Author: Tara Sue Me
They finally opened and she stepped out.
His breath caught.
Ninety-nine percent of the women attending the fund-raiser would dress in black. Julie Masterson was not ninety-nine percent of women.
Gone was the harried and stained florist from earlier in the day. In her place was a siren. Her gown was white and fit close to her skin, showing off the curves he imagined buried beneath her standard pink polo. Sheer beading draped itself over one shoulder, allowing just a peek of skin. Her hair was twisted up, leaving her neck long and bare. She looked even better than his fantasy.
She looked around the lobby for him and once her gaze settled on his, her mouth formed an O of recognition. She walked toward him, her h*ps swaying ever so slightly. Every step she took gained her more and more attention from the lobby crowd.
“Let me assure you,” he said when she finally stood before him, “that no one is looking at your fingers. You are stunning. ”
“Thank you. My sister’s a buyer up in New York. She got this for me and tonight’s the first chance I’ve had to wear it. ”
“You’ll have to give me her address. ”
“You’re into clothes?”
“No. I want to send her a thank-you note. ”
Her laugh was low, throaty, and the most seductive sound he’d heard in years. Once again, he was sure the intense sexuality he sensed in her was there.
He held out his arm. “Shall we?”
People surrounded them as soon as they entered the ballroom. Daniel was well-known for his work raising money for cancer awareness and research. While most of the time he was content to talk with anyone about his involvement, at that moment, he simply wanted to be left alone with Julie.
But that wasn’t an option. So he greeted everyone warmly, and thanked them all for coming. She stayed by his side while he talked, looking at him every once in a while with a curious grin on her face. She looked so lovely, he wondered idly if he’d have so many people swarming around if it wasn’t for his date.
They eventually made their way to the head table, where, finally, he could hear himself think. They sat next to each other, and he let out a deep breath.
“That was certainly interesting. Do you always inspire such an entourage?” Julie asked.
“Only when the woman by my side is wearing a gown like the one you have on. ”
He was pleased to see she could handle a compliment. It bugged him when a woman got all flustered just because someone said she looked nice. But Julie just smiled in recognition of his kind words. “There were a good number of women in that crowd. They definitely liked the way the man by my side looked in his tux. ” Her eyes were dark.
He leaned close so he could smell her. She smelled of oranges. “What about you? How do you think he looks?”
“You look perfectly adequate. ” She said it with a straight face, but her eyes were laughing at him.
“You’re a dangerous woman, Julie Masterson. ”
She placed her napkin in her lap with the utmost care and attention. “If that’s not the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is. ”
“I’m just dangerous to my competitors. ”
“Remind me to never get on your bad side. ”
He had a feeling he didn’t have a bad side where she was concerned. He felt comfortable and easy around her. She was an intelligent self-made businesswoman. She made him laugh and she looked fantastic. And she was the sexiest woman he’d met in years.
“Tell me,” he said to her. “Why flowers?”
She shrugged. “My mom loved flowers. She had them all over the house and always said it was a travesty to save them for special occasions. I wanted to share her love and beliefs with everyone. Sasha and I found the shop a few years ago while walking through the historic district. We bought it and the Petal Pushers was born. Now it’s like I spend part of each day with my mom. ”
“And yet you said you weren’t the flower type of girl. ”
Her body stilled. “You remember?”
He ran a finger across her hand, swirled a figure eight on the top. “I remember everything about you. ”
For the briefest moment, when he looked into her eyes, it was as if the rest of the room disappeared and there was nothing in the world except the two of them. Her hand turned over on the table, so the palm faced up. He dragged his finger along the lines there before settling his hand over hers.
How simple it was to engulf her hand in his. He had an overwhelming desire to engulf her entirely. Surround her. Protect her.
Tease and tempt her.
They jumped apart when a waiter placed their salads in front of them. Daniel looked up to find their dinner companions watching them intently. He was almost embarrassed to realize they hadn’t even noticed when the other diners sat down. But the truth was, he didn’t care. He couldn’t when she was overwhelming him like this. Now their dinner companions all averted their eyes, obviously embarrassed on their own parts to be caught staring.
“It must be you,” Julie said all calm and cool. “People never stare at me like that. ”
“Maybe it’s the combination of us together. ”
The air between them pulsed. Surely she felt it, too. They would probably be a dangerous combination together. Even more so alone. He wanted to test that theory.
Badly.
But the benefit wouldn’t be over for hours.
He pressed the palms of his hands against his thighs. Refocused his attention on the three other couples sitting at the table. Before he’d asked Julie to be his date, he’d been looking forward to discussing several new oncology breakthroughs with those in attendance. At the moment, though, all he could muster was small talk. After a few minutes, the other couples were talking among themselves and he could finally turn back to Julie.
“What does your mom think of your business?” he asked.
“She passed before it opened. ”