Page 6
Author: Bella Andre
Ian Sullivan had the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen.
Why, she thought as she stared at him in helpless wonder, didn’t he smile more?
The realization that his happiness already mattered so much to her had her hands shaking slightly as she reached out to clink her glass against the others’.
Though Tatiana had become accustomed to often being the center of attention over the years as her roles got bigger and her fame grew, she was glad for a big group to temporarily disappear into while she worked to regain her equilibrium.
Of course, that was right when Max said, “I’d also like to raise a toast to Tatiana for joining our family tonight. ”
All eyes turned to her, and she wondered if she was as much an open book as she felt. Claudia, and likely Max, already knew how she felt about Ian. But could Mia, Dylan, and Adam see how breathless being around their brother made her?
“You’re always welcome here, Tatiana, and Claudia and I both hope you’ll consider ours to be your second home whenever you’re in Seattle. ”
“Thank you, Max. Thank you, Claudia. ” Her words thickened with gratitude for their welcome. “I’ve had such a wonderful time tonight. It really does feel like being home. ”
“Don’t forget, I’ve also got plenty of space at my place if you need it,” Dylan offered in his charmingly wicked way.
“Thanks for the offer,” she said, grinning right back. “Hopefully the owner of the condo I’m renting won’t suddenly up and decide to kick me out, but if she does, I’ll keep you in mind. ”
“At least let me take you out for a sail tomorrow. ”
She wasn’t all that great on moving things like boats and planes and trains, but during her years of traveling around the world for work, she’d learned how to tamp down her natural inclination toward motion sickness. “I’d love to go sailing with you, Dylan, but I’ve got to head to Los Angeles tomorrow morning for the weekend. ”
“What about Monday then?”
“She’s busy Monday. ”
Everyone turned to Ian in surprise—partly because he’d interrupted their conversation from out of the blue, but mostly because of his tone. One that could quite easily be described as possessive.
Extremely possessive.
Dylan asked, “You are?” at the exact moment she thought, I am?
Though they were surrounded by his family in the cozy living room, when Ian looked at her it felt to Tatiana as if they were the only two people in the world. “My first meeting on Monday is at seven a. m. The details will all be on the schedule my assistant will email you. ”
Dylan looked back and forth between the two of them with raised eyebrows before settling his questioning gaze on Tatiana. “Why are you going to be hanging out with Ian on Monday?”
“The character I’m playing in my next film inherits a really big company, and even though everyone is certain she’ll fail, she’s determined not to. Ian is so nice that he’s agreed to let me shadow him for a couple of weeks so that I can learn what it’s like to actually be a CEO. ” She knew her smile was likely too big, too happy, too giddy. Borderline goofy, even. But maybe if she didn’t worry about holding back her own smiles, it would help Ian realize he didn’t have to hold in his, either.
Dylan raised an eyebrow in his brother’s direction. “That is mighty nice of you, Ian, to let Tatiana spend two weeks with you. ”
Mia smacked her brother on the arm. “I think shadowing Ian in the office is an absolutely fabulous idea, Tatiana. Although, I swear that place feels like walking into the CIA sometimes. After you’re done with your stint at Sullivan Investments, you’ll have to fill us in on all his little secrets. ”
“Oh no, I would never do that,” Tatiana said with utter seriousness. “Whatever happens in his office will stay in his office. ” She hadn’t yet signed an NDA, but even without one, she would never break his confidence, business or otherwise, with anyone. Not even with his family.
Fortunately, Ian clearly had no intention of letting the conversation grow any more awkward, because he drained his glass, then rose and said, “Speaking of the office, I’m sorry to have to eat and run, but I’ve got a great deal of work to take care of tonight. ”
Like a finely oiled machine, all of the Sullivan children insisted their parents continue relaxing by the fire while they took their dishes into the kitchen. And even though she worked with rich, famous people all the time, Tatiana got a kick out of watching one of the world’s biggest rock stars wash dirty dishes, then hand them to a near-billionaire CEO so that he could dry them. Less than thirty minutes later, the six of them were done cleaning up the kitchen and dining room and had said their good-byes.
As they drove away, Tatiana spoke to Ian in a soft voice that only he could hear in the backseat with her. “Thank you for changing your mind about me shadowing you. I’m really excited about Monday. ”
She couldn’t see his expression in the darkness of Ford’s car, but she could feel the heat of his gaze as he turned to look at her. Instead of saying anything in response, he spoke to Ford. “I’d appreciate it if you’d pull over here to drop me off. ”
Mia turned all the way around in her seat as her fiancé pulled over to the side of the downtown Seattle street. “We’re a good dozen blocks from your building, Ian. ”
Regardless, a moment later, he was out on the curb. “Thanks for the ride. Good night. ”
“Gotta love my brother,” Mia said with a shrug as Ford pulled back into traffic. “He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known, but he’s not always easy to understand. Good luck shadowing him next week, Tatiana. I know you won’t be able to tell us what you learn, but I hope it turns out to be everything you need it to be. ”
Feeling like Ian had left holding her heart in his hands, Tatiana said, “I hope so, too. ”
CHAPTER FOUR
On Monday morning at six forty-five, Ian found Tatiana standing outside the locked front doors of his office building. He’d been certain that as a famous actress, she would not only be late to his early meeting, but she’d also use her tardiness as a way to make a grand entrance.
Yet again, he’d been wrong about her.
“You didn’t need to be here for another fifteen minutes. ”
She slipped the sunglasses she was wearing onto the top of her head as she turned toward him with a smile that wasn’t the least bit dimmed from yet another of his rather unwelcoming greetings. And though he’d assured himself he was prepared to see her today, just one look at her incredible beauty nearly took him to his knees on the pavement.
“Time is money on film sets. I assumed it would be the same for you. Plus,” she added with another grin that was a thousand times too adorable for his peace of mind, “I’ve found that being punctual means people will usually forgive me for everything else. ”
“Everything else?”
“I’m messy. Really messy. ” She said it without the slightest bit of regret or guilt. “Every time I think about cleaning up or organizing, there’s always something else I’d rather do. ”
Order was an integral part of Ian’s life. Messes drove him crazy.
No wonder Tatiana made him feel like he was losing it, one beautiful smile at a time.
If he’d been able to think straight, he would have gotten her inside the building before anyone noticed who she was, but because he couldn’t get his synapses to fire properly around her, several people stopped to do double takes. He quickly punched in the security code, but by the time the door opened, strangers were already lining up on the sidewalk to ask her for autographs and pictures.
Tatiana was gracious and friendly and didn’t seem the least bit disturbed by any of the attention, even from the guy who stood a little too close and didn’t ask for permission before putting his arm around her for the photo. Though he was related to several famous people, and his sister was now engaged to a ro
ck star, Ian had never been able to understand how any of them could accept the constant lack of privacy. At his first opportunity, he got her inside.
She was wearing a black coat that covered her from shoulder to ankle, and her hair was pulled up off her neck. Clearly, she’d intended to make herself as unexceptional as possible to passers-by, but she obviously didn’t realize that she’d have as much chance of that as she would trying to get the sun to stop rising every morning. Even weeks of rainy days couldn’t make you forget what it was like to feel the heat of it on your skin, or keep you from remembering the bright reflection of it on the open waters all around Seattle.
“Does it ever work?”
She stepped into the elevator beside him. “Does what ever work?”
“Your disguise. ”
She slipped out of her big coat and put her sunglasses in one of its pockets. “Very rarely,” she admitted. “Which is why, usually, I don’t even bother to try. But I didn’t want there to be any problems on my first day shadowing you, so I figured I’d at least give it a shot. Sorry about all that outside. I hope I didn’t make us late for your meeting. ”
Without her coat on, he could see that she’d also tried to dress for the office in such a way that she wouldn’t draw attention to herself in any of his meetings. Only, despite the blue blazer and slacks that were similar to what the other women in his office often wore, Ian was certain that no one would ever make the mistake of overlooking her. Not when she was an endlessly intriguing puzzle of innocence and pure sensuality, from the slight wave in the red-blond hair that was threatening to spill out of its pins, down to the tips of the heels she wore as if she’d been born walking on four-inch spikes.
Ruthlessly forcing away his attraction to her the same way he had all weekend long when she’d crept into his thoughts again and again, he said, “We’re not going to be late, but if we had been, it would have been my fault, not yours. I should have known to get you off the sidewalk as soon as possible. ”
“It was fine,” she said, as unconcerned with the potential ramifications of her fame now as she’d been outside. “I walked here from my condo, actually. It was really nice to see what downtown Seattle looks like before it wakes up for the day. ”
She’d walked here? Alone? “Shouldn’t you have a bodyguard with you?”
She made a dismissive sound. “No. ”
“Does Valentina know you’re walking around by yourself downtown? And that you’re letting strange guys put their hands on you for pictures?”
Her beautiful green eyes flashed beneath raised eyebrows. “I’m sure you taught Mia to watch out for herself. My sister taught me the same things. I’m rather attached to my freedom, but I’m not stupid about it, Ian. I’m careful, I promise. Plus,” she added with a grin, “I’ve taken some karate lessons, so if that guy had done anything weird, I would have knocked him flat with a punch to the solar plexus. ”
How many times was she going to surprise him? he asked himself as they got off the elevator, then headed for his office.
Of course, his lust-filled brain instantly twisted the question up as he wondered, would he be surprised by the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips? Would the taste of her lips against his tongue be as sweet as he imagined? And what would she sound like as she came apart beneath him? Whimpers? Gasps? Or would she be too breathless for either?
Business, damn it. He needed to keep his mind on business. “Do you have any questions about the schedule my assistant sent you?”
As she pulled a folder out of her bag, her scent played effortless havoc with his quickly diminishing self-control. “Just one. ” Holding up the three pages that detailed the next twelve hours of his life, she asked, “When do you get a moment to take a breath?”