Page 27 of The Last Resort
Rachel shook her head. “You don’t sound much like a southern gentleman, and you certainly don’t dress like one. How was your trip to New York?”
“Busy. I was in the office until late on Monday and then all day Tuesday. Caught up with some family members over dinner on Monday night, which was nice. What have you been up to since I last saw you Rach, any mischief?”
The only mischief I want to get up to is with you, skin to skin.
“No mischief to speak of, just doing bits for my sister,” she replied, taking off her coat and gloves. One of the first lessons she’d learned during her father’s trial was that giving people vague answers was the best way to get them to stop asking questions. If you didn’t fuel the fire, the flames tended to die.
She’d just dropped into her usual seat in the booth when the waitress appeared at Matthew’s side. “It’s a bit quiet this morning, so I might as well take your orders here. The usual for you two?” She nodded at Matthew. “Sorry about the mess before, some people have no table manners. Like how hard, can it be to get the ketchup on the plate?”
Rachel’s finishing school matron would have had a fit if someone had done that during their dining etiquette classes. Then again, she’d expect people to use knives and forks, and cloth napkins even in a coffee shop.
As soon as the waitress had gone to place their order, Matthew unbuttoned his coat and slipped it off, placing it on the seat beside him as he slid into the booth. Rachel caught a glimpse of his Breitling watch as the sleeves of his sky-blue sweater rode up.
That timepiece wasn’t the sort of thing an accountant working in a hotel would be able to afford. Anthony owned a Breitling and he’d always been at pains to let her know just how much it was worth. Matthew’s watch had to have cost somewhere in the vicinity of forty grand.
It might have been a gift, stop judging people by their appearances.
She didn’t know all that much about Matthew. He may well have rich relatives back in New York.Generous rich relatives.
An awkward silence fell between them. It left her wondering what had happened while he was home in NewYork. Was there someone who held a special place in his life, and the trip had been a quick one to reset things between them? Was she just a friend, and that’s all she’d ever be?
Did he decide that our kiss was a mistake?
Her cell buzzed in her jacket pocket. She pulled it out, then read the name on the screen.
Matthew.
Huh? Rachel hit the receive button, watching with interest as Matthew gave her a wink and lifted his phone to his ear. She followed suit.
“Hi.”
“Oh hi, Rachel, this is Matthew. Remember me from such places as the café, the airport, and the streets of Aspen. I was calling to see if you might be free to join me for dinner tonight.”
She grinned at him. “It’s lovely to hear from you, Matthew, but I’m already on a breakfast date with a hot guy and I think I might be in with a good chance of seeing him later this evening. You know how the saying goes, you snooze, you lose.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “You crush me. But since I’m currently having breakfast with a beautiful girl who’s blessed with a fabulous smile, it’s okay. Call me if your date doesn’t work out.”
Laughing, Rachel hung up, before setting her phone on the table. “Who’s this pretty girl and where are you hiding her?”
He slowly licked his lips and her core clenched. It tightened even further as he brushed his fingers over hers. “I said she was beautiful not just pretty, and she’s sitting across the table from me.”
Oh boy.He was deliciously smooth. Rachel couldn’t remember the last time a man had affected her in such a primal way. Matthew’s smile had her thoughts running towicked places. When she looked into his gorgeous brown eyes, all she saw was the promise of hot sweaty sex. Rachel didn’t quite know what to do with herself. He had her and if the grin on his face was anything to go by, he damn well knew it.
If the server didn’t appear with their food and soon, there was every chance she was going to crawl across the table and start to feast on Matthew.
His fingers continued to brush over her skin, sending sparks of lust racing up and down her spine. “So what do you think about dinner this evening, beautiful Rachel? I know a very nice restaurant here in town. I can pick you up from your place. How does seven o’clock sound?”
How does it sound? It sounds like my luck is finally changing. And about time.
Their food arrived, and while the server set down their plates and coffees, Rachel and Matthew sat stealing awkward glances at one another.
Dinner. He was asking her out to dinner. All her worries about him having second thoughts of their connection fled her mind.He said I was beautiful.
Rachel let out the breath she’d been holding. “How nice a restaurant are we talking? I mean, is it a wear your best cowboy boots nice, or is it a dress and good shoes nice?”
Matthew’s brows lifted. “Well, ma’am, somethin’ tells me that you’re the sort of woman who not only owns more than one dress but also knows how to rock a pair of killer heels.”
His southern accent wasn’t improving, but his pick-up lines were.
