Nick stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and Terrah followed suit. He slipped his fingers beneath the strap of her shoulder bag, pulled it off her shoulder, placed it on his own and took the makeup case back from her hand.
“So what’s it going to be? Do you want to lug your gear with us or drop it off?” Nick asked as he hailed a cab.
“Drop it off.”
“Good.”
Nick stepped to the kerb as a yellow taxi pulled up and Terrah moved beside him. He opened her door and wondered what kind of perfume she wore. The damnable sexy scent wafted into his nose and lingered as she got into the car. Nick envisioned what it would be like to kiss Terrah’s thighs as she slid back into her seat and unknowingly offered him a tempting peek. His cock, which had finally decided to behave, stirred at the thought when he slammed her door closed.
Keep thinking like that and you won’t be able to hide your hard-on.
Nick went around the other side of the cab, got in and closed his own door. After giving the address for his hotel to the cabbie, he turned to Terrah just as the first few bars of Jamie Foxx’s Unpredictable began to chime.
Terrah started to chuckle as she took her cell out of her purse, checked the display and silenced it.
“What is so funny?”
“This song is so fitting for this moment.” Terrah shook her head as she looked at him. “Going out to dinner with you is the last thing I expected tonight… Completely unpredictable.”
“Hey, I’m glad I get to spare you a night of having to wash dishes.”
Terrah laughed. “You’re funny.”
Nick grinned at her as the taxi wove in and out of traffic. Terrah didn’t know it yet, but the joke was about to be on her. He could tell she thought she had his type pegged, but he was going to show her just how unpredictable he was.
* * * *
Terrah took Nick’s hand as he opened her door, and got out of the cab. She tried to ignore the way her pulse reacted as he smiled at her.
Why did he have to be so charming on top of gorgeous?
“It’s not so hot now,” Nick said as they walked up to his hotel.
“Thank goodness.”
It was cooler now the sun had set, but the air was still muggy. She didn’t like the heat, but New York weather was the last thing on her mind. Underneath the calm façade she was trying hard to keep in place, she was freaking out.
She was going to dinner with Nick Tasso, her ultimate fantasy guy. It was crazy. She shouldn’t have accepted his second invitation to dinner, but she hadn’t been able to say no. Not with him waiting for her to accept with those sexy, hypnotic, green eyes of his. Besides, he’d earned a dinner date for sticking around with her makeup case. She appreciated what he’d done no matter what his motives had been.
Terrah flicked a glance at Nick and decided she wasn’t going to focus on why he’d asked her out right now. He appeared to be oblivious to the attention he was garnering from just about everyone they passed by. She wasn’t unaccustomed to men looking at her, but this was something else. Nick was getting play from males and females, and he seemed completely unaware of it all.
Duh, he’s a top model.
Being constantly stared at was the status quo for him.
And he truly was something to stare at.
The sky-blue T-shirt he was wearing highlighted his bronze skin and muscled arms. He pulled open the glass door in front of them, and Terrah couldn’t help noticing the smattering of dark hairs running up his forearms. A much-needed blast of cold air rushed over her heated skin as they stepped into the opulent lobby.
“Your agency put you up in style, I see.”
Nick laughed. “I rent one of the penthouse suites here.”
“Oh.”
Of course he did.
“Nice. I’ve never been in this hotel.”
“You should see the view from my bedroom.”
Bedroom.
Terrah picked up her pace to keep up with Nick’s long-legged strides, disturbed that she couldn’t imagine anything else in his bedroom but him…beckoning to her to join him on the crisp white sheets.
She swallowed hard, distracted by her naughty thoughts as they stopped at the front desk. Her mind continued to race while she absently listened to him talk to the concierge. Nick was fine as hell, so she was allowed a moment of pure lust.
She was having a totally normal female reaction to being in the proximity of a major hottie.
“Terrah?”
Terrah blinked and heat rushed to her cheeks. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?”
“They’re going to hold your case and bag here until we get back from dinner.”
“Perfect.” Terrah smiled at the hotel clerk as Nick placed her stuff on the shiny front desk. “Thank you.”
The hotel clerk smiled. “Not a problem. Just give Melanie the ticket I gave you when you return, Mr Tasso.”
“Thank you.”
Terrah sucked in a breath as Nick took hold of her arm and guided her past a group of tourists. White-hot waves of awareness rippled over her in reaction to his warm hand on her skin. She was relieved when he dropped his hold on her.
“We’re just one block away from one of the best restaurants in New York,” Nick said as they crossed through the lobby.
“Can’t be if I’ve never been to it.”
“You’ve never been to—?”
Terrah yelped as someone collided with her and stepped on her foot.
“Sorry,” the starry-eyed teen said, barely glancing Terrah’s way as she stared up at Nick. “OMG! You’re that underwear model in GQ!”
Nick smiled graciously as he nodded. “I am.”
“Oh, wow! I can’t believe I just bumped into you!”
Bumped into me, you mean. Terrah bit her tongue to keep from correcting the jubilant brunette, who pulled out a camera phone.
“Can I please have a picture?”
“Of course,” Nick said, stepping up beside the blushing teenager, who held out her phone to Terrah.
“Would you take our picture?”
Nick winked at her over the teen’s head.
“Sure.”
Never mind my crushed toes.
Terrah forced a smile, knowing she wasn’t being fair. Hadn’t she just had an ‘oh, my God’ moment herself?
“On the count of three… One, two, three.”
The brunette squealed with delight as she took her cell from Terrah and focused her attention back on Nick.
“Would you sign my purse?”
“Your purse?” Nick asked, looking down at the girl’s designer bag.
Terrah wondered if it was possible for the chick to turn any redder.
“Yes, please!”
“Well, okay.”
The brunette began frantically digging through her purse, then offered Nick a marker with a wide smile. Terrah guessed the girl to be about sixteen years old.
“There you go,” Nick said, handing the teenager back her freshly autographed bag.
“Thank you so much! I’m such a huge fan of your work. My friends are going to be so sorry they didn’t go shopping with me today.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Nick gave the female a quick hug, sending her off into another tizzy of squeals as they walked through the hotel lobby to the main entrance.
“You just made her entire year, I bet.”
Terrah thanked the doorman as they stepped outside.
“She was sweet. I’m just glad we got away out there before anyone else recognised me. I always take the time to chat or sign autographs for fans, but there are times when I’d rather not get caught up in the hoopla that goes along with this business.”
“Really?”
Terrah could just imagine the party invites and the women willing and ready to do anything to get Nick to notice them.
“C’mon, you can’t think signing autographs and taking pictures when you’re just going out for coffee or groceries would be fun all th
e time.”
“No, I guess not, but you were very gracious.”
“I’m always gracious.”
He winked at her, making Terrah smile, while opening the restaurant door for her. She took in the stylish décor and intimate dining atmosphere as the hostess greeted them.
“Your table is ready, Mr Tasso.”
They were led to a secluded table and the hostess waited for them both to take their seats before offering menus. Terrah’s gaze was drawn to the pink gerbera daisies in a crystal vase before her. The rich colour of the petals stood out on the elegant, white linen tablecloth. The wine glasses sparkled and the silverware gleamed in the subtle lighting. This was definitely not the kind of restaurant you could just walk into and get a table.
“Did you call ahead?” Terrah asked, shifting her gaze to Nick.
“I know the owner and I’m a regular customer when I’m in the city.”
Terrah nodded, liking his modesty. He could’ve just said, ‘I’ve got it like that.’ She’d been around models who loved to boast about their abilities to get into certain places wherever and whenever they wanted.
“Mmm…it smells delicious in here.”
“Wait until you taste their marinated lamb. Do you like Mediterranean food?”
“I can’t say I’ve tried a lot of different dishes, but I do like hummus.”
Nick smiled. “There’s a lot more to Mediterranean food than hummus, but that’s a good place to start. The hummus here tastes almost as good as the one my mother makes. Are you comfortable with me ordering some dishes for you to try?”
His eyes seemed to darken as he waited for her response, and Terrah’s pulse sped up another notch.
It’s just the fancy lighting.
“Sure, but only if I get to pick the wine.”
“Be my guest. Here’s the wine list.”
Terrah took the smaller menu from his hand, grateful for something else to look at besides those aqua-green eyes. The feel of his gaze on her was equivalent to the heat of the sun in the middle of a New York City heatwave.
Mmm…maybe hotter, Terrah mused, making her wine selection just as their waitress returned to take their order. She was sure it was all practised seduction, but it was working…a little too well.
The waitress batted her eyelashes at Nick while nodding her approval of the dishes he selected. Clearly, she wasn’t immune to his sex appeal either.
Hello—what female would be?
“So, tell me, Terrah, why did you get into makeup?”
Nick’s leg brushed up against hers beneath the table, and Terrah straightened her back and cleared her throat. She hesitated for a second, contemplating how in-depth her answer should be.
“Long story short, my dad refused to let me wear any until I was, like, sixteen. So, I think I developed a huge obsession for the stuff. I wanted to know about every brand, product, and application out there.” Terrah lifted her glass of wine and took a sip. “I decided to build a career around what I love.”
“It shows in your work.”
His compliment and his sexy grin set off a wildfire in her blood. Terrah shifted in her seat, annoyed by how easy it would be to simply melt under the warmth of Nick’s gaze.
“Thank you.”
Their gazes locked for a moment before Terrah looked away.
“For a makeup artist, you wear a surprisingly small amount of makeup.”
He leaned in to the table, studying her face in earnest, and another embarrassing rush of heat suffused her cheeks.
“You’ve heard the old adage, ‘Less is more.’ The average female doesn’t require a lot of makeup to look good.”
“I tend to agree, but”—his voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone, and Terrah officially melted as he leaned across the table—“there’s nothing average about you.”
Chapter Four
Terrah smiled, trying to ignore the erratic beat of her heart as she wrapped her fingers around her wine glass.
So, Nick was a charmer in front of the camera and off.
“I meant the women who aren’t in the modelling business.”
“I know.”
Terrah watched him lift his glass and take a sip of the wine she’d chosen.
“Great choice of wine… One of my favourites, actually. We have the same taste in merlot, it seems.”
Terrah traced a circle around the mouth of her glass, aware of Nick’s gaze dipping to her lips. She exhaled as butterflies flitted around in her stomach, convinced his eyes could melt steel. To her dismay, the butterflies within her seemed to change into flutters of desire.
Heaven help me.
Miraculously, her phone began to chime in her purse.
“Excuse me,” Terrah said to Nick as she reached for her purse, grateful for the distraction.
She took out her cell, saw her sister calling and answered.
“Hey, Audrey.”
“Hey, yourself. How’d your shoot go?”
Terrah grinned, happy to hear her sister’s voice. Audrey never wasted time with small talk.
“Really well. Can I call you back?”
“What are you doing?”
Terrah glanced at Nick. “About to have dinner.”
“With?”
She hesitated to say it, knowing Audrey would never let her off the phone if she answered her question.
“Terrah?”
“I’ll call you back.”
“Tonight?”
“Yup.”
“Bye.”
Terrah hung up as their food arrived. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem.”
“My sister always checks in with me about the same time every day.”
Nick served her a piece of lamb. “Does she live here in New York?”
“No, Chicago.”
“Just the two of you guys?”
“Yes. What about you?”
“I’ve got a brother. He lives in California with the rest of my family.”
“Are you two close?”
“Very. What about you and your sister?”
“She’s my best friend in the whole world. I wish I could see her more often.” Terrah grinned, then took a bite. “Oh, wow, this is melt-in-your-mouth good.”
“Isn’t it? Try that hummus and tell me it’s not the best you’ve ever had.”
Terrah moved forward in her chair to dip her flatbread into the creamy spread and winced as her shoe bumped into the pole beneath the table.
“What’s wrong?”
“Your teeny-bopper fan stepped on the top of my foot and it kills.”
Nick frowned. “You didn’t say anything.”
Terrah shrugged. “She didn’t mean to and it was no big deal.” She tasted the hummus, enjoying the savoury flavours bursting on her tongue. “You’re right, this is the best hummus ever.”
“Let me see your foot.”
She stopped chewing to stare at him. “What?”
“You heard me. Let me see your foot. I happen to be an expert at foot massage.” Nick held her gaze as the waitress poured more wine into their glasses and walked away. “Just lift your leg under the table and I’ll make the pain go away.”
His words and the tone of his deep voice sent a bolt of sexual awareness through Terrah.
Make the pain go away? He had the power to make her forget her name.
“Oh, you’re good.”
“Excuse me?”
He had the nerve to look confused as Terrah wagged her finger at him. “I know what you are trying to do.”
“And what’s that?”
“Seduce me.”
“I was flirting,” Nick said without missing a beat.
Something wild twisted in her soul as he held her gaze, placed his elbows on the table and leaned towards her.
“Terrah, I’m not trying to seduce you right now, but, if I was, you would know just how good I am.”
At a loss for words, Terrah averted her eyes from Nick’s. She picked up her glass of wat
er and took a sip, hoping to dislodge the huge lump in her throat that affected her breathing.
“Now that we’ve cleared that up, I’d still like to see your foot.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“Scared?” Nick asked with a deep chuckle.
Terrah lifted her chin as she met his eyes. “Of?”
“Me.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why would I be scared of you?”
“Not scared of me,” Nick said, taking a sip of wine, “scared of the mutual attraction between us.”
Mutual attraction?
His words made her heart beat in double time.
The challenge in his eyes compelled her to lift her foot under the table. She had to prove to him, and to herself, that she wasn’t scared, because she was beginning to think she had something to fear. The clink of silverware and chatter around them seemed to fade into the background. Nick captured her shoe with one hand, placed her foot on his knee and unbuckled the slim strap. Terrah sucked in a breath as his large hand wrapped around her ankle and he placed the sandal on the floor. His fingers gingerly crested over the top of her foot and her pulse raced. He kept his eyes on her face while touching the slight bump where his fan had injured her.
“I’m so sorry you were hurt.”
“It’s okay.”
It took a considerable amount of control to articulate her sentence with his warm hands gently massaging her entire foot.
Breathe in…breathe out.
Her mental pep talk kept her from removing her foot from his grasp. Nick caressed the knot over the top of her arch and Terrah took another sip from her wine glass to cover her physical reaction to his touch. His palm pressed against the back of her toes as he smiled at her.
“Better?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Nick said, his thumb stroking the side of her foot.
Nick Tasso is flirting with me.
She couldn’t believe she was sitting across the table from one of the sexiest men on the planet, with his hand wrapped around her foot.
He’s a player, girl.
Images of Jocelyn in Nick’s arms popped into her mind, and Terrah shifted in her seat as Nick bent down, retrieved her wedge sandal and slipped it on her foot. She was certain he knew exactly how his touch was messing up her head.
Ample Delights Page 3