Naughty by Nature (12 page)

And he wouldn’t
put it past Tessa.  She was a known madcap and he was sure that if she wanted
to, she could be a pretty good teaser as well.  He decided to call for 
back-up.  He would bring up the one topic of conversation guaranteed to throw
cold water on his sizzling emotions.  “My mom asked for you.”

“Oh, she did?" 
Tessa looked surprised and pleased.  “How is she doing?”

“Not where we want
her to be, which is one hundred percent healed, but making progress.  She was
able to move a finger and a toe this week.”

“That’s great
news.”  Tessa walked back toward him, a smile on her face, looking like she
genuinely cared.  “I’d love to see Lydia again.  Do you think she’d mind if I
paid her another visit?”

Wolf almost
laughed.  “Mind?  She expected you back already.  She practically demanded to
know where the hell you'd disappeared to.”

“Really?” Tessa
looked pleased.  “That means she likes me.”

This time Wolf did
laugh.  “That goes without saying.”  Who the heck could meet easy-spirited, outgoing
Tessa and not like her?  “And you’d better plan another visit soon or else
she’ll think I didn’t pass on the message and then she’ll flay me alive.”

“Of course.  If
you don’t mind giving me her number I’ll call her tonight and set up another
date.”  She shook her head.  “Your Mom is such a joy to be around, so upbeat,
so happy, never complaining.  Not like my-”  She stopped mid-sentence, seeming
to catch herself just before making a faux-pas. Then she smiled, obviously
trying to divert his attention from the sudden halt in her speech.  “Anyway,”
she continued, “it’s a joy to be around your mom.  And your dad, too. They’re
so…calm and loving.  Now that’s what marriage should be like.”

What was that all
about?  Wolf cocked his head as he watched her face, which was now soft-pink in
a blush.  That was some speech she’d just delivered and it seemed she was a bit
uncomfortable about bringing it up.

But then she shook
her head, throwing the waves of her blonde hair away from her face, and plopped
down in the chair in front of her cup of tea.  She picked up the cup with both
hands and buried her face in it.

Wolf sat in the
chair across from her and reached for his bottle of water, his eyes fixed on
her.  She kept her gaze down, as if avoiding him.

He took a sip as
he watched her.  Tessa was a convoluted ball of mystery if there ever was one,
but one he was determined to unravel one thread at a time.

******

Why was he
watching her like that?  Good heavens.  His eyes were burning like laser beams,
boring holes into her, and she dared not glance up from behind her cup and meet
his gaze.

He must know that
she’d almost said something very stupid.  She’d almost blurted out something
that would have made her ashamed and more than a little embarrassed.  Thank
goodness she’d caught herself in time.

But she could see
that it had thrown Wolf off.  He sensed that something was wrong and his
watchful stare told her that he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

But she wouldn’t
let him.  There were certain aspects of her life that were her little secret
and this was one of them.  “I’m ready to start if you are,” she said, lowering
her cup.  Anything to get his attention on something else.

He shrugged.  “No
problem.”  He got up and went to kneel in front of the DVD player.  “My team
has put together a sampling of the shows we’ve produced so far this year, just
so you can get a feel for what we’re about.”  He stuck a DVD in and pressed
play.  “This first series was produced in Calgary in collaboration with a video
production company there.  Have a look and tell me what you think.”

Relieved that
their focus was now on the business, she rested her cup in its saucer and settled
back in her chair to watch.

She would pay
attention, she promised herself, and not get distracted by the fact that they
were together alone in this office, probably alone in the entire building, and
she wanted him so badly she could taste it.

And that was why
she had purposely dressed to impress – not in business wear or elegant attire,
but in casual wear designed to catch the eye.  She’d read somewhere that men
found a woman wearing jeans even sexier than one in an evening dress.  And so
she’d gone shopping.

And from the look
on Wolf’s face when he’d come to open the door for her, she knew she’d done a
great job.  He had noticed her, and in a big way.  Two thumbs up for those Parasuco
jeans.  And then she’d made sure to give him a great view of said jeans when
she stooped low in front of the DVD player.  His sharp intake of breath when he
came into the room was all the thanks she needed.

And now it was
time for business but she could proceed, satisfied in knowing that she’d
stirred something inside him.  She wanted Wolf Spencer and, if she played her
cards right, before long he would want her as much as she wanted him.

They’d gone
through two of the tapes, reviewing each segment by segment, discussing each
and taking notes, when there was a buzzing sound.  Tessa jumped.

“Our lunch is
here,” Wolf said, and got up to buzz the person in.

Perfect timing. 
They’d been brainstorming almost an hour and she was just beginning to feel
hungry.

While the delivery
was on its way up Tessa took a quick trip to the little girls' room and when
she got back the table was laid out with soup, salad, plates of warm
sandwiches, bowls of pasta, and a basket of warm bread.

“Yum.”  She slid
into her chair and picked up a napkin.  “ Dibs on the tuna wrap.”

Wolf chuckled.  “We
have enough where you can have seconds and thirds if you want.  Just help
yourself.”

And she did.

It didn’t take
long, though, before Tessa realized that she was the only one eating.  She
looked across at Wolf.  “Why are you watching me?”

He raised an
eyebrow.  “Am I?”

“Yes, and you’re
not eating,” she said then took a bite of warm bread.  “Don’t think I’m going
to sit here and eat all of this by myself.  Come on, eat.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After they’d eaten
they returned to the conference room where they tackled their task with renewed
vigor.  It wasn’t until Tessa noticed the time on the DVD player that she
realized she’d already been at Wolf’s office for hours.

“Can you believe
it’s already five o’clock?” she asked as she slipped another sheet of notes
into her folder.  “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

“You’ve got
another engagement?” Wolf gave her an enigmatic look.  “A date, perhaps?”

She almost laughed
out loud.  Contrary to what the rest of the population seemed to think she’d
been dateless for quite a while.  And although her co-workers, and even Indie,
seemed to expect that her pretty face would draw a flood of male suitors that
was not the case.  Maybe it was her personality?  Most men probably had no time
for a woman who was like a pendulum, swinging from happy-go-lucky to downright
boring, preferring to lounge at home and watch a movie rather than going out.

Now the question
was, was Wolf like most men?  She hoped not.

“Well, if a date
with Reba McEntire counts then yes, I’ve got a date.”  She chuckled.  “Reba’s
my favorite TV show even though it’s all re-runs.  I’ve seen each episode like
six times and they still make me laugh.”

“Oh, a Reba fan,
too?”

She stared at him,
surprised.  “You watch Reba?”

“I have my
moments, although,” he leaned back in his chair and gave her a slow smile that
could almost be described as sexy, “there are a whole lot better ways I could
think of, to spend my time.”

Tessa felt herself
begin to color.  It wasn’t what he’d said but the way he’d said it that made
the blood rise to her face.  The pictures it conjured.

She cleared her
throat and sat up straight in her chair.  She bit her bottom lip then released
it and saw that he was watching her every move.  He wanted to kiss her.  She
could see it in the way his gaze settled on her lips and stayed there.  She
could sense it when she saw his nostrils flare.  She could hear it in the sound
of his indrawn breath.

Then why wasn’t he
making a move?  Tessa would not have pegged Wolf as a ‘shy guy’ but, just in
case, she decided to take matters into her own hands.  She slid forward in her
seat.  “Uhm, Wolf.  Now that we’ve pretty much finished our work here, would
you mind giving me a tour of your office?”

He seemed
surprised at her request but not at all unwilling.  “Of course,” he said, rising.
"Tour guide Spencer at your service.”

With a smile, she
took the hand he stretched out to her.  Little did he know that the layout of
his office was the least of her concerns.  No, what she wanted was to get him
out of the big, open space they were in.  Who ever heard of romantic encounters
in a conference room?  But in the intimacy of a private office…you never knew
what could happen there.

They headed down
the hallway, Wolf walking slightly ahead of her as he explained how his
business had expanded rapidly, enabling him to quadruple his office space and
expand his team of three into a staff of eighteen.  She murmured words of
approval, genuinely impressed by his achievements.  But if he’d glanced back at
her he would have seen approval in her eyes as well, approval for the wonderful
view she was enjoying from behind – his broad shoulders, his strong back and
his taut butt in his jeans.

Finally – it
seemed longer than the four minutes it took to traverse the office – they got
to Wolf’s office.  “And this,” he said, turning to her, “is where each project
begins.  My retreat.”  He turned the knob and stepped aside for her to enter.

As she stepped by
him the woodsy fragrance of his cologne, his nearness, his maleness were almost
her undoing.  At that moment she wanted nothing more than to turn and lean into
him and feel him wrap his arms around her.  But patience was a virtue she would
do best to exercise.  So she kept her thoughts to herself and walked in.

It was an
attractive office, not excessively big, but large enough to make it worthy of a
CEO. It was a modern office, but simple, with nothing of the ostentatious
furniture and trappings that Tessa had expected.  It was a true working space,
with a large desk in the center of the room, a mahogany work table pushed to
one side and adorned with a collection of DVD’s, film reels and books, and a
comfy-looking sofa facing the window and its view of the city below.  Perfect...for
snuggling.

“What is?” Wolf
asked as he stepped into the room behind her.

Good heavens.  Had
she said that out loud?  “Your office,” she said quickly.  “It’s perfectly
situated, with a wonderful view of the water.”

“Thanks,” he said
as he closed the door behind them.  And then, with no encouragement from her –
honestly, no encouragement at all – he closed the space between them, coming to
stand mere inches from her.

“Tessa,” he said
with a sound that was almost a groan, “I’ve wanted to kiss you all day.  Ever
since you came to the door I’ve been fighting to keep my hands off you.  I can’t
fight it any longer.”

Just like she’d
known it would, his office provided the perfect place for their inhibitions to
fall away.  She tilted her face up to his.  "I don’t want you to,” she
whispered.

And, just like
she’d been hoping all afternoon, he reached for her, pulling her into his
arms. 

She went on
tiptoe, ready to be kissed, when she felt a buzzing against her belly.  What in
the world?

Wolf put her away
from him and dug into his pocket, a smile of apology on his lips.  His eyes
were still on her as he pressed the button and put the phone to his ear.

“Wolf Spencer,” he
said, his voice husky as he spoke.  Then his smile froze.  And he frowned. 
“Vanessa?”  A shutter came down over his face and his eyes that had just warmed
her face were now expressionless.

Tessa stepped
back, putting distance between her and Wolf.  Vanessa?  Where had she heard
that name before? 

And then she
remembered.  Lydia was the one who had mentioned that name and she’d said
Vanessa was Wolf’s ex.  It sounded as if they’d almost married and now she was
calling him?  Not good.

Right now it was
best to back off.  She would not be so stupid as to lay herself vulnerable when
she had no idea where she stood.  But, based on Wolf’s reaction, she knew she
was not in a good position.  By the look on his face Vanessa was still very
important to him.

“This is not a
good time.  I will discuss that with you later.”  And with that, Wolf hung up.

But by that time
Tessa had backed away and was almost at the door.  “Tessa, please…” He reached out
a hand but she stopped him.

“I think we’re all
done for today, Wolf.  Will you walk me to the door?”  The spell had been
broken.  There was no way they could pick up where they’d left off.

His lips tightened
but he nodded.  “Sure.  Let’s go, then.”