“Let me take you out.”
Her lips part and before she can form any type of rejection on her tongue, I keep talking.
“Nothing fancy, just something casual between friends. And no sex,” I say with a half-grin. “Just a little makeup dinner. Makeup sex is phenomenal. I’m sure makeup dinner could be good, too.”
And what the fuck is that all about?
Her smile blooms and I want to kiss her so bad I have to fist my hands at my sides not to touch her.
“You, Mr. Rhoades, always seem to know the right things to say.”
“I think you’ve proven that’s not always the case,” I say with a smirk. “As much as I wouldn’t mind a good debate, I’m probably going to lose my job if I don’t get back to my meeting. I have a client wondering why I left the conference room in a hurry. So you have to agree.”
“Is this blackmail?”
“No. But unless you want me to be homeless, you’ll answer quickly.”
She only hesitates a second longer before she says, “Fine, it’s a date.”
I reach out and snag her soft hand. The need to touch her is too strong, and I indulge further, kissing her knuckles. “I’ll text you. I hope Saturday night is okay?”
I don’t wait for an answer, hurrying off to close the Sadler deal. I open the conference room door with a couple of bottles of water and offer them around before I nail the rest of the presentation if their smiles and assurances they plan to sign the contract are any indication.
A couple of grueling days later, Jeff sweeps in my open door. Sometimes, I long for solid walls. The glass fronts don’t offer any seclusion unless you turn on the privacy feature, which fills the panes with a gas that turn them opaque. It’s kind of cool.
With his arms raised on either side of him like he scored a touchdown, he says, “I hear the Sadler account is in the bag.”
I shrug. “The contract isn’t signed, but they spoke as if they were leaning towards going with us.”
“Then we should celebrate.” He claps as if somehow that seals the deal.
I haven’t been out since the disastrous night with Samantha, but the last thing I want right now is to go to my empty house.
“How about poker?” I ask.
Jeff’s smart which is why he’s on the fast track for a promotion. Between Mark and him, they’re the closest things I have to friends who could maybe fill Drew’s shoes one day. It doesn’t take long for Jeff to see through my suggestion. He points a finger at me. “You’ve been holding out on me. You have something going on with that event planner.”
I’m not sure how to answer. Our situation is certainly unique.
“She’s a friend.”
“Like Karen was a friend?”
I ignore his comment. “Do you want in on poker or what?”
He sighs heavily. “Yeah.” He points at me on his way to the door. “You owe me a bottle of Lagavulin.”
I nod. “Bring Mark.”
“As if you have to remind me. The guy needs luck tonight. He can barely buy lunch these days with that ex of his draining him dry.”
Like everything else these days, I lose big that night. It’s for a good cause because Mark wins. I can’t say for sure whether we let him win or his luck was stellar. Either way, my pockets are lighter.
Days later, when I pull my Jaguar F-Type in front of Samantha’s house, I wonder for the hundredth time if I’m doing the right thing. Before I can make a decision, she breezes out the door looking as fresh and beautiful as the proverbial girl next door. The kinds of women I’m used to, normally look like girls gone wild when we go out. Yet my body makes its opinion known as every muscle goes taut with need just at the mere sight of her.
“Hey,” she says, opening the door before I can come out of my head and open it for her.
“You’re going to get me in trouble with my mother.”
She shoots me a grin that hits me right in the dick.
“Why? Because you didn’t walk me to the car like I can’t do it by myself?” The words drawl out of her mouth, feigning shock.
“I swear, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think my sister sent you as some kind of payback.”
She pushes her sunglasses to rest on top of her head. Her eyes laser mine. “You have a sister?”
“I do. A younger sister who acts more like my mother. She’d like you.”
One flash of her brilliant smile and I’m dumbstruck.
“Sounds like I’d like her. I’m sure she has lots of stories to tell.”
I groan for more reasons than one. “You’re never ever going to meet her.”
“That’s sounds like a challenge.”
Her smile widens and I shake my head. Tonight I have to channel Drew so I can keep my hands to myself and be the gentleman she doesn’t think I can be. And for some reason I can’t name, it’s important to me.
“Let me get you to dinner before you start getting ideas.”
When we reach the marina, Samantha stares out at the car window.
“You’re okay with taking a boat ride?”