“You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

“No.” In fact, now that he’d laid out his plan she could see the enticing future. As odd as it was to be snuggled with Scott on her sofa, she wondered if it was exactly where they were meant to be.

When he looked at her his eyes had darkened and his lips were curved in a sexy smile. Something had changed between them.

His mouth was hot, hungry on hers. His hand moved under the hem of her dress, onto her thigh. She shivered as she imagined his hands moving higher …

“Does this feel good to you?” she asked.

“It feels … good. Right.”

“To me, too,” she confessed. “Maybe the strange part is that it doesn’t feel weird.”

After a moment he nodded. “I think I’d better go.”

She blinked. “You’re leaving?”

“It’s either that or I’m going to get you out of that pretty dress. And I’m not sure we’re ready for that step yet.”

She walked him to the door and smiled, giving in to an impertinent impulse. “Scott? For the record you wouldn’t have to try very hard. With the dress, I mean.”

She shut the door and leaned against it. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Proposals & Promises: Putting a ring on it is just the beginning!

The Boss’s

Marriage Plan

Gina Wilkins

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Author of more than one hundred titles for Mills & Boon, native Arkansan GINA WILKINS was introduced early to romance novels by her avid-reader mother. Gina loves sharing her own stories with readers who enjoy books celebrating families and romance. She is inspired daily by her husband of over thirty years, their two daughters and their son, their librarian son-in-law who fits perfectly into this fiction-loving family, and an adorable grandson who already loves books.

As always, for the family that gives me strength and my reason for living, my husband of more than thirty years and our amazing son, two daughters, son-in-law and precious grandson.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Tess Miller stood quietly nearby as her older sister, Nina Miller Wheatley, made a minute adjustment to an impeccably set Thanksgiving dinner table. Nina’s formal dining room glowed not only with the light from a crystal chandelier but from multiple candles on the table and antique sideboard. Fall flowers spilled over crystal vases onto Pilgrim figurines and pumpkins nestled beside them. Calligraphy place cards rested in little turkey-shaped holders beside the brown-and-orange plaid place mats. Tess didn’t know why they needed place cards when the entire dinner party consisted of Nina, her husband, their three kids and herself, but her overachieving sister never did anything halfway.

There was enough food for another six people, at a minimum. Turkey and dressing, several side dishes, salads and four choices of desserts crowded the serving tables. Tess had brought a casserole and a cake, both of which Nina had proclaimed “very nice” and had then set at the back of the buffet.

Nina wore a rust silk blouse and dark brown slacks that showed off her gym-toned body. Not a salon-tinted blond hair was out of place in her stylish do, and her makeup was perfect despite the hours she’d spent in the kitchen. She’d given a critical once-over to Tess’s black wrap top and slim charcoal pants, but her only comment had been that maybe Tess should consider adding more red highlights to her hair, just to “spice up” her shoulder-length auburn bob. Tess was perfectly content for now with the color nature had given her, but she hadn’t wasted breath arguing.

The sisters didn’t look much alike. Tess’s brown eyes had a more golden tint than Nina’s, her face was more oval and she’d inherited their father’s shallow chin cleft. At five-four, she was two inches shorter than her sister, though she’d always wondered if being taller would have made any difference in Nina’s still treating her like a child.

“Everything looks beautiful, Nina,” she said, knowing just what to say to make her sister happy. “I can tell you’ve worked very hard.”

Nina heaved a long-suffering sigh. “You have no idea. All the chopping and mixing, cooking and baking, not to mention keeping up with all the kids’ extracurricular activities and volunteering at two different schools. I’m utterly exhausted, but of course it’s all worth it for my family.”

Through her mental sigh, Tess heard a football game playing in the den. She knew her brother-in-law, Ken, and her nephews, thirteen-year-old Cameron and nine-year-old Austin, were parked in front of it, though both boys were probably engrossed in handheld video games. Almost fifteen-year-old Olivia was in her room, likely risking carpal tunnel syndrome with marathon texting to her bazillion friends. None of them had offered assistance to their mother, though Nina wouldn’t have accepted if they had. She loved being a martyr to her overly indulged family.

Nina shook off her air of selfless weariness to replace it with a sympathetic smile toward her much younger sibling. “You wouldn’t understand, of course, not having a husband and children of your own to take care of.”

She didn’t add the uniquely Southern, artfully patronizing “bless your heart,” but Tess heard it anyway. Ever since Tess turned twenty-one eight years ago, Nina rarely missed an opportunity to voice her concern that her sister would remain single and childless. It didn’t help that her only semiserious relationship during those years had crashed and burned.

While Tess wanted a family of her own, she was increasingly resentful of her sister’s condescension, making every holiday gathering progressively more uncomfortable. That was a shame, because she and her sister were the only surviving members of their immediate family. Their parents, who’d been in their midforties when Tess was born thirteen years after Nina, had both died within the past six years. Now Nina always made a big show of including Tess at every holiday table because as she said, “Tess has no one else to share the special days with.”

Tess drew a deep breath before asking, “Would you like me to call everyone to the table?”

“In a moment. First I want to ask if you’d allow me to give your number to Cameron’s orthodontist, Dr. Mike. He’s really quite nice, if a bit socially awkward. He’s been divorced for almost a year. He seemed interested when I showed him your photo on my phone, but after that little fit you threw last time, I knew better than to give him your number without asking.” Nina rolled her eyes, as if making it clear she thought it unreasonable that Tess objected to Nina handing out her number to just any single stranger.

“Seriously, Nina, stop trying to fix me up,” Tess said with a firm shake of her head. She didn’t mind her friends arranging the occasional blind date, but she’d rather her meddlesome sister stay out of her love life, such as it was. The thought of her photo being shown to random men made her very uncomfortable. “I don’t need you to arrange dates for me.”

“Well, someone should. I don’t see how you’re going to find anyone sitting in that office working for your taskmaster of a boss. I mean, sure, you meet construction workers and architects and suppliers, but you’re too professional to flirt with them on the job and you’re never not on the job, so where does that leave you, hmm? Needing a little help meeting someone, that’s where. And because I’m actually out in the community mingling with nice, successful people, who better to direct a lead or two your way?”

“If I want your help, I’ll let you know, all right?”

Nina didn’t quite growl her frustration, but she seemed to be making an effort to restrain herself. “You haven’t forgotten about Dana’s party the second Saturday in December, have you? You have to be there. Everyone’s expecting you. You can come alone, of course, but you know how snooty some of our cousins would be if they think you can’t find a date. Perhaps that would be a good time for you to spend an evening getting to know Dr. Mike?”

“I’ll find my own date, thank you.” Tess wasn’t sure where or how, but she’d bring a date if she had to hire someone!

Maybe she shouldn’t let Nina get to her this way. Maybe she should go to the family gathering alone as she usually did, with her head high and her shoulders squared. Confident, composed and contentedly independent. But then she’d have to endure everyone trying to set her up with their dentists, accountants and gynecologists.

Before her sister could demand details, Tess turned toward the dining room doorway, which was decorated with a garland of autumn leaves and just-too-cute little gourds. “I’ll call everyone in to eat. It would be a shame to let this delicious food get cold.”

It was probably the only threat that could have derailed Nina’s attention from Tess’s personal life. At least for now.

* * *

Tess must not have known anyone else was in the office at 6:00 p.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. No other reason she’d be chatting on her cell phone with her office door open, so her words drifted out very clearly to Scott Prince in the lobby. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, really. It was simply that while he hesitated, trying to decide if it would be rude to interrupt her, he heard a bit more than he intended.

He’d just quietly entered the reception area of Prince Construction Company, Inc., the Little Rock enterprise into which he’d invested all his time, sweat, money and dreams for the past nine years. It had been a struggling little local-only construction company when he’d purchased it from the retiring owner, with whom Scott had interned while he’d obtained a master’s degree in construction management. His family and friends had been concerned to see him take such a major financial risk, considering him too young and inexperienced at twenty-seven to successfully run a complicated business. It had taken almost a decade of personal sacrifice and unwavering determination to prove their doubts unfounded, but he was now owner and CEO of a successful, multistate enterprise specializing in small to medium commercial construction projects.

Tess had started working for him as a clerk over six years ago and had become his office manager and valued administrative assistant. No one got to him except through her. Some people said he was gifted when it came to surrounding himself with the right people. Tess was a prime example of that. He admitted freely that the whole operation would fall apart without her to oversee the office.

But this was Thanksgiving weekend, not an official workday. Shouldn’t she be spending it with family or friends—at least unless he needed her for some crisis or another, as he confessed he so often did?

“It was the usual painful family meal,” he heard her say from the other room, almost as if in answer to his silent question. “My sister tried to fix me up with every single male she’s ever met, because she says I’m incapable of finding eligible men on my own. My brother-in-law finally told her to lay off because as he said, ‘Some women are just meant to be single.’”

Scott grimaced, knowing now why Tess had chosen to work on the long weekend rather than to spend more time with family. He almost spoke up then to let her know he was there, but she started talking again.

“So, anyway, Nina nagged me about bringing her son’s orthodontist to Dana’s big Christmas bash, but I told her I’d find my own date, thank you very much. No, I don’t know who it will be. You know my lousy luck with the online dating sites I’ve tried lately. Maybe I’ll just take Glenn. Yes, I know you keep telling me he’s boring, but maybe we’ve been too critical of him. He’s a nice enough guy. Makes no secret that he’s ready to settle down and start a family. Maybe I’ve just been too—”

Scott opened and closed the front door. More loudly this time. He’d suddenly realized that he’d been standing in one place for too long, hearing more than Tess would surely want him to know.

He heard her mutter something quickly, followed by the thud of her phone, then the squeak of her chair. Moments later she appeared in the open doorway looking slightly flustered, though she almost instantly assumed her usual calm and collected expression. She was dressed more casually than on weekdays in a blue-and-black patterned tunic with black leggings tucked into flat boots. She’d left her hair down rather than in the neat twist she usually wore for work. He’d seen her weekend look many times before, of course—but he thought she looked particularly pretty today. The slight flush that lingered on her cheeks was definitely becoming.

“Scott? What are you doing here? I thought you and your dad and brothers were driving to Missouri for the Razorbacks game today.”

“We were. But Eli had to be on call because one of his partners broke an arm in a Thanksgiving biking accident. Then Jake’s son came down with a virus and our plans all fell apart. We gave our tickets to Mom and Dad’s neighbors and their kids. They were happy to get them.”

“I’m sorry your plans were canceled. You really needed a break from work.”

He felt his mouth quirk into a half smile. “Are you saying I’ve been surly lately?”

“Not surly, just... Okay, maybe a little surly,” she said with a quiet laugh.

He could count on Tess to be honest with him, sometimes brutally so. Somehow she always managed to do so without crossing boundaries of the employee-employer relationship, even when she was annoyed with him. And she had been annoyed with him on several occasions.

He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that. You have to admit, the past few months have been challenging.” They’d dealt with a couple of big, complicated jobs, a burglary at a job site that had cost them several expensive tools, even a break-in here at the office earlier in the year. Speaking of which...

He frowned. “Why was the security system turned off? You shouldn’t be here alone on a weekend, especially after dark, without that alarm activated. As I’ve just proved, anyone could have walked in.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Didn’t you have to use your key?”

He was still surprised she hadn’t heard him enter the first time, which only illustrated how focused she’d been on her conversation. “Well, yes, but still...”

Relenting, she smiled. “I’ve had the security system on almost the whole time I’ve been here. I turned it off when I ran out to my car for something I’d forgotten and I was going to turn it back on after I finished a phone call in my office.”

He kept his expression as unrevealing as he could manage. He knew she’d be embarrassed if she thought he’d overheard too much of that call. “I want you to be safe when you’re here alone. Keep the blasted thing turned on.”

Sending a salute toward him that was just short of impertinent, she said, “Yes, sir. I’ll do that.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Insubordination. Remind me again why I keep you around?”

She laughed easily, slipping back into the comfortable relationship they’d forged during their years of working side by side. “Because you know this entire enterprise would collapse without me.”

He chuckled after she pretty much echoed his thoughts from earlier. He had to concede her point.

She’d made her mark on every aspect of his business, from the state of the reception area to the total of the bottom line.

Speaking of the reception area... He suddenly noticed decorations that hadn’t been there a few days earlier. A Christmas tree sat in the front corner, decorated with gold-and-white ornaments and tiny white lights. A strand of garland wound with gold ribbon draped the front of the reception desk, matching the wreath on the door. On the tables sat frosted glass holders with fat white candles. All very subtle and tasteful—very Tess, he thought with a faint smile. She could have assigned one or two of the clerical workers she now supervised to decorate, but she’d no doubt taken care of it herself, as she had every Christmas since she’d started working for him.

“You came in today just to decorate?”

“I thought I’d get the decorations up while I had a quiet afternoon to work on them. I’m almost finished.”

“Looks nice. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’ve got it, thanks. There are only a few more things I want to do.”

Nodding, he moved toward the closed door of his own larger office to the right side of hers. “Let me know if you need anything. I’m going to review the paperwork for that Springdale job we start Monday, just to make sure everything is lined up.”

“I left a couple of contracts on your desk for you to look over and sign. They could have waited until Monday, but since you’re here...”

“I’m on it.”

He glanced over his shoulder as he opened the door with his name engraved on a brass plaque. Tess stood half-turned away from him, frowning in concentration at the Christmas tree, which looked perfect already to him. She really did look pretty today. He thought fleetingly about telling her so, but something held him back.

He made a cup of coffee with the pod brewer on his credenza. “Would you like a hot drink?” he asked through the open doorway as the enticing aroma filled his office. The rack beside the pot always included a variety of herbal teas that he knew Tess liked. They often shared drinks at his desk as they discussed business.

“No, thank you,” she called back without making an appearance. He told himself he wasn’t disappointed that she was too busy for a cozy chat, which meant he had no excuse to procrastinate any longer with the work he’d come in to see to.

Taking a seat at his desk, he tried to concentrate on paperwork for the next twenty minutes. Despite his resistance, his thoughts kept returning to the one-sided conversation he’d accidentally overheard, and the glimpse of insight it had provided into Tess’s personal life. Of course, he couldn’t have worked so closely with her for six years without knowing some things about her.

Through night classes and online courses, she’d completed her business degree and had earned postgraduate hours since she’d started working with him. He knew she took pride in those accomplishments. During that same time, he’d seen her deal with the illness and loss of both her parents. He’d gotten the impression the majority of the caregiving had been on her shoulders because her sister had been so busy with her young children. Yet he’d never once heard Tess complain. Whatever she dealt with in her off-hours, she’d always reported to work with her usual serene efficiency.

Serene. He repeated the word in his head, thinking how well it suited his assistant. Throughout several major work upheavals, when he’d been edgy and bad-tempered amid the confusion and mayhem, Tess had remained...well, Tess. She came in every morning with a smile, an encouraging word and a roll-up-her-sleeves attitude that let her tackle each day’s tasks with single-minded focus.

One would think someone so agreeable would be a bit of a doormat, easily intimidated, perhaps. Not Tess. He’d witnessed her hold her own with even the most belligerent, disgruntled employees and clients. One of his job foremen had confided to Scott that Tess reminded him of a nun who’d taught his junior high math classes. “Nice lady most of the time,” he’d clarified. “But get out of line, and you’d get a ruler across the knuckles before you could spit.”

Scott could imagine Tess wielding a mean ruler if necessary. But he’d never thought of her as a nun—had he?

He cleared his throat and reached hastily for his quickly cooling coffee, almost knocking over the cup in his clumsiness. He salvaged the papers on his desk at the last moment and with a muttered curse.

“Everything okay in there?” Tess called from the other room.

“Yes, fine, thanks.”

Maybe he hadn’t thought of Tess as a nun, but before that overheard conversation, he’d had no idea she’d tried online dating, or that she’d been actively looking for a match. Meeting strange men online was dangerous, he thought in disapproval. Sure, people did it all the time these days, but it just didn’t seem right for Tess.

He knew she’d been in a relationship about three years back that hadn’t worked out. That was about the same time he’d been briefly engaged to a stunning but capricious woman who’d understandably—and angrily—chosen to pursue a career in modeling over marriage to an often-neglectful workaholic. He still winced when he remembered the scene Sharon had caused when she’d broken up with him in a crowded restaurant, and all because he’d been a few minutes late meeting her there. Okay, twenty minutes late, but he’d texted to let her know he’d been held up—again—by yet another work crisis. She’d known going into the relationship that his business required a great deal of his time, but like others he’d dated before her, she’d expected more from him than he’d been able to give. She’d stormed off furiously when she’d finally concluded that his construction company meant more to him than their relationship. The split hadn’t been amicable, but then for some reason, his breakups never were.

He wondered if Tess had remained on good terms with her former flames. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had. Unlike the volatile Sharon, Tess was the practical, pragmatic type. In the years she had worked for him, he’d never heard her carry on about romance and unrealistic fantasies.

Of course, he rarely allowed himself to think of Tess as a vibrant, available single woman. After all, she worked for him, and he’d never even considered overstepping their professional boundaries and risking their comfortable work relationship. She had just turned twenty-three when she’d applied for the clerical job with him. He’d been a couple months shy of thirty-one, and had already owned the business for over three years. Perhaps that was why he’d thought of her all this time as much too young for him, though the actual gap was only seven years. She would soon turn thirty, he mused, surprised by how quickly time had passed. He supposed it was only natural that she would now be considering marriage and children. After all, he’d given quite a lot of deliberation to those things lately, too.

She strolled in through his open doorway. “I thought I’d put this candle on your table. I know you don’t like a lot of froufrou in your office, but this isn’t too much, is it?” She held a hurricane glass candleholder with a little garland around the base. “You’ve got a few meetings scheduled in here during the next couple of weeks.”

He often eschewed the main conference room in favor of the cherry table in his office. Everything he needed was available to him in here—a projector and screen, whiteboard and display easels and blackout shades to hide the distracting views of the Arkansas River and the distant rolling hills. He loved his office. It was exactly what he’d envisioned back when he’d first started building his own business.

“I don’t mind a candle on the table,” he assured Tess, making her smile.

“How was your Thanksgiving?” she asked as she fussed with the garland.

“Nice. Noisy. The kids were wound up from all the attention.”

Both his brothers were happily married fathers. His older brother, Eli, a family practice physician, had twin girls, Madison and Miranda. Cute as little bunnies, they were almost five years old and full of energy. He was their “uncle Scotty,” and he adored them, just as he did his little nephew, too. Six-month-old Henry was his younger brother, Jake’s, kid. Both his brothers had been lucky enough to find their soul mates—Eli and Libby had started dating when both were in medical school, while Jake, an attorney, had met psychologist Christina at a cocktail party a couple years ago.

As much as he’d enjoyed the gathering, Scott had been painfully aware that he was no closer to having a family of his own than he’d been during the last solo holiday season. None of his relatives was actually nagging him to marry—after all, the next generation of Princes was already well established—but he couldn’t help wondering if they thought something must be lacking in him. Increasingly, he wondered the same thing about himself.

Without arrogance, he could admit he’d accomplished a great deal in his almost thirty-seven years. Valedictorian in high school. Summa cum laude college graduate. A master’s degree. His own business. He had a nice home he’d remodeled himself, with a couple of empty bedrooms he hoped to fill someday. All his life he’d heard about biological clocks, but he’d never quite understood the term until he found himself only a few years from forty without any immediate prospect of a wife and kids. During these past twelve months, he had attended cocktail parties and professional mixers—more than he would have liked, actually. He’d gone on blind dates, been to clubs and bars and charity fund-raisers. He’d met a lot of nice women, had some good times, made a few friends...but he’d yet to find anyone he thought would be a lifelong partner.

After his brief engagement to Sharon had ended so disastrously, he’d wondered privately if he was destined to remain a workaholic bachelor. He was accustomed to success, to achieving the high-reaching goals he set for himself. His only experiences with failure had been in the romantic area of his life. He really hated failure.

Tess stepped back to critically study the centerpiece she’d created. Apparently deciding it would suffice, she turned to the door, asking over her shoulder on the way out, “Have you signed those contracts?”

He reached hastily for the stack he’d yet to touch. “On it.”

He wondered half seriously what she’d have said if he shared that he’d been fretting about how to find a mate. Knowing Tess, she’d set her mind to solving that issue for him. He’d probably come in on Monday to find a line of qualified applicants standing outside his office door. Having trouble in her own quest wouldn’t stop her from setting to work on his if he asked.

His smile faded as it occurred to him that maybe he was on to something here. Oh, not the part about asking Tess to find candidates for him, but the idea that he’d been going about this all wrong. Perhaps he should approach this endeavor with the same attitude he’d used in establishing his successful business. Practicality and analysis were his strengths. Romance obviously was not. There had to be nice women out there who didn’t require all the fancy trappings of courtship, but simply wanted to marry an upstanding, decent guy and start a family. Surely a union based on common goals and values, preferably even friendship, would appeal to someone besides himself. Maybe if he spelled out from the start what he had to offer—and what he didn’t—there would be no artificial expectations that could only lead to another disappointing failure.

When he’d drawn up his original business plan, he’d made lots of lists. Where he needed to focus his efforts, how he wanted to solicit clients, specific steps for growing the business in a sensible, feasible manner and at a reasonable, sustainable pace. Perhaps he should approach his marriage plan in a similar vein.

He visualized a mental list of the type of woman he thought would suit him best. It should be someone organized and efficient, much like himself. Practical—the kind of woman who would understand he was never going to be a smooth-talking Romeo, but that he would be loyal, generous, committed, dependable. That was the type of husband and father his dad was, and that his brothers had become. Maybe they had married for more emotional reasons, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make his own future partnership just as successful. Middle kid that he was, he’d always had his own way of doing things, as his mother had pointed out on many occasions. His way had turned out well for him in business, so why not in marriage?

His wife didn’t have to be model beautiful, as his ex-fiancée had been, but it would be best, of course, if he was attracted to her. He’d always been drawn to kind eyes and a warm smile, and he had an admitted weakness for dimples...

He heard Tess moving around in the other room. She had nice eyes, he thought, along with a generous smile with occasional flashes of dimples in the corners. She never wore much makeup, but he’d noted some time ago—just in passing—that her skin was creamy and flawless without it. He supposed she would be considered girl-next-door attractive rather than strikingly beautiful—but then again, there was nothing he’d have changed about her appearance. On more than one occasion, especially during the past year or so, he’d found himself admiring her attributes in a manner that had made him immediately redirect his thoughts, chiding himself that it was inappropriate to even notice those things.

A muffled thud and a disgruntled mutter drifted in from the lobby. Curious, he stood and walked around his desk to stand in the open doorway. “What are you doing?”

Tess was on the floor beneath the big artificial tree, propped on one arm as she stretched to reach something he couldn’t see. “I knocked off an ornament when I was trying to straighten a branch. Oh, here it is.”

Holding a sparkling gold orb in her hand, she swiveled so that she was sitting cross-legged on the floor looking thoughtfully up at the tree. After a moment, she leaned forward and hooked the ornament to a branch, then leaned back on her hands to gaze upward. Tiny white lights glittered among the thick green branches, their reflection gleaming in the dark red highlights in her hair.

“How does that look?” she asked.

“Looks good,” he murmured slowly, his eyes on her. “Really good.”

She pushed herself to her feet and brushed absently at her slacks. “Do you think a candle in a snowflake-shaped holder on the reception desk would be too much?”

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. What?”

When she realized he was staring at her, she cocked her head to eye him with a frown. “Scott? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine. Just...absorbed with a dilemma.”

“You’ll figure it out,” she said encouragingly. “You always do.”

Her steadfast confidence in him had bolstered him through some of his most challenging periods during the past six years. Her absolute dedication to the company had been instrumental in its success. She understood why it was so important to him in a way that perhaps no one else did, because it seemed almost equally valuable to her. In some ways, he thought she knew him better than anyone outside his immediate family. Even some of his longtime friends were unable to read him as well as Tess. She was more than an employee, more than a professional associate. Not exactly a personal friend—but whose fault was that? His or hers? Both?

Tess had often teased him about being “blessed with strokes of inspiration,” in her words. Solutions to thorny problems tended to occur to him in sudden, compelling flashes, and he had learned to respect his own instincts. They had let him down only on very rare occasions.

He had just been staggered by another one of those brilliant moments of insight. In a near-blinding flash of awareness, he’d realized suddenly that the woman he’d mentally described as his perfect mate had just been sitting under the Christmas tree.

Chapter Two

Tess wasn’t particularly concerned about Scott’s sudden distraction. This was an expression she knew very well, the way he always looked when he’d been struck with a possibly brilliant solution to a troublesome dilemma. She would wait patiently for him to share what he was thinking—or not. Sometimes he had to mull over details for days before he enlightened anyone else about his latest inspired idea.

Glancing around the reception area, she decided she’d finished decorating. The offices looked festive and welcoming but not over the top. “I’m calling it done,” she said, more to herself than Scott, who probably wasn’t listening anyway. “Any more would be too much.”

He gave a little start in response to her voice—honestly, had he forgotten she was even there?—then cleared his throat. “Um, Tess?”

Picking up an empty ornament box to stow away in a supply closet, she responded absently, “Yes?”

When he didn’t immediately reply, she glanced around to find him studying her with a frown. The way he was staring took her aback. Did she have something on her face? Glitter in her hair? She thought he might look just this way at finding a stranger in his reception room.

“Scott?”

He blinked, then glanced quickly around them. “Not here,” he muttered, apparently to himself, then addressed her again. “Have you eaten?”

“I was going to stop for takeout on my way home.”

“Want to share a pizza at Giulia’s? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

It wasn’t unusual for them to share a meal after working late, and the nearby casual Italian place was one of their customary destinations. Because she had no other plans for the evening, she nodded. “Sure. I’ll just grab a notebook.”

“You won’t need to take notes. We’re just going to talk.”

That was odd, too. They’d worked through shared meals but never just talked.

He was still acting peculiarly when they were seated in a back booth in the restaurant.

Sipping her soda while waiting for their pizza, Tess studied Scott over the rim of the glass. He was visibly preoccupied, but she knew occasionally it was possible to sidetrack him from his musings, at least briefly. She gave it a try. “Tell me a funny story about your nieces,” she suggested, leaning back in her seat. “I could use a good laugh this evening.”

He blinked a couple of times before focusing on her from across the table. Candlelight gleamed in his dark blue eyes. His hair, the color of strong, rich coffee and a bit mussed from the winter evening breeze, was brushed back casually from a shallow widow’s peak. A few strands of premature silver glittered in the dark depths. There was no denying that her boss was a fine-looking man, trim and tanned with a firm, square jaw, nicely chiseled features and a smile that could melt glaciers when he turned on the charm.

Sometimes she still thought of the first time she’d met him. She’d been struck almost dumb by her first sight of the great-looking, intensely focused man sitting behind a cheap, cluttered desk in his first office. She still cringed a little when she thought of how incoherent she’d been during that awkward interview. She wasn’t sure what he’d seen in her to take a chance on hiring her, but she was so glad he had. She loved her job and took great pride in the success of the business.

Scott thought for a moment before complying with her impulsive request. “During breakfast Thanksgiving morning, Madison reached for the butter and knocked over an entire glass of cold milk directly into Eli’s lap. Eli jumped and knocked over his cereal bowl, which landed on their shih tzu. The dog went tearing through the house scattering milk and Cheerios all over the floors while the girls chased after it, smashing the cereal underfoot. Eli was laughing when he told us the story over Thanksgiving dinner, but his wife was not amused.”

Tess laughed. “That sounds like a scene from a TV sitcom.”

“Right? Eli said it’s pretty much life as expected with energetic almost-five-year-old twins.”

“I can imagine. It must be exhausting.”

He smiled up at the server who set their pizza in front of them, then continued the conversation as Tess reached for a slice. “Eli and Libby put on the long-suffering act, but they love every minute with those girls.”

She’d met all the members of Scott’s family, most recently in September, at the annual PCCI picnic at sprawling Burns Park in North Little Rock.

She doubted he got the same kind of grief from his family that she did from hers just because he hadn’t yet found his own life mate. From what she knew of them, she thought perhaps they’d tease him a little, but probably not in the insultingly patronizing tone her sister used toward her. With Thanksgiving behind them, the holiday season was now well under way. Parties, traditions, family gatherings loomed ahead. She wished she could feel a little more enthusiastic about what was to come in the next month.

“You like children, don’t you, Tess?” Scott asked unexpectedly.

“I love children.” She hoped her quick smile hid the wistfulness that underlaid her reply.

“Yeah, me, too.”

Looking down at his plate, Scott toyed with his food, seemingly lost in his thoughts again. With silence reigning, she took another bite of her veggie pizza.

He cleared his throat and she glanced up. Her eyebrows rose in response to his expression. “What?”

“You remember when I had that unexpected appendectomy last year and you had to come to my house to work the next day because we had that big deadline?”

She was rather surprised he’d mentioned that incident. He’d seemed to try very hard to forget that day since. “Of course I remember.”

Hypersensitive to the painkillers, Scott had spent a few hours rambling somewhat disjointedly until the effects wore off. He hadn’t said anything too far out of line, but he’d been amusingly whimsical and had continually heaped praise on her, telling her how important she was to him and how he couldn’t get by without her. Even knowing his effusiveness was fueled by medication, she’d taken the compliments to heart.

The only seriously awkward moment had come as she’d prepared to leave. Though Scott wasn’t a “hugger,” he’d hauled her into his arms for a somewhat clumsy embrace, thanking her too heartily for her help. She’d convinced herself afterward that he had surely intended to kiss her cheek, but he’d missed. His lips had landed squarely on her mouth.

It had lasted only seconds. Hardly long enough to be called a kiss. Even under the influence of the medicines, he’d been aware enough to jump back immediately, stammering apologies, flustered, his face uncharacteristically flushed. Tess had laughed it off, attempting to mask her own reactions behind indulgent humor. Despite her assurances the next day that he’d said nothing untoward, Scott had been embarrassed by his lack of control and obviously concerned that he’d crossed professional lines. They had implicitly agreed to put the incident behind them and never refer to it again. To be honest, though, there’d been times when she’d found herself reliving that almost kiss and wondering what it might have been like had it been real.

Scott cleared his throat, bringing her abruptly back to the present. “So, the thing is, I’d like to handle this conversation the same way we did that incident. Though I am completely clearheaded and unaffected by any outside influences tonight, feel free to forget anything I’m about to say, if you want, and to pretend it never happened next time we see each other. That’s why I wanted to talk here, away from the office.”

Lifting her eyebrows in confusion, she looked at the tall, thin glass in his hand. “You’ve only had a few sips of your beer, so that’s probably not the reason you aren’t making any sense.”

Setting the glass aside, he shook his head. “As I said, I’m not under the influence of anything. Just not quite sure how to begin this conversation.”

Swallowing a bit nervously, she touched her napkin to her lips, then lowered her hands to her lap to toy with the checkered tablecloth. Since when had Scott ever had trouble talking with her? This couldn’t be good. “Just say it, Scott.”

He nodded. “Your job means a lot to you, right? I mean, it matters to you that the company is successful. Reputable.”

Her chest tightened. A cold, hard knot formed in her throat, forcing her to clear it before she could ask, “Have I done something wrong? Have I messed up somehow? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

He shook his head quickly. “Of course not. Just the opposite, in fact. You’ve gone above and beyond this past year. I’m not exaggerating when I say I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Relief flooded her. Her hand felt just a little unsteady when she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Then, what...?”

“I overheard some of a phone conversation you had earlier,” he blurted. “You were talking about the upcoming holiday parties, and about problems you’ve been having with online dating.”

She felt warmth spread across her face. He’d heard her conversation with her friend Stevie? How humiliating!

“So anyway,” he continued before she could speak, “I’ve got a bunch of holiday events coming up, too, and no one to attend them with me. Which made me wonder why we couldn’t go to some of those parties together.”

Of all the things he could have said, this was the least expected. Surely he wasn’t suggesting...

“You mean...as coworkers?” she asked in a tentative attempt at clarification.

“No, nothing to do with work. I guess you could say I’m asking you out.”

She stared at him, her mind going completely blank with shock. “Oh. Ah.”

“I’ve been thinking about how you and I get along so well and always have,” he said, cutting into her stunned stammering. “About how much more comfortable it could be if we attend these things together rather than going alone or trying to deal with early-dating drama with other people during the holidays. So, what do you think?”

She moved his glass firmly to the other side of the table, symbolically out of his reach. “I think you had too much of this on an empty stomach. It must have gone straight to your head.”

He made a sound that was half amusement, half exasperation. “I’ve had maybe three sips of the beer. I’m not intoxicated. I had this inspiration at the office and I’ve been trying to figure out how to bring it up to you. I guess I’m not doing a very good job of it. I’m really bad at this sort of thing.”

“After hearing me complain about online dating, you decided we should attend holiday parties together?” She still wasn’t sure she entirely understood where he was going with this. “And you’re not just talking about business-related events?”

“No. There are several events coming up very soon that I’ll be expected to attend with a plus one. I’ll admit I’ve been putting off thinking about them until the last minute because I didn’t know who to ask, but I suddenly realized there’s no one I’d rather go with than you. And wouldn’t you rather attend your parties with me than with some guy you think is boring?”

So he’d heard her talk about Glenn. She resisted an impulse to hide her face in her hands as she understood exactly how much of her conversation he’d unintentionally overheard. She wasn’t angry with him for his eavesdropping; after all, her door had been open and she’d made no effort to speak quietly. But that was because she’d thought herself alone in the office. Remembering the way he’d announced his arrival with excessive noise, she figured he must have been uncomfortable with what he’d overheard. But that hadn’t stopped him from mulling it over afterward, had it?

After clearing her throat, she said, “The holidays can be difficult for singles. Trust me, I know. My older sister is a champ when it comes to dropping patronizing hints and comments, especially since one of my two best friends just got married and the other is in a steady relationship. Even though I’m mostly okay with going to parties and other events on my own, sometimes I think it would be nice to have someone to accompany me. Someone I like and enjoy spending time with. But—”

“You don’t feel that way about me?”

“Of course I do. But—”

“You like me. You’re certainly comfortable with me. You seem to enjoy spending time with me.”

“Well, yes, but—”

“So what’s the problem? You attend a few things with me. I’ll go to your gigs. It’ll take a lot of pressure off both of us.”

He was on a roll now, a mode she’d seen him in many times. He’d had what he considered a brilliant idea and he was running with it. True, his “aha” moments had served him well in the past, earning him a reputation as a business genius. But he’d really gone off the rails this time.

“May I speak now?”

He grimaced. “Oh. Sorry. Go ahead.”

“As I was trying to say, I understand what prompted your suggestion and it makes sense in some ways. But,” she said quickly when he started to speak again, “I don’t think you’ve considered all the ramifications. Showing up together for professional gatherings wouldn’t raise eyebrows because we’re usually together in that capacity. But in social functions, with families and friends... Everyone’s going to wonder if there’s something going on between us other than the construction business.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?”

Maybe he’d misunderstood what she was trying to say. “To have people speculating about us? It’s not that I care so much about gossip, personally—well, not too much—but I’m not sure how good it would be for the company.”

He shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about the gossip. I meant the part about our relationship being more than a professional one.”

She stared at him across the table, trying to read his face. Was he joking? It wasn’t his usual style of humor, but surely he wasn’t suggesting that they should start...dating?

“Okay, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself,” he said quickly, probably in response to her stunned expression. “But think about it, Tess. We make a hell of a team. Everyone says so. How many times have we been teased about being so in sync that we’re accused of communicating telepathically?”

She could hardly count the number of times during meetings when she and Scott had exchanged thoughts with little more than a glance and a nod, to the bemusement of their associates. “Well, sure, but—”

“We both love children,” he reminded her. “We want families of our own. We share many of the same values. I always respected the way you took care of your parents, even though it meant a great deal of sacrifice for yourself. That’s the same kind of family loyalty my own parents instilled in me and my brothers.”

Children? He was talking about kids now? “I’ve, um, always admired how close you are with your family. But—”

“I’m pretty sure we’ve both tried all the conventional dating methods. We’ve had relationships we hoped would lead somewhere, only to end up single again. It occurred to me that maybe we’ve both been going about the process all wrong, ignoring the obvious solution right in front of us. We’ve been successful partners for more than six years, longer than any other relationship I’ve ever had.”

She bit her lip. He was doing it again. Enthusiastically barreling along without giving her much chance to respond. She knew how to break in, how to get his attention and make her point. Even if he didn’t agree, he always listened and respected her opinion—but she didn’t for the life of her know what she’d say if she stopped him just then. She was literally struck speechless.

After a moment, Scott grimaced and made a little sound that seemed self-chiding. “You’re completely gobsmacked by all this, aren’t you?”

“That’s one way to phrase it,” she managed to say fairly steadily, though her pulse rate was still fluttering like crazy.

He reached across the table to lay his hand over hers. “Sorry, Tess. You know how I get when I’m inspired by an idea.”

She knew exactly how he got. Which was why she was suddenly so nervous.

He squeezed her fingers. “It’s just something to think about. You have to admit it makes sense, but I won’t take offense if you decide you don’t want to try it. Nothing will change between us, if that’s what you prefer.”

Her attention was drawn to their joined hands. His was strong, tanned and very warm. She’d always admired his hands, secretly studying them as his capable fingers had flown over the keyboard or tablet screen. Her own felt suddenly small and soft beneath his, feminine to his masculine. She found herself mesmerized by the contrasts, the sensations, the intimacy of that contact.

What on earth was wrong with her? Though that medicine-fueled embrace had been a definite glitch, it wasn’t as if Scott never touched her. He was in the habit of patting her shoulder when he was particularly pleased with her or high-fiving her when a job was completed satisfactorily. But now, with just this casual hand-holding, she was suddenly transported back to inarticulate appreciation of just what an attractive and compelling man he was. The thought had always been present at the back of her mind, but she’d kept it firmly locked behind professional boundaries she had never expected to cross.

Maybe they had both lost their minds.

“Why don’t you think about it for a couple of days?” Scott suggested after another moment of silence. “We could start slow, attend a party or two together, see how it feels. We’d figure out what to say to anyone who questions us. Whatever happens, nothing has to change at work. This would be a totally separate experiment.”

Experiment. The word cut through the daze that had temporarily engulfed her. She drew her hand from beneath his and picked up her soda again, holding the cool glass in a firm grip to control a slight tremor. “I’ll think about it,” she said evenly, “but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to mix business with personal pursuits. From my observances, it’s rarely successful.”

“Maybe for people like us it’s exactly the right way to go about this. Thoughtfully, practically, logically. As adults who share common goals and common interests, not starry-eyed kids too caught up in fantasy to give serious consideration to the future.”

People like us. This could be the least romantic discussion of dating and potential marriage she’d ever had, she thought, frowning down at the now unappetizing food that remained on her plate. Not that she’d ever expected romance from her prosaic employer. Okay, maybe she’d let herself daydream a time or two, especially in those early years, but she’d long since convinced herself she was completely happy with her comfortable friendship with Scott. Now he was suggesting changing the parameters of their relationship, carrying the success of their business collaboration into a personal partnership. And while she was utterly—well, gobsmacked by the proposition, she had to admit that a part of her recognized the unassailable logic of his idea.

She’d tried romance. She’d crashed and burned. Scott had been engaged. It hadn’t ended well. So maybe he was right that a union based on common goals and interests was much more fitting for, as he’d said, people like them.

He gave her one of the quick, crooked smiles that almost always made her melt inside, even when she’d been annoyed with him. “Or you could always go to your parties with boring, no-chemistry Glenn.”

She pointed a finger at him. “It’s not wise to tease me about something you overheard while eavesdropping on a private conversation.”

He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “You’re right and I apologize. But will you think about what I suggested?’

“I’ll think about it,” she agreed after a moment.

Looking satisfied that she hadn’t shot down the idea out of hand, he nodded and pushed away his plate. “Great. Just let me know what you decide.”

As far as he was concerned, apparently, the new business at this impromptu meeting was concluded.

She had no doubt that if she presented good reasons why she thought it best to decline, he would accept her answer graciously and they would go on with their professional lives exactly as they had before. But maybe she needed to give his suggestion a bit more thought before she reached that conclusion.

Declining dessert, she gave the excuse that she had things to do that evening. The silence wasn’t quite as comfortable during the short drive back to the office in Scott’s car. She suspected that was why he turned on the radio to a station already playing nonstop holiday music.

“I left my tablet inside,” she said after he parked next to her car. “I’ll just run in and get it.”

“I need to collect a few things, too. I’ll walk you in.”

She’d left the Christmas lights on when they’d gone out, so they were greeted by the cheery glow of the tiny white bulbs on the tree and garlands, an unnecessary reminder of the upcoming festivities. She glanced at Scott. It was all too easy to imagine herself walking into her cousin’s party with him at her side. Her sister, especially, would be stunned to see Tess with her handsome, socially prominent boss.

Was that really a good enough reason to risk upsetting the solid working relationship they’d built between them during the past six years?

Needing a distraction, she glanced around the reception area and noticed a strand of garland had slipped from the light fixture behind the desk. She rose on tiptoes to fix it, but Scott stepped up to help her, reaching over her head to secure the end into the cluster of greenery and glitter.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling automatically up at him.

Her smile faded when their gazes met and she realized just how close he stood to her. So close she could almost feel the warmth and energy radiating from him. So close she could see the sudden heat reflected in his dark blue eyes. It was a look she’d never seen there before during all the times they’d been alone in the office together, all the late nights and long weekends and holidays when they’d given up personal time to work toward the mutual goal of making the business successful and profitable.

He took a half step nearer, so that they were almost but not quite touching. His voice sounded deeper than usual when he said, “We’ve agreed that come Monday this conversation never happened, if that’s the way you want to play it. With that caveat in mind, there’s one more experiment I think we should try to help you make up your mind.”

That was the only warning of his intention as he dipped his head down to hers. He stopped with his lips only a whisper away from hers. “Say the word and I’ll back away now,” he murmured, his warm breath brushing her skin. “Or we can satisfy our curiosity and give you just a little more to think about while you make your decision about my proposition.”

She couldn’t even argue about that “our curiosity” comment. He’d know she was fibbing if she denied that she’d ever wondered what it might be like to kiss him—a real kiss, this time, not an accidental brush of lips.

“This never happened?” she asked in a husky whisper, letting her hands rest against his broad chest.

His lips curved into a smile. “Totally your call.”

The temptation was too great. A chance to find out what it would be like to share a kiss with Scott without worrying about the consequences? Maybe it wouldn’t be quite as easy as he made it sound, but for once in her safe, responsible life, she gave in to a reckless impulse. It took only a shift of her weight to bring their lips together.

Chapter Three

Maybe Scott had intended for it to be a quick meeting of lips, merely a sample taste of what could be—but it turned quickly into a kiss that made her knees go weak. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her more firmly into his embrace. Gripping his shirt, Tess tilted her head to provide better access for both of them, her lips parting and softening beneath his. Heat coursed between them, surging through her veins to sizzle in her pounding heart. She felt her toes curl in her shoes, the kiss affecting her literally from head to heel.

Her pulse raced frantically by the time they broke apart. For a moment Scott looked as disoriented as she felt, blinking as if to bring their surroundings into focus. It seemed that he, too, had been surprised by just how good the kiss had been.

Maybe they shouldn’t have conducted that particular experiment here at the office, she thought with belated qualms. She might never again stand in this particular spot without remembering how it felt to be held against that hard, strong body, their mouths fused, their hearts pounding together.

Maybe once all the Christmas decorations were put away, once the place looked normal and completely businesslike again, it would be easier to wave this off as a holiday anomaly.

Maybe.

Scott tugged at the unbuttoned collar of his shirt as if to loosen it, then glanced up at the garland they’d just straightened. With a slightly lopsided smile, he asked, “Did you tuck a sprig of mistletoe into that thing, by any chance?”

Clearing her throat, she tried to speak in the same light tone he’d used. “No mistletoe. Just a little fake balsam and holly.”

“The whole place looks great. You did a nice job decorating.” He scooted backward as he spoke, looking around the office as if suddenly fascinated by the holiday touches. Did he regret the kiss, or was he giving them both time to mentally process what had just happened between them? She couldn’t tell from his profile, and he wasn’t meeting her eyes.

She pushed back her hair and took a steadying breath. “I’d better go now. I have some things to do at home.”

After a moment, he turned to face her, his expression still inscrutable. “We’re okay?”

“We’re okay,” she assured him, touched by the hint of anxiety she thought she detected in his voice, though it didn’t show on his face.

“And you’ll think about the things I said?”

“Of course I will.” As if she’d have any other choice.

“You have to admit, we make a hell of a team, Tess. We always have.”

She couldn’t argue with that. There’d been a connection between them from that very first day. But was their professional bond strong enough to sustain a more personal relationship?

Making a hasty escape from the office that was as much her home as her own apartment, she decided to call an emergency meeting of her two best friends. She very much needed Stevie and Jenny to let her know if she was insane. Because she was suddenly thinking that maybe Scott’s surprising proposition wasn’t completely crazy.

* * *

“Wow.”

Tess nodded ruefully in response to her friend Stevie’s succinct response to being told about Scott’s out-of-the-blue proposition. “I know. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it myself.”

Sitting in the living room of Tess’s place Sunday afternoon with cups of tea in hand, her friends Stevie McLane and Jenny Baer Locke stared at her with almost identical thunderstruck expressions. Tess figured her own face must have looked much like that when Scott had sprung his suggestion on her that they should try dating. Especially when he’d made it clear that he was looking beyond merely attending events together to potentially building a future as a couple.

“He really hinted you could have children together?” Jenny asked, her dark eyes wide.

“Indirectly. At least, I think he did.” Tess held up her free hand in a gesture of bewilderment. “The whole conversation was a little hard to follow.”

“What did you say?” Stevie demanded with avid curiosity.

“I told him I’d think about it.”

“Wow.” This time it was Jenny who expressed the sentiment. “You must have been stunned.”

“That’s an understatement.” Gobsmacked still seemed a more accurate description.

Stevie set down her teacup to study Tess intently. “This could make things awkward, to say the least, when you report to work on Monday.”

“Scott assured me there would be no awkwardness. He said when we’re at work, we can pretend the conversation never took place.”

“Can you do that?” Stevie sounded skeptical. “Really?”

After only a momentary hesitation, Tess nodded. “I think so. Scott and I have never had trouble being completely professional on the job, no matter what was going on in our personal lives. We just focus on business.”

Which didn’t mean there wouldn’t be complicated emotions swirling inside her next time she was with her employer, she acknowledged privately. She only hoped she would do as good a job of hiding them as she had in the past.

Stevie shook her head, making her blond curls bob around her pretty face. “I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to hear this when you invited us here this afternoon. I thought you’d tell us about the latest aggravating thing your sister did to you. Hey, you don’t suppose she somehow put Scott up to this, do you? She is determined to marry you off after all.”

With a wry smile, Tess said confidently, “No, Nina wasn’t involved. This was totally one of Scott’s brain flashes. Apparently, something he overheard me say to you triggered it.”

Jenny nodded thoughtfully. “That sort of makes sense. You said you were complaining about your bad experiences with online dating and wishing you had a companion for some upcoming events. If he’s been thinking along the same lines lately for himself, I can see how he might make this leap.”

Successful business owner Jenny always looked at all the angles. Until six months ago, Tess had thought Jenny the most practical of all her friends. It had turned out, however, that Jenny had a romantic and slightly reckless side she’d been suppressing for quite a long time, a side that had emerged when she’d been reunited unexpectedly with her college boyfriend after a decade apart. Jenny had been considering an offer of marriage from a wealthy, socially connected attorney most people had considered a perfect match for her. Yet only a couple weeks after a chance reunion with Gavin Locke, she’d surprised everyone by breaking off her relationship with Thad. Barely two months later, she’d married her police officer first love in a sweet, simple little ceremony that had been a far cry from the lavish, very public wedding she would surely have had with Thad.

Stevie swiveled in her seat to frown at Jenny. Both daughters of single mothers, Stevie and Jenny had become friends in high school. They’d attended the same college and had remained close since. Tess had met them two years ago in a yoga class, and she’d fit right in with them, so that they were now a tight trio. Each brought her own strengths to the alliance. Jenny was the friend who offered shrewd advice and blunt candor. Stevie was the embodiment of generosity and thoughtfulness, the one who’d do anything for a pal—to her own detriment, at times. As for Tess... Well, she’d been told she was the encourager, the one who always supported and bolstered the confidence of her friends. She could use a little of that encouragement herself as she faced this potentially life-changing decision.

“Surely you of all people aren’t suggesting Tess should actually consider marrying His Highness?” Stevie demanded of Jenny, employing the nickname she often used when referring to Scott. Tess was actually surprised Stevie seemed so perturbed. Perpetually upbeat and positive, Stevie was an unapologetic romantic, and Tess would have thought her friend would be more intrigued than troubled by this development.

“I’m not saying she should start booking bands or ordering flowers,” Jenny shot back with a shake of her head. “Just that maybe it’s not such a crazy idea. I can understand why Scott thinks it’s worth examining more closely. Assuming he and Tess really are able to compartmentalize their work and personal lives so it wouldn’t affect their professional relationship, what could it hurt to go to a few parties together?”

“I don’t think anyone’s that good at compartmentalizing. I mean, seriously, could you work with Thad now after dumping him for Gavin? You don’t think that would be awkward?”

While Tess swallowed hard at the images Stevie’s question invoked, Jenny squirmed a bit in her chair. “I didn’t dump Thad,” she muttered, obviously uncomfortable with the blunt term. “When I told him Gavin and I had found each other again and realized we were still in love, Thad graciously bowed out.”

“Okay, that’s not dumping at all,” Stevie said, her tone fondly mocking.

Jenny sighed. “Still, point taken. I’ve crossed paths with Thad a couple times in the past six months and we’ve been perfectly civil, but I can’t deny it was awkward. I can’t imagine spending eight hours a day with him now that I’m happily married to Gavin.”

Jenny wasn’t just happily married, she was blissfully married, Tess thought with a touch of wistfulness. Jenny would always fret about the dangers in Gavin’s job, just as he occasionally became frustrated with the long hours her popular fashion boutiques required of her, but they were crazy in love.

“So even though you turned down a practical business-based marriage in favor of true love for yourself, you think this would be a good idea for Tess?” Stevie challenged.

Jenny tossed back her layered dark hair and lifted her chin in a familiar pose of obstinacy. “All I said was that maybe she should at least consider the possibility. And it wouldn’t be such a bad idea for Tess to examine her feelings for Scott. It’s not as if you and I haven’t wondered—”

Stevie cleared her throat loudly, but not before Tess figured out exactly where that statement had been headed. “The two of you have talked about my feelings for Scott?”

With a chiding look at Jenny, Stevie sighed. “Okay, maybe it’s crossed our minds that your total devotion to Scott isn’t entirely due to employee loyalty. But we both know you’d never overstep any professional lines,” she said hastily. “You’ve risen in the ranks of his company because you’re damned good at your job—irreplaceable, really—and everyone knows it. You’ve always insisted you had no romantic feelings for Scott, but I couldn’t help thinking sometimes you were denying those feelings even to yourself.

“It’s not like I’ve made a secret of my suspicions,” she added with a touch of defensiveness. “I’ve asked you several times if you’ve been so picky about the men you’ve dated lately because you’ve compared them to His Highness and they’ve all come up short. I just don’t want you to get hurt if it should turn out his feelings aren’t the same as yours.”

Tess felt her cheeks warm. She had to concede Stevie had quizzed her about Scott on more than one occasion, and each time she’d laughed and brushed off the questions. “I wasn’t comparing other men to Scott.”

“Not consciously, maybe, but subconsciously?”

“We are not getting into amateur psychoanalysis hour,” Tess grumbled into her teacup.

Jenny crossed her ankles and settled more comfortably into her chair. “You have to admit Scott has quite a few qualities you would naturally look for in a mate. Let’s face it, if you didn’t work for him and you met him online, you’d think he was exactly what you’re looking for.”

Tess looped a strand of her hair idly around one finger. “A workaholic confirmed bachelor with a noted weakness for busty blondes? Really?”

Jenny shrugged. “Obviously he’s not that confirmed a bachelor if he’s actively contemplating marriage and children. And he’s never married any of the busty blondes he dated, so maybe it’s not such a weakness after all.”

“He did propose to one.” With a slight scowl, Tess pictured the stunningly beautiful almost Mrs. Prince. Sharon had always been perfectly civil to Tess, though she’d had a subtle way of making it clear that as valuable as Tess might be to Scott in the office, he belonged to her after hours. Tess had never wanted to believe she’d thrown herself into an ill-fated romance of her own at about that same time as a reaction to Scott’s engagement—but there had been times in the past couple years when she’d wondered...

Jenny made a face. “And his engagement lasted all of—what?—five months?”

“Four.” Her own failed romance hadn’t even made it that long before it crashed and burned, a year or so before she’d met Jenny and Stevie. James had accused her of always putting her job ahead of him, and he’d been jealous of her relationship with Scott, though she’d assured him repeatedly that there had never been anything personal between her and her employer.

Jenny gave a hint of a righteous smile. “So there you go. After realizing said busty blonde was the wrong match for him, he started thinking about a right match...and maybe he finally realized she’d been right in front of him for a long time. Is that so hard to believe?”

“What is easier to believe is that my newlywed friend is seeing everything through romance-tinted filters these days,” Tess replied indulgently to Jenny. “It’s very sweet, but...”

“Was there any romance to Scott’s proposition?” Stevie cut in to ask.

“Not an iota,” Tess answered, and though she’d tried for wry humor, she was aware her tone came across more as grumpy. “Unless you consider ‘we make a hell of a team’ a passionate declaration.”

“Not so much,” Stevie said with a sigh. “Not even a kiss, huh?”

Tess took a too-hasty sip of her tea that made her cough. By the time she caught her breath again, both her friends were studying her much too closely.

Stevie leaned forward. “There was a kiss?”

“Well, yes. Sort of...coincidentally.”

Jenny’s cup hit the side table with an eager little thump. “Oh, this I have to hear. How did he coincidentally kiss you?”

“He, um, thought I’d hung some mistletoe in the office.”

Neither of her friends bought that explanation for a moment, as their expressions clearly informed her.

She sighed. “Okay, we knew what we were doing. I guess it was an impulse. Curiosity. Scott called it an experiment. I’m not sure I can explain it completely.”

Stevie waved a hand dismissively. “Forget explanations. We want details. How was it?”

“It was nice.”

Her friends groaned in unison at the guarded reply.

Stevie cocked her head skeptically. “You’re telling me that after six years of being pretty much joined at the hip with that undeniably great-looking guy, you finally kiss him and it’s just...nice?”

Jenny tsked her tongue. “I don’t believe it. Scott hasn’t spent time with all those busty blondes without picking up a few tricks.”

The image of Scott picking up kissing tricks from a series of blondes made Tess scowl when she realized just how intensely she disliked the idea. It was difficult to keep believing she wasn’t harboring secret feelings for Scott when just the thought of him kissing another woman caused a knot to form in her stomach.

“Well?” Jenny teased. “Was it good?”

“It was better than good,” she conceded with a sigh. “The man knows how to kiss. No surprise, I guess, since he’s so successful at everything he does.”

“Except finding a bride,” Stevie added pointedly.

“That remains to be seen,” Jenny murmured.

Tess made a sound like a strangled growl. “Can someone remind me why I thought it was a good idea to consult with you two about this?”

“Because we’re your best friends and we love you,” Stevie replied immediately. “Even if Jen and I don’t necessarily agree on everything, we absolutely want what’s best for you.”

Tess could hardly continue to pout after that. “That is why I called you. I just needed to talk this through while I decide how to answer him.”

“You didn’t mention any of this to your sister?” Jenny looked as though she already knew the answer, but asked just for confirmation.

“I wish Nina and I had the kind of relationship that would make me feel comfortable discussing this sort of thing with her, but we just don’t. I don’t know if it’s because of the age gap or her preoccupation with her family and her schedule, or maybe we’re just too different to fully understand each other, but I don’t think she’d be of any help at all with this.”

Nina would probably tell her to stop waffling and latch on to this eligible bachelor before he got away, perhaps adding that it wasn’t as if Tess could count on any other offers. Tess bit her lip as she could almost hear the words in her sister’s blunt voice—or was that her own insecurity whispering at the back of her mind?

“It really is a shame you and Nina aren’t closer. I always wanted a sister, myself,” Jenny mused with regret. “I thought I’d missed out on something, being an only child. I was lucky enough to meet Stevie in high school, and she filled a big gap for me.”

“That goes both ways,” Stevie assured her. “I love my brother, but I certainly can’t talk to him about relationship issues.”

“And I’m lucky to have you both in my life now,” Tess assured them, then quickly waved a hand. “That’s enough of the sappy talk or we’ll all end up sniffling. So I’m ready for advice. Stevie?”

Uncharacteristically somber, Stevie took her time deliberating her response. “I’d be wary,” she said after a moment. “You and Scott work together so well, and you love your job so much. I’d hate for what could turn out to be an impulsive mistake to change everything for you.”

“Jenny?”

Jenny shrugged. “As I’ve already said, I think it could be worth considering. You and Scott are mature adults with a great deal in common. You both know the personal and professional risks you’d be taking, so maybe you could take steps to minimize repercussions if it doesn’t work out. Yes, it’s a gamble, but isn’t every relationship, in some way?”

Any other time, Tess might have been amused at the role reversal from her friends. Reckless Stevie advising prudence, practical Jenny encouraging a romantic gamble. Tess couldn’t help wondering if the turnaround could be attributed to the state of her friends’ own relationships—Jenny was so happy in her new marriage, whereas Stevie had been involved for some time with a moody musician who’d been spending increasingly more time with his moderately successful local band than with her. Tess and Jenny had worried lately that Joe was growing restless, perhaps even beginning to stray. Both suspected Stevie secretly echoed their concerns. Tess had never truly believed Stevie and Joe shared the kind of commitment that would last a lifetime, but Stevie always gave everything she had to making her relationships work, even when it became obvious to others that her efforts would ultimately fail. She was always so optimistic—which made Tess even more nervous that Stevie was the one urging caution.

“So what are you going to tell Scott?” Stevie asked.

Tess spread her hands in confusion. “I have no idea.”

“And we haven’t helped much, have we?” Jenny asked ruefully. “With our completely opposite advice.”

“You’ve helped tremendously. You’ve listened without judgment while I expressed my concerns. I’ll think about everything you’ve both said while I make up my mind.”

“If you need to talk any more, you know where to find us,” Stevie offered.

“I know. Thanks. And now, how about if we table this topic for a while and maybe order take-out?”

“I’d love to, but I can’t stay,” Jenny said with a glance at her watch. “Gavin has the night off and we’re having a date night. We might even see a movie. In a theater. With popcorn and everything.”

Knowing how rare a free evening was for them, Tess smiled. “Good for you. Stevie?”

“Sorry. I’m out, too. I promised Joe I’d drive him and his band mates to the airport this evening. They’re catching a late flight to Austin for a gig there.”

Tess and Jenny exchanged quick glances. Stevie spent a lot of time as an unpaid assistant for her boyfriend’s alternative rock band, Eleven Twenty-Five. As busy as she was with her own kitchen design business, she still spent hours making calls for the band, dealing with printers and club owners, hauling supplies in her SUV, making flight arrangements. Tess wasn’t entirely sure what Stevie received in return. But because it was none of her business and Stevie hadn’t asked for advice, she kept her mouth shut. “Another time, then.”

“Soon,” Stevie promised. She jumped to her feet, tossed back her curls and carried her teacup toward the kitchen, looking suddenly restless. “I’d better get going. I promised Cole I’d feed his cat while he’s out of town.”

Cole McKellar was Stevie’s next-door neighbor, a quiet widower who sometimes helped Stevie with home maintenance in exchange for occasional cat-sitting. Tess hadn’t met him, but Stevie always spoke fondly of him. It was part of Stevie’s charm, as well as her weakness, that she liked almost everyone, and she had a near compulsive desire to take care of her friends. She stopped to give Tess a quick hug on her way out. “Seriously, call if you want to talk more. I’m always available as a sounding board.”

“Same here,” Jenny seconded as she prepared to follow Stevie out. “We’re here for you, pal.”

Smiling broadly, Tess locked the door behind them. Her smile faded as it occurred to her that an entire Sunday evening of solitude stretched in front of her now that her friends had rushed off to be with their significant others. Maybe she’d do a little Christmas decorating of her own place.

Not much was going on this last day of the long holiday weekend. Her sister had invited her for dinner, but she’d begged off, having endured enough nagging this week. Usually Tess enjoyed an evening to herself with nothing to do but lose herself in a good book or catch up on TV shows she’d recorded. Tonight she felt too antsy to relax, too aware of the silence in her condo. There were too few distractions from her convoluted thoughts, and she was no closer to a decision now than she’d been before her friends had arrived.

As she retrieved her small artificial Christmas tree from the storage room attached to her condo’s little balcony, she had to face the fact that neither Jenny nor Stevie could really help her with her personal problem. Sure, they could offer suggestions, advice—even differing opinions, as it turned out. Yet she was the one who was going to have to decide whether to take Scott up on his offer to explore new possibilities in their relationship or remain on the same safe, comfortable path they’d walked for the past six-plus years.

She’d never been a risk taker. The dutiful, responsible younger daughter—she’d always been so cautious, so careful. How could she possibly foresee all the potential pitfalls this time, when it affected every aspect of her future—her social life, her career...and maybe even her so-far-unbroken heart?

* * *

After the long weekend, the Monday workday hit the floor running. Phones were already ringing when Tess walked into the office, and the buzzing, beeping and bustling continued for hours. Before two o’clock she’d dealt with one panicky client, two surly vendors, three frantic contractors and a clerical job applicant who could barely articulate around the wad of gum in her mouth. Mentally marking that name off the list of potential employees, she sat back and drew a long breath. It felt almost like the first chance she’d had to breathe since she’d arrived almost six hours earlier.

At least she hadn’t had to worry about what to say to Scott. He’d been in meetings and phone conferences all day, and she’d seen him only for a brief consultation about a business issue. There’d been no time for personal conversation, nor even for awkward pauses. Today had been all about work, catching up and looking ahead. As she’d assured her friends, compartmentalizing wasn’t really that difficult for her and Scott. When they were in the office, nothing was more important to them than taking care of business.

As if in response to her thoughts, he stuck his head in the open doorway to her office. “What’s Art Connolly’s wife’s name?”

“Debbie. And their son is Art Jr., but they call him Buzz.”

“Debbie. Buzz. Got it. Heading out for the meeting. Shoot me a text if you need anything.”

“Okay. Have a good—” But he was gone before she could finish the sentiment.

Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. If nothing else had demonstrated how efficiently Scott could put their Saturday-evening conversation out of his mind, that little exchange would have done the trick. There had been nothing at all personal in his tone or expression, no meeting of eyes, no more warmth in his voice than she heard when he spoke with the receptionist on his way out. She couldn’t imagine any observer would even suspect that less than forty-eight hours earlier, Scott had all but asked her outright to consider having his children.

Had their conversation even crossed his mind this morning? Despite how busy she’d been, it had hovered constantly at the back of hers. Did that mean they were already unevenly invested in this looming decision? Was it really of little import to him if she accepted his offer or politely declined? Was he less concerned about the repercussions—maybe because he didn’t believe he would be as deeply affected in the long run? Had he changed his mind, had later misgivings about his impulsive suggestions, or was he really too wrapped up in business today to give anything else a second thought?

“Um, Tess?”

Blinking, she glanced toward the doorway to find a heavily pregnant young woman standing there studying her with a slight frown. She got the distinct impression it wasn’t the first time her name had been spoken. “I’m sorry, Heather, I was distracted. What can I do for you?”

“The next applicant for my job is here for her interview. And I wanted to remind you I’m leaving a little early today for a doctor’s appointment.”

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