Beale Street Blues (4 page)

"No," Rodney answered for her.

An intoxicating scent of persimmon overtook her as he sat beside her. Her dress, her hair, her skin it all smelled of persimmon and amber when she'd left him that night. It'd been too damn hard to wash the scent from the dress the next day. Distance was what she needed. Immediately. She slid her chair away from his.
Just a little.

"Sir," Kathy addressed him, "How long will you be in town?"

He glanced around the table. "I'm not sure, yet. But, I thought I'd meet with a few of you while I was here. Get an idea of how you feel the company is doing and how we're treating you. Memphis is one of our key markets. Everything at this office is extremely important to me."

Stripping, as he walked through his hotel room, Jaxon tossed his suit jacket across the bed, ignoring it when it slid to the floor. He couldn't believe the woman he'd been thinking about for months sat right under his nose at his—his father's—company. During a routine conference call, Rodney had mentioned
his
new overqualified coordinator, a transplant from North Carolina.

Confident, Rodney believed that in time he'd be able to have her takeover the national program, which could help them with other problems Rodney had created. Jaxon was aware of Rodney's reputation and honestly, had been in search of a way to quietly correct it. But, when he heard the woman's name, he emailed his secretary to book a flight. There weren't a lot of women named Darling in the world. And this one he couldn't forget. And didn't want to!

Now that he was in town and she knew he was here, he had to figure out what to do next. He could hang around town and sit in on a few meetings. But aside from her, fixing Rodney's problem and to make sure Rodney's sights didn't land on her, there wasn't any reason for him to be in Memphis. He would just have to manufacture something.

Hunched over his laptop at the small desk tucked along a window of his hotel, The Peabody, he stared at the screen. For a moment or two, he surfed around without any real goal. Frustrated, he slapped the machine closed and strolled over to the bed and stretched out. Unable to do any work without thinking about her, for a while, he just focused on nothing staring at the ceiling which was just as ornate as the historic lobby. The flash of the lights from Beale Street below pulled his attention. Shit, he'd stayed in the same hotel the night he met her.

He ripped his tie from his neck and tossed it to the floor beside his jacket. A forty-two year old man who owned his own successful company shouldn't be sitting around in his hotel room fawning like a love-struck teenager over a woman he had one night with months ago.

Annoyed as hell at himself, he stripped the rest of his suit from his body dropping everything to the floor as he headed toward the bathroom. Hot shower and a stiff drink, then he would be able to push her out of his mind, until he saw her again tomorrow.

He leaned his head back into the spray from the nozzle. Warm and soothing, it flowed down his chest and he trailed it with a bar of soap. The touch of his hand to his body sprang memories of her to his mind.

Each stroke of his hand made the memory of her more vivid: the feel of her tongue, her mouth and the weight of her breasts in his hands. The images of her in his mind became more powerful and as they did, his body reacted. No matter how much or hard he massaged himself and begged for release, nothing worked. His hand couldn't replace the feel of her body. His head fell back against the wall behind him and his foot slipped.
Damn!
His ass hit the shower floor spring-boarding him back to reality.

What the hell was he doing?

He had to get this woman out of his head—or back into his bed.

CHAPTER THREE

"H
ello, Mr. Slater," Darling greeted. At nearly a whisper, her voice betrayed her. Nothing about its meekness implied strength or self-assuredness.
Get it together woman!
Controlling her body's reaction to him felt like a battle she would continue to lose.

As his eyes locked on her and his mouth opened, Barbara floated through the door with an obvious purpose wearing a shirt cut too low and a skirt whose length was too short for work. "Hi, Mr. Slater."

But for once, Darling actually welcomed Barbara's presence. Otherwise, she would be forced to sit in a small closed room with the only man she'd been intimate with since moving to Memphis. A man whose freaking memory excited her body and made her crave his touch. She took a deep breath, inhaling that scent.
His
scent. It called to her and if Barbara weren't in the room, she couldn't be sure she wouldn't have responded just as she had before.

Jaxon rose from where he sat at a conference table to greet them. "Welcome, Darling, Barbara."

As they took their seats at the table, Darling was careful to take the seat farthest away without looking ridiculous.

"Rodney briefed me on where things stand for the remaining tradeshows this year." He turned toward Barbara. "Maybe we should begin with you, Barbara. Your team has done a great job organizing and managing our programs."

"Thank you." Barbara smiled. "My team can handle any increase in national meetings you think we should make."

"Thanks for being a team player. Rodney and I will definitely want to speak with you more about the calendar Darling developed and how we'll manage it moving forward."

"Mr. Slater—" Darling began.
What was he about to do?

"Jaxon…please." His words were kind, but his eyes were serious.

"Barbara and I have been working together on national meetings and conferences since I came to work here. There's been such a crossover with some of the events that I identified as being strong opportunities to reach our customer—"

"Yes, sir," Barbara interrupted. "Events we identified as key to the company. We thought the two departments fit well together."

"Rodney and I agree with you." He moved some papers around, then handed them both an identical document. "Which is why I wanted to meet with you both here, to make you aware that there will be some changes."

A flash of heat washed over Darling and her palms began to sweat. The pen she held pressed deeper into the center of her hand as her grip tightened.

"Darling." His gaze was intense. "We've decided to combine your two workgroups." He turned his attention to the other woman. "Barbara, that means you'll report up to Darling."

"What?" Barbara asked, jumping up from her seat, shoving back the chair. "I'm reporting to Darling? She's only been here for a few months. I've been here for years. What the hell is this? Where is Rodney—" Barbara stared at the door as if willing Rodney to appear, but he didn't.

Darling sat speechless, anger boiling inside of her. No one had told her the purpose of the reports she'd put together or of the meeting. A part of her thought he would even fire her because she'd walked away
that
night. He had the power to do it. Instead, he'd decided to obligate her to him and possibly humiliate her in the process.

"Rodney and I understand why this might be confusing for you." His voice was even, soothing. "This will not mean a change in your role or responsibilities."

"Then why this damn change?" Barbara asked, bitterly. The anger inside of her showed in the stiffness of her body. The woman who sashayed her way into the office had left, replaced with an angrier aggressive version.

He leaned in and locked his gaze onto Barbara's. "Rodney reports to me. In my opinion, with Darling's experience and knowledge, she will better manage the overall budget and strategy for identifying the best opportunities, which will take the company in the right direction." His voice didn't change, but there was no question who controlled the room.

Barbara folded her arms across her chest. "So, I have no option, but to accept this?"

"No." He touched another folder that rested on his desk. "You could take the option in this envelope."

Barbara glared at the thick envelope beneath his hand. She crumpled the paper she held into a ball and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. At the door, she turned and glared at them both.

The singe of her stare filled Darling with guilt. Darling hated managing the call center. This new job would be perfect. She had the experience and knew what to do. But, she didn't want it if it meant she had to sleep with her boss to keep it. Darling glanced behind her to make sure Barbara was gone before she spoke, "Jaxon, does this have anything to do with us?" The words fell from her mouth before she could stop them. She wanted the answer to be no, but how could it be when he didn't know anything about her.

How could he make such a decision, just from my reports?

He walked to the door and closed it before he spoke. "No."

Alone in a room with a man she'd avoided for months, Darling knew she needed to keep her focus on her question, not her memories of how he looked naked. Or, the feel of his arms wrapped around her. Or, the faraway look in his eyes when he had an orgasm. All of it made her body ache to see and feel it again.

She stood to leave.

"This time you don't get to walk away."

His drawl was like warm molasses. She shivered. "Can you swear to me that this change has nothing to do with…that night?"

From where he sat, his eyes rolled over her entire body. Briefly, they paused on her breasts.

Her nipples perked in anticipation. She folded her arms across her chest in a weak attempt to conceal their betrayal.

His eyes met her gaze. "Yes. I can. This is my family's business. I'm not going to jeopardize it for anyone." He motioned for her to return to her seat and he moved to sit beside her. "Rodney's inappropriate relationship with Barbara has tied my hands a bit. But, he's wanted to replace her for a while. I thought this might be a good way to take care of everything without raising questions."

"And what if—"

"What if what?" You left me with nothing but questions…then I find out that you work for me." He leaned forward resting his forearms on the conference table.

"Nothing. Everything that happened was a mistake." Just as she'd known it would be.

"Mistake?" He frowned.

"I just moved back to Memphis a few months ago, and I'm not trying to lose my job. But, I don't need to keep it by sleeping with the boss. That's not the kind of woman I am." There was no way she was about to find herself dating a wealthy man who would get his kicks, and then when he was tired… toss her to the side and find someone else to take her place.

He leaned back and to the left—away—resting his forearm on the armrest of the chair where he sat. It took him a moment to speak. "What have I done to make you think that's the kind of person I am?"

"You just gave me a promotion for no reason," she pointed out.

"I gave you a promotion because Rodney and I wanted to reorganize the structure of his group without creating a problem with Barbara. And because you deserved it based on your track record and experience."

"That's all?" she asked.

"That's all."

"What now?" she asked.

"I don't know." He paused. "I admit…I've thought of you a lot since that night."

"Me or my body?" She knew the answer to that question. The only thing he knew about her was her body.

"That's not fair. I gave you my number, but you never used it. You didn't give us…me a chance to know anything else."

There was really no reason for her to continue to sit and have this stupid conversation. He would say anything to cover his butt and get what he wanted. No matter what happened, it would end the same way. He was her boss, and now he was off limits. She stood again to leave. "I should get back to my desk."

"You're good at walking away." There was a noticeable edge to his voice.

"There's no reason for me to stay," she insisted.

The heels of Barbara's shoes cut through the thin carpet beneath them. She grabbed her purse from the cabinet above her desk and zeroed in on Rodney.

Who were they to treat her as if she was some unimportant new hire? She'd worked for this company for too many years to be kicked to the side for the new fresh face. If Rodney planned on having her in his bed again or didn't want his wife to find out she'd been there, he'd better fix this and fast.

The door to Rodney's office was open and the room dark.

"Kathy, have you seen Rodney?"

Kathy's head darted out from her cubicle. Her all too innocent eyes were always the same, clueless. Even when she and Rodney had sex in his office, the woman had been unaware. "Yeah, he said he had a family emergency and had to leave for the rest of the day."

"Thanks." She turned and flipped open her phone as she walked. "Rodney, call me back."

She slammed a tight small fist against the automatic door opener and stomped into the bright afternoon sun.

If they wanted a fight, she'd give them one.

No matter how many times Jaxon played back Darling's words in his head, he knew she was right. He was her boss and there wasn't anything that was going to change about that anytime soon.

Jaxon eased down the marble steps into the warm waters of the hotel's pool. A quick full-body dip into the heated water and he pushed off. The power of his legs and the precision of his hands slicing through the water drove his body forward. Lap after lap, he looped the pool until the muscles in his body cramped. He was thankful for the ache because it took his mind off Darling, if only for a brief moment. He kept swimming until his arms and legs felt anchored with liquid mercury. Elvis's familiar voice sang at him as he exited the water with no more answers than when he entered.