The music drew to a conclusion, but he continued to hold her, searching for something to say, not yet ready to let her go.
She looked inquisitively up at him, a tentative smile lighting her face.
Finally he found his voice. “Can I get you something from the bar?”
“A glass of tonic water with lime would be perfect.”
The melodic cadence of her voice floated to his ears. It almost didn’t matter what she said as long as she would continue talking.
He placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her toward the bar. “Two tonic waters with lime,” he instructed the bartender, his eyes never leaving Terri’s face.
Clint handed her the glass. “So we meet again,” he stated, his eyes boring into hers.
“I wasn’t aware that you would be attending.”
“It was a last-minute decision.” He took a sip of his drink, and his voice dipped intimately. “You look fabulous.”
Terri lowered her eyes at the unabashed compliment.
“I hope there won’t be any acceptance speeches tonight,” he added, rescuing her from her apparent uneasiness.
“No,” she breathed, thankful for the change in topic, “not tonight. This is more of a who’s-who gathering than anything else, Mr. Steele.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “My friends call me Clint. I wish you would.”
“You seem to have a lot of those,” she commented.
He grinned slyly, his eyebrow lifting. “I didn’t think you noticed.”
A hot flush of embarrassment seared her cheeks.
“Don’t be uncomfortable,” he said smoothly, as though reading her mind. “I’ve been watching you, too.” His eyes trailed over her curvaceous form, and she felt her heart begin to race.
“So where is your escort—boyfriend…husband?” he probed in the hope that she would reveal or confirm what Mark had said.
Terri smiled, melting Clint’s heart. “Sorry, none of the above. I came with Mark, who seems to have vanished. What about you? I thought I saw you with someone earlier.”
He knew good and well that she saw him, but he was more than happy to play along. At least there were no stray boyfriends or husbands to contend with. “That was my business associate, Melissa Taylor, who seems to have made quite an impression on Mark.”
Terri followed Clint’s gaze across the room to see Mark and Melissa laughing intimately.
“Mark does have a way with women,” she stated, a wry smile tilting her lips.
“Let’s dance,” Clint suggested in a low, urgent voice, taking her hand before she could deny him.
“I catch a faint accent in your voice,” Clint whispered in her ear as they moved easily across the dance floor. “It’s absolutely delicious.”
Terri’s pulse fluttered. “Barbados,” she answered softly.
“Hmm,” he hummed into her hair. “Don’t ever lose it.”
The hours seemed to float away as Terri and Clint became enamored of each other’s company. They talked of the places that they had traveled, the current economy and its effects on business. But whenever Terri directed questions to Clint about his line of work, he was subtly evasive.
“Let’s not talk about work.” He looked deep into her eyes. “Not tonight. I’d rather hear about you.”
“There’s really not that much to tell,” she breathed as they walked side by side out to the balcony. “I came to the States when I was eight. I went to New York University and studied advertising and public relations. My business has been in existence for five years. That’s basically all there is.”
“I find that hard to believe. There has to be some life behind all of those facts and figures.” He smiled encouragingly at her.
Terri stiffened. “I suppose there is,” she said softly, “but I don’t care to discuss it.” She turned her head toward the skyline, wishing that the pain would somehow go away.
He raised a hand to touch her, wanting her to know that he’d be willing to listen, but he knew that she wouldn’t give in. At least not yet.
“I know we got off to a bad start this afternoon,” he began, pacing his words and her reaction. “I’d like the opportunity to change that.”
Terri turned to him, the haunted look in her eyes stunning him with its intensity. She absently ran her hands down the sides of her gown, and Clint’s insides went haywire with the motion. He forced himself to look at her eyes instead of those delicious hips.
“I have no idea what you mean.”
“I mean,” he said, taking a step closer, “I want you to see the real me.”
“Why would that be important?”
“Because it’s important to me,” he stated simply.
Terri swallowed and placed her hand on the balcony railing. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “What is it that you think I need to know?”
“That I’m not such a bad guy—and that I’m sure you’ve heard and read a lot of things about me that aren’t true.” He leaned against the railing, inching closer to her. “I’d like to correct that.”
“Is this account that important to you?”
“It has nothing to do with the account.”
“Your ego, perhaps?”
The implications riled him, but he remained unruffled, realizing the truth of her words. He chuckled and ran a hand across his beard in a sensuous motion that rushed through Terri in waves.
“You do have a lovely way of stepping on a person’s ego,” he answered lightly.
Terri lowered her long, sooty lashes and gave in to a grin that Clint wanted to kiss away. “Believe me, it’s not my intention.”
“That’s good to know.” He leaned closer. “Can we just forget about business for a minute?” Terri nodded.
“I’d like to get to know you—outside of the office.” His steady gaze held her, and she felt her pulse begin to pick up its pace.
“I’ve always been a man who speaks his mind,” he continued, his voice dropping to a soothing beat. “And you interest me.”
“In other words, you want to satisfy some curiosity?” she tossed back.
“Maybe.”
Terri jutted her chin forward. “I’m not a curiosity piece, Mr. Steele,” she said, emphasizing the word piece.
Clint took the barb in stride. “You also have a way of twisting my words around.”
Terri sighed. “What’s your point, Mr. Steele?”
“I’d like to take you to…lunch.”
Her heart thumped. “I don’t think…”
“Dinner?” He flashed her a taunting grin. “I’d love to prove you wrong,” he challenged.
Terri knew her fragile emotional state was not yet equipped to handle a relationship, especially not one with a man who effortlessly made her senses go crazy. Yet she couldn’t deny that she was just as interested. Maybe a night out was the medicine she needed after so many months of loneliness. And she was never one to back down from a challenge.
She looked boldly up at him. “How about tomorrow?