Head Over Heels for the Boss (Donovan Brothers) Page 9

His heart tripped over itself in his chest. Dear God. It was no wonder he found it so easy to talk to her. He didn’t just consider her a nice person or a sexy woman or a friend. He saw her as an equal. He’d never considered another person his equal before. True, he’d never tried. He’d never even thought about the concept before, but she was his equal.

  Maybe it was a good thing her parents wanted her to move. Maybe he should just back off and let her go.

  At dinner that night, at the round table on the big deck in the back, the gestures of affection flowed like sweet syrup over pancakes. Finn doted over Ellie. Cade and Piper doted over Richard Sean. And Bob doted on his mom.

  Devon steeled himself against his cynical reaction to the fire chief. Twice Isabelle gave him a look, as if reminding him to be nice. Both times he had to hold back a growl.

  When the steaks were eaten and Piper and Isabelle had cut the apple pies Ellie had made that afternoon, his mother tapped her knife against her wineglass.

  “I’m so glad you could all make it to dinner tonight.”

  Everyone smiled or mumbled a thanks for the great dinner—even though Cade had actually grilled the steaks.

  His mother sucked in a breath. “I know this is going to seem sudden to you all, but Bob and I have an announcement.”

  Oh.

  No.

  Hell no.

  Wineglass in hand, Bob rose. “I’d like to ask you boys for your mother’s hand in marriage.”

  Devon’s face fell. Anger roared through him. But Finn bounced out of his seat and clasped Bob’s hand. Cade was right behind him.

  With piercing female squeals, Ellie and Piper jumped up to hug LuAnn.

  Isabelle sought Devon’s gaze. She nudged her head in the direction of the happy couple as her eyebrows rose, as if telling him he needed to get off his ass and go congratulate his mother.

  He pushed his chair back slowly. His ears began to ring. Nothing made any sense.

  No, that wasn’t true. One thing made perfect sense. A quick wedding between a newly divorced rich woman and a blue collar guy?

  This man was marrying his mom for her money.

  “I know this probably seems sudden to you all,” his mom said as he approached her. “But Bob and I have actually been dating for two years.”

  He stopped. “Two years?”

  Bob laughed. “At first we were waiting for the divorce to be final. Then we just enjoyed the privacy.”

  “And sneaking around can be fun,” LuAnn said with a little laugh.

  Devon finally reached her. Though it took every ounce of determination within him, he said, “Congratulations, Mom.”

  She squeezed him tightly. “I just want you guys to be happy for me.”

  He said nothing, only smiled when she finally pulled out of their hug.

  Sneaking around. Sudden engagements. And millions of dollars at stake.

  He would get to the bottom of this.

  Isabelle watched the glowing couple leave about an hour later. LuAnn had wanted to do the dishes but once Bob put the engagement ring on her finger, she couldn’t stop shaking. So Isabelle insisted they were fine doing cleanup without her and they left after another round of hugs.

  The men helped bring the dishes in from the back deck, Finn and Cade laughing about their mom’s engagement, with Devon being suspiciously quiet.

  Piper started rinsing dishes for the dishwasher but Richard Sean yawned and nestled his little face into his daddy’s red plaid ranch shirt.

  Glancing at a scowling Devon, Isabelle made an executive decision. She turned to Piper and Cade. “You know what? He’s tired. You should get him home. We’re fine here.”

  Ellie said, “Yeah. We’re fine here. There are plenty of us to clean up.”

  “Actually, Ellie, why don’t you and Finn leave, too? You’re two weeks away from a baby. Go home. Put your feet up. All that’s left to do is start the dishwasher and put away the leftovers.”

  Finn said, “If you’re sure,” but Isabelle could see he was tired. Apparently, sleeping with a pregnant wife as you ran three businesses wasn’t easy. But she was more worried about Devon, who looked ready to explode. As Cade grabbed Richard Sean’s diaper bag, Finn and Ellie headed for the door.

  In what seemed like seconds, she and Devon were alone.

  She spun to face him. “Say it. Say it all to me. So that you can be nice to your mom when she gets home.”

  Devon snorted. “If she comes home.”

  “You’re not suggesting that a newly engaged woman shouldn’t sleep with her fiancé?”

  He ran his hand along the back of his neck. “I don’t know.”

  “But you know you don’t like it.”

  He gaped at her. “Did you read my mind?”

  “No.” She laughed. “I just know you. We seem to be a lot alike.”

  He sniffed a laugh. “So what am I thinking now?”

  “That you’re glad I left your mother’s sweater back in the office so you can look at my boobs anytime you think I can’t see.”

  At that he out and out laughed. “Right.”

  “It is right. It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

  “Oh, yeah. You think you’re so smart, but you forget that if you understand me because we’re so much alike, that also means I can figure you out.”

  “Give it your best shot.”

  “You’re thinking you wish I would have kissed you on Saturday night.”

  Wow. The man was just a bit full of himself. She laughed. “What a load of crap.”

  He whipped over and grabbed her arm, hauling her up against his chest. “Liar.”

  And here they were. Butt up against the truth. Moving to Myrtle Beach might tempt her, but she liked him. Hell, she’d made a play for him at a wedding and he’d had to tell her to back off. Then she’d overheard gossip that reinforced what he’d said. But…

  She liked him.

  And now that they were getting to know each other, he liked her, too. He saw her as a beautiful woman… No. He actually saw her. Up until today, he’d looked through her. Today, he wasn’t just talking with her like a peer. He found her attractive.

  And now she was in his arms.

  About to become the town’s official gold digger.

  Piper was the runaway bride. Ellie the prodigal daughter. And she’d be Isabelle Cooper, Gold Digger.

  She couldn’t do it.

  “You can’t kiss me.” She meant it. She really did. As soon as she figured out how to get out of her parents’ agreement with him, she intended to leave. She had to be strong. But her voice came out soft and breathy. Her words sounded like a token protest at best.

  His throaty laugh was all the answer he needed, as he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers.

  The zing that raced through her like a lightning bolt nearly buckled her knees. His mouth moved across hers roughly, sending arousal careening from her center to her toes. Her nipples blossomed to life.

  Dear God, the man could kiss.

  She pressed her palms to either side of his face, taking control of the kiss for fear he’d stop. They shifted from hot presses of their lips, to long, open-mouthed kisses that swept his tongue across hers and forced her to her tiptoes. His arms tightened around her, angling her breasts into his chest.

  She groaned. All thoughts of moving to Myrtle Beach fled. She’d work her way around the gossip. This was what she wanted.

  “Yoo-hoo, I’m home.”

  LuAnn.

  They jumped apart. Devon pivoted around and spun two paper towels off the roll behind him. He whispered, “Fix your mouth,” at the same time that he swiped the towel across his lips and tossed it into the convenient stainless steel trash can.

  LuAnn stepped into the open area from the foyer. “Hey.” She walked over to Devon and kissed his cheek, Bob only a few feet behind her.

  Devon cleared his throat. “What’s up?”

  LuAnn laughed. “We forgot the whole reason we asked Izzy to have dinner with us t
onight.”

  Isabelle said, “I thought you were being polite.”

  LuAnn faced her. “Oh, we were, dear. We love you. But we also need help with our wedding. We thought since you already work for the family, we could steal you for a few hours a week to get help with our wedding.”

  “You want me to be your wedding planner?”

  “You have done hundreds of weddings.”

  Bob said, “Maybe even thousands. I know the whole fire hall bit inside and out. We can hire the Dinner Belles to do the meal. We figured you could handle the flowers and all those details we don’t know we need to handle.”

  She glanced at Devon. He was the one who’d instigated that kiss. Almost as if he couldn’t resist her. She’d wanted him most of her adult life. And now that he was interested, wouldn’t she be a fool to leave without giving them time to figure out if they were meant to be together? Plus, she had two months before she had to give her parents an answer. LuAnn’s wedding might be the perfect reason to give to her parents for why she was staying in Harmony Hills.

  She smiled at LuAnn. “I’d love to help with your wedding.”

  Devon waved his hands for everyone to stop. “Wait a minute.” He held his mother’s gaze. “You’re a billionaire and you’re having your reception in the fire hall.”

  “Everybody has their reception in the fire hall,” his mother reminded him. “Besides, we stayed in Harmony Hills because the people who live here are our friends. Sort of a surrogate family.” She faced Isabelle. “Back me up, Izzy.”

  “That was my guess about why you stayed.”

  “So why would we make our friends drive two hours to Pittsburgh, to go to a wedding in some swanky hotel just to prove we have money, when they already know we have money?”

  Devon closed his eyes.

  Isabelle stepped forward and gripped LuAnn’s hand. “I totally agree. And I will help you any way I can.”

  LuAnn squeezed her fingers. “Money’s no object. So whatever you need, you buy. Any help you need, you hire.”

  Isabelle grinned. “Sounds like fun.”

  Bob leaned forward and whispered, “It will be.” Then he took LuAnn’s hand, turned her in the direction of the open area and the foyer, and said, “Good night, you two.”

  When the door closed behind them, Devon crossed his arms on his chest and leaned against the counter. “So, Benedict Arnold, that’s how you plan to get yourself respected by the people of this town?”

  “First, I’m not betraying you. Second, this is temporary. This is me helping my boss’s mother.”

  “Which isn’t going to look at all like you’re sucking up to me?”

  She hadn’t forgotten that if word got out she and Devon were involved, she’d look like a gold digger, but she decided to worry about that if the time came. They had two months before she and her parents had to make a decision on the flower shop in Myrtle Beach, and for all she knew, the man would go back to ignoring her.

  But if he didn’t…

  “Hey, who, two seconds before your mother walked in, was kissing whom?”

  “I think we were kissing each other.”

  She grabbed her purse from the counter. She really needed to think this through a little more before she said or did something she’d regret. “Remember that. We are equals.”

  And somehow during the time she had to plan LuAnn’s wedding, she had to figure out her future.

  Move to Myrtle Beach and run her own shop, with her parents, in a new town where she might find everything she wanted?

  Or stay with a man who kissed so well her toes still tingled?

  Chapter Eight

  Devon closed the dishwasher door. The dishes had all been stacked inside. He’d cleaned the counters. Swept the kitchen floor. He turned out all the lights and climbed the flight of stairs to his master suite. Still, the effects of that kiss raced through his blood.

  He couldn’t believe she’d tempted him into kissing her, but now that he had, he didn’t regret it.

  He just didn’t know what to do about it.

  Rinsing off in the big travertine shower of his master bath, he reminded himself that he didn’t want to hurt her. But that reminder was instantly countered by the fact that she planned on leaving him. Her parents were talking to her about a flower shop in Myrtle Beach. If he factored in things like negotiating the sale, the time it took the Coopers to get a loan, and closing, she could be here as long as two months—or as little as three weeks—depending on how eager the sellers were to get out of the business.

  If they went into a relationship with the knowledge that it was temporary, didn’t that totally negate the possibility that he would hurt her?

  Of course, it did.

  He got out of the shower, dried off, and brushed his teeth before slipping naked under satin sheets. He thought of Isabelle there with him and knew that wouldn’t do.

  Her car in his driveway overnight?

  Every gossip and her dog would have a field day with that.

  So an affair was out of the question.

  Unless—

  As much as he hated to think about it, hadn’t his mom said how much fun it had been to sneak around?

  And hadn’t his mom and Bob kept their relationship a secret for two long years?

  Even so, as “possible” as an affair now sounded, he reminded himself that Isabelle could sue him for sexual harassment if things ended badly, but knowing her the way he now did, he trusted that she wouldn’t. But even if she did, she’d made the first move. Hell, she’d basically made all the moves. Not only that, but at the wedding it had been clear that she’d hatched some kind of plan with Piper and Ellie. She couldn’t accuse him of sexual harassment when his very own sisters-in-law knew this was her idea.

  His mind calmed because he made his decision.

  If his mom and Bob could hide an affair for two years, then he and Isabelle could hide an affair for a few short months.

  Now all he had to do was convince her of that.

  At seven o’clock Tuesday morning, Isabelle tiptoed into her office. She wasn’t entirely sure of the point of trying to be silent, except that Devon had two months to make a play for her and she wasn’t helping him. If he wanted her, it had to be his idea.

  “Good morning.”

  Devon’s low, smooth voice stopped her in her tracks. As always, he was already here. He’d probably had three overseas calls.

  She took a second to compose herself, turned with a smile, and said, “Good morning.”

  He waved her into his office, where he sat behind the big mahogany desk. “I’ve been thinking about some of the things my mom said yesterday.”

  And even though it was early, he wasn’t still in pajamas or sweats. Nope. He looked showered. His tan suit had been pressed to perfection. His apricot tie brought out the best in his coloring. Not one strand of his black hair was out of place.

  “Do you ever sleep?”

  “Sleep is overrated.”

  “I’m serious.” She walked into his office. “Maybe if you gave yourself eight good hours of sleep you wouldn’t be so hyper about things.”

  “I’m not hyper about things.”

  “You’re not exactly thrilled about your mom.”

  “I know.” He sat back. “And I have a plan to take care of it.”

  She plopped down on the chair in front of him. She hadn’t dressed as cute and flirty as she had the day before, but when she’d opened the door to her closet that morning, she couldn’t bring herself to wear jeans or the ugly gray suit. So she’d put on a respectable navy blue skirt of Piper’s and paired it with a peach top and white beads.

  “Don’t ruin this for your mom.”

  “I’m not. Look at this from my perspective. She’ll be a lot more hurt if she finds out Bob’s a jerk after she marries him.”

  “He’s not a jerk.”

  “Then his life should stand up to a little scrutiny.”

  She shook her head. “I hope you’re right.”<
br />
  “I’m always right.” He smiled. “And that’s where thinking about things my mom said comes in…for us.”

  “For us?”

  “Yes. We like each other.”

  Not sure where he was going with this, she nervously shifted on her seat.

  “But we’re both very cautious about gossip.”

  “You worry about gossip. I want to keep my reputation intact.”

  “Same thing. Anyway, my mom said she’d been seeing Bob for two years.”

  “Which should make you feel a lot better.”

  “It does…in some ways. Especially since I didn’t think it was possible to keep anything a secret in this town.”

  “Lonnie Simmons kept the secret of her baby’s real father for twelve years.”

  “Yeah, but she moved away. My mom and Bob kept their relationship a total secret while living in this town. Right under everyone’s nose.”

  She sat back, put her elbow on the arm of the chair, and thought about that. “It is amazing.”

  “It makes me wonder what else is going on in town.”

  “I think you have enough to worry about.”

  “I don’t plan on worrying about it. I plan on using it.”

  “Using it?”

  He rose, rounded the desk, and leaned against the edge. Close enough to touch, but not so close as to be intimidating. Still, ripples of attraction shivered from her shoulders to her stomach. The passion of their kiss filled her.

  “If my mom and Bob could keep a relationship a secret, so could you and I.”

  It was a struggle to keep her eyes from popping with surprise. “That’s where you were going with this?”

  “Think about it. We both have more reason to keep it quiet than announce it. You want to protect your professional reputation. I want to protect my family. But you can’t deny there’s something between us.”

  She cleared her throat. Given that just being close to him made her heart stutter then, no, she couldn’t deny it. And she had wanted him to be the one to make the next move. But sneaking around? Even the idea felt hollow, empty.

  Her gaze rose to meet his. “You want to have an affair?”

  “I told you that at the wedding.”

  “I know, but it seems sleazy.”