Sherryl Woods - The Pint-Sized Secret

Unfortunately, he was having an equally difficult time concentrating. He had been ever since hed arrived on her doorstep and caught his first glimpse of her in a dress that even Cinderella would have envied. His mouth had gone dry, and hed been having difficulty swallowing ever since. Why had he never suspected that the beautiful Brianna was capable of bringing a mans heart slamming to a halt? Because of his taunt, hed fully expected her to be covered from head to toe in black, something discreet, something that wouldnt have every male head in the room swiveling for another, longer look. Unless he was very careful, he was going to forget what this evening was all about.

In fact, hed been so dumbstruck when she opened her door that he hadnt even taken note of what little he could see of the interior of her small townhouse. His surprise at the modest community in which she lived had vanished in a sea of purely masculine appreciation.

Now he caught the speculative glances of some of his oldest and dearest bachelor friends and tightened his grip on Brianna possessively. This reaction was a very bad sign, he noted, forcing himself to take a step back and look Brianna directly in the eyes. Another mistake, he realized, when his throat went dry again.

Having fun? he managed to ask finally.

I didnt come to have fun, she murmured, avoiding his gaze.

What the heck, he countered. Have some anyway. Its free.

Her gaze swept the room again. Where is Max Coleman? Shouldnt he be here by now?

There are a thousand people crushed into this ballroom. Im sure hes here somewhere. If we keep dancing, were bound to bump into him.

Brianna regarded him suspiciously. He is going to be here, though, right? Youre sure of it.

Thats what I was told. Maybe we should take a break, get some champagne and you can tell me why he fired you.

Even as she studied the crowd, she waved off his inquiry. Im sure youve seen the personnel records. Its no big secret, she said dismissively.

Actually Jeb had read the personnel file. It was almost as vague as Brianna herself was being now. It wasnt working out. I believe thats what the file states. Was that it?

She shrugged. That about sums it up.

Max Coleman doesnt strike me as a man prone to whims.

For a fleeting moment her attention returned to him. Youd have to ask him about that. One day I was working there, the next day, I wasnt.

If your firing was that capricious, why didnt you sue him?

Not my nature, she said. All I cared about was getting another job. Her attention drifted yet again.

Jeb struggled to accept her response. It was so deliberately disingenuous, he almost wondered if Max hadnt staged the firing just so she could be hired by his competitor, making her a well-placed spy for her old boss. So far, though, Coleman hadnt been involved in any of the soured deals.

Besides which, Brianna genuinely seemed to despise the man. She might not have wanted to waste time and money taking him to court for wrongful dismissal, but she resented his actions just the same. That much was clear from the venom in her voice whenever she mentioned his name. Unless she was a better actress than Jeb imagined, her hatred was sincere.

How about a little fresh air? Jeb suggested when they had their champagne.

She cast one last, disappointed look around the room, then nodded. Fine.

Outside on the terrace, there was a soft breeze. The sky was brilliant with stars, competing with the lights of downtown Houston. But none of the scenery could hold a candle to the woman beside him. Jeb found himself wishing for the hundredth time that this were a real date, that he could take her in his arms and kiss her the way hed been wanting to ever since hed picked her up. Aware of just how inappropriate that would be on any number of levels, he held back. For a man reputed to have no scruples, now was a fine time for his to be kicking in.

He leaned back against the railing and sipped his champagne. Tell me about your marriage, he suggested idly.

Without the distraction of looking for Max, she was instantly suspicious. Why? she asked bluntly.

Just making small talk, sweetheart. Thats what men and women do at these things.

She shrugged off the explanation. I wouldnt know. I dont spend a lot of time at charity balls.

Well, let me explain the rules, then. We eat a little, drink a little, dance when the mood strikes us, exchange pleasantries with people we know, chitchat with those wed like to know better, gossip about the bad guys, network with business associates. Then we go home and crash, so we can do it all again tomorrow.