Authors: Pepper Anthony
“You wanted to see me, Saundra?” Amber stuck her head into
her boss’s office and almost turned and ran. Ray Ferris lounged in one of the
two sleek upholstered chairs facing Saundra’s desk. The older woman pointed
toward the other chair.
“Yes, Amber. Have a seat.”
A jumble of anxious chatter whirled through Amber’s head.
Her cheeks felt like they could set off a fire alarm. Had Saundra somehow found
out about that night in the IT room? The only way that was possible was if Ray
had told her. Was he some kind of snitch, a corporate spy? Her gaze slid to his
face, but he had turned his attention to the view outside, where lacy clouds
embroidered the far edges of the cityscape.
Amber lowered herself into the chair as Saundra turned to
him.
“How are things coming in your department, Ray? Will you be
ready for the move this Saturday? I hate to ask you to work over the weekend,
but we need things up and running again Monday morning.”
“We’re all set. I expect the move and set-up of the servers
to go like clockwork. And I don’t mind working a Saturday.”
“Very good. How about you, Amber? Is the new office
furniture scheduled for delivery Friday?”
“Yes. I confirmed it this morning.”
“Good.” Saundra pushed her chair back and strolled toward
the window, turning her back to the two of them.
Now that Amber was fairly certain she was not about to be
called on the carpet, she couldn’t help admiring her boss’s sleek new suit. The
blonde woman was a pro at pulling off a look that was both feminine and
powerful. Amber made mental notes.
“I had planned to get to Salem last week to evaluate a new
time management system,” Saundra went on. “Have either of you heard of the
Workworth program?”
Ray nodded. “It got great reviews in
PC Magazine
last
month.”
“Yes. I saw that article. It’s a little late in the game for
this move, but I still want to take a serious look at installing it here. I
think it would really increase our productivity.”
Ray leaned forward. “I can order that for you today and have
it here by this weekend, Saundra.”
“I want to see it in action before I decide for sure. I had
arranged for a demo with a friend of mine who owns an electronics design firm
in Salem. But I’m not going to be able to get away from here tomorrow. I need
the two of you to head down there and spend the day observing the software in
action.”
An odd buzzing sensation started in Amber’s ears. She began
to wonder if she might throw up the bowl of cereal she’d had that morning.
Alone in the car with Ray Ferris for an hour’s drive, both ways? Not to mention
having to work beside him all day as they toured the plant and observed the
software installation? If her boss had decided to design the most exquisite
torture, she couldn’t have come up with anything better.
“Sure, Saundra. It should be very interesting,” Ray was
saying. “We can take my SUV. It gets great mileage.”
Amber stared daggers at his profile but he refused to look
her way.
“Just make sure you turn in your expense reimbursement form
for your gas.” Saundra tapped one long, manicured nail against her chin. “I’ll
expect your detailed recommendations here in my office at ten AM the day after tomorrow.”
* * * *
The following morning Amber stared out the window at the
broad green fields of the upper Willamette Valley as they blurred past. They
had left Portland’s metro sprawl behind and were now heading south on the
interstate. Somehow she had managed to keep it together these past twenty
minutes. If Ray continued to drive without feeling the need to make small talk,
maybe she’d manage to make it to Salem without passing out. Even so, her jacket
and blouse stuck to her back in clammy creases, despite the air conditioning
that blasted from the dashboard.
“I never mind this drive.” The sudden sound of his voice
made her jump.
“What?”
“I said I like this drive between Portland and Salem.”
“Oh. Yes. It’s very pleasant.”
“And the freeway is really well maintained.”
“Yes. Our tax dollars at work, right?”
“Right.” His smile seemed stiff. Maybe he was as nervous
about this day as she was. They fell into silence once again. After five
minutes, Amber couldn’t stand the pregnant pause, stretched like a rubber band
between them.
“Do you make the trip often?”
He nodded. “I come to Salem almost every weekend to help out
my grandparents.”
“That’s nice,” she said. It
was
nice. How many men
his age were that devoted? Somehow though, it didn’t surprise her. She’d
already sensed that Ray wasn’t like most thirty-year-old guys. “They must
really appreciate your help.”
“Umm. My granddad is almost eighty. He had a stroke earlier
this year and is just now getting up and around. Cal and I—remember my cousin,
Cal?—we do all the yard work now and any handyman type stuff Gran needs us to
do.”
“That’s great.”
“I owe them. Big time.” He looked toward her and smiled, but
his eyes were dead serious. “After my dad left when I was ten, it was my
granddad who stepped in. Taught me to fish, took me camping, that kind of
thing.”
Amber nodded even as it dawned on her that their childhoods
had some similarities. “My grandmother raised me.”
“Is that so?” He sounded genuinely interested.
“Me and my older brother and younger sister.”
“Do they live here in Portland?”
“No, I’m from Denver.” Amber swallowed hard. “My grandma
passed last year.”
“Oh. Sorry.” After a moment he cleared his throat. “I didn’t
realize you were from Colorado. I have friends who live there. They love it. Denver’s a great city, in some ways like Portland.”
“Yes. I think the metro areas are about the same size.”
“What made you come out here?” He glanced her way again.
“The job at Crescent.”
“Really? I didn’t realize Saundra had recruited outside Portland.”
“Lucky for me she did.”
His voice softened. “You don’t miss it? Don’t miss your
family?”
As she looked his way, he took his eyes off the road for a
few seconds and their gazes met. A warm feeling coiled in her belly.
She shrugged. “My brother, not so much. I guess maybe
Charles is a typical big brother. Thinks he knows what’s best for his younger
sisters. But his ideas of what’s important are one-eighty from mine. We were
always butting heads. I knew the only way I could get anywhere professionally
was to leave town.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It’s worked out pretty well. I love my job, and I’m only a
few credits away from my advanced business degree. Now I just need to get my
sister out of there.”
* * * *
At the sudden grim note in Amber’s voice, Ray threw her a
long look. She was staring straight ahead, her teeth worrying her lower lip.
“You’re hoping your sister moves here too?”
She nodded. “The sooner the better.”
He waited, but she didn’t elaborate. They were passing the
big outlet mall at Woodburn now, and Amber had turned her head to watch the
stylish, timbered buildings flash by. He took the opportunity to run his gaze
over her once again. She had obviously dressed to impress the staff at Gamble
Electronics, in a sophisticated beige pantsuit and cream colored blouse. Simple
pearl earrings clung to her earlobes, accentuating the soft, golden brown color
of her skin. Her scent was subtle, classy. Hell, everything about her was
classy.
Once again he thought back to the night almost a month
earlier when he’d pretty much cornered her in the IT room. No matter what kind
of raunchy books the woman kept in her cardboard box, she had deserved better
treatment than that. What kind of an asshole comes on so strong to a woman he
barely knows? A woman he’s interested in? A classy woman like Amber? No wonder
she had avoided him like an IRS auditor since then. He definitely owed her an
apology.
And then there was the other thing about that evening, the
thing that still haunted his dreams, both day and night. Even though it was
crass of him to have come on to her the way he did, she
had
responded to
him. He’d never forget the soft, yielding curves of her body, the way she had
whimpered into his mouth, the catch in her breath when he’d touched her nipple.
Who knew how far things might have gone if Cal hadn’t interrupted them?
Fantasizing about a different ending to the evening had been fodder for his wet
dreams ever since.
Damn Saundra’s strict employee dating policy!
After
what Amber had just told him about her family, and her obvious dedication to
her job, the chances of her being willing to breach that policy seemed slim. He
just needed to get over it and move on. Provided he could survive this day in
such close proximity to her. He fidgeted in his seat, rearranging the erection
that had sprung up as soon as he’d thought about her breasts.
The outlying neighborhoods of Salem came into view. He
checked the GPS and moved over one lane, preparing to take the next ramp.
“I think this is where we get off,” Amber said.
Ray winced at her choice of words. If only she knew.
* * * *
By 1:00 PM they had toured the entire facility and seen all
there was to see about the software program Saundra was considering. The firm’s
IT guy, Steve Arnold, had acted as their guide; he was a fount of knowledge. As
Ray noted different features and applications, Amber had jotted down his
observations. She came up with several astute remarks and a question or two of
her own that showed how quick her mind was. She seemed to have grasped the
technical points of Workworth almost as readily as he had. He said as much over
lunch at the end of the tour.
“You seemed fairly comfortable with that program by the time
we finished.”
Her fork hesitated over her salad plate and she looked up at
him with a little gleam in her eye. “Are you surprised that the girl who needed
her computer plugged in might actually know a thing or two?”
He chuckled. “Not me. Everyone in the office knows how
Saundra relies on you to run things.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Well, okay then.”
“So what did you think?”
“It’s a no-brainer. Especially the time card module. It’ll
really streamline our client billing process.”
“I agree. I have no hesitation recommending it to Saundra.”
“So, mission accomplished.” She dabbed at her lips with her
napkin, then put it back in her lap and grinned at him. The way her beautiful
eyes lit up set off a crazy reaction in his pelvic region.
“Amber, I owe you an apology.”
Holy shit!
The words were out of his mouth before
he’d even been aware he was going to say them.
She stiffened and picked her napkin up again. She seemed
fascinated suddenly by the limp piece of lettuce that hung on the tines of her
fork. Finally she spoke in a voice he could barely hear. “For what?”
“For that night in the IT room. I had no call to—”
“It’s okay.” She dropped her fork and held up one palm
toward him, still not meeting his eyes. Scarlet stained her cheeks.
“No, it’s not. I made some assumptions that were way off
base. I got pushy with you, and I’m sorry.”
Finally she looked at him. “Thank you.”
The café they’d found had a bank of windows down one side,
so a flood of sunlight defined her lovely face. Her perfect cheekbones were
painted by the wash of sun, her brown eyes illuminated to amber tones, the
rounded contours of her full lips described by light and shadow. She stole his
breath as she held his gaze. His chest felt oddly hollow except for the crash
of his heartbeat.
For a moment he thought she might say more, but instead she
picked up her fork and went back to eating.
“Is that salad as good as you make it look?”
“Umm. Yes. The dressing’s so creamy. Probably loaded with
calories.” She gave a little laugh. “The really good stuff always is.”
“Nothing
you
have to worry about.” The corny line
just popped out, and he groaned inwardly, but she seemed genuinely flattered.
Her cheeks pinked up again. Dropping her gaze once more, she reached for the
notebook that lay beside her plate.
“We should probably go through our notes and highlight the
pros and cons.” She opened her purse and took out a pen.
“I thought we decided there weren’t any cons.” With a start
he realized that he wasn’t just referring to the software program. Today had
been instructional in many ways. He’d just found out he liked Amber Jackson.
A
lot.
Early Monday morning Amber reported to her new office space.
The boxes from her old office stood stacked against a far wall, waiting to be
unpacked. Her new desk and credenza were in place, angled toward the fabulous
view. For a moment she stood and stared out at the bustling cityscape. The June
day was clear and dry. In the distance, Mount Hood glittered, its flanks still
sporting a partial cloak of snow.
She slipped out of her jacket and hung it on the hook behind
the door, then put her purse in a drawer. Hands on her hips, she surveyed the
space. She figured it would take her the better part of an hour to sort through
everything and get it put away. Then she’d go see if Saundra needed any help
getting organized.
She had long since taken home her library of erotic books.
No sense letting anyone else at Crescent Design stumble on to what she had so
enjoyed reading on her lunch hour. Her new e-reader waited in her handbag, freshly
loaded with several spicy tales of
ménage
. She really should have bought
one of those gadgets years ago. She’d heard other women in the break room
lately, discussing the steamy books they were all reading, but she wasn’t
comfortable “coming out” as an erotic book fan. She’d worked hard to polish her
professional image, and even if it meant missing out on casual social
connections by maintaining her reserve, she was counting on it paying off big
time at next week’s performance review. She guessed it was possible that
Saundra herself enjoyed erotic books, but there was no sense taking a chance by
being unprofessional around the office.
By ten she had finished up the last details in her office.
Now she needed to go see Saundra. She was frankly surprised that her phone had
been quiet so far this morning. That must mean her boss was getting settled in
to her huge corner office without a hitch. She shrugged back into her jacket.
As she grabbed her project checklist and pen, a quick, sharp
knock sounded on the door, and then it opened. Amber turned to find Ray
standing there, holding a clipboard. Her heart gave a glad squeeze. In the five
days since their jaunt to Salem, she’d barely seen him. They had both been
caught up in last minute preparations and trying to shoehorn in the
installation of the Workworth software. The times they’d seen each other,
things had seemed a little strained. Likewise today, he was all business.
“Hi, Amber. I’m just checking everyone’s connections this
morning. You boot up okay?”
“Yes.” She pointed toward the lit monitor of her PC. “It
seems to be working just fine.”
“Good.” He made a note on his clipboard. “No issues with the
power this time?”
Now a smile played at the edge of his lips. She was washed
by a sense of relief. His teasing was far preferable to the wall of tension
that had risen between them.
“No problems so far, but I’ll know who to call if I need
help.” She smiled back, and his expression relaxed even more.
“Well, you let me know right away if you do have any
problems. For you, I’ll always make myself available, day or night.”
Amber sucked in a quick breath. They had certainly crossed
into dangerous territory in a hurry! It sounded like he was issuing an
invitation to something more than a work-related interaction. His dark eyes
fairly smoldered as he stared at her. She knew they were both remembering the
night he’d given her the “personal tour”.
“I—I’ll keep that in mind.” Heat flooded her face and a warm
flutter began deep inside.
“There’s something else I wanted to tell you, Amber.” He set
the clipboard down on the edge of her desk and strolled to the window, letting
his hands come together behind his back as he surveyed the view. “I’ll be
leaving Crescent. I just gave Saundra my two week notice.”
No!
A sharp pang of regret twinged in her chest. She might not
be ready to jump into bed with the man, but she did feel truly disappointed at
the idea of not seeing him around every day. Struggling to come to terms with
the surprising intensity of her reaction, Amber cleared her throat and forced a
casual tone.
“Really? Where are you going?”
“Got an offer I couldn’t refuse from Gamble Electronics.
Steve called me the morning after our tour. He’s moving to LA and there’s no
one qualified to hire from within. I interviewed via Skype and just found out
today that the job is mine. It’s a bigger network, more responsibility, better
perks.” He turned to face her. “And of course it means I can be there for my
grandparents. That’s the most important thing.” For a moment it seemed like he
might have more to say, but then he picked up his clipboard and stood silently
looking at her.
I’ll miss you.
The words tumbled close to her lips,
almost escaping. He seemed to know. His brows quirked up with interest, dark
sparks flashing in his eyes.
“Well, congratulations, Ray,” she finally managed. “I hope
this move works out well for you. I’m sure your grandparents will be very
grateful.”
He smiled then. “I just called my gram. She’s beside
herself.”
“I bet she is.”
“Thanks, Amber.”
“For what?”
“Your good wishes.”
“You have those,” she said, feeling like someone had shoved
a garden stake up her spine. “You’ll be at the open house and reception on the twentieth,
won’t you?”
“Yep. That happens to be my last day.”
“Oh. Well, it’s good you won’t miss the big party.”
“I figure the food alone will make it worth stopping in.
Saundra even had me invite my cousin Cal, since he helped with the wiring.”
* * * *
Her beautiful face suffused with color, and suddenly Ray
knew they were both thinking about the same thing: that two-men-on-one-woman
fantasy featured by her favorite books. He lowered his clipboard to cover the
sudden hardening of his cock.
“That was nice of Saundra.”
“Yeah. I’ll finally get a chance to introduce you to Cal.”
Her posture stiffened even further. She looked up and their
eyes held for a second, and then she looked back down at the pad of paper in
her hand. “You know what?” Her voice was a little shaky. “I need to go make
sure Saundra is getting settled in with no problems.”
“Right.”
She whisked out the door ahead of him and he followed her,
closing the door behind him.
* * * *
It was Charles who finally answered the phone on the sixth
ring.
“Hey, brother. How are you?” She tried to sound friendly and
light.
“Amber?” He sounded like he’d just woke up. What was he
doing asleep at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon?
“Who else would be calling you
brother
?” She
struggled to push away her irritation. It was usually a chore to engage Charles
in any kind of friendly conversation. She decided to cut to the chase. “Can I
talk to Dinitra?”
“Uh, no. Haven’t seen her yet today.”
Her belly took a plunge. “You haven’t seen her?”
“That’s what I said. She’s over eighteen and leadin’ her own
life. I don’t keep track of the girl.”
“When did you last see her?”
Silence.
“Charles?”
“I don’t know. Tuesday? Wednesday?”
A wave of nausea rolled through her.
“Did she get her cell reactivated?” Amber already knew the
answer to that one. She’d tried several times in the last few days to reach her
sister, but the automated recording always said the subscriber was not
available. No doubt Dinitra hadn’t had the funds lately to reload her pre-paid
mobile phone.
“Look, I told you. I don’t keep track of what the girl does.
I’m not even sure she’s living here anymore.” He barked a laugh. Like it was
funny.
“Okay. Okay.” Amber tried to get a handle on her sense of
building panic. “Is she still dancing at the Pussycat Room?”
“Last I heard.” He yawned loudly into the phone.
“What’s the number there?”
“Don’t remember.”
“Charles!”
“Call 411. I gotta take a piss, sis.” He snorted at his own
brilliance, and then the line went dead.
Amber banged the handset into the cradle and stomped her
foot. Damn her smart ass brother. And damn her irresponsible little sister!
This was exactly why she needed to get Dinitra moved to Portland where she
could keep an eye on her. Lord knew Charles wasn’t ever going to win any prizes
for brother of the year. If Dinitra
had
moved out of their place, she
couldn’t exactly blame the girl.
Amber glanced at her watch. It was at least two hours until
her sister’s shift at the Pussycat Room would begin. She would try to reach her
there just before 5:00.
As Amber passed through the living room, her gaze fell on
the garment bag draped across the back of the couch. In it was the cocktail
dress she’d bought earlier that morning, the one she planned to wear to the
office open house tonight. She’d been in such a great mood when she went
shopping, and she had fallen in love with the satiny creation even before she
tried it on. The vivid blue color brought out the honeyed tones in her skin and
fit her to perfection. Now her celebratory mood was completely spoiled
Yesterday, after Amber had wrapped up the last detail of
tonight’s big party, Saundra had called her in and announced that she was being
promoted to assistant manager. A hefty raise came with the promotion. It was
that fantastic news that she had called to share with Dinitra.
Funny how worry could completely displace all sense of joy.