Executive Seduction

Aidan eyed the hot dogs for a few minutes. “The cloth napkins add a nice touch.”

And they looked somewhat odd alongside the paper plates, Corri decided. But she was more concerned about pleasing Aidan. “I could whip you up an omelet if this won’t work.”

He grabbed the bottle of relish. “This is fine. I haven’t had a hot dog since last summer at the ballpark.”

Good, because Corri truly didn’t want to go near the stove. She sat beside him, keeping a comfortable berth between them, yet still feeling oddly nervous. Ridiculous. He was her boss, her friend. But this was Aidan in her home, not in the office. “If you want some grated cheese, I could get that for you.”

“This is fine.” He picked up a knife and offered it to her. “Maybe you’d like to use this to vent some more frustration on your hot dog.”

If he hadn’t said it with such a sexy smile, she might have been insulted. “Very funny. I believe I’ve done enough hacking for one day.” She handed him the corkscrew. “You can do the honors.”

Aidan uncorked the wine with all the proficiency of a man who’d had a lot of practice. She had no doubt he’d done this on more than one occasion with more than one woman. Since his breakup with his former girlfriend, he’d dated quite a few eager prospects. Several had shown up at the studio like prime-time groupies asking for him, only to be turned away by Aidan’s bulldog assistant, Stella. But as far as Corri knew, he hadn’t been seriously involved with anyone lately. Not that that should matter to her.

He poured the merlot, then handed her a glass. “To good ratings.”

Corri touched her glass to his. “I’ll drink to that.” Right now, she’d probably drink to anything.

By the time Corri had eaten her hot dog, Aidan had consumed both of his. She tore open the bag of chips and tilted it toward him. “In case you’re still hungry.”

He waved them away. “No thanks.”

Corri grabbed a few chips and set the bag down on the table. “I shouldn’t be eating them, either, but after today, I’m in the mood to binge.” She proved that by consuming the chips in record time.

Aidan settled his gaze on her lips, then said, “Lean over here.”

She felt an abrupt surge of excitement. “Why?”

“Because you have mustard on your mouth.”

Of course she did. What went better with bad hair and no makeup than a blob of mustard? “Point it out, and I’ll get it.”

“I’ll do it.”

She expected him to pick up a napkin. Instead, he formed his palm to her jaw and rubbed the corner of her lip with his thumb several times. “It’s gone now.”

If it was gone, then why didn’t he move his hand away? Why did he keep looking at her as if he wanted a repeat of the kitchen kiss? And why was she wishing he would kiss her? Easy. She wasn’t in her right mind.

Finally, he let go of her face and took a long drink of the wine. Corri settled back against the sofa, wine in hand, and tried to think of something to say to break the uncomfortable silence. She settled on a question she should have asked the minute he came into the house. “Did you find Kevin?”

His slight weight shift indicated a chink in his normal composure. “Yeah. At his condo. He hadn’t left for the airport yet.”

Apparently she was going to have to wring the information out of him. “What did he say?”

“He told me to mind my own business, and I told him he was a coward.”

That gave Corri a strong sense of satisfaction. “You didn’t punch him, did you?”

“No, but I wanted to when he mentioned suing you and the studio because of the show.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Aidan. Normally he never watches the show.”

“He didn’t. His boss’s wife did.”

“Lovely.”

“I made a few threats of my own, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

That called for a drink of wine, which she took before asking, “What kind of threats?”

“I told him I’d tell his boss that his new senior staff reporter was engaged in activities not job-related when he was supposed to be in Baltimore.”

“Then he did get the promotion.”

“He didn’t tell you?”

“No, he didn’t.” But that explained the breakup; he didn’t need her anymore. “And he was with another woman.” Something that came as no surprise to Corri.

“Yeah. Some cheerleader. And I’m sorry to be the one who had to break the news to you.” Although he didn’t sound at all sorry.

Corri kicked off her flip-flops and curled her legs beneath her. “I’m not shocked, Aidan. As I’ve said, mine and Kevin’s relationship had disaster written all over it from the beginning.”

He studied her straight on. “I don’t understand. If you knew it wasn’t going to work, they why in the hell did you agree to marry him?”

She really hadn’t planned to tell Aidan—or anyone for that matter—the reasons behind her engagement. Frankly, she was embarrassed over the whole thing. But since he’d played white knight for her this afternoon, he deserved an explanation. And if that destroyed their friendship, then she probably deserved it, considering her stupidity. “It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got all night, so let’s hear it.”

Corri drew in a deep draft of air, finished her wine and set the empty glass on the tray. “The trip to Jamaica back in March involved a conference with several of the magazine’s executives, including Kevin’s boss. Kevin explained that Ed and his wife were very conservative, so he convinced me it would be better if we said we were engaged.”

Aidan held up his hands. “Wait a minute. The engagement was a farce?”

It sounded so sordid to Corri, most likely because it was. “You could say that.”

“Then why didn’t you set everyone straight when you came home?”

This was where it became complicated. “Kevin wanted to keep up the pretense until he secured his promotion, and that took much longer than he predicted. I attended all the parties with him as his fiancée because he believed it would look better if it appeared he was settling down.”

Aidan leaned forward and raked a hand down his face. “You’re a smart woman, Corri. I can’t believe you went along with it for nine months.”

“I planned to end it much earlier, but after Freed got wind of the engagement and decided to incorporate the whole impending marriage scenario into the show, and then my ratings soared, I couldn’t do it. Instead, I chose to keep up the act.”

“Freed’s only producing your show because I handed it to him. You should have come to me.”

“And I still might have lost my dream job. You and I both know the ratings were shaky before I left on the Jamaica trip.”

He fell silent, and when Corri couldn’t take it any longer, she said, “I know you think I’m insane. And believe me, I’ve questioned my sanity over the past few months.”

“That whole scene today. Was that an act?”

She stared at her hands now folded in her lap, too ashamed to look at him. “No, it wasn’t. I was really hurt by what Kevin did. The anger was real.”

“Then you did care about him.”

She had, at least in the beginning. “I wouldn’t have done what I did for someone I hated. Although I have to admit, there were times when he did things to me…” She drew in a deep breath and blew it out on a sigh. “Never mind. It’s no longer an issue.”

A flash of anger crossed Aidan’s face. “Tell me what he did to you.”

“It’s not what you think.” In reality, he hadn’t done anything to her, or with her, in a sexual sense. A fact she wasn’t ready to disclose. “When we originally agreed to the engagement, we also agreed to continue dating. Kevin interpreted that as dating not only me, but several other women throughout the country. I finally decided I wasn’t ever going to be enough for him.”

“Kevin’s never been in a steady relationship with anyone for any length of time,” Aidan said. “He’s not going to change, and that’s no reflection on you.”

Corri had definitely learned that the hard way. “You know, I’ve always been a confident person, comfortable in my own skin. But Kevin made me doubt myself, and that’s what I’ve hated most.”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Corri, even if my brother was too blind to see it.”

“He can be very charming.”

“He’s spoiled,” Aidan said. “When we were growing up, he got away with murder while the rest of us had to toe the line. That’s my mother’s fault. Kevin was the sickly twin, and they almost lost him when he was born, so she’s always gone out of her way to defend him, no matter what he’s done.”

“Oh, my gosh. Your mother.” Corri covered her face with her hands. “She always watches the show. She must think I’m horrible.”

Aidan draped an arm over the back of the sofa and lightly touched her shoulder to gain her attention. “You don’t have to worry about that. My parents are in Wisconsin, visiting with my dad’s sister. They won’t be back until Christmas Eve.”

Corri felt some measure of relief, although having to face the O’Briens was inevitable. At least she had a few days to prepare. After Christmas, she would drop by and have a talk with them. “I hope no one will tell her before I have the chance to explain everything.”

“I doubt any of the siblings are going to make her the wiser. And I’m fairly sure Kevin isn’t going to be the one to drop that bomb, at least for a while.”

Mental exhaustion began to set in, bringing about Corri’s yawn. “I’m just too tired to think about anything right now.”

Aidan patted her thigh and stood. “Then I’ll let you go to bed.”

When he offered his hand to help her up, Corri took it without hesitation and came to her feet. “I wouldn’t blame you if you decide not to be my friend any longer.”

“You don’t have to worry about our friendship, Corri. And even if I’m still having trouble getting a handle on what you’ve told me, on some level I understand it.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. We’re both obsessed with our careers, and we’re willing to go to great lengths to succeed.”

Considering Aidan was only thirty-five, he’d accomplished quite a bit. And that prompted several questions in Corri’s mine. “What lengths have you gone to?”

“It’s another long story. I’ll save it for some other time. Now walk me to the door before you drop where you stand.”

When they made it to the entry, Corri gave him a hug before pulling back. “Thanks so much for listening.”

Surprisingly, Aidan kept his arms around her. “Now I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told you before.”

Corri wasn’t certain she could take anymore shocking news. She wasn’t sure she could think with Aidan so close. “This sounds serious.”

“It is.” Placing his palm on her lower back, he nudged her a little closer. “You know that red apron you wear every now and then on the set?”

“Sure. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Mine, too. I’ve imagined you wearing it…and nothing else.”

Okay, this could be too much for her to handle. “I don’t know what to say, Aidan.”

“You don’t have to say anything. But if you want someone to take your mind off your problems, I’m here. Whatever you need, you only have to ask me, and I’m not talking about only work-related needs.”

She needed him to quit staring at her with those captivating green eyes. She needed to quit looking at that to-die-for cleft in his chin, and above that, those incredible lips. She had personal knowledge of how incredible they were, and exactly how they would feel if he kissed her. She wished he would, even if that wasn’t the greatest idea.

He moved her hair back from her shoulder, but instead of pressing his lips against her lips, he brushed a warm, lingering kiss on her neck, right below her ear. “Remember, if you need anything, Corri, all you have to do is ask.”

Before she could even recover from that simple, albeit sexy gesture, before she could answer his proposition, he was out the door. And she must be out of her mind to be so incredibly attracted to Aidan after what she’d been through. One O’Brien brother in her life had been quite enough, even though Aidan was the polar opposite of Kevin.

He was also extraordinarily sexy. And strong. And tempting. Tonight she had noticed the little things about him, like how his green eyes seemed to change color at times—darker when he was serious. Lighter when he smiled, which he didn’t do often enough. Of course, if he did, she would be melting like a good chocolate fondue on a regular basis.

Corri shook herself out of the daze and forced herself back into reality. Through her parents’ example, she’d learned to avoid overriding chemistry in a relationship at all costs. Once the passion between Bridgette and James Harris had played out, there had been nothing left—except an adolescent girl who’d become caught in the middle of her parents’ ongoing war for years.

For that reason, among others, exploring more than friendship with Aidan was very ill-advised, because if the underlying passion finally exploded, she wasn’t certain she could resist being in Aidan’s line of fire.

When the head-turning man entered the crowded exercise arena, Corri did a double take, and almost hurled herself off the treadmill before she had the presence of mind to turn the thing off. For a split second, she’d thought she was about to confront her past.

She should have known it was Kieran, not Kevin, coming toward her, even though they were mirror twins. Over the months, she’d come to recognize the physical differences. They shared the same dark hair and eyes, but Kieran was left-handed, and much more buff. That stood to reason considering he was a personal trainer and owner of three successful gyms, including the one she was standing in at the moment.

When Kieran reached her, Corri smiled, even if an exact replica of her ex-fiancé was the last thing she wanted to see right now. “Hey, Kieran.”

“Hey, Corri.” He straddled the weight bench next to the treadmill. “I’m probably the last person you want to see right now after Kevin’s stunt.”

She added mind-reader to the list of differences. “Then you’ve heard all about it.”

“I saw it,” he said. “I made sure the show was on in the gyms yesterday afternoon.”

Oh, great. The physically fit population of Houston was probably questioning her mental fitness. “Normally, I might thank you for that, but after my little tantrum, you might want to ban me in order to keep your male customers safe.”

He grinned. “I’m not worried about that. I am worried about you, and I apologize for Kevin being an ass.”

“It’s not your fault, Kieran. I know you’re not your brother’s keeper.”

“Don’t think I haven’t been in the past, Corri. He’s done some pretty unforgivable things to me. So if you want me to beat him up, let me know. I’ve been looking for another good excuse for a while now.”

At least most of the O’Brien brothers had honor, even if Kevin hadn’t retained that from the gene pool. “Aidan’s already had a talk with Kevin. Not that it did any good.”

“I’m surprised Aidan didn’t lay him out, considering how he feels about you.”

“He’s a good friend,” she said.

Kieran gave her an incredulous look. “You think that’s all he wants to be to you, Corri?”

“I have no reason to believe anything else.” Not exactly the truth. Though she’d consciously denied the subtle signs for months, they had always existed: in the heated looks he gave her, in the light touches that to most people would appear innocent. In the way he said her name—and somehow she knew exactly how it would sound coming from his mouth if he made love to her—soft, low and sexy. And she couldn’t discount last night, or that day in the kitchen….

“What about that kiss back on St. Patrick’s Day?” Kieran asked, hurling Corri out of her mental musings.

My gosh, he was psychic. Her mouth dropped open momentarily before she snapped it shut. “You know about that?”

“Almost everyone knows about it.”

Great. Just great. “Define almost.”

“If you’re worried Mom knows, don’t be. But all the boys, including Kevin, know about it. I’m not sure about Mallory or Dad.”

And she thought she’d suffered all the shock humanly possible in the past two days. “Did Aidan tell you?”

“Are you kidding? Aidan never tells anyone anything. Kevin saw the two of you together.”

Corri found the fact that Kevin had never mentioned it unfathomable. “Does Aidan know everyone knows?”

“I doubt it. It’s no one’s business but yours and Aidan’s.”

She flipped a hand in dismissal. “It doesn’t matter anyway. It was just one of those things. Something that happened months ago. I’d forgotten all about it.”

Kieran looked doubtful, and rightfully so, considering Corri was lying. “Whatever you say. But I tell you one thing, if given the chance, Aidan would be with you in a heartbeat. And a word of warning. When Aidan wants something, he always gets it, so be prepared.”

Aidan hadn’t been prepared for Corri storming into his office, wearing a pair of black form-fitting yoga pants and a bright-blue windbreaker. Her hair was piled on top of her head, with a few gold strands framing her flushed face. Every inch of her shouted sex, and Aidan’s libido was definitely listening.

After closing the door, she leaned back against it as if her legs might not hold her up. “I’m glad you’re here.”

He could say the same thing to her. “I thought I told you to stay home for a few days.”

“I went to the gym and ran into Kieran. He told me something I wanted to share with you.”

When she strode to his desk at a fast clip and braced her hands on the edge, he recognized she meant business. “Did you know Kieran knows about the kitchen?” she asked.

He closed the lid on his laptop and kept his gaze trained on her face, even though he wanted to give her a slow once-over. “I take it he saw the show yesterday.”

“Not that kitchen.” She pulled back the chair opposite him and collapsed into it. “I’m talking about that day at your parents’ house back in March. At the party. In your mother’s kitchen. In fact, he told me all your brothers know about it, including Kevin.”

That would probably explain Kevin’s persistence in pursuing Corri. His little brother was nothing if not competitive. “I really don’t give a damn who knows about it, Corri. I didn’t take you up against my mother’s china cabinet.” Aidan tried to push away the images that comment evoked, without success. “It was only a kiss.”

“I know what it was,” she said. “I was there, remember?”

“Yeah, you were there, and I’ve never forgotten one moment of it. In fact, I remember every detail.”

“I remember it was a huge mistake.”

Someday soon, he planned to remind her how good it had been. Right now, he needed to focus on business, not on a memory that he’d relived on more than one occasion. “Have you checked your e-mail today?”

She looked surprised by the sudden change in topic. “I decided to wait a while to do that.”

“I’ve already taken a look.”

Her hand went to the zipper on the jacket, lowering it and raising it compulsively, giving Aidan a glimpse of her breasts encased in tight white knit. “How bad is it?”

If she didn’t halt the peep show, it could get bad. In two minutes, he was going to round the desk and take off her damn jacket, and he might not stop there. “Most of the e-mails were from women, and supportive. A few were from men, offering to console you. One guy sent a one-word message.”

“What was that?”

“‘Ouch.’ And some jerk specifically asked you to dinner, as long as you let him pat you down before you got in his Lotus.”

Finally, she smiled. “A Lotus, huh? That might be worth a pat-down.”

It would be a frigid August in Texas before Aidan allowed that to happen. “Now you have to decide if you want to go ahead with the pre-New Year’s Eve taping next Wednesday, or let me pre-empt with one of your other shows.”

She mulled that over a minute before saying, “I’ll do the taping. It will give me the chance to apologize to the fans.”

Aidan reached behind him and grabbed the next item of business that he definitely didn’t like. “Speaking of New Year’s Eve, you’re still scheduled to participate in the children’s charity fund-raising auction.”

She rubbed her forehead. “I’d totally forgotten about that. Are you sure they still want to auction me off?”

“According to Stella, they called this morning to confirm it. But you can back out.” He hoped she would. He didn’t like the thought of some guy paying for a date with her.

She stared off into space for a minute before saying, “It’s for a good cause, so I’ll do it. Besides, it’s only dinner afterward. What’s the worst that could happen?”

She might encounter someone who wanted to take her mind off her troubles before he had that opportunity. But he still had time, and patience. “I’ll let Stella know. That’s it for now.”

“One more thing.” She leaned forward and folded her hands on the desk in a death grip. “Did you record the show on your TV?”

“I did this time because it’s a live airing.” He recorded her show every time so he could analyze her…in non-business-related ways. “Why?”

“Because I didn’t. I was so nervous, I forgot. If it’s okay, I thought I might watch it at your place this afternoon. I could do that here, but I’d rather witness my downfall in private.”

He wasn’t certain she was emotionally ready to see the tape, especially not alone. “Are you sure you don’t want to give it a couple of days?”

“No. I’d rather get it over with. I’m hoping it’s not as bad as I think it is. If you’ll let me have your key, I’ll have it back to you before you leave this evening.”

Aidan refused to leave her at his house by herself. He depressed the intercom and when Stella answered, said, “Tell Freed something’s come up and I need to reschedule our meeting for after lunch instead of during.” Without waiting for his assistant’s response, he turned his attention back to Corri. “I’ll go with you.”

“That’s not necessary, Aidan. Unless you’re afraid I might pilfer all the valuables before I leave, or leave a trail of mangled vegetables in my wake.”

He stood and came around the desk. “I’m not worried about any of that. Since you’ve never been to my house, you don’t know where it is.”

“Now that you put it that way…” She pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. “I’ll drive us.”

Aidan wasn’t going to argue that point. He’d let her call the shots for now, until he found the right time, and the right way, to convince her to give up some control.

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