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  If she accepts the job in Chicago, he has to take it slow and try to know her better. Whom is he kidding? The first opportunity he has to get her in to bed has to be soon. He's already sweating bullets at the very thought of riding he into oblivion. How is he going to convince Clarissa to come to Chicago? Clarissa may not follow a stranger across the country, but the prospect of an intriguing job could win her over. He has to bait his trap carefully or face losing his prey. Losing Clarissa at this junction isn't an option.

  ***

  Clarissa has been perusing her wardrobe with a critical eye for hours. She didn’t want to give Julian the impression that she's a woman on the make. She finally decides on a cream two-piece linen suit. The suit is elegant without being presumptuous. Since her engagement to Lawrence, she rarely went out anymore; now that she’s single again she has to make up for lost time. She sighs, looking at the image in the mirror, who's she kidding, dating is a gigantic pain in the ass.

  Her best friend Alison didn't like Lawrence from jump street. After their engagement Alison stopped encouraging her to date other men. Alison doesn't have a lot of trust where men were concern, but she soon changed her mind upon meeting Jonesy.

  Clarissa still remembers introducing Alison to Marcus Jones. Alison picked her up from work to take her out to lunch. Jonesy just happened to be in Clarissa’s office when Alison arrived. That is the first time she could recall that both Alison and Jonesy were at a loss for words.

  In a matter of a few weeks, Alison and Jonesy were dating, and now their wedding is scheduled for next June. Clarissa's happy for them, even though she isn’t looking forward to being a bridesmaid. After the breakup of her engagement to Lawrence, Clarissa isn’t too keen about participating in a wedding.

  Clarissa put the final touches to her makeup when she heard the doorbell. Whose that ringing her doorbell? She doesn't have time for visitors. She looks over at the grandfather clock in her living room as she walks towards the door. It's almost four-thirty; she has to meet Julian Ross at five o'clock.

  She opens the door, without checking the peephole and comes face to face with the last person she wants to see. “Lawrence!” She tries to shut the door in his face, but Lawrence overpowers her and pushes his way into the condominium.

  “Clarissa we need to talk."

  Lawrence seems sincere, but she doesn't trust him anymore. Clarissa turns her back on him as she picks up her purse and car keys. "Listen Lawrence, I have a very important meeting, and I can't be late."

  Lawrence spins Clarissa around to face him. "This will only take a minute; I want you to believe me when I say I'm sorry." He runs his fingers down the side of her face before she could pull away. "I love you Clarissa, and I think you still love me. We owe it to ourselves to try and make our relationship work?"

  Clarissa has to get him out of her condominium. If Lawrence thought that she wasn't taking him seriously, he would refuse to leave. "Walk me to my car Lawrence." Clarissa quickly locks her front door, taking the stairs rather than waiting for the elevator. Lawrence follows her closely determine that he is going to talk to her. "If I give you another chance, what would you do differently?"

  Lawrence feels a sense of relief; he congratulated himself on giving Clarissa a few days to calm down. She has to forgive him. She's a little angry at right now, well what woman wouldn't. His first mistake is using Clarissa's condominium for his games with Roberta. It isn't the first time he and Roberta have been together, nor is it the last. They would stop for now until the wedding gets back on track. "I have an appointment to see a counselor."

  Clarissa could hear the fake southern drawl in his voice. Lawrence usually does this when he showers unsuspecting people with his disarming charm. She braces herself for the lies and deceit he is gearing to spew her way. She gets into her car, lowering the window as Lawrence bends down near her head. "Sure, tell me Lawrence, what kind of help do you need?"

  "I have been told that I have an over active sex drive. I didn't seek Roberta, but when I let myself in the condo, she made a move on me. You and I haven't made love in six days, and I couldn't withstand her sexual prowess. Before I knew it, we were in your bedroom when you caught us."

  "You must think I'm the dumbest woman on the planet. It seems I don't know you at all, but I do know my sister. Enough to know that Friday couldn't have been your first time together. It's just the first time you got caught. How many other women are there Lawrence?"

  "Other women! I don't know what you're getting at."

  Clarissa slammed her hand on the steering wheel. "How many other women Lawrence? How many other women were you fucking?"

  Lawrence isn't prepared for Clarissa's accusations. He thought she would swallow her pride and take him back. "I-I-I don't know what you're talking about, there are no other women."

  "Even now you can't tell me the truth. It's over Lawrence! Don't come by here again and don't call me either. If you want to try and retrieve your personal items, they're at the Salvation Army on Parker Street."

  "You selfish bitch! Those suits are worth thousands of dollars. I could have come and picked up my clothes there is no reason for you to behave this way."

  "Lawrence you cheated on me two weeks before our wedding with my sister. You're lucky I didn't shoot your ass full of lead. Don't try to see me again; if you do I can make you sorry." Clarissa pulls out of her parking space, oblivious to the stunned expression on Lawrence's face.

  ***

  Clarissa pulls into the Ritz Carlton's visitor parking twenty minutes after her confrontation with Lawrence. She takes out her cell phone and places a quick call to Alison. Thank God, Alison picks up on the first ring. "Ali, please listen to me. Lawrence showed up at my condo asking me to forgive him. He told me that he cheated on me because of his high sex drive and he couldn't resist Roberta. When I asked him about the other women he caved."

  Hearing the distress in Clarissa's voice, Alison immediately went into recovery mode. "Rissa slow down and breathe. Are you at home? Do you want me to come over? Do I need to bring garbage bags and a shovel? Talk to me sister!"

  Clarissa composed herself, finding relief that canceling her wedding is the right thing to do. "Really Ali! A shovel?"

  "I'm your friend Rissa; I'd willingly become an accessory after the fact. I want to come prepared if you have a body that needs burying. Besides, I keep a shovel in my car; I never know when I might need it."

  "Ali you're always there for me, better than any sister could be."

  "Well, better than your tramp sister anyway. You sound better already. Its Sunday night we can go party if you want. You know I'd dump Jonesy for my girl."

  By now Clarissa is smiling, "My friend, you always bring me back from the brink of insanity. Thanks for the offer, but I have a job interview in five minutes and I just needed to vent. I didn't want to take that negative energy inside with me."

  "Call me after your interview and let me know if you want me to come over."

  "Thanks Ali! Wish me luck."

  "You don't need luck because you have skills."

  "Love you too Ali."

  Clarissa checks her makeup one last time before leaving her car. Julian said he would wait for her in the lobby bar. She walks in an immediately notices him sitting near the door, he looks up, and she feels the intensity of his gaze. He stands up and approaches her, his eyes were dark and smoldering as they quickly assess her body. "Julian, it's nice of you to see me on such short notice."

  "Not a problem, especially since I expected to hear from you sooner."

  Clarissa gave him a smirk, "You don't know me as well as you think."

  Julian grabs hold of her arm as an attentive potential suitor. "I honestly would like to know you better. Maybe one day you can thank me for intervening on your behalf by allowing you to see your fiancé's true self."

  Wow, Julian's sexuality is reaching out and smothering her. Clarissa's mind is screaming for her to grab him. "We both know you sent the photos for selfish reasons.
"

  Julian couldn't help but be mesmerized by Clarissa's manner. She's sexy, in charge; any other woman would be trying to rip him to shreds. "What can I say; I'm a selfish man who likes to get his way. This way, I do believe our table is ready."

  Julian stops touching her, but she could still feel his body heat envelop her as she walks by his side. The hostess greets them and shows them to their table. They were seated near the window, giving them a perfect view of the lake. The white linen on the tables and candles makes for a romantic setting. The only thing missing were the violins playing in the background.

  Clarissa has to keep telling herself that tonight is all about business. Julian would tell her about the job he's offering, and then they would part company. Julian and Clarissa ordered the house salad; for dinner, she ordered stuff shrimp and Florida snapper and Julian ordered conch chowder and a steak. Clarissa listened attentively as Julian engaged in small talk. “Before you tell me more about this new position, tell me the real reason why you sent me the photos.”

  Julian could see the evidence of Clarissa's nervousness. Good thing the napkin in her hand is made of cloth, or she would have shredded it by now. “I want you, and that's all the reason I need. You should be thanking me; Lawrence Tate isn't marriage material.”

  Clarissa is a little shocked by his answer. “I know you think that sounds very romantic, but you just sound arrogant to me.”

  Julian leans over giving Clarissa his full attention. “You confuse arrogance with confidence. I'm confident that the photos of your fiancé in the throes of passion with other women would make you drop him like a hot rock. If that makes me the evil guy in your eyes, I'll have to see what I can do to change your mind."

  He undressed her with his eyes. His dark almond shaped eyes were full of promise and heat. He hasn't touched her, yet she feels the flutters in her stomach. Julian Ross is systematically trying to seduce her. If she were looking for a good one-night stand, Julian would be her man. For one second, she wanted to invite him home and use him to relieve the stress from her body. "I want to hear about the job you dangled in front of my face on Friday."

  "I have another reason for sending the photos to you. You're one of the most talented engineers and creative thinkers I've come across. In addition, you're a talented hacker."

  "Kudos to your investigator. Very few people know of my stint as a hacker. Why would you need the skills of a hacker, engineer, and graphic designer?"

  Did I mention that you'd need TS/SCI clearance from the DOD? I already submitted the documentation for your clearance on the chance that you accept the position."

  It seems as if the cat and mouse seduction games were over. Why would she need TS/SCI, Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information? "You're not creating war games videos as you led me to believe. You're trying to find out what's wrong with real war games."

  Just as, he thought, Clarissa is exceptionally smart; it didn't take her long to put the pieces together. He could see the interest and excitement brimming in her eyes. "I see that I truly have your attention now. My Ex-partner works for a government agency that's starting a new security program. I agreed to allow him to set up the pilot program in my company. You would be an investigator of crimes against the government. What do you say Clarissa? I can offer you a six figure salary, six weeks of vacation, medical and dental, and a direct line to the DOD's master file."

  Clarissa could feel the tingles in her fingers. The DOD may give her a direct line to the master file, but she's certain to have limited access. He's too confident, his smirk turned into a fully fledged grin. "Sounds interesting, but I don't think what you're offering will suit me." Clarissa's glad to see his grin fade. She would die for a chance at this job, and Julian knows just how much. "Thanks to you, my financial portfolio is looking good. I can take off for a couple of years and see the world if I choose to. I think I'll enjoy becoming a lady of leisure."

  Julian remained calm; Clarissa is just trying to test his patience. "I know that you're excited about coming to Chicago, no matter how you like to pretend otherwise. You're not the lady of leisure type of woman. You would be bored out of your skull before your first week is up. Take a chance Clarissa come to Chicago with me and work on this project. When it's over there will be another project to keep your interest."

  Clarissa squinted her eyes in dislike; she wanted to throw the job offer back in Julian's face. The truth of the matter is she's eager to get started on the project. "How soon do you want me to start?"

  "How about a month? That gives you time to make a smooth transition when my people take over the reins at Lariat. It will also give you time to settle any other person matters. My secretary search for suitable housing."

  She sticks her hand out for him to shake. "A month is more than enough time to settle my affairs."

  Julian holds her hand for a moment longer than needed. The arrival of the food is the only reason he releases her hand. He nods at the waiter, but all of their conversation ceases until the waiter leaves their table. "Do you want to talk about this thing between us?"

  Clarissa is beginning to enjoy herself. She took a sip of wine before responding. "You may have been spot on for my requirements for a job, but you have no idea what I need in a man. You see I think you would set the sheets on fire and try to scorch me too with your intense sexuality. I could never take a man like you seriously because all you care about is the chase."

  "You'd run from a man like me who could give you the best sex of your life. Not two days ago you were intent on marrying a man who could never satisfy you."

  Clarissa begins to enjoy her food, especially when she sees the stamp of annoyance on Julian's face. "Lawrence didn't have the power to hurt me, but I thought he could have made a good husband and father. I could control Lawrence and feel safe that he could never touch my heart."

  Julian snorts with impatience. "Oh yeah, how did that work for you?"

  "When I get to Chicago I expect a traditional employer/employee relationship between us."

  Julian is practically seething inside, did she seriously think that she could deny the passion simmering between them. "Oh honey you're playing with the big boys now. I want you badly and I realize something else."

  "What else did you come to realize?"

  "You want me! I'm unlike any man you've ever come across. You're right I'm arrogant, rich, and self confident. If I crook my finger ten women come running, but you're lucky, only you can extinguish the heat burning in me. I am a dangerous man, but you have nothing to fear from me. When we become lovers I promise not to rub your face in it by doing a victory dance. I see the doubt on your face, but Clarissa I can make it impossible for you to say no." Julian attacked his food with gusto there's nothing better than an opponent worthy of his energy and time.

  Clarissa chooses to ignore the attraction between them. "Give it your best shot Julian, bigger men than you have tried to break me and they didn't succeed."

  Julian gives her a look of adoration. "I don't want to break you Clarissa; I just want you to surrender. You're a strong woman Clarissa, and I need a strong woman who can handle the beast that resides in me."

  ***

  Chapter 6

  Clarissa had a hard time getting up on Monday morning; maybe she drank too much wine during her dinner with Julian last night. After he had declared war on her, he seemed to be in a better frame of mind. They talked about Chicago and his family. His small family consists of his ten-year-old son, his aunt and her husband. He didn't talk about his ex-wife, and she didn't ask. For some reason, she didn't like the idea of him being with another woman.

  When dinner was over, Julian walked Clarissa to her car. Before she could get in the car, he pressed her body against the car letting her feel his arousal. He kissed her, and it wasn't a quick peck on the lips. She could taste the wine on his tongue as he made love to her mouth. When he released her, she had trouble standing. He didn't say anything, but his face was brimming with satisfaction.


  She has spent too much time thinking about Julian Ross. Clarissa stretches before getting out of bed, in the bathroom, she makes the fatal mistake of looking in the mirror. She doesn't look too bad for a woman who's been through hell the last couple of days. She has a lot on her mind, and she doesn't know how she's going to make it through the day. Especially if, thoughts of Julian's heated kiss keeps weaseling its way into her mind.

  She takes a long hot shower, washes her face and brushes her teeth. "I'm not afraid of the big bad wolf!" She chants those few words with absolute conviction. Clarissa decides to wear the olive pantsuit, a present from her Aunt Helen. The suit flatters her shape, giving her the confidence she needs for the day ahead.

  As she makes the drive to Lariat, her mind wanders. She's doubts that she'd be a positive match for Roberta. Clarissa just hopes that her mother, father, or Junior prove to be a match. If not, Roberta’s chances for survival aren't good. Clarissa has heard of stories about cancer patients who die because they can’t find a donor. As much pain as Roberta caused her, she loves her sister, and she wants her to live.

  Clarissa knows that she’ll have to put this situation between her sister and mother to rest. Now she understands the circumstances of her birth she can move forward without the past dragging her down. The most difficult thing she has to do this morning is meeting with her staff and Rosscom's incoming management team.

  By the time Clarissa gets to work, the wheels in her head were churning. She has a lot to do and remarkably little time. Her condominium sold, so she has to decide what to do with her furniture. The condominium is her first home after leaving her parents’ house. She remembers how she lovingly shopped for furniture, paintings, and even the dishes. The condominium and its furnishings hold both good and unpleasant memories. She would take a few select items with her, and she’d get rid of the rest.