her “Tori.” When she’d worked for his company, she’d gone by
Victoria. She couldn’t help but watch his lips as he said her name. There was
something oddly seductive about the way his mouth moved that just wasn’t there
when he called her Miss Sullivan.
When he finally reached out and shook her hand, Tori realized a
second too late that touching him was probably a bad idea. She was right. The
minute his hand encompassed hers, it was as though she had dipped it into a warm
bath. The heat of his soft touch engulfed her, sending a delicious surge of need
up her arm that tightened her chest and made it hard to breathe. She found she
couldn’t pull away from him.
Her body was betraying her, and for what? A chaste, polite
handshake?
But then she looked into his dark green eyes and realized it
was more than that. He, too, felt the current of desire that traveled through
their skin-on-skin contact. Unlike last night, when Wade was prepared and in
control of the seduction, this seemed to catch him off guard. For just a brief
moment the animosity and arrogance was stripped away, leaving him only with the
expression of pure, unadulterated desire. He was fighting the urge to devour
her, then and there.
His gaze was so penetrating, it felt like a caress. When his
thumb gently stroked the back of her hand, her heart started racing, her breath
quick in her throat the way it had been the night before when she thought he
might kiss her. The feeling was intense. Too intense for a Christmas store with
his mother only a few feet away.
Tori jerked away suddenly, hoping Molly didn’t notice the
invisible sparks as she rubbed her palm on her jeans to deaden the lingering
sensation from his touch. Wade’s eyes didn’t stray from hers for a few moments,
intently searching her as though he were looking into her soul. He turned away
only when Molly spoke.
“Tori, I’m going to get this wreath boxed up for you. Do you
have a hook to hang it?”
“No,” she admitted, sounding oddly out of breath for someone
standing still. “Pick whatever one you think will look the nicest with it, and
I’ll take that, too.”
Molly grinned and dashed off to the other side of the store,
leaving Wade and Tori alone.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone unquestionably
accusatory, yet low enough for his mother not to hear them.
Tori crossed her arms under her breasts, burying her
still-burning hand. “Shopping, obviously.”
This time, when his green gaze raked over her, there was no
heat behind it. Just irritation and suspicion. “Did you come here to get back at
me for last night?”
“Get back at you for what? You claimed you were just hanging
out with some friends. Do you think I came here to tattle on you to your
mama?”
“No,” he said, although the deep lines of the wary expression
on his face gave away his lie.
Tori cracked a wicked grin, knowing she’d easily discovered an
Achilles’ heel. Of course, any son of a decent family had a soft spot where his
mother was concerned. Even the pushy, arrogant sons. She opted to rub it in by
parroting the line he’d used on her last night. “I’m here buying some Christmas
decorations. If your mama just happens to supply me with some information about
you, then great. I like to be well-informed. Especially when going up against a
worthy adversary.”
“Touché,” he said drily before casting a quick glance over his
shoulder to see where Molly was.
“I take it Ken and Molly don’t know what you’re trying to do to
me?”
His head snapped back to look at her. “Do
to you?” he whispered with a touch of incredulity in his voice.
“Offering to pay you four times your property value is hardly twisting your arm.
But no, they don’t know about it, and I’d like to keep it that way. They don’t
need any more stress.”
“If they don’t care, why are you so determined to get it back?
I don’t understand.”
A barrier went up inside Wade. Tori could almost feel
Victoria. She couldn’t help but watch his lips as he said her name. There was
something oddly seductive about the way his mouth moved that just wasn’t there
when he called her Miss Sullivan.
When he finally reached out and shook her hand, Tori realized a
second too late that touching him was probably a bad idea. She was right. The
minute his hand encompassed hers, it was as though she had dipped it into a warm
bath. The heat of his soft touch engulfed her, sending a delicious surge of need
up her arm that tightened her chest and made it hard to breathe. She found she
couldn’t pull away from him.
Her body was betraying her, and for what? A chaste, polite
handshake?
But then she looked into his dark green eyes and realized it
was more than that. He, too, felt the current of desire that traveled through
their skin-on-skin contact. Unlike last night, when Wade was prepared and in
control of the seduction, this seemed to catch him off guard. For just a brief
moment the animosity and arrogance was stripped away, leaving him only with the
expression of pure, unadulterated desire. He was fighting the urge to devour
her, then and there.
His gaze was so penetrating, it felt like a caress. When his
thumb gently stroked the back of her hand, her heart started racing, her breath
quick in her throat the way it had been the night before when she thought he
might kiss her. The feeling was intense. Too intense for a Christmas store with
his mother only a few feet away.
Tori jerked away suddenly, hoping Molly didn’t notice the
invisible sparks as she rubbed her palm on her jeans to deaden the lingering
sensation from his touch. Wade’s eyes didn’t stray from hers for a few moments,
intently searching her as though he were looking into her soul. He turned away
only when Molly spoke.
“Tori, I’m going to get this wreath boxed up for you. Do you
have a hook to hang it?”
“No,” she admitted, sounding oddly out of breath for someone
standing still. “Pick whatever one you think will look the nicest with it, and
I’ll take that, too.”
Molly grinned and dashed off to the other side of the store,
leaving Wade and Tori alone.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone unquestionably
accusatory, yet low enough for his mother not to hear them.
Tori crossed her arms under her breasts, burying her
still-burning hand. “Shopping, obviously.”
This time, when his green gaze raked over her, there was no
heat behind it. Just irritation and suspicion. “Did you come here to get back at
me for last night?”
“Get back at you for what? You claimed you were just hanging
out with some friends. Do you think I came here to tattle on you to your
mama?”
“No,” he said, although the deep lines of the wary expression
on his face gave away his lie.
Tori cracked a wicked grin, knowing she’d easily discovered an
Achilles’ heel. Of course, any son of a decent family had a soft spot where his
mother was concerned. Even the pushy, arrogant sons. She opted to rub it in by
parroting the line he’d used on her last night. “I’m here buying some Christmas
decorations. If your mama just happens to supply me with some information about
you, then great. I like to be well-informed. Especially when going up against a
worthy adversary.”
“Touché,” he said drily before casting a quick glance over his
shoulder to see where Molly was.
“I take it Ken and Molly don’t know what you’re trying to do to
me?”
His head snapped back to look at her. “Do
to you?” he whispered with a touch of incredulity in his voice.
“Offering to pay you four times your property value is hardly twisting your arm.
But no, they don’t know about it, and I’d like to keep it that way. They don’t
need any more stress.”
“If they don’t care, why are you so determined to get it back?
I don’t understand.”
A barrier went up inside Wade. Tori could almost feel
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