Maureen Child - Reasons for Revenge - Scorned by the Boss

“Okay,” she said, and swallowed hard. “That was better than not bad.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, taking her hand and leading her to her chair, “it was.”

Much better. The seduction was working just as he’d planned. But if he wasn’t careful, he might just get caught in his own web.

A couple of days later Caitlyn felt as though she were balanced on a delicately thin wire stretched taut, high over a cage filed with hungry lions.

“Or,” she told herself, “make that one very hungry Lyon .”

Who would have guessed that Jefferson could pack so much power into a kiss? That she could feel all she’d felt in those few moments on that moonlit patio? Want all she’d wanted. And in the past two days he’d been even more attentive. Going with her for swims, into the village to shop, having dinner with her, glaring at any men who might think about approaching.

The man was a force of nature. Irresistible, overwhelming and just so damned appealing.

Oh, she was in serious trouble.

She leaned back in her chair and let her gaze wander over the elegant yet sleekly casual resort restaurant. The floor here was blue tile, as well, and the walls were a soft sea-green. One side of the room was glass with French doors leading onto a patio with the ocean just beyond. There weren’t many customers at the moment, as it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Caitlyn had come in and ordered tea and scones. She’d simply needed a quiet place to sit and think. Somewhere away from her former boss and current pain in the behind.

And it had been quiet. Until her cell phone rang a moment ago.

“Oh,” Debbie said firmly, “he’s hungry, all right. Just make sure he doesn’t start snacking on you.”

Caitlyn frowned. Her friend had a point. Although, the thought of being nibbled by Jefferson did have its appeal.

“Oh, man,” she said on a groan, “this is bad.”

“That’s why I called. Janine told me you’re having some problems with Jefferson,” Debbie said, and Caitlyn calmed down just listening to her more even-tempered friend’s quiet voice coming over the phone.

“Problems. Oh, that’s fair to say,” she said, picking at the corner of one blueberry scone. “He’s throwing me off balance because he’s being so nice .”

“Uh-huh.”

She heard the disbelief in her friend’s tone and couldn’t really blame her. After all, Debbie and Janine had been her listening posts to all of her complaints about Jefferson for the last three years. But they didn’t understand, really. As much as she’d always grumbled about him, Caitlyn had enjoyed working for him more than she’d disliked it.

“Okay, fine, he wasn’t always an easy man to get along with, but here he’s different.”

“I bet.”

“In a good way,” Caitlyn said, feeling for some strange reason that she should be defending him even though he’d been making her nuts. “He’s funny, too, Debbie. God, at dinner the other night we laughed for hours. I’d never really seen that side of Jefferson before and—”

“Janine was right about this. I hate when that happens,” Debbie muttered.

“Very funny.”

“Honey,” Debbie said on a sigh, “you’re setting yourself up for a fall. I can hear it in your voice. You’re going island girl on me here.”

“No, I’m not.” She took a sip of coffee, then broke off another piece of her scone. Nodding at the waitress who strolled past, she popped the pastry into her mouth, chewed and said, “I’m not stupid, Deb. It’s not like I’m planning a pretty wedding or practicing signing Mrs. Jefferson Lyon on my notebook.”

“I’ve got to go outside for this. Hold on a sec,” she said, and a long moment of silence passed before she came back. “Sorry. But I just don’t feel comfortable yelling at one of my best friends when everyone in the office can overhear.”

Caitlyn should have been grateful. The travel agency Debbie owned and operated was a busy one. “I don’t need to be yelled at, thanks.”

“No, what you need is a swift kick in the memory. But since I’m not close enough, this’ll have to do,” Debbie said.

Caitlyn’s eyes rolled as she broke off another piece of scone.

“Cait, honey, Jefferson Lyon is bad news. He’s too rich. Too powerful. Too used to getting his own way.”

Caitlyn winced a bit. Debbie’s erstwhile fiancé had also been rich, powerful—and, oh, yeah, a bigamist.

Before she could say anything, though, Debbie was talking again.

“Jefferson is not what he’s pretending to be. Only a few days ago you said yourself that he was up to something.”

Scowling now, she pushed the plate of scones away, scrawled her name and room number on the check and stood up. Walking briskly out of the restaurant, she headed for the bank of elevators on the far side of the lobby.

“I really hate it when my friends use logic,” she muttered and jabbed the up button. While she waited, she said, “But maybe he’s changed—and, man, that sounds so movie-of-the-week. He hasn’t changed, has he?”

“Nope,” Debbie agreed. “Remember when you said that Jefferson is only concerned with one bottom line? His own?”

“Do you take notes when I talk or something?” Caitlyn demanded, only half joking. “It’s really hard to argue when someone keeps using your own words against you.”

“Good.”

She stepped into the elevator and punched the button for her floor. Ignoring the older man entering right behind her, she said, “Fine, fine. You’re right. But, Debbie, when he kissed me, he—” She stopped, glared at the man listening with avid interest and lowered her voice. “I swear, I felt something from him. Something real. Something …”

“Hard and horny?” Debbie provided.

Caitlyn’s head smacked against the wall of the elevator. She didn’t want to believe her friend. Didn’t want to think that Jefferson could kiss her like that and feel nothing but a physical response. But then again, this was the man People magazine had called one of the most eligible bachelors in the country last year.

And not only had Jefferson had the damn article framed , he’d made a vow to be on that list every year for the next twenty years. This was not a man who wanted to end his days of solitude. He wasn’t looking for a permanent relationship. And if he were, he wouldn’t be looking at Caitlyn.

His kind of man wasn’t interested in women like her. He went for the models, the actresses, the blue-blooded East Coast beauties.

If he was making a play for an admin from Long Beach, there had to be a reason.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened slowly. She stepped out, said goodbye to Debbie and walked down the hall to her room. If she was a little disappointed by the realization that there was nothing real between her and Jefferson, she’d get over it. It’s not as if she had really believed everything he’d said to her. Not that she’d actually toyed with the idea of something real between them.

Okay, fine, she thought with a disgusted sigh. So she’d done a little bit of toying.

She swiped her key card, pushed the suite door open and paused when she heard Jefferson’s voice saying her name.

“Caitlyn is falling right into line,” he said, clearly on the phone. “I’m telling you, Jason, it’s going to work.”

Falling right into line? Caitlyn scowled and focused on what else he was saying to Jason. The younger of the Lyon brothers, Jason had turned his back on the company his grandfather had founded and gone into medicine. Now he was an emergency-room doctor outside Seattle.

“You don’t understand, that’s all,” Jefferson was saying. “I know what I’m doing.”