Chapter 1
His momma had been severely remiss in her responsibilities!
Naya shifted in the plush chair and glanced down at her notebook, refusing to look at the man who kept staring at her as if she might be his next dessert. Taking a deep breath, she forced her racing heart to stop dancing around in her chest. He was just a man. To another woman - a woman who wasn’t as strong as she was - the man might be attractive in a rugged, raw sort of way. But Naya wasn’t that kind of a woman. She wasn’t interested in a relationship and definitely not interested in a man who looked like he took arrogance to an art form. An incredibly rude man, who should know better than to stare at a woman. He was making Naya uncomfortable!
With another deep, slow breath, she lowered her eyes, wanting the information the speaker was delivering, but unwilling to deal with the man’s rude, obnoxious, heated stare in her direction. It didn’t matter how gorgeous the man was, he still shouldn’t stare!
She’d been pretending to write something on her notebook for several minutes, but when she had her temper back under control, she looked up from her notebook, assuming he’d stopped his ill-mannered perusal of her being.
Darn it! He was still doing it!
Hadn’t someone told him that it was rude to stare?
Shifting again, she tried to look around, acting as if the other occupants of the seminar were fascinating. She had no idea what the speaker was saying. If the rude man would just stop looking her way, she might be able to concentrate. But with those sharp, green eyes looking in her direction, catching her gaze whenever she looked up, it was almost impossible.
She should just walk out. Naya glanced down the row of chairs but…darn it! She was trapped! There were too many people sitting in this row on both sides of her, leaving her no easy escape route. At least not one that wouldn’t make her the center of attention.
Looking up again, those sexy lips curled up into a wisp of a smile.
He knew, darn him! He’d guessed that she was trying to figure out how to get out of here and was laughing at her!
Arrogant man!
She’d show him! She’d just sit here and be pleasant, listen to this stupid presentation and…well, that’s as far as her plan went at the moment. But she would think of something. In the meantime, she’d just sit here and fume!
Yeah, like that did any good. Her fuming mind rarely came up with a good plan. Her fuming mind more often came up with a really bad plan.
Like…well…she could….
Okay, so the man needed to move that sharp, green gaze to someone else before she could even come up with a bad plan! Darn him! He knew exactly what he was doing to her and she hated that!
Sighing, Naya forced her eyes to look downward again. If she just kept her head low, her eyes away from his green ones, she could survive this. The heat flooding her neck and cheeks, that was nothing. Nothing more than a stuffy room filled with stuffy people. She wasn’t blushing because she never blushed! Everyone in here was a real estate agent, just like herself. Everyone was listening to the presentation of the latest Steele Industries marketing plan.
Why in the world were they only releasing twenty of the one hundred and fifty units that would eventually fill the space in this particular high-rise building? Why not just release all of them and let the agents presell the units?
That’s what other building managers do. What made this building so different?
She thought about raising her hand to ask the question, but then she remembered those green eyes and….
Looking down at her notebook, she realized that she was drawing the man’s eyes!
Snapping her notebook shut, she folded her hands in her lap and…realized that the speaker had stopped talking and several people were looking at her after the loud snapping of her notebook. Including Mr. Rude-Green-Eyes! Again! So were several other people all around her.
“Sorry,” she whispered, sinking down slightly in her chair.
Good grief, had she been that loud? Obviously she had.
She breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Green Eyes took over the presentation and ignored the annoyingly beautiful blonde woman in front of her who kept turning her head to smirk in Naya’s direction.
Naya knew that the woman wanted Mr. Green Eyes. That message had been revealed very early on in the presentation, right along with her thigh as the blonde woman’s skirt “accidentally” slid higher each time the lovely lady re-crossed her legs. Go for it, she thought without a hint of jealousy. The dark-haired, green-eyed man was too tall for her taste. And way to arrogant.
Besides, the blonde and the black-haired man would look perfect together. She pictured them walking down the sidewalk, her long legs and his long stride would make a perfect match.
Naya had red hair and her shorter legs would definitely not be able to keep up with him. Nope, she would be a complete mismatch to the tall, handsome man.
He was tan, the kind of complexion that a person gets when they like to be outside, doing things in the sunshine. Naya was as pale as any other redhead and had the irritating tendency to freckle whenever she went out into the sunshine without a thick layer of sunscreen. He had the rugged jawline and the sharp, green eyes that could slice a person to the bone. She had been described as a cupcake in the past. Sweet and fluffy.
She almost growled at that memory. She wasn’t sweet and she definitely wasn’t fluffy. Okay, so she had a couple of extra pounds on her. Hmmm…well, maybe a good ten extra pounds. But hey, being a real estate agent was a stressful job! Ice cream and potato chips were friendly foods that helped her through the anxiety stages.
It was probably time for some broccoli, she thought with a sigh, as she shifted in her chair again. Yeah, her skirt had been a bit tight this morning. Salads for a week, she promised herself. Salads and the gym.
Blech! She hated the gym. She’d much rather go for a walk and enjoy the sunshine – after slathering on sunscreen, smile at others who were out on the sidewalk, maybe stop and chat a bit…
But the gym was a better idea. She rarely worked up a sweat on her walks. Maybe it was because she was too busy talking with her neighbors, petting the dogs, and waving to her friends. Hard to get all hot and sweaty when one was stopping every few minutes to chat with someone.
Nope. Gym. Broccoli. Salads. She could do this! She could be strong.
Her eyes glanced over at the leggy blonde. That smug woman probably ate lots of salads. The woman most likely survived on roughage and tough workouts.
Naya shifted again. She could be tough, she told herself. She could be tough and mean and…
Sighing, her shoulders drooped. She wasn’t tough, but she wasn’t a cupcake either.
Eh, who was she fooling? She was a cupcake. With extra frosting. She was too sweet and way too fluffy.
“Thanks everyone! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact anyone on my sales team,” the irritatingly handsome man was saying.
Everyone was smiling, standing up and…ho boy, she jumped out of her seat, wanting to leave the area as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, she was in the middle of the row with the other guests not in any hurry to exit the conference room. People were slowing her down! She had to get out of here!
The crowd shifted and…yep, he was still staring at her, his hands on his belt, pulling back his charcoal suit jacket, which looked absolutely magnificent on him.
She smoothed her black, wool skirt down, reminding herself that she was doing the broccoli and salad thing. Maybe not the gym. She wasn’t quite that desperate…yet.
The blonde sashayed over to the tall man and Naya gritted her teeth. Okay, so maybe a couple of gym workouts, she promised herself. It certainly would be nice to sashay. Naya never sashayed. She bustled. She hurried from one place to the next.
Naya watched the irritating blonde, saw the irritating man’s green eyes smile down to her and…wow! The blonde was tall, but the black-haired sex-god was taller! Yikes!
She hurried towards the doorway, wanting to make a beeline for her car. She had absolutely no idea about the merits of the condominiums in this building, but she would look the information up online. She had to…
“Ms. Jefferson!” a deep voice called out.
Her shoulders tightened. A part of her wanted to pretend like she hadn’t heard the man. She could just melt in with the departing crowd but…unfortunately, no one was leaving! They were all milling around, taking another round at the well-stocked buffet filled with pastries and cookies.
Naya thought she could use a few cookies right about now. Emotional stress eating had a lot of good points, she thought as she reluctantly turned around.
Sure enough, Sex-God was approaching at her two-o’clock.
Her eyes glanced to the left and right, then back over at him. Green Eyes dared her to leave, dared her to stay. Sexy lips quirked upwards.
“Ms. Jefferson, right?” he asked, extending his hand.
Naya looked down at the hand and shivered. She wasn’t going to shake his hand, she promised herself. No way could she touch this man’s skin. It would be extremely dangerous!
But would the man listen to her telepathic command? Nope!
He reached out and took her hand, enveloping her cold fingers in his warm grip, his hand holding not only her hand, but her entire body in shocked silence.
Looking up into his green eyes, she wasn’t sure what was going on. People were walking around, talking and laughing, drinking coffee and scarfing down cookies. But she wasn’t aware of them. It was just this man holding her hand. It was just his eyes making her tremble and his warmth seeping into her body.
Someone bumped her slightly and she suddenly found herself surrounded by the man’s tall frame. The top of her head came to his shoulder, but there was so much more. One moment, the other real estate agents in the room surrounded her, the next, she found herself in the hallway. Alone. Still surrounded by this man and his strength.
“That’s better,” she heard him say.
“Better?”
He shifted slightly and Naya found her shoulders against the wall, this man towering over her. She felt vulnerable and feminine. She felt…heat.
“I was wondering if you had any other questions for me.”
Naya stared up at him as millions of questions swirled through her mind. The sensible reply would be No. She should definitely not ask this man anything. Unfortunately, her mouth spoke before her mind could stop it. “How tall are you?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she blinked, trying to figure out if she’d actually said them out loud. Surely she hadn’t! Oh please, if there was any good luck in this world, she hadn’t just uttered those words! The surprised look in his eyes told her that no, there was no good luck in this world, and she really had said those words out loud.
“I mean…!”
His laugh was deep and sexy, powerful in ways she didn’t really understand.
“I believe I’m a few inches over six feet,” he responded easily. “And you?”
Naya was having trouble breathing. All she wanted to do was lean forward and smell the man, to reach her hand out and touch his chest. He looked so strong, so…male!
“I’m shorter,” she mumbled, glancing down at her leather-covered notebook.
“About five and a half feet?” he suggested, that dark eyebrow hovering over his amused expression.
Naya snorted as she shook her head. “I wish.” She straightened her shoulders, trying to appear taller than her five foot, four inch frame. “Listen, I appreciate your assistance but…I ummm…” her brain tried to function, to come up with a reason why she needed to run – fast, but he was too close. And way too male for her mind to function properly.
“Come,” he commanded, taking her hand and tucking it through his arm in a gentlemanly fashion, but Naya suspected that this man didn’t have any gentlemanly thoughts on his mind. He led her over to the elevators and pressed a button. “I’ll give you a personalized tour of the units that are available.”
Warning bells were ringing in her head but she couldn’t seem to do anything to stop this man. Her feet were walking into the elevator as if they were his to command. “I can’t…you don’t…” she blinked and shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her brain. “This really isn’t necessary,” she finally told him. Unfortunately, it was too late. When she’d summoned up the energy to pull back, the elevator doors were already closing.
She stood awkwardly by the doors, facing the man but unable to look up at him. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.
Luke looked at the gorgeous woman with the most beautiful skin he’d ever seen. He wanted to reach out and touch her cheek, run his thumb over the freckles she was trying to hide, or maybe tangle his fingers in her red curls. She was sexy, adorable, and provocative, all in one alluring package.
And her eyes! Damn, but her soft, brown eyes were pleading with him. Most likely pleading for him to leave her alone, but that was impossible. He was drawn to her in a strange way.
“Why am I giving you a tour?”
She nodded and her curls danced around her cheeks, tickling her chin. “Because I suspect that you were distracted during the presentation. And I know that you’re a very good agent.”
Those brown eyes looked up into his and he sucked in a breath. Damn, she was beautiful. His mind compared this vibrant beauty to the bland woman with blonde hair who had tried to ambush him immediately after the seminar. He’d been turned off by the other woman’s washed out, colorless features. Compared to this redhead, who practically trembled with vitality and energy, the too-skinny blonde was like anemic turkey next to a voluptuous peacock.
“You don’t know anything about me,” she came right back.
Luke moved closer, watching her and understanding that she was nervous around him, but unable to stop his pursuit. “You’re Naya Jefferson. You work with Smithson Realty and you have been one of their top agents for the past four quarters by a wide margin. You just sold the property over on Laurelcrest Lane that had been on the market for more than a year. A pretty major coup. Congratulations.”
Naya blushed, feeling that embarrassing heat steal up her cheeks. “That was just a fluke of luck,” she told him, thinking about the very sweet, older couple she’d met at a coffee bar in line. They just happened to be looking at the house in question. It had been love at first sight for them.
“I doubt luck had anything to do with it,” he said, that smile that wasn’t really a smile was back on those firm lips.
She felt uncomfortable with his praise and shifted. “Yes. Well. I don’t really need a private tour.”
“We’re here,” he said just as the elevator opened up.
Naya looked out of the elevator doors, feeling something rush up to her. Something akin to fear but…not really fear. Anticipation?
No. Impossible.
“This way to the three bedroom unit,” he directed and put a hand to the small of her back.
“I don’t…”
He was already opening the door, no key needed.
“The views are incredible,” he told her as he swept the door open.
Despite the fact that she didn’t want to be alone with this tall, terrifying man, she couldn’t ignore her curiosity and she walked into the pristine condominium. She’d watched this building go up over the past two years and had wondered what the units would look like inside. Steele Industries was renowned for building architecturally interesting buildings without the normal floor plans. There was always something unique and adventurous in a Steele Industries building.
Naya sighed when she looked through the windows. It was a clear, sunny day and Mount Rainier looked extraordinarily beautiful in the distance. “Nice,” she smiled as she walked through the room to the large window. “Very nice.”
She wasn’t aware of the tall, scarily handsome man standing behind her, looking down at her bottom in the overly tight skirt. “I agree,” he mumbled.
Naya looked down towards the street level. “Amazing how hilly Seattle is, isn’t it?” she mused out loud. “More hills here than in San Francisco, right?”
He laughed. “So I’ve heard.” He moved in closer and she backed up. “I’m not trying to make you nervous,” he told her as he shifted to the right instead of coming closer now.
She didn’t like him thinking that he had that kind of control over her. He did, but she wasn’t going to acknowledge to him that he had that power. Okay, so that was pointless. He had the power, and he most likely knew it, but she was still going to hide it from him anyway. “I’m not nervous. You don’t make me nervous.”
He smiled, this time a genuine smile and not just a quirk of those lips. “Would it make you feel any better if I told you that you make me nervous?”
Naya eyed his extremely large figure with suspicion. “I doubt that there are many things that make you nervous.”
“I hate spiders,” he told her.
That was so out of the blue, she couldn’t stop the burst of laughter. “I can’t fault you there.”
“And I really hate snakes.”
A snort this time. “I promise not to hold that against you.”
He chuckled. “Good to know.”
“But I doubt that I make you nervous.”
Naya realized that he was only inches from her now. How had he done that? She’d backed up, he’d moved to the side. How had he gotten this close?
Devil moves, she thought, glancing to the right and the left. Trapped.
“You’re a very beautiful woman,” he told her, reaching out and touching one of her red curls. “I love your hair.” His green eyes slid over her cheeks. “And your freckles.”
Naya gasped, her hands flying to her nose. “I do not have freckles!” she hissed. “And a gentleman wouldn’t have pointed them out!”
He laughed, a full-bodied sound that sent heat right from her heart down to her pelvis. More than a little disconcerting!
“You have freckles, my beauty. And they’re perfect.”
She grumbled and shifted on her feet. “Yes, well, whatever. Freckles are cute and adorable. Kinda like a cupcake with sprinkles.” Great! The sexiest man alive thinks she’s cute. Just great.
“Yeah. They’re cute. But they only highlight how perfect and pale the rest of your skin is,” he pointed out, the laughter gone from his voice. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
Naya’s mind was trying to keep up, trying to figure out how to stop him from noticing her freckles, but he’d just switched subjects. “Dinner?”
The smile was back, as was the twinkle in those green eyes. “Yes. Dinner. With me.”
“Dinner.”
He laughed and took her hand. “It’s the last meal of the day. Wine. Soft music. Maybe something a bit spicy,” his hand touched her curls again, “to match your hair.”
She was mesmerized for all of five seconds, just staring up at him like a dumbstruck teenager. When she realized that her mouth was most likely hanging open, she took a deep breath, pressed her lips together, and moved out of his almost-embrace. “No. Thank you for the invitation and the private tour. But I have to go.”
She walked over to the door, not bothering to look in to any of the other rooms. She had a vague impression of a spacious kitchen, dining room, and living area, all in one large space. Bedrooms…nope. Not investigating any of the bedrooms. Beds…bad. Good grief, private areas…bad. She had to get out of here.
“Naya!” his deep voice called, stopping her feet from accomplishing her escape. She had her hand on the doorknob and her feet apart, almost as if she were trying to brace herself for whatever he might say.
But he didn’t say anything for a long moment. He just came closer. And closer. Just like in the presentation down in the conference area, those green eyes held her captive.
His hand reached out, wrapping around her neck. The warmth from his hand shouldn’t have startled her since she’d experienced that same heat the last time he’d touched her, but it did. And she was mesmerized. Unwillingly mesmerized.
“This isn’t over,” he told her, his eyes maintaining his control over her. A moment later, his mouth covered hers.
If Naya had thought about it, she might have braced for the kiss. Or she might have pulled back, run away, told him to stop. But she did none of those things.
In fact, she did the exact opposite. Instead of turning her head away so that his mouth landed on her cheek, she tilted her head back. When his lips touched hers, this was no tentative kiss. This was commanding, soft at first, but then pressure building as he guided her into the kiss, pulling her in, showing her what he wanted.
It was brutal in its gentleness, overwhelming in its command. His lips touched, moved, caressed hers, his tongue touching her lips and demanding entry. She was powerless to do anything other than follow, to accept. To participate!
With a gasp, she felt her hands grab onto his jacket, her body pressed closer. There was a vague thump but she didn’t acknowledge the sound, too intent on the kiss, on following his lead and trying hard not to drown in the passion that seized her.
The ping of the elevator and voices starting down the hallway finally broke through. She pulled away, still standing in his embrace. He was no longer only holding her neck. His arms were wrapped around her, pulling her against his hard body and she shivered even as she pulled away.
With wide, frightened and confused eyes, Naya stepped out of his arms and turned on her heel. With a grace she’d never known she possessed, she moved down the hallway and into the still open elevators, ignoring the startled glances of the other sales team as they led a group of agents into the other units.
The doors closed but not before she turned and saw Luke’s green eyes watching her. Promising more.
She trembled the whole elevator ride down, wishing she’d ignored the desire to attend the presentation here this afternoon. So what if it had been the talk of the real estate industry for the past two months? Her sanity was much more precious than selling one of the luxurious condominiums in this building.
With shaking fingers, she pushed the button to release the locks on her car. Diving into the driver’s seat, she sat there for several minutes, trying to catch her breath. And her sanity!
Wow! She’d never been kissed like that. She’d dated over the years, but never had she felt that kind of surge of…passion? Desire? Lust?
It was embarrassing. And overwhelming.
“No,” she whispered into the dim interior of her car. “Not going there! That man is dangerous!”
Turning on her car, she backed out of the parking space carefully and made her way back to her small cottage house. She dumped her purse and logged onto her computer. Feeling better, safer, she answered e-mails, set up appointments, and did all of the small things that normally occupied her day.
She felt safer once she was back into her routine.
Unfortunately, for the first time in her life, when she slipped on her walking shoes that night, she also put on a hat and sunglasses. Not analyzing why, she walked in the opposite direction of her normal route.
Perhaps it was that her stomach was still fluttering in a wild and crazy fashion. Or maybe it was just that she needed to be alone, not talk to anyone. Either way, she walked and walked, not stopping, not smiling at anyone. She wasn’t even aware of others moving by her as she walked as if demons were on her heels.
When she stopped and looked out at the barges passing by, she didn’t even see them, didn’t wonder what might be in all of the metal crates that were stacked up six and seven stories high.
All she could think about was that kiss, that wonderful, amazing, crazy, and terrifying kiss.
She never reacted to men like that! She was always the calm and sensible woman that men flirted with but they weren’t really flirting. Not seriously. She was the kind of woman that men thought of as a friend. Not as a lover.
And she preferred it like that.
Relationships were bad news, she reminded herself. She didn’t want to spend her life coming home to an argument because someone didn’t put the toilet seat down, someone overspent on the monthly budget, the dishwasher had to be emptied – or replaced and there was no money to replace it.
Not that there was any relationship potential with a man like Luke Steele, she reminded herself. The man was a player with an enormous number of options to choose from. The women flocked to him and she couldn’t blame them. He was charming and handsome, most likely crazy wealthy, so there would never be any argument over how to replace the dishwasher.
The arguments with Luke would more than likely be about infidelity.
Not that there would be any long-term relationships with that man.
Goodness, she was creating a mess in her mind about something that wasn’t even an issue. She looked around, suddenly noticing the other people milling around on the wide sidewalk. She’d walked all the way down to Pike’s Place Market. She was way out of her normal walking range.
With a sigh, she turned around and…
“Hello, beautiful.”
Naya reared back, startled when the man who had been occupying her mind came closer. Had she thought he was handsome in a suit? Good grief, the man was sex on legs in a pair of jeans that hugged his thighs and a sweater that perfectly displayed those broad shoulders.
Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him. “What are you doing here?”
He chuckled. “I hate cooking for just myself so I eat out most meals.” His hand lifted to take her sunglasses off. “Why are you here?”
She pulled back, startled to see that the sunlight was fading. It was almost dusk. Unfortunately, that meant she had no need for her sunglasses other than to hide. And she desperately needed to hide. From this man.
Why was she here? Naya looked around, trying to come up with a legitimate excuse for her presence here. “I just…I was walking and…”
“Found yourself here,” he finished for her, obviously sensing that she was flustered.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Good. You can have dinner with me.”
Naya shook her head, not wanting to spend any time with this man. “No. I really need to….”
“Have dinner with me.” He took her hand and settled it into his elbow, placing his other hand over it so that she couldn’t escape him. “What are you in the mood for?”
She shook her head again. “Mr. Steele,” she started to say.
His laughter interrupted whatever she’d been about to say. “Naya, I kissed you earlier today and, if we hadn’t been interrupted by the other tours, the two of us would have been naked. I think it is more appropriate for you to call me Luke.”
Naya gaped at him. “We would not have been naked!” she gasped out, causing several other people walking along the sidewalk to turn their heads.
Naya pulled herself together, trying to control her temper as well as her outrage over this man’s audacity. “We wouldn’t have been naked!” she hissed again for emphasis. “Nothing would have happened.”
He turned to face her. “You think so?”
“I know so! We are not having sex!”
A slow, sexy smile crept across his handsome features. “Ah. A challenge. I haven’t been challenged in a long time.”
Naya’s body trembled with those words. He looked like a man who would truly enjoy a challenge. “I’m not trying to challenge you, Luke,” she told him as he pulled her into a small restaurant. “And I’m not having dinner with you. I have to get home. I have work to do tonight.”
He’d already led her over to one of the tables by the window and was holding a chair out for her.
Naya wasn’t completely sure what to do. First of all, she was famished, having skipped lunch and it was later than her normal dinnertime. She wasn’t one to skip meals, she loved food too much. But also, he was holding a chair out for her? What was she supposed to do? The men she dated never held her chair for her. And if they did, it was because they were planning to pull the chair out from under her when she sat down, thinking it would be hilarious to see her fall on the floor.
“Take a seat, Naya. I promise no harm will come to you tonight,” he urged with that silky smooth, baritone voice of his that consistently sent shivers along her body.
Gingerly, she sat down in the chair, her muscles tensed and waiting for him to pull a stunt. When he only pushed her chair in for her, she was even more confused.
He sat down across from her and handed her one of the menus. “What are you in the mood for tonight?” he asked, perusing the menu himself.
Naya hadn’t even picked up the menu. She sat across from him, looking at him strangely. “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”
He looked at her and, taking in the serious expression in her eyes, he set the menu down. “If you were to say no to sex, that would be no, Naya. But dinner? You have to eat. Besides, you look hungry, not to mention, upset about something. Why not just have a relaxing dinner and we can talk?”
She looked down at her hands, which were just lying on the tabletop. “Because I don’t understand you. And I think you’re dangerous. To me.”
“In what way?”
She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “You’re not the kind of man I normally date.”
He chuckled. “I suspect that you don’t date very much at all. But what makes me so different from the other men in your life?”
She wasn’t sure she could really explain it. Thankfully, the waitress arrived at that moment and took their drink orders. “Water,” she requested, thinking she should keep a clear head.
“A bottle of merlot,” he ordered. “And two glasses.”
Naya glared across the table at him. “I think that’s a perfect example of why I don’t want to be here.”
He shook his head. “You want to be here with me,” he argued right back. “You know there’s something between us and you’re fascinated. Scared. I can see that. But you’re interested.”
Naya clasped her hands together and hid them under the table. “You’re too confident. Too sure of yourself,” she told him.
“I’m confident that we will be in bed together, very soon.”
That announcement knocked the breath out of her. It took her a moment to stop the images of this man’s naked body. She blinked rapidly, shaking her head to clear those images.
“I don’t think so,” she argued.
The waitress arrived with their wine and water, poured while the two of them remained silent and then departed with an awkward smile.
“You’re making the waitress uncomfortable,” she pointed out, with a smirk.
He laughed. “Drink your wine, Naya. And tell me how you got into the real estate business.”
Naya picked up her glass of water and took a long sip, daring him with her brown eyes over the rim of her glass.
They ate smoked salmon crostini for an appetizer and then he ordered the lobster baked mac-n-cheese for her, despite her objections that she’d have a simple green salad. He had the lobster rolls and it was one of the most delightful meals she’d shared in a long time. Despite her reservations, she found him to be a wonderful dinner companion, talking about any subject, making her laugh at his dry wit and astute observations. The carbs and the cheese were a perfect foil for the lobster and the red wine was delicious. She’d had two glasses without even realizing that she was drinking it.
When a flourless amaretto and chocolate torte arrived at their table, she glared at him. “I’m not eating that,” she announced and pushed her chair back even though her mouth was watering for just a taste of the decadent dessert.
The evil man lifted his dessert fork and tried a taste. “Damn, this is excellent,” he announced. He took another bite onto his fork. “Here. Just try one bite, Naya. You know you’ll regret it if you don’t try it.”
Naya looked down at the fork he was holding out for her, thinking how intimate it would be to eat off of the same fork he’d just used. Her stomach tightened with awareness and she shook her head slightly.
“Come on, Naya. You know you want it. Why are you denying yourself something that could give you immense pleasure?”
Oh, he really was the devil! “Because there are consequences to that pleasure,” she told him, her eyes glancing down at the chocolate and then back to his green eyes. She couldn’t stop her eyes from moving back to his lips. Those lips had been amazingly pleasurable earlier today. And she’d definitely suffered afterwards. Hence the reason she was miles from her house when she normally only walked about a mile both ways after work.
“Ah, but the consequences aren’t necessarily negative.”
“My hips would disagree.”
“Your hips are fabulous,” he argued. “Take the bite.”
“My hips are too big already. This meal has added five pounds to my hips.”
He laughed softly and took the bite himself. “Your hips are perfect. I can’t wait for my hands to be on them again.” And he took another bite. “Take a taste, Naya. Stop worrying about your hips. I’ll do that for you.”
She laughed, thinking he really was a bad man. “You’re horrible,” she told him but she couldn’t stop herself when he lifted the other fork and offered her a bite. “Oh my!” she gasped when the chocolate flavor burst on her tongue. “This is amazing.” Sighing, she leaned back and let the chocolate smooth over her palate. “Really good.”
Luke felt his body harden as he watched her. All evening, he’d been trying to avoid looking at her breasts, which were compressed into what he suspected was a sports bra underneath a knit tank top. She was wearing a loose jacket over the stretchy top, but it had spread out, revealing her lush breasts to his view. And those nipples had been on display all evening!
He might be furious with her teasing if he’d suspected that she was teasing him. But he didn’t think she knew what she was offering. And he damn well wasn’t going to tell her. No way! His mind was too busy wondering what those breasts would look like released from the confines of the harsh sports bra. With his hands holding them, his thumbs rubbing against her nipples….
Oh hell!
He needed to shift his thoughts if he was going to be able to walk out of here. His body would show the world everything he was thinking.
“So why are you afraid of me?” he asked, taking another bite before offering her one as well.
Naya sighed. She was too relaxed to take offense at the topic. She suspected that had been his plan all along, but the wine, the carbs, and the sugar had generated a relaxed state that she couldn’t fight. “Because you’re too handsome and way too sexy for me. And I don’t do casual affairs, while I suspect that you only do casual.”
She had him there. But then again, he didn’t think there would be anything casual between them. He hadn’t ever felt this strongly about a woman. It was both disconcerting and enlightening. He finally understood what all of his brothers had discovered when they’d met their wives.
Not that he was going to settle down. No way! Marriage just wasn’t in his future. There were too many women out there to enjoy. Settling down with just one was an atrocity, in his mind.
He might linger a bit longer on Naya though. He could see many nights of having her delectable body in his arms, in his bed. His imagination was going into overdrive as those nipples taunted him.
“I might surprise you,” he came back.
She shook her head, smiling despite the nerve-wracking topic. “No. I doubt it.”
Naya patted her pockets, taking out the credit card that she always carried with her for coffee breaks. “I have to go,” she said and waved to the waitress. Handing her the credit card, she felt better when Luke growled at her paying the dinner tab. “You’re not buying dinner, Naya,” he snapped and took her credit card out of the waitress’ hand. Standing up, he tossed several bills down on the table, nodded to the waitress who was still standing there looking dumbstruck, then grabbed Naya’s hand, and pulled her out of the restaurant. “You’re determined to be an annoying woman, aren’t you?” he asked.
But he didn’t give her a chance to answer. Instead, he pulled her over to the side of the building, out of the way of the pedestrian traffic and pinned her against the brick wall. She was just about to protest when his mouth covered hers.
This kiss was just as demanding as the one he’d given her earlier this afternoon, but still different. It was like he was trying to impress his will on her, to show her that they would be together.
Whatever his message, Naya was unable to deny him. Kissing him back was her only response. Her hands moved up to his shoulders, hanging on with everything she had. She couldn’t believe how desperate she became when he kissed her. One moment, she was arguing that they would not be together, the next, her fingers were pulling him in closer, wanting more from the kiss.
And boy, did he deliver! His lips moved over hers in an almost defiant manner, his tongue demanding entry and devouring hers when her mouth opened. While her hands were clutching at his shoulders, his hands were slipping underneath her jacket and shirt, smoothing along her skin and making her whimper with need. His hips were pressed against hers and she felt his body’s reaction, thrilled by it, the pressure making her crazier and needing to deepen the kiss.
“Come back to my place, Naya,” he growled out as his lips moved from hers to her neck, causing havoc and sensations so intense, she shivered and cringed at the same time.
She formed the word no on her lips while she leaned her head back, unwilling to take this activity further, but wanting more.
“You won’t regret it,” he urged as his teeth nipped at her earlobe. “I can make you feel incredible!”
Those words, the impact of his teeth and the way his hand was holding steady right underneath her breast, brought back to mind what he really wanted. Sex.
“I can’t,” she told him, pushing gently at his shoulders. Naya was relieved when he pulled back, but he didn’t take his hands off of her waist. “I can’t do this, Luke,” she told him, staring at his chest, her breathing rapid and her heart pounding against her ribs. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a tease but…”
Luke immediately understood where this was going and he hated himself for making her feel this way. Okay, so he loved that he could make her all flustered and hot since that was exactly what he was feeling, but he didn’t want her to feel like she had to have sex with him. He wanted her to need to have sex with him. Just as he was feeling right at the moment.
“Stop it,” he commanded, his fingers unconsciously clenching against the softness of her tiny waist. “I pulled you over here. I started kissing you. You’re not a tease, but I’m not accepting your answer either.” He felt her stiffen and kissed the top of her head. “I’m accepting it for now, Naya. But you feel too good in my arms for me to forgo the pleasure in the future.” He took a deep breath and pulled back. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ll drive you home.”
Naya instantly shook her head. “I can walk. I walked here. It’s just a….”
“Not happening, Naya. It’s after ten o’clock at night. There’s no way I’m letting you walk home in the dark.” He paused for a moment, his fingers tangling with hers and he shook his head. “Actually, I wouldn’t let you walk home even if it was light outside.” With a sigh that she refused to admit was regret, he tugged her gently down the block and pulled her into a Steele Industries building. It was called something else, but Naya knew that his company had built this condominium complex.
“Is this where you live?” she asked, curious despite her admonitions to not get any other information about this man.
“Yes. All of my brothers lived here at one point but they’ve gotten married and moved out. I’m the lone survivor.”
Naya laughed despite the fact that he’d just confirmed that he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship. Well, neither was she! Definitely not! No way was she going to enter into anything long-term that would end with a miserable divorce…hatred preceded by agonizing years of anger and resentment.
Trying to feign casualness and not an intense curiosity about any small detail regarding this man, she looked around at the elegant lobby. “It’s a nice building.”
“Have you seen any of the units?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve online-stalked some of them that have been up for sale when pictures appeared on the real estate sites. But none of my clients were looking for a condo at that point.”
He winked and that wicked grin surfaced once again. “You’ll see mine pretty soon.” Luke opened the passenger door to a black Porsche.
She laughed, ignoring the flutters dancing around in her stomach with that promise. “In your dreams.”
“That too,” he teased as he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
She only lived a few miles down the street so it took a short time to get to her place. When he pulled into her driveway, she almost jumped out of the car. But the warm hand on her arm stopped her. “Naya,” he said calmly. “Invite me inside.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes moving from his green ones to his firm lips, thinking about the two times he’d kissed her today. It took all of her willpower, but eventually, she was able to shake her head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
He leaned closer and Naya’s breath caught in her throat. “What are you going to do?” she asked, her voice whispering and trying to sound more assertive, but the car was filled with his scent and her mind was filled with the memory of the two times he’d kissed her. “We can’t,” she whispered and turned her head to the side so that he couldn’t kiss her lips. But the man was diabolical. Instead of her mouth, his lips zeroed in on her neck and she shivered at the first touch. She knew she should leave, just get out of the car and run into her house. But…oh my, this just felt too good! His lips kissed her neck and she moaned as those crazy sensations swamped her again.
“I think it would be a fantastic idea.”
Naya’s mind swirled, her body arched, and her legs clenched tightly closed. “No. I can’t do it, Luke. I told you, I don’t do casual.”
His lips moved against her ear and she almost moaned with how good that felt. “Then don’t make it casual. Make it something more. I can do more.”
No. He couldn’t do more. And she couldn’t do more. Nor could she do less. Any kind of a relationship with Luke was not a good idea.
Reminding herself of that gave her the strength to stop. Naya pulled back with a sigh of regret. “No. You’re not that kind of a man.”
Without looking at him again, she stepped out of the car and ran into her house, closing it firmly and leaning back against the solid wood. She gritted her teeth to keep herself from pulling open the door once more and calling him back. Her body wanted what he was offering. Her mind knew it was wrong.
Broccoli was good. Luke was bad. Salads! She had to think about salads and getting to the gym tomorrow morning. She needed to force her mind to think rationally and remember what was good and positive.
She walked over to her fridge and stared at the mostly empty space. Ice cream was in the freezer, she reminded herself.
But she’d already eaten too many calories for the night.
“Go to bed,” she told herself and slammed the freezer door. “Just go to bed and forget the man.”
Well, she’d gotten half of her task accomplished. She went to bed, but sleep eluded her. Her mind kept going over the kisses from earlier today and tonight, her body wanting more, needing to feel his hands on her.
She pounded her pillow several times, wishing she could stop thinking about him. It was pointless! She wasn’t the kind of woman he needed and Luke definitely wasn’t the kind of man she wanted.
But her body called her a liar.