Barbara Dunlop - Seduction And The Ceo

His gaze was warm. “I’ll spoil you for as long as you want.”

“You don’t need to spoil me at all.” She brought his broad hand to her lips. “What I want from you is free.”

“I’d rather give it to you at the Ritz-Carlton.”

She affected a deep sassy drawl. “You can give it to me anywhere you like, cowboy.”

He pursed his lips and hissed a drawn-out exclamation. “I sure hope Royce plans to entertain himself after we land.”

“What are you doing now?” Stephanie’s voice came through Jared’s cell phone while he sat in a comfortable armchair by the window in St. Jacques boutique overlooking the lake.

“Watching Melissa try on dresses.” He’d made three overseas calls and consulted with his finance department while Melissa had paraded past in about a dozen dresses. She looked great in them all.

“I bet she looks gorgeous.”

“She does.”

Melissa walked out of the changing room in a short gold sheath with spaghetti straps and a diaphanous scarf. He wasn’t crazy about the scarf, but he liked the dress.

He held up four fingers. He’d been giving rankings out of five, since he’d been holding his PDA to his ear through the entire fashion show.

Melissa leaned forward and pointed to a looped gold-and-diamond necklace the salesclerk had fastened around her neck. He simply gave a thumbs-up to that.

“Did you have fun last night?” Stephanie asked.

“None of your business.”

“It’s quiet here. I miss you and Royce.”

“We miss you, too. Come to the party. Royce will pick you up.”

“I can’t.” She sighed. “We’ve got our first junior elite rider starting tomorrow. He’s been blowing them away on the young rider circuit.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“It’s a great thing.”

“Then quit your whining.”

Melissa pranced back into the changing room, and he wished he’d thought to comment on the shoes. Black, sleek and high, with flashing rhinestones around the ankles. He definitely wanted her to keep the shoes.

“Is this tough love?” Stephanie asked.

“Absolutely.”

“What’s going on with Melissa?”

“She’s going to blow them away tonight.”

“Will she blow you away?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Steph.”

“You have to fall in love sometime.”

“Not necessarily.”

But then Melissa appeared again. This time she was wearing an emerald-green strapless party dress. The bodice was tight satin, stretched snugly over her breasts, while the skirt puffed out around her thighs, showing off her toned calves and sexy ankles. It was perfect for a late-night club. It was also dress number thirteen, and he realized he wanted to take her out in all of them.

“Gotta go,” he said to Stephanie, needing to end the conversation.

“Keep an open mind,” she called into the phone.

“Don’t worry.” No point in Stephanie worrying. Jared was the one who needed to worry.

He was starting to think about jobs for Melissa again, jobs at Ryder International. Or better still, jobs at affiliated companies in the city, so she wouldn’t work directly for him. But she’d still be around to date him.

He was starting to think about her skill set and who owed him favors. They had one more night together, then maybe half of tomorrow. But he knew that wasn’t going to do it for him. And that was a very worrisome development.

“She’s a knockout,” came Royce’s voice as he dropped into the armchair beside Jared. “No kidding.”

Melissa gave Royce a welcoming smile and a little wave.

Royce’s long lecherous look at her legs irritated Jared, worrying him all over again. Just how deep had he let himself fall?

“You serious about her?” Royce asked.

“Why?” Jared demanded, wondering what might have given him away.

Royce gave a smug grin. “Guess that answers my question.”

“She leaves for Seattle tomorrow.” And that was the disappointing truth. He’d suggested she stay longer, but she’d insisted she had to get back on her trip. Whatever feelings might be building inside Jared, this was the time to shut them down.

“You want me to fly her out?”

“No.” Jared did not. He might not be pursuing anything with Melissa himself, but that didn’t mean the field was open to his brother.

Royce’s grin widened. “This is fun.”

“Back off.”

“Not a chance.”

Melissa floated out in a calf-length ivory gown. It had snug, three-quarter-length, flat lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline gathered with a line of jewels at mid-bust. There was a wide ribbon waist band and a two-layered, flowing skirt that flirted with her legs. She grinned and gave a twirl. Her diamond earrings twinkled under the bright lights.

Jared felt a tightening in his chest. A small bouquet of flowers, and she’d be the perfect bride. Her open smile told him she was oblivious to the image, but he wasn’t, and he drank in the sight for several long minutes.

He gave the dress a five, and she turned to walk away.

“Do I need to say it?” asked Royce.

“No.” Jared kept his focus on Melissa until she disappeared again.

“So how’re you going to keep her here?”

Jared gave up lying both to himself and to Royce. “I haven’t decided yet.”

They’d chosen a black silk dress with spaghetti straps and a metallic gold thread that made it shimmer under the ballroom lights. The skirt of the dress was full enough to make Melissa feel like a princess as she whirled around the dance floor in Jared’s arms to the music of a five-piece string band. Her rhinestone sandals were light on her feet. Her hair was upswept, and Jared had insisted on buying her the looped gold necklace and a set of matching earrings.

He looked roguishly sexy in his tuxedo. Having seen him in blue jeans, chaps and dust, she realized the formal clothes barely disguised the rugged man inside.

Champagne flowed, and the crystal chandeliers glittered around them as they moved past marble pillars, magnificent floral arrangements and the kaleidoscope of designer gowns. At one point, the mayor paused to chat. And everyone in the room knew and obviously respected Jared.

Though Melissa had promised herself the night was off the record, she’d decided to use a few of her impressions in the article. Jared was an intelligent, insightful man, with an amazing grasp of local issues and Chicago economic trends. There was no way she could leave that side of him out of the article.

Though she’d spent the first hour with an eagle eye out for press and anybody else who might recognize her, it turned out to be a private party. No press, and Jared’s social circle was far from hers. While she might recognize the notable figures from their pictures and television appearances, she knew they’d never recognize her.

She felt like Cinderella when they finally made their way out of the ballroom and into the promenade. Her arm was linked with Jared’s, and Royce was by their side.

“Barry left them at the front desk,” Royce was saying, thumbing a button on his PDA before he tucked it back into his breast pocket.

“I don’t want to work tonight,” said Jared, and he raised Melissa’s hand to his lips, giving her knuckles a tender kiss.

Royce sent Melissa a mock frown. “See what you’ve done? I’m usually the irresponsible brother.”

“Not tonight,” said Jared.

“Apparently not,” Royce growled.

“Is it important?” asked Melissa. She was anxious to get Jared alone in their suite, but his conversations at the ball had taught her his time was valuable. His business interests were even more significant and far-reaching than she’d realized.

“Yes,” said Royce.