* * *
Lucy was fairly certain the woman from Saks Fifth Avenue was never coming back. There weren’t nearly enough digits in the price of the dress she selected for the woman’s taste. She just didn’t see the point in spending thousands of dollars on a dress. A wedding dress, maybe, but not just some pretty outfit to wear to a party.
As it was, the price still seemed pretty steep—nearly a week’s worth of her usual salary. But Harper was right; she needed to make a good impression on her first event out. Hopefully the inheritance would come through and she wouldn’t have to worry about blowing that much on a single dress, but if not, she would be wearing that red outfit to every damn thing she could think of.
The apartment seemed to clear out all at once. The men returned and hauled the clothes out with a grumpy-looking saleswoman in their wake. Harper had an appointment and left soon after. That just left Oliver mysteriously perched on the couch when she went to change. She hoped by the time she got back, he would be gone, too.
Back in her own clothing—a nice pair of jeans and her favorite sweater—she returned to the room and found him sitting right where she’d left him.
“I still don’t understand why you’re here. Or still here, for that matter.”
Oliver smiled and stood up. “I had some business on this side of town and when I saw the Saks truck, thought I’d pop in. Where Saks goes, Harper follows.”
“And now she’s gone,” Lucy noted. “And you’re still here. Want to ask me more questions? Hook me up to a lie detector this time?”
He strolled across the large Moroccan rug with his hands in his pockets. She tried not to notice how gracefully he moved or how he looked at her as he came closer. “Are you hungry?”
“What?” He’d completely ignored everything she asked him. How was she supposed to have a conversation with him when he did that?
“It’s lunchtime. I’m starving. I’d like to take you to lunch if you’re hungry.”
She stood awkwardly, considering his offer for far too long. “Okay,” she blurted out at last. If his sole purpose of coming by here was to uncover her dark secrets, he wouldn’t find much. She might as well let him buy her lunch in the meantime. “Let me just grab my coat.”
They walked silently out of the building together and downstairs to the street. Although they didn’t speak, touch or even make eye contact as they strolled down the street together, she found herself keenly aware of his physical presence. Her body had somehow become attuned to Oliver, and the closer they stood, the harder it was for her to ignore even the tiniest of his movements or gestures.
Lucy was almost relieved when they encountered a more congested area and she had to drop back and follow his lead through crowds of people. The distance helped her nerves, at least until Oliver noticed she’d fallen behind. Without hesitation, he reached out and took her hand, pulling her back to his side. The skin of her palm buzzed with the sensation of his touch, making her whole body hum with awareness as though he intended to do more than just keep from losing her in the crowd.
Lucy expected him to let go once she’d caught up to him, but his grip on her held tight as they walked a few more blocks to a restaurant she’d never been to before.
“Do you like Korean barbecue?” Oliver asked as he finally released her hand.
Lucy peered in the window and shrugged before self-consciously stuffing that hand into her pocket. “I don’t know, but it sounds like an experience.”
Oliver smiled and held open the door for them to head inside. They were taken to a quiet table in the back with a grill set into the center. The host turned on the table and handed them both menus. It didn’t take her long to realize that Korean barbecue involved cooking the meat at their individual table. When the waiter arrived, they selected their drinks and meats. Oliver opted for a glass of red wine and Lucy decided to stick with a soda. After their last encounter at the baby shower, she wasn’t sure what to expect when she was alone with Oliver. There was no need to add alcohol to that mix.
Especially with her hand still tingling. Beneath the table, she rubbed it over her jean-clad thigh and wished the feeling away. She needed to keep her wits about her when she was alone with Oliver. She couldn’t let her guard down no matter how much she tingled or how he smiled at her. This might all be part of his plan to undermine her claim on Alice’s estate. She didn’t know how, exactly, but she refused to believe he just wanted to take her to lunch to be nice.
The waiter arrived with their drinks, then placed half a dozen bowls on the table. There were different vegetables, rice and a few foods she didn’t recognize. One had tentacles.