A deep growl of desire went through the chest pressed so intimately against her breasts. Brazenly, she was thrilled that she—steady, dependable Hailey Ashton—could provoke such a reaction from this virile man.
At long last, breathless, he lifted his head and raked his scorching eyes over each feature of her face. His hands were sure and confident as he separated the lapels of her blazer. His gaze burned across her breasts. As though responding to his silent command, she felt her nipples tighten and strain against the fabric of her blouse.
He smiled tenderly. Strong, tanned fingers gently brushed back the copper curls from her flushed cheek. “When you know me better, I’ll discover every delicious secret of your body, Hailey. You’ll be all too willing to share them with me. I promise you that I’ll know all of you from the inside out.”
His softly spoken words broke the trance she had fallen into. She pushed away from him with such determination that he stumbled backward a few steps before he could regain his balance.
“You’ll know nothing more of me than you already do, Mr. Scott.” Her words were spoken in a low, strained voice. Never in her life had she been so furious with another human being. “I’m not going to let your bad manners and disgusting behavior frighten me away from a good job. I intend to continue working at Serendipity in the capacity I now hold. Should you unwisely decide to fire me or try to touch me again, I’ll scream sexual harassment to the highest court in the land. You can’t browbeat me into submission, either, so you may as well give up the effort and look for another, more obliging, victim.”
The heel of her shoe made a dent in the lush carpet as she whirled around and slammed out the door. Nancy looked up anxiously. “That bad?” she asked worriedly.
Hailey swallowed the aspersions she would have liked to make about Mr. Tyler Scott and answered breezily, “Not at all. Mr. Scott and I understand each other perfectly.” She left before Nancy could question her further.
By the time she reached her office, the soles of her feet were burning from the pounding she had given them on the hot asphalt. With each step, she had cursed Tyler Scott as the most arrogant, most conceited, most infuriating creature she had ever met.
His assumption that she wouldn’t be able to resist him was incomprehensible. Did he think she was a weak specimen of the female sex, hungry for the touch of a man? Had he snickered over her employee file when he noted her age and marital status? Had he mentally dubbed her a frustrated old maid? Had he supposed that she was lonely enough and desperate enough for a man’s attention that she would succumb to his advances without a quibble?
She instructed her assistant to carry on as she sailed through the outer office and into the tiny lavatory provided for her convenience. Her image in the mirror alarmed her. Had Charlene noticed her disarranged hair, moist lips, and flaming cheeks?
She was always immaculately groomed. Wouldn’t everyone have seen that there was the slightest smudge of lipstick on her jaw? Tyler’s lips had picked up the coral gloss from hers and carried it to that sensitive spot just under her ear. Luckily, her blazer hid the fact that her blouse was twisted and coming out of the waistband of her skirt.
Muttering self-deprecations, she quickly bathed her face with cold water and repaired her makeup. She brushed her hair and secured it into a tight prim knot on top of her head. Somewhat restored, she resolved to put the interlude out of her mind for the rest of the afternoon.
It wasn’t so easy to do. Charlene noticed her supervisor’s distraction immediately. “Say, Hailey, are you okay? I’ve asked you the same question three times. I get the impression you haven’t heard a thing I’ve said.”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Hailey said. “I’ve got a headache, that’s all.”
“Well, what do you want me to tell him?”
“Tell who?”
“The high school principal from Knoxville,” Charlene said wearily. “He wants to know about an end-of-season party for the football team.”
“Oh, yes. When is the season over?”
“October thirtieth.”
“Then why are you even bothering me with this? You know we close for the season on October first.”
“Well, I just thought—”
“No exceptions, Charlene.”
“All right, I’ll tell him.”
Hailey could tell by the girl’s wounded tone that she had been unfairly using her as a scapegoat for her own bad temper. “I’m sorry, Charlene,” she said by way of conciliation. “If you’ll give me his number, I’ll call him myself. And I apologize for being so grouchy. It’s been a rough day.”
“That’s okay. I think it’s the humidity.”
In Hailey’s case, it wasn’t the humidity. It was a pair of gray eyes, flecked with ebony and fringed with spiky black lashes, that kept interfering with her work and souring her disposition. It was the vivid recollection of urgent lips demanding a response in the gentlest of ways. It was a hard, taut body pressed against hers, acquainting her with the male physique in a way that left her trembling.
She hadn’t known many men, had certainly never been deeply involved with any. Now this man was storming his way into her life with plans to use her just as everyone else had. What was it about her that made people think they could take advantage? Was she too dependable? Too acquiescent? Or was cowardly a better word?
All her life she had been used. By her parents to set a good example for Ellen. By Ellen to do her dirty work and get her out of trouble. By friends to whom she could never refuse a favor even at her own expense. She had learned the hard way that people are avaricious and grasping and that it was human nature to take advantage of one who was weak.
But maturity, repeated disillusionment, and heartache had taught Hailey well. She had achieved independence and guarded it fiercely. She’d be no one’s doormat. Not Tyler Scott’s. Not anyone’s.
Eight o’clock found her checking over the tally of guests who had walked through the turnstiles that day. At the sound of her name, she raised her head and looked through the plate-glass windows that enclosed her office to see Faith Scott charging around the fountain outside. The girl was out of breath, her broadly smiling face bathed with a film of healthy perspiration, when she came to an abrupt halt on the other side of the glass and cried, “Isn’t it great, Hailey?”
Hailey slid the window open so they could hear each other without shouting. She was laughing at the sheer delight written all over Faith’s features. “Isn’t what great?”
“Daddy told me you’re coming to dinner with us.”
Indeed, Tyler looked quite pleased with himself as he sauntered around the pool of water surrounding the fountain. His coat was negligently hitched over his shoulder by an index finger. His long stride brought him quickly up to the window, where he casually draped his arm around Faith’s shoulders. “Hi,” he said.
Hailey wanted to scream. His taunting grin was more irritating than his seductive promises had been. She was on the verge of telling him that she wasn’t at his beck and call when she happened to glance down into Faith’s expectant face. The harsh words died an instant death on her lips. Tyler was using the child for his own devious ends. But Faith was innocent, and Hailey didn’t want the girl’s disappointment to be on her conscience.
“How are the bee stings?” she asked Faith, ignoring Tyler.
“No sweat. Daddy got that stuff you told him to get at the drugstore and by this morning they didn’t hurt at all. You sure are smart.”
“I’m just glad I outsmarted the bee.”
Faith giggled. “Are you ready to go?”
Hailey looked up at Tyler for the first time and smiled sweetly. She was satisfied to see that her congeniality surprised him. “I’ll be just a minute.”
She went into her office to get her blazer and purse. On her way out, she issued last-minute instructions to Charlene, who would be responsible for the office until the park closed at ten o’clock. She left by a back door after checking her appearance in the lavatory mirror. She swore to herself that it didn’t matter what she looked like—she wasn’t trying to impress anyone, especially Tyler Scott.
Faith was waiting eagerly. Tyler was lounging with one foot braced on a park bench as though he had never given a thought to the possibility that she might refuse the dinner invitation.
“My car is—”
“We’ll walk you to it and follow you home. We’ll even wait if you want to change, won’t we Faith?”
“Yeah. I want to see where you live, Hailey.”
Damn! He had outmaneuvered her again by involving Faith. Hailey had planned to drive her own car to wherever he chose to eat so he wouldn’t learn where she lived. Of course, all he had to do was check her file to find her address. Still, it rankled that he had scored the point so easily.
“I live in a duplex up on the mountain, Faith,” Hailey said, deliberately excluding Tyler from the conversation. “I lease out the other side of my house to tourists. In the winter there are hordes of skiers looking for lodging.”
“That’s dangerous, isn’t it?” Tyler asked, casually taking her arm as they crossed an intersection in the employees’ parking lot. “Having strangers under your roof.”
“I’m very careful about whom I lease to.”
“But for a woman living alone, I would think—”
“I never said that I live alone.”
He halted so abruptly that the fingers around her elbow bit into her skin. “You do, don’t you?”
The fierceness of his expression alarmed her. His brows had drawn together over his piercing eyes in what could only be called a scowl. His lips were pressed into a grim line. Her newfound independence hadn’t replaced caution. She didn’t dare reply flippantly.
“Yes, I do,” she said calmly. Then she added under her breath for his ears alone, “Not that it’s any of your damn business who I live with.”
“I’m making it my business. I’m a possessive, selfish lover, Hailey. I’ll share you with no one.”
She opened her mouth, ready to set him straight on both points, but Faith’s piping voice asked, “Which car is yours, Hailey?”
Hailey shook her head, trying to clear it. Things were happening too fast and she couldn’t handle them. She wanted to tell this overbearing brute that his possessive attitude was ridiculous, but there seemed to be no opportunity.
“Its … uh … there. The blue jeep.”
“A jeep! Oh, neat!” Faith cried and raced toward the parked car. “Can I ride with you, Hailey? Can I, Daddy? Please?”
“I think you should be asking Hailey, not me.”
Faith turned pleading eyes on her, and they were too much to resist. “Of course you may, but I must warn you that anyone riding in my car has to use a seat belt.”
“That’s okay. My daddy makes me use one, too.”
Hailey unlocked the passenger door, then came around to unlock hers. Tyler placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “My car is parked back there.” He made a motion with his head. “Wait for me at the gate. I’ll follow you.” It wasn’t a request. It was a polite command that told her not to even think about leaving the parking lot without him behind her.
To soften the order, his fingers caressed her shoulder, and in the next instant, his mouth swooped down on hers to deliver a hard, quick kiss on her surprised mouth. Her cheeks flamed and she was immensely glad that Faith had already climbed into the car and hadn’t seen what had happened. Rebuking him for the kiss would only bring the girl’s attention to them.
Hailey turned away from him and fumbled with the door handle. One glance told her Tyler was making his way to his own car.
“We’ll leave the windows open until some of this hot air blows out, then I’ll turn on the air conditioner. It’s not really practical for a jeep to have an air conditioner, but I was spoiled.” Hailey smiled down into the face that was looking up at her adoringly.
“I think it’s terrific, but why did you get a jeep?” Faith asked with the unrestrained curiosity of a child.
Hailey laughed. “You’ll see why on the way home.”
Gatlinburg was a small tourist town dedicated to preserving its quaintness, and the streets were narrow and congested with traffic. She avoided Parkway, which was the main thoroughfare through the center of town, and took the road that ran beside the fast flowing Little Pigeon River. She turned right onto one of the roads leading up the side of the mountain. The jeep took the intricate twists and turns of the winding road with ease. Hailey was disgruntled to see that the large, powerful Lincoln, which had actually beaten them to the exit gate of the parking lot, did almost as well.
Her duplex was literally perched on the side of the mountain. Faith scrambled out of the jeep when Hailey pulled it to a stop on her small expanse of driveway. “Be careful,” Hailey cautioned as she followed at a more sedate pace. She didn’t even look to see if Tyler was behind them. She assumed correctly that he was.
“I will. Oh, gee, this is super. Which part do you live in?”
“The upper story.”
“Is anyone in the lower one?”
“Not now, no.”
The structure was a study of wood shingles, glass, and odd angles. The roof was drastically pitched. Redwood decking provided Hailey with a front porch that seemed suspended in midair with no visible means of support. It provided a spectacular view of Gatlinburg nestled in the floor of the valley far below.
She unlocked the front door, and Faith dashed uninhibitedly inside. Hailey bent down to pick up the evening paper lying near the front door.
“Very nice.” The voice was low, intimate, and stirring.
She straightened and turned around to face Tyler. He wasn’t looking at the view, or even her house. He had been looking at her as she bent over to retrieve her paper. “Thank you,” she said with barely contained anger.
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
“Disgusted is a more appropriate word.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t think even a man like you would use his own daughter for procurement.”
The insult did what she hoped it would. It destroyed the insolent triumphant expression on his tanned face and changed it to one of anger. Before he had a chance to either defend himself or counterattack, Faith demanded from the doorway, “Aren’t you two coming in?”