Secret Weapon

going to refuse after that description, am I?”

“Good choice.” Rebecca opened the door and smiled at someone. “Ms. Reid will see you now.” Rebecca smiled.

Sloan stepped into the doorway and leaned against the doorjamb. “Hi.”

“Hi. This is a surprise.”

He grinned. “A pleasant one, I hope.”

Rebecca just stood gazing at him, a half smile on her lips.

“Rebecca, why don’t you go for lunch?”

Rebecca glanced at her, then back to Sloan. “Okay, boss. I’ll see you around one.” She slipped past Sloan, a wistful look in her eyes. Clearly, she would love to be the one dating Sloan, and for some reason, a pang of jealousy surged through Janine.

Sloan stepped farther into the office. “Actually, it’s such a beautiful day, I came to invite you out for lunch. I was hoping you could steal a couple of hours from work.”

“Your schedule’s clear, boss,” Rebecca called from the outer office. “That should be no problem.”

“Thanks, Rebecca. Now go to lunch.”

“Okay, I’m gone,” she called back.

Janine waited until she heard Rebecca’s desk drawer open and close as she retrieved her purse, and then Janine watched as Rebecca walked down the hall.

“She’s cute,” Sloan said.

“You think so? Want me to invite her on our next date?”

Sloan glanced her way in surprise. “Really?”

“No, not really. She’s my secretary. I’m sure there’s some sort of sexual harassment problem if I even suggest it.”

“Oh.”

She smiled. “Don’t look so crestfallen. If you’d like me to invite another woman along, I know someone you would probably find attractive who would enjoy joining in.”

He stared at her, and his vivid blue eyes darkened. He pushed the door closed and walked around her desk, then turned her chair to face him. Janine gazed up at him as he towered over her.

Sloan took her hand and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. “As tempting as that sounds—and believe me, the thought of being with two sexy women at the same time is a definite fantasy of mine—I only want to be with you.”

Janine choked back a lump in her throat. She’d really thought Sloan would jump at a chance like that—to be with two women. But the intensity of his piercing blue gaze as it held hers, the confident, absolute certainty of his conviction that he wanted her, and her alone, melted her heart. Right at this moment, if she let them, tears would spring from her eyes at the sincerity of his love for her.

Oh, God, no. Not love. Some misguided attraction or desire to recapture what they might have had when they were younger. But he was not in love with her. She didn’t believe that.

She couldn’t believe that.

He captured her lips in a compelling combination of tenderness and authority. His tongue swept into her mouth, engaging hers in a tumultuous dance. When he finally released her, she simply gazed at him, catching her breath.

“So? Lunch?”

“Um … sure.” She grabbed her purse and pulled it from her drawer. “What do you have in mind? One of the outdoor patios on the river?”

“No. Something more interesting than that.” He crossed her office and opened the door.

“More interesting? Like what?”

“Follow me and you’ll find out.”