Christmas Diamonds by Devon Vaughn Archer Page B

lead and give the salmon a try, along with a bowl of clam chowder to start things off.”
    “Good choice. I’ll have the same,” she told him.
    After ordering, Paula set her briefcase on the table. “I’m sure you’re wondering what ideas I came up with for your room.”
    “The thought had crossed my mind,” Chase told her drily, sipping his wine. He tried to picture what direction she would take this time and how it would differ from Rochelle’s approach. “What have you got for me?”
    Paula removed a sketch and handed it to him. “We start off with a rearrangement of furniture that I believe will create a more natural flow to the room and allow the sun to shine favorably on you when you’re in the sitting room, or maybe reading in bed.”
    Chase studied the sketch with interest. “I like it.” Though he never read in bed, he did appreciate the sunlight pouring into the room, brightening it and therefore making it more cheery.
    “To that effect, I would like to replace the heavy drapes on the windows with cellular shades,” Paula told him. “They’re not only energy efficient, but will absorb sound and complement the wall coloring.”
    Chase nodded. “Go right ahead and put in the shades.” At this point, he was open to any suggestions that would give the room a new identity while still maintaining its integrity.
    “Now let’s talk about the furniture.” Paula reached back into the briefcase and pulled out a couple of photographs, passingthem to him. “I think a satinwood, bow-front Georgian chest and dresser set like you see in the top photo would be perfect for the room. This would be complemented by a Maltese entertainment cabinet that’s shown in the second photo.”
    Chase grinned favorably. “Very nice.”
    “Glad you like it.” She paused, took a sip of wine and lifted another photograph from her briefcase. “As the centerpiece of the room, I think you should have a Louis XV hand-carved-walnut king bed with patterned leather insets like this,” she said, pointing at the picture.
    “Wow.” Chase studied the picture. “It’s beautiful.”
    “I think so, too,” Paula agreed. “And I’d like to add some fluffy pillows along with a quilted duvet cover or a double-woven embossed bedspread.”
    “Sounds good to me.”
    Chase imagined himself in the bed with her, surrounded by fluffy pillows, making passionate love like two people who couldn’t get enough of one another. A wave of intense desire swept over him, and he wondered if Paula might be thinking the same thing. Surely he wasn’t the only one getting aroused and excited at the mere notion of being naked and engaged in hot, sensual, unbridled sex.
    Their clam chowder arrived, quickly stemming Chase’s libido as he turned his attention to the food.

Chapter 6
    P aula tried hard to keep her mind off Chase, but found it to be utterly impossible. He was simply too suave in a navy suit, and his mouth, wide and ultrasexy, seemed tailor-made for kissing. The idea of their lips joined together in rhythmic smooching gave her carnal thoughts that went far beyond a kiss. She imagined them slowly and methodically removing each other’s clothes, pausing with each piece to take pleasure in every inch of their bodies, his lips leaving a burning trail down her quivering body until they united as one like love-starved intimates eager to please.
    Feeling her temperature rise and her body tremble with desire, Paula quickly pushed away the vivid images. She managed to refocus on her meal and wrapped up her presentation on refurnishing the master suite in Chase’s home.
    “I think putting less formal rattan furniture in the sitting-room area is a great idea,” Chase said while dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “You really do know your stuff.”

    Paula blushed. “I try to turn each room into something that truly embodies the client’s persona.”
    “Well, so far you’ve really hit the mark on my persona to bring out the best in the