“No charge.” She hoped they could steer clear of Sherry from now on. Lying didn’t sit well with Allison.
With time to kill, she decided to polish her nails and tried not to think about the fact that Jeff was naked in the shower. Then she would get all hot and bothered, and her face would glow and her hair would go flat, and she would chew off her lipstick.
The water in the bathroom stopped, and she heard Jeff moving around in the living room. Probably getting dressed. Maybe she could walk in by mistake and catch him half-naked.
Oh, Allison, you are sick.
When her nails were dry and she judged she’d given him plenty of time to make himself decent, she doused herself with perfume guaranteed to drive any man wild, grabbed her tiny evening bag, and opened the door, walking with as much sensuous grace as she could manage.
Apparently, that wasn’t very much, because the first thing she did when she entered the living area was trip.
Somehow, Jeff caught her before she hit the carpet face first. “Whoa. You all right?”
Just dying of embarrassment. “Fine, fine. New shoes. I’m not used to them.”
He inspected her four-inch heels, then tsked at her. “Do you know how many women I’ve had in my office who have sprained their ankles wearing ridiculous shoes like that?”
“Don’t lecture me, Jeff. I happen to like these shoes. Anne picked them out for me.” She figured mentioning Anne couldn’t hurt, since she was only slightly less revered than a saint in the Hardison family.
“I’ll have to have a talk with her.” He sneezed. “Are you wearing perfume?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I think I’m allergic. What is that stuff?”
She would die before she admitted it was something called Seduction. “Mmm, I don’t remember.”
“Could you tone it down a little? I have to hang out with you all night.”
Her face burning, Allison retreated to the bathroom. So, he thought hanging out with her was a chore, did he? She swiped her wrists, behind her ears, and between her breasts with a damp washcloth. The beast! He hadn’t even noticed her dress, which had cost her two root canals and one crown. It was a sexy little black thing with a plunging neckline and no back and a hem much higher up her thigh than she’d ever worn before. And he hadn’t said a word.
She said nothing as they rode down the elevator together. She wished he didn’t look so damn handsome in his suit. She wished she could find something wrong with his appearance—some evidence that he was turning prematurely gray or thickening around the middle. But no such luck. He was more handsome than ever, and at the moment she hated him.
As soon as they arrived at the reception, which was packed with conventioneers eager to take advantage of the complimentary hors d’oeuvres, she excused herself to the rest room. In the ladies’ lounge, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Anne’s number.
“Allison? What are you doing calling me? You’re supposed to be seducing Jeff.”
“It’s not working. He said my shoes were stupid, my perfume stinks—”
“What about the dress?”
“It could have been a potato sack for all he noticed. I might as well be a piece of furniture.”
“Why don’t you pretend to trip and let him catch—”
“Been there, done that. He patted me on the shoulder like I was a golden retriever.”
“This calls for drastic action. You’ve got to shake that boy up—but good.”
“How?” Allison wailed. “I’ve tried everything.”
“I bet you haven’t kissed him.”
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