Bedded by the Boss (5 page)

Renee turned the heat off the soup she had thrown together and turned to face him. "I thought I told you to leave."

Robert ignored the comment. "That smells amazing. What is it?"

Renee tightened her arms across her chest and glowered at him. When his eyes dropped to her chest where the t-shirt had tightened across it, she felt a blush spread up her neck to her face.

She was far from comfortable with this situation. "Food."

He ignored her antagonism and smiled. "Yes, thank you, I'd love some."

Renee rolled her eyes and turned away to ladle soup into bowls and put the sandwiches onto plates. She prepared drinks and placed everything on the matching placemats.

She sat down and picked up her utensil. She glanced at him sitting next to her and said, "Go ahead."

He waited until she took a first delicate bite and then he picked up his spoon. The colors and scents coming from the food were mouthwatering. He had no idea she could even cook, but it didn't surprise him. Savory noodles with a hint of something he remembered from his childhood came from the soup. Two large sandwiches browned to perfection and cut into four pieces surrounded the bowl. An apple slice separated each sandwich in a colorful, culinary display. He worked his way steadily through the large plate of food.

He glanced over and watched her take another bite from the much smaller helping she had served herself.

The food she had prepared was delicious and filling.

He was three quarters of the way through before he realized he was drinking iced water and eating ramen noodles mixed with canned chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

He'd been too involved with her sitting next to him to give it much thought. His hunger for food having been met, his mind was quickly moving on to other things.

Like the sexual tension radiating between them.

Renee forced another bite and knew she wouldn't be able to eat anymore. Her nerves were shot. She slid off the barstool and picked up his empty plate and loaded it into the dishwasher. She put plastic wrap over her almost untouched plate of food, and stored it in the refrigerator.

Robert watched her from his seat on the stool the entire time. It didn't take five minutes to clean the little kitchen. Renee was about to run out of things to occupy her hands, and then he was going to pounce. Of that, there was absolutely no doubt in her mind. She decided not to stall her movements. She had to continue with something. She wasn't ready yet and couldn't allow herself to be cornered by him. She glanced down at her bare feet.

Robert was about to slide off the stool and walk over to her when he saw her bending down and taking socks and tennis shoes from a wicker basket. She gracefully slid to the floor and slipped them on her feet, then moved to the door.

She looked back at him. "I'm going to get some air before it gets too late. I'll see you tomorrow."

How much more of a hint could she give him?

Robert watched her standing by the front door. She looked like a strong wind could snap her in two. Her knuckles showed white where she clenched the door frame. She held herself still and a fine tremor racked her body. She was on a knife's edge.

He knew he could push her, but something about the time that had just passed niggled at his brain. There was no question that she was an itch he needed to scratch, but waiting was adding a tantalizing dimension to the situation. He had never waited this long for any woman before, but he knew somehow that his restraint would be rewarded. The picture of her naked and yielding to him stoked his passion, and his pursuit and ultimate victory were a given.

He had an analytical brain, and it didn't let him down. He would let her think she had some control now, so it would make her yielding to him all the better, later.

Renee watched Robert leave the bar and advance on her. Within seconds, he was in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat when his hand moved to her chin. He lifted her face and her eyes tangled with his. The impact was electric. Her stomach knotted up and her knees actually trembled with weakness. Never, ever, had she met anyone that made her feel this way. Not even close.

She had always been the one in control. Always had men chasing her. She flitted from romance to romance, never letting any one man get too close.

Not since the man that had ruthlessly impregnated and abandoned her.

She steeled her spine.

His other hand lifted and his fingers threaded through her hair and gripped her skull. She couldn't suppress a small shudder. There was accusation in the eyes that tangled with hers, and she had no idea why. She needed him gone tonight, away from her, so she could think. So she could breathe. His dominant nature was confusing to her tranquility. Her stability was shaken.

He pinched her chin harder. "Once again, you're going to get your way. But understand me when I tell you it's not going to keep happening. You're going to give it up and it's going to be soon."

Robert felt the provocative effect of her eyes on his. The softness of her body so close to him. His erection swelled and pushed against his fly. His hands tightened involuntarily on her. Her eyes flared into his. He read distress in the huge round orbs as he saw them fill with tears, a half second before she lowered her lashes and shut him out.

Possession and resentment slammed into his gut. This shit was becoming intolerable. She was beginning to hold a fascination for him that he couldn't allow. Shouldn't allow. He needed to purge her from his system, and quickly.

The best way to diffuse the provocation was to remove himself from her radius.

He released her from his hold and left.

Chapter Seven

Wednesday morning, Renee sat at her desk and tried to concentrate on the papers in front of her. Robert was across town meeting with a new contractor he was hiring, and since Mrs. Argenot had started working shortened hours, the quiet in the office should have made it easy to concentrate. It was a struggle she was determined to win.

She didn't have much experience with plat maps, but organization and basic math were strong points for her, and the numbers she was looking at didn't add up. She went over them for a third time. There had to be a mistake.

At eleven o'clock, Robert walked in and threw her a look before closing himself in his office.

She attempted to conquer her nerves before she approached him. She gathered the papers and stood up. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, then walked over and tapped on his door.

At his growl, she entered.

He looked up and their eyes clashed in instantaneous attraction.
God, he was right
. She couldn't keep working here.

Renee rushed to get the words out. "I n-need to show you something."

When he didn't say anything, or give any indication he was absorbing what she was saying, she left the doorway and walked over to his desk. She slowly went all the way around it until she was standing next to where he was sitting.

Robert tensed when she came near and wondered what witch's trick she was trying to pull on him. He noticed the serviceable, utilitarian outfit she was wearing again and questioned her use of resources.

When he saw what she put in front of him, he tried to regroup. He switched his brain back to business mode. It wasn't easy with her scent in his nostrils.

Renee started with an apology for her inexperience in the field. "I'm sorry. I'm still kind of new at this. I d-don't really know what I'm looking at. But I think it might be important. Maybe you don't know this. Maybe you do and it's nothing." She was rambling. She stalled, took a deep breath and placed a manicured finger on a column. "All the sixteen digit account numbers seem to be in s-sequential order." Her finger moved a bit. "The property I.D. numbers are mostly in numerical order. But s-see this?" She pointed and his sharp eyes followed. "When the page number turns over, the sequencing changes." She summed up the problem. "I d-don't think the property is in La Fourche parish."

Robert was stunned. By all evidence, she was probably correct. He couldn't assimilate the mistake they had almost made.
He
had almost made. He hadn't caught it. Mrs. Argenot hadn't caught it.

But, by God, the zoning commission would catch it. This had probably saved him three lost weeks of red tape and headaches. He looked over at where she had stepped away from his desk and was holding herself so still.

A new facet of her character unfolded before him and hit him between the eyes. A new understanding of her person that he had never bothered to see before.

He cleared his throat. "Good job, Renee. I'm impressed. How did you catch that?"

She was already moving away to the door. "I don't know. I like numbers. They're fun." She opened the door and stopped briefly.

"Fun?" He was dumbfounded.

"They always do what they're supposed to do. They always add up." She paused. "You can always trust numbers."

Robert watched the door close behind her and lowered his forehead to his hands.

****

Two agonizingly slow days passed while Robert tried his damndest to leave her alone. He began to watch the consistency and detail of her work.

She was good.

He had never given it a thought before. He had been so obsessed with getting her gone and
getting her done
that her work ethic went unnoticed.

But her standards were high. The detail of her work was impeccable. They had already gone through five people trying to find the right fit. Someone smart. Someone dependable.

She was exactly the kind of secretary he was going to need when Mrs. Argenot retired completely.

Fuck
.

Just one step closer to driving him out of his fucking mind.

****

Renee parked her car in her covered space at the condo and grabbed her bag. She thought the day would never end. That the weekend would never get here. She seriously needed some down time. She ran up the flight of stairs but came to an abrupt halt when she saw the tall, broad figure lounging next to her front door. How had he beat her here? She wasn't aware that he had even left work.

Her steps faltered. "What are you doing here?" She didn't come any closer.

Robert watched her hesitant movements and wanted to get the two of them inside with the door locked before she either bolted entirely or threw a hissy fit on the front steps.

"I'm going to buy you dinner to repay you for the meal you gave me the other day." He surveyed the mutinous expression on her face. "I promise. I have no ulterior motive for being here. You really helped me out by catching the mistake with the La Fourche project. Let me take you out to dinner."

Renee eyed him with apparent skepticism. She was hungry. And so tired she thought she might just give up and hit the couch for a nap before she prepared anything. She made a quick decision. "Okay. Give me a minute."

She pushed over to the front door and unlocked it. She went through to the bedroom and said, "I'll only be a moment."

She noticed he was still dressed in his work clothes, so she didn't bother changing, either. She just brushed her teeth and freshened her lipstick, and brushed her hair out quickly. She wanted to get some food and then get rid of him. She knew she would eventually have to deal with him, but not right now.

She walked back out and saw him sitting on the couch, one booted foot crossed over the other knee. A highly masculine pose if she had ever seen one. He raised one lone eyebrow in question.

"That was quick. I expected to be here for an hour waiting on you."

Renee turned away from him and grabbed her bag off the counter where she had dropped it before. "I told you I would only be a minute. I'm ready." She turned back to see him getting up and moving toward her. She opened the door and stepped out, waiting for him to do the same.

When he moved past her, a
frisson
of need swept through her body. She would have to be careful tonight. Be on guard the whole time. Robert Thibodeaux was a threat to her sanity, her person and her whole life.

Her hands were shaking, and he stopped next to her and took the keys from her. He slipped the key in the lock and slid home the deadbolt. Turning, he put his hand to the small of her back and followed her downstairs.

Renee came to a stop in the parking lot and held out her hand for her keys.

He stood and twirled them around his fingers. "How about seafood? Let's drive down to the riverfront."

She continued to stand there, hand out. "That sounds fine. I'll follow you. I don't want you to have to drive all the way back here."

He didn't acknowledge her words at all. Just slipped her keys into his front pocket and started walking over to his car, a low-slung black sports car, the epitome of sophistication. He went to the passenger door and pushed a button on his own keys that deactivated a mechanism that unlocked the doors. He opened the door and watched her hovering nearby, still a few feet away. "Get in."