“What?” Liz asked defensively. “I wasn’t trying to be witty. You’re my best friend, and you’ve finally decided to clear the cobwebs. I have a vested interest in this whole thing. And don’t forget, if it wasn’t for me, this wouldn’t be happening.”
She snorted. “Oh, now you choose to take responsibility?”
Liz ignored her. “Well, what are you thinking now? I’ll shut up and pay attention,” she promised.
“I think he’s a good man. He takes care of his employees, and he cares about them. And the way he was with me on the flight … he stayed close the entire time and even got me to forget I was on a plane ride for a while. And no,” she rushed out, “it wasn’t just during the sex.”
And that was something she hadn’t even gotten from her former fiancé. Zach hadn’t had patience for her irrational fear, and he’d often used the opportunity to make fun of her. Come to think of it, he hadn’t had patience for much.
“I just … I don’t know,” she said helplessly.
“You just want to see what happens, huh?”
“I guess. I mean, earlier, it was so intense. It’s hard for me to believe that he could walk away from that and be unaffected. Maybe it was just another easy lay to him.” Even though she’d spent the last few months mentally coaching herself against feeling anything towards him, a little piece of her heart cracked at the thought. She drew in a shuddering breath. “Liz, do you think that’s what will happen?”
“You know what, hon? He’s a man, and there is a reason that they’re known as the unfair sex. But you know what else? For a man who just wants a quick ‘wham bam,’ he’s gone through an awful lot of trouble to just get some. And, he’s already sampled the goods, and he came back for more so….” She trailed off, letting the pregnant silence speak for her until a sharp cry pierced through the quiet.
“Gotta go?” Sophie asked softly.
“Shit, yes. That’s my cue. Hannah is always cranky when she wakes up from her naps. My parting words of wisdom: let my children serve as industrial strength birth control and make sure the sex god wraps it up while he screws you in paradise. ”
“You’re insane.”
She could almost hear her friend smirk through the line as she added, “And if by any chance, you guys screw up, pun intended, I fully expect your offspring to be named after me. I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl. Ciao bella!”
More than a little unsettled, Sophie stared at her phone as the annoying dial tone sounded through the tiny speaker. A healthy dose of Liz was like several cups of espresso.
There was no way she was going to be able to nap after this.
*****
A soft bell was ringing somewhere. Groggily, she peeled open heavy eyes before she realized that the sound was coming from within her room. Seconds later, a light knock rapped against the door.
She yawned tiredly and threw off the lightweight duvet before grabbing her robe to see who was at the door.
Half hoping, half dreading that it was Lucas, she was surprised when the bellhop from before stood in front of her, holding a large, flat white gift box.
“For you, Miss Harlow.” He held the box out at her.
Confused, she shook her head. “I didn’t order anything.”
“It is a gift, for you. The gentleman, Mr. Sinclair, asked that it be brought up to your room.” Bright white teeth shone against his wrinkled, swarthy skin, and he nodded at the box, gesturing for her to take it.
Hesitantly, she reached out and took the box. “Thank you,” she murmured absentmindedly, still staring down at it.
She moved the vase of flowers aside and set the box on top of the center table. Breath suspended in her chest, she carefully lifted the top. Her name was written in bold, slanted scrawl on an ivory notecard set atop folded tissue paper. She’d seen his handwriting enough times to know he’d written it on his own. Warmth fluttered in her belly as she flipped the card over.
Sophie-
You would do my ego wonders if you agreed to have dinner with me tonight. And I know what you’re going to say, but no, it is not big enough already.
I have a reservation under my name for us at 9, downstairs at the La Mer.
In case you’re wondering, this is me asking. I’m not telling or ordering, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t say it would be a great disappointment to me if you declined my offer.
The dress is yours, whether you come or not. And no, that’s not a pun—at least not intended.
However…
If you do show, please wear it. I promise if you do, my lips won’t just be playing on words.
Hopefully yours,
-LS
His promise made her body hum with arousal, even as her lips tugged upwards in a reluctant smile at his glib note. She set the notecard aside and stared at the white tissue paper. Her mind replayed the events from earlier, the conversation she’d had with Liz … even though she had softened towards him and was steadily losing control of her willpower, her gut told her that the moment she entered the restaurant to meet him, there would be no turning back.
From anything and everything.
There was no way this would end well.
They were too different. Even though she did fairly well for herself, he was rolling in dough, so much that she was certain if he used dollar bills for Kleenex, it still wouldn’t put a dent in his fortune. He was suave, in control, and clearly used to smooth talking the opposite sex into what he wanted.
Although it was probably wasted breath on his part. All a woman had to do was look at his gorgeous face, and she’d probably drop her panties.
It was foolish to think that she could escape this unscathed.
She closed her eyes for a moment, needing a second to shut everything out so that she could think clearly, but all she saw was heat and raw need in his dark eyes as he sent her body climbing higher and higher.
She supposed it was also foolish to think that she could resist him for very long.
And that was it.
She knew the moment her resistance faded into nothing. Her heart felt lighter, and the tension she’d been dealing with for the last few months left her body. Every sense was heightened, even the damned tissue paper looked whiter. She finally stopped staring at it and tore the thin paper aside to reveal deep, emerald green silk.
Something she’d never felt before, a feeling she couldn’t identify swept through her as she lifted it out of the box. When she held the dress up, the material flowed easily from her hands like water.
It was easily one of the most stunning dresses she’d ever seen.
Straps around an inch wide on the shoulders flowed into a deep V neckline. The hem looked to be about knee length, but it was a little longer in the back. The quality was superb. The dress appeared to be seamless, but upon closer inspection, she could see microscopically tiny stitches.
The dress was deceptively simple, but she knew once she had it on, the effect would be anything but. How he’d managed to find something like this, let alone in her size, wasn’t a mystery. He was a man used to getting what he wanted. Her mere presence in Hawaii and even their short history was proof of that.
She pushed aside the uneasy feelings.
If she was going to go down in flames when all was said and over, she might as well enjoy the blissful ride to hell.
Chapter Thirteen
It was presumptuous of him, but he’d ordered a bottle of wine before the waiter could even greet him. More so, he’d filled the glass in front of the empty seat across from him.
When he’d last checked the time, she was five minutes late. Fighting the urge to look at his watch again, he tapped his foot impatiently.
Something told him that she would meet him tonight. When he’d left her at the reception desk earlier, he could see the confusion in her pretty dark eyes when he let her go to her room on her own. In truth, it had taken every ounce of strength for him to not throw her over his shoulder and keep her holed up with him in his suit
e.
She needed time.
Even though she hadn’t asked for it, he needed to give her space. When she came to him, it had to be on her own. Not because he’d planned or forced it, or she was trying to forget her fears.
The waiter walked by the table one more time, and if he wasn’t mistaken, had given him a pitying look. He checked his watch again.
Ten minutes late.
He felt like a teenage boy with his first crush, damn it.
He should have just forced it. He should have taken her with him the moment they stepped into the hotel and kissed and fucked her into submission. He should have—
He lost his train of thought when perfect, shapely lightly tanned calves edged into his vision. His eyes hungrily soaked in the sight of her as they slowly traveled up, over a waterfall hem that hit at the knees until they reached the beautiful, smiling face of one Miss Sophie Harlow. The material of her dress hugged her curves as if the garment was sewn onto her body. The shiny mane of mahogany hair had been brushed to one side, so that it cascaded over a creamy shoulder, and she’d tucked a single, white lily behind her ear. Dark doe-like eyes sparkled as she looked at him, but he could also see a slight glimmer of uncertainty.
She was perfection.
Perfection that was still standing.
Like an untried boy, he stood quickly to pull out her chair for her. She graced him with a small smile and murmured a soft “thanks” before she slipped into her chair. It was impossible to be so near her without touching her. Unable to help himself, he brushed his hand along the curve of her arm and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head.
He noted with satisfaction that she shivered when his hand touched her bare skin.
Good. He was glad he wasn’t the only one affected.
Although, when he sat across from her, he knew he was more than simply affected. He wanted to consume her whole and replay it on an infinite loop so he could constantly live in this moment.
“Thank you for the dress. It’s beautiful,” she said.
He couldn’t stop his eyes from devouring her. “The dress is okay,” he said. Her face fell, but she quickly masked it. “What I mean to say is that the dress is all right, but you’re beautiful. I thought it would look nice with your skin and hair, but it would be nothing without you.”
Color swarmed her cheeks, and her gaze dropped to her lap, but not before he could see the pleasure that leapt into her eyes. “That’s very kind of you to say, thank you,” she murmured.
“Just being honest.” He shrugged. “Thank you for meeting me for dinner. I wasn’t sure if you’d show.”
Before he could say anything else, the waiter returned. Lucas smugly noted that he had wiped the pitying expression from his face and was instead busy ogling Sophie.
Bastard.
Possessively, he covered the hand she’d had on the table with his and cleared his throat. “We’ll start with the saumon fume and rafaichit de crabe.” Her hand tensed under his, and he turned to look at her face. She was still smiling, but he saw a slight strain.
Right. Way to show her he wasn’t going to steamroll her.
“Are you okay if I order for us, or would you like a few moments to look at the menu?” he asked softly.
At his question, she visibly relaxed. He gave himself a mental pat on the back for correctly reading her response.
“You can order,” she said quietly. “I can’t really pronounce any of this stuff anyway, so you’ll spare me the embarrassment.”
“Do you like fish? Any allergies?”
“Yes, and no, in that order.”
Warmth settled in his gut when she smiled at him crookedly. Thank God he’d had the foresight to avoid her delectable ass at the office. He wouldn’t have gotten anything done. He tried to bat it away and focus on the task at hand.
“We can get a few things and share then. We’ll have the appetizers I just ordered, and for the entrees, we’ll have the Magret de Canard and the Bouillabaisse. Also, if we finish the wine, please bring another one. That will be all for now.”
The waiter, who had composed himself with a blank expression, nodded and slunk off.
Her lips tightened at the corners, and she frowned at him. “You were very dismissive with him.”
He leaned forward and moved closer to her. “He was eye-fucking you, sweetheart. You can’t expect me to welcome the man with open arms.”
She flushed again. “He was not,” she whispered heatedly.
“Baby, I am eye-fucking you and have been since you stepped in front of me. Trust me. Like recognizes like,” he muttered. He grinned at her, enjoying the way she shifted uncomfortably as she tried to look everywhere but at him.
“The views are really breathtaking,” she said loudly, motioning to the view.
And they really were. He’d arranged for a table right against the edge of the restaurant, overlooking the beach. Island breeze swept through swaying palm trees, and it seemed like every star in the universe glittered in the night sky.
His smile changed into a smirk at her blatant attempt to change the subject. “Not as breathtaking as you.”
She blinked adorably for a few moments, and then her hand shot out and grabbed the crystal wine stem. After several healthy sips, she finally set her glass back down on the tabletop.
“I don’t know …” she began, but she was cut off when the waiter returned with a few small plates.
He wanted to choke the man as he presented the food with a flourish. Lucas nodded tersely, motioning for the man the set the food on the table and leave.
She looked away from him once more and busied herself with setting her napkin on her lap and arranging her silverware.
He let her have the time. He even let her start eating.
Big mistake.
Thick, dark lashes fluttered closed against her cheeks, and she moaned after she took a bite of the smoked salmon. She chewed delicately before she swallowed. “That’s really good,” she said, pleasure lighting her eyes.
His hands clenched so hard, he could feel the blood pounding through his veins. Briefly, he wondered if he could have the food sent up to the room, and spend the rest of dinner feeding her by hand.
“Lucas?”
Confusion marred her pretty face as she looked at him. “You’re not eating. Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” he said hoarsely. “Just taking in the sights.”
She averted his gaze once more, but the silence that followed was ripe with meaning. He could see her pulse quicken on the delicate skin of her neck and he could feel it racing on her wrist.
“You came.”
“Yes.” Finally, she met his stare head-on, but he could tell by the way her teeth sunk into the corner of her lip that she was nervous. The way she moved, her demeanor, just plain everything about her was both innocent, yet sexy at the same time. It just made him harder. Hell, he doubted she even knew the effect she had on him.
“You know what this means.”
She swallowed, but the slight nod of her head spurred him on. He leaned closer still and brought his hand up to trace to curve of her jaw.
“No more bullshit, Miss Harlow,” he said intently. “No more games, no more pretending we don’t want each other.”
At this, her dark eyes flashed and her perfect mouth parted with shock. “Excuse me, but you’re the one who said you didn’t want me! And your desk has the memories to prove it!” she whispered furiously.
He smirked at her. “I lied.”
Her pretty face turned mutinous, and she jerked away from his touch. “Why am I even sitting here? Am I insane? Not only did you humiliate me, you’re flat out admitting to being a liar.” She reached over to the side of the table to grab her small evening clutch, but before she could push back from the table, his arm shot out.
He gripped her wrist in his hand. “Please, don’t leave.”
She tried to yank her wrist away, and he could tell she was gearing up for a fight.
He trie
d again.
“I was wrong. I’m not so much of a prick that I can’t admit it. I want a fresh start. I only lied because I was angry with myself.”
She stilled. She didn’t drop her purse back on the table or relax, but she wasn’t trying to pull away anymore. It was progress, so he kept talking.
“The moment I saw you—fuck, the minute I heard your voice, I wanted you. I did what I had to do to make it happen. And then, when you walked away, I did what I had to do to make it happen again.” He swallowed, regret coursing through him. “I probably could have handled everything better, from day one. I didn’t want to scare you away, but I ended up doing exactly that. I never meant to humiliate you. I was fucking mad as hell that I lost control with you, in my fucking office to top it off. Sweetheart, I have people’s livelihoods depending on me. I can’t afford to think with my dick, and that’s exactly what I did.”
“Well then, what exactly do you think you’re doing right now?” she whispered, her beautiful dark eyes wide and vulnerable.
“Right now, I’m a man, having dinner with a beautiful woman that he wants. No games, no pretense. No manipulation. The pull I feel towards you when I look at you only gets stronger every day that passes. My choices are either I can keep being a dick and trying to hide it, or I can try to be honest with you. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to screw up.”
He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I’ll understand if you get up right now and walk away. I’ll continue to pay the retainer to the firm until the contract is up, and if you ever need anything at all, I want you to come to me. But Sophie, there’s something between us, something strong and crazy and good and deep. I know it, and I’m pretty sure you know it, too.”
He drew in a shaky breath before he finished. What he had to say to her next would be a gamble. “Question is, are you going to give it a chance or run away because you’re scared?”
Her mouth parted, and her gorgeous, soulful eyes were impossibly wide. Seconds ticked by, and she looked like she was struggling to come up with the right words for what she wanted to say. Her brows rose and something like dismay laced through her features when she finally opened her mouth to speak.
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