Dave looked out the window and inhaled. He'd been too hard on his father and maybe it was time for a second chance for all of them. He'd have to give it time, and see how it worked out. His father used to be his hero. He realized he blamed his dad for his mom's death. He knew logically his dad couldn't have prevented the death from happening, but his heart had hurt so badly he'd needed someone to blame.
He was also realizing he couldn't continue to punish his father for something out of his control. Seeing the pain in his dad's eyes hurt him. Dave shook his head, trying to clear the depressing thoughts.
He gathered his belongings and headed out. He wasn't in the mood to be alone so he called his brother, who luckily was in town, and they met for a beer and some talking. It lifted his spirits up.
"How are you settling in the rainy city of Seattle?" Max asked.
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but there's no way I'm admitting that to the old man," Dave said.
"Am I detecting you've already met some local ladies?" Max teased him with a waggle of his brows.
"Well, there's a smorgasbord of women to be feasted upon," he said, but his mind was only on one particular woman.
"Yeah, but I sure wish our father would've gotten the idea to move somewhere warm like California or Florida. The women wear far less clothes there," Max said with a laugh.
"I agree," Dave said, but without his usual emphasis. He was starting to feel empty escorting different women every night. He was thinking a longer relationship may be interesting, especially if the woman didn't bore him. He had a feeling Jennifer wasn't boring.
"Where did you go?" Max asked.
"Sorry, it was a long day at the office. When are you taking off?"
"I need to go up to Alaska next month. I'll be up there off and on over the next year. We finished that facility and you know I like to check on things first hand. Seattle feels like the freaking tropics compared to the weather up there."
"You can always make snow angels," Dave laughed.
"No thank you, not when it's like fifty degrees below freezing on the average day. I'm amazed at how many people actually want to spend months on end up there," Max said.
"You know how scientists are, they don't need another person around, just a microscope," Dave said.
"Hey, I majored in biology for my bachelor's so no need to be dissing. Besides, you know the smart girls tend to repress a lot, and when they let go, they really let go," Max said with a leer.
"Sounds as if you may have intimate knowledge of that," Dave teased.
"I'm stuck in some pretty remote locations at times," Max said.
The two of them continued to banter about their choice in companions, and without even realizing they were doing it, reverted back to the easy camaraderie of years ago.
"It's been several years, and while I'll always miss her, I'm moving on now, but thank you. How's the job treating you?"
"It's wonderful. I keep so busy during each day that it's time to leave before I know it. I don't like jobs where you sit around, watching the clock."
"Well, that's great. I know you'll continue to do well. I'm going to hunt down some food and find my brother, now," he said before squeezing through the crowd.
Jennifer visited with several people and then got too warm and decided to take a swim. She dove into the water and came up against what felt like a brick wall. It knocked the breath out of her, and she would've sunk back into the water if strong arms hadn't grasped her and pulled her up.
"Thank you," she choked. She realized she was staring at a very sexy male chest. It was hard, defined, and had water dripping down it, and she was afraid she recognized it. Her eyes slowly traveled up the tanned skin until they reached the eyes of her boss. Seeing his incredible body was one thing, but touching it wasn't good for her blood pressure.
She felt a tightening in her stomach, unlike anything she'd ever experienced before, and there was an instant ache in her very core. She realized she was in lust with Dave. She was motionless for a few moments as she watched his eyes dilate and his head start bending forward. She came to her senses just in time and pushed against him. She couldn't kiss her boss, especially in front of his entire family, in a swimming pool, where her body was barely covered.
His eyes narrowed at her rejection, and then she watched, fascinated, as he seemed to put shutters in place, not allowing a single thought to show in his expression.
"It looks as if you're enjoying yourself, Jennifer," he said, and the sound of his rough voice sent a shiver down her spine.
"It's Ms. Stellar, and I am, thank you," she corrected him before swimming away. She couldn't stare at his body any longer - it was sending her own into overdrive.
He quickly caught up with her and pulled her back into his arms. She gasped at him, but couldn't seem to pull her gaze away. She was losing an internal battle to keep fighting the attraction to him.
"You're at a family gathering, don't you think the formality's a little excessive," he growled.
"No, I don't, Mr. Anderson," she emphasized. "Now, if you'll release me, I was getting ready to get out of the pool." They glared at each other for several moments, while Jennifer held her breath. She was afraid of her own reaction if he were to actually kiss her, because what he did to her body with a simple touch, or look, was enough to start boiling the water around her. She couldn't imagine what would happen if their lips actually connected.
"I will for now, but eventually you'll quit running from me. There's obviously something between us, and I'm very interested in exploring it." He released her and she swam a few feet away to the ladder. Her distance made her feel much braver, so she turned and gave him a dismissive glance.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, because you're not my type. Now, I'd appreciate it if you would keep your hands and thoughts to yourself," she said. His eyes narrowed and he lunged toward her. Jennifer didn't stick around for him to call her bluff. She quickly jumped from the pool, grabbed a towel, and found a group of people to hide among.
"I know you're a guest here, but would you mind helping me with some snacks for the kids. It's almost time for their movie marathon?" Emily asked.
"I'd love to help you," Jennifer told her eagerly. She'd do anything to avoid running into Trenton again, because the man was too lethal for her own good. The women walked into the kitchen, where two ladies were already working.
"Jennifer, these are my sisters-in-law, Amy and Jessica, and girls, this is Jennifer. She's working for Trenton," Emily introduced everyone.
"I've seen you in the offices before. It's great to officially meet you," Amy said with warmth.
"You too, this party has been amazing. I've barely even seen Molly, she's having such a great time," Jennifer replied.
"Trust me, she won't even know you exist as long as all the kids are playing together. They tend to have too much fun together," Jessica said with a warm smile. The four women spent an hour preparing a myriad of goodies for the kids and getting it set up in the den.
"Well, I guess I'll go ahead and leave now," Jennifer said. Molly was more than happy to stay over and there was no need for her to hang around any longer.
"Oh, you can't leave yet. Now that the kids are settled down, it's time for grown-up fun. My husband just lit a bonfire and we have drinks and snacks set out," Emily said. She didn't give Jennifer a chance to protest, she just grabbed her arm and led her outside.
It was just starting to get dark and she noticed several people had departed while they were in the house. There was still a large group of people around, but not nearly what it had been earlier. She didn't spot Dave anywhere. She was both relieved and, yet, disappointed. She knew she couldn't get involved with him, but she couldn't deny he made her feel things no one else had ever made her feel.
Dave watched as Jennifer came back out of the house and he let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He was determined to get her alone that evening, and was grateful she hadn't gone home. She wasn't going to throw down a challenge and then run away, without giving him a chance to respond to it.
When women constantly threw themselves at you, it was refreshing to finally be the one to do the chasing. He slowly took a swig of his beer and watched the women get situated by the fire.
The party had thinned out, and it was mainly just family left. With the children in the house, the dark setting was intimate and perfect for seduction. He started to slowly make his way toward the group, satisfied there was an empty space next to Jennifer.
"Where have you been, Dave? We thought you'd snuck out," Mark said as Dave sat. He noticed Jennifer's body instantly tense, and had to fight down the urge to scoot even closer to her.
"I went for a walk, and checked out some of your horses, they're beautiful," he replied.
Mark beamed with pride. He loved his horses, and anyone who complimented them ended up number one in his book. As the family continued to visit and laugh together, Dave was relieved that Jennifer started to relax. Each time she innocently brushed against him was like fire through his veins.
As the night continued, he figured out why she was relaxing, and he groaned in frustration. She'd consumed too much alcohol, and there was no way he could do anything with her in that state. He wanted her fully aware of what they were doing the first time he took her to his bed and not have it blamed on either of them being drunk.
"I'm having such a great time with you all, but I'm exhausted. I'm going to call it a night," Jennifer said, trying to hide the huge yawn.
"Thank you for coming over. We have a full morning of activities planned so don't worry about getting Molly until early evening, tomorrow," Mark said.
Jennifer stood up and was surprised by the unsteadiness in her legs. She hadn't realized she'd consumed so much alcohol. The only thing that saved her from falling over was an arm, which snaked around her waist. She looked up at Dave and tried to pull away, but he wasn't budging.
She liked the feel of his arm around her, and suddenly grinned at him with a blinding smile. She watched in fascination, as his eyes narrowed and he sucked in a deep breath.
"Don't tempt me, woman. I'm doing the right thing," he muttered while leading her around the side of the house. It was so dark, she was grateful to have him guiding her.
"I'm really tired," she said with a huge yawn.
"I'll get you home and then bring you back out here tomorrow for your car," he told her. She was buzzed enough she didn't even think to argue. She simply followed him, in what seemed like an endless walk and then let him help her into the car.
He quickly came around to his side and before she knew it they were driving down the road. She couldn't keep her eyes off her boss. The man was even sexier in the glow from the dashboard light, even though she tried not to notice.
"You smell so good," she purred. Dave glanced away from the road to stare at her in shock. The look on his face made her giggle and it took her several moments to stop. "Well, you do," she finally managed to get past her trembling.
Dave's gut was clenching with the amount of control it was taking to keep his hands to himself. He wanted the woman, badly, and she was his for the taking. He was really damning his scruples at the moment, as the hem on her skirt slid indecently high on her luscious white thighs.
His pants were extremely tight, and his heart was pounding. She may have said he smelled good, but in the small space of his car her scent was driving him insane. He didn't know how he managed to keep the vehicle on the road.
"I think about sex a lot since meeting you," she slurred. The car actually swerved before he got it back under control. He turned his head and glared at her, which sent her into another bout of giggles. He pressed his foot down on the gas, needing to get out of the vehicle before he did something really stupid, like pulling over and taking her right there, on the side of the road.
"You're very lucky I'm an honorable man," he growled. He finally made it to his place and started having second thoughts. He didn't want to leave her alone at her place in her current condition, but he was going to have a hell of a time sleeping, knowing she was under his roof.
He climbed out of his car and came around to the passenger side, then groaned as he realized she was passed out cold. He looked skyward, praying for the strength he was going to need to make it through the next few hours.
"Jennifer, we're here, wake up," he said while shaking her shoulders. She didn't budge. He tried again before giving up. He reached in and pulled her into his arms. She weighed hardly anything at all. As soon as he pulled her against his chest, she snuggled in deeper and sighed.
Dave literally shook with the restraint it was taking him to not throw her on his bed and take her. Sweat was beading on his forehead, and neck and his teeth were clenched tight. He tried not to breathe in her scent, but couldn't avoid it. The feel and smell of her was making him hard and he had a difficult time walking up the stairs.
He laid her on the bed and she still didn't budge. He took off her shoes and knew that was as far as his endurance would allow him to go. He wasn't even attempting to take any of her clothes off.
Dave watched Jennifer for a few moments, admiring how beautiful she was, especially with her guard down. She snuggled deeper into his bed and he groaned. The sight of her silken hair spread out on his pillow was making him reconsider his reasons for walking away. With a sigh, he turned and walked out. He headed straight for the bathroom and climbed in the shower. He stayed in there until the water was an icy deluge, causing his lips to turn blue. Then he crawled out, shaking all over, and quickly threw on some sweats.
He walked back into his room, telling himself he should find another place to sleep, but she was so tempting, lying in his bed. He knew they couldn't make love in her current condition, but there was nothing wrong with feeling her body pressed against his. If he could get past the hardening of his body, then maybe he'd actually sleep.
He climbed in next to Jennifer and then groaned as she immediately sought him out. She turned into him, wrapping her leg over his and flinging her arm around his waist, only inches away from his straining erection.
Her head was pressed into his shoulder and he could feel her hot breath on his naked skin. He knew he should've worn a shirt, but hell, he'd put on sweats, when he normally slept in the nude. As it was, the sweats felt like sandpaper against his straining member.
Jennifer sighed in her sleep and wiggled a little closer before she finally settled down. Dave was afraid to move an inch. He wanted to flip her over so badly it was making his entire body break out in a sweat, even after the frigid shower.
After about fifteen minutes of lying next to her, he finally relaxed and felt his eyes grow heavy. Her body heat was rushing through him and the feel of her pressed against him was more pleasurable than he'd ever admit. He wrapped his arm around her and finally let go.