The Perfect Proposal Read online

  It was the other that frightened her—being attracted to Mitch in an intellectual or emotional way. She hadn’t felt that kind of connection in…

  Never. Annie suddenly realized that was all the more reason to keep her perspective. Winning this account and securing the CEO position at Hightower Advertising were her main focus. She couldn’t let anything as silly as lusting after Mitch interfere.

  Using a wrinkled toe, Annie nudged the stopper out of the drain and reluctantly prepared to exit the tub. For a moment, she slid down, relaxed against the back of the tub and imagined that her problems were slipping down the drain one by one. She wasn’t in Texas with Mitch. She wasn’t competing for a job. She wasn’t…able to get out, Annie realized as she pushed herself up and turned sideways, sending water rushing over the side.

  Because her foot had gone to sleep.

  “Oh, damn,” Annie murmured, twisting her foot this way and that, trying to get the feeling back in her appendage.

  A knock sounded at the door. “Annie, soup’s on.”

  Annie stilled. “O-okay, Mitch. I’ll, uh, be out in a minute.”

  Silence. Then, “Is everything all right in there? I heard splashing.”

  Momentarily sidetracked from her present predicament, Annie scowled. What was he doing, standing right there listening to her bathe? “Everything’s fine, Mitch. I, uh, make a lot of noise when I take a bath,” she improvised. “Go away.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure, dammit!” she snapped. “Now go away!”

  She accidentally banged her deadened foot against the side of the tub and swore hotly.

  “What was that?” Mitch asked suspiciously.

  Annie’s gaze swung to the door. Hadn’t she told him to go away? “Nothing. Go away,” she ground out, desperate for him to leave.

  “That’s not nothing,” Mitch told her. “Something’s wrong. You’ve been in there for over an hour.”

  “Mitch,” Annie growled. “I’m warning you. Go away.”

  “I’m coming in,” he told her.

  “No!”

  Suddenly the door opened and Mitch stood on the threshold.

  Annie’s hands flew to her breasts, sending a cloud of bubbles through the air. “Get out!”

  Mitch eyed her curiously. “What’s wrong with you?”

  Now her mortification was complete, Annie thought resignedly. It wasn’t enough that he’d seen her in her birthday suit this morning, now he had to witness this embarrassment as well. At least the bubbles covered everything personal.

  “Because I can’t get up,” she snapped.

  “You can’t get up?”

  Was there an echo in here? “That’s right. My foot’s gone to sleep.”

  His lips twitched.

  “Don’t you dare laugh, Mitch,” Annie warned. “I mean it. This isn’t funny. I’m getting cold.”

  His gaze dropped to her breasts, hidden beneath the bubbles, and gave his head a lamentable shake. “I wish I could tell.”

  Seething with fury and embarrassment, Annie narrowed her eyes and gave him a withering look. “If you aren’t going to help me, then get out!”

  Mitch crossed his arms over his impressive chest and rocked back on his heels. A smug look adorned his irritatingly handsome face. “That’s funny,” he said. “I don’t recall you asking for my help.”

  Did he expect her to beg? Huh! Not in this life. She’d lie here until every bubble evaporated. Which, Annie realized suddenly, wouldn’t be very long. Her frothy covering seemed to be thinning at an alarming rate. “That’s because I didn’t,” she said archly. “Forgive me, I mistook you for a gentleman.”

  A corner of his mouth hitched up into a sexy grin and he gave her a long, lingering look that should have melted every iridescent bubble on her body. “Believe me, Annie. Were I not a gentleman, you wouldn’t be alone in that tub.” He shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint you, honey, but just knowing that the only thing that stands between you and me is a few feet and a bodysuit of bubbles is making me react like a …well, like a man. In another minute, it’s going to be damned difficult for me to assist you. Now’s the time to make up your mind. Do you want my help or not?”

  “Y-yes,” Annie stammered, struggling to slow her erratic pulse. She certainly hadn’t expected that declaration.

  He smiled. “Good. Glad we got that all straightened out.”

  Mitch crossed to the tub and stood behind her. His scent, a clean woodsy fragrance she imagined was mostly him and not some store bought cologne, was too delicious not to notice.

  “Lift your arms so that I can, uh, pull you up.” If she lifted her arms, she’d have to let go of her breasts and Annie wasn’t quite prepared to do that. Still, she had no choice. Reluctantly, she raised her elbows from her sides to allow him access.

  Mitch’s warm hands were suddenly under her arms, gently tugging her upwards toward freedom. His thumb brushed the side of her breast, and tingle coursed through her, making her breath stop momentarily. He carefully helped her out of the tub and set her firmly on the bath mat.

  “Thank you,” she managed, uncomfortably aware of her nakedness...and her reaction to his proximity. “You can let me go now.”

  “I could.”

  His voice rumbled low next to her ear. His warm breath fanned across her neck, and more than anything, Annie had the overwhelming urge to turn and press her lips to his. Almost as much as she needed her next breath. She’d never felt this kind of pull, this kind of magnetism and as much as it intrigued and lured her, it also frightened her.

  She did turn then. Her gaze tangled with his. The teasing glint that normally lit his eyes was gone, replaced by an intense longing she not only understood but felt herself.

  “Mitch, I don’t think…”

  “Good,” he murmured. “I don’t think either. At last we agree on something.” He smiled then and lowered his head to hers. His taste, his scent, his very essence exploded on her tongue, leaving an undeniable impression of something she could undoubtedly acquire a craving for.

  The last notion Annie entertained before her thoughts completely fragmented was how utterly pleasant it was not to think.

  Chapter Seven

  Unfortunately, the moment didn’t last very long. The phone rang, startling Annie from her passion-induced idiocy. Mortified by her wanton, reckless behavior, she jerked away from Mitch and grabbed a towel.

  “That was a mistake,” she breathed raggedly.

  “But —”

  “But nothing,” Annie interrupted a seemingly baffled Mitch. Her cheeks scalding, she hastily wrapped the towel around herself. What was the matter with her? Why couldn’t she control herself around this man? “Look, Mitch, as soon as I’m dressed we’re going to have to talk about—” She motioned her arms wildly between them. “—this. I can’t deal with this. Not right now.”

  On that note, Annie pivoted sharply and headed for the door, intent on making a quick, but dignified escape.

  And she would have, had it not been for the puddle of sudsy water in her immediate path. Annie’s feet flew out from underneath her and, with the resounding smack of bare flesh hitting a wet surface, her rear hit the floor and she slid like a human torpedo over the remaining distance to the door. Annie sat in a stunned, surreal silence for what had to have been only seconds but felt more like hours.

  Then she wanted to die.

  Literally.

  In that pure state of utter mortification, it occurred to Annie that her butt and thighs were probably as read as her face. Both were stinging unbelievably. Behind her, Mitch smothered a chuckle, then cleared his throat.

  “Um, Annie —”

  Without turning around, Annie held up her hand to halt any further comment. “Please, Mitch,” she said in a defeated voice, “don’t offer to help. I’m embarrassed enough as it is. You’re having to help me—again—would only add insult to injury.”

  “Er, actually, I was going to say that I needed to get to the phone and
you’re blocking the door.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Oh.”

  “I would be happy to help you though,” he told her.

  Annie shook her head. “No, thanks.”

  Annie didn’t move. She was vaguely aware that the phone continued to ring. After a moment, Mitch edged closer then awkwardly stepped over her. “Uh, excuse me,” he said lamely. “I’m expecting a call.”

  Annie watched him dart down the hall and snag the phone. When he turned the corner, she clumsily hoisted her aching self up, limped down the hall and resisted the urge to let out a long, sorrowful howl.

  If Mitch had expected Annie to emerge from her room all docile and complacent after her recent marathon of embarrassments, he’d have been sadly mistaken. Fortunately, Mitch wasn’t fool enough to expect anything out of the unpredictable Annie.

  Only minutes after her bathroom debacle, Annie marched out of her room, spine straight and jaw set—and still beautiful, he noted with a flash of irritation. Notebook and pen in hand, she came and stood directly before him. She’d left her hair pulled up and a few wet curls clung to her creamy neck. She’d dressed in a heavy cotton lounge suit she probably thought would eradicate any of his baser thoughts—she’d been wrong. The image of Annie all soft and pinkened and bathed in bubbles would undoubtedly be a vision he’d take with him to his grave.

  Which was all the more reason to get down to business before he did something stupid—like seduce her.

  “I need to talk to you,” she announced stiffly.

  Smiling, Mitch indicated the phone presently cradled between his shoulder and ear. “I’ll be off in a minute.”

  “I need to talk to you now.”

  Smiling, Mitch held up one finger. “Yeah, yeah, John, I’m still here. Great.” Mitch affected a mysterious, delighted look and turned the smile up another notch. “That’s wonderful. You’re the man, John! I knew I could count on you,” he crowed. “Okay, let’s do this. E-mail me the details and send the rest as attachment. I’ll take a look at it and get back in touch with you in the morning. Great. Thanks, again. Oh, and be sure to check what we talked about against licenses. Okay. Bye.”

  With a covert look at Annie, Mitch ended the call. Her pert face had tightened into a scowl, wrinkling a line of displeasure in her brow. Mitch had the almost undeniable urge to reach up and smooth it away. But he didn’t dare.

  Given the nature of their competition, Will had assigned certain staffers to Annie and Mitch. It wouldn’t do for an employee to inadvertently—or purposely—slip vital information about the other’s campaign to one of them. As a result, teams were formed and, in this case, Mitch was the coach and John his quarterback.

  Annie drew in a long breath, opened her mouth to say something—probably uncharitable, Mitch decided—then promptly snapped it shut. Watching her struggle to compose herself, Mitch resisted the urge to smile.

  Finally Annie got herself together enough to speak. “We need to talk about, um—” She waved an arm agitatedly between them. “—this…”

  “Attraction,” Mitch supplied helpfully.

  “Distraction is more like it,” she replied with a huff. “But whatever.” She sighed. “Look, Mitch, we both know that this isn’t going to work. You’re you and I’m me and, and, and…it just wouldn’t work. We’re going to be coworkers. Our relationship is strained at best now. If we muddle it up with this,” she said again, “then I think we’ll be making a big mistake.” She stopped her rambling—which had oddly made sense to him—and gave Mitch a beseeching look. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

  Yeah, he did, and he knew she was right. Still, he’d wanted to be the one to point it out and that Annie had beaten him to the punch bothered him unreasonably. So, rather than make it easy on her, he decided to goad her. A pastime he’d begun to really enjoy lately.

  Mitch grinned and affected an innocent look. “I think so. You’re saying that you’re not going to parade around naked in front of me anymore. That you aren’t going to attack me with your lips again.”

  Annie’s petite body began to tremble with rage. She drew a quick breath through her delicate nostrils and seemed to grow an inch taller right before his eyes. Mitch imagined her could see the thunderclouds rallying around her stiff form. For some perverse reason, he looked forward to the storm.

  “Of all the nerve…” she breathed hotly. “If I recall, it was you who initiated that last kiss. Not me.”

  Mitch shrugged. “You were naked,” he said blankly, as though that explained everything.

  “Ooooohh,” Annie fumed. “You were supposed to be helping me! Not giving me the abridged version of your Don Juan impression,” she accused scornfully. “What do you do? Kiss every naked woman that you see?”

  Mitch smiled lazily. “Generally, Annie, if I find myself alone with a naked lady, then I do much more than kiss her.” He waggled his brows. “I give them the unabridged version of my Don Juan impression.”

  For a fleeting second, Mitch thought he saw a spark of longing fire in her blazing eyes. But it vanished before he could be sure.

  “Oh, spare me the details,” she said mockingly.

  “Look, Annie,” Mitch said. “The best way to deal with our problem is to meet it head on. Despite our numerous differences, we’re both attracted to each other. Why lie about it?” he asked. “We aren’t going to get anything accomplished if you continue to deny a problem exists.” He harrumphed and speared a hand through his hair. “Frankly, half the time I’m torn between wanting to bend you over my knee and spank you,” his gaze to hers meaningfully, “or bend you over my knee and spank you.” He paused and forced that vision away. “And I know you want me, too, so save the indignation and let’s figure out how we’re going to deal with it.”

  Well, he’d done it. Most likely for the first time in her adult life, Annie had been rendered speechless. She just stood there, stone still, her face blank. He watched her swallow, then she heaved a put-upon sigh and plopped into the nearest chair.

  “Okay, then since you’re the one with all the ideas, then you tell me what you think we should do about it?”

  Mitch blinked, astounded. He leaned forward and stared at her incredulously. “You’re admitting it? You actually conceding that I’m right?” He grinned. “That you want me?”

  Annie shot him a dark look. “Don’t push it.” She let out another beleaguered sigh. “But, yes, for some unknown reason, my hormones, pheromones—whatever—like you more than I do.” She scowled as though she couldn’t understand his appeal. “So, I think we’ve belabored that point enough. What’s your suggestion?”

  Pleased with himself, Mitch leaned back and affected a relaxed position. “Well, I haven’t given it a lot of thought, mind you, but I think the solution is obvious.”

  “And that is?” she prompted.

  Mitch smiled. “We should get it out of our systems.”

  Her jaw dropped.

  Undaunted, Mitch forged ahead. “Just go ahead and follow Mother Nature’s lead. Give in to the attraction. I know I could concentrate a lot better if I weren’t constantly thinking about what it would be like to —”

  “You’re out of your mind!” she interrupted, halting the long list of things Mitch had been dreaming about with her. To her. “That’s it? That was your grand idea?” Annie pushed a shaky hand through her gorgeous coffee curls, then shot him another incredulous look. “Forget it, Mitch. I have no intention of ‘giving in to the attraction’ with you. Got it? We have to think of something else.”

  Naturally, Mitch had known that Annie would resist his idea, but he hadn’t thought she would protest it so vehemently. Before he could ponder that notion any further, Annie spoke.

  “Okay, Mitch. This is what we’re going to have to do. Since your idea isn’t feasible —” She gave him a pointed look. “—then we’re going to have to use mine. And I think the best way to deal with it is to spend as little time together as possible.”

  Mitch nodded and
looked meaningfully around the tiny cottage. “Okay, Annie, I’ll take the east wing and you can have the west.”

  Annie attempted a scowl, but her lips curved, destroying the effort. Mercy, she was pretty when she smiled. “All right, I’ll concede my idea has a few holes as well.”

  “A few holes,” Mitch said incredulously. “More like craters. Your suggestion might work if we were back in Atlanta, but not here. Hell, Annie, we’re living together.” Mitch slumped against the back or the couch.

  Annie swallowed. “Be that as it may, it’s our only choice. I’ll stay out of your way, if you stay out of mine.”

  Mitch felt obliged to point out the flaws with Annie’s bright idea. “We’ve only been here a couple of days. How do you suppose we’re going to avoid each other in this little house for the next twelve?”

  Annie sighed impatiently. “You’re making this a lot more difficult than it has to be. Trust me, Mitch, I want to avoid you, and I can do anything if I put my mind to it.”

  Well, so could he, Mitch thought, and he didn’t want to avoid her. Furthermore, he didn’t want her to avoid him. Maddening though she was, Mitch was beginning to enjoy her company. Which brought him back to his plan. The one which involved him and her and an acre of bed, making love all night long. An idea occurred to him.

  “Okay, Annie. We’ll try it your way for the rest of the week.” He paused and smiled. “But if it doesn’t work then we try mine. Agreed?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  Mitch laced his fingers behind his head and gazed at the ceiling. “Why not? Don’t have enough faith in your power to avoid me?” he teased, a note of challenge spiking his voice.

  Predictably, Annie bristled. “Not at all. I simply know that we won’t have any use for a back-up plan.” Annie flipped to a clean piece of paper, presumably to outline her confounded “avoidance” plan.

  “Right,” Mitch remarked blandly.

  From the corner of his eye, he watched Annie still. “What’s that supposed to mean?”