The Bedroom Business

Emily frowned. “So?”

“So, I need you to come with me.”

“To Connecticut?”

“Isn’t that what I just said? Yes. To Connecticut.”

“I don’t understand. What does property in Connecticut have to do with me?”

“I want to see if you have a feel for this sort of thing.”

“What sort of thing?” Emily shook her head. “I’m not following you at all.”

Jake took her arm again. He led her up the street, around the corner, to where he’d parked his Corvette, unlocked the door and closed it after her. It took a couple of minutes, just the time he needed for it all to come together.

“There are times I invest in land,” he said briskly, as he dumped the packages in the car and got behind the wheel. “You know that.”

“Actually, I didn’t. I know you have a weekend place in Connecticut, but—”

“Exactly.” He checked for traffic, then pulled away from the curb. “The two acres next to mine just came on the mar­ket. I have to decide whether or not to buy them.”

True again, he thought. Yes, it made more and more sense that she spend the rest of the day with him.

“And?” Emily said, sounding even more puzzled.

“And, I want your opinion. As my executive assistant.”

He glanced over at her. She was looking at him as if he’d lost his mind and maybe he had. But his mouth was already working, even though his brain seemed to be shutting down.

“I have the data. Prices in the area. Tax info. Resale, all of that.” Jake cleared his throat. “Of course,” he said po­litely, “if you think, you’ d be in over your head—”

“I’m perfectly capable of understanding the data,” Emily said coolly. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t mention this before.”

“I didn’t think of it.”

That was true enough, too. Suddenly, he knew how crazy he had to sound. And this was crazy. Why would he want to take Emily to Connecticut? He’d said he’d spend the day getting her new clothes, a new hairdo, new makeup. Well, he’d done it. She wanted to go home and it was time to let her do just that, then head to his place, check his address book, figure out who he felt like seeing tonight ... except he didn’t feel like seeing anybody, except Emily.

McBride, what are you doing?

“Listen,” he said quickly, “if you don’t want to do this... If you’d rather I took you home...”

He fell silent. The seconds ticked away and then Emily cleared her throat. “No,” she said softly, “no, don’t take me home. Take me with you, to—to Connecticut.”

Suddenly, Jake felt as if the car were filled with electricity. He looked at Emily. She was sitting very still, her hands folded in her lap.

“Okay,” he said gruffly, and he took the ‘Vette onto the highway that led out of the city, then onto the Hutchinson

I River Parkway, headed towards northwestern Connecticut. He was silent. Emily was, too. He glanced at her once in a while, as they left the city behind and entered the wooded hills of southern New England. She sat as she’d been sitting, hands folded, staring straight ahead.

What was she thinking?

The roads were fairly empty. The snow, falling more and more heavily, was keeping people home. Hell, home was where he ought to be. There was no sense to this. He’d get Emily to his house and then what? Show her the stuff about taxes and prices in Litchfield County? What for? The truth was that he didn’t need her opinion. He’d already decided to buy the land, not as an investment but because he loved the house, loved the hill it stood on, the forest that surrounded it.

Jake cursed, swung the wheel hard to the right and pulled onto the shoulder of the highway. He stared straight ahead while he gripped the steering wheel hard. His knuckles turned white.

“This is crazy,” he said gruffly. “I’ll take you back.”

“Jake?”

“Yes?”

“Jake, look at me.”

He did. For the first time in hours, he looked straight at her. His heart turned over. She was so beautiful. So beauti­ful...

“Is this really about property that’s for sale?” she said softly.

Her eyes lifted to his, and what he saw in their chocolate depths stole his breath away.

“Hell, no,” he whispered. Quickly, he undid his seat belt, undid hers, and reached for her. She came into his arms with a little sob, turned her face up to his and met his hard, hungry kiss with an eagerness that almost undid him.

“Emily,” he whispered, “come with me. Let me teach you the things that really matter.”