She knew she didn’t look bad at all. The shimmering bronze fabric of her dress draped beautifully. The loose boat-style neckline left her arms bare—arms that were toned. Folds of fabric hinted at the curves of her breasts without actually exposing them. Her skin was pale and she’d chosen to leave it bare, even her legs. Instead of panty hose, she’d smoothed on a lotion with a hint of glimmer.
One advantage of her wheelchair was she never had to worry about sore feet so she wore strappy impractical shoes that would have crippled anyone trying to walk. A cascade of curls that had taken nearly twenty minutes to arrange and spray into place tumbled down her back.
Had her date been anyone but Zane, she would have been pleased with her appearance. But seeing as it was him…She pressed a hand to her fluttering stomach and tried to think calming thoughts.
“Not a date,” she whispered. “This is not a date. It’s two friends hanging out together. But if it were a date…”
She allowed herself a minute or two of pure fantasy. Zane walking in the door, being so swept away that he pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless. Then their clothes dissolved and they were making love on the rug in front of the fire.
Of course there were several problems with her fantasy. First of all, she was in a wheelchair and pulling her into his arms could be complicated. Second, the fireplace wasn’t lit, nor was there a rug in front of it. Somehow making love on a hardwood floor wasn’t very appealing.
Maybe she shouldn’t have attended that job fair after college. If she hadn’t met Jeff and been intrigued by his Ritter/Rankin Security, she would have pursued a post-graduate degree in psychology. With professional training she would be able to handle her crush on Zane. Of course if she’d gone to grad school she never would have met him and how gray her world would be without his light.
“Decisions, decisions,” she murmured as she wheeled out of her bedroom.
The doorbell rang just in time to offer a distraction. She headed in that direction and pulled it open.
She’d known Zane was going to pick her up—he’d insisted. And she’d been aware that by him coming to her house, she would be forced to look at him. She’d even told herself he would look good. Unfortunately she’d underestimated the situation by about forty-five percent.
He didn’t look good, he looked amazing. While he usually wore suits at work, the one he had on tonight was more elegant or better tailored or something. The smooth gray fabric brought out the depth of his eyes and made his shoulders look about two miles wide. He’d showered, shaved and wore the burgundy and silver tie she’d given him for Christmas the previous year.
Her brain registered all that before she noticed the spray of flowers he held in one hand. And not just flowers. Nothing traditional like roses or carnations. Instead Zane held several stalks of delicately beautiful orchids. The pale creamy petals were alabaster, tinged with muted green.
“Hey, Nicki,” Zane said as he stepped into her entryway. “You look beautiful, but I expected that.” He handed her the flowers. “I chose these because they reminded me of you.”
As he bent toward her, he brushed her cheek with his mouth. Tingles shot through her like out-of-control fireworks.
She couldn’t think, couldn’t move. Fortunately, it didn’t matter if she swayed a little. She was already sitting down and if she collapsed in a heap, the floor wasn’t that far away.
“hank you,” she murmured, not sure if she meant the flowers, the compliment or his presence. Maybe she meant it for all of them.
“Shall we put these in water before we go?” he asked.
She nodded and led the way to the kitchen.
The room had been customized with lower cabinets and nothing essential above the countertop. As she didn’t get many flowers, the vases were stored in an upper cabinet. She pointed to the right one and Zane got a container down for her. After filling it with water, he retrieved the flowers and set them in the vase.
“They’re lovely,” she said.
He winked. “Do I know my moves or what?”
“You’re a pro,” she told him, and meant it. He was a man who knew his way around women. Okay, so they were just friends going out to a work party. But maybe she could allow herself to live in the fantasy for a few hours and pretend this was all real. As long as she didn’t get her heart engaged, what could it hurt?
She smiled at him. “You’re wearing my tie.”
“I know.” He touched the length of silk. “Maybe later you could let me tie you up with it.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he spoke.
She laughed and tapped her chair. “I’m at enough of a disadvantage already.”
“Want to tie me up instead?”
More than he could know. “I’ll think about it,” she said instead.
He followed her to the front door. When she wheeled out she was surprised to see an SUV parked at the curb.
“You couldn’t possibly have traded your car in on that,” she said. “Is it a rental?”
“Nope. I borrowed it from Ashley. Pretty slick, huh?”
It was more than slick. It was a regular car, which meant there was no way she could get inside on her own. Before Nicki could worry about the awkwardness of the moment, Zane had opened the passenger door and scooped her into his arms. He lifted her into the seat.
For the moment, they were at eye level. In the overhead interior light she could see the flecks of gold and amber that sparkled in his dark brown irises. There was a tiny scar by the corner of his mouth and shadows hollowing his cheekbones.
All she could think was that she wanted him to kiss her. Which was crazy, so what she said instead was, “You didn’t have to borrow her car. I could have driven.”
Zane pulled the seat belt around her and clicked it into place. “No way. On a date, guys drive.”
“That is wildly sexist.”
He winked. “I know.”
The door closed and he moved to the rear of the vehicle where he collapsed her wheelchair and slid it into the back. When he sat next to her, he grinned.
“Is this the most fun you’ve had in weeks or what?”
She knew she should have answered “Or what.” At the very least she should have acted bored, mentioned Boyd or pretended none of this mattered. Instead she found herself a quivering mass of Zane-lust weakened female hormones.
“It’s pretty fun,” she admitted.
His smile turned promising. “There’s more.”
Nicki had never been much of a drinker, but she was a sucker for the occasional glass of champagne. And when it was expensive and served in an actual crystal glass, how could she say no? So she sat in her chair and sipped, while enjoying herself at the party.
There were about forty people in attendance, half of them the staff from Ritter/Rankin Security while the other half were employees of their host.
A few months ago Al Morgan had come to Zane and Jeff after his firm was targeted by a foreign group trying to steal proprietary technology. A sting had been hatched, the culprits apprehended and all was well. The party was a big thank-you to the security firm.
“More?” Zane asked, nodding at her half-full glass.
Nicki shook her head. “I don’t like to get too buzzed. You know what they say about drinking and driving.” She tapped the arm of her wheelchair as she spoke.
Zane smiled. “I could be your designated driver. I think you’d look cute drunk.” He leaned close. “A few sexy moves in that dress and you’d cause