Surprise Seduction (25 page)

He shifted his weight.
 
“That’s what we need to talk about.”

“It’ll have to wait, Chase.
 
I really am busy.”

“The entire weekend?”
 
His eyes narrowed to dark emeralds.
 
“We could have lunch together.”

Adrienne’s head swam.
 
He wanted to have lunch with her?
 
Having ‘lunch’ with Chase was one of her fantasies.
 
Didn’t he know how unfair his suggestion was?

She stopped what she was doing, took her purse from her desk drawer, and glanced up at him.
 
She pretended her heart didn’t race and her legs didn’t tremble just at the sight of him.
 
Not that it made much difference.

The thought of ‘lunch’ with Chase stole her breath away, just the same as it always had.
 
‘Lunch’ with Chase was her ultimate fantasy.

“I can’t.”

He shook his head in exasperation.
 
“I want to see you again, Adrienne.”

“You see me right now.”
 
She played coy.

He rolled his eyes with a wry grin.
 
“Go out with me.”

“Why should I?”

“You’re upset because I left,” he commented.
 
His eyes watched her every move.

“It wasn’t my favorite moment,” she admitted.

“That’s why you kissed Mel?”

She averted her gaze.
 
“And if it was?”

“I was a jerk.
 
Forgive me.”
 
He flashed his half-cocked grin.
 
The one that weakened her knees.

Forgive him?
 
She closed her eyes.
 
Could she?
 
Could she forget he was helping to destroy what her father had worked so hard to build?
 
She sighed.
 
She had to ignore those things and discover what was going on with Drew.

“What do you have in mind?”

One dimple deepened.
 
“Let me take you to dinner.”

“Dinner?”
 
Her eyebrow rose.
 
“That’s all?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be opposed to leaving the rest of the evening open, just in case something comes up.”

“Namely you?”

His lips twitched.
 
“If we get lucky.”

“Dinner would be nice.
 
As for the rest,” Her gaze raked over his body. “I’m not agreeing to anything.”

“I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”

“Make it seven,” she said just to feel like she had some control over the situation.

Chase called Adrienne from his cell phone.
 
“I’m out front.
 
Get the doorman to let me in, and I’ll be right up.”

“No, I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
 
The stubborn woman told him.
 
“Besides, it’s not seven yet.
 
What if I’m not ready?”

He grinned.
 
He’d dialed her number at six forty-five on the dot.
 
“Are you?”

Her sigh tugged at his heart.
 
“I’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes.”

Chase chuckled at her answer with a slow shake of his head.

No longer was she forbidden.
 
He planned to enjoy her sweet body, and give her just as much pleasure as she’d given him Tuesday night.

Who was he kidding?
 
Other than that initial thrust, she’d been a live wire beneath him, responding to each and every movement.
 
He couldn’t remember a woman ever being so responsive to his slightest touch.

Or maybe, he just hadn’t paid attention with the others.

With Adrienne, he noticed everything.

From her shiny, sassy haircut to those trim ankles he had yet to kiss.
 
He added her ankles to the growing list of places he planned to taste before the sun rose.

When she appeared in the lobby, his heart quickened.

Had to be the anticipation of a repeat of what had been the best sex of his life.

He watched her through the lobby’s floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
 
Her chin was held high.
 
Her hair gleamed, falling to her shoulders in soft waves.
 
A small purse dangled from her shoulder, swinging back and forth with each confident step she made.
 
No long tent hid those fabulous long legs of hers.
 
His eyes traveled from the hem of her swishy skirt to those ankles he’d just been thinking about.

Hunger hit him.

Fierce, demanding, carnal hunger.
 
The kind mere food would never satisfy.

His groin tightened.

Get a hold on yourself, Aaron.
 
You can’t just throw her over your shoulders and carry her back to her apartment like you’re a cave man.

He opened his car door and got out just as she stepped from the building.
 
She spotted him, paused for a second, smiled and continued walking toward him.

“You look great,” he told her as he opened the passenger door.
 
She did.

She also smelled of some enticing citrus scent.
 
Reigning in his Neanderthal urges grew more difficult by the whiff.

“Thanks.”
 
She climbed into the car revealing a tantalizing expanse of her thighs as she did.
 
He caught a glimpse of creamy white.
 
She wore garters again.

Damn, she was going to give him a heart attack.

He closed the door and took several deep breaths before getting into the car.

“I’ve made us reservations at Serge’s.
 
Do you like French cuisine?”
 
He stared at her soft mouth.
 
He’d like something ‘French’ and it wasn’t food.

“French is fine.”
 
Her eyes narrowed in question when he continued to stare.
 
Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

His stomach did that quivery thing again.
 
Hell, maybe he had an ulcer?

“We could just stay here and order pizza later?”
 
Much later.
 
Like for breakfast.
 
Pizza for breakfast should do wonders to cure a man’s ulcer.

 
“No.
 
Dinner is all I promised.
 
I’m not one of your groupies you can have on demand, Chase.
 
If that’s what you expect from tonight, we should call it quits now.”

He took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out.
 
Her expression was serious.
 
Too serious.
 
Her hands clasped together in her lap.
 
Right about the area of her body where he’d like to be.

He groaned.
 
“I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to wanting you.”

She smiled, seductive as hell.
 
“Want is okay.
 
Just no touching.”

No touching?
 
Was she crazy?

He’d explode from frustration.

Or die from that bleeding ulcer he was beginning to be convinced he’d developed since meeting her.

“What do you mean?”

“This is a date, Chase.
 
Our first, if you discount the night at the dance club.
 
No touching on first dates.”

“Says who?”
 
Had some talk show hostess come up with this great tidbit of advice?

“Says me.”

“Clarify no touching,” he demanded.

“No first base.
 
No second base.
 
No third base.
 
No homeruns.
 
And absolutely no ‘grand slams’.”
 
She ticked each one off on her slim fingers.

His eyes widened, and he gave a not-so-amused ‘hmpf’.
 
“Sounds like I don’t even get a turn at bat.”

She smiled.
 
“That about sums up the rules for tonight.”

Could a man die from want?
 
From lack of touch?

Chase had begun to think death might be a reprieve from the torture of being with Adrienne but unable to touch her.
 
She hadn’t even allowed him to help her out of the car.
 
Each time he’d went to assist her, she’d stepped away with a naughty smile.

She knew exactly what she was doing to him.
 
She enjoyed every second of this game she played.
 
He felt like the mouse he’d once compared her too.
 
A mouse being toyed with by a sexy feline who knew she held all the cards.
 
Damn.

When had the tables turned?
 
He’d thought he had it all figured out when he’d come to the conclusion that there was nothing standing in his way now that the assistant/virgin thing had been resolved.

Too bad, he hadn’t taken into account Adrienne might not want to repeat their sexual adventure.

He stared at her.
 
She played with her dessert.
 
A raspberry torte.
 
Without a doubt, she continued to toy with his libido, as well.
 
She licked her spoon so erotically he couldn’t even finish his thought.
 
Not without grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the restaurant.

“Is that good?” he asked.

Her lids lowered.
 
“Heavenly.”
 
Her tongue darted out to remove raspberry sauce from the corner of her mouth.
 
Had she gotten it there on purpose just to torment him?

“Can I have a bite?”
 
Maybe he could have a taste of her sweetness second-hand.

“I thought you didn’t want dessert?”
 
Her eyes twinkled mischievously at him.
 
She put the spoon in her mouth and closed her lips around it.

Oh, he wanted some all right.

Removing the utensil from her mouth, she dipped it back into the dish.
 
Scooping up a generous amount, she held out the silverware to him.

He looked at the proffered spoon, then back at her.
 
Instead of taking the utensil, he leaned closer to her and parted his lips.