Daddy's Double Duty by Stella Bagwell Read Free Book Online Page B

teardrops dangling from her earlobes. Suddenly Conall was wondering how it would feel to thrust his fingers into her silky hair, to nibble on the perfect little shell of her ear.
    â€œI don’t know how to say this, Conall, without making you angry.”
    Trying to concentrate on her words instead of the erotic images in his mind, he asked, “What makes youthink I’ll be angry? I’ve not gotten angry with you yet, have I?”
    He would admit that he often got frustrated with business dealings and the roadblocks he encountered while dealing with the multitudes of details that went into managing a ranch the size of the Diamond D. But he’d never gotten upset with Vanessa. She’d always given more than a hundred percent to her job and he appreciated her effort.
    She reached for the pepper shaker and shook it vigorously over her salad. “Because you’re going to think I’m ungrateful. And I’m not. I’m actually very indebted to you for making this trip with me and…everything else you’ve taken care of. But I—”
    A faint smile curled up one corner of his mouth.
    â€œYou don’t want me telling you how to take care of the twins or what you might need in your personal life. Is that it?”
    She studied him for a long moment and then laughed softly under her breath. Conall likened the sound to sweet music.
    â€œThat’s about it,” she answered.
    Amused by her streak of independence, he finished stirring his tea. “In other words, while we’re on this trip I need to forget that I’m your boss and you’re my secretary.”
    The tip of her tongue came out to moisten her lips and Conall found himself gazing at the damp sheen it left behind. What would she taste like? he wondered. Honey? Wine? Or simply all woman? He certainly didn’t need to know. But he sure as hell wouldn’t mind making the effort to find out.
    She said, “Uh, well, I suppose that’s a way of putting it.”
    The smile on his face deepened and he realized with a start that he was flirting. Something he’d not done in years or, for that matter, even wanted to do.
    â€œGood,” he said.
    One of her winged brows shot upward. “Good? I thought you were a man who always wanted to be the boss.”
    Chuckling softly, he reached across the table and enfolded her small hand with his. “Not tonight. I’d rather just be a man having dinner with a beautiful woman. What do you think about that?”
    She grimaced, but he could see a faint swathe of pink rushing over her cheeks and her breasts rising and falling with each quick intake of breath. The notion that he was affecting her, even in this small way, was like a heady drink of wine to him, and in the far back of his mind, he wondered what was coming over him. Clearly he wasn’t himself. He’d not been himself since yesterday when he’d walked through the office and found Vanessa with tears on her cheeks.
    â€œI think there’s something about this town that makes people forget who and what they are. But I never thought you’d be the type to fall prey to its lure,” she said dryly. “The next thing I know you’ll be saying we should take a stroll down the strip and take in the lights.”
    â€œHmm. That’s a great idea. We’ll go as soon as we finish eating.”
    Â 
    Less than an hour later, after the two of them found a parking space and made their way to the busy sidewalks lining the city’s most famous boulevard, Vanessa was still wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. Spending time with Conall away from the office was somethingshe’d often dreamed about, but she was smart enough to realize it was risky business.
    In spite of what he’d said back at the restaurant, he was her boss and she depended on him for her livelihood. Allowing herself to think of him as anything more than the man who signed her paychecks would be like