Chapter 16
“I wantyou to train with me to run a 5K race.”
“What?” Amber said. Her fuzzy pen clattered to her desk, and she knew her mouth was hanging open. Theo leaned nonchalantly against her office door and dropped a bomb on her.
“That’s my dare.” He strolled into her office and sat on the edge of her desk, nudging her package of Twinkies into the garbage. Puddin’ looked up in disgust. This was her prime napping time. “Oops. Sorry,” he said unapologetically.
Amber narrowed her eyes. “That was my lunch.” She moved her can of Diet Coke to safety.
“I’ll take you out to lunch,” Theo said. “The Dash for a Difference 5k is next month. The dare is for you to run it with me.” He leaned down to pet Puddin’ on the head. She immediately rolled over onto her back, eyes still closed. Theo grinned and scratched her belly. “You promised.”
“I did not,” she said, aghast at the thought. “I don’t run.”
Theo crossed his arms smugly and she admired the strong curves of his shoulders where his shirt stretched taut. She wished he would put his suit jacket on. She’d get a lot more work done around the office if she wasn’t lusting after her boss, especially now that the imprint of his body lying flush against hers was still singed in her mind, and oh, God, what a body it was. She let her eyes drift to his legs, remembering how she had her face nuzzled against the tanned, powerful muscles of his thigh.
Was it smart to want her boss so much she felt lightheaded at the faintest hint of his cologne? Definitely not. Their talk yesterday had given her a new admiration for Theo’s dedication to working hard at something that truly mattered to him. This wasn’t just a job he had inherited; it was a calling to make a real difference in people’s lives.
It put her own less than stellar life choices front and center. She was used to that, but seeing Theo pour himself into his work had kindled the tiniest flicker, a yearning to find something similar in herself too.
The more she got to know Theo, the more indelibly he was marked in her brain...and other parts of her body. Other, lower, hotter parts that were humming along with him so near her.
An image of that long, hard body over her instead of under, crowding her and absorbing her at the same time...She shifted back in her chair and fanned herself with her notebook. Theo smiled, a slow, knowing curve of his wide, sensual lips.
“That’s my dare. You said you weren’t scared of anything I could come up with, and this is what I’m choosing,” he said calmly.
He was in full mayor mode, reasonable and patient as he listed the reasons he thought he could torture her. As always, it made the little streak of wild she kept mostly contained pulse to life.
“That’s not fair,” she said indignantly. “I was sick. You took advantage of me.”
“You gave me your word. That’s how truth or dare works.” He raised his voice. “Right, Charlotte?”
“I’m afraid that’s how the game works,” Charlotte called back. “Don’t die, Amber.”
“Traitor.” Amber shouted down the hall.
She’d have to play dirty now. She sat back in her swivel chair and slowly crossed her legs, making sure a good amount of her smooth thigh showed in the slit of her royal blue wrap dress.
It was another piece she had designed years ago for a temp job at an office downtown. The job hadn’t lasted—the manager had wandering hands whenever she had brought him his daily coffee, but the dress was a win. The silk draped over her breasts and hips like it was made for her body, making her feel sexy and demure at the same time. But the real star of her outfit today was her hot pink high heels with the sexy strap at the ankle and a tiny poof of faux pink feathers at the toe.
She looked up under her lashes at Theo to see him staring intently at her legs. The heels were a ridiculous showgirl kind of sexy, and she had worn them deliberately. She had a sneaky suspicion Mr. Buttoned-up Mayor had a thing for high heels. She wasn’t above using them to her advantage. “Some people aren’t meant to run, boss,” she said, trailing a finger down from her knee to her ankle. “These legs are more sashay than sprint. Blame it on the short muscle fibers. It’s a thing.”
Theo blinked slowly as if coming out of a trance before shooting her a knowing look. “Uh-huh. Find your sneakers. I’ll be at your house tomorrow at six-thirty a.m.,” he said. “Be ready.”
“I won’t be,” she snapped, miffed that the heels hadn’t closed the deal. The phone on her desk rang. She picked it up while staring Theo in the eyes. “You’ve reached Sal’s Birdland,” she said, daring him with a look to say anything. She listened for a minute. “Yes, I still work here, Mr. Kemper,” she sighed. “Sorry about that. I’ll put you through.” She pressed the button to send the call to Theo’s office phone.
“Sal’s Birdland?” Theo raised a brow.
She shrugged. “I like to keep ‘em guessing.” Theo turned away, and she thought of something. “Did you send me a new AC unit?” she asked suspiciously. The box had shown up at her door first thing this morning with no note. Her landlord wasn’t responsible for the window units, and she didn’t have the extra cash yet to spring for fixing it. As soon as she saw it, she had a feeling Theo was responsible. Her pride stung, but mostly she was grateful not to have to sleep in a sauna.
Theo raised a brow as if the question was preposterous and strode out of her office.
At four o’clock, she got her notepad and pen ready for the final meeting of the day. The agenda she had typed up earlier said they were discussing the Hope Gala. The annual event at the Grand River Hotel, another property owned by the Sterling family, was Theo’s largest annual fundraising effort that benefited the Maple Street Center for Domestic Violence, where Theo, Amber had just learned, sat on the board. Of all of Theo’s meetings, this was one she had a personal interest in.
“Thank you for coming, Edward, Cade.” Theo greeted them warmly. Edward Sterling was tall and broad, and his loud booming laugh fit his personality perfectly. His debonair blue gingham suit was fabulously flamboyant and faintly vintage. Amber half expected him to pull out a straw hat and twirl a cane like in the movies. She was smitten instantly.
“Neal, Theo, always good to see you,” Edward boomed. He shook Neal’s hand politely, but pulled Theo in for a hug, which Theo returned.
“And you, Miss Hart,” Edward turned, looking her up and down with a practiced eye. “Beautiful dress. It’s an Elie Saab, isn’t it?”
“No, I made it, but thanks,” she said, and laughed when Edward grabbed her hands and held them wide to admire her dress. She knew they were kindred spirits.
“You are just fabulous, my dear. My wife would pay good money to wear that.” He turned to the tall man behind him. “This is my son, Cade. Theo, I believe you and Cade went to Columbia together. Cade’s in town helping me get some things in order and keeping me on task.”
“It’s good to see you again, Cade,” Theo greeted the tall man next before leading Edward into the conference room, leaving her alone with Edward’s son.
It was safe to say Cade didn’t share his father’s boisterous personality. The tall, strikingly handsome man’s suit was just as expensive and professionally tailored, but Cade Sterling was the picture of cool reserve. When she finally made it to his eyes, Cade was smiling faintly at her. His eyes were a shade of green she had never seen before, light and piercing.
“Cade Sterling,” he murmured, holding out his hand. “We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet.”
“That’s a surprise. Amber’s very well known around Northfield.” Neal’s voice dripped with insinuation. “Shall we?” He said it so quickly that by the time Amber absorbed the hit, Neal had turned into the conference room.
Embarrassment and anger stained her cheeks bright red when she caught Cade’s gaze. He was frowning after Neal, but Amber knew the game. While she couldn’t control the heat warming her face, she could control her outward reaction, and the best way to deal with men like Neal Barclay was never to let them see a weakness.
“After you,” she said, gesturing grandly toward the conference room. She held her smile firmly in place and lifted her chin high.
Cade seemed to understand and let it go. “Ladies first.”
For the next half hour, Amber took notes and fumed silently. Neal had never made it a secret how he felt about her, but to have him insinuate in front of a stranger that she was the town slut had triggered a different fury. The injustice of it, the unfairness, stung deeply.
“The Hope Gala is our biggest fundraiser of the year, as you know,” Neal was saying. “The Grand River Hotel lends itself perfectly to a sit-down dinner with our usual art and antique auction. It was always quite successful for Theo’s father,” he added a touch smugly.
Amber bit the inside of her cheek. Of course, Neal would do the same tired gala he’d been putting on for years. Why wouldn’t he consider Northfield was changing, and that Theo was going to be left behind in the dust if he didn’t capture more than the same old demographic of voters? She fumed and doodled notes in her notebook while she listened.
She had been doing a stellar job of not rocking the boat since her first disastrous meeting where she had the audacity to share her ideas and was set in her place, but the longer she listened, the more she thought back to what Theo had said in her bed yesterday. Theo genuinely cared about Northfield, not only because he had a legacy to uphold, but because he had a vision for the town’s future.
No, she would keep her mouth shut like the good little assistant she was hired to be because she needed money more than she needed to be right.
But that wild streak that showed up at the most inopportune times in her life and got her in trouble had a mind of its own. She cleared her throat, and all the eyes in the room turned to her. She met Neal’s gaze and pulled out her most dazzling, glittery smile. He looked startled for a second, before wariness settled on his pinched features.
“I have an idea,” she started, her voice steadier than she felt. “Why not combine the two? Keep the traditional elegance of the gala but infuse it with the energy and fresh thinking that echo Theo’s campaign promise?”
She had their attention now, and with the innate sense of a performer, she painted a picture. “You could have food stations with local restaurants that represent Northfield’s diverse culinary history, and live music from local bands throughout the night.” She was warming to the idea now, sitting on the edge of her seat. She shot a quick look at Edward and Cade, who looked interested, while Theo’s eyes remained unreadable.
“Instead of speeches, you could have interactive displays where guests could engage with Theo’s policies, and the whole thing could be live streamed to share on social media for everyone, not just the people that can afford the price of a ticket. That way, it’s not just a gala, it’s a statement of who Northfield is and what you stand for.”
The room was silent for a moment after she finished, and her stomach felt weightless. She didn’t want to look at Theo and see dismissal or, worse, polite interest, especially after baring her soul to him the day before about her fear of success.
She’d taken a risk, and even if it didn’t pay off, she knew it was a good idea. She knew it the way she knew color and patterns, deep in her soul. She sat back and waited with her heart in her throat.
Suddenly, Edward clapped loudly and enthusiastically in the silent room. “By God, I think that’s brilliant! Think of the buzz that would create, and how many new people you could reach. Of course, it’s up to you, Theo, but the Grand River Hotel would love to host an event like this.”
“Exactly,” Amber nodded, wilting a little in relief. “A gala like this would make it accessible to everyone.”
“It’s brilliant, Amber,” Cade said, shooting her a warm smile. “Fresh and innovative.”
Amber turned to Theo, already planning her next line of reasoning, only to find him grinning at her.
“That’s quite a leap from tradition,” Neal said sharply. “It sounds like a festival rather than a gala. Our core donors might not appreciate such radical changes.”
“Our core donors are important, but so is broadening our appeal. Amber’s ideas are exactly the kind of innovation that shows we’re forward thinking, and that starts with how we engage our community,” Theo said firmly. “Amber, will you take the lead on planning this?”
She nodded confidently. Say yes first, panic later.
“We’ll get started with the planning on our end,” Edward said. He stood up and pushed in his chair. “The Grand River Hotel has hosted countless galas, but nothing quite like this. This is going to be a truly special night. I’ll put you in touch with our event coordinator, Cheryl. Just tell her what your vision is, and she’ll work with you to make it happen.”
Amber shot a glance at Neal, who was packing up his folder. His face was set in stone. She had made an enemy out of him, but she was smart enough to know he would never have approved of her even if she had stayed silent.
Excitement coursed through her because, enemy or not, she’d just had a taste of victory, and like that first taste of anything sweet, she craved more.
As the room began to empty, Amber stood up with her notebook and pen.
“That was a brilliant idea,” Cade said at her elbow.
“Thanks,” she said, a little breathless at the admiration on his handsome face.
“Would you like to get dinner?” he asked. “I’m in town for one more night, and I’d love to eat somewhere other than the Grand.”
Amber recognized the look on his face. Interest. Admiration. Attraction. She had dealt in those feelings like currency all her life. It was familiar and comforting even, and she felt a little flutter of excitement.
But she wanted to savor her victory. Alone.
“No, thank you. I can’t,” she said.
Her gaze sought Theo’s across the room, holding it for a second that seemed to stretch out before he finally turned and left the room.
She had the distinct, unsettling realization that there was one person she wouldn’t mind sharing her victory with after all.