He took her briefcase and computer and led her to the elevator. “If Lucas Buchanan wants to have dinner with you, I’d say you can consider this a done deal.”
“Thank you, Howard, but I’ve learned to keep my expectations under control. We’ll see how it goes.”
Once outside, Howard ushered her into a black Lincoln, shook her hand, and closed the car door after her.
Luke turned and looked at her. The heat simmering in his eyes, the unspoken message dancing in the air between them, stunned her.
His lips curved in a smile. “Here we go.” His deep warm voice was like a caress.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and Julia felt an unfamiliar flash of heat suffuse her.
Here we go, indeed.
Chapter 3
“I’d like to take a minute to freshen up, if you don’t mind.” Julia paused in the hotel lobby.
And take a few minutes to gather her wits about her.
“Take your time.” Luke smiled. “I’ll get us a table in the cocktail lounge while you run up to your room. I thought we’d have a drink before heading into the restaurant.”
“All right. Sounds good.”
In her room, she dropped her briefcase and portfolio, leaned against the closed door, and put her hands to her heated face. Her entire body felt flushed, her bones shook, and the oddest sensation coursed through her. What was the matter with her? She didn’t even know the man. This was crazy.
There was no mistaking the unspoken message in Luke’s dark eyes when he looked at her, no matter how circumspect his behavior. And even three floors away from him, she still felt his powerful presence surrounding her.
What she needed was a cold shower. Maybe the stinging spray would bring her to her senses. She glanced at her watch. Could she do it quickly? She stripped off her clothes, fully aware if she exchanged her business uniform for something more casual, she was acknowledging this was more than a business date. She was equally nervous and aroused. A dangerous combination. Why couldn’t she just get on with it? Allow herself to sample life a little?
She hurried through the shower, drying herself quickly, rubbing cream into her skin, spraying perfume on her pulse points, and pulling on the soft slacks and cashmere sweater she’d brought to travel home in. Gold hoops at her ears. She brushed her hair until it shown and swayed with a natural rhythm. And all the while the image of Luke Buchanan burned itself into her vision. Unexpectedly, she wondered what he looked like without any clothes on such a powerful body. Wondered what fantastic things he would do to her. With her.
Oh, my God! Crazy, crazy, crazy.
She sensed she was on the verge of doing the most daring thing she’d ever done in her life, but Luke Buchanan mesmerized her. She couldn’t help herself. Maybe it was her lack of experience with anyone but Charles. Maybe it was the need curling inside her to discover what real passion was. Maybe it was a response to having a man look at her as if she was a desirable woman. Whatever it was, it was blossoming inside her like a flower seed buried too long under snow.
When she entered the cocktail lounge, Luke rose from the booth he’d commandeered, his eyes taking in every inch of her body. When he took her arm as she slid onto the bench seat, the same instant shock of electricity she’d felt during the afternoon crackled through her.
“I’d have ordered for you but I neglected to ask what you drink.” His deep voice was like a liquid caress.
“Amaretto, please. On the rocks. Thank you.”
“Very nice.” His gaze took in every inch of her. “I like the outfit. The color brings out the blue in your eyes.”
“Thank you.” She searched for something else to say, but her tongue seemed immobilized. Compliments were rare in her life with Charles.
She was grateful when the waiter brought her drink, not for the alcohol but for something to do with her hands.
“You’re clutching your glass like a lifeline.” Amusement edged Luke’s tone and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “You aren’t an alcoholic by any chance, are you?”
“No. Not at all.” She picked up the drink and sipped at it, feeling the warmth slide through her system, praying her hands wouldn’t shake. “Just…winding down.” Or winding tighter.
Luke studied her face, hot gaze stroking her skin. “Tell me about yourself, Julia Patterson. I know everything there is to know about your agency and absolutely nothing about you.”
“You’ll find I’m a very boring person, Mr. Buchanan.”
“Luke, please.” There was that smile again, melting her bones. “And I don’t believe anyone who comes up with the creative ideas you do can be boring at all.”
“You’d be surprised.” She lowered her eyes. His piercing gaze unnerved her, as if he could see beneath her skin.
“Where are you from?” he asked. “What do you like to do?” He grinned. “What’s your most secret fantasy?”
Fantasy? Should she tell him she’d been having unbelievable fantasies about him in the quick shower she’d taken to cool herself off?
“Julia?” His amused voice broke into her mental wanderings. “This isn’t a test, just nosy interest on my part.”
“I’m sorry. I guess my mind drifted.” She took another sip of amaretto. “There isn’t much to tell. I’m a small town girl living in the big city, with two great kids and a wonderful business.”
How could she possibly tell him the truth? She’d rushed into a youthful marriage, propelled by two sets of parents and the social expectations of friends. Now, if not for her agency and her children, she’d be little more than a cipher in limbo. And her sex life wouldn’t even be the envy of a nun.
No, she wouldn’t tell him that little tidbit.
“Tell me more about your kids,” he urged.
“My kids?” She stared.
“Yes. What are they like? Kids tell a lot about the kind of people their parents are.”
She laughed nervously. “I don’t want to bore you to death.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Nothing about you could bore me.”
Her children were an area where she could go on for hours. She forgot to be tense and anxious, forgot about everything as she talked about Andy and Beth. As she talked, she sipped on the wonderful amaretto, its velvety texture soft against her tongue. Wrapped in the growing feeling of relaxation, she barely noticed when a full glass replaced an empty one.. Every so often, she’d catch something dark flashing in Luke’s eyes, like a shadow of sadness. She wondered what was in this man’s life to cause such hidden melancholy.
* * * *
Luke watched the woman across from him, posture relaxed, careful to betray nothing of his real interest through either movement or facial expression. The cashmere sweater draped softly across her breasts, and when she leaned forward, he could see the rosy skin exposed by the wide neckline. The muted lights of the cocktail lounge caught the golden highlights in her hair and the glint of green in her eyes. Her translucent skin was slightly flushed, and he wondered if it was the alcohol or his presence. He hoped the latter.
The energy he’d felt the instant he met her stunned him, affecting him more strongly than any woman in recent memory. These days, in fact, he’d wondered if he’d burned himself out these past years trying to erase the damage his wife had caused. He’d been hard-pressed to conceal his arousal back in the conference room. The moment he looked into Julia’s eyes, he’d wanted nothing more than to take her to bed and fuck her senseless.