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Authors: Adele Downs
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everything except wanting her.
Damn. He’d done it again. He’d fallen for a woman inextricably tied to Jimmy Van Orr.
He had gone insane.
With his hand on the doorknob, Steve turned to look back at Victoria. He’d leave town for a few days and check in later with Beverly. It would be better for everyone if he kept his distance.
Victoria looked up and met his eyes before holding out an antique bisque baby doll to her customer. While the older woman inspected the merchandise, Victoria offered him a thin smile, as if she’d read the remorse on his face. She didn’t seem flustered or upset, but didn’t look particularly happy, either. He couldn’t be sure how to read her.
That’s what happened when you kissed a woman you barely knew.
Or married one.
He nodded to Victoria and bolted from the shop.
*****
One week later, in her consignment area of the store, Victoria checked her tablet for email. The message she’d been waiting for had arrived and she silently cheered her success. During her first attempt at Internet commerce, twenty items belonging to the Van Orr estate had sold to a museum in Virginia.
She headed to Steve’s office to share the news. His door was open and she found him sitting behind his desk, paying bills. “I made a big sale to a private museum,” she said.
“Hmmm.” He didn’t look up.
The tension between them had been thick as wet wool since their kiss the week before, and she was sure he’d been avoiding her since his return trip from…wherever. According to Beverly, he’d gone to estate sales in New England.
Fled was clearly a better description.
“It’s okay. No need to cheer or pat me on the back. I’ll be happy enough for both of us.”
Steve lifted his gaze to hers, and the sparkle inside his gorgeous blue eyes faded. A pulse throbbed at his temple. He picked up a pen and bounced it between his fingers on the desktop. “Sorry.”
“I can talk to you about this later, if you’re busy,” she said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No—it’s better that we talk.” He shifted in his seat. “We should have talked before this.”
Cold dread crept along her spine as she waited for him to continue. She needed this sales arrangement with the Carlsons and feared he was about to sever ties. She’d royally screwed up by letting her attraction to him become a disruption. It irked her that she’d started looking forward to coming to work for reasons other than selling off the estate.
Steve said, “I feel terrible about what happened between us. You know—when we got wedged behind the counter.” He looked down and talked intently to the pen in his hand. “I had no right. You looked so—” He shook his head. “Your husband was a good friend. I never should have—” His voice lowered an octave, and she could barely hear the end of his sentence. “—kissed you like that.”
Steve looked up again and his eyes reflected misery and self-loathing. “I’m a disaster when it comes to women. Ask Jimmy. That’s about the only thing he and I agree on. Beverly thinks so, too. Over the years I’ve found that Beverly is usually right.”
The muscles in Victoria’s neck and back relaxed. He wasn’t backing out of their deal. “Please…don’t say anymore.” She didn’t dare tell him she’d enjoyed the kiss. Encouraging him would only make matters worse. It was better to keep their distance and stay focused on their business arrangement. “I won’t sue you for sexual harassment, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He groaned. “That, too. But I feel like a dog. I don’t want you to think you’ll be man-handled while you’re here.”
His man-handling had made something inside her roar to life, but she’d shut the sensations down before she lost control. She’d spent most of her life learning control as a means of survival.
“Will you accept my apology?”
She smiled with as much reassurance as she could muster. “Of course.” But that
Damn. He’d done it again. He’d fallen for a woman inextricably tied to Jimmy Van Orr.
He had gone insane.
With his hand on the doorknob, Steve turned to look back at Victoria. He’d leave town for a few days and check in later with Beverly. It would be better for everyone if he kept his distance.
Victoria looked up and met his eyes before holding out an antique bisque baby doll to her customer. While the older woman inspected the merchandise, Victoria offered him a thin smile, as if she’d read the remorse on his face. She didn’t seem flustered or upset, but didn’t look particularly happy, either. He couldn’t be sure how to read her.
That’s what happened when you kissed a woman you barely knew.
Or married one.
He nodded to Victoria and bolted from the shop.
*****
One week later, in her consignment area of the store, Victoria checked her tablet for email. The message she’d been waiting for had arrived and she silently cheered her success. During her first attempt at Internet commerce, twenty items belonging to the Van Orr estate had sold to a museum in Virginia.
She headed to Steve’s office to share the news. His door was open and she found him sitting behind his desk, paying bills. “I made a big sale to a private museum,” she said.
“Hmmm.” He didn’t look up.
The tension between them had been thick as wet wool since their kiss the week before, and she was sure he’d been avoiding her since his return trip from…wherever. According to Beverly, he’d gone to estate sales in New England.
Fled was clearly a better description.
“It’s okay. No need to cheer or pat me on the back. I’ll be happy enough for both of us.”
Steve lifted his gaze to hers, and the sparkle inside his gorgeous blue eyes faded. A pulse throbbed at his temple. He picked up a pen and bounced it between his fingers on the desktop. “Sorry.”
“I can talk to you about this later, if you’re busy,” she said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No—it’s better that we talk.” He shifted in his seat. “We should have talked before this.”
Cold dread crept along her spine as she waited for him to continue. She needed this sales arrangement with the Carlsons and feared he was about to sever ties. She’d royally screwed up by letting her attraction to him become a disruption. It irked her that she’d started looking forward to coming to work for reasons other than selling off the estate.
Steve said, “I feel terrible about what happened between us. You know—when we got wedged behind the counter.” He looked down and talked intently to the pen in his hand. “I had no right. You looked so—” He shook his head. “Your husband was a good friend. I never should have—” His voice lowered an octave, and she could barely hear the end of his sentence. “—kissed you like that.”
Steve looked up again and his eyes reflected misery and self-loathing. “I’m a disaster when it comes to women. Ask Jimmy. That’s about the only thing he and I agree on. Beverly thinks so, too. Over the years I’ve found that Beverly is usually right.”
The muscles in Victoria’s neck and back relaxed. He wasn’t backing out of their deal. “Please…don’t say anymore.” She didn’t dare tell him she’d enjoyed the kiss. Encouraging him would only make matters worse. It was better to keep their distance and stay focused on their business arrangement. “I won’t sue you for sexual harassment, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He groaned. “That, too. But I feel like a dog. I don’t want you to think you’ll be man-handled while you’re here.”
His man-handling had made something inside her roar to life, but she’d shut the sensations down before she lost control. She’d spent most of her life learning control as a means of survival.
“Will you accept my apology?”
She smiled with as much reassurance as she could muster. “Of course.” But that
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