The Bargain Page 2

  “Seven it is.”

  He offered up silent thanks as he followed her out of the office.

  Chapter Two

  Please let me get through this.

  Tara had been in an agony of indecision while getting dressed, discarding items, then pulling them back out again.

  This just a business dinner. That’s all. Don’t think it’s anything else.

  But she couldn’t get rid of the flutter in her stomach. Just looking at Cole Cassidy made her nipples harden, her pussy dampen, and the muscles in her entire body tighten. It had taken a lot of discipline to put out of her mind the erotic dreams that left her shaking and go to work each day as if her boss were just a cardboard figure.

  Yeah, right.

  It wasn’t as if she was looking for a relationship, for heaven’s sake. Been there, done that. She and Mike had been on the verge of divorce when he’d been killed, and she’d sworn off men after that dismal experience. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t indulge in fantasies about one fantastic, erotic night with Cole Cassidy.

  If she didn’t get over this, she’d have to look for another job. Maybe her mistake was taking the job even though her body went into sensual overload after the first time she’d seen him. But the pay Cole Cassidy offered was good and the work really interesting.

  When he got married, it put him safely out of her reach. But now he was a widower with an infant daughter. So of course the dreams had come back with stunning force.

  Cut it out and get dressed or you won’t have a chance to find out what he wants.

  Finally settling on a silk blouse and skirt she knew matched the blue of her eyes, she’d been fastening her earrings when the doorbell rang promptly at seven. She swallowed a gasp at the sight of Cole in a dark gray shirt, white on white shirt and paler gray tie. God, the man was too sexy for his own good. For her good.

  “Ready?”

  His smile was a little strained, and all her original nervousness surged forward again. She swallowed and forced a smile. “Absolutely.”

  Soon, they were at the restaurant. The maitre d’ showed them to a corner table, bowed them into their seats, shook open their napkins and quietly handed them menus. Tara’s palms sweated and her pulse raced, as much from nervousness as from sexual attraction, as she looked at the man across from her. She tried to ignore the strained look on Cole’s face and let the quiet, elegant air of the restaurant work its magic on her. The polite tinkle of crystal sounded faintly in the air, punctuated by the genteel clink of silverware. Underneath it, muted conversation hummed at tables where carved tapers flickered in Waterford candlesticks, bathing the diners in a warm, amber glow.

  “I’ve always loved this place,” she said, thinking she should attempt conversation. “I don’t get to come here as often as I used to, though. Thank you for choosing it.” She rearranged her napkin in her lap and wet her lips. “And you’re right about them serving the best steak in town.”

  “Score two points for the good guys.” Cole grinned back at her, but the expression looked forced.

  The knot in Tara’s stomach grew to enormous proportions. This must be something terrible for him to be so uptight. Was he going to fire her? Surely, he wouldn’t take her out to a fancy dinner to do it.

  “Too bad none of the men you date are smart enough to bring you here,” he added.

  She looked across at him then down at the table, her mouth suddenly dry. “I don’t date, Cole.”

  “I’m sure that disappoints a large part of the male population.”

  Tara smiled politely, avoided commenting and focused on the menu. She gave the waiter a weak smile as he took her order. A strained silence stretched between them as they worked their way through the meal, Tara taking tiny bites of food, Cole merely pushing his around on his plate.

  Cole stared at his dinner companion. She was such an obvious choice for his plan, the most together woman he had ever met. Very little rattled her. She was equally at home with corporate clients as she was with the construction crew. He saw her as the perfect combination of silk and steel. And he was sure she wouldn’t demand any kind of personal relationship with him. Yes, she was exactly what he needed to stop his life from unraveling further. Except he’d avoided the subject all through the meal, suddenly unsure of how to begin.

  Now, the meal was over, and he was still stalling.

  “Coffee?” He raised his eyebrows.

  “Yes, thank you.” She looked at the waiter. “Some of your fabulous Spanish coffee, please.”

  Her choice surprised Cole. He wouldn’t have expected her to order something quite so exotic. He tucked this little fact away among all the other little things he didn’t know about her, things he would have to learn. He hoped none of them held a trap for him to fall into.

  “Just the French roast for me,” he said.

  He leaned back in his chair, studying Tara, and Sean’s words popped into his mind. His brother was right—the woman was stunning. She was maybe five foot four, but the heels she wore tonight added another three inches to her height. And her figure! Why hadn’t he ever noticed it before? All he’d seen when he’d looked at her was a female in jeans and shirt who efficiently handled everything he and Jake threw at her.

  But the work clothes apparently had disguised a body with lush, feminine curves and a graceful line of neck and chin. The light from the candles on their table reflected the tawny highlights in her abundant, coffee-colored hair, whose thickness she ruthlessly tamed into a French braid every day. It warmed her almost translucent skin, accenting her high cheekbones and delicate lips. Her eyes were warm brown pools of liquid chocolate with tiny flecks of gold in the irises, the most expressive part of her face. The light jasmine scent she wore drifted across to him and teased at his nose. An image of her graceful legs as she’d walked out of her house zapped his mind, but he suppressed it with great determination.

  Shit. She’s beautiful. I should have insisted we go someplace casual so she couldn’t change out of her office clothes. She’d still be an anonymous female with excellent skills.

  Maggie had been a carbon copy of all the other women in his life—exotic women who were striking and out of the ordinary. In contrast, Tara’s beauty was understated but incandescent. It should have made her less attractive to him, but unfortunately for his plans, she stirred something long buried in him. He had an unexpected urge to release her coffee-colored hair from its braid, let it tumble about her shoulders and run his fingers through it.

  Damn! An unexpected stirring of desire, a heaviness in his groin that hadn’t been there for a long time, shocked him.

  What the hell?

  “Have I spilled something?” Tara asked, checking her blouse and brushing at an invisible spot.

  He frowned. “No. Why?”

  “You’re staring at me with the most peculiar expression.”

  “Sorry.” He twirled his wine glass, the liquid nearly sloshing out. “Just lost in my own thoughts.”

  “They must be pretty heavy.” She grinned. “You look as if the world is weighing on you.”

  “I’m sorry.” He sat up straighter in his chair, his mind working furiously. He was nervous as hell, a condition he wasn’t used to. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake with this. Or let his unexpectedly awakened libido lead him astray. He wiped his perspiring palms on his pant legs.

  Tara hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to come out of her self-imposed shell and use her rusty social skills. Her catastrophic marriage had made her withdraw into herself. At work, she could look at all the men—Cole, Jake, Sean and the others as sexless individuals. She did her job, and they were part of it. Period. But Cole’s overpowering presence crowded her, and all she could think of was how she could go back to pretending he didn’t make her panties wet or invade her dreams hot and naked. And how she would do her job after this. Maybe it would be better after all if he fired her.

  Something was making him uneasy tonight, though, and it piqued her intere
st. It was so unusual for him. Whatever it was, she wished he’d get to it. And quickly.

  “Tara.”

  “Yes?” Okay. Was this finally it?

  He cleared his throat. “You’d say we’re a good team in the office, wouldn’t you? We’ve developed a good working rhythm? We almost have a better relationship than some marriages.”

  What? Where was this going

  “You do such a great job,” he continued. “I don’t know how I ever got things accomplished before you came along. Alamo owes you a great deal.”

  “Thank you.” She pushed away the remains of her coffee, suddenly losing her taste for the sweet drink and took a deep breath. “This is very nice, your compliments are wonderful, the dinner was great and I’m enjoying the evening. But I have no idea what’s on your mind. What’s going on here, Cole? What’s so important you had to ask me to dinner?”

  Cole swallowed the last of his coffee and set his cup down with careful precision.

  “You’re right. It’s time I got to it.”

  Tara waited, forcing herself to sit quietly, even while her pulse began to accelerate. Something was definitely up, and something about Cole’s attitude unnerved her.

  He cleared his throat again. “I know that you lost a child when your husband was killed, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

  How the hell did he know that? It was carefully guarded information. I wanted a child, but not Mike’s. Not something I can tell a stranger.

  “What I wondered…that is, I wanted to know…” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “If the opportunity to have a child were presented to you, would you take it? Would it interest you?”

  Tara stared at him. Now, she was really confused. What did this have to do with work?

  She blinked. “Excuse me?”

  The air between them was suddenly so thick a saw couldn’t have cut it.

  Tara dropped her napkin on the table and pushed back her chair back. “I think I’d like to go home now.”

  “Wait, please.” Cole reached across the table and placed his hand on her arm. “I’m doing this badly. Just hear me out, okay?”

  She nodded but withdrew her arm, the heat of his hand searing her skin through the silk fabric of her blouse.

  “You know I have a two-month-old infant,” he began. “I haven’t done very well with her since Maggie’s death. The circumstances are somewhat difficult.”

  “Difficult?”

  What could be so difficult about raising a child? she wondered. Not to mention the fact she had a hard time imagining this sexy as sin man with a child to begin with.

  “My fault, nobody else’s,” he continued. “I can’t seem find a housekeeper, and my situation’s desperate.”

  Tara frowned. “Did you want me to check out some agencies? Really, Cole, you didn’t have to take me to dinner to ask me that. I’d be happy to help.”

  Cole shook his head. “No, that’s not it at all. I know people who’ve had really serious problems hiring through an agency. I don’t really trust strangers, and I don’t think I’d be comfortable having one live in my house. It hasn’t worked so far.”

  “Cole, please. Enough. Just get to the point here.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t usually botch things this badly. Okay, here’s the deal.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Tara, I’m asking you to marry me.”

  Tara stared at Cole, speechless. If he’d asked her to take off her clothes, she couldn’t have been more shocked. Of all the things she might have expected, this wasn’t even on the radar. Cold liquid dripping on her skirt startled her, and she realized she’d knocked over her water glass.

  “I’m sorry.” Her face flamed, heat suffusing her skin.

  Cole jumped up from his seat, agitation lining his face. “Here. Let me help you.”

  She brushed away his hand, blotting at her skirt with her napkin. “Thank you. I can handle it. I’m sorry for being so clumsy.”

  He stood so close to her his arm was touching hers. The spicy scent of his aftershave, the heat radiating from his body, his overpowering masculinity threatened to suffocate her, and for a moment, she couldn’t catch her breath. This was not the time for arousal to take over her senses. She needed a clear head to understand this totally unexpected situation. Then he moved, and she breathed again.

  “Please don’t apologize.” His voice was tight. “I know this has to be a shock to you.”

  ”Now there’s an understatement for you.” She waved her hand at him. “Please sit down. I’m fine.”

  No, I’m not, but it won’t help if you hover over me.

  She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Cole, is this some kind of joke? If so, it’s not very funny.”

  “I assure you there’s nothing humorous about it.” His voice was earnest, pleading. “I want to make a bargain with you. Exchange of goods for services.”

  Her head was spinning. “A bargain?”

  He nodded. “I have a child who needs permanence in her life. I can’t give it to her. I can’t tell you why so you’ll just have to accept that. I know you’ve been worried about your father and his health problems. And I’m sure he’s concerned about taking care of your mother, since he can no longer work. Alamo Construction has done very well, as you know. I propose to take care of your parents financially in exchange for you serving as the child’s mother. And my hostess on occasion.”

  Tara’s pulse accelerated. Hostess. His hostess. What else would he expect?

  “As I said, this would be strictly a business arrangement,” Cole went on to assure her. “You could hire someone to do the cleaning and laundry. I certainly wouldn’t expect that of you. It would be nice if we could have dinner together, maybe share some time on the weekend, but that’s strictly up to you.”

  “Dinner.” She tried to follow everything he said. “Weekends.”

  “Yes. Sometimes, I go out to visit Jake and Lindsey at their ranch. Jake and I have known each other since our days at the University of Texas, and we’ve been a good fit as partners in the business. You’ve probably been able to see that.”

  “Yes. That’s true.” Lindsey Varner was a sweet-faced blonde, and she and Jake were so obviously in love the air around them nearly crackled with flames when they were in the same room.

  “She’s really domesticated Jake. I think you’d enjoy spending time with them if you wanted to come along.” He shifted in his chair, nervously crossing and uncrossing his legs. “There might even be other things we find we’d enjoy doing together.”

  “We’d be the same as housemates.” She couldn’t believe she was sitting here so outwardly calm, discussing this outrageous proposition. A bargain, he’d said.

  “Yes.” He actually smiled. “Housemates. A good description. You’d have your own room. Your entire focus would be on the child.” He shifted his gaze away. “Of course, there’d be no expectation of intimacy.”

  Intimacy. The word brought her up short. If she said yes to this, they’d be living together. No going home at five o’clock. How on earth would she share a house with a man she lusted after without ever letting it show?

  And what did he plan to do about sex? He wasn’t the kind to cheat on his wife, real or otherwise, with a series of discreet affairs. But he also was a man known for his strong sexuality. How would that factor into things?

  She looked at him and saw the sexy man as he appeared to the rest of the world—dangerous, dark and edgy. Eyes so black you could fall into them, framed by thick lashes. A square, masculine jaw set off his sensuous lips. The six-foot-four lean, muscular body was topped by a head of thick black hair that framed a rugged-looking face. He had a powerful presence that dominated every room he entered. His graceful movements belied the coiled energy that lay just below the surface. He was like a panther, always poised to leap. Even dressed in his usual outfit of jeans and work shirt he lost none of the power of his presence. “I’ll take care of the bills,” she heard him say, “but you’ll be in charge o
f everything else—the running of the house, normal chores and activities —those kinds of things. And the child. Especially the child. She’d be your primary focus.”

  “I see.”

  “We’d have an agreement so that if it happened not to work out you’d suffer no financial hardship.” He looked down at his hands. “I had my attorney draw one up just in case you agreed.”

  She looked at him for a long time. Finally, she said in a flat tone, “You want to hire a wife.”

  He gave a short laugh. “It sounds so cold when you put it that way, but yeah, I guess that’s what I’m asking.”

  “And how many others have you interviewed?”

  “No one else.” His voice was stiff. “Tara, I didn’t mean to offend you in any way. I…”

  “It’s all right.” She smiled tightly. “I’m just…stunned and not quite sure what to say.” She took a sip of water, trying to collect her thoughts. “Cole, if you’re so concerned about your daughter, why do you refer to her as ‘the child’? Why don’t you ever use her name? And why don’t you want to play any role in her care?”Lines of misery were etched on his face. “Please believe me when I say I can’t tell you that. Tara, you’ve only known me for two years, but I think we can take the measure of each other. Can I just ask you to trust me on this when I say there’s a real need here and not ask any questions?”

  Tara was shocked at the amount of pain in his words. What kind of tragedy had he faced that he couldn’t deal with a tiny child? She spread her hands.

  “How can I make such a life-changing decision without all the facts in place? And why me?” That was the real question. “Surely there must be others you’d consider. I’d think you could have your pick of a dozen women. A hundred.”

  “You overestimate my present market value.” A tight smile twisted his lips. “Especially these days. In any event, they would demand a commitment from me that I’m unwilling to make.”

  “Ah.” Understanding dawned. “The intimacy issue.”

  “Among other things.” He thought about where his libido had gotten him before. In his present state of mind, he was sure he could live without sex for the rest of his life.