He had a dozen questions simmering on his lips. He wanted to know why she wasn’t wearing the collar anymore. He wanted to know if the guy who’d given it to her was out of the picture now. While it wouldn’t change his plans if she hadn’t cut the other guy loose, it would certainly make things a hell of a lot easier for him if she weren’t in a relationship.
At a quarter to eight, Ash straightened, realization slowly creeping in that she wasn’t coming. Disappointment surged in his veins. Not a common sensation for him. But if she thought he would be deterred by being stood up, she was wrong. It only hardened his resolve.
He was about to pick up the phone to call for his driver when Josie burst through the front entrance to the hotel. Her cheeks were red and her hair was askew, as if she’d been hurrying and the wind had played havoc with the long tresses.
When her gaze lighted on him, she paused, standing several feet away as they locked eyes. He found himself walking toward her when, normally, he wouldn’t be the first to make a move. People came to him. Not the other way around. And yet, he wanted to close in before she changed her mind and bolted back out the door.
“Josie,” he greeted smoothly.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly. “I was painting. Got caught up in what I was doing and completely forgot the time.”
He glanced at the oversized bag hanging from her shoulder and the paint smudges on her fingertips. Then he took in the rest of her, memorizing every detail, right down to her toes.
“That’s quite all right. They’ll hold our table,” he said. “Would you like to eat now or have a drink first?”
She pulled a face. “I’m not much of a drinker. I mean, I don’t have anything against it, and I do drink on occasion, but I’m rather finicky and I drink frou-frou girly drinks. But I love an occasional glass of wine.”
He chuckled. “You’d fit right in with Mia and Bethany and their girls.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Who are Mia and Bethany?”
He reached to take her arm, tucking it over his as he guided her toward the restaurant.
“Mia is the wife of one of my business partners, Gabe, and she’s the sister of my other business partner, Jace. Bethany is engaged to Jace.”
“Sounds like one big happy family,” she murmured.
“Of sorts.”
They arrived at the restaurant and the ma?tre d’ immediately ushered them to the table always reserved for himself or Gabe or Jace when they chose to eat here.
Josie sat across from Ash, but she didn’t fully relax. She was perched on the edge of her seat and her gaze kept darting left and right and beyond Ash. She looked ill at ease and like she’d rather be anywhere but here with him. His ego was taking one hell of a beating. Women didn’t normally have to be blackmailed in order to agree to a date with him.
“Would you like wine?” he asked when a waiter immediately appeared.
She shook her head. “No. Water will be fine. Thank you.”
“Make that two,” Ash murmured to the waiter.
“Don’t let me keep you from enjoying wine if that’s what you prefer,” she said. “I just don’t want to drink and then have to get back home. Alcohol makes me pretty fuzzy. Last thing I need to do is be stumbling around Manhattan after dark.”
“So you can’t hold your liquor and when you do imbibe, you drink girly drinks. I’ll have to remember that.”
Her lips twitched and her eyes flashed. He’d almost gotten a smile out of her. Was he such an ogre? He was used to women falling for his charm, although in Josie’s defense he hadn’t exactly been charming in her presence. Something about her brought his caveman instincts roaring to the surface. He was lucky he could form coherent sentences without growling, beating his chest and dragging her back to his cave by her hair.
That would go over well . . .
Not only would she have his balls, he’d never see her again.
The waiter took their orders and then quickly disappeared. Josie glanced up, a question in her eyes as soon as they were alone.
“Did you bring the jewelry?” she asked softly.