Grey chuckled. “Smart move. When it comes to a woman who has drawn the interest of a Masters man, things work better without a plan. Ask Quinn or Shane. They’ll back me on that.”
Lake had no reason not to believe him. He’d been out of the game too long, and after Liz, he never really cared to know how it was played. He hoped it would be like riding a bicycle. It was just a matter of getting back on and taking off … for what it was worth. He glanced back over his shoulder. And from where he was standing, it was worth a lot.
“She’s a lot younger than what I figured you’d be interested in.”
He turned back to Grey. “Yes, she is. From what I understand, I’m almost ten years older than she is.”
“Umm, I remembered what you once said.”
Lake frowned. He remembered what he’d once said, too. “Yes, but I might have a good reason to look at things differently now and not let age be a determining factor.”
“Evidently.”
“Don’t put too much into it, Grey. I haven’t even met her yet,” he said, trying to rationalize why he felt such a desire to have the woman standing across the room. Sure, she was attractive and had a great body, but he knew a number of women with those characteristics. Simple enough. But he had a feeling that there was something about Courtney Andrews that went beyond simple.
“I’ve met her,” Grey interrupted his thoughts by saying. “Besides being a looker, Courtney is smart, intelligent, likable, and she has a good head on her shoulders for her age.”
“I take that to mean she doesn’t come with drama.”
Grey grinned. “Lake, every woman comes with drama to some degree. It’s going to be up to you to decide just how much of it you’re willing to tolerate.”
Lake wasn’t surprised his brother would feel that way. Considering Grey’s in-laws, namely Brandy’s mom, Valerie, and her dad, Victor, he could definitely understand why Grey was saying that. Valerie and Victor never married, but after over thirty-something years, they were still embroiled in a love-hate relationship. But that’s where he and Grey were different. Personally, for him when it came to drama—especially of the family kind— he had a zero-tolerance level. No woman was worth it. He had Liz to thanks for his feeling that way. “Remember what I said,” Lake warned. “Not a word to Brandy and the others.”
Grey chuckled. “I’m married to a pretty smart woman, Lake. She’ll figure out things without my help. It won’t take a rocket scientist to detect that you’re interested.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t need or want anyone’s help, and I’m depending on you to convince Brandy of that.”
Grey laughed. “Her intentions are good. She loves you.”
“I love her, too, but I have to determine if Courtney’s the one on my own. You know the vow.”
Grey glanced back over to where his wife was talking to Courtney. “Yes, I know the vow.”
Lake nodded. All the Masters had vowed never to marry until they were sure they had found the perfect mate, and it was about more than a beautiful face, a nice body, and a pair of gorgeous legs.
“I’m going to move around and mingle awhile,” Lake said with a sigh of finality in his voice.
“And then?”
He met Grey’s inquisitive gaze. “And then when I feel the time is right, I will introduce myself.”
If only I could find a guy who loved me as much, Courtney thought, reflecting on her conversation earlier with Sonya and Mike. The newlyweds had had a fabulous time in Italy, and she could tell just from the way they interacted with each other that their marriage was off to a good start. They were simply perfect for each other.
And it was quite obvious to everyone that Mike adored his wife. Courtney, although she was extremely happy for her cousin, couldn’t help but feel a little envy. That’s what she wanted. That’s what she desired most of all: for a man to cater to her every whim, and she in turn would cater to his. She wanted a man who would be her soul mate. A man who would give her a reason to look forward to the end of every workday. A man she could share her secrets with. A man who would hold friendship with the same high regard that he would hold sex. Was that too much to ask for? Evidently it was, since she was twenty-nine and still didn’t have a man. But she refused to settle for just anything or anyone. She refused to think that anything was better than nothing. Instead, she was convinced that nothing from nothing left nothing, and she was a woman who wanted everything. In her heart, she felt she was more than deserving of a man who would treat her like a princess and make her his queen.
Her parents thought she was just too nitpicky. They believed she was looking for too much out of a relationship. She totally disagreed with them. The way she saw it, at her age, why should she waste her time on someone who didn’t have anything to offer her other than grief? She was too well established in her own career to want a man who needed her help in establishing his. She wanted to meet someone already on her level or above, and not someone she had to help get there.
Thinking too much about her love life—or lack thereof—was giving her a headache, so she snagged a crystal champagne flute off the tray of a passing waiter and took a sip.
She’d had a brief moment to talk to Sonya alone, but never had the heart to tell her cousin just what she thought of that little black book she’d inherited. Just as well, Courtney thought. The last person she needed to unload her problems on tonight was Sonya. This was Sonya and Mike’s night, and like the others in attendance, she had come to welcome them back home.
She took another sip of her drink and inwardly smiled. Vickie was supposed to have been her date tonight, but Dan had surprised Vickie and come to town. Just as Courtney had assumed, his new job was overloading his time, and his inability to get away for the weekends had nothing to do with how he felt about Vickie. Courtney was glad all of that had gotten straightened out. Dan was a sweetheart and Vickie was blessed to have someone like him in her life.
Thinking that she would remain at the party for another half hour at the most, she was about to cross the room and chat with Amber Jeffries, someone she’d gotten to know through Sonya’s friendship with Carla, when she happened to notice a man staring at her.
At first she thought it was Grey Masters, Brandy’s husband, but when she looked again, she saw it wasn’t Grey but a man who closely resembled him. She wondered if perhaps it was one of Grey’s brothers.
Courtney stared back, totally mesmerized as a sharp tingling sensation invaded her entire body. Something indefinable was taking place between them, and she didn’t understand just what. But the one thing she did know was that the man was simply gorgeous.
She wondered about his age, since even from across the room she could see the sprinkle of gray at his temples, which gave him a very distinguished look. On top of that, dressed in a polo shirt and a pair of dark trousers, the man had a build that emitted such raw physical masculinity that it almost took her breath away.
He was tall, over six feet easily, and the coloring of his skin reminded her of malted milk chocolate. Then there were his eyes—dark, impressive, and alluring. And the short, neatly trimmed beard was classic sexy and gave a look to his face that was totally sensual.
He stood leaning against a huge planter with his hands in his pockets and his focus entirely on her. She wondered if anyone ever told him it was rude to stare. But then she wasn’t helping the situation by staring back. Her eyes drew together in a slight frown, and as she watched, so did his.
Okay, so he was hot as sin, sexy as all outdoors. But she’d been in the presence of good-looking men before, so what made this one so gut-wrenchingly different? As she pondered that question, he moved, and her heart began racing when she saw he was headed over to her.
Even his walk was incredibly sexy, she thought as she watched him. He strode across the room appearing powerful, in control, confident. The nipples of her breasts began tingling with every step that he took.
She shook her head, thinking she had to be losing her mind
, especially after the three disappointments she’d endured within the past three weeks. She couldn’t get her hopes up. She refused to assume anything. And more than that, she would not let her guard down, although the sensations flowing through her body were as intoxicating as the drink she’d taken earlier.
Her stomach tightened, and she could actually feel her navel tingle. This man was making chills and heat consume her all at once. She thought of turning and escaping to the nearest patio, but decided she’d never been a coward. No man had ever gotten this much of a reaction from her. She would handle it or die trying. And no matter what, she would not let him know the effect he was having on her. Even if it killed her. She inhaled, trying desperately to ignore the warm sensations overtaking her the closer he got.
And when he came to a stop directly in front of her, he stared at her a moment longer before extending his hand and saying in what she thought was a deep, sensuous tone, “Hello, I’m Lake Masters.”
11
At no point in his lifetime had there been any doubt in Lake’s mind that he could appreciate a beautiful woman whenever he encountered one. But he was pondering the impact such a woman could have on his male senses. On every nerve ending he possessed.
He knew nothing about this woman other than the little he’d gleaned from Devin and Grey. Yet, up close and personal, she was doing things to him that no other woman had ever done before. She definitely was taking the art of physical attraction and sexual chemistry to an entirely different level. The thought that he could desire any woman so fiercely, and could experience such intense emotions so profoundly, definitely had him stumped. His response to her just wasn’t normal, and hadn’t been from the first.
During the time he was in Paris, knowing such a thing had bothered him. But now he assured himself that everything was all right. She had been worth every thought that had passed through his mind, every memory. He was well aware that he still needed to get to know her, but in his opinion that was a given. Ultimately, she would discover the very thing that he now knew. There was a reason the attraction between them was of the degree that it was. And whether she accepted it or not, you couldn’t change what was meant to be. As he continued to hold her gaze, he couldn’t help wondering just what she was thinking.
At that very moment Courtney was thinking that she’d never encountered such an attraction to any man. She took a slow, steadying breath and finally forced her lips to move. “Nice meeting you, Lake. I’m Courtney Andrews.”
Speaking the words was an effort, especially when he was still holding on to her hand, and it seemed he had no intentions of letting it go any time soon. But she was enjoying the feel of his skin touching hers, the strong muscles in his fingers gripping hers in a way that sent a surge of heat through all parts of her body, while at the same time making goose bumps appear on her skin. The thought that immediately came into her mind was that although she had found Harper, Don, and Solomon attractive at first sight, none had made her think of doing naughty things with them within the first five minutes of their meeting.
Lake Masters had.
Images she couldn’t control were starting to form in her head, totally consuming her. It was as if she were being swept away by rough seas and he was the only way out of the storm. She tensed at the thought.
“Your glass is empty. Do you want another drink?”
She swallowed, thinking it would be close to impossible for any woman not to get turned on just from his voice alone. It was deep and throaty. But then, the total package was definitely worth writing home to Mom about.
She glanced down at her glass, mainly to break free from locking gazes with him. “No, thank you. I’m driving, so I believe I’ve had enough.” She braced herself, waiting for the customary pickup line most men would readily use, saying something really asinine about it being okay to fill her tank now because they would be glad to take her home and fill her tank in a different way later.
Instead she was surprised when he leaned close, nearly brushing his lips against her ear, and said, “I admire a woman who knows her limits.”
Spoken like the sophisticated and mature gentleman that he seemed to be, she immediately thought, feeling somewhat light-headed with his closeness. He was free with the compliments, comfortable with his approach. She would even go so far as to think he was sincere and wasn’t just giving her a line to impress. No, this man wasn’t a wet-behind-the-ears kid but a full-fledged man who probably knew how to appreciate a woman. Considering that, she was curious about his age. He had to be older than her by at least eight years.
“How old are you?” she blurted out, and immediately wished she could cut off her tongue for doing so when he lifted his brow. For a moment he held her gaze before saying, “I’m six months shy of forty. Does that bother you?”
“Should it?”
He shrugged massive masculine shoulders, and a teasing smile appeared on his lips. “You tell me, since you’re the one who asked.”
Which was probably a tacky thing to do, she thought, shaking her head, annoyed with herself. “No, it doesn’t bother me. I’m three months shy of thirty. Does that bother you?”
His smile widened and in a low, deliberate tone, he said, “I can’t think of anything about you that would bother me, Courtney.”
Her guard immediately went up. This Lake Masters was a prime male, and smooth as silk. But she was determined to find any hidden wrinkles. “How can you say something like that when you don’t know me?” she asked, trying not to stare at him with the heated interest she felt.
Seemingly undaunted, he smiled at her and said, “You’re right. I don’t know you, but I’m a man who trusts my gut feelings.”
She didn’t trust hers, especially when just being near him was causing supercharged emotions to run rampant within her. His smile alone caused a sizzle inside her. He had her conscious of everything about him—including the sprinkling of dark hairs on his arms, the cleanliness of his fingernails, and the way he smelled: real nice and sexy, robust. “You’re Grey’s brother aren’t you?”
He simply kept smiling and confirmed what she’d said. “Yes, I’m Grey’s brother. And you’re Sonya’s cousin, I understand.”
“Yes, that’s right,” she responded. “Are you here visiting?”
“No, I’m a resident.”
“Oh.” She wondered why their paths never crossed before. “Have you been living in Orlando long?”
“For about three months now. My primary home is in Boston. I recently expanded my business to open a branch office here.”
“And just what type of business are you in?”
“Advertising.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“It is. And I understand you’re a pharmaceutical rep.”
“Yes,” she said, wondering how he knew that.
Something in her face must have given away her thoughts, because he inclined his head toward hers when he said, “I saw you one day.”
Courtney lifted a brow when it registered just what he’d said. “You saw me?” she asked to be sure she’d heard him correctly.
“Yes. Dr. Devin Phillips and I play tennis together most Friday afternoons. I picked him up one day and was sitting in the parking lot waiting for him to come out and I watched you walk into his office.”
When he didn’t say anything else, Courtney felt her heart start beating fast in her chest upon realizing there might be more. Something he hadn’t said as he continued to look at her. That pushed her to ask, “And?”
“And I liked what I saw.”
She swallowed. A part of her felt she should say something. Lake Masters was being a little too forward. He was moving a bit too fast. He was too quick-witted for her frame of mind. Yet at the same time, that deep-rooted feminine side of her liked the fact that he had secretly checked her out one day.
“I asked Devin about you.”
His words pulled her thoughts back in. She tightened her fingers around her empty drink glass and met his dark
gaze. She felt his heat. It was increasing her pulse rate. It had a lump forming in her throat. And on top of everything else, her breasts suddenly began feeling sensitive against the material of her dress.
“I hope he said good things,” she said, watching him take a sip of his drink and thinking she liked the decadent way his lips touched the rim of the glass.
“He did say good things,” he responded as his gaze circled around the room. It then returned to her, looked deeply at her, and he said, “And he also told me what I considered the most important piece of information.”
With an effort she tried downplaying the wave of sensations erupting in her stomach at the intensity of his gaze. “Which was?” she asked, staring back at him.
“The fact that you’re not married, and as far as he knew, you aren’t seriously involved with anyone.” He paused and then asked, “Are you?”
“No,” she confirmed, racking her brain as to why he would consider that to be of major importance.
“That’s good.”
Courtney lifted an arched brow. He had said the words with such finality, with such a keen sense of decisiveness. “And why is that good?” she couldn’t help asking.
He leaned in closer. She smelled his enticing masculine scent and could feel his tantalizing hot breath in her ear when he whispered, “Because, Courtney Andrews, I intend to be an intricate part of your future.”
“If you say so.” Courtney chuckled, evidently thinking he was teasing, giving her a line. Lake watched a smile spread across what he considered perfectly shaped lips—full, enticing, almost magnetic. The kind you wanted to connect with your own. Savor. Nibble. Get downright greedy and devour. He saw more than a trace of amusement in her eyes. The woman had no idea he was dead serious. In fact, he hadn’t known just how serious he was until now. He wanted Courtney Andrews. All of her. And not just physically.
Oh, there was a high degree of lust eating at him, forcing him to keep his aroused body under control. But then there was something else, too. With spending less than twenty minutes in her presence, he’d felt emotions, the kind that were a telltale sign to a Masters. At least to those inclined to accept the inevitable. According to Brandy, Grey had tried being a hard case and hadn’t accepted how things would be for them until he’d been hit right smack between the eyes. As far as Lake was considered, no one had to hit him with what he considered so totally obvious, it wasn’t funny. At least it wasn’t funny to him. However, Courtney found his statement amusing, since she was grinning.
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