whole single
scene. Flirting with him didn't involve losing focus, but taking a
moment, a surprisingly free one, without guilt or worry or
stress.
She pursed her lips, getting control of the
smile to appear serious in her judgment. Damn hard to keep it in
check because she wanted to laugh again. “A valiant effort.”
He made a noncommittal noise. “And?”
“ Because you said it while
trying not to laugh, you can stay.”
He shifted on the chair but left one foot on
the floor. Her red heels dangled around the second bar rung of her
barstool. His hair, pitch black, was a little rumpled but he still
managed to perfect an image of sophisticated sexy.
She shook her head. “Model or actor?”
“ I don't want to talk about
work. I've spent all day dealing with my job, and what I want is a
drink with a pretty woman”
“ Smooth way to slide in the
compliment. Thank you.” Since Nicole didn't want to talk about work
either, she didn't mind the subtle boundary he cast out. “With that
out of the way, how's the weather for you?”
“ Bitterly cold. I'm from
L.A., which doesn't technically have winter. Chicago in December is
not for wussies.”
He wore a black dress shirt, sleeves pulled
up over his forearms and the top three buttons undone. No tie. He
must have settled in somewhere warm, most likely this hotel, to be
so under-dressed for the weather. She'd chucked her gear in her
room and came down to the posh bar. Thankfully, all of her clients
weren't under the same roof. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had any
time alone. Or alone with a man who made it impossible to look
away.
She didn't miss the fact her
breathing grew shallow whenever he smiled. Keep it light, Nicole. “I was chancing
fate wearing these.” She put out her foot. “If I hadn't been going
from the car to inside a warm building, I may have lost a toe or
two.”
His brow rose as he tilted his head. Yes, his
perusal started at her toes, but his gaze drunk in the rest of her.
A flush crept over her skin and her nipples beaded against the
satin red dress. It was the kind of gaze that didn't undress her,
but lifted her skirt to expose her breasts and ass for easy
access.
“ That would've been a
shame.” The line came out smooth as butter, and sincere. There was
no mistaking the flash of emotion behind his gaze—lust.
The same bothersome emotion burned in her
breast bone, too. “You're good at that.”
“ I try to be. There's a line
between being complimentary and creepy.”
“ You've perfected this art
form.”
“ We all have to have
something we aspire to.”
She bit into her bottom lip, sighing again.
He was keeping up with her quips and Nicole suspected they could go
on for hours without him losing a step. That was more appealing
than his face. She lived in the fast lane and many men, at this
stage, got left behind in the dust.
“ Since it'd be rude for me
to order a drink without getting you one too, what would you
like?”
She scoffed. “Yeah, you do that incredibly
well. Come in, wow the estrogen with your testosterone and the
woman can't help but say yes. So for all of woman-kind, I'm saying
no. You can't buy me a drink.”
“ Really?”
She hummed in assent. “I've already granted
you squatter’s rights next to me. You might get the wrong
idea.”
“ What would that be?” His
laugh was as rich and deep as his voice.
A shiver danced down her spine at the sound,
but she refused to revel in the sensation. The wrong idea just
might become too appealing. “That your con man smile actually
works. Whatever you have in mind, the answer is no and it will stay
no. I don't have time for momentary distractions.”
The wattage of the smile didn't dim. “Most
people believe a moment is a second. It's a single point in time.
Do you know how much can change in a moment?”
Damn, she was charmed. “What?”
“ Someone's reputation.
Someone's beliefs. A clear goal. A single shift in a moment can
change anything.”
She eyed him,
scene. Flirting with him didn't involve losing focus, but taking a
moment, a surprisingly free one, without guilt or worry or
stress.
She pursed her lips, getting control of the
smile to appear serious in her judgment. Damn hard to keep it in
check because she wanted to laugh again. “A valiant effort.”
He made a noncommittal noise. “And?”
“ Because you said it while
trying not to laugh, you can stay.”
He shifted on the chair but left one foot on
the floor. Her red heels dangled around the second bar rung of her
barstool. His hair, pitch black, was a little rumpled but he still
managed to perfect an image of sophisticated sexy.
She shook her head. “Model or actor?”
“ I don't want to talk about
work. I've spent all day dealing with my job, and what I want is a
drink with a pretty woman”
“ Smooth way to slide in the
compliment. Thank you.” Since Nicole didn't want to talk about work
either, she didn't mind the subtle boundary he cast out. “With that
out of the way, how's the weather for you?”
“ Bitterly cold. I'm from
L.A., which doesn't technically have winter. Chicago in December is
not for wussies.”
He wore a black dress shirt, sleeves pulled
up over his forearms and the top three buttons undone. No tie. He
must have settled in somewhere warm, most likely this hotel, to be
so under-dressed for the weather. She'd chucked her gear in her
room and came down to the posh bar. Thankfully, all of her clients
weren't under the same roof. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had any
time alone. Or alone with a man who made it impossible to look
away.
She didn't miss the fact her
breathing grew shallow whenever he smiled. Keep it light, Nicole. “I was chancing
fate wearing these.” She put out her foot. “If I hadn't been going
from the car to inside a warm building, I may have lost a toe or
two.”
His brow rose as he tilted his head. Yes, his
perusal started at her toes, but his gaze drunk in the rest of her.
A flush crept over her skin and her nipples beaded against the
satin red dress. It was the kind of gaze that didn't undress her,
but lifted her skirt to expose her breasts and ass for easy
access.
“ That would've been a
shame.” The line came out smooth as butter, and sincere. There was
no mistaking the flash of emotion behind his gaze—lust.
The same bothersome emotion burned in her
breast bone, too. “You're good at that.”
“ I try to be. There's a line
between being complimentary and creepy.”
“ You've perfected this art
form.”
“ We all have to have
something we aspire to.”
She bit into her bottom lip, sighing again.
He was keeping up with her quips and Nicole suspected they could go
on for hours without him losing a step. That was more appealing
than his face. She lived in the fast lane and many men, at this
stage, got left behind in the dust.
“ Since it'd be rude for me
to order a drink without getting you one too, what would you
like?”
She scoffed. “Yeah, you do that incredibly
well. Come in, wow the estrogen with your testosterone and the
woman can't help but say yes. So for all of woman-kind, I'm saying
no. You can't buy me a drink.”
“ Really?”
She hummed in assent. “I've already granted
you squatter’s rights next to me. You might get the wrong
idea.”
“ What would that be?” His
laugh was as rich and deep as his voice.
A shiver danced down her spine at the sound,
but she refused to revel in the sensation. The wrong idea just
might become too appealing. “That your con man smile actually
works. Whatever you have in mind, the answer is no and it will stay
no. I don't have time for momentary distractions.”
The wattage of the smile didn't dim. “Most
people believe a moment is a second. It's a single point in time.
Do you know how much can change in a moment?”
Damn, she was charmed. “What?”
“ Someone's reputation.
Someone's beliefs. A clear goal. A single shift in a moment can
change anything.”
She eyed him,
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