Seducing the Boss (The Pulse Series) (14 page)

Then he’d spent one weekend with Sara, a woman he’d known his entire life, and now he wouldn’t go back to that miserable existence for all the money in the world.

He loved her. He was
in love
with her. And there was no way in hell he’d hurt her.

It was time to stop making excuses, time to open himself up to something good.

He just hoped to God that he hadn’t already screwed thing up beyond repair, because he wanted Sara back.

Forever.

Chapter Eleven

Kellan stood at the entry to the Garden Terrace ballroom of the Jericho Inn, taking a moment to soak in the surroundings. Sara couldn’t have found a more perfect setting for this evening. Two sides of the large room were floor to ceiling windows, while a series of French doors lined the far wall and led to the lush gardens beyond. Tall vases filled with white roses and lillies stood as centerpieces at each elegantly set table, while a large section of the glimmering hardwood floor had been left empty, inviting guests to dance.

The goal of tonight’s fundraiser was to raise money for the Fairmont Free Medical Clinic and it became instantly obvious how much time and effort Sara had put into making the event an overwhelming success. The place was packed, filled with some of the wealthiest and most influential people in Southampton.

Sara volunteered at the clinic and had served on the committee to plan this event. Keeping the clinic open and running, providing health care to those who couldn’t afford it, was a project very close to her heart. The woman was tireless when it came to giving to those less fortunate. And he loved her for it.

Loved her.

Once he’d let those words begin to sink in, they’d grown stronger. More powerful.

His stomach was twisted in knots, but he was determined to make things right tonight. He wasn’t going to spend one more night without her in his bed, his home, and his life.

Stepping into the room, he spotted Sara on the dance floor with Gabriel. She was smiling at the man, but something about her expression didn’t seem genuine. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Kellan could swear she didn’t look happy.

He surveyed the room. It was crowded. Josh and his latest girlfriend Raquel were there. Josh caught his eye and waved. Kellan returned the gesture, but made no move to join them. His gaze returned to Sara. The slow song had ended, and she was approaching a podium that had been set up near the French doors.

As she stepped up to the microphone, his chest tightened. She was so stunningly beautiful she took his breath away. Her hair was pinned in a fancy updo with thick tendrils hanging loose to curl along her slender neck. He imagined wrapping his fingers around the rich red mass and tightening his grip until her eyes drifted shut and she moaned hungrily.

He loved the way she responded to him in the bedroom, so openly, without pretense or restraint. They hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface of all the things he wanted to do to her. She had so much more to experience, and he wanted to be the one to teach her.

But more than that, he wanted her company, to revel in her mere presence. He wanted to stay in on the weekend, pop popcorn and watch movies with her. He wanted to sleep in on Sundays and fight over whose turn it was to make the coffee. He wanted to lie out by the pool and watch her pale, delicate skin turn pink, then kiss the soreness away on that place on the back of her neck that made her giggle then go soft in his arms.

Sara’s gown tonight was sexy in an elegant, understated way. It was made from a shimmery silver material that showcased the deep auburn tones in her hair. The deep V of the neckline dipped just low enough to give every man in the room a glimpse of her curves without being overtly revealing, and the floor-length skirt hugged her hips before flaring out slightly. The dress was made for her, accentuating every gorgeous inch of her body.

Kellan was suddenly sorry he’d thought about all the other male eyes on her right now. The wave of jealousy that coursed through him ran hot, and it took considerable restraint not to storm over to her and drag her out of the room. Jealousy was a new emotion for him, but now that he’d discovered it, he found it nearly impossible to control when it came to her.

Sara’s voice was warm and inviting as she spoke into the microphone. “I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to the Midsummer’s Night Gala. As you know, all the proceeds raised from tonight’s event will benefit the Fairmont Free Medical Clinic. The clinic has been operating in the Southampton area since 1998. But it wouldn’t exist if not for the generous donations from people like you.”

Sara spent the next few minutes describing what the clinic did and sharing some statistics about their clientele. She then told a touching story about one of their patients and how the clinic saved her life. Kellan hung on her every word, drawn in by her conviction, her determination to keep the clinic running so that even the poorest of people could receive the health care they deserved.

He’d seen that same fortitude in her eyes when she talked about the emergency room, about why it was vital that people receive not only fast care, but good care.

As she wrapped up her speech, she thanked the businesses and individuals who had donated the items that would be auctioned off during the course of the evening. Then she invited everyone to dance and enjoy the hors d’oeuvres.

When she left the podium, she returned to a table near the front, where Gabriel was waiting for her. Kellan’s fists clenched when the other man leaned close and kissed her. Once again, he noticed the way her cheeks didn’t flush with arousal the way they did whenever Kellan kissed her.

He didn’t want to ruin this night for her, but he was having a hard time keeping his distance. Now that he’d finally managed to open his freaking eyes and admit what he wanted, it was taking all the strength he possessed not to go for it. He’d come here determined to make things right, to apologize for the pain he had caused her and to beg for another chance.

Sara was angry with him after the way he’d left things at Score, and rightly so. He owed her a big apology, and he hoped she’d give him a chance to tell her what he should have said then. He’d practiced the words the entire way over here. Telling a woman he loved her wasn’t something he had much experience with. In fact, he hadn’t said those words since college—to Jenna—and as he looked back now, he realized what he’d thought was love then didn’t even begin to touch what he felt for Sara.

Glancing around at the packed room, he suddenly questioned the wisdom of coming clean to her about his feelings here. Sara didn’t care for scenes. And chances were good he was about to make a big one. His patience was in tatters, his hands were trembling, and the warmth of the room was starting to get to him.

Jesus. He was nervous. So much for Mr. Cool, Calm, and Collected.

Time to make a move. He’d congratulate her on the evening and keep things light and pleasant, try to feel her out and analyze exactly how pissed off she still was. From there, he’d figure out his next move. And try not to punch that smug smile off Gabriel’s face.

He spotted his opportunity when Gabriel excused himself. Kellan plucked two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and approached her.

“Sara.”

She glanced up in surprise, and he tried not to grin when her eyes traveled over his tux-clad figure. She wasn’t the only one who had taken special pains to look good tonight.

“Enjoying the view?” he teased.

She scowled, and he took a great deal of pleasure in the pink that tinged her cheeks. It wasn’t anger fueling the color. Thank God. Physical attraction was something he understood, something he could work with. “What are you doing here? I let you off the hook.”

He nodded toward the French doors that opened onto the patio and beyond that a large grassy area surrounded by gardens with several private paths. “Can I talk to you a minute? Outside.”

She sighed. “I’m here with Gabriel. I’m sure anything you need to say you can say right here.”

He shook his head. “Five minutes, Sara. That’s all I’m asking for.”

She glanced over her shoulder, and he followed her gaze to Gabriel. The man was deep in conversation with some colleague, another pediatric doctor Kellan recognized from the hospital.

“Kellan—” She was digging in her heels.

“Five minutes,” he repeated, before adding a “Please.” Then he headed toward the doors. He forced himself to face forward, praying that she was following.

He didn’t turn around until he reached the threshold, pleased to discover Sara standing next to him. She took one of the champagne flutes from him and threw it back, consuming the fizzy drink in one long gulp.

Kellan grinned and followed suit. Then he took the glass from her and placed it on a tray just inside the door. “Liquid courage?”

She glanced back at a still-oblivious Gabriel. “Something like that.”

He placed his hand on her lower back, enjoying the way she shivered slightly at his touch. He caught the scent of her floral perfume and had to fight down his own arousal.

The two of them walked to the edge of the patio. Sara stopped, but Kellan propelled her forward toward one of the secluded paths. The patio wasn’t as crowded as the ballroom, but there were several couples and groups enjoying the cool evening breeze.

Sara resisted his prodding for only a moment before allowing him to lead her along the dimly lit path. Once they were out of the hearing of the others, she stopped and turned to face him. “Five minutes.”

Her tone was hostile. Yep. He’d hurt her. And pissed her off.

“I wanted to apologize for the other evening. I let things end badly between us.”

She lifted her shoulder, and for the first time, he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She wasn’t sleeping any better than he was.

“You never lied about your intentions, Kellan. Never promised me anything more than sex. I know that you’re a professional at turning your emotions on and off like a faucet, but it’s harder for me.” Then she sighed, and her voice was calmer when she continued, “But we’ve been friends for too long to let this come between us. I get that. It’s just…you’re going to have to give me some time to find my way. I can’t flip right back to just friends. I’m not wired that way.”

“I don’t want to be just friends with you anymore, Sara.”

She laughed, the sound one of pure malice. “Oh, no. Don’t.” She raised her finger, pointing it at him furiously. “If you think for one second I would entertain the idea of being another one of your booty calls, you’re insane.”

What? Booty call?

“That’s not—”

Sara was on a roll. Clearly her anger had been building all week, and it exploded out of her now at what she had mistaken for yet another one of his sexual propositions. “You know what? I know exactly how to settle this, how to make this easy for you. I’m in love with you, Kellan. Completely, irrevocably in love.”

Kellan reached for her hands, determined to pull her into his arms, but she dodged too quickly.

He frowned. “Sara—”

“Sara?” Another male voice cut through the darkness. Gabriel had clearly caught a clue and realized he’d lost his date. Talk about shitty timing.

“I’m here,” she called out. “Give me a second.”

Kellan opened his mouth to speak, to tell her he loved her, but she was determined to have the last word.

“So there’s your cue to make a very hasty exit. God knows you don’t still want to sleep with a woman who has actual feelings for you. That would break all the Kellan James rules for an unencumbered, sex-on-demand lifestyle. I hope you and your hookups will be very happy together.”

She started down the path, encountering Gabriel on the way. The other man caught sight of him and frowned.

“Is everything okay?” Gabriel asked.

Sara nodded, without bothering to look back toward Kellan. “It is now. Come on. Let’s go inside.”

Kellan remained alone for several minutes. She loved him. And he loved her.

But she hadn’t given him a chance to tell her.

He didn’t blame her for her anger, or her belief that he was a shallow asshole who was only interested in one thing. God knew that was all he’d shown her these past two weeks.

So she’d gotten her say. Gotten the chance to tell him exactly what a jerk he’d been. He had deserved every word.

But now it was his turn. Because things weren’t going to end like that. He wasn’t going to let her walk around for another second without telling her exactly what she meant to him.

Which was everything.

Everything.

He returned to the ballroom intent on dragging her away from the table and upstairs to the hotel room he’d booked for the two of them. It would be an arrogant, ridiculous move, and Sara would rip him a new one for it, but dammit, how could she not see how much he loved her? He was crazy about her.

His mother would have rolled her eyes at his presumptuousness in booking the room, but Kellan hadn’t come here tonight to fail. Life without her wouldn’t be worth living, so he had to make her see, make her understand that she wasn’t alone in her feelings.

He’d entered this ballroom determined to win back the heart of the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

However, his plan was put on hold when he returned to find Sara standing next to the podium with one of the doctors from the free clinic. Dr. Rodriguez was serving as auctioneer while Sara handed him the items up for bid.

Kellan walked along the edge of the room, careful to remain out of Sara’s view. She probably expected him to leave in the face of her confession. What she failed to realize was how much her words had affected him. She loved him. He’d heard those words from women before, and they’d always been his cue to escape.

Hearing them from Sara had felt like a gift.

Standing in the back of the room, he watched only her as item after item was sold. The bids were going high, ensuring the fundraiser was a success. The clinic would benefit greatly from Sara’s efforts. She should be pleased, but there was no joy on her face. In fact, she looked as if she was fighting back tears. He hated thinking that he’d put them there.

When the final auction item came up for bid, she appeared to almost sigh with relief. The auction had gone on too fucking long, as Sara was forced to stand there thinking her love wasn’t returned. Kellan drummed his fingers against his leg impatiently, barely resisting the urge to walk up there and drag her away, to tell her that he was an idiot and a fool and he didn’t deserve her, but that he was going to beg her to take him anyway.