Stacy Connelly - Temporary Boss...Forever Husband

Could’ve had it all …

Nathan might not have been much of a father, but he had taught Zach lessons he refused to forget. He didn’t make mistakes. He wouldn’t let anyone get in the way of the goals he’d set for himself—not Riana Collins’s unwanted attention and certainly not his own equally unwanted interest in Allison Warner.

Hoping to cover the too-personal act, Zach immediately launched into a history of Collins Jewelers—the high-end stores in Chicago and New York. The A-list celebrities who wore the designs to red carpet events. The attention handling the account would garner Knox Security.

He didn’t mention his own goal for winning the account—gaining the edge he would need to convince the board he was the right man for the VP of Sales position.

In his hurry to get his thoughts back on track, he hadn’t realized he was half a step ahead of Allison until she mumbled something he didn’t quite catch. Slowing until she fell in step beside him, he asked, “What was that?”

“Everyone at Knox has been talking about this deal so …” Her voice trailed off, and she shrugged as if making an embarrassed confession. “I went online and did some research.”

Zach stopped short. “You did?”

The extra work showed an initiative Zach hadn’t expected. Allison was a short-term temp, filling in as a receptionist. She smiled and laughed, made their clients feel welcome and drove him to distraction. She answered phones, transferred calls, and offered coffee until the meetings started and the real work began. She said herself she had no ambition to move up, only a desire to move on, so why would she take the time to research one of Knox’s potential clients when she’d be out the door before he signed the contract?

“I ran James Collins through a search engine or two,” she said almost defensively. “But it’s not like that’s going to help tonight.”

“Right. Going into a business meeting prepared isn’t the least bit useful.”

Allison’s eyebrows rose in challenge. “Well, it certainly isn’t why you asked me to come.”

After the shock he’d failed to hide, there was little point arguing otherwise. And she was right. He hadn’t asked her to tag along because of her brilliant mind. He’d hoped Allison’s presence might dissuade Riana, but deep down, he also had a backup plan. One he really hadn’t thought he would need, so he’d ignored just how risky it might be. Kind of like being on a cruise and knowing those flotation vests lined the ship’s railing in case of an emergency, but really … how many people gave a second thought to having to use one?

No one did. Not until the ship started to go under.

And with the look in Allison’s eyes and the awareness eddying around them, drawing them closer with each pass, Zach could definitely feel himself starting to sink. All before he’d even put his suddenly dubious plan into motion.

“So what exactly are you expecting from me?”

If a third wheel wasn’t enough to dissuade Riana, he’d thought he might hint his relationship with Allison wasn’t strictly business. But what had seemed like a solid plan less than an hour ago now seemed much more like navigating through stormy, turbulent seas than smooth sailing.

“Like you said, I need someone to run interference.”

“Okay, but who am I supposed to be?”

“You’re not supposed to be anyone, Allie.” He didn’t know what it was about the use of the nickname that curved her lips into a small smile, but he could have kicked himself for using it. Allison. Her name’s Allison. He didn’t need to add to a sense of familiarity by giving her a nickname. He’d be better off calling her Ms. Warner. “You’re a business associate.”

Her dark blond brows rose higher, more eloquent and expressive than any long-winded argument could be. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she read his mind and … “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He stepped closer to move out of the way of another couple headed for the door.

Dressed in business attire with their arms linked together, the woman’s head on the man’s shoulder, the pair appeared to be doing exactly what he and Allison were not doing —slipping away after work for a romantic rendezvous.

Allison glanced at the couple with one of those looks that women get at the end of romantic movies, all misty-eyed and sappy, like happily-ever-after actually occurred in real life. But then she looked back at him, and Zach wondered if he’d only imagined the moment. Her gaze sharpened to a needle-fine point, perfect for pinning him to a board and …

“What? Enjoying watching you squirm? Just a little,” she said with a smile that said more than a little. “But do you really think my being here will have any effect on Riana Collins as long as she believes it’s strictly business between us?”

Zach was right. She was enjoying this too much, but Allison couldn’t seem to help herself. She knew, of course, anything this fun couldn’t possibly be good for her and might end up biting her in the end, but she couldn’t see how. After all, she had two, maybe three days left working with Zach. She’d move on to her next temp job, and Zach would still be at Knox Security, reaching higher than ever.

So what harm could a not-to-be-missed fantasy of dating Zach Wilder do?

Allison had her answer a second later when Zach’s glower changed into something less dark yet even more dangerous. “You’re right. Riana isn’t the type to accept a subtle brush-off, and she knows I’m not the kind of man who mixes business with pleasure,” he admitted. His voice lowered to a murmur that did more than heat up Allison’s thoughts as he leaned closer and added, “But working with you, day after day, I found myself holding my breath to catch the sound of your voice, making excuses to walk by your desk just to see you smile, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I could no longer resist….”

His words trailed into a silence filled with endless possibilities before he asked, “Is that something Riana might believe?”

Allison swallowed hard. “Um, yeah, that—” She cleared her throat. “That might be convincing.”

She didn’t know about Riana Collins, but for thirty seconds, Zach had her completely convinced! Even now, standing so close, the faint, tantalizing smell of his aftershave tempted her to move closer. To not just breathe in the scent from the air, but to seek it out on the warmth of his skin. Allison’s pulse pounded in her ears like a bass line blaring through the speakers of a tricked out car. Her whole body should have been trembling from the reverberations. “So … I guess the only question now is how obvious do we need to be?”

His gaze dropped to her lips, and Allison unconsciously ran her tongue over her lower lip as if she could already taste Zach there. Kissing her wouldn’t be subtle at all. Kissing her would be obvious, bold, unquestionable … It would also be unnecessary since Riana Collins was nowhere around. But with the thought already in her mind, her own focus drifted from the desire darkening Zach’s eyes to his mouth.

What kind of kisser would he be? If his technique matched his personality, the kiss would be quick, to the point, no messing around. And yet somehow Allison doubted it. Although she’d never seen a more personal side to Zach, the skip in her pulse and quickening heartbeat told her he knew how to kiss.

“Allie …”

The rough murmur of her name brushed against her nerve endings. It didn’t even matter that she’d hated the nickname ever since her sister had started calling her “Allie-cat” back in the second grade. Heart pounding, Allison waited for Zach to lower his head. She swayed slightly, drawn closer by an almost undeniable attraction.

“Zach?” The sultry female voice should have come from Allison, but words were frozen in her dry throat, and not since a bout with laryngitis a few years ago had her voice sounded that husky.

It took Zach a moment to focus on a point over Allison’s shoulder. Only because she stood so close did she hear his disgruntled sigh. “Obvious,” he muttered as he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “Very obvious.”

Allison’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the woman walking toward them. When Zach said Riana Collins wasn’t used to hearing the word no, Allison had assumed that was because the heiress to the Collins jewelry empire was rich and spoiled. She hadn’t expected the reason to be because the woman was completely irresistible.

Dressed in a vibrant red skirt and jacket that hugged her curves, Riana Collins looked like an exotic supermodel. Black hair fell to her shoulders in a razor-straight style that emphasized her high cheekbones, smoky eyes and full red lips. Diamonds glittered at her ears and wrist, silently if not subtly promoting the family business. As the woman drew closer, Allison realized that wasn’t the only advertising the woman did. She’d seen Riana, draped in gemstones and little else, in ads for Collins Jewelers.

This was the woman Zach was turning down—all for the sake of a business deal.

If Allison didn’t know better, she might have thought Zach was hardwired with all the emotion and passion of a computer’s CPU. But there’d been those few, brief moments when she’d seen the flare of attraction in his eyes, the desire of a flesh-and-blood man.

There was no sign of that man now as he greeted the stunning brunette. “Riana.” His voice couldn’t have sounded more professional if it had been a prerecorded phone message. His expression was equally polite, yet remote despite the obvious come-on in the woman’s gaze. “So good to see you.”

“You, too, Zach.” Smoke turned to ash when Riana looked at Allison. “I didn’t realize you’d be bringing anyone tonight.”

“I’ve mentioned how eager Knox is to do business with you and your father.” Sliding his hand to the small of her back, Zach brought Allison forward. “Naturally, we’ve brought out our best.”

Hoping Riana Collins didn’t ask best what, since she doubted the title of Best Temporary Receptionist would impress the woman, Allison held out her hand. “Allison Warner. Pleased to meet you, Ms. Collins.”

Riana Collins looked less than pleased, an expression that didn’t change as they entered the restaurant and followed the hostess to a secluded table obviously meant for two. A third place was hastily set. Zach kept Allison at his side, pulling out the chair to his right.

She might have expected the other woman to have a better chance of holding his attention, seated directly across from him. But he never failed to meet Allison’s gaze before glancing at Riana, just like he never missed an opportunity to rest his hand on the back of her chair or brush his fingers against hers on the table.

At first, Allison thought Zach had decided to be subtle after all, only to quickly realize how wrong she was. The hand on her shoulder could have been a casual, business-related touch—until his thumb stroked the skin along her collarbone. And while even that small gesture might have seemed subtle, the shiver that raced down her spine like a quake down a fault line was anything but.

Judging by Riana’s narrowed gaze, the woman had picked up on the aftershock.

After the first few minutes of small talk, discussing the menu and giving their orders to the waiter, Zach turned his attention to business. Riana nodded in all the appropriate places as Zach explained the different security options Knox offered; she even asked an informed question or two.