Totally Tempting. Mary Lynn Baxter

“Dean, I can’t keep up with you in these heels. Would you please slow down?”

      He immediately stopped and waited for her to catch up with him. “Sorry. My mind was on other things.”

      They continued walking for what seemed forever to Jodie before they reached their gate.

      They found seats although the departure lounge was rapidly filling up with passengers waiting to board.

      Dean spotted their plane, which they could see through the glass wall. “Looks like they’re finishing loading luggage and food.” He glanced at his watch. “We should be boarding shortly.” When she didn’t comment, he asked, “Do you have something to read on the plane?”

      “In my purse.”

      Dean was not usually so talkative. Making idle chitchat wasn’t part of his personality.

      “Dean?”

      “Yes?”

      “Look, I know this is awkward for both of us. I appreciate your taking me on this assignment. I know you didn’t have to be the one to go.”

      “Actually I felt that Furukawa needed to know that his security was important to me. We’ve stayed in touch these past few weeks ironing out the contract and determining exactly what should be installed. The fact that I’ll be installing the systems is personally important.”

      “Will we start this afternoon?”

      “Not with the actual work, no. However, we’ll go to his office, pay our respects and invite him to dinner if he doesn’t have other plans. We’ll get started on the installation first thing tomorrow morning. It won’t take more than a couple of days if everything goes according to plan.”

      The flight attendant announced that it was time to board and they stood. Jodie had noticed that once again they were flying first-class.

      As soon as she’d found out she’d be making this trip, she’d visited her doctor and asked for something to help her deal with her anxiety about flying. He’d given her a prescription for a mild anti-anxiety drug and told her to take it a half hour before flying. She’d taken it with breakfast and was already feeling calmer.

      Dean escorted her to their seats. “Would you prefer to sit on the aisle?” he asked.

      “Yes, please.”

      She reached for the airline magazine in the pocket in front of her and began to read.

      “Are you okay about flying?” he asked.

      “I think so. Yes.”

      She could tell that he didn’t believe her. It didn’t matter. She needed to get used to flying now that she was a representative of the company.

      By the time they took off, she was getting sleepy. She’d had a restless night, dreading spending time with Dean again. Lack of sleep, together with the prescription drug, had her yawning by the time they leveled off.

      Jodie leaned her seat back and went to sleep.

      Dean took the opportunity to study her—the way her mouth was shaped, her thick lashes, the slight tilt of her nose. He’d missed seeing her each day. When he found himself going to her department in hopes of seeing her, he knew he had it bad.

      His dreams were filled with her…talking with her, making love to her, riding in the car with her. He was never alone in his dreams now, which was tough when he woke up each morning to discover he was alone and none of it was real.

      Dean couldn’t figure out what was going on with him. Was it because he hadn’t been with a woman since the first trip to Hawaii? He hadn’t been interested enough in Rachel to respond to her sexual overtures, which was the major reason she knew their relationship had come to an end.

      They’d spent a weekend together, a last-ditch effort on her part to prove something to him—or herself. Despite all her attempts at seducing him—provocative night wear, a full-body massage—nothing had worked.

      He figured he’d been too tired that weekend. His dreams of Jodie were more satisfying than the reality of being with Rachel.

      This trip was to prove something to himself—to prove that his fantasies of Jodie were absurd. Candace had booked a suite so that each of them had a bedroom. They wouldn’t be spending much time there.

      This was strictly a business trip.

      He was not lusting after her.

      What he needed to do was find someone nice to date—someone with blond hair and blue eyes, someone who looked trim and fit, someone who was fun to talk to, to be with, someone who could make him laugh.

      Someone like Jodie.

      * * *

      Dean had awakened her as they’d approached Los Angeles. There had been little time for them to find their gate for the next leg of the journey and neither one of them had said very much.

      Once they’d been back on the plane, Jodie had read a little but fallen asleep within the first hour. Consequently she felt rested and ready to go to work when they landed in Honolulu.

      They checked in to their hotel and she discovered that they had a gorgeous view from the balcony off the main room. Their bedrooms were located on opposite sides of this room.

      They met Steve Furukawa at his office and showed him the schematics for the job. Dean answered his questions at length, and when Steve was fully satisfied, they set up a time to begin the next morning.

      Steve agreed to have dinner with them, but Jodie begged off. Once Dean left their hotel room, she changed into more casual clothes and took a long, contemplative walk along the beach.

      She had to face a difficult fact: she was in love with Dean Logan. She wasn’t certain when it had happened, but there was no doubt about it. Being with him again had taught her that she’d been kidding herself when she’d decided she was over her infatuation with him. Of course, she had no intention of acting on her desire for him. She wasn’t that stupid or self-destructive.

      She wondered if there was a group somewhere she could attend to learn how to get over him. If so, she would definitely join.

      By the time she returned to the hotel, the exercise had worked its charm. She was pleasantly tired, tired enough—she hoped—to be able to sleep, since tomorrow would be a long day.

      When Jodie opened the door to the suite, she was surprised to see that Dean was there. He was on the balcony, sitting on one chair, his feet propped on another, sipping a drink.

      “How was dinner?” she asked, walking over to him.

      He moved his feet and motioned for her to sit down. “The food was good and I enjoyed getting to know Steve a little better. He gave me a brief family history. He told me how his family came to Hawaii from Japan many years ago. He’s an interesting man.”

      She sat down and propped her bare feet on the railing. “There’s something about this place that seems almost magical. The scent of flowers, the soft breeze. It’s easy to forget there’s another world out there.”

      “I watched you walk along the edge of the water. I was relieved to spot you. I was worried when I discovered you weren’t here when I got back.”

      “I had no idea you would return so soon.”

      “Steve wanted to get home to his family. I enjoyed listening to his stories about his sons and daughters. He’s very proud of them.”

      “You constantly surprise me,” she replied.

      “In what way?”

      “Somehow I can’t picture you listening to stories about children.”

      “Why not?”

      She shrugged. “I can’t see you as a family man.” When he didn’t reply, she added, “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

      “I’m