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  The more Tate read and learned about Victoria, the more the picture of who she thought Victoria was changed. She didn’t appear to have any major character flaws; her personality was warm and engaging no matter what she was doing or who she was doing it with. Several articles boldly stated that she had the qualities of a true leader, and they were absolutely correct.

  Tate reclined in her seat as she returned from Hong Kong to Atlanta. What a team they would make. Dinner had just been cleared, and the flight attendants were offering coffee to her and the other first-class passengers. With her guts and determination and Victoria’s reputation, they could have any business they wanted. They would be the most powerful couple in the business world. Tate pictured their faces on the cover of Fortune and Money magazines. They would be quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the subject of an article in the Harvard Business Review. Tate Monroe would become a household name right next to Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

  *

  Shit was the first word that came to mind when Victoria stepped through the front door of the Mason Club. Her neighbor had mentioned coming here when it first opened and it had become the go-to place in Atlanta. The lights were low and she immediately knew this wasn’t a restaurant where people discussed business. Unless, of course, you were “getting down to business.” This meeting was already on her calendar when she arrived at the office after her return from Hong Kong. If she had any idea the atmosphere was designed more for lovers than business associates, she would have insisted on a different place entirely.

  The maître d’ escorted her to a small table tucked into a corner. Lisa Billings stood as she approached, and even in the dim light, Victoria could see the banker’s eyes move slowly over her body. The expression on her face said that she very much liked what she saw. Victoria didn’t need this in her life right now. The added complication of tactfully declining Lisa’s apparent invitation would be tricky. Obviously she hadn’t made it clear that she meant it when she said she didn’t mix business with pleasure. She didn’t want to alienate Lisa, nor did she want to give her any opening she could run with.

  “Victoria, you look fabulous,” Lisa said, taking her hand, and Victoria was surprised when she pulled her in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

  We are definitely not going to talk about profit, loss, or pricing strategy tonight. “Thank you. I’m sorry I’m late. I made the mistake of answering the phone before I left.”

  Lisa laughed in understanding. “Yes, I know how that is. Would you like some wine?” She signaled the waiter.

  “No, I prefer water with lemon,” she said, addressing the hovering waiter.

  Victoria was grateful that Lisa kept the conversation going throughout dinner. They talked about the theater, which team would win the World Series this year, and how angry they both were when Proposition 8 passed in California. Lisa said that her best friend had gotten married in San Francisco shortly after the California Supreme Court ruling allowing gays and lesbians to marry but now didn’t know if she was married or not.

  Somewhere in the middle of dinner, Victoria changed from water to wine, and by the time they finished she had consumed three glasses of the sweet liquor. Lisa made her interest in Victoria clear, and as the evening wore on she had more and more difficulty wondering why she shouldn’t take her up on the offer. She had been thinking of Tate far too often in the two weeks since she’d left her in Hong Kong. She compared every woman she saw to her young adversary. Over dessert she decided that maybe she needed a diversion to get Tate off her mind. It had been a long time since someone other than Tate wanted her. What harm could it do? They were two consenting adults who found each other attractive. They were mature enough to understand what it was and, most importantly, what it wasn’t.

  “Lisa.” Victoria was suddenly nervous. She couldn’t remember the last time she propositioned a woman and searched for the words. She certainly couldn’t say something as base as “let’s go back to your place and fuck.” However close to the truth that was, it was still tacky.

  “Okay, Victoria, I give up.” Lisa leaned back in her chair and put her hands up in surrender. “I’ve tried everything to let you know how interested I am in you, but I respect your position about us. I don’t like it. I think we could have had something really hot. But I understand, and I promise I’ll leave you alone from now on.”

  “What?” Victoria couldn’t believe her luck. She was a breath away from making her move and she got shot down. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or frustrated.

  “We’ll keep it totally professional. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. That wasn’t my intention.” Lisa looked embarrassed.

  “You didn’t. I appreciate it. Things can get sticky…” Victoria didn’t know what else to say.

  “How about we just forget this all happened and next time it’ll be lunch in a brightly lit crowded café?” Lisa flagged the waiter for more coffee. “Tell me about Braxton and what you’re thinking now that you’ve seen his operations.”

  *

  “Aren’t you Tate Monroe, the corporate raider? Didn’t I see you on Sixty Minutes a few months ago?”

  Tate lifted her head and looked at the woman who stood beside her table. She was the same one who had been eyeing her for the past hour across the crowded dance floor. Tate wondered if and when she would make a move. She was a knockout, Tate decided as she swung her gaze up from tan bare legs over perky breasts and into big brown eyes. The woman was looking at her like an eager puppy waiting for some sign of acceptance.

  “Yes, I am but no, I wasn’t on Sixty Minutes. And I prefer to think of myself as a successful businesswoman.” She was judging the chances of scoring with the blonde who was looking down at her. The woman had potential. “Would you like to sit down?”

  Several drinks and two hours later Tate had completely revised her opinion of the woman. Her name was Joni Roseville, and not only did she have a body made to be coveted, but ambition to be reckoned with. The best thing was that Ms. Roseville, as Tate preferred to call her, had insider information on Drake Pharmaceuticals and was in a big hurry to unload it in exchange for a position working for Tate. Ms. Roseville laid out the information in specific, no-misunderstanding detail over cappuccino at the coffee house across the street from the bar.

  Tate eyed her carefully before she spoke. “And where did you get this information?” Tate didn’t care if the woman had gained it illegally. That wasn’t Tate’s problem because she didn’t do it.

  “I worked for people who know some of the bigwigs involved,” she answered vaguely.

  “And I’m just supposed to believe everything you say?”

  “It’s the truth,” Joni replied, appearing slightly insulted.

  Tate was careful, very careful. She had used similar tactics to infiltrate companies where she wanted more information than she could get from official sources. “And I’m supposed to go on faith that what you have is what I need?” The woman had known enough about the Braxton deal to tell Tate she might in fact have vital data.

  “You know it goes both ways. What will I do if you don’t give me a job after I tell you? Who’ll be shit out of luck then? Seems as though I have more to lose than you do.”

  The woman’s demeanor had subtly changed from ditzy blonde to sharp and calculating. Tate wouldn’t misjudge the potential for success as well as the significant damage if she didn’t handle this situation the right way.

  “Why don’t we meet in the middle? You give me enough that I know you have what I need, and I’ll find a place for you at Sumner. Once that’s settled, you give me the rest and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.” Tate could use a woman like this on her new team. Someone who wasn’t afraid to get information and knew what to do with it once she had it. In a way she reminded her of herself when she was just starting out.

  “Do we have a deal?” Tate extended her hand across the Formica tabletop. The woman hesitated and Tate was uncertain if she would accept her pro
posal. She held her gaze steady on the brown eyes, determined to stay on top of the situation. After several seconds, the woman shook it.

  *

  Victoria drove home thinking only about crawling into bed. Even though the evening with Lisa didn’t end the way she had originally intended, it still took a lot out of her. She had done nothing but eat, sleep, and think about Braxton for the past three months, and she was exhausted. Being around Tate as much as she had during their tour of the Braxton facilities had put her in a constant state of arousal, and as much as she didn’t want to react the way she did, she couldn’t stop herself. Tate was sexy, and Victoria wanted her. She wanted to know what her skin felt like under her fingers, how soft the underside of her breasts were, how her sweat tasted, and how her arousal smelled. Victoria hadn’t desired someone this much in so long she couldn’t even remember who it had been.

  Tate was everything she should not have. She was far too young and definitely professional suicide. But something about her enticed Victoria, even from the first time they met, and to her horror and surprise, it kept pulling her. Tate was nothing like the women she was usually attracted to. Tate was a free spirit, hot tempered, quick to act, and from what Victoria had seen, she flew by the seat of her pants. She was intense, confident to the point of being cocky, and aggressive. Victoria’s women, on the other hand, were easygoing and self-assured, and she was always the one who did the chasing.

  She didn’t know whether to be flattered or feel old that a woman at least ten years her junior was interested in her. Had she become some pathetic, single, over-forty-four-year-old woman desperate for attention? She didn’t think so. God, she hoped not. Quite the contrary, she was comfortable with her life and the role her lovers played in it. When there were lovers, she thought. She didn’t need the added distraction of being the topic of titillating conversations and rumors at gatherings that she and Tate would attend. She had never needed a woman in her life, and she certainly didn’t intend to change because of someone like Tate.

  When she pulled into her drive and approached the garage, a car she didn’t recognize was parked in front of her front door. Instead of hitting the button to open the large door, she followed the curved drive and stopped directly in front of the vehicle. Her headlights illuminated the occupant.

  Her heart jumped into her throat and her stomach lurched when she recognized Tate behind the wheel. What is she doing here? Victoria shifted into Park. How does she know where I live? What does she want? For God’s sake, it’s almost midnight. Those and a hundred other questions bounced through her brain in the time it took to shut off the engine and open the car door. Immediately Tate stepped out, her long legs silhouetted in Victoria’s headlights.

  “Tate?” Victoria asked, as if she hadn’t recognized the woman who had occupied her thoughts for the past forty-five minutes.

  “I hope I didn’t scare you.”

  Victoria didn’t answer the question, but posed one of her own. “How long have you been sitting out here?”

  “About an hour. I was wondering who would show up first, you or the police, asking me if I was casing the joint.”

  “Are you?” Victoria asked, mimicking the humor of Tate’s last statement. Tate walked toward her, and as she neared, Victoria was not at all surprised at the desire in her eyes. She knew hers probably mirrored the same but hoped they didn’t.

  “No, what I want is outside, not inside.”

  Tate’s voice was husky, and it both frightened and thrilled Victoria. Tate stepped closer and Victoria smelled her perfume. It was intoxicating. “You came to steal my pear tree?” Victoria propped herself against the hood of her car, making their eyes level.

  “No, I came for you,” Tate replied easily, stepping yet closer.

  Victoria couldn’t take her eyes off Tate’s lips, which were now mere inches from her own. If she inched forward just a little she could taste them and end her torment. She clenched her fists to stop herself. “Do you intend to kidnap me so I don’t land Braxton?”

  “No.”

  Tate’s warm breath caressed Victoria’s lips and she could hardly breathe. “Then why are you here?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to the question but asked it anyway. If Tate put words to what was happening between them, then somehow it would become real. But if it just happened Victoria could wake up tomorrow and pretend it didn’t. She was looking for a way out of consciously making a decision that could change the rest of her life.

  “I think you know why I’m here.”

  “Are you trying to seduce me, thinking you’ll get the upper hand with Braxton?” Why in God’s name was she talking business when she had the hottest, most exciting woman waiting to kiss her, Victoria wondered as Tate’s lips hovered over hers. This was the first time she had ever come close to crossing the line, and the longer Tate stood in front of her, the thinner the line became.

  An instant before Tate kissed her, she said, “No, I’m here to seduce you because I want you.”

  Tate’s lips were soft and light, causing an explosion of sensation. They were as warm as Victoria had imagined, tentatively exploring as if unsure what she would find. Tate had not stepped any closer, and Victoria had to arch her neck to maintain the contact.

  After a few moments Tate murmured against her lips between kisses, “I want to kiss you, taste you, run my hands over your body, feel your skin quiver under my fingertips. I want to hold you, explore you, go inside you.”

  At that point Victoria ignored her better judgment, recklessly leapt into the unknown, and pulled Tate to her. Wrapping her arms around Tate’s neck she pressed against her hard body, deepening the kiss. Their tongues battled for control and she willingly surrendered to the sensations dominating her body. She grabbed Tate’s short hair and pulled her closer, their lips crushing at their contact.

  Tate was the first to break the kiss and Victoria immediately missed the connection. Tate’s hands wandered up and down her back as her lips did the same on her neck. When she stopped and lightly nipped her neck just below her ear, Victoria’s legs grew weak. She was breathing heavily, gasping for air. When Tate’s hand closed around her breast she was jolted into realizing that her car headlights were illuminating everything that was happening. She fought down a giggle at the thought of her neighbors watching her make out at the front door.

  As lost as Victoria was in the earthquake Tate was causing, she was together enough to know that this wasn’t the place to make love. The back patio was out of sight of the prying eyes of neighbors and was a definite possibility, but her sense of propriety won out there too. This time Victoria broke the embrace and took two unsteady steps toward her front door. Her hand was shaking as she inserted the key into the lock. She quickly stepped inside and deactivated the alarm, then saw that Tate hadn’t moved from where she left her.

  This was the moment that Victoria had been dreading. The moment where she had to make a conscious decision and not use the excuse of it just happened. She never thought that things just happened, preferring to believe that people were always aware of what they were doing and could stop at any time. But with her body reacting to Tate as she stood there gazing at her, for the first time in her life, Victoria was helpless to say no.

  Chapter Fifteen

  It wasn’t just because the interior of the house was dark that Tate allowed Victoria to lead the way. At this point, she would have let Victoria take her anywhere and do anything to her. She had originally come here intending to seduce Victoria. She knew she could, it would be almost too easy. She would spend the night with Victoria and get her out of her system so she could think clearly. If she could talk to her, really talk to her without the wall of Braxton between them, she could get her to see what Tate envisioned. It would be the ultimate in success, and she couldn’t conceive that Victoria would tell her no.

  But somewhere after the first touch of Victoria’s lips, she lost all thought of business and control. And for once she didn’t care. She had never
been so consumed by a woman before. Tate was swept away by the taste of Victoria, the way her lips were tentative at first then effortlessly molded to hers. Neither of them spoke, and the plush carpet on the stairs muffled their footsteps. Tate’s heart beat so loud it deafened her, and her head spun when she focused on Victoria’s ass moving on the step above her.

  Victoria released her hand as they entered the bedroom and continued across the room. She switched on the light beside the bed, splashing a soft warm glow over the room. Victoria hesitated and for a moment, Tate thought she would change her mind. When Victoria finally moved toward her, unbuttoning her blouse at the same time, Tate’s knees went weak.

  Victoria didn’t stop until the lace of her bra peeked out from between the open buttons and their breasts touched. Victoria’s hands dropped from her blouse to Tate’s buckle while her eyes never left hers. Victoria’s pupils dilated, passion flashing deep inside the blackness.

  The clink of her belt and the pop of her pants’ snap was the signal Tate needed to become a full-fledged participant. Her hands shook when she pulled Victoria’s blouse off her shoulders. Unable to resist, she captured the lips waiting for her.

  Victoria’s hands roamed up and down her spine, pulling Tate’s shirt out of her waistband. She took advantage of the full access to Tate’s flesh and her hands quickly disappeared under the soft fabric. Tate needed to feel Victoria’s breasts, but she slowly unhooked the blue bra that barely concealed what was underneath. Slowly, deliberately Tate slid the straps off Victoria’s shoulders, all the while tracing the path with her fingers. She would never see Victoria’s breasts for the first time again, and she wanted to savor the moment. Victoria’s skin was soft and warm, and when the bra hit the floor Tate retraced its path.

  Her hands were filled with the weight of Victoria’s breasts, nipples hard against her palm. Victoria moaned and Tate needed to feel skin against skin. She withdrew her hands long enough to pull her own shirt over her head and gathered Victoria to her again. The sensation of Victoria’s breasts against her was exquisite. Tate used Victoria’s height to her advantage. Her erect nipples were almost level with her mouth, and she had only to bend slightly to capture one of them in her mouth.