A Little Surprise for the Boss (Mills & Boon Desire) (3 page)

“Hi.” His deep baritone went through her with the shock of memory. It made her shiver to realize she now knew exactly how that voice sounded sex-drenched and husky.

“It’s me.” The words emerged as nervous squeaks. “I’m bringing Quinn.”

“Great. Come on up.” His voice betrayed nothing. Either he was a good actor or he wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened in his bedroom.

Or he didn’t care.
Knowing Buck, that was possible, too.

* * *

Buck stood on the front porch watching the Jeep come up the drive. Seeing Terri was a surprise. He’d asked Evie to bring Quinn here. But there must’ve been a change of plans.

Things could be awkward with Terri. He didn’t quite know what to expect from her. But Quinn would be with them. That would make things all right—for now, at least.

The Jeep pulled up next to his Hummer and stopped. Throwing off her seat belt, Quinn bounded out of the passenger seat and raced up the steps to give him a hug. As he swung her off her feet, he could tell she’d grown since Christmas break. With her in Sedona most of the year, he was missing so much of her life. Maybe this summer he could find a way to spend more time with her.

“Hi, Daddy,” she said. “I missed you.”

“Me, too.” He lowered her to the ground. “Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

“She told me she wanted pizza.” Terri had come up the steps with Quinn’s suitcase. Buck looked at her and forced a smile. Terri smiled back at him, but her eyes held a flicker of uncertainty. She was wearing one of her Kokopelli earrings. Her other earlobe was bare.

That clinched it. If Buck had had any doubt about her being in his bed this morning, it was totally gone.

He was still dealing with the reality of it. Terri was an attractive woman—beautiful in an unassuming way. But he’d always made it a rule to keep his hands off his best friend’s sister. Steve had been gone for a dozen years now, but that rule hadn’t changed. Until now, he’d assumed she had the same rule. But this morning had thrown the rule book out the window, for both of them.

He forced himself up to speak. “Pizza it is. How about Giovanni’s?”

“Yes!” Quinn grinned. “Their pizza’s the yummiest! Can Terri come with us?”

“Terri?” He looked at her, half hoping she’d make an excuse not to come along. Terri’s presence was rousing his memory and putting lustful thoughts into his head—the last thing he needed right now. Their interlude this morning had been incredible…but it could never be repeated.

“I’d better not,” she said, avoiding his eyes. “I promised my grandmother I’d come and visit her tonight.”

“Please, Terri!” Quinn begged. “If we go now you’ll still have time to see your grandma.”

“Come on, Terri.” Buck remembered his resolve to act as if nothing had happened. “It won’t be a party without you.”

She hesitated, then sighed. “All right. I
am
getting hungry. But let me follow you in the Jeep. That way, when we’re finished, I can just go from Giovanni’s to Canyon Shadows.”

“Okay. Let’s get going.” Buck put Quinn’s bag inside the house and helped her into the passenger seat of the Hummer. He had to believe that in time, if he kept up the act, things would go back to normal. But right now, with the memory of Terri’s lithe, lush body fresh in his mind, it was like walking a tightrope over a volcano. One slip and he’d be in big trouble.

* * *

Terri waited until the Hummer had backed down the steep driveway. Then she turned the Jeep around and followed the hulking vehicle down to the road. It wasn’t too late to head off in a different direction. She could always make an excuse, call Buck’s cell, apologize and say that she’d remembered an important errand. But Quinn would be disappointed if she didn’t show up to share a pizza. Buck, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care either way—about sharing a pizza with her now, or about sharing a bed with her this morning.

Part of her wanted to believe that this morning would make a difference, that Buck would look at her and see a warm, desirable woman. But clearly that hadn’t happened. It was time for her to face the truth. No matter what happened, Buck was never going to see her the way she wanted to be seen. There was only one question left: What was she going to do about it?

Twilight was settling over the town and over the sandstone cliffs that ringed it like the setting of a jewel. Main Street glittered with streams of traffic. Shoppers and diners strolled the boardwalks. Music drifted from cafés and taverns.

This was Buck’s town, but that didn’t mean she had to stay here forever. She had the qualifications and the experience to get a job anywhere in the tourist industry. She’d be a fool to let loyalty keep her in a situation where she felt like a piece of furniture.

Giovanni’s Pizzeria was at the far end of Main Street. When the Hummer’s taillights turned into the parking lot, Terri followed and pulled into the next space. Buck and Quinn were waiting for her when she climbed out of the Jeep. “Let’s go!” Quinn seized her hand and pulled her toward the entrance. “Extralarge pepperoni and giant root beer, here I come!”

Buck chuckled as he caught up with Terri. “Quinn tells me her mother’s had her on nothing but wheatgrass juice and tofu,” he said. “She’s probably exaggerating, but it’ll be a pleasure to see her enjoy real food.”

Terri forced a little laugh. The hostess showed them to a booth with a traditional red-checked tablecloth and a candle melting down the outside of an empty wine bottle. They slid into the seats, Terri and Quinn on one side, Buck on the other. Their waitress came right over to take their order. The pretty blonde was a stranger to Terri, but she seemed to know Buck.

“So this is your little girl!” She flashed a toothpaste-ad smile. “What’s her name?”

Buck, all charm, made the introductions. “Jennifer, this is Quinn. And this lady—” He gave Terri a nod. “This is Terri, my right-hand woman.”

Terri forced a friendly smile. Inside, she was seething. Why couldn’t Buck have used her job title, or just her name? Didn’t he know how demeaning
right-hand woman
sounded? Obviously not, unless it was meant as hidden message to the waitress—
don’t worry, she’s not my girlfriend.

Meanwhile, the waitress was looking at Buck as if she wanted to eat him alive. No doubt she’d be happy to sleep with him, if she hadn’t already.

Terri brought herself up with a mental slap. Good Lord, she couldn’t be jealous! Buck had never tried to hide his love life from her. She’d always accepted his shenanigans with a sisterly shrug, burying any hurt bone-deep. Even his shotgun marriage hadn’t shaken her unconditional affection for the man. And she certainly hadn’t expected for Buck to promise her fidelity and exclusivity after one romp in the bedroom together. But to see him now, just hours after their encounter, flirting with another woman while treating her with his usual indifference, she felt a senseless urge to leap across the table and smack Buck’s handsome face.

Grow up and get over it!
she told herself as the petite blonde walked away from the table with their order. Even the sway of her jeans-clad hips held an invitation. The art of seduction was one Terri had never mastered. And suddenly she felt very insecure about her performance that morning. She was hardly the alluring, experienced type of woman he usually chose as a bedmate. The sex had seemed fantastic to her…but had it been merely forgettable to him?

She had to forget what had happened. That would be the only way to survive life in Buck’s magnetic aura. That—or leave.

Quinn’s happy chatter was enough to fill the awkward silence while they waited for their order. Lost in her own thoughts, Terri was startled when Buck reached across the table and nudged her arm. “Hey,” he said, “where have you gone to?”

She blinked herself back to the present. “Did you need something?” she asked.

He gave a shake of his head. “You’re not at work now, Terri. I don’t need anything. I just asked you a question. Did you know one of your earrings was missing?”

“Oh, yes.” Reflexively, she brushed a hand to her bare earlobe. Was it an innocent question, or was he testing her? “Bob noticed it was gone earlier today. I’m still hoping it’ll turn up somewhere.”

“Too bad. I know you liked that pair.” His expression was all innocence.

“Yes, I did.” Terri scrambled to change the subject. “Quinn was telling me she’s growing out of her clothes. I think she needs a shopping trip.”

“I’ll let you off early tomorrow to take her,” he said. “Take my credit card and get her anything she wants.”

“Can I have an iguana?” Quinn asked.

Buck raised an eyebrow. “Now where did
that
come from?”

“My friend has one. It’s really cool. I’d take care of it. Iguanas are easy. They just eat lettuce and stuff.”

“Think about it a minute,” Buck said. “If it eats, it poops. You’d have to clean its cage every day. Could you do that?”

“Sure. That stuff doesn’t bother me.”

“But what would you do with it at the end of the summer?” Terri put in. “You can’t just walk away from an animal and leave it here. You’d have to take it home with you. Would your mother let you keep it?”

“If I ask her and she says yes, can I have one?”

“Ask her first. Then we’ll talk about it.” Buck cast Terri a grateful glance. He ran Bucket List with an iron hand, but his daughter could talk him into anything—whether it was a good idea or not.

What the little girl really wanted was his time. But it was easier for him to flash his credit card and get her whatever caught her eye. By now Terri knew the pattern. Now that she had arrived for the summer, Buck would welcome Quinn with open arms—he did love his child. But as business issues pulled him away, she’d be shunted off to riding and swimming lessons, turned over to Terri, or left to read books or play video games on her own. Maybe this summer, Terri could help her find some friends her own age in the area.

The subject of the iguana was tabled when the pizza and drinks arrived. Terri tried to ignore the way Jennifer’s hip brushed Buck’s shoulder as she set their order on the table. Was the woman angling for a big tip or something else? But what did it matter to her? Why should she even care?

They were all hungry. Conversation dwindled as they wolfed down the pizza. Buck had just paid the bill when Terri glanced at her watch. It was almost eight o’clock. The aides at Canyon Shadows usually came in around eight thirty to shower the residents and get them ready for bed by nine. With the facility at the far end of town from the restaurant, she would barely have time to make the promised visit to her grandmother.

She stood up, brushing the crumbs off her lap. “I’ve got to get going, or I won’t make it.”

Buck rose. “We’re ready to go, too. We’ll walk you out.”

They trailed outside. At this hour the summer twilight was still fading. Mourning doves called from the old cottonwoods that overhung the parking lot.

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.” Terri strode ahead to her Jeep, then halted with a groan. She wasn’t going anywhere. The Jeep’s rear tire was flat to the rim.

CHAPTER THREE

T
erri was staring at her Jeep when Buck caught up with her. “Too bad,” he said. “I told you those old tires of yours needed replacing.”

“Well, I can’t do much about that now, can I?” Terri shook her head. Even if she left her vehicle and walked to Canyon Shadows, there was no way she’d get there in time to visit her grandmother. “Go on and take Quinn home. I know how to change a tire.”

“Well, you’re not doing it tonight. I’ve got people for that job.” He whipped out his cell and, before Terri could stop him, typed out a text message before he pocketed the phone again. “Quinn and I will take you to see your grandma. I remember Harriet from the old days. She was quite the spunky little lady. I’d enjoy visiting her, too.”

If Buck hadn’t seen Harriet since the old days, he was in for a shock, Terri thought. Her grandmother was a different person now. “Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” she said. “But you won’t need to come inside. Just let me off and go. When I’m through visiting, I can walk back here and change the tire.”

“You heard me—the tire will be taken care of. It’s arranged. Come on.” He guided her toward the Hummer with a light hand on the small of her back. The warm pressure of his palm triggered a tingle of memory that raced like flame along a fuse through her body. The feeling was sweet torture. If only she could forget what had happened between them, or at least dismiss it—as, it seemed, Buck had. But Quinn was with them now, Terri reminded herself. She wouldn’t know for sure whether he was going to bring up what had happened between them until she was alone with him.

He opened the passenger door for her and helped Quinn into the backseat. The drive to Canyon Shadows took only a few minutes. “You don’t have to stay—I really don’t mind walking back to Giovanni’s,” Terri said as the Hummer pulled into the parking lot.

“Will you stop arguing with me, Terri?” Buck’s voice carried a hint of reined impatience. “I told you, I’d be glad to come in and say hello to your grandmother. And Quinn won’t mind coming in, either.”

“I know that,” Terri said. “It’s just that my grandma has changed a lot since you knew her. She’s ninety-one and not doing very well. She has her good days and bad. I’ve learned not to expect too much, but I worry that seeing her might upset Quinn.”

He stopped the vehicle and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Let me be the judge of that, Terri,” he said.

* * *

Buck had never been beyond the front doorway of Canyon Shadows. The rambling two-story stuccoed building was decent for a nursing home, with manicured grounds and a covered walkway leading to the front doors. Bouquets of silk roses and framed landscape prints cheered the lobby, but an air of gloom still hung over the place. Maybe that was inevitable when nobody who lived here wanted to be here.

He let Terri lead the way as they signed in at the front desk and continued on to the elevator and up to the second floor. In all the busy years she’d worked for him, he could barely recall asking her how her grandmother was doing. What had brought on this sudden interest in her life outside work?

But he knew the answer to that question, and it didn’t make him feel proud of himself.

Eleven years ago, in an army medical tent, he’d knelt next to Steve’s bed and promised his dying friend that he’d look after his kid sister. Buck had viewed giving Terri a job as the first step in keeping that promise. But over the years, as the pressures of building his business had closed in, she’d proven so capable and so willing that the focus had shifted. Instead of what he could do for her, it had become what
she
could do for
him
.

But that had never included her sharing his bed.

After finding her earring in his rug, his first thought had been how to avoid losing her help. But as the afternoon had worn on, his musings had deepened. He’d taken a long look at himself in the mirror and seen a first-class jerk looking back at him.

Steve, if he’d been here, would have punched him black and blue.

Somehow, he had to do a better job of keeping his promise. And he absolutely had to forget about taking her to bed again. As wonderful as it had been, he knew that a romantic relationship with Terri could never work. She was the kind of woman who would demand full honesty from her lover…and that was something he couldn’t offer. Not with the secret he’d kept from her all this time.

If she knew the truth about what happened with Steve, she’d never let him touch her again—not even as a friend.

Her friendship was something he had to keep, not just for Steve’s sake but for his own, too. She meant far too much to him for him to be willing to let her slip away. So that meant finding a way to make amends, to show her how much she meant to him—in a purely platonic way. But with a strong, independent woman like Terri, knowing where to start with winning her over wouldn’t be easy—especially after what had happened this morning.

“Come on, Daddy!” Quinn tugged at him, and he realized he’d fallen behind. Terri had already opened a door partway down the long corridor and stepped into the room. Still holding Quinn’s hand, he reached the doorway and paused on the threshold.

In the light of a single table lamp, the woman in the worn leather recliner looked as if a strong breath could blow out her life like a candle flame. Her face was as wrinkled as a walnut, her hair like white spider webbing on her ancient head. He would never have recognized feisty Harriet Cooper, Steve and Terri’s maternal grandmother, who’d raised them after their parents died. Remorse crept over him. How many times in the old days had he been in her home and eaten at her table? And now—damn it all, he’d barely been aware that she was here. He certainly hadn’t taken the time to visit.

“Hello, Grandma.” Terri knelt next to the chair, the lamplight falling on her face. “I came by this morning but you were asleep,” she said.

The old woman huffed, refusing to look at her.

“I’m sorry,” Terri said. “I came as soon as I could.”

“Sorry, are you?” Harriet snapped in a papery voice that sounded so different from the warm, maternal tones he remembered. “Then take me home. They steal things here. My wedding ring—”

Terri took one bony hand and lifted it to the light. “Look, Grandma. Your ring is right here on your finger. Nobody stole it.”

“Liar! That old thing isn’t my ring!” The old woman snatched her hand away. “Where’s Steve? He never lied to me! I want him to come and take me home!”

Still standing in the doorway, Buck felt the painful tightening in his gut. It hurt for him to watch this. But how much worse would it be for Terri, dealing with this poor woman every day?

And why couldn’t Steve have been here? Why had Steve been the one to die, when it should have been him?

“Look, Grandma.” Terri drew her attention toward the doorway. “You’ve got visitors.”

“Oh?” Harriet perked up. “Who is it? Is it Steve?”

“No, it’s Steve’s friend Buck. And he brought his little girl. Her name’s Quinn.” She beckoned them over.

Quinn gripped her father’s hand. Maybe Terri had been right about this experience being too much for her. But it was too late to back out now.

“Hello, Mrs. Cooper.” He offered her his free hand.

Her dim eyes brightened. “Steve! It’s really you! Did you come to take me home?”

Buck steeled his emotions. “I’m Buck, Mrs. Cooper. I used to come to your house with Steve.”

Her grip on his hand was surprisingly strong. “You were always my favorite, Steve. More than your sister. Why’d you stay away such a long time?”

He cast a helpless glance at Terri. She was doing her best to remain smiling and composed. “This is Buck, Grandma,” she said. “And here’s his little girl.”

“Steve’s little girl.” She reached out and touched Quinn’s cheek. “My, but you’re a pretty thing. Come give your great-grandma a kiss.”

Buck could feel Quinn trembling next to him. But she stepped forward and feathered a kiss on the wrinkled cheek. Buck had never been more proud of his daughter.

The old woman fixed her cataract-blurred gaze on him. “So, why are you just standing there? Get me up and take me home.”

“Grandma—” Terri began, but she was interrupted by a polite tap on the already-open door. The aides, thank heaven, had arrived to get Harriet ready for bed.

“No—I’m going home!” the old woman protested as one of the young women started unbuttoning her sweater.

“It’ll be all right, Grandma. I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll talk then.” Terri kissed her grandmother, and the three of them made their exit down the hallway to the elevator.

“I’m sorry about the mix-up,” Terri said as they walked out the front door. “She does have good days…but I’m afraid the bad ones have become a lot more common. Lately, every time I come here, she breaks my heart.”

“But at least you keep coming. I’ve got to hand it to you, Terri. I had no idea she was so bad. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Terri shook her head. “All she wants is to go home. One of these days she will.”

Quinn, usually so chatty, had fallen silent. Buck hoped he could get her to talk on the way home. She needed to process what she’d seen and heard. But meanwhile, he needed to stall Terri a little longer so she wouldn’t interrupt the first part of his campaign to show her how valuable she was to him.

“Hey, how about ice cream sundaes?” he said. “The best ice cream parlor in town is right across the street!”

Quinn brightened. “Sounds yummy!”

“I really need to get back to my Jeep,” Terri said, moving on. “You two go ahead and get your sundaes. It’s a nice evening, and I could use the exercise of the walk back.”

“Oh, come on.” Buck caught her arm, his grip hard enough to stop her in her tracks. “Quinn’s here. Doesn’t that call for a party? We can drop you off when we’re finished.”

She sighed. “Okay. Ice cream does sound good.”

They entered the ice cream parlor, ordered hot fudge sundaes at the counter and found a booth. The place was done in pink-and-black ’50s decor with vintage rock and roll playing in the background. An elderly couple was holding hands at a corner table. The man was laughing, the woman tapping her toe to the beat. Quinn watched them a moment before she spoke.

“Do I have a grandma?” She showered her sundae with sprinkles from a canister on the table.

“Your mother’s mother lives in Florida,” Buck said. “She’s your grandma.”

“She doesn’t count. She and Mom are mad at each other. They don’t even send each other Christmas cards. What about your mother? How come I don’t know her?”

Buck had known that sooner or later she was bound to ask. But he’d never looked forward to answering. “She died when I was in the army, before I married your mother. She had lung cancer—from smoking.”

“What about your dad? He’d be my grandpa.”

“I never knew him. He went away before I was born.”

“And he never came back?”

“He never did. My mother raised me on her own. She was a waitress at the old truck stop out by the main highway. We were so poor we lived on the leftover food she brought home.” Buck didn’t tell her his parents had never married, or that his mother had done more than wait tables at that truck stop. Some truths were better kept in silence.

“If you were so poor, how did you get rich, Daddy?”

“Smart thinking, lots of hard work—and good helpers like Terri.”

“Is Terri rich, too?”

Buck glanced across the table at Terri. She was nibbling her sundae, avoiding his gaze. He paid her a good salary, but after what he’d seen tonight, he was pretty sure she spent most of her money on her grandmother’s care. When she didn’t answer Quinn’s question, he answered for her. “Terri’s not nearly as rich as she deserves to be.”

Guilt chewed at him, drawing blood. The old woman was Steve’s grandmother, too. If Steve had lived, Terri wouldn’t have had to shoulder the burden of her care alone. Nursing homes weren’t cheap, but for Buck the money would be pocket change. He’d call Canyon Shadows tomorrow and make some arrangements. Or maybe he ought to just buy the place. It was decently maintained and would likely be a good investment.

But what was he thinking? After a day like today, he was in no frame of mind for business decisions.

His gaze wandered back to Terri. She looked irresistible, with tendrils of windblown hair framing her face and a little smear of chocolate fudge on her upper lip. If they’d been alone he’d have been tempted to lean over and lick it off. He’d never had thoughts like this about her before—had always viewed her strictly as a friend. But now that he knew how good it could be between them…

The memory slammed him—Terri leaning over him, straddling his hips as he thrust deep. And this time he could visualize her face, eyes closed, lips sensually parted.

Damn!

The lady was off-limits for so many reasons. And she was driving him crazy.

* * *

After the ice cream sundaes, Terri had finally managed to convince Buck that she wanted to walk back to her Jeep. The distance wasn’t far—only about seven blocks—and she truly needed to clear her head. As the Hummer drove away, she blew a last kiss to Quinn and set out.

By now it was nearly dark, but Main Street was still busy, the shops and cafés doing a bustling business. The tiny white lights that adorned the sycamores along the boardwalk had come on, their glitter creating a festive atmosphere. But Terri’s mood was far from festive. From beginning to end, this had been the most emotional day in recent memory.

Quinn’s presence tonight had been a godsend. She had no idea what she’d have said to Buck, or what he might have said to her, if they’d found themselves alone together. From his flirting with the waitress at dinner, it was clear that he wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with Terri. She’d been foolish to even consider the possibility. Maybe she should just forget it had ever happened. Expect nothing—that was the only way to survive life with Buck.

Her thoughts shifted to their visit with her grandmother. Had it upset Buck to be mistaken for Steve? The two had been like brothers all their lives. Buck had been there in Iraq with their combat unit when Steve died. He’d never talked about it, and she’d never asked him, but Terri knew her brother’s death had affected him as deeply as it had her.