had with his numerous quirks. Lucky for him, he had a damn fine eye for critique and editorial. Professional schizophrenia.
Of course, quite a number of people considered Cole’s success questionable. He knew that accounted for much of Tatiana’s attitude. She only saw what he had seemingly stepped into. She had no clue what he’d walked away from. It had taken about five whole minutes for word to spread of Cole’s father’s meeting with Connoisseur’s publisher. Of course, no one other than Cole knew his father had been there to try and thwart his son’s career move. But if that’s what people wanted to believe, screw ’em. He’d quit playing the if-you’d-give-me-a-chance- you-might-like-me game when he was a kid.
Cole strolled down the hall, bypassing the cubicles. He paused outside of Melvin’s corner office. Elle, on the phone, waved Cole in.
He walked in, closing the door behind him. Great. The Evil Fairy Queen was already planted in one of the two guest chairs facing Melvin’s desk. Red unruly curls and piercing green eyes.A prominent nose reminiscent of Streisand. A generous mouth that deceptively led to thoughts of hot kisses…until one encountered her rapier tongue. More striking than pretty.
Melvin, thin, angular and prematurely balding, motioned Cole into the chair next to Tatiana. Cole slid into the seat, noticing, not for the first time, her legs. Nice legs. Very nice legs…especially for a virago. She smiled at him and he didn’t trust it for a second. She was either sick or up to something. “Not feeling well today?”
“I’m just fine.” Her smile, even though it was faux sweet, sent a jolt through him. “Thanks for asking.”
Melvin spoke up. “You’re probably wondering why I wanted to see the two of you.”
Cole slanted a sidelong glance at Tatiana. He could all but see her bite back a scathing comment. He had to admit, things were never dull with Madame Snark around.
She swallowed and said, “You wanted to tell us firsthand that the Eight Days of the Season was a practical joke?”
Melvin recoiled. “Absolutely not. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us all to grow closer.”
Oops. Someone had been adjusting Melvin’s feel-good pills again.
“I really want you and everyone else to think about what their person might want or need. As I mentioned in my e-mail, the gifts should speak to both the giver and the recipient.”
Cole couldn’t contain a grin. He planned to speak to Tatiana with his gifts, for sure.
“See, Cole’s excited about it. You’ve just got to enter into the spirit of the season, Tatiana.”
She skewered Cole with a look that suggested he nosh on something vile.
Okay, there was no holding it back. His grin gave way to a full-blown smirk. Thank you, Melvin. Score one for him.
“Now on to the matter at hand. As you both know, the magazine market is getting tighter and tighter, and it’s increasingly important for us to evaluate on an ongoing basis…”
Cole’s eyes began to glaze over. He’d heard this about a freaking million times. Melvin pulled out the same state-of-the-industry preparatory speech and meandered through it for ten minutes before actually making a point. Cole’s attention wandered to Tatiana’s legs. Shapely.Curvy, like the rest of her, with nice muscle tone in her calf.Slender, sexy ankles. Just the kind of legs a man could imagine wrapped around his waist or thrown over his shoulders.
What would Tatiana Allen be like in bed? Would she always be jockeying to be on top? He’d bet the family farm she wasn’t a quiet, gentle lover. No way. She’d moan and scream his name and sink her red nails into his shoulders, nipping and biting. Climbing into bed with her would be like going to war. And damn it if the thought didn’t leave him squirming in his chair and more than a little turned on.
What would she taste like? It’d been his experience that no two women tasted the same, whether you were lazily licking along her neck, kissing her mouth or something more intimate.
Wasabi. Tatiana would taste like wasabi. Not hot to the initial bite, but then it set your senses on fire. That’s what she’d be-exotic, spicy, hot, with an incendiary afterburn…
“So, Cole…” Hearing his name snapped him out of his sexual contemplation and back to the present, “What do you think?” Melvin asked.
A quick glance at Tatiana made up his mind. She looked disgusted and thoroughly pissed off. Anything that elicited that kind of response in her, he was all for it.
“I think it’s a great idea.” Did she actually grind her teeth? “I think you’ve got a real winner.” Yes. He was sure he just heard enamel on enamel. He laid it on thicker. “Best I’ve heard in a while.”
Melvin preened. “See, Tatiana, Cole likes it.”
If looks could kill…“That’s because Cole is an imbecile with a mouth. He doesn’t have a clue as to what he just endorsed. He was drifting along in la-la land. And besides, he wouldn’t know a good idea if it came up and bit him in the butt.”
Oh, shit. She was far more observant and sharper than Melvin. Well, except for that bit about a good idea biting him in the butt. Still, he knew the best defense was a good offense. “Just because you don’t like the idea…” What the hell was the idea? “Well, darling, you really shouldn’t sulk, because it’s not very becoming.” He tossed her a flirtatious smile. “And I’m flattered you’ve noticed my rear.”
Her look turned docile, almost sweet, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He’d pushed too far. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it is a great idea and I just need to see it the same way you do. Why don’t you recap it for me but with your spin on it? You know, a different perspective.”
Damn her. Melvin jumped in, saving his proverbial butt.
“Perfect. This is just the kind of thing we want to play up. Siskel and Ebert.Hepburn and Tracy.Michael Jackson and Bubbles?”
Mother of God. What the hell was Melvin babbling about? Siskel, Hepburn and Tracy were dead. And Jackson and Bubbles?
“Melvin, be reasonable.” Tatiana adopted a conciliatory tone. “It’s the holidays. I have obligations and a full schedule. I’m sure Cole does, too.”
Melvin templed his fingers in front of his mouth. “I appreciate that and I also appreciate that this takes precedence over anything else you’re working on for Connoisseur at the moment. You and Cole will just have to figure out when you can get together and take it from there. I’m not worried because I know I have two consummate professionals in front of me.”
Well, Melvin had just neatly backed Madame Snark into a corner. Any further protest would mark her as unprofessional. Nice job, Melvin.
And what the hell had he agreed to?
Chapter 2
“About this project…” Cole said, his voice a deep rumble behind her as they left Melvin’s office.
She’d prefer to ignore him, but then she’d be labeled noncooperative, which would translate to unprofessional. It wasn’t the assignment itself she objected to as much as the methodology.
“My office,” she said without turning around. She strolled down the hall practicing deep breathing. Damage control. It was a done deal and she’d simply make the best of it. She waited until Cole trailed in behind her and then closed the door. She turned to face him.
Her already small office shrank considerably with six feet of broad-shouldered male sucking up space. It seemed patently unfair that someone so utterly loathsome should have such startling blue eyes, somewhere between blue and silver. And equally unfair that her pulse leaped every time she was around him-it had from day one.
Of course, that was part of what made him so loathsome-he traded on his dark-haired good looks and what seemed to pass for charm with some people. Sexy with no substance. But, then again, what would you expect from someone who bought their way into a job rather than got there through hard work?
She assured herself that the rapid-fire beat of her heart was a product of Melvin’s latest dictate and had nothing to do with being in closed-door proximity with Sir Superficial.
“You don’t have a clue as to what you agreed to, do you?”
