fingers might leave behind. Her attempt to push hairpins more securely into the slipping mass only made the image more potent.
A groan lodged in his throat when he caught a hint of ivory lace and satin peeking between the lapels of her tailored, blue linen suit jacket, one of his middle-of-the-night questions answered. Tess Emory most definitely did not wear plain cotton underwear.
The air dammed in his chest until her gaze sought him out. Her eyes widened when they swept over his clean-shaven face and his charcoal gray suit. A tiny smile appeared on her lips. His heart kicked over and began to function again.
A brighter smile pulled him to his feet and held him there until she came around the bank of tables to his side. "Mr. McDonald." Tess held out her hand for a handshake. "It's good to see you again."
The temptation to kiss the starch right out of her lapels tore at his resolve to keep his distance. He murmured a polite response, entirely too pleased when she took the vacant chair on the other side of him. "Aren't you sitting at the head table?"
Tess greeted a merchant passing by them before shaking her head. "The president of the merchant organization runs the meeting. I'm here as a liaison to represent Thorgram however this group is set up by, and for, the shopping center tenants."
Her spicy perfume slipped into his lungs and wove around his senses. "Which one's the president?" Dan didn't care in the least.
"Right now? No one." Her slim hand waved toward a woman across the crowded room. "See the redhead in the corner? Roxy's the vice-president. She'll stand in until the election is held next month." Tess grimaced. "Assuming there is an election."
"Why hasn't the V.P. taken over?"
"Roxy doesn't want the job." She sat back with a sigh. "No one does. There's too much work involved."
"Like what?"
"Ideally, it means serving as liaison between the merchants, and between the merchants and Thorgram Group. Realistically, the president ends up with most of the work and all of the headaches. Gratis, of course."
Dan laughed. "In other words, the president has to please all of the people, all of the time. With a smile."
"You have an amazing grasp of the principle involved."
His amusement faded. Yes. He used to be like that, running around like Superman, solving everyone's problems. Always flying to the next crisis without a backward glance. He hadn't had a Lois Lane on the sidelines to slow him down though. He'd found flying solo exhausting, not to mention lonely, which was an interesting commentary on his relationship with Charlotte since she'd moved into his penthouse eight months before he walked away from it all.
"Dan?"
" Mmm ?" His gaze fixed on Tess's parted lips. He should never have kissed her on the bridge, teased himself with impossibilities. Now he could think of little else but holding her, kissing her, and banishing the shadows from her eyes.
"Before the meeting starts, I wanted to thank you. You helped me yesterday. You fed me, followed me home."
"You were angry about that last part."
"I was," she admitted, "but I believe your intentions were good. You’re forgiven."
Would her forgiveness extend to the kiss he wanted to plant on her smiling mouth, right now, in front of a room full of strangers? Would she forgive him if he lifted her onto the conference table in front of him and unbuttoned her suit jacket so he could see more of the camisole she wore underneath? What would she do if he pulled her breast into his mouth and suckled her through the satiny material warmed by her skin?
Tess stared at him like she could read the wild thoughts crashing through his lust-soaked brain. "I also wanted to thank you for going to all that trouble to fix my side view mirror. I found the packaging and your note on my windshield this morning." A smile lit her face. “Although, I should point out you might reconsider your life as a stalker. Leaving evidence of your crime is bound to cut your career short.”
Dan
A groan lodged in his throat when he caught a hint of ivory lace and satin peeking between the lapels of her tailored, blue linen suit jacket, one of his middle-of-the-night questions answered. Tess Emory most definitely did not wear plain cotton underwear.
The air dammed in his chest until her gaze sought him out. Her eyes widened when they swept over his clean-shaven face and his charcoal gray suit. A tiny smile appeared on her lips. His heart kicked over and began to function again.
A brighter smile pulled him to his feet and held him there until she came around the bank of tables to his side. "Mr. McDonald." Tess held out her hand for a handshake. "It's good to see you again."
The temptation to kiss the starch right out of her lapels tore at his resolve to keep his distance. He murmured a polite response, entirely too pleased when she took the vacant chair on the other side of him. "Aren't you sitting at the head table?"
Tess greeted a merchant passing by them before shaking her head. "The president of the merchant organization runs the meeting. I'm here as a liaison to represent Thorgram however this group is set up by, and for, the shopping center tenants."
Her spicy perfume slipped into his lungs and wove around his senses. "Which one's the president?" Dan didn't care in the least.
"Right now? No one." Her slim hand waved toward a woman across the crowded room. "See the redhead in the corner? Roxy's the vice-president. She'll stand in until the election is held next month." Tess grimaced. "Assuming there is an election."
"Why hasn't the V.P. taken over?"
"Roxy doesn't want the job." She sat back with a sigh. "No one does. There's too much work involved."
"Like what?"
"Ideally, it means serving as liaison between the merchants, and between the merchants and Thorgram Group. Realistically, the president ends up with most of the work and all of the headaches. Gratis, of course."
Dan laughed. "In other words, the president has to please all of the people, all of the time. With a smile."
"You have an amazing grasp of the principle involved."
His amusement faded. Yes. He used to be like that, running around like Superman, solving everyone's problems. Always flying to the next crisis without a backward glance. He hadn't had a Lois Lane on the sidelines to slow him down though. He'd found flying solo exhausting, not to mention lonely, which was an interesting commentary on his relationship with Charlotte since she'd moved into his penthouse eight months before he walked away from it all.
"Dan?"
" Mmm ?" His gaze fixed on Tess's parted lips. He should never have kissed her on the bridge, teased himself with impossibilities. Now he could think of little else but holding her, kissing her, and banishing the shadows from her eyes.
"Before the meeting starts, I wanted to thank you. You helped me yesterday. You fed me, followed me home."
"You were angry about that last part."
"I was," she admitted, "but I believe your intentions were good. You’re forgiven."
Would her forgiveness extend to the kiss he wanted to plant on her smiling mouth, right now, in front of a room full of strangers? Would she forgive him if he lifted her onto the conference table in front of him and unbuttoned her suit jacket so he could see more of the camisole she wore underneath? What would she do if he pulled her breast into his mouth and suckled her through the satiny material warmed by her skin?
Tess stared at him like she could read the wild thoughts crashing through his lust-soaked brain. "I also wanted to thank you for going to all that trouble to fix my side view mirror. I found the packaging and your note on my windshield this morning." A smile lit her face. “Although, I should point out you might reconsider your life as a stalker. Leaving evidence of your crime is bound to cut your career short.”
Dan
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