Business and Pleasure (Lavender Lace, Book One) (3 page)

“I’ve read through your file. Peggy always does a wonderful job hiring the perfect people, but I do like to meet all my employees.” She gazed at something in the file, which Keefe assumed was his personnel record. “You recently moved here from Los Angeles?”

“Yes.”

“Why Seattle?”

Keefe caught himself staring at her.
My God, her eyes are the most amazing blue.
Combined with her ivory complexion and blonde hair, they’d make any man take more than one look.

Clearing his throat, he casually rested one ankle on the opposite knee. “I came here a few years ago to visit some friends. I liked the area and thought it’d be a great place to live. When I found out about the job opening, I sent Ms. Sharples my resume.”

“Your former boss highly recommended you. Peggy and I both spoke to him on the phone before your first interview with Peggy. He said he’d be sorry to lose you.”

“I had a great job.”

“So why leave it?”

Keefe wondered how honest Marci wanted him to be. He decided it would be best to be completely open with his new boss. “I needed to get away from a former girlfriend.”

“Bad relationship?”

“You could say that.”

He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t push. Keefe appreciated that. He wasn’t ready to talk about the woman he’d thought he would marry.

Marci flipped a page in his file. “Your starting salary is satisfactory? Peggy explained your benefits? If you have any questions or concerns, now is the time to voice them.”

“Everything is great, except Peggy didn’t explain the dress code.”

“We do require you to wear clothes.”

She grinned, and Keefe chuckled. He liked her sense of humor.

Her gaze passed over his body. He’d worn a white dress shirt, new jeans and a short gray jacket. He’d thought about wearing a suit, but the idea of putting on a tie made him gag.

“You look fine. Business casual is what most everyone wears. Friday is very casual. Faded jeans and Reeboks are cool.” Closing the file, she laid it back on the end table. “I have a meeting with all my VPs Monday morning at nine. Sometimes they last ten minutes, sometimes four hours. I let my people do their jobs without interference from me, unless it’s necessary. I’m always available if you need help or think of questions later.”

Keefe nodded to acknowledge her comments.

“There will be travel involved with your position. Do you have a problem with that?”

“I’ll do whatever I need to do to get the job done.”

Her eyes widened slightly and her mouth slackened, as if his answer had surprised her. She quickly glanced away from him. When she looked at him again, her expression was once more neutral.

He wondered what had happened.

“If you change your mind and have something to ask me, please don’t hesitate.”

“I won’t.”

Keefe stood and followed Marci to the door. She held out her hand again. “I hope you’ll be happy here at Marshall Media.”

“I’m sure I will be.”

He took her hand, holding it a few seconds longer than would be professional. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to take the clip out of her hair so he could see the length. He wanted to cradle her face in his hands and kiss her until neither of them could breathe.

Keefe hadn’t felt such a strong, instant attraction since he met Jeania. He’d fallen so hard for her, he’d asked her to move in with him after their fourth date. Three years later, she’d not only broken his heart, she’d stomped on the pieces.

He left Marci’s office and headed for the bank of elevators. The lovely president could be very dangerous.

He needed to remember that.

Chapter Two

I’ll do whatever I need to do to get the job done.

That line repeated in Marci’s mind again and again while she tried to work. It had been an innocent statement. She was sure Keefe hadn’t meant for it to sound sexual. But as soon as he said it, an image of rumpled sheets and sweaty bodies had flashed through her mind.

It hadn’t helped her overactive imagination that Keefe had those incredible Black Irish looks. There wasn’t a trace of an accent in his voice, yet his black hair and blue eyes were excellent indicators that his ancestors had come from the Emerald Isle. Of course, the last name Donegan was about as Irish as a name could get.

Keefe had stood about three inches taller than she in her two-inch heels, so must be around five-eleven. The perfect height for dancing, kissing…making love.

Damn the man for being so handsome and having such a great body. He was her employee. Plus he was six years younger than she. Those two things meant he was completely off limits.

Still, she could enjoy looking at him, feel that flutter of desire low in her belly. It had been more months than she could count since a man had affected her so quickly.

Maybe she should fire him before he ever got started. No employee, no problem. She could ignore the age difference long enough for him to fuck her senseless.

With a sigh, Marci turned her chair and stared out the window at the Olympic Range. Mother Nature had blessed Seattle with a sunny day instead of the clouds that usually filled a September sky. Looking at the mountain range helped her relax so she could think. Marshall Media had no rule about employees dating. She knew several of the one hundred people in the company who dated now, or had dated, fallen in love and married. Marci thought that was wonderful.

It was different for her. As president of the company, she couldn’t let her emotions rule her. Gossip ran rampant in an office. She knew that from her affair with Ben Windsor eighteen months ago.

The thought of what he’d done still made her cheeks flame with embarrassment.

A soft knock on her door drew Marci’s attention away from the majestic Olympics. She swiveled her chair around to face her desk. “Come in,” she called.

Peggy Sharples breezed into the room. Marci smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Peggy crooked her finger in a “come here” motion to Marci and headed for the sitting area. “Time for a break.”

Marci made a sweeping gesture across her desk. “Do you see all these piles? I don’t have time for a break.”

“Take one anyway.” Peggy sank into a corner of the loveseat. “And bring me a Pepsi.”

Sometimes Marci wondered if Peggy should be the president. She was certainly bossy enough. “Shall I order in donuts too?”

Peggy grinned. “Nah. Too late in the day for donuts. Cookies would work.”

Chuckling, Marci rose from her desk. Only Peggy would tease her boss the way she did. Marci did her best to be kind and friendly to every one of her employees, but she called few of them her friends. She and Peggy had clicked the moment they met. Marci knew whatever she said to Peggy in this room would never be repeated.

She took two cold Pepsis from her small refrigerator and joined Peggy on the loveseat. She slipped off her heels and drew her knees up on the cushion.

Peggy popped the top on her soda. “So, what do you think of your new vice president?”

“I’ll have a better opinion after I see his work.”

Peggy rolled her eyes. “Stop being a president for a minute and be a woman. The man is a hunk. Surely you noticed.”

“His looks don’t matter to me, Peggy. I want performance.”

“I’ll bet his performance is just fine.”

Marci chuckled at her friend’s double entendre. Peggy had married her high school sweetheart and was still madly in love with him after twenty years. “What would William say if he heard you raving about another man’s looks?”

“The day I stop raving about good-looking men is the day there’s nothing for William either.” She drew her knees up on the loveseat, copying Marci’s position. “A woman will melt after one look from Keefe’s eyes. Or spread her legs.”

“You’re terrible.”

“I’m honest. Don’t tell me you didn’t fantasize for a moment when you met him.”

To keep from commenting to Peggy’s statement, Marci sipped her soda. She should’ve known that wouldn’t keep her friend from jumping to her own conclusions.

“You
did
fantasize about him!”

“Okay, that’s enough.”

“Were you thinking about him when I came in?”

She was like a dog with a bone, refusing to give up. “You know, you can be replaced.”

“You can’t fire me. I’m indispensable.” The humor faded from Peggy’s expression. “Seriously, Marci, he’d be perfect for you. He’s gorgeous—“

“No.”

“Polite—“

“
No
.”

“Has a great sense of humor—“

“
NO.
”

“Don’t let some office gossip keep you from finding someone special. What happened with Ben—“

“Taught me a valuable lesson. If I find someone special, he’ll be from outside this company.” She took another sip of the cold beverage. “Besides, Keefe is too young for me.”

Peggy frowned. “Who made up that silly rule? Since when is six years too young?”

“Since I said it was. I don’t date employees. End of discussion.”

“He doesn’t officially start until Monday. That gives you five days before he’s an employee.”

Surely Peggy wasn’t suggesting… “You aren’t serious.”

“You have his phone number. Call him and ask him to meet you for a drink.”

“I can’t do—“

“But before you call him, get rid of the suit and buy a really sexy dress.” Her gaze passed over Marci’s body. “I know about a new lingerie store that opened Saturday. I haven’t been yet, but a friend told me about it. Lavender Lace. It’s on Sixth Avenue. I’ll bet you don’t have any sexy underwear.”

Peggy would lose that bet. Marci wore a professional suit every day, but that didn’t mean she had to wear plain lingerie. Every bra and pair of panties she owned were made of lace and satin. Her thigh-high stockings were the sheerest she could buy.

She was an executive on the outside. On the inside, she was very much a woman.

A soft rap on her door announced another visitor. Marci’s assistant, Lauren, peeked around the edge of the door.

“Tyler Wilson is on line two.”

“Thanks.” Marci turned back to Peggy. “I’ve been waiting for his call.”

“I know you have.” Peggy stood as Marci did. “Think about what I said about calling Keefe. A drink, maybe dinner, maybe a night at his place…”

“Goodbye, Peggy.”

Marci shook her head once her friend had left. She knew Peggy was trying to help. A drink and dinner and a night all sounded wonderful…if they could be with a man other than her employee.

Pushing thoughts of Peggy and Keefe from her mind, Marci hurried back to her desk and picked up the telephone receiver. “Mr. Wilson, thank you for returning my call.”

* * * * *

Keefe wondered what Marci would do if he asked her out for a drink.

He didn’t officially start work at Marshall Media until Monday. For the last three days, he’d gotten acquainted with some of the staff who would be working for and with him, and the layout of the building. He liked the open concept, the flow of the work spaces. He’d stood back and watched people for several minutes at a time. Everyone seemed to truly enjoy their work.

That would make his job a lot easier.

It might be casual Friday, but Marci Bayne hadn’t worn jeans and Reeboks. She hadn’t seen him, but he’d watched her interact with several of the employees today. She’d worn a suit, the same as she had every day since he’d met her on Wednesday. They were different colors and styles, but always a suit. Answers to some careful questions to certain young women who’d openly flirted with him let him know that she always wore a suit and her hair piled on top of her head.

What a waste. She should wear her hair down and clothes that showed off her curves.

Other carefully worded questions to those same women had informed him that interoffice dating happened a lot…except for Marci. She didn’t date any employees, not after the scandal a year and a half ago. He couldn’t get any more information about the “scandal”. The women immediately clammed up and refused to say any more.