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

He very deliberately neglected to mention their work relationship. This was the start of their new phase. Step one of what he was beginning to think of as his marriage plan was successfully under way. Tess was willing to give it a try. Which meant this evening was officially a date, not a business dinner.

Neither looking surprised to have found him dining with an attractive woman, the Crawfords murmured their polite “nice to meet yous,” then gave in to their daughter’s increasingly insistent urgings and made their exit. The toddler waved bye-bye over his dad’s shoulder, making Scott chuckle and wave back.

“Cute kids,” Tess said, drawing his attention back to her.

“Bryan’s an old friend of Eli’s. His daughter’s in school with the twins, at Miss Bitty’s. I think Libby had the girls on a waiting list for the place while she was still pregnant with them.”

“I’ve heard of it. It’s supposed to be one of the best. I know my sister looked into it when her oldest was a toddler, but it was too expensive for them

then. She didn’t want to admit that, so she just told everyone it wasn’t her favorite option.”

Was that another little dig at her sister? As close as he was with his own clan, it bothered him to think about Tess being estranged from the only immediate family she had left. From what he’d heard her say on the phone, it sounded as though Nina’s nagging was most of the problem. So if his presence at the parties helped alleviate that problem, then maybe he didn’t mind so much after all. Wasn’t mutual benefit the whole point of this dating experiment?

“So,” he said, “we’re on for Thursday night, right?”

She gave him a too-bright smile. “Yes. We’re on.”

“Great.” Personal business out of the way, he turned his attention back to business. “Now, about those meetings tomorrow...”

Twenty minutes later, he walked her to her car. Their breath hung in the air as they continued the work-related conversation they’d started inside, finishing up with a list of tasks he wanted completed the next day.

“I’ll have Heather and Lynne start on those things in the morning,” Tess agreed with a brisk nod, drawing her coat more closely around her against the chilly night air. “They should be able to finish most of it before the baby shower at four. I’ll make sure your office is set up for the ten o’clock meeting, and the conference room upstairs for the one thirty. You should have plenty of time between meetings for that lunch with Garvey and Hannity.”

It occurred to him that she was so confident, so at ease with him when they spoke of work, in marked contrast to the hesitation she showed when they veered into their new personal arrangement. Of course, she’d had several years to grow comfortable with him in the business setting; he supposed it would take a little practice in this new arena. And because there was no time like the present to begin...

He caught her arm as she reached for her car door. When she looked up at him, he lowered his head to brush his mouth against hers. “Your lips are cold,” he said, smiling against them. “Maybe I should warm them up for you before you leave.”

“That would be considerate of you,” she murmured, and tilted her head into a more accessible position.

With a muffled chuckle, he kissed her. After only a heartbeat’s hesitation, she was a willing and eager participant in the embrace.

His powerful reaction to their kiss in the office Saturday evening had caught him by surprise. He’d tried shrugging it off as first-time novelty, though technically it hadn’t been a first kiss between them, if he counted that embarrassing, medication-fueled buss after his surgery. He decided not to count that one.

He’d tried blaming mistletoe, even though Tess had assured him there hadn’t actually been any in the office. He’d even wondered if maybe he’d exaggerated the kiss in his memories, that maybe it hadn’t been quite as spectacular as he remembered. He knew now that he had not. Kissing Tess felt so damned good that he had to ask himself now what had taken them so long.

Only his awareness of their very public surroundings made him draw back reluctantly when he would have liked very much to deepen the kiss. He opened her car door for her and then moved back to watch her slide in. Even as they said their good-nights, he was tempted to ask her to come home with him for coffee—but maybe it was a bit too soon for that.

Step one, he reminded himself while he watched her drive away. He climbed into his own car with a mixture of frustration and satisfaction with the way the evening had gone. They’d get to step two when the time was right.

* * *

“I don’t know.” Tess craned her neck to study her back view in the full-length mirror. “Does it seem a little tight to you?”

Jenny and Stevie answered in unison. “No.”

A bold red sheath, the dress was closely fitted to her body, ending in a flirty double kick pleat just behind her knees. It wasn’t overtly revealing, just brighter and snugger than her typical outfits.

“Your butt looks amazing in that,” Stevie said bluntly. “I wish I could wear it, but that bateau neckline would never work with my boobs.”

Tess’s gaze was drawn to the reflection of her bust. The dress was definitely flattering there. As the least endowed of the trio, she couldn’t help but push her shoulders back and pose a bit, making her friends laugh.

It was Wednesday evening and they had gathered in Jenny’s fashion and accessories boutique, Complements. The store closed at seven on weeknights, staying open until nine Fridays and Saturdays, so Tess and Stevie often met there after-hours on Wednesdays to play in Jenny’s new deliveries. They’d even been known to pitch in hanging up garments and setting up displays, mostly because they had fun doing so.

Tonight both Tess and Stevie were looking for outfits to wear to the Holiday Open Home cocktail party the next night. Stevie was attending as one of the donors; she’d been selected this year to design and oversee the kitchen update. It was for a good cause, not to mention she’d make the most of the professional exposure.

They stood in the dressing room area where several cushy benches were grouped around a large, full-length, three-way mirror. Six stalls with floral curtains for privacy surrounded them, but since they were the only ones in the store, they weren’t overly concerned with modesty.

“The color is amazing on you, Tess,” Jenny assured her. “I told you it would be.”