Texas Temptation (Making a Family #1)

Chapter Seven

A week later, Jordan had almost forgotten the kiss. At least that was what she told herself endless times during the day whenever the memory of that night arose.

The first few days Caleb was home from the hospital were hectic. Mindful of her obligation, she took an hour or two each day to check the mail. The office phone was switched to ring in the house and she took messages from there. Cade spent the week in Dallas, not even returning home in the evenings.

She wondered if he deliberately stayed away, but found it unlikely. He did what he wanted and wouldn’t have been upset by her flight that night. She was the one who wished she’d handled things differently, with more sophistication.

She’d been a wildly willing participant in that kiss. Why wouldn’t he think she’d be open to more? Especially considering what he knew of her history.

But the defection of Caleb’s father had hurt her too much. She was a coward, totally afraid to risk her heart again. Especially with a man who had buried his own heart with his wife and child.

Jordan finally put in a full day in the office, filing letters and reports, answering the phone, receiving reports from Cade’s far-flung empire. She was growing adept at office work and liked it. Maybe she’d try for a desk job when she returned to Florida instead of working at the Shack.

Just before four, she heard a familiar engine in the driveway. She rose and hurried to the window in anticipation. Cade had returned. Jordan watched as he walked into the house, with not even a glance toward the office.

She sighed softly, knowing her decision to flee the other night had been wise, but wishing things were different. Wishing she could make Cade remember what it was to embrace life to the fullest, to enjoy the companionship of another, to plan for a future together. To love.

She blinked and drew in a sharp breath.

She was not in love with her boss.

Delaying as long as she could, Jordan stretched out her final tasks, not wanting to appear eager to see Cade, merely because she hadn’t seen him in days. She had spoken briefly to him on the phone—it wasn’t enough.

Finally, at close to five, she shut off the computer, turned on the answering machine and headed for the house. She’d check on Caleb, change for dinner, and try to contain her impatience until she saw Cade again.

It wasn’t necessary. As soon as she approached Caleb’s room, she could hear the deep rumble of Cade’s voice.

“So how come you don’t have a little girl anymore?” Caleb asked.

Jordan quickened her step. She hoped Cade wouldn’t blast her son with some scathing answer. Caleb was just a little boy.

She couldn’t hear the words, but the tone was quiet. Pausing at the doorway, she surveyed the scene before her. Amelia was sitting in the rocker next to Caleb’s bed. Cade was perched on the edge, with what looked like an entire army of action heroes spread out on the bed around Caleb.

“…accident.”

“Wasn’t she wearing her seat belt?” Caleb asked, his one visible eye wide as he stared at Cade.

“Yes, both she and her mother were wearing their seat belts. But the crash was too severe. It wasn’t enough to save them.”

Amelia had tears in her eyes. Jordan swallowed, wondering how they had arrived at this conversation. She ached for the sorrow in Cade’s voice, for the tears Amelia shed, and for the tragic loss of a young life.

“Maybe I could be your new little boy. Then you wouldn’t be so lonely,” Caleb said.

“Caleb.”

Jordan stepped inside. Time to nip that kind of thinking in the bud.

“Hi Mommy. Did you know Cade had a little girl, but she died?”

“I knew. It’s sad, isn’t it?”

Cade rose and turned.

She nodded in greeting. “I didn’t know to expect you back today.”

“Change of plans. I have to go to LA. I want you to come with me.”

He gave no hint of the passion they’d shared, of the heat and excitement of his kiss. He was her boss, merely reacting to business needs.

“Go with you? I can’t. I have Caleb.”

“Whom Amelia and Rosita dote on and care for as if he were their own. No harm will come to the boy.”

“I’ve never really been away from Caleb.”

She looked at her son, her heart swelling in love. The bandages were due to be removed next week. The prognosis was outstanding. She knew Amelia and Rosita loved watching him. Even so, it was a lot to ask of a mother who had never spent the night away from him before his hospital stay.

“A couple of days at most. He’ll be fine.”

“Now dear, don’t worry about Caleb. We’ll watch him like he was our own,” Amelia said, rising and brushing down the flowing skirt of her soft peach dress. Her white hair was neat even after a day of watching a mischievous four-year-old. She smiled at Caleb.

“We’ll have fun while your mom is away, won’t we?”

“Where are you going?”

A hint of panic touched her son's voice.

“On a business trip to Los Angeles,” Cade said, his gaze never leaving Jordan. “I’ll tell you what, Caleb. If you’re good, I’ll have Joe bring in one dog so you can see him while we’re gone?”

“Every day?”

Jordan hid a smile and felt a small pang. Her son was not above negotiating. She wasn’t sure how to feel knowing a dog would make up for her being gone.

“Every day.”

“Okay. Bring me back a present,” he loftily commanded his mother.

“We’ll see. Nothing’s been decided,” she said.

“I know it’s short notice. Penny always keeps a suitcase packed for just such sudden trips. Can you be ready by morning?” Cade asked.

Jordan shook her head.

“I don’t have any clothes that would be appropriate. All I brought were jeans and shorts—and only enough for a few days. I didn’t know at the time I’d be here so long.”

It seemed another lifetime that she’d arrived and been so disappointed not to find Caleb’s father. Now she had a difficult time even remembering what he looked like or what appeal he’d had for her five years ago.

“You can pick up some things once we get there. I booked us on the nine am. flight. We have reservations for a suite at the Innsbrook on Wilshire Boulevard. With any luck, we’ll finish in two days and home that night.”

Jordan had a hard time concentrating on anything after the word suite. It conjured up memories of the last suite they shared—with Amelia. Only this time, it would be only the two of them. When she realized Cade and Amelia were both looking at her oddly, she nodded.

“Fine. I’ll be ready first thing tomorrow.”

Afraid to give away her thoughts, she turned to head for her room with a murmured “see you in a bit” for Caleb.

Cade stopped her before she reached the door.

“Jordan?”

She stopped, turned. He came closer until she breathed in the scent of his aftershave mingled with the masculine scent that was Cade’s own. Heat from his body enveloped her and she tried desperately to remember he was her boss, nothing more.

“You are not worried about traveling with me, are you?” he asked.

“Should I be?”

Her heart was pounding. She hoped he couldn’t tell. Feeling much like a schoolgirl with a first crush, she tried to compose her thoughts and her features to hide any sign. How embarrassing for both of them if Cade ever suspected how she felt about him.

“No. I had Jasmine reserve a suite for convenience. You’ll have your privacy and I’ll have mine. But if I need work done late at night, then it would be better for both of us to be readily available.”

“I understand.”

She waited a moment, but he said nothing further.

“I’ll see you at dinner,” she said and escaped into the bedroom.

Leaning against the door, she rested her head on the wooden panels. He’d have his room, and she’d have hers, but they’d still be close. As close as they were in this house, but with no one else around who knew them.

Maybe she should make up an excuse and stay here.

But the thought of traveling with Cade, of seeing him in action, was too tantalizing. It wouldn’t be long now before Penny would be back. Then Jordan’s time in Texas would be up and she and Caleb would have to head back to Florida. Surely she could handle a few days in Los Angeles.

Cade stared at the closed door, feeling like an idiot. He didn’t have to explain why he’d booked a suite. Once there, she’d have seen the obvious advantages of working together. Not that he and Penny shared a suite when they traveled. But they had worked together for many years, so fell into a pattern.

Jordan was new to office work. She might have a question or something.

Yeah, right, he scoffed as he headed back downstairs and out to the office.

Truth be told, he didn’t really need Jordan to accompany him. He could have made do with the clerical staff in the LA office. But he wanted her to go. Wanted to, what, show her off?

He stopped inside the office, staring at her desk, struck by the idea. Show her off? To whom? People who worked for him? Friends?

And to what purpose? Penny would be back soon, and Jordan’s reason for being in Texas would vanish. How soon would she pack and leave?

Frowning at the mere idea, Cade continued into his office and reached for the messages piled up at his desk.

Jordan had never flown before, so she had nothing to compare with their flight to the coast. But the wide, comfortable seats were a delight. Of course, Cade only traveled first-class. She felt woefully under dressed in her faded jeans and yellow top. Most of the passengers in first class were obviously businessmen and women wearing dress-for-success suits and carrying laptops and leather briefcases.

She should have refused to travel, she thought as she slid down in her seat, glad she was by the window. Gazing out the small opening, she tried to imagine herself somewhere else. She hoped no one was looking at her, wondering what she was doing on board.

“You’re not feeling sick, are you?” Cade asked.

She shook her head, her gaze fixed on the men loading baggage into the plane.

“Did you bring something to read?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“What did you expect to do on the flight?”

She looked at Cade.

“I don’t know. What do you usually do?”

“Work.”

“You work all the time.”

“It gets me through the day,” he said.

“So tell me what’s so important about the Los Angeles situation you have to go there in person,” she invited.

Cade hesitated only a moment, then, as if assured of her interest, explained the personnel and production crisis that he wanted to change. Soon he began explaining the entire operation to her.

Jordan was fascinated. She’d picked up bits and pieces as she’d worked for him, but to have him explain the connections and the relationship of the people she’d spoken with, it became clear he ran a complex business consortium, and ran it well.

“And the ranch, that’s such a small part of everything.”

“It’s been my family’s home for several generations, but I never wanted to be a full-time rancher. I enjoy participating in the branding, the roundup, and directing how we’re going to rotate fields, which bull to try next, but my heart isn’t in it completely. Not like my father’s.”

“That’s so sad.”

“What is?”

“To think it’s been in your family for so long and after you, there’s no one.”

He looked startled, then pensive.

“Not in the direct line, but I have cousins. My grandparents are their grandparents and great-grandparents who owned the land, too. They’re family.”

She nodded in agreement, afraid she’d spoken out of turn. The love he had for his home shone through when he spoke of it. It might rival his love for business, but nothing would dislodge it. How sad to have no children to leave the legacy to. No one to share in the love of the land that had been part of their family for generations.

They were more than halfway to LA when he turned the tables and asked her about her life in Florida.

Jordan wasn’t sure how much he really wanted to know, so glossed over many things, telling him about working at Joe’s Fish Tacos, and about Caleb’s love for the ocean.

“Your friend Julie’s name comes up frequently, when you talk,” Cade commented at one point. “But no man’s. Do you have a special male friend? Or are you still waiting for Caleb’s father?”

Jordan shook her head.

“No time nor inclination for men—new or old.”

“Why not? You’re young and pretty. I’d think the young men in South Beach would flock around.”

“I’ve never had a flock,” she replied quietly. “And dating a single mother isn’t as glamorous as dating a swinging single with no attachments in a beach town.”

“Their loss.”

She smiled, warmed by the comment. For several seconds, her eyes locked with his. In another time, another place, would they have found they had anything in common? Would the attraction she felt flare whenever he was around grow into something shared by both of them? Should she even mention she no longer thought of Caleb’s father except to let him know he had a son? Why would Cade care?

Wishful thinking. She’d tried happy-ever-after with the man she had once known as Cade Cullen Everett. He was nothing like the real thing. She didn’t know who he had been, or where he was now, but she was grateful she’d had the chance to meet Cade.

“We’ll go shopping when we reach LA Rodeo Drive has some nice stores.”

“Rodeo Drive.”

Even she had heard of the ritzy, trendy thoroughfare renowned through the world for expensive luxuries.

“I think a more traditional department store would suit better,” she said.

“Since the need for clothes is business related, the company will pick up the tab,” Cade said casually.

“I can’t let you buy my clothes. You’ve already done so much with Caleb.”

“Don’t argue, Jordan. It’s a business related expense, all right? You wouldn’t need anything if you weren’t helping me with the work here. I don’t care to discuss the matter any more.”

Several hours later, when they finally checked into the Innsbrook Hotel, Jordan was tired, hungry and secretly elated with the selections she’d chosen. The suit would be perfect for job interviews, if she followed through when she returned to Florida. There were three separate tops to wear with it, two in cream and one in flaming red.

And the dress Cade had insisted she needed for the dinner meeting planned was daring and darling. She’d never owned anything so glamorous, yet the salesclerk continued to call it a subdued little black dress that would go from work to date with a few accessories, which she then sold as a package complete with shoes.

“I’ll order a snack for us from room service while you change,” Cade said when they entered the lavish suite. “As soon as we’re done, we’ll head for the office—before the traffic gets any worse.”

“The traffic could get worse?”

“When it’s rush hour, they open the shoulders as another lane and it’s still backed up for miles in every direction. Wear the suit tomorrow. We’ll be having dinner with the Wilsons and the Turners. We’ll probably work through dinner tonight, order something to be delivered to the office.”

Jordan took her time dressing, wanting to make sure she looked the part of a competent personal assistant to Cade Everett. When she stepped from her room into the sitting area, she felt more sophisticated than ever before.

Cade frowned when he looked at her.

“Doesn’t it suit me?” she asked.

“You look remote, older. Not like at home.”

“I’m your efficient, competent secretary. How will people respect that if I look like a kid wearing jeans?” she countered.

Amusement lit his eyes.

“Efficient and competent, huh?”

She flushed. “Well, I want to look the part, at least.”

“You’ve done well, especially for someone without a secretarial background. Come have something to eat. I want to leave soon.”

The rest of the day passed in a whirl. Jordan met the key players at the Los Angeles office. While there were some brief comments made about Penny’s absence, she’d already talked to most of the staff on the phone, so they knew to expect her. She didn’t try to do more than she knew how. The others respected her for it and were more than helpful.

Cade was in his element. She watched, fascinated, as he took control, without blatantly stepping on toes. There was no question the other men respected his business savvy and took their direction from him.

When they talked about multi-million dollar mistakes, her eyes widened. Focusing on the notebook and notes she was taking for Cade, she tried to adjust her thinking. The man was far wealthier than she’d suspected if this was merely one portion of the many companies he directed. No wonder funding Caleb’s operation hadn’t been a hardship for him.

She still planned to repay him, but more from her own sense of honor than any need for money on his part.

Jordan fell asleep immediately after her head hit the pillow later that night. The day had started early in Texas and ended late in California. Did he keep up such a hectic pace normally?

She gave no thought to Cade, only a room away. Grateful for the break, she slept through the night without interruption.

Cade checked his watch once again. It was after seven and he had not heard a single sound from Jordan’s room. Their breakfast would arrive soon.

He walked to the window and drew open the drapes. LA was on the move, cars and buses crowding the streets, the high morning fog from the sea mere wisps of gray against a pale blue sky.

He walked to her door and listened. Nothing. Knocking softly, he waited. Had she wakened earlier and gone out for a walk?

Cade turned the knob and pushed the door open slightly, peering into Jordan’s room. She was still fast asleep, on her side, her face resting on one hand like a child.

Stepping in, he watched her sleep for several seconds. She looked younger, more like the Jordan he’d come to know over the last few weeks than the woman who had worn the trappings of a corporate employee yesterday.

That had startled him. He never noticed what Penny wore. She was always suitably turned out for whatever meeting or social event they attended. Yet on Jordan, it had looked artificial.

He liked the way she normally looked, he realized. Like now, her skin flushed from sleep, her hair in disarray around her head. The soft rise and fall of her breasts as she slept drew his eyes.

Desire hit him like a powerful punch. He wanted her as he had wanted no one in a long time. Maybe ever. She was a pretty woman, but not beautiful. She seemed so innocent despite having a child and working on her own for several years. Maybe it was because of the hardships she’d survived that he admired her so much.

Or because of her cheerful attitude despite difficulties that would overwhelm another person.

He enjoyed having her in his life, he realized. Even Caleb was growing on him, despite his vow to remain apart from potentially hurtful situations.

“Jordan?” he called softly.

She didn’t stir. Cade noted it for future reference—Jordan slept deeply and wasn’t easy to awaken.

“Jordan?”

His voice louder, he entered her room and crossed to the bed. Hesitating only a moment, he placed his hand on her shoulder, registering instantly the warmth of her soft skin, the silky texture. Shaking her gently, he left his hand there, absorbing the feel of her against his palm.

“Jordan, it’s time to get up. We have a lot to do today.”

Her eyes came open slowly. For a moment, he recognized her confusion. Then she met his gaze and looked startled. Reluctantly, Cade removed his hand, wishing he could come up with a reason not to.

“How late is it?”

She sat up. Suddenly aware of the barely there nightie she wore, she pulled the sheet up to her chin.

“It’s after seven. Breakfast will be here any minute and I want to leave by eight.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Cade strode from the room without a backward glance. He dare not risk further perusal of his lovely temporary secretary. The wispy nightie surprised him, though if he thought about it he couldn’t say exactly why. Probably since she normally wore jeans and cotton shirts, he had expected her nightwear to be plain and practical.

She constantly surprised him. He expected her to make a play for him, but she remained aloof, unless he counted the kisses they’d shared. There had been nothing aloof about her response.

Was she playing a deep game or was she inexperienced?

Not totally, of course. She had a son after all. But there was an innocence around her that contrasted to her tough I-can-do-it-myself act. She had done well helping him out. She was devoted to her son.

And she fit in with Amelia. Even his own cousins had difficulty dealing with their aunt sometimes. But Jordan and Caleb loved being in her company.

Cade crossed to the window and gazed out over the LA landscape, mostly high-rises and freeways. He’d be glad to get back home once the situation here was wrapped up. Would Jordan?

For a moment, he toyed with the idea of offering Jordan a job that would keep her in Tumbleweed. She and Caleb had friends in Florida, but no relatives. They could easily relocate to Texas. Caleb would grow up with horses and dogs, which all boys should be able to do.

She was touchy, however. He couldn’t just make up something to hold her. It would have to be a legitimate job that didn’t question her independence or smack of charity.

Room service delivered their breakfast just as Jordan emerged from her bedroom. They ate quickly and headed for the offices.

“Did you get all the notes from yesterday’s meeting typed?” Cade asked as their cab moved sluggishly through the rush-hour traffic.

“I did them on one of the computers and they were to be printed by Jason’s secretary first thing, so you’ll have them once we arrive.”

“Any problems?”

“None.”

He glanced at her, noting how the suit skirt had ridden up a bit, showing more of her tanned legs than he suspected she knew. Cade grew uncomfortable, realizing that he wanted to reach out and run his fingertips along that smooth skin, feel the satiny softness, revel in the sweet texture he was sure to find.

Taking a deep breath, he looked out of the window on his side of the taxi, deliberately turning his thoughts to work and the muddle the LA office seemed to be in. But Jordan’s scent tantalized, and her leaning forward from time to time to better see something had him constantly aware of her.

Maybe bringing her had been a mistake, but he’d wanted her with him. Not analyzing that closely, Cade was relieved to see the office building come into view. Work was always the answer.