Читать книгу Close Up - Erin McCarthy, Erin McCarthy - Страница 10

2

THAT VOICE.

Kristine felt a shiver rush through her, further flustering her. That voice was exactly the same as she remembered it, whiskey smooth, confident, sexy as hell. The voice she had heard in her dreams night after night for the first year after she had been stupid enough to run scared away from him during their big blowout fight. One of her trademark impulsive moves.

She couldn’t believe Sean was right in front of her. Standing, frankly, too close for any sort of appropriate public behavior.

Her heart was racing. Her palms were sweating, the Plexiglas-covered sign in her hands slipping. Her cheeks were burning. Her nipples were hard. And she was speechless, which for her was a rare event, occurring only once a decade during a full moon. Or the season finale of The Bachelor.

Oh, God. Speak, she commanded herself. Say something, you total idiot.

“Sean,” she said. Only it wasn’t a confident and professional-sounding statement. It was a breathy, sexy, “lay me down in the tall grass and make me forget your name and mine” kind of whisper.

His nostrils flared. His eyes darkened.

Her arms wobbled and she blamed it on the weight of the sign. But the truth was it was Sean.

He was just as gorgeous as she remembered, though he looked older, obviously, and more put together. His jaw sterner, his hair, once unruly, now short and controlled. He looked as if he had filled out, his arms more muscular, shoulders broader, more commanding. When they had been together, he had favored jeans, expression T-shirts and Converse sneakers, but now he wore a designer suit in black, his dress shirt a blue pinstripe, the tie a rich dark blue. It didn’t surprise her that he hadn’t chosen a red tie—he would probably think it a cliché. He looked better in blue anyway. It made his pale blue eyes that much more arresting in contrast to his dark hair.

So much so that she glanced away, unable to hold his gaze. It made her feel way too vulnerable, way too confused in a way she wouldn’t have expected. So much time had passed, she hadn’t expected to feel much of an emotional reaction to him, despite the fact she had been madly in love with him once upon a time. Maybe it was just the sheer unexpected appearance that had her off-kilter.

What the hell was he doing here anyway? This event was small, a tiny drop in the ginormous bucket of his business ventures. When she had been hired by the gallery as their events coordinator two weeks ago, the previous employee had already set up the bulk of the Bainbridge event, including security, given the photographer’s notoriety for attracting protestors. Because of her history with Sean, she had felt a bit voyeuristic to see Maddock Security in the paperwork, but even when she had to re-sign an addendum to the original contract, she hadn’t expected that Sean would ever be made aware of her hand in the party.

Wrong. She had been oh-so clearly wrong.

The urge to drop the sign and run into the back room was overwhelming, and clearly Sean knew it.

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked, the corner of his mouth turning up in a charming smile. He took another step toward her.

Instinctively, Kristine shifted back, panicking at the thought of him getting close enough to touch her, close enough that she might smell his masculine scent.

“I have work to do. In the back.”

“That’s not much of a greeting after ten years, Kristine. At least say hello.”

God, why was she panicking? She was a grown woman, damn it, and Sean wasn’t going to bite her. She didn’t think. But it was a knee-jerk reaction she always had, to run away from an uncomfortable situation. It was her specialty, a family trait passed down from her father and her father’s father. The Zimmerman motto was definitely when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Right out of the room. Or state. Or country.

It was something she was working very hard to no longer do, so she swallowed and collected herself. The shock of seeing Sean was wearing off, replaced by pure embarrassment. And an ache that sprang out of nowhere, which she refused to acknowledge. “Hello, Sean. How are you doing?”

The sign slipped in her hand again and Sean took it from her. She resisted for a second, but he tugged hard and relieved her of its weight. Then held it up to study it. His eyebrows rose. Kristine knew exactly what he was looking at—a dozen people covered in soot perched in a tree. Naked. Personally, she found Ian Bainbridge’s work intriguing, but she knew a man like Sean, who saw things in black and white, would find it bizarre.

But he didn’t say anything about the photo. He just propped it against the nearest wall and turned back to her. “I’m fine. You look well, Kristy.” He reached out and brushed a stray hair off her cheek.

Kristine felt herself heat under his scrutiny, goose bumps rising on her flesh from his simple touch. He touched her the way he had all those years ago, naturally, as if he had the right to, with a tenderness she hadn’t been expecting, and it made her feel myriad emotions. Surprise, appreciation, melancholy and even arousal, as if her body remembered, despite the gap in time how it should respond to him.

“Thank you, I am,” she managed to say, forcing her tongue off the roof of her mouth. “You, too. So what brings you by the gallery?”

He didn’t answer the question immediately. Instead, he lifted his arms and put his hands firmly on her shoulders. “It’s good to see you.”

Then he leaned forward and brushed his lips over her cheek. Oh, God, he was kissing her cheek. He was so close, so familiar, yet...not. She was opening her arms to hug him in return when suddenly he was gone. The warmth on his face disappeared and was replaced by a neutral expression.

“Tim will be in charge of the security team,” he said. “He’ll be here by seven on Friday to station my men. You have a lot of entry points to the gallery so that is my only concern. I suggest you lock the front door whenever you’re working in here alone the rest of the week and Friday until you’re ready for the guests to arrive.”

Blinking, Kristine stared at him for a second, trying to process the sudden change from personal to business. Not that he had said anything truly personal, really. But he had looked at her in an intimate way. Disappointed, then annoyed with herself for the feeling, she nodded. “Sure.”

Who gave a shit about security?

She certainly didn’t. Not at the moment. Well, actually she did give a huge shit, considering this was a super important event for the gallery, and if she screwed this up, she would be fired, and then she would be destitute and living on the street. But at the moment, that didn’t matter. All she could think about was that Sean’s dimple seemed to have disappeared. Was that possible? Could a dimple simply fill itself in?

It just seemed to her that after ten years, the small talk might extend beyond an obligatory query into her health and a generic compliment before skipping straight to business.

“Will the caterers be here again tomorrow?”

Apparently, he didn’t feel the same way.

Focus. On work, not Sean’s serious sexiness. She could do this. Moving forward, that was her, and he obviously felt the same way. He didn’t appear to have any interest in an extended stroll down memory lane. He didn’t even seem to want to jog it, let alone stroll.

“No,” she said. “They’re only setting up. They’ll be back around six on Friday with the food.” She strove for a breezy and casual tone, studying him from beneath her eyelashes. It was bizarre to see the man he had morphed into, to realize they had once been intimately connected, physically and emotionally. It felt surreal to finally see him face-to-face. She had been back in Minnesota for only three weeks, and she had been wondering how to go about contacting Sean. Even though it had been a decade, she wanted to be courteous and give him a heads-up about the divorce papers he would be served, but she hadn’t been sure what to say. Whether to be matter-of-fact, funny or friendly.

It didn’t feel necessary to tell him her exact reasons for suddenly filing. That she had realized in order to grow and become the success she knew she could be, she had to let him go. Walk away from the security he had been and still represented to her. Mostly, she had rehearsed phrases like “moving on,” “wanting to allow you the freedom you deserve,” and “long overdue.”

In all her considered and discarded thoughts on approaching him, though, never once had she visualized she would be in an art gallery surrounded by a mass-nudity exhibit while they discussed the catering access to the event. It was so surreal, she couldn’t be entirely sure she wasn’t dreaming. She glanced down to make sure she wasn’t standing there in her underwear.

Which suddenly and inappropriately reminded her of just how smoking hot the chemistry between the two of them had been during their relationship. Sean had been an excellent lover, and he’d been only twenty-one at the time. She briefly imagined all the bedroom skills he might have improved on over the years and shivered at the goose bumps that rose on her skin.

Not a good way of thinking. Moving forward, that’s what she was doing.

The divorce papers were supposed to be served to him tomorrow, which made this a perfect opportunity to broach the subject with him. Truthfully, she should be glad he had been put in her path. Now she didn’t have to call him to discuss it. She could tell him in person, which was better anyway. You didn’t marry someone then dissolve that union without at least looking each other in the eye as you discussed it, no matter how much time had passed. Once they were done with the business details, she would ask him to go for a cup of coffee so they could talk.

That was the right thing to do, and it reflected her new determination to face tough choices head-on, instead of hiding or running away.

Sean stopped eyeing the gallery and slid his hand into his pocket, the picture of casual confidence.

“Do you have a list of the employees the caterers are sending?” he asked.

“No.”

“You should.”

She supposed that made sense. But frankly, it hadn’t occurred to her. She had been too worried about all the other nine thousand little details that came with planning a party of this size. The security issue seemed like something that, well, the security firm should handle. Her mind just didn’t work in those ways. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure how her mind worked. That was half the problem. She had been a flaky kid raised by a flaky mother, and now she was a flaky adult.

It wasn’t that she meant to be flaky. It’s just that she wasn’t very organized. She liked to think her talents were more in creative ventures and in making people happy. Since she was little, everyone had always commented she made them smile, that she was a ray of sunshine.

“Okay,” she said when she realized the pause had stretched too long and his relaxed posture had tensed. Sean was smiling at her, but Sean was also smoldering. Whether it was anger or desire, she wasn’t sure, though she couldn’t imagine he was actually still angry with her after all this time. Maybe it was just his efficiency face. She wasn’t as well versed with him as a businessman.

Whatever he felt, it bubbled under the surface of control he had such mastery of. She had always envied him that, but now she wished if he were frustrated or angry, he would just explode at her, so they could get this awkwardness over between them. On the other hand, maybe it was naive to think there wouldn’t be a significant amount of discomfort, given the huge passage of time.

Maybe the discomfort was purely on her part. Maybe Sean was just doing his job and was annoyed that she clearly didn’t know how to handle the event security.

“Congratulations on all your business success,” she told him, sincerely. At random intervals over the years, she had heard from friends, or seen on social media, what he was doing, and she had felt a spark of pride for all his accomplishments. He was a prime example of a man who had started with nothing, and through hard work, now ran a multimillion-dollar corporation. Pride at the man he’d become had been paired with the realization that the demise of their relationship had probably been the best thing for him, as she was monstrously unsuited to be a corporate wife.

“Thanks,” he said, his expression inscrutable. “So how did you end up an events coordinator? And what brings you back from Sin City?”

“It’s the only thing I’m qualified to do,” she told him, truthfully. “I can plan a party—that’s about it.”

“Oh, come on,” he said. “That’s not true.”

“Hey, I plan a damn good party,” she said, with a smile, even though she knew that wasn’t what he meant. Of course, she wasn’t sure specifically what he meant as her potential talents, come to think of it. She didn’t think it was a sexual innuendo, because honestly, she’d just been enthusiastic in that arena, not skilled or experienced. But at nineteen, she hadn’t been bursting with various practical talents.

Sean laughed. “Funny. No, I mean I’m sure you could do whatever you set your mind to. That was always your setback—you didn’t believe in yourself enough.”

It was difficult to explain to Mr. Moneybags that while he was good at virtually every business venture he touched, she had always lacked the focus required to stick with something. But she wasn’t looking for sympathy. It was what it was, and she was trying hard to change, to stick around long enough to make something work.

And she didn’t need him psychoanalyzing her.

“I think it’s safe to say I’m not as insecure as I was at nineteen when you knew me, thank God.” She still hated her ass, because it was the consistency of flan, but otherwise she had grown accepting of who she was, as flawed and imperfect as she may be. She was also kind, generous and quick to laugh, so there.

Sean didn’t respond. He simply stared at her, because that was what Sean did. He waited. He bent people to his will. He commanded. He used charm and confidence to get exactly what he wanted, which at one time had been her. The question was, what did he want today? His expression was too enigmatic for her to read.

With no sign to hold any longer, Kristine felt self-conscious, her hands fluttering in front of her chest. She wore a black pencil skirt and a purple floral sweater set with a respectable amount of cleavage on display. Sean’s eyes followed her fingers.

She couldn’t stand the silence anymore and started to babble. “You’re right. I’ll get the name of all the staff. I suppose I should know better. This isn’t my first rodeo, so to speak.”

“I don’t remember you that way,” he said.

“What?” Kristine was confused. Did he mean as a rodeo rider? “What way?”

“Insecure.” He shook his head to emphasize the point. “You always knew who you were. I admired that. Being insecure is different from doubting yourself.”

His words warmed her more than she would have expected. “Thanks. But don’t make me sound more mature than I was.” Unsticking her tongue from the roof of her mouth, she said, “Look, Sean, before you leave I want to discuss something with you—

But he cut her off. “Show me the back room,” he said with a casual smile. “Just to make sure there are no issues for Friday.”

Hmm. Did he want this to be strictly business? Yet he had brought up the past. Though it had been a casual enough comment. Maybe it was better if they concentrated on the matter at hand for the moment. “Sure,” she said, forcing herself to sound breezy, and strode away. He followed her and she made a point to pause and speak to the catering manager. “Allison, I’ll need a list of the servers who will be here opening night. What time do you think you’ll be finished setting up?”

Allison nodded with a smile. “Sure, no problem. Actually, we’ll be done in about ten minutes.”

“You can go out the back then, and I’ll call you tomorrow if I want any changes done. Thanks.” There, that sounded professional. Like she knew what she was doing. Which she did, in theory.

Once in the storage area, she turned and gestured with both hands. “Here it is. Just the one exit.”

His shuttered gaze took in the small room. There were art pieces from the previous exhibit under drop cloths, a desk for the curator and a small coffee-break area with a bistro table and a mini fridge. There was also an employee restroom, metal shelving for lighting and mounting hardware and leftover paint remnants. The gallery’s staff was small, and Kristine had been hired to do essentially whatever was needed on a weekly basis, including PR and ordering supplies.

“What’s in there?” he asked, pointing to a door.

“It’s a closet.”

He started toward it.

“Is this really necessary?” she asked. “The gallery has done these types of events monthly for years without any issues.”

“Ian Bainbridge has a morality organization threatening to disrupt the party. They’ve been known to deface art they find offensive and attack the artist himself. Plus, he has a documented stalker. This is my job, Kristine. Nothing is going to happen while my team is here. That is a guarantee I provide.”

Except that the morality organization was run by Kristine’s own mother, and she was pretty sure it was a committee of one. Sean obviously didn’t know that, and she was not about to enlighten him.

No one needed to know that, least of all her ex.

Kristine opened the door to the closet, which was a walk-in and served as a secondary storage area for things like mops and paper towels. Stepping in, she turned. “It’s—

Sean was literally inches away from her and she forgot what she was going to say, sucking her breath sharply. “Oh, hello!”

He was moving forward still, forcing her to back up until she was against the far wall under an exterior window, trying to keep a few feet of space between them. She laughed, meaning to sound cavalier, but it came out as nervous as she felt. She was far too aware of Sean and how close his mouth was to hers. He gave a sly smile, as if her nervousness amused him. With one hand, he reached behind him and closed the closet door.

Not good. A closed space, an old lover... She couldn’t remain professional under those circumstances. Unless it was a professional whimperer. “Sean. We should talk, but I don’t think this is the time or the place. Let’s finish up here and go for coffee.” In a public place. With a table between them.

“I don’t want to talk.” His voice was slow and sensual, and she saw the burn of desire in his eyes as he ate up the space between them.

“No?” Damn it. She knew that look. He was going to kiss her.

Sean touched a stray strand of her hair trailing down her neck, and she shivered, the urge to close her eyes and sink into his embrace overwhelming. He smelled different than she remembered, but the sensation of being close to him was familiar, tantalizing.

Then he tugged her hair, playful, yet bordering on harder than necessary. “You darkened your hair color.”

“I was having a dark moment,” she whispered.

“I like it. Much more than those divorce papers you sent me.” He turned back to the doorknob, twisted it and pushed the door. “Did you hear that? It sounded like the door was just locked.”

Nothing happened. To the door, that is.

But Kristine saw spots in front of her eyes. “What divorce papers?”

“What the hell?” He shoved the door harder, ramming his shoulder against it in irritation. “Does this door stick?”

“No. Not that I’m aware of.” And she hadn’t heard anything over the sound of her own mortification. But if she was locked in this room with Sean it was going to be the definition of awkward, because she was pretty sure he was saying he had received divorce papers from her, which was not supposed to happen. Not until she’d had a chance to talk to him first. “What divorce papers?”

“The ones that dropped on my desk this morning.”

Oops. Why did that not surprise her? Nothing ever went the way she intended.

Sean rattled the door again. He shoved. He kicked. Turning, he gave her a seductive and somewhat angry smile. “We’re locked in.”

Locked in? Alone with Sean?

Kristine could have sworn she felt an egg drop down her fallopian tube in excited feminine anticipation.

It occurred to her that perhaps she wasn’t as over Sean as she had thought.