefit, are you?”

Connor’s brow wrinkled in confusion before he felt the back of his neck start to burn with embarrassment. She thought he was playing a rap song because she was black.

“No, not at all. This is what I normally listen to.” Anxious to prove it, he dug a few CD cases out of the glove compartment. “See. Ludicrous, Chris Brown…Snoop….”

She shrugged indifferently. “Okay. Do you have any Rascal Flatts or Faith Hill?”

He grimaced. “Country music?”

She laughed. “Of course. It’s my favorite.”

He studied her profile. “Really? Don’t you like hip-hop?”

She shook her head. “Not that much. Don’t you like country?”

“Not at all.”

Shondra shot him an incredulous look. “How can you be a born-and-bred Texan without liking country music?”

“Very easily. And I could ask you the same thing. Seventy percent of popular music is hip-hop. What’s not to like?”

“Seventy percent? You made that up.”

He shrugged. “So, it sounds true, doesn’t it?”

She laughed and they agreed to compromise by switching to an 80s station. Cindy Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” started playing, and Shondra bounced in her seat and started singing along.

Once they drove out of town, Shondra really opened the car up.

A wild giggle burbled out of her throat and Connor was fully captivated. He laughed along with her, getting an extra rush from watching her experience the Bugatti’s power for the first time.

So Shondra had a wild streak. He liked that a lot.

Shondra pulled Connor’s car to a screeching halt in her driveway and turned off the engine. “That was amazing. Thanks for letting me drive.”

“No problem. Once I was sure you weren’t going to kill us, it was really fun. Especially watching you sing at the top of your lungs while doing one-eighty.”

Shondra’s eyes went wide. “I did not drive that fast.”

“Yes, you did. But don’t feel bad. In a Bugatti one-eighty is like sixty. It’s such a smooth transition you don’t even feel it.”

She clutched a hand to her racing heart. “I’m lucky we didn’t get arrested.”

His wicked grin flashed. “That’s the thrill of it, isn’t it?”

Together they walked up her driveway, Shondra’s blood still sizzling from the adrenaline rush. Connor had all the makings of a billionaire playboy. Just the type she’d carefully avoided all her life.

She was starting to wonder why. Billionaire boys had billionaire toys that were really fun to play with. But could she afford to play in Connor’s sandbox?

They stopped in front of her door and Shondra looked up from finding her keys to thank him for the evening. Before she could get any words out of her mouth, he was pulling her close.

The next thing she knew, she was flattened against his chest and his soft, firm lips were on hers.

A flash of hunger shot through her in his strong, purposeful embrace. Shondra gave herself a moment to enjoy his kiss—soft and heated with just the tiniest flick of tongue—before she pulled away, breathless.

“Connor,” she said when she finally regained her voice. “Thank you for dinner and a really fun evening. But as much as I’d like to continue where we just left off, I really don’t think it’s wise for us to get involved. After all, you’re my boss.”

Her throat ached a bit as she said the words, and part of her wished she could take them back as soon as she’d said them.

He eyed her with his heavy-lidded gaze for a moment, clearly trying to push through his desire to process her words.

Finally, Connor straightened his collar. “Of course, you’re right. It wouldn’t be wise.”

They said good-night and Shondra let herself into her condo. She’d narrowly escaped temptation. As she slipped out of her shoes and padded toward her room, she admitted that Connor might not be so easy to resist in the future.

Shondra started to push open her bedroom door and stopped in her tracks. Something was bothering her.

Connor had said he agreed they shouldn’t get involved, but those wicked blue eyes had been sending a different message.

Something along the lines of…I like a challenge.

Chapter 3

Shondra sat in her office poring over contracts until she thought her eyes would cross. As was typical with a new position, she’d had back-to-back meetings all morning, introducing herself to other department heads and making sure they were all up to speed with her agenda. That had left Shondra with only her lunch hour for research.

After an unsettling weekend, during which she’d spent too much time pushing Connor out of her mind, Shondra had shown up this morning a woman on a mission. In addition to her normal workload, Shondra’s side investigation should have kept her far too occupied for lustful thoughts.

Her first order of business had been to find out how to track down the main switchboard’s call list. There had to be a way to discover which extension her father had been transferred to, as well as the outgoing calls from each extension. Of course, getting what she needed on the first try would have been too much to ask. None of the employees’ extensions matched with her father’s phone log or the anonymous caller. But the numbers were registered to the company, so they might belong to an empty office or an old mobile phone.

Forced to take a more in-depth investigative approach, Shondra decided to search for any business dealings that tracked back to Harmon Braddock. That basically amounted to looking through files to see if her father’s name came up.

A computer search of the company files revealed that a lot of what she wanted was either password protected or on coded hard drives.

Once again, she found herself butting up against a wall. It was painfully clear that security and confidentiality were a high priority within the company.

That meant she was going to have to go about finding facts the hard way. Shondra had immediate access to several contractor and client contracts so she decided to start there. Hopefully, she’d find some mention of a business relationship between Harmon Braddock and Stewart Industries.

That wouldn’t clear up whether or not her father’s accident had been murder, but it could turn up the name of a contact she could follow up with. It could also show that Connor’s family had a legitimate connection to her father, rather than one behind closed doors. Shondra couldn’t deny that she had a new vested interest in that outcome.

Glancing up at the clock, she realized she only had fifteen minutes to grab a sandwich at the corner deli before her next meeting. She was in the process of grabbing her purse when her desk phone started ringing.

She picked it up, secretly hoping it was her boss. “Shondra Braddock,” she said into the receiver.

“Shawnie.”

Shondra winced at her childhood nickname. No matter how often she told her brothers not to call her that anymore, the habit was so ingrained that they’d probably never change it.

“Malcolm? What’s up? I was just on my way out to grab some lunch.”

“What’s up is exactly what I’d like to know. I’m still trying to figure out what possessed you to take a job at Stewart Industries.”

Rolling her eyes, Shondra told her brother to hold on while she closed her office door. She was located only a few feet away from the quadrant of cubicles where the secretaries sat. If gossip traveled through this office the way it had in her previous ones, all of her business would be the late-breaking news within the hour.

Returning to her desk, Shondra resigned herself to missing lunch. Appeasing her oldest brother could take a while. He saw himself as the family protector, now more than ever.

“Okay, I’m back. And as for my new job, I’ve already spoken to Tyson about this. I thought he’d filled you in.”

“I spoke to him, but I’m interested in hearing it from you. What exactly do you hope to accomplish?”

“Well, I’m their new CCO, so I’m in the process of designing new internal controls for—”

“Stop it. You know what I’m talking about.”

Wincing, Shondra could scarcely believe this was the more laid-back version of her oldest brother. He’d mellowed quite a bit since he’d begun dating Gloria Kingsley.

Just not quite enough to stop checking up on her as though she were still twelve instead of twenty-eight.

“You and Tyson wanted to know what Dad had to do with SI. Now I’m in the perfect position to find out.”

“Don’t you think taking a job there is a bit rash? Why didn’t you discuss it with us before you took such a prominent position within the company?”

Shondra stared out her window, wishing she could climb out of it. “Because everything moved so fast. And because I don’t need your permission to change jobs.”

“Shawnie, you have no idea where this could lead. What if someone working there was involved with Dad’s death? Don’t you think the Braddock name will stand out? It’s entirely possible that you’re putting yourself at risk.”

“Don’t worry, Malcolm. I’m an expert at risk management.” She’d hoped to lighten the mood, but her brother wasn’t having any of it.

“Don’t get cute. I’m just trying to make sure you’ve thought this through and that you’re being cautious.”

Shondra had taken into consideration that if someone at SI had been involved with her father’s death, her family name could put her in danger, as well. But she felt that was a chance she had to take.

To her way of thinking, it was much more significant that the anonymous warning had come from SI. She hoped that her presence would encourage that person to make contact again with more information.

“What you should be asking—” she was hoping to rush through the rest of this conversation “—is if I’ve found anything.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, as though Malcolm was trying to decide whether or not to encourage her. “Did you find anything?” he asked with obvious reluctance.

“I spent a good bit of time looking through contracts today. I still have more to do, but I’m getting the feeling that if Dad had dealings with someone here, it wasn’t related to oil.”

Malcolm blew out is breath. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

Shondra finally got off the phone five minutes before her next meeting. Her stomach was grumbling loudly, which was the last thing she needed before tying herself up in a conference room for a couple of hours.

She knew the fifth floor had a snack machine. At least she could suck down a few chips and quiet her stomach. She was in the process of deciding between corn chips and pretzels when she heard someone come up behind her.

“A snack-machine lunch? I thought you were some kind of health nut.”

The back of her neck tingled as she turned to face Connor. “It wasn’t my first choice, but it’s been a busy day. At this point, it’s either junk food or office supplies.”

Connor shook his head. “I’ve tasted the pencils. I can’t recommend them.”

Shondra laughed, feeling nervous now that she knew what his lips tasted like. And it was hard not to focus on those lips right now. He looked great today in his dark gray suit.

Feeling her skin heat, she realized she was staring. Grateful for something to do, she spun away, thrust her coins into the machine and punched J5 for the pretzels.

And, of course, they got stuck on the coil. She slammed her palm into the glass to no avail.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

Shondra started to move aside, but Connor had already trapped her against the machine with his body. He was now close enough for her to smell the clean, fresh scent of his soap. Her heartbeat sped up, and she hoped she wasn’t perspiring, because she was feeling really hot.

Gripping both sides of the vending machine, Connor gave it a vigorous shake, bringing his body into contact with hers. Shondra sucked in her breath. The whole exercise took less than thirty seconds but she felt as if time had been moving in slow motion.

Without stepping back from her, he reached down and plucked the bag from the tray. “Here you go,” he said, placing it into her hand while his other hand slipped down to rest on her waist.

Shondra turned in his arms and for a split second she was tempted to let him kiss her.

But her sanity returned as she realized they were standing in the alcove of a busy corridor. Someone could pass through at any moment.

Face flaming, Shondra eased out from between Connor and the machine. “Thanks,” she squeaked, and rushed down the hall to the elevator.

Connor laughed to himself as he watched Shondra run off. Good. She had it as bad as he did. If he didn’t have a meeting himself, he’d go after her and really make her squirm.

She’d been on his mind all weekend. They had agreed not to get involved, but Connor didn’t think she wanted that any more than he did. And if they both wanted it, why should they both suffer?

Connor walked into his office whistling. He loved the chase. After gathering his projections for the new oil well, he headed to the conference room to review the figures with his stockholders.

Pushing through the double doors, he stopped short. His father was sitting in his position at the head of the table. He ignored the rows of eyes on him as he stood over his father.

“There must have been a miscommunication, Carl.” He couldn’t stand calling the man “Dad” in front of his colleagues. “I thought I was going to be running this meeting.”

Carl Stewart straightened in his seat. “You are, Connor. I’m just sitting in.”

Trying to hide the radical spike in his blood pressure, Connor settled himself in the seat next to his father’s.

The sixty-six-year-old man resisted aging at every cost. As a result, his dirty-blond dye job and string of young companions fooled many into thinking that Carl Stewart was a modern man. But the reality was that he was still a traditionalist who clung to the old ways like a life preserver.

He always did this. He was supposed to be phasing out of the company, making room for Connor to take the helm as CEO. But, typical of their relationship, his father just couldn’t let go.

As long as he attended all the meetings and held tight to the company reins, Carl could ensure that things continued to be done the way they always had been. That meant more vetoes for Connor’s ideas.

As long as his father showed up to work in the morning, the employees would continue to defer to him. How could they respect Connor as their boss if his father continued to act as if he needed to monitor his son at every turn? That’s why Connor spent as much time as he could on oil rigs. Out there, the employees respected him.

With gritted teeth, Connor barreled his way through the meeting despite his father’s constant interjections, anecdotes and questions. He wanted nothing more than to confront the elder Stewart about the situation, but it wasn’t the time to make waves.

His father would never retire if Connor couldn’t convince him that he could run the business with a cool head. That included finessing the old man.

If he bided his time, everything would go as planned. Carl Stewart would retire, and Connor would finally be free to run the company on his own.

At least that’s what he told himself. He could play his father’s game for a few more months, Connor reassured himself as he stalked past his executive assistant into his office.

But not without a little distraction for himself, he thought, picking up his phone to dial Shondra’s extension.

By Thursday afternoon Shondra was beginning to wonder if she’d gotten herself in over her head.

It took a lot of energy to rebuff Connor’s flirtations and do her work. No less than once a day she received phone calls, voice mails or e-mails, and although she found these to be the brightest spots in her day, they were distracting enough that she had to stay late in the evenings to keep ahead of her workload.

As if that wasn’t enough, anytime she found a spare moment she tried to do a little investigating.

Tomorrow she’d be boarding a plane to South America to tour another SI facility and look into their compliance issues. She wanted to make some progress today because she wouldn’t be back in the office until Tuesday.

For all the documents and files she had to sort through, she was coming up with exactly nothing. Worse yet, she was starting to count on Connor’s distractions to get her through the day.

He often called with silly questions to get her caught up in mindless banter. He was quick with words and their verbal sparring was more fun than it should have been.

And when he wasn’t calling, he managed to “run into her” in the break room, the elevator or even the deli where she liked to go for lunch.

The only place they hadn’t crossed paths—

There was a knock on her door.

—was her office.

“Come in.”

Connor slipped through the door and immediately came to tower over her desk.

“What are you doing here?” Shondra’s spine snapped straight. He’d caught her off guard. At that moment her desk was piled with files she’d snuck from a fifth-floor filing cabinet that she had no business accessing.

She wouldn’t be able to explain herself if Connor realized she was snooping around where she didn’t belong.

He circled her desk until he could lean against the edge, looming in her personal space. “What am I doing here? Is that any way to greet your boss?”

Shondra pushed back until her desk chair hit the wall at her back. She needed air and a means to distract him. The last thing she needed was for him to focus on the contents of her desk.

Her heart was racing in her chest. She hoped she didn’t look nervous. Fortunately she suspected that if she did, Connor would thank his masculine charms before he looked elsewhere for an explanation.

“Technically, your father’s my boss.” Shondra noted a pained look on his face that was gone before she could analyze it. “Is there anything I can do for you, sir?” she said with mock sweetness.

Shondra held her breath as he turned and looked over her desk. He grabbed a pencil out of her organizer and pretended to inspect it. “I just dropped by to make sure you weren’t snacking between meals.”

Shondra snatched the pencil away. “Thanks, but I haven’t had to resort to eating the office supplies yet.”

Connor leaned closer. “I’m glad to hear it. But I’ve noticed that you work through lunch quite a bit. That’s not healthy. I take the proper nourishment of my employees very seriously, so I’m going to take you to lunch today.”

Shondra shook her head. That was all she needed. So far, no one had noticed their little interactions around the office, but if they went to lunch, people would start to notice. She couldn’t stand the idea of being the object of office gossip and she told him as much.

“Besides,” she added, “I’m actually having lunch with Sarah today. So you don’t have to worry about me after all.”

Connor frowned. “You’re having lunch with my executive assistant? Why?”

“Because she’s nice and we hit it off.” Which was true; they’d run into each other a few times in the break room and had a lot in common. But she also thought a lunch date would give her a chance to find out if the woman had ever received any calls from her father.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.