would decide when he went on a date with a woman, not some newspaper editor looking to increase readership with cheesy features.
But Mark was right. Warfield’s needed the publicity. He’d throw Erin a bone and leave it at that. How difficult could it be?
Jared turned his attention to some paperwork without addressing that particular question. In his gut he knew he wouldn’t like the answer.
Chapter Three
“Darn this stupid skirt,” Erin muttered as she walked into the restaurant where she hoped to meet with Jared. While the skirt was attractive if she stood stock-still, every time she took a step the textured black material clung to her legs and crept higher. How did women get around in this sort of get-up? There was probably thigh glue or some kind of magical stuff to help with this irritating problem.
And, heavens, the push-up, padded bra Colleen had insisted Erin wear was doing its job—really well. The nasty, stiff thing was pushing up her chest into two mountainlike, unfamiliar structures under the tight, low-cut black stretch top she’d poured herself into. She actually had cleavage.
She stumbled, but managed to catch herself. While she supposed she looked good in the leather torture devices called shoes she’d jammed her feet into in the parking lot, who cared? If she fell on her face in the middle of the restaurant, no one would comment later that she’d looked darn good doing it.
This scheme had better be worth the hassle. She really needed to get her story and get on with her life, out from under the shadow of financial disaster.
She saw Jared in the far corner of the restaurant and relaxed a tad. At least he’d shown up, although she still had doubts about the interview. Jared Warfield seemed like one stubborn guy. But, boy, did he look like her dream date, even from a distance, sitting there all self-assured, his body angled to rest one arm on the back of his chair. His deep-blue, button-down shirt complemented his olive complexion and gave him a casual but successful look she found intriguing and extremely attractive.
His eyes followed her progress toward him, and she felt a feminine thrill at the appreciation glinting in their dark depths. She did look pretty good, didn’t she? She pulled her shoulders back and thrust out her bra-enhanced chest the way Colleen had taught her, then swung her hips as she walked. Yeah, that was it, sway ’em, honey—
“Oof!” The sound popped from her mouth as she collided with a waiter. Before she could catch herself, her heel snagged on the carpet and she was teetering on the edge of a three-inch spike, desperately trying to stay upright. Somehow she managed to keep from falling on her butt. Barely. So much for the sexy routine.
Her face blazing, she looked at Jared and her hopes plummeted. The appreciative look had vanished, and his hand was over his mouth as mirth danced in his eyes. Had she blown her big plan already? Doubt hovered on the edge of her mind, eating away at her confidence in her ability to pull off this sexy act. She was way out of her league.
But humiliation was better than homelessness. She had to do this, so she kept walking.
Jared rose as she reached the table. He extended his hand. “Having a little trouble there?”
Erin shook his hand and his warm touch lit a fire under her skin. Dismayed, she managed to hold in a snappy comeback, remembering the interview. He was no dream date; this was strictly business. “I guess you could say that. My heel caught on the carpet.”
His eyes flicked down briefly. “And your skirt? What did it catch on?”
Erin glanced down and gasped. Between the last tug and the table, her skirt had ridden almost all the way up her thighs. Only an inch or so saved her from total indecency. “Oh, my goodness!” She jerked the wayward garment down. “Darn the thing.”
He smiled and raised an amused brow, but she thought him wise to keep silent. She unhitched the shoulder strap of her briefcase, put it down and plopped onto her chair. Her dignity had been left a few steps back, but she’d have to live with that. She had a job to do.
She looked at Jared. “Mr. Warfield—”
“Jared.”
She nodded stiffly. While she had been thinking “stud-muffin” in her head, she wondered how smart it was to be on a first-name basis with him outside of her thoughts. Deciding not to worry about the small stuff, she said, “Jared, I’m so glad you decided to accept my invitation. To be honest, I wasn’t sure you would.”
His eyes still glinting with suppressed amusement, Jared took a sip of water. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
A tiny flare of irritation flashed through her. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “I wanted to find out how desperate you really were.”
“But you’re here for the interview, aren’t you?”
He lifted a single brow. “Maybe I just came for a free lunch. Oh, and thanks for the book.”
Ribbons of concern curled around Erin. This was a last-ditch effort, her one chance to save her financial bacon. She swallowed her concern and smiled the sexy, come-hither way she and Colleen had practiced in front of the mirror, remembering The Plan. “Oh, I have a feeling you’ll cooperate.”
He gave her a strange look, one she couldn’t make sense of. She chose to read it as a positive sign.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She held the smile and arched a brow. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
“Your face is all scrunched up and you have a tick in your eyebrow.” He looked down and pressed his lips together. When he looked back up, he’d managed to wipe the smirk from his face. “Are you ill?”
Her smile faded and her eyebrow fell. Scrunched? A tick? That wasn’t the effect she’d been going for. “Uh, no, not at all. I have something in my eye.” She made a big show of rolling her eyes around.
“Need a tissue?” he asked, his tone appropriately serious.
She held up her hand. “No, I’m fine.”
When she looked nervously back at him, he was studying his menu, a ghost of a smile hovering on his mouth. Her hopes sank again. She’d come here dressed like this to turn him on, not make him laugh. What had she been thinking? She knew better than to try to be something she wasn’t, and this was hardly her. Plus, he was talking like he wasn’t going to grant her the interview. Had she made a fool of herself for nothing?
She slanted another quick glance at him. When he looked up, he caught her gaze with his heart-stopping, cocoa eyes. Then he smiled, flashing even, white teeth, and her blood warmed. He was just as gorgeous as she remembered, hang him. It would be ten times easier dealing with a man who didn’t have the uncanny ability to turn her on by simply sitting there looking good. Horrified, she grabbed her menu and pretended to study it. The waiter arrived and they ordered, though she doubted she could eat a bite.
Despite the chaos whirling around inside of her like a child’s toy top, it was time to get down to business. The direct approach seemed the way to go. Besides, she was too hot, bothered and worried for any more small talk.
She
