A Calculated Seduction

Chapter Eight

Dulcy glanced up at his sharp tone and realized he was angrier than she first thought. In fact, he looked ready to explode. And worse, it turned her on. It was crazy that all his moods seemed to arouse her.

“That’s borderline sexual harassment.” She crossed her arms.

“No, sexual harassment would be if I threatened your job. I’m not suggesting that. What I would like is you on my desk but there is no threat to your job if you disagree.” His eyes were almost black. “But coming back late from lunch with Anderson is not a good idea.”

“First of all, it really wasn’t a date.” He grunted but said nothing else. “And second of all, I needed a dress for Saturday night. That’s what I was doing at lunch and it took a little longer because I had to find shoes to match and a...” strapless bra. She didn’t want to tell him that though. It’s not like he would be seeing it. Well, probably not. No, he would not see it. Maybe.

“And a what, Miss Menendez?”

She cleared her throat. “Well, something I’d rather not talk about. Now that we seem to have that settled, I need to double check with the catering department at the hotel and make sure they have the final head count.”

As a dismissal, it was lame, but she couldn’t think of anything else while he stared at her mouth. Tingles crept down her spine as her whole body heated. Nervously, she licked her lips, then worried the bottom one. His nostrils flared and she remembered the night he’d stared at her lips.

“Stop it.”

He finally lifted his gaze. What she saw in those eyes sent another tumbling wave of heat through her, sinking into her belly, warming her skin from the inside out. Passion so hot, so unbearably raw, darkened his eyes. She had to get away from him, put some distance between them.

Turning abruptly, she sat behind her desk and tried her best to ignore him. She knew he studied her and she could feel the scrutiny as a whisper of hot breath on her skin. She had to ignore it. If she didn’t, she would fall for the man and he was way out of her league. Handling a warrior like Ethan took finesse and a lot of guts, neither of which she possessed in great quantities.

He walked past her desk, paused for just a second, and then continued to his office. She jumped when he slammed his door. She stuck her tongue out at the closed door.

Good, maybe if he stayed mad at her, he wouldn’t kiss her again. Because that wasn’t something she wanted. Not really. Unfortunately, she remembered the taste of his lips, the touch of his tongue against hers. Her shoulders slumped. She shouldn’t want to be kissed by him again, but she did. The way he looked at her, all that hot passion darkening his eyes...

She shifted in her chair. The ache between her legs increased. Mooning over the boss wasn’t a smart thing to do. She knew she would forget those kisses and his hands soon. But a little part of her didn’t want to forget. It had to be her hormones. Grumpy, yummy executives were not her type.

* * * *

Ethan paced his office. He couldn’t believe he’d made such an ass out of himself. Dulcy Menendez was just a suspect. He had been on his best behavior all day, but seeing her walk down the hall with Anderson...

He took a calming breath, but it did no good. Jealousy pumped through him when he relived Anderson brushing his lips against hers. It took every bit of control Ethan had left, and that wasn’t much, to keep from grabbing the slick dressed pretty boy and punching him. The memory of his smug smile and the proprietary arm on her shoulders boiled his blood.

His intercom buzzed, interrupting his vivid fantasy of breaking Anderson’s arm.

He strode to the desk and pressed the button.

“What?”

“Mr. MacMillan.”

He ground his teeth. The fact she could act so professional after that kiss rubbed him the wrong way. “Miss Menendez.”

“Mr. Denison is on line one.”

Without a word of thanks, he picked up the phone. “Todd, what did you find out?”

“Well, hello to you too, Ethan.” The amusement in his voice irritated Ethan.

“Don’t screw around with me and tell me what you have.”

“Pete Anderson has been working for the company for three years. Before that, he was employed by the family business.”

“And that would be?” Ethan bit out.

“Anderson Technologies.”

Ethan whistled. Anderson Tech was the one of the biggest software companies in Texas.

“Yeah. Apparently there was some kind of a rift between him and Daddy and he left. Y our Uncle Bill snapped him up. ”

“Good?”

“Well, yes. I mean he was trained by one of the best in the business. ”

“Why would he leave then? I mean, most people can put up with irritating relatives for a fortune like that.”

“Not sure. From what I’ve been able to find out, there was a huge argument. Pretty public, too. One thing though, you know this job doesn’t pay as much as what he was earning there.”

“His father cut him off without a cent?” Sounded like Ethan’s father.

“Sure did. But even without all that money, he has a pretty nice house in north Dallas.”

“Anything else?”

“No, other than your Miss Menendez, he’s had no steady women. ”

“She’s not my Miss Menendez.”

“Whatever you say, boss, but I’ve seen a picture of her.”

“What do you mean you’ve seen a picture of her?”

“It’s my job, boss, and I know your type. She’s your type.” The fact Todd knew him so well, aggravated his already rising temper. “So, dowdy little secretaries are my type?”

Todd chuckled. “A sure sign I stepped on your toes. I just thought it was interesting it took you so long to check her out.”

“I don’t pay you to think.”

He hung up without another word. Okay, so it wasn’t the most mature thing he’d ever done but he was ready to shout at his employee over the phone. That would be worse. He shoved both his hands through his hair and released an aggravated sigh. Something had to give, he just didn’t know how much longer he would last. Dulcy’s little rap sounded at the door and without waiting for an answer, she opened it. She was holding a file folder, her brow wrinkled in concern.

“We have a problem, Mr. MacMillan.”

He ground his teeth at the use of his last name, but let it go. “What’s up?”

“It seems a store out in Tucson special ordered three hundred red boots. Problem is, we shipped them three hundred red lace-up work boots. They needed them yesterday.”

“Three hundred red boots?”

“Yeah, some dance team wants them for their photos.”

“Okay, call down to shipping and see if they can get the order out tonight.”

Ten minutes later, Dulcy returned, her frown still in place. “We have them, but there’s another problem now.”

“What is it now?”

“It seems we’ve had some calls from several of our customers. All the orders have been screwed up.”

“Lord, it’s that new computer program.”

She nodded. “I guess we’ll be staying late?” Her brow raised in question.

He nodded and she left him alone. For the first time that day, his mind was on something other than Dulcy. He had to make sure he saved the reputation of the company.

* * * *

Six hours later, Ethan leaned back in his chair, massaging his neck. Tension thrummed inside his head and down his back.

“So, we’ll give you a twenty percent discount on those and ten percent on your next order.”

“Well,” said the store manager on the other end of the line, “I really appreciate this, Mr. MacMillan.”

“No, it’s I who am in your debt. The glitch in the new computer system has caused a whole load of problems. Thank you for your understanding.” And this was the tenth call he’d had to make.

Dulcy’s sharp little knock sounded and she entered, her crooked little smile in place. Instantly, some of the day’s stress melted away at the sight of her and his blood warmed.

She carried two white plastic bags and from the smells, she’d ordered food for the two of them. His stomach grumbled, reminding him he’d skipped lunch. As the manager droned on about his customers, he watched Dulcy empty the bags, then set up their dinner.

Her economical movements fascinated him. She was not overly graceful, but there was something about her. Something so innate in her gestures. Maybe it was her hands. They looked delicate and small, but able to handle just about anything thrown her way. Including sliding down his chest, past his abs and wrapping around his cock—

“Mr. MacMillan?” the manager asked.

“So sorry. It’s been a long day. I’m just glad we could sort this out for you.”

After a couple more attempts, he finally hung up.

“Chatty?” Dulcy asked. She’d pulled one of the two chairs in front of his desk closer and picked up a pair of chopsticks.

“Apparently, he was a little amazed I called. Me being the president and all,” he said with a smile.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I decided both of us deserved a break. ”

“No, don’t mind at all. What’d ya get?”

“Well, since I wasn’t sure what you liked and you were a little busy on the phone, I took the liberty of ordering a few things I liked. Some noodles, some dim sum, some sweet and sour and a few other things. Hope you’re hungry.”

“As long as there’s a fork.” She rummaged through one of the bags and handed him a fork and spoon.

“There’s some egg drop soup also. I can’t believe you don’t know how to eat with chopsticks. I figured a man like you would have learned at some time.”

He shoved a forkful of fried rice into his mouth and enjoyed the flavor of soy and garlic. “A man like me?”

“Well, you were in the military and I would describe you as a man of the world.”

“Well, I was stationed in some highly exotic places in the military. First, there was North and South Carolina. Highly interesting in their culture.”

She giggled and pulled out some noodles. “Well, I’ve only lived here in the Dallas Fort Worth area. So, South Carolina seems pretty exotic to me.”

“Would you like to live somewhere else?”

She thought about that while she ate some soup.

“Naw. I like it here the best. I thought at one time I might

relocate to Houston, but that all changed.” She shrugged. “Houston?” he asked, but before she could answer, the phone

rang.

“MacMillan.” As he dealt with yet another irate store manager

on the phone, Dulcy continued to eat. After a few minutes of the same promises of discounts, Ethan hung up the phone. “I don’t know if we’re going to make a profit this quarter.”

She smiled and attraction lit through him. Just her little smile and electricity jolted his nerves, his dick twitched and his heart almost stopped beating.

Good Lord, he had to stop this. The woman was attractive but he wasn’t in love with her. He had no need for petty emotions that ended up torn to pieces when real life intruded.

“You’ll make a profit. With Gerry endorsing us, we’ll make a ton of money. Do you want an egg roll?”

He nodded and she handed him one. “You said you almost relocated to Houston.”

“Yeah, well, I was thinking about transferring down there before my dad died. Afterwards, I dropped out of school, so I just stayed here.”

She just about buried her nose in the carton of food and he wasn’t going to let this go.

“Why were you thinking of going down there in the first place?”

“My fiancé attended school in Houston. I’d thought to join him. ”

“What happened to him?”

“He left as soon as he found out my money wasn’t coming anytime soon.”

“Oh. ”

She still avoided meeting his eyes. “You can understand why I might be uncomfortable talking about it.”

“No, I really can’t.”

Her head snapped up and anger lit her eyes. “So you don’t think I should be embarrassed to be dumped by my boyfriend?”

“But he wasn’t your boyfriend, he was your fiancé, and he’s the one who should be embarrassed.”

“Oh, and why is that?”

“He was only dating you for money. There has to be something wrong with him.”

A moment of silence filled the office, then she laughed out loud. “That’s what your uncle said.”

“Well, my uncle was right.”

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. “So what are you going with all that money?”

“I’m impressed. Not many people know about that, other than Pete.” He ground his teeth at the sound of the man’s name.

“Uncle Bill told me.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess he would know. W ell, I plan on starting a fund to help with cancer research. Granted, I want some of the money myself but I really don’t need much to live on.”

“You plan on running a charity fund with your money?”

“In a way, I guess it is but a lot of the money will be used for research. Some of it will be used to generate more money. Oh, and later, I plan on expanding it into a camp for families of cancer victims. I’m thinking of calling it the Shelly Menendez Cancer Fund for Research.”

For a second, it didn’t register. This woman simply could not be helping an embezzler. She was about to inherit a load of money and she planned on starting a research fund in her mother’s name. No way. Didn’t add up. Something was wrong with the picture, he thought as relief flowed through him. She had to be innocent.

“Did your mother die of cancer?”

A flash of sadness darkened her eyes. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her it would be okay. He wanted to kiss away the painful memories.

“Yes. It was horrible. She lasted for months after they said she would die. Daddy always said the woman was more stubborn than any mule he met.”

“Well, it seems her daughter took after her.”

A smiled curved her lips. “Are you calling me stubborn?” A hint of flirtation colored her voice and it sent his hormones into overdrive. He shifted in his chair, trying to relieve the pressure in his balls. He’d never heard her use that tone with anyone before.

“ Yes, I think I was.”

She laughed. “Well you and my daddy would have agreed with that one.”

That one little laugh had his heart bumping against his chest at hyperspeed. He decided he needed distance away from this confusing woman.

“I think you deserve a break, Dulcy. Go on home. I’ll field any problems that might come up.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah. And thanks.”

“For what?”

“Dinner and the conversation.”

“Anytime, Mr. MacMillan.”

Once she was gone, he wondered exactly if she knew he planned on calling her bluff on the offer.

* * * *

Friday night, Dulcy smiled at her nephew, Richy, as he waited in front of the microwave for the popcorn. He’d brought his latest favorite DVD and he was excited to share it with her.

“It’ll ding when it’s ready.”

“I know,” he said with the confidence of an eight-year-old. She shook her head, amused with him. If her sister had ever done anything right, it was giving birth to her son and fighting for custody. Golden-haired and green eyed, he was the spitting image of his mother. Although small for his age, his laid-back personality made him a popular boy.

She retrieved a couple of glasses, filling them with iced tea. The microwave dinged and Richy opened the door and grabbed the bag.

“Be careful. The bag’s hot,” she warned. He scoffed as he opened the bag carefully and dumped its contents into a bowl. She knew she treated him like he was a baby, but she really couldn’t believe how grown up he was. Pretty soon, he’d want nothing to do with his goofy single aunt.

She followed him into the living room and they curled up on the couch under an afghan she’d knitted with her grandmother.

“So Mom says you have a hot date Saturday night.” The disdain in his voice almost made her laugh, but the serious expression on his face stopped her.

“No. I’m going with my boss to the Gala welcoming Gerry to the company.”

“Mom thinks you have a hot date with Mr. Bill?”

She chuckled at the horrified expression on his face. “No, sweetie, I’m accompanying my new boss, Bill’s nephew.”

The previews flashed on the screen but Richy really didn’t seem interested in them. He munched on his popcorn and took a few sips of tea.

“So, I guess he’s kinda young?” She nodded, wondering at the concern she saw in his eyes. “It’s just that...well except for your friend Pete, you never go out with guys. Now you’re going out with this guy, and...I don’t like it.”

Realization hit her over the head. Every time her sister had a new man, she dropped Richy anywhere she could. His father, a workaholic, would pass him around relatives. She knew she’d been his only constant.

“Richy, first of all, I’m not dating him. And, secondly, you never have to worry about where you stand with me. I will always be there for you.” She never looked away from his eyes. The worry vanished with her promise, a smile lightening his features.

“Now, let’s get to watching this movie.”

* * * *

“Nothing else?” Ethan asked Todd late Friday night. Still angry with himself and Dulcy, he’d stayed late at the office, trying to find something to nail lover boy on. He usually didn’t take such a strong dislike to someone, but there was something about him. Probably the fact Ethan had spent the last five hours trying to figure out whether or not Pete Anderson had slept with Dulcy.

“No. Of course, if he left his daddy’s company because of embezzling, it could be in an offshore account.”

“Hmm.” He wandered around his office while Todd droned on about the procedure to find those bank accounts. Something had been wrong with Dulcy. She’d been mad at his accusations but...maybe she’d been trying to get him out of her hair.

“And if we can get it through those...” Todd continued, but Ethan barely paid attention. He sat behind her desk and began shuffling things around. What did she do today?

“Locked her desk!”

“What?” Todd asked.

“She locked her desk today. Hold on.”

He never remembered her locking her desk before today. Setting the phone on the desk, he grabbed her letter opener and jimmied the door open. Nothing in the first drawer.

He opened her file drawers and his heart dropped. There in the front of her files was a print out of all the current accounts and their balances.