The Executive's Decision
Page 33
“You look lovely, now let’s go.” He hurried up the stairs and took the case from her.
Regan looked down at the outfit she’d put on. “I don’t know if I like this suit. Maybe I…”
Carlos turned and gave her an icy stare. “If you change one more time, I’m leaving your ass here. Now c’mon!” He strode out the door and to the car with her suitcase as she tried to lock the door and hurry down the stairs in her high heels.
They got into the car, and as he drove, she rummaged through her bag and did a verbal last-minute check of her carry-on bag for the tickets, contracts, reservations, and everything else she would need to do business in Dallas.
“You’re making me nervous,” Carlos said, “and all I have to do is push you out of the car.”
“I just want it all to be perfect. He doesn’t need anything to go wrong just because I’m by his side and not at the desk in his office.”
“What is it with women? You worry too much.”
When they reached the terminal, he pulled to the curb. He gathered her bags and set them on the sidewalk.
“Now, call if you need anything. Say no if you have to.” He gave her a supportive glance. “And damn it, Regan, let go a little and have some fun. The man is crazy about you, and you’re crazy about him.”
“I’m scared to death.” Her heart was racing and her hands shook. It would only take a word and Carlos would take her back home. But she wanted to do this.
“I know. You’ll be fine.” He kissed her on the cheek. “See you in a few days.”
When Regan’s plane landed in Dallas, she was giddy with anticipation and drenched in anxiety. It had been a week since she’d seen Zach, touched him, or kissed him. Within hours, he'd wrap her in his arms and make love to her.
She let out a steady breath as the plane taxied to the gate. So much for promises made to myself. She’d fallen head over heels in love with her boss. Again.
Regan followed the signs toward the baggage claim area, and there he was. Her suitcase already rested at his feet, a bouquet of daisies filled one hand, and a hot dog filled the other.
She kissed him first. “What is this?”
“Reminiscent of our first date.” He smiled and handed her the hot dog, and she took a bite. He gently took the rest of the hot dog, which was nothing to write home about, and dropped it into a trash can. “Okay, joke aside, let’s get some real food. I’m starving.”
He handed her the daisies, wrapped one arm around her as they walked away from the carousel, and pulled her luggage out to the limo that waited for them.
“This isn’t the car I booked.”
The driver opened the door for them. She climbed into the car, and Zach followed before the driver shut the door and put her luggage in the trunk.
She laughed as it pulled from the curb and Zach wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his.
“I’ve been known to do a few things on my own.” Their tongues met and their breath quickened as he leaned her back on the seat.
“I thought we’d wait to get to the hotel.” Panic rose in her, fighting past the pleasure she felt as his lips slid over her throat and his hands explored her rib cage under her shirt.
“Appetizer.” He smiled as he caught her lip in his teeth, and she gasped.
When the car slowed, they gathered themselves back up. Regan did her best to straighten the blouse she wore and rake her fingers through her tousled hair.
He skimmed her cheek with his finger. “You’re beautiful.”
“Nothing like a teenage romp in the back of the limo on date night.”
“This was a romp? It’s been a while since you’ve had one, then.” His smile was seductive, and his laugh was damn sexy, even if he was laughing at her.
The door opened and the driver helped her out. She stood outside of a restaurant whose windows and doors were etched in gold trim and reflected the midday sun. Patrons in business suits walked in and out, busy on cell phones or talking to one another.
“We’re meeting clients. So, I promise to keep my hands and manners in check.” He touched her arm and pulled her closer to whisper in her ear. “But before the night is over, you’re mine.”
The sudden twinge in her chest made her want to run. Was it a promise or a threat? She told herself she had to stop worrying. He wasn’t going to hurt her.
There were four others at the table waiting for them. Regan hoped to God she looked okay and their little romp in the backseat hadn’t stolen all her professionalism.
“Zachary, how nice of you to join us.” The first man stood. He was tall, gangly, and as old as her father. He shook Zach’s hand and then hers before introducing the others at the table.
Regan sat next to Rebecca, the older gentleman’s assistant and only other woman at the table. Rebecca graciously made conversation while the men bantered about business.
“So you’re Zach’s new assistant?” she asked.
“Yes, I’ve been with him a little over a month.”
The woman nodded. “Mary Ellen had her baby, then?”
“Yes, that was on my first day. Her water broke right in the office.” She reached for a breadstick from the basket on the table. “She had a little girl. Cute as a button.”
With meals ordered, business went on around them. Regan caught a few names she recognized, and they filled her in on the plans for the ground breaking. All the while, Rebecca watched her with a thoughtful eye.
When the meal had ended, Regan excused herself to the ladies’ room. When she walked out to the sinks, Rebecca was there.
“They are such bores. I tell you, if I wasn’t getting paid to pay attention, I think I’d die of boredom,” she said as she fixed her lipstick.
Regan only smiled, but Rebecca still watched her in the mirror. “I just can’t get over the feeling I’ve met you,” she said.
“I don’t think so. This is the first trip I’ve made with Mr. Benson.” She was careful to keep her professionalism by not calling him Zach.
Rebecca tilted her head, and her brows drew closer together. “Where did you work before?”
“I was in Hawaii before. I didn’t make it away from the islands for a few years. I’m sure I resemble someone.”
“Perhaps.” She continued to stare.
Regan looked down at the outfit she’d put on. “I don’t know if I like this suit. Maybe I…”
Carlos turned and gave her an icy stare. “If you change one more time, I’m leaving your ass here. Now c’mon!” He strode out the door and to the car with her suitcase as she tried to lock the door and hurry down the stairs in her high heels.
They got into the car, and as he drove, she rummaged through her bag and did a verbal last-minute check of her carry-on bag for the tickets, contracts, reservations, and everything else she would need to do business in Dallas.
“You’re making me nervous,” Carlos said, “and all I have to do is push you out of the car.”
“I just want it all to be perfect. He doesn’t need anything to go wrong just because I’m by his side and not at the desk in his office.”
“What is it with women? You worry too much.”
When they reached the terminal, he pulled to the curb. He gathered her bags and set them on the sidewalk.
“Now, call if you need anything. Say no if you have to.” He gave her a supportive glance. “And damn it, Regan, let go a little and have some fun. The man is crazy about you, and you’re crazy about him.”
“I’m scared to death.” Her heart was racing and her hands shook. It would only take a word and Carlos would take her back home. But she wanted to do this.
“I know. You’ll be fine.” He kissed her on the cheek. “See you in a few days.”
When Regan’s plane landed in Dallas, she was giddy with anticipation and drenched in anxiety. It had been a week since she’d seen Zach, touched him, or kissed him. Within hours, he'd wrap her in his arms and make love to her.
She let out a steady breath as the plane taxied to the gate. So much for promises made to myself. She’d fallen head over heels in love with her boss. Again.
Regan followed the signs toward the baggage claim area, and there he was. Her suitcase already rested at his feet, a bouquet of daisies filled one hand, and a hot dog filled the other.
She kissed him first. “What is this?”
“Reminiscent of our first date.” He smiled and handed her the hot dog, and she took a bite. He gently took the rest of the hot dog, which was nothing to write home about, and dropped it into a trash can. “Okay, joke aside, let’s get some real food. I’m starving.”
He handed her the daisies, wrapped one arm around her as they walked away from the carousel, and pulled her luggage out to the limo that waited for them.
“This isn’t the car I booked.”
The driver opened the door for them. She climbed into the car, and Zach followed before the driver shut the door and put her luggage in the trunk.
She laughed as it pulled from the curb and Zach wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with his.
“I’ve been known to do a few things on my own.” Their tongues met and their breath quickened as he leaned her back on the seat.
“I thought we’d wait to get to the hotel.” Panic rose in her, fighting past the pleasure she felt as his lips slid over her throat and his hands explored her rib cage under her shirt.
“Appetizer.” He smiled as he caught her lip in his teeth, and she gasped.
When the car slowed, they gathered themselves back up. Regan did her best to straighten the blouse she wore and rake her fingers through her tousled hair.
He skimmed her cheek with his finger. “You’re beautiful.”
“Nothing like a teenage romp in the back of the limo on date night.”
“This was a romp? It’s been a while since you’ve had one, then.” His smile was seductive, and his laugh was damn sexy, even if he was laughing at her.
The door opened and the driver helped her out. She stood outside of a restaurant whose windows and doors were etched in gold trim and reflected the midday sun. Patrons in business suits walked in and out, busy on cell phones or talking to one another.
“We’re meeting clients. So, I promise to keep my hands and manners in check.” He touched her arm and pulled her closer to whisper in her ear. “But before the night is over, you’re mine.”
The sudden twinge in her chest made her want to run. Was it a promise or a threat? She told herself she had to stop worrying. He wasn’t going to hurt her.
There were four others at the table waiting for them. Regan hoped to God she looked okay and their little romp in the backseat hadn’t stolen all her professionalism.
“Zachary, how nice of you to join us.” The first man stood. He was tall, gangly, and as old as her father. He shook Zach’s hand and then hers before introducing the others at the table.
Regan sat next to Rebecca, the older gentleman’s assistant and only other woman at the table. Rebecca graciously made conversation while the men bantered about business.
“So you’re Zach’s new assistant?” she asked.
“Yes, I’ve been with him a little over a month.”
The woman nodded. “Mary Ellen had her baby, then?”
“Yes, that was on my first day. Her water broke right in the office.” She reached for a breadstick from the basket on the table. “She had a little girl. Cute as a button.”
With meals ordered, business went on around them. Regan caught a few names she recognized, and they filled her in on the plans for the ground breaking. All the while, Rebecca watched her with a thoughtful eye.
When the meal had ended, Regan excused herself to the ladies’ room. When she walked out to the sinks, Rebecca was there.
“They are such bores. I tell you, if I wasn’t getting paid to pay attention, I think I’d die of boredom,” she said as she fixed her lipstick.
Regan only smiled, but Rebecca still watched her in the mirror. “I just can’t get over the feeling I’ve met you,” she said.
“I don’t think so. This is the first trip I’ve made with Mr. Benson.” She was careful to keep her professionalism by not calling him Zach.
Rebecca tilted her head, and her brows drew closer together. “Where did you work before?”
“I was in Hawaii before. I didn’t make it away from the islands for a few years. I’m sure I resemble someone.”
“Perhaps.” She continued to stare.
