He kissed her again. Hard and fast. “I mean it.”
“I know.”
He carried her into the living room and sat down on the sofa with her in his lap. His thighs weren’t the only hard things under her bottom. Heat flashed through her, sensitizing nerve endings already on edge.
“You really did miss me,” she teased.
He didn’t smile in response. “I have severely reprimanded my second in command.”
“He’s the one who ordered I be fired?”
“Yes.”
“Then you know about the articles as well.”
“I saw something at the newsstand in the airport.”
She cringed at the reminder how widespread was her humiliation. “Did you flip?”
“That’s one word for it, but my reaction to the initial article was nothing compared to my fury when I was told you’d been fired as a crisis containment measure. If you were a different woman, that kind of crisis containment could have blown up in our collective faces.”
She knew he’d been too smart to take such a step.
“My managers will not act so impetuously on my behalf again.”
She shivered at the chill in his voice.
“Why did they?”
His brows rose. “What do you mean?”
“It just seems to me that they had to have some reason for believing you would approve their decision.”
“Ignorance.”
“Well, yes, but…”
“They were ignorant because they’ve never been in this situation before.”
She waited in silence for him to continue explaining and was surprised when he did after only a brief pause.
“They know only that I hate personal publicity of any kind. I’ve never dated a woman employed by one of my companies and I don’t usually make it on the front pages of the weekly tabloids. My last magazine cover was Newsweek.”
“I read it. That article had a lot more truth to it.”
“No doubt. I’m going to kill Ray.” From the way Angelo growled the words, she could almost feel badly for the rat.
“So you think it’s him, too?”
“Who else could it be?”
“I can’t think of anyone, but I’m sure Danette didn’t know about it.” Fairly sure anyway.
Once again she was operating on the principle of giving her friend the benefit of the doubt. It had worked with Angelo.
Looking unconvinced by her assurance, he asked, “Have you spoken to her?”
“No. She wasn’t at her desk when security walked me out and she hasn’t returned my call.”
“My second in command will be attending the remedial management training course on human resource development.”
She felt a twinge of sympathy for the general manager. “That will be quite the come-down.”
“Particularly if you teach it.”
She laughed. “I no longer work for Primo Tech.”
“This is true.” He buried his hand in her hair and brushed his fingers through it to the ends. “That’s so damn silky. I’m hoping you’ll take a position closer to me.”
“What?” First he was talking about her hair and then a job offer? “Are you offering me a position in your main office?”
“In my life.”
“You mean you don’t want me working for you?”
“Of course I want you working for me. Do you think I want a brain like yours going to a competitor?”
She warmed at the compliment, but still wasn’t sure what he was driving at. “Um…I’m getting confused here.”
“I’m hoping you’ll take your next job…working for me…as Tara Gordon rather than Tara Peters.”
She swallowed and then plunged. “Yes.”
He looked like he’d been turned to stone. “You will marry me?”
“As soon as you like.”
“You are serious.”
“Very.”
“No big production?” he asked, sounding very satisfied.
“No, but I’d like my mom and Darren there, and Danette.”
“Done.” He kissed her again and this time they were both disheveled and missing some clothes when they came up for air.
She still had her bra on, but her shirt was gone and his was completely unbuttoned. His tie hung over the back of the couch and his suit jacket was in a crumpled pile on the floor.
He was looking at her like a starving man facing a five-course meal. “I want you.”
She rested against the hard warmth of his chest. “I want you, too.”
“But we’re waiting.”
“Until we’re married?” she asked, an unnamed emotion making her heart squeeze.
“Yes.”
It felt right and she smiled, glad that she’d agreed to marry quickly. She liked the idea he wanted to wait, but she didn’t think either of their self-control could stand up to a long engagement. “We’re going to have one heck of a wedding night.”