Page 45 of Prelude To You

“Small world, look who’s here,” she breathed. She looked fully prepared to be swept up in my arms and finish what we started last night.

“You don’t say,” I replied. Here she was, standing in front of me at last, every damn bit as enchanting as before. Perhaps even more so. I wanted to scold her for overthrowing my meticulously planned life.

As if it were her fault, and she alone was responsible for creating this furious hunger in my groin.

“Are those security men still behind me?” I asked.

She glanced past me and bit her lip. “I’m afraid they are.”

“Do you think they believe we’re together?” I asked. “And that you’re not some charming imposter here to wreck everyone’s night?”

Her soft laugh was fucking beguiling. “Well, then why not reaffirm our alliance?” she said in that throaty voice that was music to my ears, making resistance futile.

“What did you have in mind exactly?” I asked. It didn’t escape me that we were now replaying the scenario from last night. She had a good memory. But that didn’t necessarily make her interesting. She could still be boring when it came down to the wire.

Did I even care at this point? I mean, honestly.

“Oh you don’t want to know what I have in mind,” she whispered. Her luscious lips barely moved as she pushed outthose hazardous words. And that was it for the last wisp of self-control that lingered inside of me.

I decided right then and there that I’d seduce her, we’d both have the time of our lives tonight, and come tomorrow everything would be back to normal again. Then I could once more devote my time to the merger, and add another half-billion or so to my portfolio. I was sure one night with her would quell this crush.

As these thoughts whirled through my mind, I suddenly noticed something about her. She was not entirely herself. I couldn’t put my finger on it, nor did I know her well enough to make this assessment unequivocally, but something was off, even only by a little bit.

“Are you okay?” I asked, startled at this abrupt feeling of genuine concern I had for her.

She chewed the inside of her lip and pursed her mouth. “Am I okay? Oh God, that’s quite the story, and I’m not sure you want to hear it…”

“Well, why don’t you tell me while I put your shoes on,” I said, and gently removed the shoes from her grasp.

I guided her to the bench and she leaned against the back. I took out my handkerchief and hunched down before her. When I lifted her foot to wipe the sole, small goosebumps rippled across the skin on her leg.

“Two handkerchiefs down for the count,” she joked. “All because you keep having to clean me up.”

“The risks a gentleman has to suffer,” I said. I slipped the shoe on her foot, mesmerized by her arch.

It crossed my mind that I would have loved to see her dance, but since this would be the only night we had together, the chances of that were slim to none. I raised her other foot, wiped the sole and put the shoe on.

She touched my shoulder. “Thank you for putting my shoes on.”

I rose, and our gazes locked. “You’re very welcome,” I said.

The restraint it took not to simply grab her and drag her off to the penthouse was tapping my reserves of self-discipline dry. I also realized that for all the plans I was making to spend the night with her, I still didn’t know what she was doing at the hotel.

“I hope this is not too forward of me,” I said, “but what are you doing here?” I regretted my intense tone. It was because I had no idea whether she was in fact here to see me. The alternative prospect was my worst nightmare. What if another man was waiting for her inside the hotel?

“Well, that’s where the story comes in,” she said, “and you’re not going to believe this…” She seemed a bit unstable in her heels.

When I put my hand on her waist to steady her, I felt the familiar little shiver trembling through her. At that moment I knew it didn’t matter what she told me. I would do anything to spend this evening with her.

And that was exactly what I planned to do.

15

ISABEL

Things werenotsupposed to go like this, not at all. I’d played the scenario over and over in my head. Running into Stranger was to be a very classy, well-orchestrated “accident.”

In my dream scenario, I was not to stumble over my words, make ridiculous remarks, act like an idiot or standbarefootin front of a magnificent hotel.

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