pulling up, and she still needed to
shower and change. “I’m not ready,” she rattled on. “I’ll leave the door
unlocked. Just come in. I need ten solid minutes to get ready.” Leaping off the
couch, she unbolted her door then dashed down the hall to her bedroom. After
closing the door to her room, she flung open her closet doors.
“I’m
sure you look gorgeous now, but you can have the ten minutes.”
Chelsi
heard the echo of a car door shutting through the phone. “Thanks. Hanging up
now.”
“See
you soon.”
That
deliciously husky voice played with her senses as she hung up and tossed her
cell onto her bed. It didn’t help knowing he was just on the other side of her
room door. Inside her condo.
She
didn’t know where they were going. Groaning, she knew she should have asked.
Oh, well. She pulled a pale blue crepe drop-waist dress from their Bally
collection. The sequin rose stitched across one shoulder made it appropriate
for a nice restaurant, but the lightweight material made it comfortable enough
for mid-grade dinning.
Hanging
the garment up on the door frame of the closest, she stripped and went into the
bathroom. Not wanting to waste too much time, she twisted and clipped her hair
high on her head to keep it from getting wet before she stepped into the
shower. She didn’t have time to flat iron it if it frizzed.
The
blast of cold water shocked her body, but there wasn’t a moment to spare. As
she bathed quickly, she was grateful she’d treated herself to a trip to the spa
Wednesday night after they got the contract so all essential areas from ankle
to armpits were smooth.
Shutting
off the water, she jumped out and ran the towel along her body in a brisk
fashion that caused her skin to have a deeper red glow than normal. Lotion was
next. She briefly paused to consider her scent and decided on the honey melon.
It was light and sweet, a great scent for “friends”, she told herself. The last
thing she wanted to do was make too much of this evening. It was just a
birthday dinner with an old friend. Old lover, her heart chimed in.
She
chose to ignore it. After she dressed, she applied a little mascara, a brush
stroke or two of eye shadow, and a coat of lip gloss over her lips. Staring at
herself in the mirror, she brushed her hair down and groaned. There wasn’t much
she could do with it in the minute she had left. She couldn’t leave it down
because of the big dent in it from the band that had held it up all day in a
ponytail. Instead, she re-twisted it and used a silver clip to hold it in
place.
After
exiting the bathroom, she slid her feet into a pair of silver sandals and
grabbed the matching clutch purse, tossed in her cell, and took a deep, calming
breath. With one hand on the door, she could feel her heart racing. She would’ve
loved to blame it all on the fact she’d taken an hour’s job and performed it in
ten minutes, but she knew that had very little to do with it. There was only
one thing—one person—that made her feel this flustered and excited at the same
time. That person was on the other side of the door waiting to take her out.
No
more time to waste. She opened the door.
Vincent
was leaning against the wall between the kitchen and the living room. His
position gave him a perfect vantage point, seeing her as soon as she came out
her room.
“You
look beautiful, Chelsi.” He stepped away from the wall as his gaze moved from
her face and did a slow scan of her body.
The
heat from his look made her body tingle as though he were caressing her skin as
she moved up the hall. Maybe this wasn’t
such a good idea.
“Thank
you.” She admired the way his gray slacks clung to his thighs, his jacket
draped over his broad shoulders in a way that made her want to lean against him,
and the crisp white shirt he wore accentuated
shower and change. “I’m not ready,” she rattled on. “I’ll leave the door
unlocked. Just come in. I need ten solid minutes to get ready.” Leaping off the
couch, she unbolted her door then dashed down the hall to her bedroom. After
closing the door to her room, she flung open her closet doors.
“I’m
sure you look gorgeous now, but you can have the ten minutes.”
Chelsi
heard the echo of a car door shutting through the phone. “Thanks. Hanging up
now.”
“See
you soon.”
That
deliciously husky voice played with her senses as she hung up and tossed her
cell onto her bed. It didn’t help knowing he was just on the other side of her
room door. Inside her condo.
She
didn’t know where they were going. Groaning, she knew she should have asked.
Oh, well. She pulled a pale blue crepe drop-waist dress from their Bally
collection. The sequin rose stitched across one shoulder made it appropriate
for a nice restaurant, but the lightweight material made it comfortable enough
for mid-grade dinning.
Hanging
the garment up on the door frame of the closest, she stripped and went into the
bathroom. Not wanting to waste too much time, she twisted and clipped her hair
high on her head to keep it from getting wet before she stepped into the
shower. She didn’t have time to flat iron it if it frizzed.
The
blast of cold water shocked her body, but there wasn’t a moment to spare. As
she bathed quickly, she was grateful she’d treated herself to a trip to the spa
Wednesday night after they got the contract so all essential areas from ankle
to armpits were smooth.
Shutting
off the water, she jumped out and ran the towel along her body in a brisk
fashion that caused her skin to have a deeper red glow than normal. Lotion was
next. She briefly paused to consider her scent and decided on the honey melon.
It was light and sweet, a great scent for “friends”, she told herself. The last
thing she wanted to do was make too much of this evening. It was just a
birthday dinner with an old friend. Old lover, her heart chimed in.
She
chose to ignore it. After she dressed, she applied a little mascara, a brush
stroke or two of eye shadow, and a coat of lip gloss over her lips. Staring at
herself in the mirror, she brushed her hair down and groaned. There wasn’t much
she could do with it in the minute she had left. She couldn’t leave it down
because of the big dent in it from the band that had held it up all day in a
ponytail. Instead, she re-twisted it and used a silver clip to hold it in
place.
After
exiting the bathroom, she slid her feet into a pair of silver sandals and
grabbed the matching clutch purse, tossed in her cell, and took a deep, calming
breath. With one hand on the door, she could feel her heart racing. She would’ve
loved to blame it all on the fact she’d taken an hour’s job and performed it in
ten minutes, but she knew that had very little to do with it. There was only
one thing—one person—that made her feel this flustered and excited at the same
time. That person was on the other side of the door waiting to take her out.
No
more time to waste. She opened the door.
Vincent
was leaning against the wall between the kitchen and the living room. His
position gave him a perfect vantage point, seeing her as soon as she came out
her room.
“You
look beautiful, Chelsi.” He stepped away from the wall as his gaze moved from
her face and did a slow scan of her body.
The
heat from his look made her body tingle as though he were caressing her skin as
she moved up the hall. Maybe this wasn’t
such a good idea.
“Thank
you.” She admired the way his gray slacks clung to his thighs, his jacket
draped over his broad shoulders in a way that made her want to lean against him,
and the crisp white shirt he wore accentuated
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