Cat Schield - Substitute Seduction

“Around a hundred.” He’d secured a list from his mother after realizing he’d better not show up to a party planning meeting empty-handed and clueless.

“And do you have a budget?” London had relaxed now that they’d returned to familiar territory and flipped to a clean page so she could jot notes.

“Keep it under ten.”

“Thousand?” She sounded a tad surprised, leaving Harrison questioning whether he’d gone too high or too low. “That amount opens up several possible venues. Of course, the timing is a little tight with it being the start of the holiday season. Did you have a particular date in mind?”

“His birthday is December fifth.”

“I’ll have Missy start calling around for availability.” She excused herself and went to speak to her receptionist.

Harrison barely had a chance to look at any of the several texts that had come in while they’d been talking before she returned.

“Are you thinking a formal sit-down dinner with cocktails before and dancing afterward or something more casual?”

“My mother insists on a formal event. But I don’t think dancing. Maybe a jazz band, giving people a chance to mingle and chat.” Harrison was even more relieved that he’d checked with his mother because he was able to parrot everything she’d suggested.

“You were smart to get her input,” London said, picking up on his train of thought. “I guess my last question for now is whether you had any sort of theme in mind.”

Theme? Harrison was completely stumped. “I guess I was just thinking it was his fortieth birthday...”

“A color scheme?”

More and more Harrison wished he’d found a different way to connect with London McCaffrey. “What would you suggest?”

Her lips pursed as she pondered the question. “I’ll pull together three ideas and run them past you. What are you thinking about for the meal?”

“Wouldn’t it depend on the place we choose?”

“Yes, but it might help narrow things down if I thought you wanted seafood versus steak and chicken.”

“Ah, can I think about it?”

With a slight shake of her head, she pressed on. “Give me your instant thoughts.”

“Seafood.”

She jotted that down. “There are several venues that do an exceptional job.”

Although he’d never planned an event like this before, Harrison was finding that the process flowed easily with London in charge. She was proving to be both efficient and knowledgeable.

“You’re really great at this,” he said.

Her lips quirked. “It is what I do for a living.”

“I didn’t mean to sound surprised. It’s just that I’ve never thrown anyone a birthday party before and you’re making everything so easy.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you come to be in charge of this particular event?”

Harrison doubted London was the sort who liked to play games, so he decided to be straight with her. “I volunteered because I was interested in getting to know you better and a friend warned me that you wouldn’t be inclined to give me a shot.”

“Get to know me better?” She looked more curious than annoyed or pleased. “So you decided to hire me to plan your brother’s birthday party? You should know that I don’t date my clients.”

Despite her claim, he sensed she wasn’t shutting him down entirely. “You said you usually work with corporate clients. Maybe this would be an excellent opportunity to gain some exposure with Crosby Automotive. And I get a chance to work with a woman who intrigues me. A win-win solution all around.”

Interest colored her voice as she echoed, “A win-win solution...”

* * *

London’s pen flowed across the legal pad as she randomly sketched a centerpiece and pondered Harrison’s words.

When he’d called to set up this meeting, she’d been elated. Organizing his brother’s birthday party would solve the problem of how she could get close enough to Tristan to figure out how to bring him down. The more she learned about Zoe’s ex-husband, the more daunting her task. Frustration welled up in London as she considered the impulsive bargain she’d made several months earlier. What had she been thinking to agree to something that could lead to trouble for her in the future if she wasn’t careful? But how did she back out now that Everly and Zoe had their plans in motion?

“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” Harrison asked.

The abruptness of his invitation combined with the uptick in her body’s awareness of him caught her off guard, and London was shocked and dismayed by the delight blooming in her.

“I...”

She’d been so focused on her goal of helping Zoe that she hadn’t considered the possibility of an interpersonal relationship between her and Harrison. Now, with his startling confession, the situation had grown complicated.

“Ever since meeting you at the party the other night, I can’t stop thinking about you,” he declared, his sea-toned eyes darkening as his voice took on a smoky quality. “You don’t date your clients, but there’s nothing that says you can’t. Let me take you to dinner.”

You made this devil’s bargain. Now see it through.

“Tomorrow would be better,” she responded a touch breathlessly.

“I’m heading to Richmond with the crew tomorrow. Tonight is all I have.”

She was on the verge of refusing when his smile faded. An intense light entered his eyes and London found it difficult to breathe. The man’s charisma was off the charts at the moment and London found herself basking in the glow of his admiration. At the same time she couldn’t help but wonder if he was sincere or merely plying her with flattery to get her into bed. Worse, she wasn’t sure she cared.

Maribelle’s words came back to haunt her. London could use a little fun in her life and rebound sex with Harrison Crosby might be what enabled her to move on from Linc. If only she wasn’t planning to use Harrison as part of their revenge plot.

“I don’t want to have to wait another week to spend an evening with you,” he continued as she grappled with her conscience.

“I’m flattered,” she said, stalling for time.

His lips kicked into a dry grin. “No, you’re not.”

Harrison wasn’t the sort of Southern gentleman she was used to. One she could wrap around her finger. He had a straightforward sex appeal that excited her and made her feel all needy and prone to acts of impulsiveness. The urge to grab his sweater and haul him over for a kiss shocked her.

“Really—” Her instincts screamed at her to retreat. Her susceptibility to this man could prove dangerous.

“You think I’m hitting on you because I want to sleep with every woman I meet.”

“I wouldn’t dream of thinking such a thing,” she murmured in her most guileless drawl as she glanced down at her legal pad and noticed she’d been drawing hearts. She quickly flipped to a clean page and set down her pen.

“Don’t go all Scarlett O’Hara on me,” Harrison replied. “I’m not going to lie and tell you I don’t see us ending up in bed, but I fully intend on making it about the journey and not the destination.”

Outrage poured through London, but there was a certain amount of amusement and curiosity mixed in, as well. Damn the man. His plain speaking was having the wrong sort of effect on her.

“You seem pretty sure of yourself,” she said. “What makes you think I’m interested in you that way?”

“The fact that you’re still here discussing it with me instead of kicking me to the curb.”

“Do you honestly think you’re the first client who has hit on me?”

“I’m sure I’m not.” He didn’t look at all concerned by her attitude. “But I’m guessing you’re going to give me a different answer than all the others.”