He transferred his kisses to her jaw, the curve of her neck and shoulder. “I can’t get over how amazing you look in this dress,” Donovan murmured, moving back to her mouth.
Simona’s body trembled with a need unlike anything she had ever experienced. She clung to him as his mouth plundered hers and his hand moved higher up her thigh, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her.
“Donovan,” she whispered, breaking off the kiss. Her chest heaved as she tried to slow her breathing. His eyes glittered with desire, and she closed hers so he wouldn’t see the longing in them.
“We’d better get out of here,” Donovan said, his breathing as labored as hers. He locked the office and led her back to the garage.
Simona sat in the car with her hands clasped together in her lap, still attempting to bring her rampant emotions under control—not to mention the insistent throbbing between her thighs, the pounding of her heart in her chest. Neither spoke much during the drive, giving her some time to think. She needed to get herself together. She couldn’t afford to fall so easily for this man, no matter how fine he was or how his kisses made her feel.
Her attention was drawn to all the traffic leading to Club Nokia. Even though she had lived in LA for a year, Simona hadn’t explored her new city. She spotted Staples Center, JW Marriott and a movie theater, among other things.
“I never knew all this was here,” she said.
“You’ve never been over here?”
“No, I’ve only lived in LA for a year.”
Donovan slanted her a quick glance. “Really? I thought you grew up here. Where are you from?”
“Oakland.”
“What made you move here?”
“I needed a change, and taking the job here was a great learning opportunity, so the decision was easy.” It wasn’t a total lie.
He nodded. “Have you visited many places since you’ve been here?”
“Actually, this is the first place I’ve gone, aside from a few local restaurants.”
“Not even Disneyland?” he asked with a smile.
She returned his smile. “Not even Disneyland. The only amusement park I’ve been to is Six Flags in Vallejo.”
“Aw, Simona, you have to go to Disneyland at least once.” He parked in the underground lot of the club and rotated his body toward her. “I tell you what, since you’re a relative newcomer to LA, how about I show you around? We can go to Disneyland and any other place you want to visit. What do you say?”
He really needed to stop smiling at her. That darn dimple and those sparkling eyes in his too-fine face melted any resistance she had built up on the ride here. “Okay.”
“Great. We’ll coordinate our schedules.”
When he got out of the car, Simona banged her head softly against the seat and groaned. How hard is it to say the word no, Simona? her inner self chastised. Or to at least say you’ll think about it. He made it so easy to say yes. At the rate she was going, she would be totally under his spell before the night ended, or worse...falling in love.
Chapter 7
Donovan held Simona’s hand as they entered the theater. He was surprised to learn Simona had not grown up in LA, but it would be his supreme pleasure to escort her around town. This gave him the chance to spend time with her, getting to know her under the guise of being a good host.
Glancing at her, he couldn’t get over how gorgeous she looked in that body-hugging dress. He had almost swallowed his tongue when she opened the door. Holding her the first night they had kissed, he’d felt her curves. However, he had no idea those loose-fitting scrubs hid a body that sexy. Remembering the feel of her silky bare thigh beneath his fingers and the seductive taste of her kiss sent a jolt directly to his groin, and Donovan tried to force his thoughts elsewhere as he guided her down the aisle. They were seated with ten minutes to spare.
“How did you get front row seats?” Simona asked, cutting into his musings. “Is this another perk of your job?”
He hesitated briefly before nodding. Donovan still sensed that she had been less than forthcoming about her thoughts regarding his job. She wasn’t telling him something, and he wondered why she was so uncomfortable. “Sheila Martin is one of the label’s artists. She’s been with us close to two years, and this is her first project. She’s had great reviews and sold out in smaller venues, so her manager wanted to try something larger. From what I understand, this will be a sellout, as well.”