I Can Make You Love Me. Karen White-Owens

do you know what I feel?”

      Helen laughed, leaning back in her chair. “Girl, I know you too well. Adam would never have gotten to your front door if you weren’t interested in him. You would have tossed his business card in the trash and never answered his calls.”

      “We do have a little bit of history.”

      “So.” Helen stretched her legs out in front of her. “There’s another reason. You wouldn’t be fretting over what he feels and thinks about you. I know you. It’s Monday morning. You’d be on the phone making cold calls, checking the newspaper to make sure our ad ran, not sitting here with me telling me about the lovely time you had Saturday night.”

      Wynn shrugged and then stated, “I like him.”

      Helen grinned broadly. “I know you do. But you’re afraid to take a chance. There’s nothing in life that doesn’t come with a risk.”

      “I’ve had to put my family first.”

      “That’s all well and good. It’s time for you to have a little fun. What are you going to do about it?” Helen pushed the phone toward Wynn. “Call Adam.”

      “I don’t know.”

      “Listen to me and listen good. This is not about love or marriage. It’s more like comfort, closeness, and a whole lot of sex. Let go. Have fun. The future will take care of itself. Live in the present for a while. Now, what are you going to do?”

      “Call Adam and thank him for the flowers.”

      Helen rose and patted Wynn on the shoulder before leaving the office and shutting the door after her. “Good girl!”

      Wynn reached for her purse and removed her wallet. Adam’s card was wedged between her American Express card and driver’s license. She studied the card, turning it over and over in her hands.

      Should she? Wynn tapped the edge of the card against the top of her desk. Helen had a point. Why shouldn’t she have a little fun? This wasn’t a love match. Physical attraction—yes. Long-term commitment—no. Chances are that’s all Adam wanted from her. Her thought shifted back to Saturday night. Adam had made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time—maybe ever—and she missed and craved the closeness of a relationship.

      No guts, no glory. Wynn picked up the receiver and dialed the number for his office. The telephone was immediately answered. “Office of the General Counsel. Tia speaking. How may I direct your call?”

      For a moment, Wynn didn’t know what to say. Did she have the correct number? She checked the card against the number appearing on the display. Yep. It was the right number.

      “Hello?”

      “Hi. I’m looking for Adam Carlyle.”

      “May I ask who’s calling?”

      “Umm. I’m Wynn Evans. Is Mr. Carlyle in?” God! I feel like a fool, she thought. I bet lots of women call him.

      “Oh. Ms. Evans. Just a moment. Let me see if Mr. Carlyle has returned from his meeting. I’m sure he wants to speak with you.”

      The line went silent. Within seconds Tia returned. “Mr. Carlyle is still away from his office. I’ll leave a message for him to call you when he returns.”

      Disappointed, Wynn swallowed loudly and left her number. “Thank you.”

      She hung up the phone and swiveled the chair to face the window, staring unseeingly into the bright morning. Well, Lady Mae, you tried. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. She reached for the folder and opened it, focusing all of her energy on the words in front of her. After several difficult minutes, Wynn’s concentration returned.

      The ringing of the telephone pulled her away from the work spread across the desk. She picked up the receiver and absently answered, “Wynn Evans. How may I help you?”

      “I could think of a few ways,” Adam responded in a sexy drawl that made something deep inside her quiver like a teenager on her first date.

      He called back. Her heart kicked into a gallop as her hand tightened around the telephone.

      “Hi,” she whispered.

      “How are you this morning?” he asked.

      “Good. And you?”

      “Busy. As usual. But let’s not talk about that,” he dismissed. “I want you to know how much I enjoyed Saturday night.”

      Wynn couldn’t help smiling at his remark. “Me, too.”

      “Glad to hear it.”

      There was a moment of stiff silence and then Adam asked, “So, why did you call? Do you need something?”

      Instantly, Wynn’s thoughts returned to Saturday night. The feel of Adam’s lips on hers. The heat of his body pressed against hers. You, she thought.

      “Wynn?” he prompted, snapping her from her wonderful dreamy state.

      Shaking her head, she replied, “I’m sorry. I wanted to thank you for the lovely flowers. They’re beautiful.”

      “You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked them.”

      “Maybe I could repay you.” She swallowed loudly and pumped up her courage.

      “How so?”

      “Dinner. This Friday night at my place.”

      Another long, uncomfortable silence followed. Maybe she’d misinterpreted the signs and body language. Her nerves screamed for him to say something, anything.

      “That would be nice. But I’ve got another commitment.”

      “Oh,” she muttered softly. Helen was wrong. He wasn’t interested in her that way. Who could blame him? Wynn was so caught up in her own misery, she almost missed Adam’s next comment.

      “My secretary just received her bachelor’s degree and is moving into a new position. We’re having a celebration for her at Flood’s. I have to go. Why don’t you come with me?”

      “You want me to go to the party with you?” she asked.

      “Yes. Tia’s great. She worked hard to get her degree. I think you’ll have a lot of fun.”

      Her heart lightened and a smile spread across her face. “I have to check on a babysitter. Let me call my mother. I’ll let you know this afternoon.”

      “You do that. I really want you to come with me.”

      And I really want to be with you, Wynn thought. “I’ll give you a call later today.”

      Chapter 6

      The driver parked the long, black limo on the corner. He jumped out of the driver’s seat, rushed around the hood of the car, and opened the rear passenger door of the limousine. He extended a hand to Wynn. She took his hand, stepped gracefully from the backseat, and stood on the sidewalk of St. Antoine and Lafayette Streets. Flood’s Bar and Grill loomed large and foreboding in front of her.

      Wynn giggled, remembering the shocked expression on her mother’s face when the chauffeur appeared on her doorstep and rang the bell. Peg Evans wasn’t easily impressed. The society queen prided herself on being in the middle of everything and knowing how to handle herself in every situation. This scenario stopped her dead.

      On the other hand, Wynn didn’t know what to make of Adam’s invitation. Had she made the right choice in attending this party? Should she be here? Did she and Adam have enough history for her to be invited to company parties? She stood under the Flood’s sign, watching the passing traffic as the glittering lights from Greektown Casino winked suggestively at her from the opposite side of Lafayette Street.

      Wynn smoothed a nervous hand over her outfit. “Thank you,” she said to the driver, reaching inside