He’d tried to make an appointment, he’d wanted to tell her, but Alice either canceled or rescheduled every time.
But it wasn’t like he could fault her work or call her unprofessional. In the week and a half that had passed since their run-in at the party, she had been incredibly industrious, coming up with a variety of gala themes, venue suggestions, and entertainment options. She didn’t seem to need his help with any of it, but she dutifully kept him in the loop—the cold, unemotional, business-only loop.
Well, not anymore.
“She can’t avoid me forever,” he told his friend, whose stifled laughter he pointedly ignored. “Look, I’ve got to run. I’m at her office building. I’ll see you at the gala tonight.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Claudia said, her voice filled with laughter. “And tell your reluctant date that I can’t wait to meet her.”
He hung up on her without saying good-bye. It was clear his best friend thought he was nuts—and maybe he was because he sure as hell couldn’t explain his behavior. This was exactly what he didn’t want. He’d never wanted complicated or difficult—this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. But try as he might to convince himself of that, he couldn’t shake this obsession. He’d never found himself thinking about any woman the way he did Alice. She haunted him when he was awake and in his dreams.
He opened the front door and strode through the glass-walled lobby of her office building with quick, determined steps. If his parents’ marriage had taught him anything, it was that a real connection was worth fighting for. He couldn’t say for certain if this was love or just an infatuation—all he knew was that it was a first for him in so many ways. The first time something hadn’t come easily, for one. The first time he’d veered off plan—not that in pursuing Alice he’d ditched his life plan or anything, career-wise, he was still right on track—but blatantly throwing himself at a woman who claimed to have no interest was definitely not how he’d imaged his personal life unfolding. He was supposed to have met a nice, sweet, amiable woman by now. One who liked him in return and who welcomed his advances.
He shook his head in self-disgust as he waited for the elevator. Instead, he’d gone and fallen for the one hot, single woman who had zero interest in dating him.
But he couldn’t help who he felt the connection with. It wasn’t like he’d set out to fall for her. Not that he’d fallen, he corrected himself quickly. It was much too early to tell if she was the one.
That was why he needed more time with her. He glanced down at the coffees in his hand as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. That was exactly why he was here, coffee in hand in lieu of an olive branch as he set out to strong-arm his crush into going on a date with him.
He shook his head in mild disbelief at his own predicament before striding down the hall toward the offices. The assistant closest to Alice’s office came out from behind her desk quickly when she saw him. “I’m afraid Alice is in a meeting at the moment.”
Right. Of course she was. He flashed the young girl his most charming smile. “That’s quite all right. I’m actually here to see Mr. Dixon and Mr. Jamison today.”
She blinked at him a few times, her jaw slack as she seemed to be digesting this bit of news. He moved to continue down the hall but turned back quickly to see the assistant still watching him.
“If you see Alice, would you please be so kind as to tell her about our meeting? Something tells me she might like to join.”
She nodded mutely, her mouth still slightly agape. He turned then and headed toward the largest office at the end of the hall.
Now it was just a matter of waiting. Something told him he wouldn’t be waiting long.
* * * *
Alice’s head snapped up as Rosie burst into her office, panting for air. “Rosie? What is it?”
Breathlessly the assistant related her story, and before she could finish, Alice was on her feet, heading toward the office door, an anxious pit roiling in her stomach. “Meeting with Dixon and Jamison? Did he say why?”
Rosie shook her head as she followed her into the hallway. The assistant kept talking but Alice tuned her out, her brain was sorting through the possibilities. He was there to complain about her work. No, she’d been doing her work just fine. So maybe she hadn’t been terribly inclusive with her teammate on this one, but she’d been doing all the work. He couldn’t possibly be here to complain.
Her internal pep talk did nothing to assuage the rising panic. By the time she reached the door and swung it open, her stomach was churning. What the hell was he doing here?
All three men turned to her with a bright smile as the door slammed against the far wall with far too much force. She winced inwardly at the sound, but her sudden and dramatic entrance didn’t seem to faze the others in the room.
“Alice,” Dixon said in his typically jovial tone. “So glad you could make it.”
Mr. Jamison turned to her with a less ecstatic smile but a smile nonetheless. “Yes, Ms. Klein, we’re so happy to hear how much progress you’ve made with the children’s clinic fundraiser.”
Alice tried not to lose her cool in the face of praise coming from the big boss—the boss who hadn’t known her from Adam up until…well, now. “Thank you, sir. It’s been—”
“Dr. Bale has been singing your praises,” he continued, beaming at her as he patted Nicholas’s arm. She risked a quick glance at Nicholas. Had he?
He, like the others, seemed happy as could be. Too happy. Suspiciously happy, considering she’d been avoiding him like the plague since that night in front of the theater. Her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion and his eyes darted away from hers, back to the others.
She may not know him well, but that quick, evasive look spoke volumes. She just knew that Dr. Nicholas Bale wasn’t one to avoid eye contact—not unless he had something to hide.
What was she missing here?
It didn’t take long to find out.
“Nicholas here was just telling us about how the two of you will be attending tonight’s gala to meet the donors and spread the word about our new clinic,” Dixon said.
All eyes were on her, and she did her best to keep her cool. Steeling her features into a smile, she murmured, “Did he now?”
That set Jamison off on a little tirade about what a wonderful idea it was that they network together and how beneficial this would be for her. Just think of all of the connections she’d make.
Alice nodded and smiled, but she was only half listening. All of her attention was focused on the man standing beside her, ignoring her stares. Anger had heat spreading throughout her limbs and up to her cheeks.
She would kill him. Yup, she was definitely going to kill him.
But she forced a brilliant smile when Dixon and Jamison turned her way. “Well, you kids have to get ready for the big night. Alice, why don’t you take off a little early today?”
“Great idea,” she said through clenched teeth.
Through a haze of blind fury she followed Nicholas out of the office, remembering to grab her purse and jacket from the office before following him down the hall to the elevator. She remained silent as they waited for the doors to open.
It wasn’t until they were in the elevator and the doors had clicked shut that she spoke. “I cannot believe you,” she hissed.
Spinning to face him, she saw the guilt written all over his face as he winced.
“You set me up.”
He held his hands up as if to calm her, but she backed away. She didn’t trust what she would do if he touched her right now. Rage was coursing through her, yet a little part of her couldn’t help but note that he looked good. No, hot. Gone were the scrubs and the work clothes—instead, he was wearing jeans and a sweater beneath a dark leather jacket.
With a bit of a five o’clock shadow on that ridiculously cut jawline, he looked…sexy. Dangerous. She liked it. And her body liked it way too much. She was no longer sure if
the rapid pulse and rising heat were due to anger or lust. Or both.
Oh hell, she was a mess.
He started to explain. “I know it was a bit underhanded, but you did promise to work with me on this.”
She clenched her teeth and her fists, trying to restrain her emotions because, if she didn’t, she had no idea if she would slap him or kiss him.
“And this will be a great opportunity to network with the right people,” he continued. His low voice sounded so calm, so reasonable. Yup, she would definitely slap him.
The elevator came to a stop and she stormed out ahead of him. His hand on her arm stopped her before she could reach the front door of the lobby. Swinging around, she bit out, “What?”
His eyes were filled with a tenderness that nearly knocked her off her feet. Her breath left her lungs in an instant as he gazed down at her like she was the only woman on earth. Nope, she would definitely kiss him if she let herself go.
She tightened her fists until her nails dug into her palm, willing herself to keep control. “What?” she snapped again.
He sighed, his entire body seeming to deflate with disappointment. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She studied him as he ran a hand through his unmussable hair. “I don’t know what came over me. I just…” He shook his head. “I was desperate to see you.”
His words combined with his self-deprecating laugh cut through her, threatening to dissolve her anger.
She had to get out of there before she did something stupid. Like let him off the hook. Or kiss him. Or throw herself into his arms like a drowning person searching for air, because that was exactly how she felt. Desperate and needy. As if she couldn’t breathe, and moving closer to him was the only way to survive.
“Pick me up in two hours,” she said. Spinning on her heel, she headed out the door, and hailed a cab.
They should have shared a cab since they were heading to the same place, but Alice couldn’t fathom being alone in a tight space with him. Not now when she was this close to losing her grip on sanity. She needed space—room to breathe.
She had two hours to fortify herself, build back up her defenses so he couldn’t get through.
* * * *
Two hours, two glasses of wine, and half a pint of ice cream later, and her shield was still not quite up to par. When he knocked on the door, her stomach felt wobbly, her heart jumping into her throat. She could do this. It was one night.
She could keep her cool—and her distance—for one freakin’ night.
She opened the door and saliva pooled in her mouth. Oh sweet Jesus, he was so hot.
He was handsome in his work clothes, sexy and dangerous in his casual wear, but holy hell… The man was a stud in a suit. He’d shaved the five o’clock shadow and was standing in her doorway, looking ridiculously at ease in a perfectly tailored black suit.
He was eyeing her from head to toe just as she was studying him.
“You look gorgeous.” His low voice made her shiver, and she tugged self-consciously at the hem of her silver cocktail dress.
It was her favorite formal dress—one that always made her feel confident and sexy.
So where was that confidence now when she needed it most?
An awkward silence loomed between them. Alice did not do awkward silences. She did not do awkward, period—except for anytime this particular man was around. Why? She wanted to yell at the injustice. At the complete insanity of it. But she held her yelling in check and backed up, allowing him into her home.
Unwanted memories from his last visit to her apartment flashed in her mind with a vengeance. Nicholas pressing her against the door as he kissed her senseless. The way his hands slid over her body, making her scream with pleasure. The way he’d felt pressed against her, the weight of his hard, naked body pressing her into the bed, making her feel safe…grounded.
Grounded? Where had that thought come from?
She blinked up at him, trying to shake off the memories. Maybe he was lost in the same train of thought because he was unusually quiet, his gaze fixed on her, dark and filled with promises. He took a step toward her and she told herself to move.
Her body did not listen.
She knew what would happen but she couldn’t bring herself to stop it. She was frozen in place, partly horrified by what was about to occur, but also frighteningly eager.
He closed the distance between them in one step, pulling her close so she was pressed up against him. Her traitorous body pressed against his, her curves aching to mold to his hard strength.
That was all the encouragement he needed. One hand gently held the back of her neck as his lips moved over hers with a tender fierceness that made her tremble. Something in her chest cracked, and a sharp pain pierced her, begging to let go and let herself drown in this man’s kisses. His gentle touch. His kind words.
She caught herself at the last minute, pushing him away from her with all her might even though it felt like defying gravity to break away from his embrace.
Taking two hasty steps back, she stopped when she hit the island in her little kitchen. She needed space. More room. She couldn’t breathe.
Nicholas was breathing heavy, she noticed. But he was watching her with concern in his eyes. “Alice, I’m sorry—”
“No,” she cut him off. “No, you’re not sorry.” Her voice shook with anger and other emotions she didn’t want to name.
He must have heard it because his brows furrowed with concern. “Alice, please, let me—”
She shook her head, pushing off the counter and walking farther into the apartment to try to get some air. “I don’t want to hear it. This was what you wanted, wasn’t it? You made a big show out of inviting me to this event to network….”
He had the good grace to flinch at her sarcastic tone.
“When really, all you wanted was a way to get into my pants,” she finished. “You’re just like all the others.” She hadn’t meant for those words to slip out but they did, and the bitterness in her tone was impossible to ignore. It tainted the air around them like a toxic poison.
After a short silence, Nicholas ran his hand through his hair. “All the others?”
She pinched her lips together to keep from saying anymore. She’d already said too much. And really, what had she expected? She’d known all along that he was just another man. Sure, he did a good job of coming across as gallant and honorable, but deep down, he was just like every other man. Except that he was more dangerous because he hid it so well. She’d nearly come to believe that he was as genuine and honest as he seemed.
No one was that good. And no man did anything unless there was something in it for him. Like her. And it would be one thing if he just wanted her body—lots of men wanted that. That she could deal with. But he seemed to want more. He wanted all of her.
A shiver of fear had her rubbing her arms as she pushed past him to grab her wrap. When she turned back, he was standing where she’d left him, his eyes wide with surprise. She moved toward him, wrap and purse in hand, and took a deep breath before striding toward the door. “Shall we go?”
A light touch on her arm as she passed made her freeze in place.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “Shouldn’t we talk about what just happened?”
She fixed her eyes on the door, unable to look him in the eyes. Her resolve was weak—part of her still wanted to throw herself into his arms and pick up where they had left off—but she clung to her will power desperately. “There’s nothing to talk about. This is just business, right? Isn’t that what you said?”
He didn’t move his arm, and for a moment they stood there, touching but not looking at one another. Until finally, she heard him say quietly, “If that’s what you want.”
Her chest squeezed painfully, but she ignored it. “Let’s go then.”
Chapter 7
This was what he’d wanted, wasn’t it? He should be thrilled. He had Alice on his arm—lo
oking stunning in her formal gown and perfect hair and makeup. He’d won their little battle and had managed to get her out with him, on a date. Sort of.
The “sort of” was what made his smile feel forced as they walked through the door of the hotel’s ballroom, brilliantly lit with chandeliers and twinkling lights, reflecting the holiday season and theme of the annual fundraiser.
They paused near the doorway, taking in the big band that played on stage, the whirling couples dancing around them, and the formally-attired wait staff who weaved through the crowd with their trays of appetizers. “What do you think?” he asked.
He looked down and saw Alice tilt her head to the side as she studied the scene before her. “I think this looks like every fundraiser or gala event I’ve ever been to.”
He followed her gaze. She was right. He’d attended more than enough of these to last a lifetime, and they were always the same. The same people, the same elegant food and music, the same tepid vibe of polite laughter and inane small talk.
A wave of exhaustion swept over him at the thought of going through another one these nights. But then he looked down at his gorgeous date and grinned. Tonight would most definitely not be the same as any other night because he had her.
For tonight, at least.
As if she felt his gaze, she swung around to face him. “So, who should I meet first?” Her voice was clipped. Cold. Businesslike. “I’m thinking we should start over there where Mr. Jamison and his wife are. They could provide some great introductions.”
He tried to ignore the bitter disappointment at her professional demeanor. Really, what had he expected? He’d all but forced him to come out with him tonight and all under the pretense of business. He couldn’t really have expected that she would just forget that—lose herself to the date-like atmosphere.
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