by dirt, then her gaze went to the carpet. “Oops.”
“It’s fine.” He nodded toward the other room. “Come on.”
She swallowed, blinked, then let out a big breath. “Am I in trouble?”
“From what I could hear, I’d say so.”
The panicked look came back to her face. “You heard me?”
He nodded. “We need to talk,” he said as he headed for the kitchen, but he caught her whispered, “Oh, shit.”
It wasn’t nice, his little game. He should be ashamed of himself. Should be, but wasn’t. Once in the kitchen, he got busy making some coffee. He’d have opened a bottle of wine, but it was a bit early in the day for that. After grinding the beans he measured the grounds, then added the water, and still, Tess hadn’t come in. He was tempted to check on her, but decided to let her have some time to gather herself. So he just brought down two cups and sat at the table.
She came in a moment later, looking as scared as she was embarrassed.
“How do you like your coffee?”
Her brows came down as she studied him. “Do you always serve coffee to people before you fire them?”
“Who said I was going to fire you?”
Her relief lasted only a moment. A slight sigh, then she shook her head and stared at him through narrowed eyes. “Then what was all that about me being in trouble.”
“The party this weekend. You don’t have a date.”
“Excuse me?”
“Wash up while I pour,” he said.
A brief glance at her hands spurred her over to the sink. As she scrubbed her hands and nails, she kept looking at him, puzzled as hell.
He brought out cream and sugar, a couple of spoons, then sat down at the table, bringing the carafe with him. A moment later, she sat across from him, her confusion making her eyes sparkle.
“I have a proposition for you,” he said, enjoying the play of emotion on her face. Nothing was hidden in this one. She was an open book. Which could be dangerous in a town like Manhattan.
“What kind of proposition?”
“You’re going to Rain Nickleby’s this Saturday, right?”
She nodded.
“So am I.” He poured the steaming coffee into her mug, but she didn’t touch it. She did, however, clutch her spoon like a lifeline.
“And?”
“I don’t have a date. I was hoping you’d be kind enough to accompany me.”
She blinked several times. A sound came out of her, something between a gasp and a squeak. He tried hard not to look too smug.
“Are you kidding?”
“Not at all. You’d be doing me a great favor.”
“I’d be doing you a favor.”
“You would. Up until an hour ago, I wasn’t looking forward to the party, and now I am.”
She blinked again. Her long, dark lashes splashed against her pale skin. Soft skin. “I thought you were dating Nicole Kidman.”
“No. We’re not dating. Our evenings out have been strictly business.”
“Gee, that must be so rough.”
He laughed. “With Nic, it’s not rough. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes it’s pretty hard pasting a smile on.”
She sat back in her chair, her T-shirt snug around her breasts. Abundant, full breasts. Her whole body was ample and curvaceous, and he felt the familiar pull at his groin. He hadn’t wanted to go to the party at all. Now, he could hardly wait.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why, what?”
“Why would you want to take me?”
“Why not?”
“I water your plants.”
“Yes, you do.”
“I’m no Nicole Kidman.”
“No, you’re not. You’re Tess, and I’d be honored to have you be my date. I’ll pick you up at five on Saturday. It’ll take us a while to get out to the island.”
She sighed again, then nibbled a bit on her lower lip. He averted his gaze, finally taking a drink of his coffee. It had been a long time since he’d had this kind of reaction to a woman. Not that he was immune to the considerable charms of the ladies he met through Noir, but this was something unrehearsed. A surprise in a world that held very few. Whatever happened Saturday night, it would keep him on his toes. Which appealed greatly.
“I don’t understand it,” she said, “but I’d be a total loon to say no.”
He grinned. “Good, then. It’s settled.”
“I suppose you heard why I’m going?”
“I know Cullen. He’s very savvy, and he makes most of his business decisions based on his reaction to the person, not the proposal. I think you’ll do very well.”
“Really?”
“You’ll have to tell me about your plans on the way to the party. Unfortunately, I have to get back to work.”
She stood up quickly, a splash of pink coloring her cheeks. “I really appreciate this, Mr. Black.”
“Dash.”
“Right.”
He stood next to her, took her hand in his, felt her tremble. Her scent, subtle, slightly citrus, made him want to touch far more. “I appreciate this. More than you can know.”
She looked down at her feet, then brought her gaze up to meet his. “I think you have that backward.”
“Five o’clock, Tess.”
“Do you know where I live?”
“I’ll find you.”
“Maybe I should just meet you here.”
He shook his head slowly. “I’ll find you.”
She swallowed. Blinked in that way she had. “I’ll be ready.”
He kissed the back of her hand, instantly registering that he’d been right about the softness of her skin. He didn’t particularly want to let her go, but he did. “Until then.”
“Uh-huh,” she whispered,
