Read A Bargain with the Boss Online

Authors: Barbara Dunlop

A Bargain with the Boss (5 page)

The door slid closed again.

She couldn't seem to stop herself from joking. “Are we getting married, Tuck?”

He didn't miss a beat. “I don't know. We haven't even had our first date.”

She blew out a sigh of frustration. “What I'm saying, what the law says, is that you can't in any way, shape or form hint that my agreement or lack of agreement to something sexual or romantic will impact my job.”

“I'm not doing that. I'd never do that. How do I prove it? Is there something I can sign?”

She pressed the call button again. “Tuck, you have got to spend more time in the real world.”

“I spend all my time in the real world.”

The door slid back open and they walked inside the elevator.

She turned to face the front. “If you did, you'd know what I was talking about.”

“I do know what you're talking about. All I wanted to do was dance.”

The door slid shut and they were alone in the car.

He was right. She didn't know how the conversation had gotten so far off track.

“We don't have time to dance,” she told him. “You need to focus on tomorrow's meetings. You have the list, right? Did you study the files?”

“I looked at them.”

“What does that mean?”

“I scanned them. I know the basics. Besides, you agreed to be there with me.”

“You can't defer to your assistant when you're meeting with owners and executives of billion-dollar companies.”

“I've been busy. I had to work some things out with Lucas. And then I took your advice and interviewed Hope.”

“You did?” Amber was glad to hear that.

“Yes. I liked her. I'm going to give her more responsibility.”

“That's good.”

“So forgive me if I didn't find time to memorize the details of thirty client files.”

Amber was tired, but she shook her brain back to life. Thank goodness she'd said no to the second glass of champagne.

“We'll go over them tonight,” she told him.

He glanced at his watch.

“Unless you want to get up at 4:00 a.m. and go over them in the morning.”

“Four a.m. is a late night, not an early morning.”

“You're starting with a breakfast meeting.”

“I know. Who set that up? Breakfast meetings are evil. They should be banned.”

The elevator came to a stop on the top floor.

“Let's get this over with,” Amber said with resignation.

Together, they walked the length of the hall to Tuck's suite. She'd been in it yesterday, so she knew it wasn't a typically intimate hotel room.

The main floor was a living area, powder room and kitchenette. You had to climb a spiral staircase to even get to the bedroom. According to the floor plan sketched on the door, there was a whirlpool tub on the bedroom terrace, but she had no intention of finding out in person.

As she set her clutch purse down on a glass-topped table and slipped off her shoes, her phone chimed. Curious as to who would text her at such a late hour, she checked the screen.

She was surprised to see it was her sister.

Jade lived on the West Coast and only contacted Amber if she needed money or was having an emotional crisis. It was uncharitable, and maybe unfair, but Amber's first thought was that Jade might be in jail.

“Are you thirsty?” Tuck asked, crossing to the bar.

Amber sat down on a peach-colored sofa. It was arranged in a grouping with two cream-colored armchairs in front of a marble fireplace.

“Some water would be nice,” said Amber, opening the text message.

“Water? That's it?”

“I'd take some fruit juice.”

I just hit town
, Jade's text said.

“You're a wild woman,” said Tuck.

“I'm keeping my wits about me.”

Which town?
Amber answered her sister.

“In case I make a pass at you?” asked Tuck.

“You swore you wouldn't.”

“I don't recall signing anything.”

Chicago.

What's wrong?
Amber typed to her sister.

Nothing all good. Well, dumped boyfriend. Jerk anyway.

“Amber?” Tuck prompted.

“Hmm?”

“I said I didn't sign anything.”

She glanced up. “Anything for what?”

He nodded to her phone. “Who's that?”

“My sister.”

“You checked out there. I thought it might be your boyfriend.”

“I don't have a boyfriend.” She absently wondered what she'd ever said or done to make Tuck believe she had a boyfriend.

I'm in New York City
, Amber typed to Jade.

“Good,” said Tuck in a soft tone.

A shimmer tightened her chest.

I was hoping to crash with you for a couple of days
, Jade responded.

Amber's fingers froze and she stared at the screen.

“What does she say?” asked Tuck, moving closer.

“She wants to stay with me.”

“Is that bad?”

“She's not particularly...trustworthy.”

Jade was constantly in and out of low-paying jobs, and in and out of bad relationships. The last time she'd stayed with Amber her sister had prompted a noise complaint from a neighbor, drunk all of Amber's wine and left abruptly without a goodbye, taking two pairs of Amber's jeans and several of her blouses along for good measure.

I'll call you when I get back
, Amber typed.

“Oh?” Tuck took a seat on the other end of the sofa.

Thing is
, Jade returned,
I kind of need a place now, tonight.

Amber swore under her breath. It was coming up on midnight in Chicago, and her little sister had nowhere to go. She didn't delude herself that Jade would have money for a hotel.

“What is it?” asked Tuck.

“She needs a place now.”

“Right now?” He glanced at his watch.

“I'm guessing she just got in from LA.” Amber wouldn't be surprised if Jade had hitchhiked.

Hotel?
Amber wrote.

Can't afford it. Jerk took all the money.

Of course the jerk boyfriend took Jade's money. They always did.

“I take it cash flow is an issue,” said Tuck.

“That's a polite way to put it.”

“Send her to the nearest Aquamarine location.”

Amber raised her brow in Tuck's direction. The Aquamarine was a quality, four-star hotel chain.

“Tucker Transportation has a corporate account,” said Tuck.

“I know Tucker Transportation has a corporate account.”

“You can tell her to use it.”

“I can't misuse the company account for my sister.”

“You can't,” he agreed. “But I can.”

“I won't—”

“I need your attention,” said Tuck. “I need you off your cell phone and I need you not worrying about your sister. The way I see it, this is the cheapest way forward.”

“That's a stretch.”

Tuck's tone turned serious. “Tell her. Let me make that an order.”

Amber wanted to argue. But then she didn't particularly want to send Jade to her town house, nor did she want to rouse a neighbor at this hour to give her a key.

“I know you respect orders,” said Tuck. “You are the consummate professional.”

“You're messing in my personal life.” Amber knew she shouldn't take him up on it, but she was sorely tempted.

“Yeah,” he said. “I am. Now send her to the Aquamarine.”

Amber heaved a sigh.

Before she could send the message, Tuck scooped the phone out of her hand, typing into it.

“Hey!”

“You know it's the best answer.”

She did know it was the best answer. And she'd been about to do it herself. Further protests seemed pointless.

“She says great,” said Tuck.

“I'll bet she does.”

He set the phone down on the coffee table. “You're a good sister.”

“In this instance, I think you're the good sister.”

“Never been called that before.”

“Neither have I.”

Tuck chuckled, obviously assuming she was making a joke.

She wasn't.

Four

T
uck was pretty good at handling late nights, but even he was starting to fade by the time he and Amber shut down the last client file. She looked exhausted, her cheeks flushed, makeup smudged under her eyes and her hair escaping in wisps from the updo.

“That's as ready as we can be,” she said.

They were side by side on the overstuffed sofa, a lamp glowing on an end table, the lights of the city streaming through open curtains on the picture window across the room.

Tuck had long since shrugged out of his suit jacket and loosened his tie. His shirtsleeves were rolled up, but he was still too warm. The thermostat might be set too high. More likely, it was his attraction to Amber.

She was intensely sexy, every single thing about her, from her deep blue eyes to her rich brunette hair, to the delicious, sleek curves revealed by her fitted dress.

“Do you feel confident?” she asked, tipping her head to look at him.

He realized he'd been silently staring at her.

And he was still staring at her. He was overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her, kiss her deeply and thoroughly, taste those soft, dark red lips that had been teasing his senses all night long. He knew he shouldn't. Her earlier reluctance was reasonable and well founded. Anything romantic between them was bound to be complicated, today, tomorrow and into the future.

“Tuck?” she persisted, clearly confused.

He lifted his hand, brushed the stray hairs back from her cheek.

She sucked in a quick breath and her eyes closed in a long blink. When they opened, they were opaque, misty blue with indecision.

It wasn't a no, he told himself. She wasn't ordering him to back off. She was tempted, just like him.

He knew there had to be a whole lot of reasons not to do this, but he couldn't seem to come up with them at the moment. So he leaned forward instead, slowly and steadily.

She could stop him, run away from him, pull back from him at least. Whatever she decided, he'd accept. But he had to at least try.

She didn't do any of those things, and their lips came together, his bold and purposeful, hers heated, smooth and delicious. He altered the angle and his arms went around her. He kissed her once, twice, three times, desire pulsing through his mind and electrifying his body.

She kissed him back, tentatively at first. But then her tongue touched his, tangled with his. Her body went malleable against his, her softness forming to his planes. He eased her back on the sofa, covering her from chest to thighs, tasting her mouth, inhaling her scent, feeling her back arch intimately and her heartbeat rise against his chest.

He wanted her bad.

He kissed his way down her neck, pushing the cap sleeve of her dress out of the way, leaving damp circles on her bare shoulder. He thought about her zipper, imagined pulling it down her back, the dress falling away, revealing a lacy bra, or her bare breasts, that creamy smooth skin that was silken to his touch.

“Tuck?” Her voice was breathless.

“Yes?”

“We...”

He stilled. He knew what came next, though every fiber of his being rebelled against it.

“Can't,” she said, finishing the thought.

He wanted to argue. They could. They really could, and the world wouldn't come to a crashing halt.

But he'd never coerced a woman into his bed before and he wasn't about to start with Amber.

“You sure?” he asked.

He could feel her nod.

“I'm sorry,” she said.

He eased back. “No, I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you.”

“I should have said no.”

“I'm glad you didn't.”

“I'm... Oh, this is not good.” She struggled to sit up.

He moved out of the way, offering his hand to help her up.

Neither of them seemed to know what to say.

Tuck broke the silence. “I guess we're ready for the meeting.”

“Tuck, I—”

“You don't have to explain.”

A woman was entitled to say no for any reason she wanted. And he did understand her hesitation. She worked for him, at least temporarily. She was smart not to let it get complicated.

She rose to her feet. “You're an attractive guy. But you know that.”

He stood.

“I'm sure most women would—”

“I don't like where this is going.” He didn't.

“I know you don't often get turned down.”

“Now, how would you know that?”

“I read the papers.”

His annoyance grew. “You believe the tabloids?”

“They have pictures.” Frustration crept into her tone. “You can't deny you have gorgeous girl after gorgeous girl on your arm.”

“Is that what you think of me? I didn't kiss you because you're beautiful, Amber.”

“I
know
that. I'm not comparing myself to them.”

“Comparing yourself?” He didn't understand her point.

“I'm not suggesting I'm one of your bombshells.”

“Good.”

She was so much more than that. He might not have known her long, but he knew there was more depth to her than a dozen of his Saturday-night dates combined.

Her shoulders dropped. “I'll just say good night.”

“You didn't do anything wrong.”

He didn't want her to leave. He wanted to keep talking, even if they were arguing. He liked the sound of her voice. But he also wanted to kiss her again and carry her off to his bed. He couldn't do that.

“It's late,” she said. “We're both tired. Let's not say or do anything we're going to regret.”

“I don't regret a thing.”

“I do.”

The words were like a blow to his chest. “I'm sorry to hear that.”

“I'm your employee, Tuck.”

“You're Dixon's employee.”

“Tucker Transportation's employee. And you're a vice president.”

“In name only.” He found himself parroting his father's words.

“You need to change that, Tuck. You really do.”

“Are you lecturing me on my corporate responsibility?”

“Somebody has to.”

He was about to retort that they already had. But then he realized it wasn't true. Neither his father nor Dixon had lectured him. They'd never pushed him to become more involved in the company. They'd barely suggested he show up. But he wasn't about to admit that to Amber.

He had to stop himself from taking her hands in his. “How did we get here?”

Her eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “We were prepping for the client meetings.”

“I meant in the conversation. We were talking about us, and suddenly we're on to Tucker Transportation.”

“There is no us.”

“There was almost an us.”

It was barely there, but he could tell she stifled a smile.

It warmed his heart.

“I'm leaving now,” she said.

He reflexively grasped her hands. “You don't have to go.”

“I do have to go.”

“Stay.” He gave himself a mental shake, backing off. “I'm sorry. I never do that. I never try to convince a woman to sleep with me.”

She arched a brow. “They normally throw themselves into your bed?”

They did. But he knew how that sounded.

“I like you, Amber.”

“I'm not going to sleep with you, Tuck.”

“That's not what I'm asking.”

“It's exactly what you're asking. It's 2:00 a.m., and I'm in your hotel room.” She hesitated. “That was my mistake, wasn't it? What was I thinking?”

“You didn't make a mistake.”

She tugged her hands from his. “I didn't think this through. I just assumed you wouldn't misunderstand.”

“I didn't misunderstand. I didn't plan this, Amber.” He'd taken her behavior at face value. He knew she was only trying to help him get ready for the meetings.

She held up her palms and took a couple of backward paces. “Time for me to say good night. Don't forget the breakfast meeting.” She took her purse from the table. “Don't be late.”

“I'm never late.”

“True,” she allowed as she retrieved her shoes and strode toward the door. “But I always expect you to be late.”

“Why?”

“I'll see you tomorrow.” And then she was gone.

He wanted to call her back. He
wished
he could call her back. But he'd made enough mistakes for one night. He realized that if he wanted Amber to let him get anywhere close to her, he had to back off until she was ready.

* * *

Back in Chicago two days later, Amber dreaded meeting up with Jade. She was happy her sister had dumped whatever loser boyfriend she'd hooked up with this time, but she also held out no hope for the next one, or the one after that. Bad boyfriends and heartache had been Jade's pattern since she'd dropped out of high school.

Amber tried to harden her heart. Jade was an adult and responsible for her own behavior. But Amber couldn't help remembering her sister as a lost little girl, younger, who had struggled even more than Amber with their mother's addiction to alcohol.

She made her way from her car up the stone pathway to the lobby of the Riverside Aquamarine. Jade was going to meet her in the coffee shop. But since it was shortly after noon, Amber wasn't going to be surprised to find her in the lobby lounge. It was sadly ironic that Jade had turned to alcohol to combat a childhood ruined by alcohol.

The hotel lobby was bright and airy, decorated by white armchairs and leafy plants. The lobby lounge was central, but Amber didn't see Jade at any of the tables. She moved on to the coffee shop that overlooked the pool and quickly spotted Jade at a booth.

As Amber approached, Jade slid from the bench and came to her feet.

Amber's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

Jade was pregnant. She was very, very pregnant.

“What on earth?” Amber paced forward, coming to a stop in front of her sister.

“Seven months,” said Jade, giving a wry smile as she answered the obvious question.

“But...when? How?”

Jade's expression sobered. “Seven months ago. And the usual way. Can we sit down?”

“Oh, Jade.” Amber couldn't keep the disappointment and worry from her tone. Jade was in no position to be a good mother.

“Don't ‘oh, Jade' me. I'm happy.”

“How can you be happy?”

“I'm going to be a mother.” Jade slid back into the booth.

As she took the seat across from her, Amber noted she was eating a salad and drinking a glass of iced tea. “You're not drinking, are you?”

“It's iced tea,” said Jade.

“I don't mean now. I mean
at all
. You can't drink while you're pregnant, Jade.”

“Do you think I'm stupid?”

Stupid, no. But Jade's judgment had always been a big question mark.

“That's not an answer,” Amber pointed out.

“No, I'm not drinking.”

“Good. That's good. You've seen a doctor?”

“Yes, I saw a doctor in LA. And I'll find a clinic here in Chicago, too.”

A waitress appeared and Amber ordered a soda.

She stared at her sister, noting the worn cotton smock and the wrinkled slacks. Jade's cheeks looked hollow and her arms looked thin. Amber hated to think her sister might not be getting enough to eat.

All the way here, she'd been hoping Jade's stay in Chicago would be brief. She'd dreaded the idea of having her move into the town house for days or weeks. Now she realized that was exactly what had to happen. Jade needed stability, a warm bed, good food.

“Have you been taking care of yourself?” Amber asked.

Jade gave a shrug. “It's been okay. Kirk was getting more and more obnoxious about the baby. He said he didn't mind, but then he started talking about putting it up for adoption.”

Amber's opinion of this Kirk person went up a notch. “
Have
you thought about adoption?”

Jade's expression twisted in anger. “I am
not
giving away this baby.”

“To a good home,” said Amber. “There are fantastic prospective parents out there. Loving, well educated, houses in the suburbs—they could give a baby a great life.”

Jade's lips pressed together and her arms crossed protectively over her stomach. “Forget it.”

“Okay,” said Amber, letting the subject drop for now. “It's your choice.”

“Damn right it's my choice.”

“Yours and the father's.”

“There is no father.”

“You just said Kirk wanted to give the baby up for adoption.”

“Kirk's not the father. That's why he wanted to give the baby away. It's not his.”

The revelation took Amber aback. Kirk dropped back down in her esteem. “I don't understand.”

“I was pregnant when I met Kirk. He said he didn't mind. He said he loved kids. But then...” Jade gave another shrug.

“Who's the father?” asked Amber. Maybe there was some hope for financial support. Heaven knew Jade was going to need it.

“It was a one-night thing.”

“You didn't get his name.” Amber shouldn't have been surprised.

“Only his first name. Pete.”

Amber tried not to judge, but it was hard.

“He was a sailor.”

“You mean in the navy?”

Jade nodded.

“Well, did you try to find him?”

“It was weeks before I knew I was pregnant.”

“What about DNA? After the baby's born. The navy must have a database.”

“He was Australian.”

“Still, did you contact—”

“Amber, I am not going to track down some Australian sailor and ruin his life over a one-night stand.”

“Why not? He ruined—”

“Don't you
dare
say he ruined mine. He seemed like a really nice guy. But I went into it with my eyes wide-open, and it was my choice to carry on with the pregnancy. I'm having a baby, my son or daughter, your nephew or niece, and I'm going to take care of it, and I'm not going to drag some poor man kicking and screaming into an obligation he didn't sign up for.”

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