Without thought, she stepped closer to him, irritated he wouldn’t stand to greet her. Irritated more that she wished he would.
“Gabriella.” His rich, deep voice reached across the room and touched her, sending a scattering of gooseflesh all over her skin. She nodded her greeting in return, afraid her own voice would give away her nerves.
He didn’t even have the nerve to come over and greet her. The coward.
“If we could all be seated.” Alex waved a hand toward the table before he turned to smile at Ella. “Then we’ll begin. Are you ready, Miss Durand?”
Rhett drap
ed his hand over his front, his palm resting in front of his groin as he subtly adjusted himself. Having her in front of him, painfully beautiful in a Worthwhile-brand dress, for the love of God, set his entire body aflame. She was magnificent, standing tall, her chin lifted, downright defiant.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Gabriella took subtle charge of the meeting, passing around the first scent, accompanied by the touches, the slender white strips of paper that were used to spray the perfume on. She offered no description of her creation, merely called it sample AG3 and then remained quiet. Letting the scent speak for itself.
He carefully watched everyone’s reactions, muscles tense as they sprayed the touches, then brought them to their noses. How Gabriella remained so calm, he hadn’t a clue. He felt ready to burst out of his chair.
Why didn’t they say anything?
The last to receive sample AG3—he wondered if somehow Gabriella planned that—Rhett sprayed it onto the paper strip and waved it gently back and forth, the scent already wafting toward him. It was fresh, green and clean with a hint of the ocean to it.
Inhaling, he held his breath for a long moment, knowing immediately that while pleasant, this was not the one. He glanced up, caught Gabriella watching him, and he shook his head once.
She smiled in answer and pleasure flashed through him.
“This is AG5, a variation of the first sample, with some additional layers.” She passed the second vial around, taking AG3 from Rhett, their fingers glancing across each other’s in the transaction. His skin tingled at the too-brief touch and he knew it affected her as well, if her almost tripping over her feet when she walked away from him was any indication.
The group’s reception toward the second sample was much more positive. He could feel the energy in the room, could tell by the smiles on their faces as they sampled the scent.
“I like this one better,” Hunter announced, spraying it on Gracie’s wrist before he bent and sniffed. “It seems much more…complex.”
Rhett wanted to roll his eyes but restrained himself. Was his brother trying to look like he was a perfume expert?
“As I said, there are many more layers to this one. So in a sense, it is definitely more complex.” Gabriella put her arms behind her back, her hands clasped. Such a difference from the woman Rhett first met only a month ago. Whereas he’d known from the second he saw her that first time she wasn’t from the city, now she looked like the quintessential New Yorker. Perfectly coiffed, the dress fit her like a glove and the shoes she wore were the highest he’d ever seen her in.
He had the sudden urge to muss her up completely. Pull the band from her hair and watch the wavy dark blonde strands cascade down her back. Press his mouth to hers and smudge the carefully applied lipstick. Run his hands up and down her curvy body, undo the row of buttons that ran along the front of her dress. Revealing bits of creamy flesh inch by glorious inch…
“Rhett.” Alex nudged him. “Here.”
Startled from his wayward thoughts, Rhett grabbed the bottle and touche and sprayed it, holding the paper beneath his nose. This scent held a hint of floral accompanied by the sea, plus a dash of heat, warm like the tropical sun. He looked up at her once more, pleased that she watched, waited for his reaction. That it seemed important to her.
Ella’s delicate brows rose, a silent what do you think? He inclined his head toward her, keeping his expression neutral. He liked this one better, but he still had hopes for the third one. Had a feeling she was playing all of them, leading with the one she liked the least, building up the anticipation until she finally dazzled them with the final scent.
She wasn’t a fool, having learned from the best. She knew how to create a captive audience.
“The first one is out,” Alex announced with finality. “It doesn’t have…enough to it.”
“I agree,” Ella said, taking the second vial from Rhett without looking at him, her eager gaze locked on his older brother.
Jealousy flared, completely irrational. She’d spent more time with Alex and Tessa the last two weeks than she’d spent with Rhett their entire time on the island. Hell, he watched Hunter introduce Gracie to Ella like they were welcoming her as another member of the family.
It made no sense. Yet it did. Something he really didn’t want to ponder too long over.
“I like the second one,” Alex continued, sniffing the paper he held with the tips of his fingers yet again. “It’s definitely richer, but is this the direction we want to go?”
Ella remained perfectly composed. “What do you mean?”
Alex slid a glance toward Rhett. “You wanted something unique, right? Yet elegant, sophisticated, and I wouldn’t call this scent, AG5, elegant. It’s pleasant. It’s very clean, but I don’t know.”