“And did you find the terms satisfactory?”
“Can we not talk of it until we arrive at the restaurant?” She flashed him a brilliant smile.
“All right.” She was avoiding talking about the contract and worry immediately consumed him. What if she planned on backing out? She might be looking for a free meal, a one-night stay at a luxurious hotel and then she was out the next morning. Leaving him exactly where he started.
In the shit hole and looking like a failure.
They left the hotel and Rhett escorted her to a taxi that sat just outside, allowing her entry first before he followed her inside. He shut the door behind him with a loud slam, the silence within seeming extra quiet, and he breathed deep, taking in her unique, fresh scent.
“I stink of cheap soap,” she muttered disgustedly.
He burst out laughing. “Was I that obvious in smelling you?”
“Yes. The hotel is lovely, but the soap they carry is mediocre at best and stinks terribly.” She wrinkled her nose, shook her head. “I apologize if it’s offensive.”
“It’s not offensive at all. I think you smell good,” he drawled, keeping his voice soft so he wouldn’t make her think he was flirting.
Because he wasn’t. Not really. It was work talk. Right?
Her cheeks turned a rosy pink at his compliment. “I’m being rude, insulting the soap from the hotel of your choice.”
“You’re the professional.” He shrugged. “I don’t normally pay attention to things like that.”
She frowned. “You don’t care about scent?”
“Oh, I care. Why else do you think I’m heading the project?”
“Now I’m insulting you. I should keep my mouth shut.” She ducked her head.
“You’re not insulting me.” He knew an insult when he heard one. He’d had enough experience with them, especially from Hunter. “You have a sensitive nose so that’s why you notice such things. You’re trained to do so.”
“I do have a sensitive nose. And I’m highly trained.” She lifted her head, her blue gaze meeting his. If she was trying to run down her resume to impress him, she didn’t need to. He had faith. Maybe blind faith, but there it was.
“So let me ask you a question.” He leaned in a little closer, his eyes riveted to her face. There didn’t appear to be a hint of makeup on her skin, maybe some shimmery gloss on her lush mouth but nothing else. Her cheeks were flushed from her earlier embarrassment, giving her an innocent air he found impossibly alluring. “Do you think I smell like cheap soap?”
Her lips parted, the faintest gasp emitting from her and he knew he shocked her with his blatant question. But hell, he wanted her opinion. He’d been told he smelled good in the past. He wasn’t going to deny it. He wasn’t one to slather on a variety of scents, either. And he knew he’d get an honest answer out of her. “No,” she whispered, her eyes wide.
He cocked a brow. “That’s all I get? A simple no? No analysis, no breakdown of the various products I use?”
She shook her head. “You don’t use much.”
“And how can you tell?” He was challenging her but he was truly curious.
“You don’t smell like a variety of products.” She sounded stiff, nervous, and he instantly regretted making her feel that way.
They remained silent for a moment. Rhett glanced out the window, watching the city lights pass by as the driver headed to the chosen restaurant. He looked at his watch, saw that they had plenty of time and thankfully, traffic was light.
But he couldn’t stop mulling over Gabriella’s assessment. How did she know that he didn’t use much? What exactly did she mean by that? And did she think he smelled bad? Odd? Good?
He was dying to know. Jesus, he was acting like a vain, arrogant ass.
“So what exactly do I smell like?”
Their gazes met yet again and she studied him for a moment before she answered. “You’re not wearing cologne.”
“You’re right.” He’d run out of the last one he’d owned and never replaced it.
“Your deodorant is unscented.”
Right again. Though for whatever reason, he was embarrassed to confirm that observation. No one he knew spoke of deodorant.
Rhett frowned. Now he was thinking like a prim little miss.
“The soap you use has a hint of pine. Musk.” She shook her head, her lips turning up at the corners. “If you knew what the base of musk was, you’d stop using it.”
“That bad?”
“Awful.” She smiled and it was like an arrow pierced his heart. She was gorgeous in her simplicity. Like a ray of sunshine. “I’ll spare you the details.”
“I’ll let it go for now. But eventually, I expect you tell to me.” He shook a finger at her.
She laughed. “I think your shampoo matches your body wash. You do use body wash, right? Versus a bar of soap?”
“Right again, to both questions.” He was impressed. She was dissecting him by scent and so far, she was dead-on accurate.
“Interesting. Most men lay it on thick. Too thick.” She wrinkled her nose again, a gesture he found endearingly adorable.
“So do most women.”
“Agreed.” She tilted her head toward him with a delicate sniff. “Without all the false layers, your true scent comes through much more clearly.”
“And do you find that offensive?” He had to ask. He knew she wasn’t made up of layers of false scents either. Besides the soap, which was starting to wear off, he could smell something else. Flowery, delicate, sweet and simple, she smelled much like he thought of her.
Interesting observation.
“Of course not.” She reared back, as if shocked by his question. He sounded like a wimp, asking such a thing but he couldn’t help it. Her opinion mattered. “Scent is a very powerful thing you know, especially when it comes to attraction.”
“I know.” Hell yeah, he knew. Just spending the last few minutes with her, sitting so close, he was becoming aroused by her nearness. Her scent.
“You have a very pleasant smell,” she stated primly.
He wanted to laugh but held it in. She sounded like a proper schoolteacher from the nineteenth century. It made him wonder if she felt the same crazy attraction as he did. He couldn’t act on it. It would be career suicide if he did. For once in his life, he was on the straight and narrow and he found he liked it. He didn’t want to screw it up either, since he was desperate for his brothers’ approval.
If he could make this happen, if he and Gabriella could create the perfect women’s scent that turned into a rousing success, then he could take it to the next level. A men’s scent, an entire scent family, it was all possible. He would be president of the parfum division and Hunter would finally have to agree Rhett knew what the hell he was doing. He wasn’t the screwup, fuck-around baby brother any longer.
He’d grown up, damn it. And he wasn’t about to allow himself to become distracted by the pretty perfumer who had him intrigued.
No matter how badly he wanted to be distracted.
Chapter Four
“More wine, miss?”
Ella parted her lips, ready to decline, but the waiter proceeded to refill her glass, not waiting for her reply. Worry whispered through her and she nibbled on her lower lip.
She was drinking too much and eating little—a lethal combination. Her third glass of wine and it was all going straight to her head. Cold and crisp, with a delicate, fruity taste and heady fragrance, it was by far the most delicious wine she’d ever consumed.
And consume it she did.
Besides the wine, the food was amazing, what little she ate of it. The restaurant was beautiful, dark and intimate, and the service impeccable. She felt like a princess, her every whim indulged.
“Want dessert?”
The deep, rich voice of Rhett Worth was another, albeit secret, indulgence. Gooseflesh erupted all over her skin every time he spoke and she was acutely aware of the intimacy of the situation. It didn’t feel like a
dinner meeting between business associates, though they’d certainly discussed the terms of the contract, Rhett putting any of her spoken worries at ease.
But there were other deeper, unsaid worries. Sexy worries that screamed caution. She was detrimentally attracted to him, everything about him. And she labeled it detrimental because even having these feelings was dangerous to her well being. Her career, her future, her…everything.
“No, thank you,” she finally said, grabbing her glass and gulping from it. Big mistake. The moment she set the glass on the table, her head spun. She was definitely tipsy. She needed to lay off before she progressed into full-blown drunk.
Had she ever been full-blown drunk? She didn’t think so.
“They have the best cheesecake in the world.” Oh, he was a devil, tempting her with cheesecake, her absolute favorite dessert. His blue eyes twinkled and his smile was full of mischief. He must’ve been a hellion as a boy, probably got away with anything and everything, what with how he exuded so much natural charm.
Charm she was falling for, though she was a fool to even consider it.
“I hate cheesecake,” she lied.
His smile grew, a faint dimple appearing. Oh, he was cute. Handsome. Sexy. “I think you’re lying. Who hates cheesecake?”
She sighed. “Fine, you twisted my arm.” He hadn’t twisted anything, she’d caved way too easily and his wicked grin told her he knew this.
With her luck, he’d use it against her later. Maybe hold his body against her too…
Ella slapped her hand over her mouth, covering her unwanted gasp. Where did that thought come from?
“You won’t regret it,” he said just before he stopped the waiter from passing by. “One slice of cheesecake, please, and we’ll need two forks.”
“We’re going to share?” Oh, dear. That felt even more intimate. This bogus dinner meeting was more like a date. Not that she’d been on a lot of dates, considering the guys she’d been with in the past had been friends that morphed into relationships. She’d been younger then and terribly broke, as her past boyfriends had been too.
“It’s a huge piece,” he explained, sounding perfectly logical. “It’s smarter if we share.”
“Oh.” Well. She couldn’t protest that, could she? “Listen, I don’t know what’s happening between us here.”
He arched a brow. Wow, he was good at that. “What do you mean?”
“This dinner meeting we’re having.”
“I thought it went well.” He paused and studied her, as if carefully gauging her mood. “We’re still in agreement, aren’t we? You’re not going to back out.”
“No,” she said vehemently, shaking her head. “Of course not.”
“Then what’s the problem?” He sounded genuinely perplexed.
Which in turn, filled her with doubt. Was she overreacting? Maybe the wine had gone to her head faster than she thought. “Never mind.” She waved her hand. “I’m being silly.”
“No, tell me. What’s bothering you?”
The waiter magically appeared, brandishing a plate with the most heavenly looking slice of cheesecake she’d ever seen. “Enjoy,” he said once he set the plate between them, resting each fork on either side.
“Wow.” Ella eagerly reached for her fork, thankful for the interruption. Crisis avoided, thank goodness. The last thing she needed was to make an utter fool out of herself. “This looks amazing.”
“Dig in,” he encouraged, and she did, though she noticed he held back. He watched her, making her incredibly self-conscious, and she hoped he wouldn’t bring the uncomfortable subject back up.
But the moment the bite of cheesecake hit her taste buds, all thoughts of embarrassing admissions disappeared. “Oh, my God,” she groaned, trying her best to savor the bite before she swallowed. The slight tartness of the cheesecake combined with a hint of lemon, the sugary graham cracker crust and the homemade whipped cream…
“You like it?” His voice was tight, as was his expression.
“Yes,” she practically purred, forking up another bite. A bit of cream stuck to the corner of her mouth and she darted out her tongue, licking it away. Caught sight of Rhett’s heated gaze locked on her mouth.
The breath left her body when she saw that look. His lids were lowered, but they didn’t disguise the desire she saw flaring in his eyes. Maybe this weird is-it-a-date/are-we-attracted-to-each-other thing she was feeling wasn’t so off after all.
Reaching for her virtually untouched glass of water, she took a few swallows, then waved her fork in Rhett’s direction. “Have some. There’s no way I can finish it.”
“Are you sure? You seem to be—enjoying it.” He practically choked out the last two words, and her cheeks heated at the sexual undertones.
“I am enjoying it. But I’d rather we share,” she suggested softly. “I don’t want to be a complete pig.”
“You couldn’t be a pig if you tried,” he drawled, stabbing his fork into the cheesecake and bringing a bite to his mouth.
His beautiful, finely sculpted mouth, she might add. She watched in breathless fascination as he wrapped his lips around the tines of the fork, heard the little murmur of approval when he tasted the creamy dessert. Her body responded instantly to that discreet sound. Nipples hard, skin tingling, she swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat.
“Good?” she asked, then cleared her throat.
“Delicious,” he murmured once he swallowed. He pointed his empty fork at her. “Have another bite.”
It was seduction over shared cheesecake, that was all she could think. Their murmured noises of pleasure, the way he would look at her, their knees bumping into each other beneath the table. Talks of contracts and legal terms were long forgotten, and she found herself staring at his too-handsome face, wondering what sort of kisser he was.
Probably a really exceptional one, she thought dreamily as she dragged her fork through the bits of leftover cheesecake stuck to the plate. Probably the type who would start out slow, cupping her face with gentle fingers, brushing his lips against hers before he darted his tongue out for a teasing, tempting lick…
The waiter came and cleared the rest of their plates, offering the check to Rhett with a subtle slide across the table. He pulled his black American Express card from the sleek leather wallet—made by Worth—and handed it to the waiter, who took it with an eager nod and promise to be right back.
She admired his ability to be so commanding with such little effort. Quite frankly, he reeked of it. Everything about him was wealthy perfection, from the perfectly cut hair to the very expensive clothes. Not to mention his exquisite good looks…
“We’d like for you to meet with us tomorrow at Worth. My brothers and I,” he added when she frowned. “Alex wants to finalize everything before we move on to the next step. Plus, we have the brief to give you.”
Oh. Talk about men who reeked of power and wealth. Meeting with all three of the Worth brothers at once was going to be a lesson in learning how to move past intimidation. “And what exactly is the next step?”
“I haven’t told you. My apologies.” He shook his head, looking thoroughly disgusted with himself. “Well, my plans are to go to Hawaii—Maui specifically. Do a scent tour of the island, if you will.”
Her father had done many scent tours as had she. “I’ve never been to the Hawaiian Islands.”
“Really? That surprises me.”
It surprised her too. “I’ve been to many tropical locations. The Caribbean, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, but we never went to Hawaii. So you’re going for a tropical scent?” She knew this, she’d looked over the brief they’d sent her father accompanied by the contracts.
“Tropical elegance, we hope. Alex came up with that description. So many island-based scents are cheap versions of what we think it should smell like. Piña coladas, coconut, pineapples. You know what I mean?”
“I do.” She’d never been a fan of tropical scents and now she was being asked to create one.
A challenge if she ever heard it.
“I don’t want any of that shit. Pardon,” he added quickly, making her smile. “When you get off the plane on any of the Hawaiian Islands, the first thing you notice is the scent. It’s so heavy in the air, a mixture of the salty ocean breezes, the plumeria flowers on the trees and I don’t know what else, but I want to capture that. I want you to capture it.”
Her head already buzzed with ideas but she kept her composure. She didn’t want to appear too excited. “Do you want the scent to be cool or hot?”
He frowned. “Excuse me?”
She waved a hand. “Scents have temperature. Most are balanced and I can control that. Make it warm like the sun or cool like an ocean breeze.”
“Hmm.” He rubbed a hand along his firm jaw. “I like the idea of both.”
“I can mix both.”
“I’m sure you can.”
How did those words sound so…sexual when really it was a simple sentence? She decided it best to change the subject. “I can’t wait to go to Maui. When do we leave?”
“Monday.” Rhett made a face, as if afraid of her reaction.
“But that’s in…” It was Thursday night. He was giving her virtually no time to get anything together. Make arrangements for her dad.
“I know, and I’m sorry. But we have to get a move on with this project.” He smiled apologetically. “Since it was delayed and all.”
The unspoken words hung heavy between them. Delayed by her father’s avoidance tactics, though she knew Rhett would never say it, he was far too polite, but it was the truth. And for whatever twisted reason, she couldn’t help but feel some responsibility for that.
“Monday won’t be a problem,” she said with a slight nod. “You can count on me to be ready to leave first thing.”
The waiter reappeared with Rhett’s credit card and the sales slip. He signed it with a flourish, handed over the pen to the waiter, who bobbed his head at the both of them before he hurried away, swallowed up by the crowded restaurant.
“I appreciate your willingness,” he said once he’d shoved his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. “I hope you don’t mind spending a few days with me on Maui.”
Worth the Challenge Page 4