The Boss's Marriage Plan (Proposals & Promises 2)

She moistened her chilled, dry lips. “Actually, you’ve completed misinterpreted why I’m so nervous tonight,” she said. “I’m not trying to figure out how to turn you down, Scott. I’m trying to find the courage to tell you I’m willing to give it a try.”

It wasn’t often she saw Scott startled into immobility. She thought maybe she was viewing it now, as he went very still, his hand unmoving on her arm. After a moment, he said, “So it’s a yes?”

She took a leap of faith and nodded. “Yes.”

A car cruised past them in search of a parking space, bone-vibrating bass booming from the interior as the passengers gambled deafness in favor of volume. Roused into recognition of their surroundings, Scott glanced around with a grimace. “So...dinner?”

She nodded again. It was too late to bolt in panic now, she reminded herself, though she had to admit the thought occurred to her.

* * *

They dined at a barbecue restaurant within view of the baby store. First pizza and then barbecue, Scott thought after they were seated in the casual, noisy dining room. He made a mental note to take her someplace nice soon, now that they were dating...or whatever it was they were doing. For now he was aware of a deep sense of satisfaction that she’d decided his brainstorm wasn’t so crazy after all.

Because it seemed to calm her, he kept the dinner conversation light and primarily centered on work. They discussed the new employee she’d hired, and he shared his enthusiasm for the apartment complex project he’d contracted that day. Though a bit quiet at first, Tess was soon chatting easily enough, helping him plan ahead for the holidays that always played havoc with schedules. Every year it seemed they ran into delays and shortages between the first of December and New Year’s Day, whether because of vacations or weather or a half dozen other seasonal issues.

This was their strength, he reminded himself. Their common ground. He didn’t have to try to woo her or put on a calculatedly romantic facade for her. He could simply be himself, which only confirmed his belief that they were uniquely suited as a match. Pushing his luck a bit, he took advantage of her more relaxed mood to say, “There’s that thing Thursday night. The Holiday Open Home party.”

He knew he didn’t have to be more specific. His company had participated in the Holiday Open Home fund-raiser for the past five years. Each year, one of the area’s most luxurious homes was lavishly outfitted for the holidays with donations from local builders and decorators. Tours were conducted during the first three weekends of December, with all the receipts given to a local women’s shelter. In return for a monetary donation, Scott’s company was listed in the publicity material. The event’s organizers always hosted a cocktail party for donors on Thursday evening before the tours began on the first Friday. The gathering was covered by the media and attended by the professionals who considered the event part of their annual advertising and charitable budget.

The parties were usually rather dull, but Scott figured it was good to be seen at them, so he tried to make a regular appearance. Because Tess was in charge of the firm’s charitable donations, she was always invited to the cocktail party by the organizers. It occurred to him only then that though she’d probably been invited to bring a guest, as he was, she’d always attended on her own. He wasn’t sure why, unless she’d considered the event strictly business.

She toyed with a forkful of coleslaw. “Yes, I remember.”

“Why don’t I pick you up and we can go together?” It seemed like a good opportunity to make their debut as a couple. Their business associates could become accustomed to seeing them together outside the office so that it wouldn’t cause quite such a stir when they made it clear their relationship had moved beyond professional.

“We won’t be making any announcements about our personal plans or anything like that,” he assured her when she didn’t immediately respond. “Just attending together. You know, sort of kicking off the season.”

She nodded. “All right. We’ll go together.”

He chuckled drily. “It’s a party, Tess, not a tax audit.”

A quick, rueful laugh lit her eyes and curved her lips. She had such a very nice mouth. Full and soft, perfectly shaped. He found himself transfixed by her lips now, remembering the feel of them against his. The taste of them.

“I was somewhat less than gracious, wasn’t I?” she acknowledged apologetically. “I’m sorry, it isn’t that I don’t want to go with you. I’m probably just overthinking things. You know how I get.”

“Having second thoughts?”

“No.” Her answer was immediate and steady. “I’ve considered everything you said and it makes sense to me. We do make a good team.”

“We always have,” he agreed with a surge of satisfaction.

“And it will be nice to have you with me at some of the events I have to attend in the next few weeks. I can’t wait to see my sister’s face when she sees you at the parties with me,” she added, almost as if to herself. “I dare her to find anything to criticize about you.”

He was a bit taken aback by the glint in her amber eyes. Maybe she’d intended that as a compliment? But he wasn’t sure he wanted to be used as a pawn in some sort of battle of wills between Tess and her sister. He was trying to decide how to broach the subject when someone called his name from nearby. “Hey, Scott, thought that was you. How’s it going?”

He glanced up to nod warmly at the couple who paused beside him. An old friend of Eli’s, Bryan Crawford, held a towheaded toddler on one hip while his wife, Jessica, held the little boy’s golden-blond older sister by one hand. “Hi, Bryan. Jessica. Nice to see you both.”

“This is a coincidence,” Bryan said with a broad grin spread over his ruddy face. “We just saw Eli and Libby an hour ago. We were all attending an open house at the girls’ preschool. Your nieces are growing fast, aren’t they?”

“They are. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Bryan.”

The other man chuckled and ruffled the hair of the drowsy boy he held. “Yeah, I haven’t had much time for pickup basketball games lately. You know how it is once you have kids, always something on their schedule.”

Jessica rolled her eyes with a weary bark of a laugh. “Now, how would Scott know about that, honey? He’s the carefree bachelor in the Prince family, remember? Libby says he’s too busy running that company of his to settle down and chase after a couple of kids.” As if on cue, their daughter, who was the same age as Scott’s nieces, whined and tugged impatiently at her mother’s hand.

“Yeah, lucky guy,” Bryan said with a grin, but the way he patted his son’s back made it clear he wouldn’t change places with the “carefree bachelor.”

His smile feeling a bit strained, Scott motioned toward Tess, who was sitting very quietly watching the exchange. “Bryan and Jessica Crawford, this is my friend, Tess Miller.”