Seduced by Mr. Right by Pamela Yaye Page B

was obvious he meant every word he said.
    â€œI dream about returning to the sport almost every day,” he confessed. “I miss the competition, traveling to exotic locales and most importantly—”
    â€œThe groupies at every pit stop?”
    Sharleen regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. His furrowed eyebrows and clenched jaw told her he was put off by her joke. “I’m sorry,” she said, smiling apologetically. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. Please continue.”
    â€œI miss my crew. Those guys are my brothers, and I think about them all the time.”
    â€œYou should give them a call.”
    â€œI can’t. After my nephew died, I pushed them away...” Emilio sighed then shrugged. “I want to reach out, but I don’t know what to say.”
    â€œâ€˜Hello. How are you?’ is a pretty good place to start.”
    A grin dimpled his cheek. “You have all the answers, don’t you?”
    To keep the mood light and playful, Sharleen joked, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!”
    â€œI’m glad we met.” He tipped his head toward her and dropped his voice to a low, throaty pitch. “You’re the kind of woman I need in my life.”
    Your professional life or your personal life?
    Sharleen didn’t know how it happened, but they were side by side. Their arms were touching, their legs, too, and they were so close she could see the rise and fall of his chest. “Can I give you a piece of advice? Something my father used to tell me?”
    He nodded his head and stared at her.
    Her body was trembling, but she conquered her nerves and spoke in a clear, confident voice. “It doesn’t matter what people say or think about you. Do what brings you joy, and always be your true, authentic self. At the end of the day, that is really all that matters.”
    â€œYour father was a wise man, and it’s obvious you inherited his remarkable insight.”
    His words were kind, and his eyes were full of sympathy, but she became flustered nonetheless. He was out-and-out flirting with her, and it felt great! Her emotions seesawed between excitement and trepidation. Emilio was a good guy, an honest-to-goodness gentleman, and the more they talked, the more Sharleen desired him.
I am in
way
over my head. Maybe I
should
refer Emilio to Brad—
    â€œDo you like live music?” he asked, giving her forearm an affectionate squeeze. “There’s a jazz café a few blocks from here, and the house band is one of the best I’ve ever heard.”
    â€œI’d better not. It’s almost midnight, and tomorrow’s going to be a long, busy day.” Remembering their bet, Sharleen picked up her purse and took out a glossy white brochure. “There are tons of free workshops offered at the conference, but I highly recommend Stress Less, Live More; Life Plans for Dummies, and Reclaim Your Life Today.”
    â€œYou’re going to hold me to our bet, aren’t you?”
    â€œAbsolutely!”
    Emilio took the brochure and looked it over. “Interesting.”
    Sharleen expected him to make excuses for why he couldn’t attend the event, but to her surprise he said, “I’ll be there. When and where should we meet?”
    â€œI’ll meet you at the front entrance of the convention center at one o’clock.”
    â€œDon’t make any plans for dinner, because after the conference I’m taking you to Dolce Vita Atlanta for the culinary experience of a lifetime.”
    â€œI
love
that restaurant. It’s a date.”
    Sharleen finally felt confident that she could help Emilio overcome the pain of his past—but she just had to do it without losing her dignity and self-respect.
Just because I’m attracted to Emilio doesn’t mean I can’t effectively do my job. Besides, if Brad can socialize with clients after dark, so can I!
    â€œI had a great time tonight.