Briefly Yours Read online

  He thought about how easily her cheeks flushed, her shy reaction to her own work, and knew it would take more than a flash of his smile to get her right where he wanted her.

  Later, at her desk, Ava popped two painkillers and washed them down with a glass of water. She let every bit of air out of her lungs with an exhausted sigh. She’d spent the afternoon putting the finishing touches on a new minimizing bra, trying not to think about the morning’s events. No one had come in to can her, but she hadn’t received one word from the Board, either. She’d heard they’d been in closed-door meetings all afternoon with Mr. Barrett.

  She stared out the window. Once again, it had gotten dark and she realized she’d been inside the entire day. Now nightlife perked up in restaurants and the neighboring theaters on Melrose Avenue. More events she’d miss.

  If they took the Cupid’s Beau away from her, she’d just have to go right back to what she did best. Straightening her back, she cleared some room on her desk by pushing aside a pile of flesh-colored panties, and prepared to put in a few more hours of work before going home for the night. She searched through some files on her computer, digging around for something she’d started working on yesterday.

  A knock on the door broke her concentration. She jumped. It was after eight, and normally everyone had gone home by now. She looked up to find Justin Barrett leaning against her door, holding his jacket over his shoulder with one finger. Her gaze flew down to the tanned masculine flesh revealed by one more button of his shirt undone than she remembered that morning. Her heart jumped a little at the sight. She blinked, feeling a hot flush creep through her. “May I help you?”

  “Mind if I come in for a minute?” Before she could answer, he strode into her office like he owned the place.

  “Do I have a choice?”

  She caught him checking out her office.

  “I think you’ll like what I have to say.”

  She moved a pile of notebooks from her desk to the small glass table behind her before she looked back up at him. “And what’s that? I have an hour to clean out my desk?” she asked dryly.

  He laughed. “No, they liked your line. They’re giving you a shot.”

  Relief flooded through her. “You’re kidding.”

  “They liked what you’ve got so far and they want to see more.” He shrugged, setting his jacket over her green leather couch. “With the thongs, of course.” His eyes searched hers. “You look shocked.”

  “I didn’t think my presentation came off too well.”

  “Why? It was right on the money, and they know they can rely on you. It’s no secret the company’s not in great shape, is it?”

  “No.”

  “It’s sink or swim time. You’re Skiv-Ease’s best shot.” He gave her a smile. “The future of the company is riding on you.”

  “No pressure or anything.” She rose to her feet, her heart sinking with the reminder.

  “Come on. You were the picture of creativity today. You can do it.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but…” She pictured everyone’s job on the line. Including hers. The thought made her shudder.

  “You don’t look like a woman who’d turn down a challenge.” His eyes twinkled. “Or have a problem living up to it.”

  She drew her lower lip into her mouth. He had that right.

  “Anyway, I came in here because there are a few financial aspects I need to discuss with you.”

  She fumbled through some papers on her desk. “I thought we already did that.”

  “We barely scratched the surface. I have some more questions.”

  She raised one eyebrow. “I thought I made it clear where I stand on the fabric issue.”

  His eyes never left hers. “Aw, come on now…I’m an open-minded guy. You can do the same for me, right?”

  No wonder everyone fell at his feet. He did know how to give someone his entire focus, like the object of his attention was the most important person he’d ever known. How could anyone look in his spellbinding brown eyes and tell him no?

  His gaze roamed over two of the female mannequins in her office. Both of them were dressed in garments from her Conservo-Skiv-Ease line. One wore a stark white pair of briefs, the other a flesh-colored girdle.

  He turned and gave Ava the once-over.

  She panicked looked down at herself. Did I spill something on my blouse at lunch?

  He ran one hand through his short dark hair and sat on the corner of her desk. The full lips of his beautiful mouth curved into a warm, genuine smile, and he casually stuffed one hand in the pocket of his black dress pants, jingling a set of keys inside. “Your Conservo-Skiv-Ease line is a legend around here.”

  “Sure, it is,” she said sarcastically. “Everyone loves buying my items for their grandmas, right?” She nodded disapprovingly toward his bum planted on the edge of her desk. Great view or not, she didn’t want it there. “Mr. Barrett, do you mind?”

  With a deep, sexy laugh, he jumped off the desk. “Listen, I have a lot of respect for your work.”

  She ignored the teasing sparkle in his velvet brown eyes and grimaced. I’ll just bet you do. Somehow she doubted anything in her line was the kind of garment he’d buy for the women in his life.

  “I know how important the fabric you use is,” he murmured. He moved closer, the clean, masculine smell of him invading her senses.

  “No, I don’t think you do.”

  His voice was low and quiet, his eyes looking directly into hers. “I know that your line is meant to be comfortable. However…” He leaned even closer, like he was revealing a huge secret. “What I don’t think you’re getting here…is that the Cupid’s Beau line is meant to be taken off.”

  Ava gulped. He moved even closer to her, and she wished she could get up the nerve to kick Mr. Insolent out of her office. He stood way too close for comfort and she thought about backing away. She couldn’t make herself do it. “I don’t…I don’t care who takes it off or when they take it off,” she stammered. “That’s not the point. I’m not going to put my name on something that isn’t up to par.”

  He nodded, pondering. “I can respect that.”

  Her eyes roamed over his five o’clock shadow…eight o’clock shadow? She wondered if his face would be rough to her touch. “I don’t think you care about up to par, though, do you?” she murmured. “I think you just care about the money.”

  She watched the mesmerizing sight of his mouth moving, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Something told her it would be a most enjoyable experience.

  He cocked his head. “Well?”

  She realized she’d been so busy staring at his mouth she hadn’t heard a word that just came out of it. “Well, what?”

  He nodded toward her, impatient. “Yes or no?”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

  “Since you seem to think I only care about money, why don’t you meet me at Morton’s tomorrow night for drinks so I can prove otherwise?”

  No way. She wasn’t meeting him for work or anything else tomorrow night. “No, I don’t think that’s such a good…”

  He shrugged and grinned at her. “It’s the least you can do for ripping my shorts.”

  His dark eyes shone, focused on her alone. The way he looked at her…moving in closer, invading her space and her senses, drove her crazy. Her heart pounded and her breath caught in her throat. Was Justin Barrett about to kiss her?

  2

  Ava blinked hard and awkwardly smoothed her skirt when Justin took a step back from her.

  He stuffed his hands in his pockets and strolled toward her couch. “It would help with my cost analysis if I had a mock-up of a few of your designs.”

  Why did I think he was going to kiss me? She remembered her position on the “most likely to do the horizontal hula with the hottie” list. Dead last.

  Grimacing, she cleared her throat and decided to distract herself by cleaning off her desk. “Fine. I’ll have those mock-ups to you by tomorrow, Mr. Barrett.”

  He gave her a look that said that impressed him. “That’s a quick turnaround.”

  “Well, that’s me.” She gave a nervous laugh and picked up a small pile of oversized strapless bras. “No time to waste.”

  She shoved the bras in the cabinet behind her, glanced up, and did a double take. She’d neglected to notice that someone had dressed her favorite mannequin in a sleazy, see-through red teddy. She frowned and made a mental note to keep her office locked when she wasn’t there. Derek and Leslie would hear about this later.

  She stripped off the offensive garment and looked up to find Justin staring at the teddy in her hands.

  He scratched his forehead. “I kind of like that one.”

  She shot him a look. He would. She tossed the teddy in the trash bin in the corner of her office and swiped her hands together. “Mr. Barrett, why can’t we talk about whatever business you need to discuss tomorrow during the day?”

  “Let’s see…” Rubbing his chin while he mused, he paced from the couch to the mannequins near the window, and back again. “I’ve got an eight a.m. breakfast, a ten, an eleven, lunch in the Valley, and back to back meetings all afternoon.” He stopped, sprawling out on her couch with a deep sigh. “Only opening I’ve got is drinks.” He looked up at her, an expectant look in his eyes while he mulled over his plan. “Of course, eight is getting late.” His eyes brightened. “Might work better if we have dinner along with those drinks.”

  One look at his irresistible smile and she clued in to his ultimate talent: getting whatever he wanted from people. And most likely making them think he was doing them a favor in the process. If she didn’t watch it, he’d use his charm on her, and next thing she knew her line would consist of cheesy fabric in some cheap lingerie d
epartment. Her shoulders stiffened. Let him try. It would take more than a few winks and drinks from him to destroy her life’s work. In the meantime, dinner at Morton’s would be more interesting than her usual: a frozen diet package of something or other tossed in the microwave.

  She sighed and sat back down at her desk. “If that’s what it’ll take to get you off my couch…fine. Morton’s at eight.” She folded a T-back bra and prepared to shove it in the cabinet.

  “Great. I’ll look forward to it.” Watching her with a triumphant smile, he grabbed his jacket and strolled out of her office.

  Ava heaved out a helpless sigh.

  Gasping for breath, Ava tossed three pairs of men’s skivvies on the cherry wood bar at Morton’s the next night. Through the dark ambience of the restaurant, the bartender shot her a smile. She shoved the mock-ups toward Justin and then sat down beside him on one of the barstools.

  Justin turned toward her with a grin, an unfinished drink in his hand. He picked up a pair of the underwear and looked it over. “Hey. Wow. They’re done.”

  She took a deep gulp of air. “Fielding called me into his office right before I was supposed to leave and I had to run over here in these...” She glanced down at her three-inch pumps.

  She figured he took that as an invitation to let his gaze drift down her body to her heels. He smiled, looking sexier than ever in a light blue dress shirt and a perfectly matched silk tie. How could he look that good after a long day of work? Meanwhile, she could feel her French twist about to fall out, and her strenuous efforts to get here on time were making her start to sweat.

  She gingerly picked up the mock-ups. “Sorry, I’m not usually late…”

  He glanced at his watch. “I just got here. And two minutes isn’t exactly…”

  She fumbled in her purse for her compact to check out the damage in the little mirror. “Late is late…but the mock-ups are done. As per your request.”

  He picked up one of the thongs and examined it. “You work fast.”

  She opened the compact inside her purse and snuck a look at herself. She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears. “I always meet my deadlines, Mr. Barrett.”

  He grinned. “I prefer Justin.” He loosened his tie a little and relaxed. “After six p.m., anyway.”

  She snapped the compact shut and tried not to be drawn in by the fascinating male presence beside her.

  “You know…I didn’t mean you had to stress yourself out for this…”

  Not stress? Of course she had to stress. It was her middle name. She pursed her lips. “Stress goes with the territory, Mr. Barrett.”

  “You all right?”

  “Fine.” About to die of heatstroke, she removed her blazer and placed it on the back of the chair. He motioned toward the bartender, and before she knew it, a big glass of ice water appeared on the bar.

  Justin pushed it toward her. “Here, have at it.”

  “Thanks,” she said, taking a gulp of cold water. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he just gave her cleavage a discreet look. She self-consciously shifted in her chair.

  He grabbed the red thong. “What is this one made out of?”

  “The finest microfiber,” she replied.

  “Looks expensive.”

  She wrapped her hands around the water glass. “Quality is expensive.”

  “Listen, while you were stitching your fingers to the bone, I did a little work, myself.”

  Ava turned to find two extremely tall women dressed in short skirts and high heels rushing up to the bar. “Justin!” they cried.

  He turned to them. “Hey, Miranda. Kylie. How’s it going?” He introduced them to Ava, but they barely gave her a glance before fawning over Justin again.

  “What are you doing here, Jus?” Kylie asked.

  “Shopping, from the looks of it,” Miranda giggled, staring at the thong. She gave Justin the once over. “Those will look good on you.”

  Justin smiled proudly at Ava. “Yeah.”

  Kylie traced her finger down his shoulder and gave him a seductive look. “Good luck. We’ll see you around.” They sauntered toward the restaurant section together.

  “Anyway,” Justin said, turning his full attention to Ava, “the fact is…there’s a huge cost difference between the nylon and…other fabrics.”

  “Are those your…friends?” Ava asked casually. Not that it’s any of my business.

  “Huh? No. They just hang out here a lot. So do I. You know what I mean about the cost differences, right?”

  He does know they both want to jump his bones, right? Then again, maybe they already had. Together. She shuddered, but then stiffened her shoulders. He could be into ménage à trois or anything else for all she cared. She ignored the remote possibility that she might be jealous.

  “Ava?”

  She shook her head, jolting back to reality. “Oh, yeah. I don’t think about costs much, or let them keep me from designing something that might work. What other fabrics are we talking about?” she asked.

  “Uh…” He grinned. “For example…what do you call that fabric?” He snapped his fingers. “It’s like satin…but it’s not satin?”

  “Sateen?”

  “Yeah, that’s it. What kind of quality is that?”

  “It depends,” she murmured. One look at his suit and she knew the guy took pride in dressing well, but could she really fault him for not knowing one fabric from another? He was a consultant, here to save the company. Knowing fabrics was her job. And maybe it was her job to clearly demonstrate her point. She quickly formulated a plan.

  “I want you,” she blurted out. She squeezed her eyes shut and cringed when the words registered. Did that really just come out of my mouth?

  Justin’s eyebrows raised and he gave out a subtle laugh. “Hmm…I like the sound of that.”

  Her face flushed. “I mean...I want you to come with me.”

  He nearly choked on his drink. “Even better.”

  “I mean…come with me…on a hands-on research trip,” she finished quickly.

  Justin’s eyes brightened. “Hands on? Now that sounds interesting.”

  She rolled her eyes. “What I’m trying to say is…I want to show you some real stores with the kind of garments I’m going for. If I show you some successful lines, I can convince you that Cupid’s Beau can only succeed with the highest quality materials. I want a chance to prove my point.”

  He shrugged. “Great. I want a chance to prove mine.”

  “So…” She looked up, barely letting her eyes meet his. “How do we do this?”

  “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow and we’ll go at it.”

  She gulped and nearly knocked her glass over. Collecting her wits, she asked in the calmest voice she could muster, “Um…go at it?”

  “Check out some stores and execute this plan of yours?”

  She lowered her eyes. “Oh, right,” she said softly.

  He finished his drink and pushed the glass aside on the bar. “How about I pick you up at ten?”

  “Sharp.”

  “Great. I just need one thing. Your address.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She dug a business card out of her purse, scribbled her address on it and handed it to him.

  Justin’s cell rang as he tucked her card in his wallet.

  She furrowed her brow. She grew nervous thinking it might be Fielding or another boss. “Aren’t you going to get that?”

  “No.” Unconcerned, he turned the phone off without seeing who it was, and shot her a devilish smile. “Now...how about dinner?”

  “Why can’t you come to Vegas?”

  Morning sunlight poured into Ava’s bedroom. Holding the phone in the crook of her neck, she listened to the pleas of her friend Charlotte while tossing some fabric samples into her purse. “I have to stop the Cupid’s Beau line from turning into cheesy discount store fodder. It’s an emergency.”