Cinderella's Christmas Affair (3 page)

He’d created a legacy and he wanted to be able to pass it on to his own kids. But finding the right woman wasn’t easy. He wanted a woman who’d look up to him and need him.

Cathy Jane would have fit that bill, but he wasn’t sure CJ did. She’d changed. He remembered long curly brown hair that he’d always tried to accidentally touch. God, it had been incredibly soft. Her auburn tinted tresses had been tucked up today. Was her hair still that soft, he wondered.

Her eyes had thrown him as well. She’d always had the biggest brown eyes behind her horn-rims. She looked good with blue eyes and if he’d never known her as Cathy Jane he might even prefer the blue. But he had known Cathy Jane. Why had she felt the need to change so much?

A small leather wallet was lying on the end of the table. He’d give it to one of the secretaries on his way out. He picked it up and it opened. Staring up at him from a typical DMV photo was Catherine Jane Terrence.

He skimmed her address. Her condo was only a few blocks from his. All this time they’d practically been neighbors and never run into each other. Tad was honest enough to admit he wouldn’t have recognized her as his old childhood pal without hearing her name.

Whistling under his breath he left the conference room. A pretty brunette receptionist smiled up at him as he approached. He smiled back at her. “Can you direct me to Ms. Terrence’s office?”

She gestured toward the left. Bangles rattled on her wrist. “Down the hall, third door on the left.”

“Thank you.”

He paused outside her doorway. He could hear CJ talking to her secretary. It didn’t sound like CJ was having a great day. Frustration underlined each of her words. He was beginning to think that CJ worked too hard. It wasn’t even lunchtime—way too early to be stressed out.

He rapped on the door frame. Both women looked up. CJ’s secretary was a middle-aged woman with graying black hair and a few wrinkles. Both women wore identical expressions of frustration.

“Can I help you?” CJ asked.

“You left this in the conference room,” Tad said. Oh, yeah he was a smooth talker with the women. Why was it that Cathy Jane made him feel like he was on his first date?

“Oh, thanks. You could have left it up front.”

“Yes, I could have.” This was going to be harder than he thought. Why was CJ so damned determined to keep things all business between them? Probably because, at this point, there was only business between them. Yet when they’d shook hands earlier in the conference room he’d felt something pass between them that had nothing to do with ad campaigns.

“I have a few questions to ask about your presentation, can you spare me five minutes?”

“Sure. Rae-Anne, why don’t you go down the hall and ask Gina to show you around the office?”

Rae-Anne brushed past Tad muttering under her breath about bossy women and—while his Italian had never been good—he thought he heard her curse in that language.

“Your secretary is…different,” he said at last.

“She’s a temp. Today’s her first day and we’re still working out the kinks,” CJ said. She leaned against the desk, fiddling with the clasp on her wallet. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What questions did you have?”

He didn’t have any. He hadn’t had a chance to review her presentation but he hadn’t liked being dismissed. He’d learned a long time ago that the only way to achieve what he wanted was to take charge. He cleared his throat. “Just wanted to clarify a few details. We have an in-house production company for educational videos. We usually use them for our commercials as well.”

“Come into my office. I want to make some notes,” she said, leading him through the connecting door. Her office was a decent size with a large window overlooking Michigan Avenue. Her walls were decorated with awards and plaques of appreciation from companies.

The article Butch had referred to earlier was framed and hanging on the wall. CJ’s picture was cool and confident. She hardly resembled Cathy Jane—the girl he’d known. But even then he’d known she’d go on to do great things. She’d been smart and shy but very focused on getting out of Auburndale.

“That shouldn’t be a problem. When you make your decision, I’ll get a contact name from you and talk to the head of the department.”

“I’ll do that,” he said, leaning back in the leather guest chair. Her office was subtle and relaxing but also spoke of success. He felt a twinge of pride at how far she’d come from the girl she’d been. Despite the way things had ended between them, he’d always thought of her fondly.

“I can’t believe you own a sporting goods store,” she said.

“You’re not the only one. I started college prelaw.”

“You look sporty,” she said, then rolled her eyes.

He didn’t remember her being this funny. But then she’d always been so uncomfortable around him. His friends had teased him about spending so much time with a chubby brainiac. But deep down, he’d always liked Cathy Jane.

“Believe it or not, I am capable of intelligent conversation,” she said.

He smiled. She’d always been one of the smartest people he knew. “You’re the first person to call me sporty.”

“I know you were an athlete in high school. Is that how you got into the business?”

“During college I started to work out more and tried some things I’d always wanted to.”

“Like?”

“Mountain biking, rafting, some rock climbing.”

“Do you still do all that?” she asked.

He nodded. “I was in Moab, Utah last week.”

“You’ve changed so much,” she said.

“So have you, Cathy Jane.”

“I’m CJ, now, Tad. Some days it doesn’t seem I’ve changed all that much,” she said.

“Good. I always liked the girl you were.”

“Is that why you told your friends I paid you to spend time with me?”

Tad hardly remembered the boy he had been until she’d said those words. He’d been more concerned with how he looked to his friends in those days than hurting Cathy Jane’s feelings. Honestly, though he’d never known she’d overheard his remarks.

He was embarrassed by them now. No wonder she’d never talked to him after senior prom. “Hey, I was young and stupid.”

“Yeah, so was I,” she said.

“Does this mean you don’t have a crush on me anymore?” he asked, cursing himself for not keeping quiet. Because a crush was the only thing that had explained her behavior back then.

CJ sank back in her chair unsure what to say next. She knew she should have run when she first had a glimpse of Tad Randolph. But his warm gray-green eyes had convinced her to stay before he’d even recognized their past connection. And she’d never had good instincts when it came to men.

When they’d been in high school she’d idolized Tad. She’d spent hours writing his name in her notebooks and dreaming of them together. But now, as a mature woman she understood things that never would have entered her mind then—like relationships were complex and needed both people to be interested.

Though Tad’s comments had hurt, a part of her had needed to hear what he really thought of her. It had given her the courage to break free from the familiar and start over. College had taught her more lessons and Marcus had finished her education when he’d left.

Tad leaned forward in his chair. Bracing his elbows on his knees and watching her with an intensity that made her breathless. She shivered under the impact. What was he thinking?

“Tad…” She stood and paced to the window. How could she explain to him that maybe she’d needed to hear the truth about herself. That his comments, though hurtful at the time, had made her realize that she needed to be strong inside. She needed to get away from her comfort zone and try the things she’d always secretly dreamed of.

She heard him stand but didn’t turn. Maybe he was leaving. But then she felt his presence behind her. He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder.

“Sorry I said it that way,” he said. His hand slid down her back lingering at the curve of her waist.

His touch rattled her senses and for a minute she wasn’t sure what he’d said.

She wrinkled her nose, wishing again that Marcia still worked for her. Her old secretary would have interrupted by now and sent Tad on his way. “I hoped it wouldn’t come up.”

“I had no right to ask it,” he said.

“I guess you did. There’s no easy way to say this. I think I’d built you into someone you really weren’t,” she said.

“What kind of guy?” he asked.

“The kind that looked past the outer shell of who I was and saw me as something more,” she said. He’d been someone she could debate the merits of Voltaire versus Molière. He’d been someone who understood that sometimes it was easier to be smart than to socialize. He’d been a safe haven from the other popular boys who teased her endlessly.

He cupped her face and shivers of awareness spread down her body. He had always had that effect on her senses. The first time it had happened in the advanced biology lab she’d nearly freaked out. It still shook her.

“Would it help at all to know that I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth?”

“
Yeah, right.
You always did have a touch of the blarney in you.” It was nice of Tad to try to reassure her. Her reservations about men had started long before she’d met Tad and continued long after she’d left Auburndale.

He shrugged and let his hand drop. “I only wish I’d had the maturity to make that moment right.”

“Well, you were responsible for my leaving town and making the life I’ve made. So maybe I should thank you.”

“I knew you went to Northwestern. Was it what you expected?” he asked.

“No,” she said. But it had definitely helped her grow up and had cemented her decision to make her career her life.

“You’ll have to tell me about it,” he said. He crossed back to the guest chair.

“Now?” she asked, walking back to her desk. She wasn’t going to tell him a thing about that time in her life or Marcus Fielding.

He shook his head. “I have to get back to work.”

“Of course. You rattled me, Tad.”

“I know,” he said, wriggling his eyebrows. “I have a feeling not many do that, Miss Top Thirty.”

“You’ve got that right. Next time we meet I’m going to be on my toes.” Or at least give the impression she was. She knew herself well enough to know that Tad was always going to knock her a little off balance.

It didn’t seem fair that the one guy who had that ability should be the only thing standing between her and the realization of her career goals.

“I’d rather you weren’t,” he said.

She smoothed her skirt and cocked her head to one side. “That’s what all the men say.”

“Do they?” he asked.

“You know they do. Guys don’t like smart women,” she said, teasing him.

“Only dumb guys don’t like smart women,” he said with a cocky grin.

She’d forgotten what it was like to spar with a man. The men she’d dated lately tended to be as career focused as she was. “You never were dumb. Though, I may have to revise my opinion.”

“Why?” He took a step toward her.

Although she realized she never should have started this, she wouldn’t back down now. “You look like a jock.”

He tucked his hands into his pockets and canted his hips to one side. Her breath caught in her chest. His pose was blatantly masculine and unexpected. He sounded like her childhood friend but there was an aura of sexuality and macho self-confidence the Tad she’d known had never used around her.

“I own a sporting goods company. I am a jock.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” she said, trying to force him back into that comfortable mold he’d previously inhabited in her mind.

He raised one eyebrow at her in question and cocked his head at her.

“I’m trying to think of a way to put this delicately…”

“You don’t have to mince words with me,” he said, taking another step toward her.

She edged back stopping only when her desk blocked her retreat. “I’m just afraid that buff body of yours may have cost you a bit of the gray matter.”

“You think I’m buff, Cathy Jane?”

She blushed as she realized she did. It was never a good idea to fall into lust with your client. She cleared her throat. “Please don’t call me that.”

Taking his hands from his pockets, he ran one finger down the side of her face. “Why not?”

“Because I’m not that girl anymore,” she said.

He leaned closer to her. His minty breath brushing her face with each word he spoke. “You’re so much more than you used to be, Cathy Jane.”

Pivoting on his heel he walked out the door. CJ put her hand over her racing heart and knew she’d just met more than her match. She would have to avoid spending any time alone with him.

Saturday dawned bright and chilly. Tad left his condo and ran along the shore of Lake Michigan. CJ had been ducking his calls all week and frankly he was tired of it. He’d let her have her space but that was all about to end. He was a man of action and winning games was something he’d become accustomed to.

The rhythm of his exercise cleared his mind and soon he was analyzing Cathy Jane. He hadn’t realized she’d heard his comments to Bart all those years ago. He’d never meant for her to be hurt and he’d actually gone on to defend her. But guys like Bart never really understood women.

Tad realized he didn’t understand them either. Kylie had wanted a rich husband and Tad had worked his butt off to make his dreams of a sporting goods store come true. But Kylie hadn’t been satisfied with that. As he worked to build his business, she’d complained that she didn’t want a man who worked all the time.

What kind of a mate would CJ be? She was successful in her own right and wouldn’t need a man’s money to support her. But would she want a man to share her life?

He’d talked to his mom again this morning, casually mentioning that he’d run into Cathy Jane. His mom had asked about CJ and her sister Marnie.

“Nice girls, nice family,” his mom had said, and he knew what she’d meant. The kind of girl she wished he’d marry. He’d hung up without saying anymore to his mom about CJ. But she’d planted a seed in his head.

Would CJ be willing to marry him? They were both nearing thirty and their careers were on track.