Page 3 of A Lone Star Love Affair
She shook her head. “Thanks, no. I have my car.”
“I’ll see you out. I’ve been all through the building.” He was unaccustomed to being brushed off by a woman where there was an obvious chemistry between them.
She smiled. “You don’t have to see me to my car. This wasn’t a date.”
“I know I don’t, Ms. Smith.”
“It’s Isabelle.”
“And I’m Tony to my employees,” he said. “I’ll walk out with you. Then I’ll know where to park when I come in Monday.”
“I think you can find the parking spot that will have Reserved on a placard in front of the best space in the lot,” she said.
He watched while she shut down her laptop and placed it in a bag that she shouldered. She pulled keys from the bag, switched off a desk light and turned toward the door. When he blocked her path, she looked up, wide-eyed.
“I wish now we’d met under other circumstances. You’re definitely annoyed with me,” he said.
“It won’t matter. You have many interests and a sprawling enterprise that has absorbed this one. We’ll rarely see each other. I hated to see Morris sold. You can’t blame me for that.”
“I think it’s more than the sale,” he said quietly, standing close enough to smell the perfume she wore. Her blue eyes were incredible, crystal clear, deep blue, thickly lashed. Glacial at the moment. When his gaze lowered to her mouth, he inhaled as he viewed full, heart-shaped lips, a rosy mouth that looked soft.
As he looked, her lips parted and he glanced into her eyes again. For an instant her guard had fallen and the look he caught was warm, receptive. It was gone in a flash as she gave a tiny shake while she passed him.
“It’s very late, Tony…”
Against all human resources training, he reached out and touched her arm. “I don’t have a policy against employees seeing each other off the job, dating, getting engaged or marrying.”
Again that surge of electricity sizzled to his toes as she looked up sharply with a flash of fire in her eyes. But just as suddenly, the fire died and whatever she had been about to say was gone.
“Where I’m concerned, it won’t matter.”
“No deference to your employer?” he asked quietly, fighting an urge to ask her for a drink.
“Tony, it’s getting late,” she whispered, and broke away. He had seen the pink rise in her cheeks. Why was she fighting him and so angry with him? He hadn’t moved her out of her job yet.
Puzzled over the degree of her animosity, he walked with her to the elevators. He pushed a button before she could reach it and they rode down in silence.
He could feel the barriers back in place, the chill in the air between them.
“I saw your ad campaign for the Royal Garden chain. It was well thought out and successful. Bookings jumped after the television ads started,” he said.
“Thank you from my staff and me. They did an excellent job.”
“Do you ever take full credit for anything?” he asked, looking at silky strands of blond hair wound in a roll and wondering how she would look with her hair unpinned.
“If I’m the only one to work on it. Otherwise, I don’t deserve to take all of the credit.”
“Will there ever be a time you can see me in any way other than your employer?”
“Of course. If I leave Morris, or if you do,” she answered sweetly, and he smiled.
When the elevator doors opened, he stepped back to let her exit. He fell into step beside her and they both greeted the night security guard before going outside. Tony crossed the parking lot with her to her car.
“I hope you give my company a chance,” he said. “I have the feeling you’ve already formed an opinion and have one foot out the door.”
“Not yet,” she said, as she clicked her key to unlock her car. While he held her door, she slid behind the wheel.
“I’ll see you next at the reception we’re having for the executives Thursday evening. You will attend, won’t you?”
