Attraction (Love & War, Part I) by Katrina Liss Page A

those special
people certain liberties. But Nicole Wright had some real guts in
that tiny package.
    His initial
impression was that she was very interested but wary of him. He
could see the signs, the dilated pupils showing her excitement and
the way she guarded herself protectively and physically with her
arms. He simply had to win her round by being the charming side of
himself. Something he'd done so many times before, he'd lost count.
He'd enjoy the challenge of wearing down her defences
immensely.
    He asked
Yasmin to call the City restaurant, L'Anima, to book a table at
6.00pm. It was a little early for dinner for his liking, but needs
must.
    His mind
wasn't on his next meeting at all. He had to forcibly make himself
concentrate on his IT manager's conversation. Nicole's face kept
appearing in his head, and unfortunately, he couldn't stop thinking
about what he wanted to do to her. Those thoughts created a
sizeable physical problem for him.
    He had a few
minutes left before he planned to leave at 5.15 for the Clarkson's
city office, and he took a quick look in the mirror in his private
cloakroom. He washed his face and applied something ludicrously
expensive, which smelled wonderful, out of the dozen or so bottles
he kept on his shelf. His tie received a quick straighten and
tighten before he left to collect his belongings and put on his
jacket.
    He made his
way downstairs to the parking bay to his waiting car.
    As he slipped
inside he was feeling a real buzz of excitement. This was
ridiculous as he was only seeing her for two hours, for dinner. It
was hardly a hot date.
    They pulled
away from the parking area and set off for their destination.
    “ Had a good day?” Adrian asked him in an unusually clipped
tone.
    “ Not at all bad,” he replied, with a grin at Adrian's mirrored
reflection.
    “ Mine was going pretty well too, until you ruined it for me,” he
continued.
    “ To what are you referring?” Ashton asked in
confusion.
    “ Not what, who... brunette, brown eyes, and dead cute... I had
my eye on Nicole. I asked her out on a date this week. You don't
even like brunettes, do you?”
    “ I have no particular preference for hair colour,” he lied,
“And I'm sorry to say she's taken for a while. I'm pulling
rank.”
    “ She told me all about it.”
    “ Did she indeed?”
    “ You've put her in a difficult and awkward position, you're an
important client of her company, she could hardly turn you
down.”
    “ I know. I felt an overwhelming need to take advantage, and
compromise her.” He smiled inwardly.
    “ I bet. And when you've finished taking advantage and
compromising her, I'm definitely gonna be there to pick up the
pieces.”
    “ Really Adrian, you're always eating my leftovers, it's
obscene.”
    “ Hardly. I've only dated two of your vast collection of exes
after you've abused them.”
    “ I beg your pardon? I do not ever abuse women.”
    “ Small, Freudian slip of the tongue. I meant use. You've gotta
admit, you do use them.”
    “ I do not use or abuse women. I am simply giving them what
they want. Some casual fun in the bedroom.”
    “ You know full well that what they really want is some kind of
relationship with you. And when they think they're getting close to
that, you suddenly dump them.”
    “ That's a dreadful term. I don't 'dump' them. Our relationship
comes to a natural, if abrupt, end, due to their over-attachment to
me.”
    “ Don't you ever feel anything more than a passing interest in
your girlfriends?”
    “ Not the permanent, loving, kind of interest you're suggesting
I should.”
    “ I kinda gathered that based on the speed you get through
them. But this one's real nice. Don't fuck her up Ash.”
    Fuck her up?
What's got into him?
    Ashton laughed
at him, incredulously, feeling more than a little riled and angry
inside. Adrian had never, ever behaved this way with him before. He
may have a good and open relationship with him, but this was
pushing at his limits.
    “ I'm