Page 16 of Second Time Around
Chapter 5
Kyra plucked at the coral lace hem of her dress as she stood in the foyer by the front door, waiting for Will.
“Stop fidgeting, honey,” Gloria said from her living room, where she was pretending to dust some silk flowers. She’d left the door to her ground-floor apartment open to keep Kyra company. “You look perfect.”
“It’s not too short?”
“Even if it were, you’ve got the legs for it.” Gloria put down the feather duster and came to the doorway. “Why are you so nervous about going to a party?”
“I had such a huge crush on Will in college that I’m starting to feel like I’m back there, obsessing over what he thinks of me.” That much of her history she’d already confessed to her landlady.
Gloria chuckled. “That doesn’t stop just because you’ve graduated. He thinkssomethingabout you or he wouldn’t have invited you on a date.”
Kyra hadn’t told her the truth of why Will had issued his invitation, or what kind of a party it was. Maybe she should have, since she admired Gloria’s levelheaded view of the world. “He just needed a plus-one so it’s not really a date.”
“Maybe that was true when he asked you, but once he sees you in this outfit, he’ll be bowled right over.”
Kyra took two steps across the small foyer to hug the older woman, drawing comfort from the waft of Shalimar, Gloria’s signature scent. “You make me feel like a million bucks.” And she needed a little positive reinforcement at that moment.
“Honey, you are worth way more than a million bucks.” Gloria gave her a firm squeeze before releasing her. “Now I’m going back to my housekeeping so I don’t get in your way.” She winked as she picked up the duster again. “However, you can’t stop me from watching out the window.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Kyra said. “I’ll want to hear your opinion tonight.”
“You won’t even have to ask. I’ll give it to you for free.” Gloria whistled as she looked out her front window. “There’s a long, shiny black limo slowing down right in front of our steps. You’d better scoot on out there.”
Kyra blew Gloria a kiss and slipped through the door to meet Will on the stoop.
“Hey, Will,” she said, the intense green of his eyes startling her all over again, even though she’d seen him only a week ago.
“Kyra.” His smile had a sharp, hot edge that made a shiver run over her skin. “You look beautiful.” His voice seemed to pull her toward him like a snake charmer’s music.
“You’re not so bad yourself.”Keep it light,she thought, even though she wanted to brush her fingers over the golden hair that was catching glints of sunlight on his forearms. True to his word, he’d rolled up his sleeves, and the muscles displayed made her wonder about his shoulders ... and his chest ... and his thighs.
He bent his head and she tilted hers to present her cheek, although somehow he found her lips. It was a mere feather of a kiss but heat slid through her. She lurched back a step to break the contact, but his gaze still held hers and the heat intensified.
“Shall we?” His voice broke through her momentary daze, and she glanced down to see him holding out his arm, crooked at the elbow in an invitation. Oh, those delicious, upper-crust manners. They undermined her defenses every time. She tucked her hand under his elbow and got her wish to feel his forearm—solid and warm—under her palm.
He turned them both toward the limousine.
“I haven’t ridden in one of these since my high school prom,” she said.
“Yours was probably a lot fancier,” Will said, waving away the driver to open the door himself. “This one has no multicolored lights or two-tone upholstery, although I did stock a bottle of champagne if you’re interested.”
Kyra ducked into the limo and found it plenty fancy. The seats were warm cognac leather, and the built-in storage was paneled in a swirly-grained wood in the same tones. The silver-gray carpet was so lush that she wanted to kick off her new shoes and curl her toes into it. A leather-padded privacy panel closed them away from the driver in their own little cocoon of luxury.
When Will had seated himself and closed the door, Kyra said, “I’m glad we have a long drive because I’m going to enjoy this luxury the whole way.” Not to mention being able to feel the body heat radiating from him where their shoulders nearly brushed.
“We’re not driving. The traffic will be god-awful, especially on the way home.”
“Then how are we getting there? Transporter beam?”
Will didn’t crack a smile. “Helicopter.”
Kyra swallowed through the nerves that grabbed at her throat. She’d been on a plane twice in her life and liked the view, although a few stretches of turbulence had terrified her.
But she kept her reservations to herself because she noticed that Will hadn’t really smiled since he’d shown up on her doorstep. Shedidn’t count that sharklike baring of teeth after he’d surveyed her from head to toe as a smile.
“This will be my first helicopter ride,” she said.
