She pinched the bridge of her nose, wishing she could hit the rewind button on her life. “It’s not like that, Dad. What you saw just happened, it was a mistake.” She didn’t want to admit that the man she’d been kissing was one of the Gypsum Brownlees and they were only picking up where they’d left off in her father’s own guesthouse. She sighed. “Let’s just forget it, okay?”
“Okay,” he said in the tone that indicated he’d bring it up later at the worst time possible. Then he opened his arms. “How about a hug for your old man?”
She smiled and went into his arms, inhaling the minty scent of his antique aftershave and closed her eyes. Despite his flaws, she loved him.
He broke the hug first and stepped back. “Do you have time for lunch? Dinner’s out because I need to go to Houston tonight for some shindig with the governor.”
“Of course,” she said, and claimed her purse, trying not to be disappointed that he’d made other plans for dinner. The governor, after all, was more important.
They made small talk on the short walk to a restaurant around the corner and even though she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, she gave her father credit for waiting until they’d ordered before bringing up the subject again. “Sam, you have to rethink those retaining walls before it’s too late.”
She set her jaw, angry that he would be so vocal about something that wasn’t any of his business. “Daddy, I’m twenty-one days into a thirty-day project. I’m not going to argue with you about my design.”
A challenging light came into his eyes. “If you were working for me, I’d have you change them.”
Doubts plagued her. Everyone questioned her design even though she’d spent years perfecting the engineering of the custom-made sheets of synthetic reinforced material to be used in place of standard reinforced concrete. Weary of defending herself, especially to her father, she spoke through clenched teeth. “But Idon’twork for you, Daddy.”
His mouth twitched in suppressed anger. She remembered all the times he’d offered her a job and she’d declined because she knew she’d always be working in the shadow of his accomplishments, both in her father’smind and in the minds of the army of people who worked for him.
“And the executive committee must have thought that my design was promising—” she said, her voice stronger “—or they wouldn’t have given me this chance to prove myself.” She swallowed. “Stay out of this, Dad. This ismyproject,mycareer.”
Her father’s face reddened slightly, then he tossed down his napkin and stood.
“You’d better hope this excavation comes together, Samantha, because if you fail,Imight be the only person around who’ll hire you.”
Her heart twisted as she watched him stride out of the restaurant. Why couldn’t he just be proud of her? Why did he always have to be right?
Her mind went to Teague, and she was flooded with relief and gratitude that he had come back into her life at this critical juncture. His lack of ambition might not make him a great catch, but it had put him in the right place at the right time to rescue her project.
She touched her mouth where his lips had seared hers during their moment of recklessness. In her chest, her business sense warred with her guilt. If the kiss he’d given her was any indication of how he felt about his boss, he wouldn’t let her down.
And although she had no intention of falling for Teague Brownlee, she needed him on her side for a while.
Samantha wet her lips. His hot, illicit kisses would simply be a bonus.
* * *
TEAGUE DROVE BACKto the job site, his chest tight with irritation over Samantha’s father barging into her office. He wasn’t sure what annoyed him the most—the fact that Packard Stone had intruded on his daughter’s professional space only to criticize her design or that the man had interrupted a very promising kiss.
A kiss that Samantha hadn’t shied away from, and in those few seconds, he’d gotten a glimpse of the passion he remembered when she’d lain in his arms all those years ago.
A little smile played on his mouth. His plan was working. Soon he would have Samantha Stone right where he wanted her—naked and underneath him, crying out his name. He’d seduce her, then dump her like she’d dumped him.
Dump herandthe Carlyle Library project. In his wildest dreams, he hadn’t imagined being able to exact such perfect revenge. He could show the Stone family that they couldn’t simply use people, then discard them when they were through and expect to get away with it.
He reached over to pat the head of Dixon, who seemed grateful for the unexpected attention. The dog, who wasn’t easily won over, constantly played with the chew toy that Samantha had given him, carried it around like it was some kind of special gift.
“Don’t get too attached to her,” Teague warned his pet…. Or was he telling himself?
