Totally Tempting. Mary Lynn Baxter

me a ukulele.”

      “Did he know you play?”

      “I made the mistake of telling him. Actually the chords came back to me fairly easily and I’m not too bad on the thing.”

      “Did you bring it with you?” Kent asked. “I didn’t know you can play.”

      “No, I left it at the apartment. One of these days when you come to visit I’ll get it out for you.”

      Eventually they sat down to eat. Everyone was full of questions and the time flew by. It was only when she got ready to leave that Lynette walked her to the door and quietly asked, “Something happened over there, didn’t it?”

      “What makes you think that?”

      “Because I know you. There’s a shadow in your eyes I’ve never seen before.”

      “I’m just tired. Traveling really wears me out.”

      “If you say so.”

      “It’s probably the letdown of getting back home and picking up my routine again.”

      Lynette hugged her. “Okay. Then we’ll see you Friday night, right?”

      “Right.”

      Jodie let herself out of the warm house and into the cold. She hurried to her car and crawled inside. While she waited for the car to warm and the heater to kick on, Jodie thought about Lynette’s comments.

      Truly, nothing had happened except for a few shared kisses, and she had no intention of discussing her response to Dean with anyone. After all, the kisses had been an impulse of the moment…except for the one this morning. She hadn’t needed the reminder that she was strongly attracted to Dean Logan, which wasn’t very smart.

      She turned on the car radio and listened to music during her drive home, determined to put him completely out of her mind.

      Eight

      “Wow! Look at you!” Betty said by way of greeting when Jodie walked into the office the next morning. “Quite a tan. You certainly stand out among all of us oatmeal-colored people. So where did you go?”

      “Hawaii.”

      “Ooooh, well good for you. Does the boss know you took off the same week he did?”

      “Yes. Is he in yet?”

      “Haven’t seen him, but that doesn’t mean much. It’s not unusual for him to get here before I do.”

      Jodie nodded and headed to her office.

      Once there, she almost groaned at the sight of her desk covered in papers with notes attached, files stacked high and file drawers half-open. She glanced into his office and saw Dean at his desk, frowning at something he was reading.

      She put her purse away and made coffee. While she waited for the coffee to brew, she sat and began to sort through the mess on her desk.

      “Jodie? Is that you?”

      She stood and walked over to his doorway. “Yes. How did you manage to go through so much work this morning?”

      “Oh, that’s from yesterday. I spent the day catching up on what’s been happening. Is there coffee?”

      She glanced over her shoulder. “Yes. I’ll bring you some.”

      “Thanks,” he said absently, leaning back in his chair, still reading.

      There, you see? she told herself. He’s already forgotten last week and has moved on with his life.

      Or so she thought until she set his coffee on his desk and he looked up at her. The heat in his eyes made her tremble. He’d never looked at her like that in the office before.

      “Was your family glad to have you back home?”

      “My nephews were more interested in what I brought them,” she answered. “Lynette and Chuck agreed that I looked tanned and rested, which, according to them, was just what I needed.”

      He nodded thoughtfully and straightened in his chair. “I’d like to meet them sometime.”

      “My family?” She had to be mistaken. That couldn’t be what he meant.

      “Yes.”

      “Oh.”

      “Have lunch with me today and we can discuss it.”

      “I, uh, generally eat lunch at my desk.”

      “Not today.”

      “Is this business-related?”

      His frown deepened. “Of course not.”

      “Then don’t issue orders about my personal time.” She turned and went back to her desk. She started filing papers and folders, her back to his door.

      After several minutes she heard Dean clear his throat. She looked over her shoulder and saw him standing beside her desk.

      “What do you need?” she asked pleasantly.

      “Some manners. Obviously. I apologize for ordering you around.”

      “Apology accepted.”

      “I, uh, I’d like to take you to lunch. Please?”

      She shut the file drawer and walked over to him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I enjoyed the trip and appreciate your giving me the opportunity to get away from the cold weather for a few days. Now that we’re back at work, I believe it would be better if we return to our regular routine.”

      “I don’t see what’s wrong with having lunch together.”

      “At the moment the office staff is under the impression I decided to take off a week while you were gone. Once they see us together and notice our tans, they’ll figure out we were together.”

      “Do you care?”

      “Yes.”

      “Why?”

      “I don’t want to become the stereotypical secretary who’s seeing her boss socially.”

      “I’m not suggesting we date. It’s no big deal to have lunch at the same time, is it?”

      “You’re being deliberately obtuse.”

      “No, I’m not. I prefer to think of myself as unconsciously obtuse.”

      “I’d rather not go out today,” she said politely. “I plan to study over my lunch hour. I brought a sandwich.”

      He nodded slowly. “You’re probably right,” he said.

      She picked up some papers and turned away to the filing cabinet.

      Jodie waited until he’d returned to his desk and then rested her forehead against the filing cabinet. She hoped he hadn’t noticed that she was trembling. His attitude had caught her off guard.

      If she consistently turned him down, he would soon give up and get on with his life, which was just the way she wanted things. She knew his dating patterns. The last thing she needed or wanted was to become involved with him.

      And…if she repeated that often enough, she might be able to convince herself.

      Dean sat down at his desk and looked at the work awaiting him. Most of it was to approve what had been done in his absence and to sign off on it. He leaned back in his chair and swung around to face the windows.

      Jodie was right. Of course she was. Just because he’d enjoyed her company this past week didn’t give him the right to expect their relationship to continue in the same way here in Chicago.

      She was his secretary. That’s all. The thought reminded him that he needed to call Frank. He’d leave her alone. They’d probably get back to their routine all right if he could forget