CHAPTER ELEVEN
ADAM JONES
I am sitting at the café waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ellen is staring me down and I swear it takes all my strength not to reach across the table and pull her into my arms.
She is frustrating – I never expected that. All sweet exterior and smiles that could make you melt. A pretty dress and delicate taste, and she makes you think that it’s going to be easy.
But it’s not. She has every single one of her facts straight. A cross examination couldn’t unsettle her. She stares at me with a smile as sweet as candy and eyes that challenge me to keep going, to seek out a chink in her armor. I’m confident that I won’t find anything. I’m confident that she will be the last one standing if we continue this battle of wills.
It’s an unusual feeling and I can’t deny that it thrills me. I haven’t had a worthy opponent in a very long time and this one just happens to be sexier than anyone I have met recently. She leans across the table and I consider giving up the fight – for now. There must be an easier way in than through her.
“Are you fishing for an invitation, Adam?” Her voice is low and soft and I feel heat creep up my skin. She’s teasing me.
I smile back, “That would be unprofessional, Miss Cassidy.”
“Ellen, please.” She smiles and her fingers brush mine as she reaches for the sugar, “I’m just curious why you’re asking all these questions.”
She blinks at me and I swear she could melt butter. If she’s faking this, she’s damn good at it. What did she say she did for a living? A hairdresser? You wouldn’t know it just looking at her.
I shake my head, “The dates were just for business purposes. The rest? Well, I though ladies liked to talk about their wedding plans.”
She laughs and it’s a beautiful sound, her hair shimmering in the low, four o’clock sunlight. We’ve already been here about an hour and I have learned a lot, but at the same time, I’ve learned nothing about the case.
She leans back and takes a sip of her coffee. Her movements are easy and as our eyes meet, the familiar flicker of electricity seems to pass between us. She’s beautiful and she looks at me in a way that she doesn’t look at Cade. I’m sure of it.
They’re faking it, but there’s not a single crack in her performance that can prove it. She looks at me with those smoldering eyes and I wonder if I could make her melt. I’m usually good with the ladies, when I bother. Could I seduce the fiancée of my enemy?
Do I dare finish the job that way? If I do that, I’ll lose her afterwards. But it might be one hell of a ride. I decide I will take it one day at a time. “Thank you for your time, Ellen.”
She blushes when I use her name and I take her hand. It’s intimate and for a moment, it feels like it is only the two of us in the room at the little street café.
“I’d like to meet with you again.” I murmur.
“You would?” She’s sounding a little breathless now, as if she is caught in the storm.
I press my advantage, “Yes… yes, I would.” I gently stroke her hand and I feel her shiver beneath my touch.
So there is something here, after all. It’s not all smoke and mirrors. I can feel my body responding and I lean in and kiss her hand, pressing the soft, perfumed skin to my lips. The blush creeps further up her neck, flushing her cheeks in the most beautiful way.
“You don’t need to bring the documents next time.” I murmur, barely a breath away from her hand. I notice the ring that glints on her finger and gently drop her hand, a hint of a smile on my face as our eyes meet.
“You are, of course… welcome to invite your fiancé.” I add, but the professional tone has dropped right out of my voice and she knows it.
I can see her swallow as she mulls it over, and the tension between us is palatable, “More business meetings?”
“In a way.” I smile, low and soft, “But we can always personalize it a little…” I lean forward, “Office blocks can be so soulless, don’t you agree?”
She’s lost in my eyes and I can’t say that she’s the only one. We linger like that, our gazes locked across the table, the only sound the hum of the coffee shop behind that and the sharp little breaths that she takes.
“That would be perfect.” She straightens up a little and the spell is broken. She’s all smiles and professional niceties again, but I can see something lingering behind her eyes, and the way she crosses her arms over her chest suggest that my body is not the only one interested.
The thought thrills me and the way she shifts, self-conscious, hints at good things to come. Excellent.
“Thank you for coming.” I stand and slip on my coat. She does the same and pulls it closed quickly. I pay for our meal and escort her to the door. When she turns to say goodbye, I want nothing more than to kiss those lips that are only a few inches from mine.
Instead, I lean in, brushing her hair back from her face. Her eyes widen and we stay like that for as long as I dare. “Take care, Ellen. It was a pleasure.”
“Thank you.” Her voice is soft and my goodness, I think I could get lost in those eyes, so knowing and so sweet at the same time.
“I’ll call you.” I let my hand drop, give her a polite smile, and turn away. I don’t need to look back to know that she’s still staring as I walk down the street.