10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
R owan stared at the flames, more confused than she’d been in her entire life. Gerard was proving to be the quintessential host. He’d cooked a perfect steak with asparagus, both on the grill. She didn’t even realize you could cook vegetables on the grill. Outdoor barbecuing was as much in her wheelhouse as baking a soufflé.
Her salad kept pace, though. She’d been very happy to see the fridge stocked with a variety of greens and vegetables, as well as the makings for her signature homemade honey mustard dressing.
Away from the building they worked in, Gerard’s charm was evident. The perfect host, which presented a growing problem for Rowan. More and more, she wanted him to be not quite so perfect, maybe make a mistake. Or, even better, give her an indication about whether he still felt any tug in her direction. She’d said no to him twice now; though, that hadn’t been easy. Had Gerard given up on anything happening between them?
Gerard added another piece of wood to the campfire and sat back down in the chair near, but not too near, her. Something that had begun to both frustrate her and fill her with gratitude. Starting a fling with her boss was traveling down a path that meant nothing good for her. If only she could convince her traitorous body of that.
“Dinner was amazing. Thank you again,” she said.
“I only grilled steaks and asparagus. Easy to do.”
“Not for me. And you seasoned both to perfection.”
“Again, not much effort involved. Your salad was the coup de grace, especially that dressing.” He waggled a finger at her. “You were holding out on me about your talents.”
She warmed under the rare compliment.
“I noticed there’s a cheesecake in the refrigerator,” he said.
She rubbed her overfull belly. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”
“Me, either. Plus, I’m not much of a sweets person.”
No, but you can be very sweet, she thought. “I do have a sweet tooth, but I generally pass on dinner and go right to dessert if I’m going to indulge.”
He stared at her, his mouth open just the tiniest bit, showing his surprise. “That is not healthy.”
Rowan laughed. “No, but it is so satisfying. Thankfully, I don’t do it very often.”
“You live life according to your own rules, don’t you?”
“Well, sure. Otherwise, I’m living someone else’s life.” She cocked her head. “Don’t you do the same thing?”
“Not as much as you might think,” he said.
The wistful edge to his voice tugged at Rowan. She wanted to do a deep-dive into what made the man tick.
Danger, Will Robinson. Danger. The quote, from an old science fiction show, reminded her once again that her boss was not for her. Besides, he dated models and starlets. She had curves in all the wrong places and a bit too many of them.
“Penny for your thoughts,” he said, sneaking into her reality like soft cashmere.
Uh, nope. Not telling you those. She hedged. “Something you mentioned earlier keeps nagging at me. What do you think about skewing the entire Scott proposal toward family, making it personal, and using actual employees.”
He turned his chair so he could look at her, managing to scoot closer in the process. “Like how?”
“Just brainstorming here, but themes like ‘from our family to yours,’ or ‘securing your family’s future,’ or even ‘we’ll protect—or grow—your assets like they’re family.’”
“I like that last one. I think that’s a great idea.” He touched her arm for a brief moment, and a warmth that had nothing to do with the firelight spread through her.
“Thank you.” Rowan was enjoying herself but couldn’t stifle a yawn.
“We’ve had a long day,” he said, standing up. “How about we sleep on it and attack this first thing in the morning.”
He held out his hand to help her up, and Rowan reminded herself that she’d drawn the line, and he’d honored that. Any good host would offer assistance. That warmth she felt didn’t translate to him. He was only being kind.
She pulled her hand from his, wishing she didn’t have to. “I can usually burn the midnight oil, but tonight, I’m done in.”
“It’s the altitude and clean mountain air,” he said, grinning.
“What about the fire?”
“I’m more used to the altitude. I’ll stay out here for a while longer and watch it burn down.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to do some work on the bid tonight?”
Gerard stepped toward her. When he reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Rowan froze, her heart racing. Maybe he hadn’t completely given up on the attraction between them. She wanted time to stand still, but he dropped his hand to his side. “Go sleep. Tomorrow is soon enough.”
She nodded and headed for the A-frame. At the sliding glass door, she glanced back. He stood facing the fire, head down, hands in his pockets. In that moment, he seemed the loneliest man in the world, and it hurt to see him so vulnerable. Rowan hurt for him. Letting go of the door and taking a step toward him, she stopped. This wasn’t something she could fix. They didn’t know each other well enough for that. Pressing her palm to her chest to stop the ache, she went inside and into her room. Closing the door behind her, she told her brain she was closing the door to her heart at the same time. And throwing away the key.
She locked the bathroom doors and got ready for bed, running the day over and over in her head. Gerard was not her type, and she’d do well to remember that. Except when he tucked her hair behind her ear. A vision of how things might be in different circumstances drew a need from her so strong it made her weak in the knees.
Sleep did not come easily that night. She’d been in bed quite a while before she heard him come inside and climb up to the loft. She tossed and turned, her mind awhirl, her heart and body wanting to throw caution to the wind and join him.
The night passed slowly, filled with unsated wishes and having to remind herself over and over again why following those desires was a horrible idea. Rowan fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, beyond tired. Yet her body, used to early rising, was wide awake by seven. She lay there, hearing no movement, surprised that Gerard still slept. Had his night been as rough as hers? She wanted to wish that it was.
Get a grip, girl. She needed action. Throwing back the covers, she grabbed the running gear she’d stowed in her suitcase at the last minute and changed. Then, quiet as a mouse, she crept through the house and out the front door.
She drew in a deep breath. The clean, fresh smell here was so different. Evergreens fragranced the air, wildflowers graced the low areas. Beauty abounded, and she planned to embrace it, at least until they got down to work.
Taking a couple minutes to stretch, she struck out at a good jog, sticking to the road, but chose to head uphill to see what she hadn’t seen as they drove in yesterday. It didn’t take long for her to slow, then drop to a walk, huffing for breath. Recognizing that she’d need to get used to this altitude before she could exert herself more, Rowan was content just to walk. This was a different world, and she could see why Gerard came here to ground himself.
She glanced at her watch. She’d been up for over an hour, and not once had she thought about work. Wow. When had that last happened to her? Before college, to be sure. She’d been driven all through school, and once out in the working world, she’d applied all her energy to making a success of her career. She had friends and went out to blow off steam, but she’d done exactly what she’d accused Gerard of—neglected finding any balance in her life.
Rowan made a pledge: As soon as this bid was done and submitted, that would change. She’d find time to get out of the city, to spend time in the country. A friend had told her about a wonderful ranch close to Sacramento. Maybe she’d check it out, learn to ride horses.
Satisfied with her new plan, she turned around and headed back to the vacation home. Time to get to work.
Gerard jerked up from a dead sleep, unsure what woke him. A noise? He sat and listened. Nothing. Not a single sound. He scrubbed his face with both hands and glanced at his watch with a groan. He’d only fallen asleep a couple hours ago. There was something about being in close proximity to the woman sleeping in his bedroom that messed with his circadian rhythm.
Rowan. He perked up. He didn’t hear her. Hell, he didn’t hear anything, and he’d have bet his McLaren that she was an early riser and woke ready to get on with her day. Slipping out of bed, Gerard pulled sweats on and padded downstairs in bare feet. Her bedroom door was open. He frowned and glanced in. She wasn’t in her bedroom or the bathroom. Craning his head to look outside, she wasn’t at the firepit or sitting on the deck. The coffee had perked, so she’d hit the button and disappeared? Where the hell was she?
An unfamiliar panic rose as the logic closed in on him. She wasn’t in the house. Hell, she didn’t seem to even be on the property. Had she gone for a walk? A city girl, born and raised, she’d said. Did she not know about the kinds of animals that considered this area their home? Elk, deer, and sheep were all benign unless you startled them or pissed them off. Same with the bears, though there were ways to back away from their presence, if you knew how. It was the mountain lions that worried him most. They didn’t care how big or small you were or if you presented a danger to them. They only cared about food.
Crap. He scrubbed his face. She’d mentioned she jogged at home. Was she out running? Panic became edged out by dread as he threw on runners without socks. He raced outside, not even noticing the cool, morning air on his shirtless torso. He had to find her. If anything happened…
Racing past the car to the road, he looked both ways. She was smart, and since she didn’t know the area, she would have stuck to the road. Which way? New views uphill or downhill, the way they’d come in? His instincts told him she’d take the harder route with new scenery, so he turned and raced up the road.
Moments later, he rounded a corner and almost bowled Rowan over in his haste to find her. Gerard grabbed her, steadying her, saw her eyes rounded with surprise, her mouth hanging open, then he crushed her to him, hugging her tight in his relief, holding her for one long, be-still-my-heart moment before the fact set in that she was saying something, muffled against his chest.
He set her at arm’s length but didn’t let go of her. “Are you all right?” Without waiting for an answer, he turned her right and left to make sure she wasn’t hurt. When he realized she was in one piece, the relief that flooded him made him do the first thing that came to mind. He kissed her. Hard and demanding. Letting her feel his fear.
She didn’t react at first, then her arms wound around him, her fingers tracing the muscles of his back, her lips opening to his. God, she tasted so good. Their tongues dueled as charged energy spread through his body, feeding the adrenaline rush. Everything in his world coalesced into the touch of her lips against his, the way her hands snuck up his bare back with soft abandon, tightening when she tried to deepen the kiss.
Just as suddenly as it started, it was over. She pulled her arms back, pushing against him, and they broke from each other, both breathing hard. She took two steps back and glared at him.
“We said we wouldn’t do this,” she said in between breaths.
He scrubbed his hair. His brain agreed, but his arms wanted to pull her back into him, to reconnect. His body demanded the touch of her.
Rowan gulped, her eyes dipping to his chest and widening. When she finally spoke, she rocketed straight to anger. “What the hell were you doing?”
She was pissed at him? “Do you have any idea what it’s like up here? You scared the fuck out of me. Anything could happen to you in these woods. Wild animals live here. Bears, mountain lions. Hell, even an elk will charge you if you look at him the wrong way. You could have been killed!” His voice rose as he spoke. Gerard never raised his voice, but this woman had scared him damn near to death.
“I was fine,” she shouted.
“No, you weren’t. No one goes hiking here alone. Certainly not without a rifle. You put yourself in danger.” His voice modulated, then rose again, damn it.
She thrust her hand into the pocket of very form-fitting jogging pants, pulling out something he couldn’t see. She took one deep breath, then another. When she spoke, she’d tempered her voice. She shoved her arm out, showing him the tube she held. “I’m neither stupid nor weaponless. I had my pepper spray, and I can take care of myself.”
Incredulous, and between clenched teeth, he repeated her words. “Pepper spray? You think pepper spray will stop a cougar?”
“Yes.” She raised her chin, and he could see the fire dancing in her eyes.
“Think again.” He grabbed the cannister and threw it as far as he could.
“Hey!”
“Maybe if you don’t have that paltry weapon, as you call it, you’ll think twice about heading out on your own.”
Rowan advanced on him, her finger pointed directly at his chest. She poked him. Hard. “I will do what I want when I want.” She poked him again. “And you don’t get to play Neanderthal and tell me I can’t.” She poked him one last time, then took off at a rapid stomp for the house. “And put a freaking shirt on, for God’s sake,” she hollered over her shoulder.
He stood there for a moment, rubbing his chest, unable to let his anger and fear go. Did she really think she’d been safe out here? That’s what he got for inviting a greenhorn to the mountains. Shaking his head, he followed more slowly. Inside the cabin, he watched as she poured herself a cup of coffee, glared at him, then stomped past him to her room. He could have sworn he heard her mumble “Neanderthal” under her breath. She shut the door with more force than necessary, but less than he expected.
He went to get his own cup of the fragrant java that sustained him throughout the day. The woman was going to drive him crazy. He glanced down, the remainder of his irritation disappearing as he remembered her parting words. He set his cup on the dining table and, with a glance at the still-closed door, headed upstairs to grab a shirt, grinning at the realization that she’d been affected by his naked chest. And wondering what had pissed her off more.