Sapphire Read Online Free Page A

“I’ll be at your office at 11:30.”
    Taylor opened her mouth, but he shut the car door and tucked his thumbs in his slacks pockets, the elegant black jacket swept back to frame lean hips. She’d been outmaneuvered. Neatly too.
    She drove home through the jeweled traffic, feeling curiously both satisfied and aroused. Alone, she could admit to herself that she’d let him manipulate her into seeing him again. The way his long fingers had stroked her…She pressed her thighs together. She’d loved every moment of what he’d done. Like a baby heroine addict, now she wanted more.
    Just one night, maybe.
    She turned the safe word over in her mind. Sapphire .
     
    In the clear blast of morning light, the whole incident seemed almost silly.
    It was good they were having lunch. Taylor would calmly and rationally explain how much their company valued their contracts with Jaguar Enterprises, but that she couldn’t possibly fraternize with a business associate. Yes, she’d been unwise to drink the champagne— mea culpa —but their flirtation would end there.
    She certainly wasn’t dressing with their lunch date in mind.
    Taylor pulled on slim black slacks that hung on her hips nicely. She put the white blouse back and pulled out a dark blue silk one instead. More power for her on the playing field.
    If she took care with her makeup, it was because of the shadows from the late night. She pulled her auburn hair into a sleek ponytail, anchored with a jeweled barrette. With the fitted black jacket, she looked cool and professional. Perfect.
    As the morning wore on, Taylor reminded herself that she wasn’t watching the clock. She rehearsed her points in her mind. Preparation was key. That was where her mother had first started to fall apart, unable to plan for meals, for the meetings of the day. Piece by piece she’d lost control of her daughter, her men and her entire life.
    “Ms. Hamilton?” Her assistant held the office door open, his head bracketed by a phone headset, a flashing BlackBerry in his hand. “Your eleven-thirty is here. Shall I send him in?”
    “Thanks, Steve. Give me five minutes.”
    “Can do! You want me to pull any of the numbers from the team’s current projections?”
    Taylor kicked herself. For a normal meeting, she would have had Steve on that first thing.
    “Yes. Thanks, Steve. I don’t know where my head is this morning.”
    “No kidding.” Steve shook his head and grinned. “Remind me to take the day off after Worthington’s next ‘little gathering.’” He checked his watch. “Five minutes, counting from now.”
    Taylor had learned the trick from Worthington early on. Make them wait a bit. Take your time to assemble your thoughts. Clear your desk. Be cool and collected. She added the soothing step of refreshing her lipstick, taking comfort in the crisp, clean line.
    When Steve knocked to escort Kirliss in, Taylor was composed and ready.
    “Mr. Kirliss.” She picked up the file folder she’d deliberately left out on the otherwise immaculate desk and slid it into the shallow top drawer as he walked in. The image of a busy woman putting her work away. She glanced up, stood and held out a hand over the glossy desk. “The early numbers are looking good. I think you’ll be pleased.”
    If possible, he looked better, and more dangerous, than ever before. He raised a sardonic eyebrow at her demeanor. He took her hand and shook it, all politeness, then wrapped his fingers around her wrist, suggestively cuffing the slender bones. Refusing to rise to the bait, Taylor smoothly withdrew her hand. His fingers tightened a moment before releasing her.
    “You made me wait.”
    “I apologize, Mr. Kirliss—today has been quite busy.” Nicely done, she congratulated herself. The most important part of any meeting was to take control immediately and keep it. So she’d never had to pull this tactic before. The stakes were higher now.
    “I understand. And I understand the value of making someone