Sweet Heat by Elena Brown

she spent a little extra time on her eyes tonight, lining and shadowing them to bring out the gold tones in the brown irises. For her lips, she used her favorite brand of liquid lipstick in Berry.
    A pair of wedge sandals and her signature dangly earrings completed her look for the night. Casual but cute, with just a bit of subtle sexiness. Suzanne felt both comfortable and confident. Her nerves were jumping, but in anticipation.
    It was a vast difference from the way she’d felt getting ready for her disastrous date with Antoine. Her eyes kept sliding to either the watch on her wrist, or the clock on the wall. She had, for probably the first time since she’d started working at WMI, rushed out the door right at five. It was a few minutes after six when she put the finishing touches on her outfit.
    Her phone buzzed yet again, dimming her enthusiasm slightly. Suzanne grimaced, letting it go to voicemail. Again. She’d already ignored several calls from Antoine, and at least one from her mother. She didn’t want to think about either of them tonight. Tonight wasn’t about obligations or expectations. It was about her, doing something for herself.
    “Listen to your heart, baby.” She could almost hear her grandmother speaking the words. Despite the prick of grief, she smiled, feeling the older woman close to her in that moment.
    Brandon had said he would meet her at the 14th Street station. He wouldn’t tell her what he had planned. Suzanne’s heart thrummed like a tuning fork in her chest for the entire subway ride. She tried listening to some bubbly pop music to pass the time, but all she could think about was seeing Brandon again.
    What if it was gone? Whatever had been between them in the Billing office at WMI had been sudden and intense. Maybe it had just been situational. A fluke. They had only texted since. Perhaps when she saw him this time, he would just be a regular, good-looking guy.
    He caught sight of her first as she stepped onto the sidewalk, calling her name. “Suzanne!” He held up one big hand.
    Brandon looked just as incredible as he had that first time. Maybe even better. He wore dark jeans this time with an untucked royal blue dress shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbow, showing off his muscled forearms. The late spring night was warm, and it wasn’t full dark yet. The light from the streetlamps gleamed on his blond hair. His grin was broad.
    It definitely wasn’t a fluke.
    As soon as their eyes connected, she felt a frisson of desire curl down her spine. The air felt electrified. The constant bustle and hum of the city around them faded.
    Her feet carried her to his side and she couldn’t help the smile that curved her mouth. “Hey.” The word came out a bit raspy. She swallowed.
    Brandon’s brilliant blue eyes swept her from head to toe, his grin never wavering. When he lifted his gaze to her face, his eyes blazed.
    “You look incredible.”
    Suzanne flushed, giving him a little spin and laughing up at the stars speckling the deep Prussian blue sky. She flashed him a teasing look over her shoulder and caught him checking out her ass. The heat of his expression raised every hair on her skin. She gave her hips a little shake. “You like?”
    “I think I’d better get you off the street before you cause an accident.”
    She looped her arm through his, her smile so big it made her cheeks ache. “You’ll have to tell me where we’re going then. I mean, I suppose you could just let me wander aimlessly around the Meatpacking District but…” She raised her eyebrows.
    Brandon chuckled, his thick fingers brushing her knuckles where they rested in the crook of his elbow. “I hope you like spicy food,” he said as he began to lead her down the street. Suzanne felt as if they were alone, despite the other people on the sidewalk and the traffic in the street. Her belly trembled with excitement.
    “I love it, actually.”
    His eyes lit up. “Really?” He sounded as if she’d just