Mary Lynn - Totally Tempting

There was only one office she’d visited and it was in Honolulu. She peeked into the envelope and saw the ticket, confirming her suspicions. She looked at Frank. “I haven’t finished what I’m working on,” she pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter since there’s no rush on that one. Besides, you’ll only be in Hawaii a few days—four at the most.”

“Oh.” She forced herself to smile. “Well. That’s good. I mean, I’ll enjoy being part of the installation process. I’m just surprised that Dean would be the one to do it.”

Frank shrugged. “I’ll admit he hasn’t done an installation in a long while. Probably wants to keep his hand in. Don’t worry, though. You already know how he can be and won’t be caught off guard when he starts snapping at you for not working fast enough. Just ignore his moods.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Dean greeted her briskly when she arrived at the airport the next morning. She had a moment of déjà vu when she saw him, except that today he wore a business suit.

She had also dressed for a business trip, in a light-colored suit and matching heels.

“Good morning,” she said, walking up to him.

He turned around. “It’s nice to see you again,” he replied politely. “Have you checked your bag?”

She nodded.

“Have you had breakfast? If you haven’t, there’s a restaurant along the concourse where we could get something.”

“Fine.”

He strode along the corridor, a man on the move, and Jodie had to skip a time or two in order to keep up with him.

Once they found the restaurant, sat down and ordered, Jodie caught her breath. Her shortness of breath was in no way connected to seeing Dean again. He looked like a modern-day pirate in his dark suit. All he needed was a knife between his teeth.

“How is Candace working out?” she asked during their meal.

“She’s all right.”

She couldn’t think of anything more to say to him. She wanted to ask him why he’d decided to do the installation himself rather than send someone else.

But she didn’t.

She wanted to ask him why he’d decided to have her accompany him, given their situation.

But she didn’t.

Was it because he wanted to prove to her that he’d moved on after she’d turned him down? Perhaps. No doubt he was already involved with someone else by now.

Which was just as well. She wished that she’d been seeing someone these past few weeks, someone who would have helped her forget about her attraction to him. This trip would be much easier for her if that were the case.

“How do you like working for Frank?” he asked after several minutes of silence.

“He’s great. I’m fascinated by all that we’re doing.”

“You’ll be able to see how we implement the work your department does in Furukawa’s offices.” He paused for a moment. “I thought you might enjoy seeing the islands again.”

“Are we going to stay in the condo?”

“No. Candace made reservations for us to stay in one of the hotels in Honolulu.”

“Oh.”

“Are you ready to go to our gate?”

She nodded.

Once on the concourse, he continued his fast pace until Jodie finally said, “Dean, I can’t keep up with you in these heels. Would you please slow down?”

He immediately stopped and waited for her to catch up with him. “Sorry. My mind was on other things.”

They continued walking for what seemed forever to Jodie before they reached their gate.

They found seats although the departure lounge was rapidly filling up with passengers waiting to board.

Dean spotted their plane, which they could see through the glass wall. “Looks like they’re finishing loading luggage and food.” He glanced at his watch. “We should be boarding shortly.” When she didn’t comment, he asked, “Do you have something to read on the plane?”

“In my purse.”

Dean was not usually so talkative. Making idle chitchat wasn’t part of his personality.

“Dean?”

“Yes?”

“Look, I know this is awkward for both of us. I appreciate your taking me on this assignment. I know you didn’t have to be the one to go.”

“Actually I felt that Furukawa needed to know that his security was important to me. We’ve stayed in touch these past few weeks ironing out the contract and determining exactly what should be installed. The fact that I’ll be installing the systems is personally important.”

“Will we start this afternoon?”

“Not with the actual work, no. However, we’ll go to his office, pay our respects and invite him to dinner if he doesn’t have other plans. We’ll get started on the installation first thing tomorrow morning. It won’t take more than a couple of days if everything goes according to plan.”

The flight attendant announced that it was time to board and they stood. Jodie had noticed that once again they were flying first-class.

As soon as she’d found out she’d be making this trip, she’d visited her doctor and asked for something to help her deal with her anxiety about flying. He’d given her a prescription for a mild anti-anxiety drug and told her to take it a half hour before flying. She’d taken it with breakfast and was already feeling calmer.

Dean escorted her to their seats. “Would you prefer to sit on the aisle?” he asked.

“Yes, please.”

She reached for the airline magazine in the pocket in front of her and began to read.

“Are you okay about flying?” he asked.

“I think so. Yes.”

She could tell that he didn’t believe her. It didn’t matter. She needed to get used to flying now that she was a representative of the company.

By the time they took off, she was getting sleepy. She’d had a restless night, dreading spending time with Dean again. Lack of sleep, together with the prescription drug, had her yawning by the time they leveled off.

Jodie leaned her seat back and went to sleep.

Dean took the opportunity to study her—the way her mouth was shaped, her thick lashes, the slight tilt of her nose. He’d missed seeing her each day. When he found himself going to her department in hopes of seeing her, he knew he had it bad.

His dreams were filled with her…talking with her, making love to her, riding in the car with her. He was never alone in his dreams now, which was tough when he woke up each morning to discover he was alone and none of it was real.

Dean couldn’t figure out what was going on with him. Was it because he hadn’t been with a woman since the first trip to Hawaii? He hadn’t been interested enough in Rachel to respond to her sexual overtures, which was the major reason she knew their relationship had come to an end.

They’d spent a weekend together, a last-ditch effort on her part to prove something to him—or herself. Despite all her attempts at seducing him—provocative night wear, a full-body massage—nothing had worked.

He figured he’d been too tired that weekend. His dreams of Jodie were more satisfying than the reality of being with Rachel.

This trip was to prove something to himself—to prove that his fantasies of Jodie were absurd. Candace had booked a suite so that each of them had a bedroom. They wouldn’t be spending much time there.

This was strictly a business trip.

He was not lusting after her.

What he needed to do was find someone nice to date—someone with blond hair and blue eyes, someone who looked trim and fit, someone who was fun to talk to, to be with, someone who could make him laugh.

Someone like Jodie.

* * *

Dean had awakened her as they’d approached Los Angeles. There had been little time for them to find their gate for the next leg of the journey and neither one of them had said very much.