Joss Wood – The Nanny Proposal (страница 2)
Kasey lightly whistled to catch the attention of the waiter hovering by the ballroom entrance. She held up her empty flute and within a minute had a fresh glass of bubbly in her hand. This new year would be better, Kasey vowed. She was a strong woman and she was not going to allow the past to define her. No matter what it took, she was going to put this all behind her and get back to the person she used to be. Fun, happy, positive.
Change had to happen and she was the only one who could implement those changes. She could start by accepting the position at AP Investments and relocating to Royal. Even if she worked from home, a change of scenery, and leaving Houston, would be a good move. Tomorrow—
Kasey looked into the ballroom and easily found Aaron’s tall frame. She tipped her head, studying him. He was so very smart, so very well built and, pre-Dale, exactly the type of guy she’d look at twice. Or six times. Early to mid-thirties, with chestnut-brown hair cut short to tame the curl, he had the broad shoulders, long and powerful legs and narrow hips of a competitive swimmer. Unfathomable green eyes under—kill me now—wire-rimmed glasses. And light scruff covered his impressive jaw.
In a room filled with some very fine eye candy, Aaron was handcrafted chocolate. Which meant, Kasey realized, the only way she could work for him would be virtually. There was no way she could spend eight or more hours a day with that gorgeous male specimen. At the
Kasey allowed a long slide of champagne to coat her throat and felt a small buzz. As if he could sense her eyes on him, Aaron slowly turned and scanned the ballroom. She really should look away, but Kasey, emboldened by the booze and the temptation of embarking on something different and a little bit wild, waited for his eyes to lock with hers. She’d met him twice before tonight and both times Aaron had been so professional and reticent, she’d found it impossible to read his emotions.
However, tonight there was desire and flat-out need in his eyes and on his face.
She turned around to check that there was no one behind her. No, she was alone and all that heat was for her. So...
This certainly complicated the should-I-accept-his-job-offer question...
Kasey gripped the stem of her glass in a too tight grip and watched as Aaron walked, gracefully for such a big man, across the crowded floor. He was heading straight toward her, his eyes not leaving her face. Kasey swallowed and took another sip of champagne, hoping it would lubricate her dry mouth. One sip didn’t help, neither did two. Hell, nothing would because a lava-hot man was looking at her like she was a pretty package he couldn’t wait to unwrap.
Aaron stopped in front of her and lifted his hand. Kasey sucked in a breath, thinking he was about to touch her, then wrinkled her nose in disappointment when he plucked the champagne glass from her fingers and placed it on the edge of the railing. Aaron, still so close to her, looked down at her, his eyes drifting from her lips to her eyes.
“You look stunning, Kasey. Did I tell you that earlier?”
It had been so long since she’d been complimented on how she looked Kasey had no idea how to respond. When in doubt, and she was so in doubt, it was best to keep it simple.
“Thank you.”
Unnerved by the warm appreciation in his eyes Kasey looked down at her tangerine halter-neck dress skimming her curves. Her two-inch heels just took her past Aaron’s shoulder. He was a big man and his masculinity made her feel intensely feminine. Something else she was unfamiliar with.
“Happy New Year.”
Kasey murmured the words back as a haunting melody drifted from the ballroom onto the balcony and swirled around them. Aaron’s fingers touched her hip and Kasey felt heat pouring from him and burning through the thin fabric of her dress.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, his deep voice raising goose bumps on her skin.
Aaron didn’t wait for her reply. His hand slid around to rest on her lower back and he curled his other hand around hers, lifting it to hold it against his chest. Kasey felt his lips on her temple and wondered why, even though they were dancing outside, there was no fresh air. He was so warm, so solid, she thought as they swayed in place. Then Aaron’s foot slid between hers and they were gliding across the empty balcony under the light of a Texas moon. The man sure could dance, Kasey mused as he spun her out and brought her back in, closer than before.
“You smell so good,” Aaron whispered into her hair.
Her mouth curved into a smile. “I’m glad you approve.”
Aaron pulled her hand up and raised her fingers to his mouth. His gentle kiss on the tips of her fingers sent heat skittering through her. “There’s much I approve of, Kasey, and we both know that I’m not talking about your résumé and your references.”
Kasey lifted her eyes to his face and saw his wry expression. She couldn’t help noticing the desire in his eyes. And in his pants.
Aaron flicked the end of her hair with his index finger. “Since your arrival I’ve spent far too much time thinking about whether you’d feel as good as you look or whether your hair is as soft as I thought.” He rubbed a strand of her shoulder-length hair between his fingers. “It is. And it’s a fascinating color... I can’t describe it. It’s brown but not, red but not.”
According to her stylist, her hair color was a rich, light auburn, but Michelle had always called it ginger spice. If all things were normal, if her best friend hadn’t slept with her husband, Michelle would be the person she’d confide in about dancing with this sexy guy under the midnight blue Texas winter sky.
Kasey laid her cheek on Aaron’s chest and swayed along with him.
Aaron dropped her hand and his big arms pulled her closer. Every muscle in her body tensed as his hard length pushed into her stomach. Undeterred, he just gathered her against him, his hands flat against her lower back. “Relax, Kase, nothing is going to happen.”
Damn, Kasey thought. It was the start of a new year and she really wanted something magical to happen. She wanted to feel his mouth on hers, to see if he tasted as delicious as he looked. She wanted those big, warm hands skating across her skin, wanted his mouth on her breast, on her stomach, maybe lower. She sighed. She wanted to feel what Aaron-induced pleasure felt like.
Bottom line? She wanted
“What if I want something to happen?” Kasey blurted out the words. She considered taking them back and forced herself not to. Aaron was a grown man. If he didn’t want to get naked with her, he was adult enough to say so. But the action in his pants told her the thought had crossed his mind a time or two, as well.
With Aaron, she didn’t feel like the discarded wife, the foolish, naïve friend. In his arms, she remembered the confident woman she used to be. She felt desired and alive.
And they hadn’t even got to the really good, rolling around naked, part yet.
Aaron put a little space between them. His expression turned contemplative, his eyes speculative. “What are you suggesting, Kasey?”
God, was he expecting her to draw him a picture? Suddenly feeling shy and out of her depth, Kasey placed her hands against his chest and tried to push him away, but he didn’t move an inch.
“No, don’t run away,” Aaron said, his deep, husky voice soothing her agitation. “I just want us to be clear on what we are doing here. I want you to work for me, Kasey, and I don’t want to lose you as an executive assistant because we want to scratch an itch.”
She wanted to take the job. She did. The enormous salary would allow her to rent that fairy-tale cottage she’d fallen in love with in downtown Royal and would pay for her shoe and book habit. She wouldn’t need to dip into her savings or the divorce settlement Dale agreed to pay for being a cheating douchebag dick. This job sounded interesting and challenging. But she really, really wanted to see what was under Aaron’s perfectly tailored suit and blindingly white shirt.