He shook his head. “There's nothing wrong with you wanting specifics. Simply put, there's a certain something about you that makes me want to spend time with you.”

  My brow arched again. “You know this after seeing me once today and meeting me again this evening.”

  “Nah, it's more than that. It's what you're not saying.”

  I looked him in the eyes. “Actually, I know what you mean. You're saying a whole lot of nothing, but I get it.”

  “I'm insulted,” he said, but his grin belied his words. He scanned the others at the table before his gaze rested on me. “To go back to what I was saying though, I'll tell you more another time.”

  “That assumes we'll have time and opportunity to talk.”

  “It does.”

  “So tell me,” I said, “how did you get into this line of business?”

  He shrugged and I believe he frowned before he said, “I’ve always liked drawing and over the years, my interest turned to technical drawing and then to graphics.”

  “And teaching?”

  “I guess I’m a natural at what I do, so the next step was teaching others some of what seems like magic.” His grin was mischievous and he looked like a little boy.

  “What do you do at your company?”

  “I’m the office manager.”

  Before he asked, I added, “Those two are travelling overseas for the first time. My boss thought I should travel with them. Plus, there are meetings to attend, so…”

  “I get it,” he said, looking at me over the rim of his glass. When he put it down, he asked, “When d’you get time for yourself?”

  Laughing, I said, “The same time as you.”

  “Funny, you should say that.” His lips curved a little bit, then he added, “Maybe we could—”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He put a hand to his chest. “I’m wounded. You didn’t even give me a chance to finish.”

  I lowered my chin and hooked my thumb in the direction of the ballroom we’d been in earlier. “You’ve got that right. Why would I give you the time of day after what I heard back there?”

  His mouth opened and he squinted. “Did you not hear me say to believe nothing—”

  I quirked my lips and stopped him in mid-sentence. “Sure, I’m gonna believe everything you tell me after your business was announced in front of a roomful of people.”

  He shook his head. “Diana doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

  When I didn’t take my eyes off him, he added, “Well, not everything.”

  “Hmm.”

  Scott’s eyes darkened as he said, “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “As if you don’t believe what I’m trying to say.”

  “Frankly, I don’t. Men like you—”

  Hands in the air, he said, “Whoa, whoa. Men like me?”

  He looked around as if he forgot where we were and let out his breath.

  “Don’t get your briefs in a bunch.”

  His shocked expression made my lips twitch, but I stopped myself from laughing.

  He swallowed some wine and then looked sideways at me. “That’s not something you say to a stranger.”

  “Don’t I know it, but all I’m saying is that you don’t need to explain anything to me. It doesn’t matter.”

  “But—”

  We stared at each other for a moment, then he said, “I suppose you’re right.”

  “Yes, I know I’m right.”

  His brows almost met as he frowned. Then his face cleared, but his dark eyes told me he wanted to say more.

  These last few minutes felt weird and stupid. I didn’t understand how and why this man I’d just met had me engaged in a silly argument that had nothing to do with me.

  Chapter Four

  Scott

  Shevaughn burrowed inside my head and refused to leave my thoughts. The moment I noticed her in the lobby, she captured my attention. Creamy, milk-chocolate skin I wanted to touch, full lips, a headful of crazy curls, and a saucy-looking mouth.

  At first, she eyed me as if she was annoyed with me. Then in an assessing way with her dark gaze, as if she wanted to tidy me up, which was how many women reacted to me at first sight. Something in her gaze shifted again as she swept me from head to feet.

  I guess I was looking at her the same way and only woke up when the agent at the desk spoke to me. That was when I went back to working out where I was going to sleep.

  Shevaughn stayed in my thoughts after we met again in the elevator. I watched her through the glass—classy, cool, confident, and wrapped up in her world. She was tall and willowy, but had nice curves and her skin made my fingers itch to touch her.

  I wasn't a guy who needed attention, but after locking eyes with her earlier, her seeming indifference almost made me antsy—except for the interest she didn't hide immediately.

  I liked her right away and that was saying something. I’d gone through a rough time recently, so women weren’t at the top of my priority list.

  This woman though…

  She looked oriental around the eyes and was good-looking, beautiful, in fact.

  Of course, when I saw her again at the reception, I felt like a little boy who’d been let loose in a toy store and spotted just the thing he wanted. I hadn’t lost any time talking to her. Dinner was amazing and now, I couldn’t wait to see her again.

  I was doing a presentation today on the history of animation, which I’d been fascinated with since high school. So much so, animation had become a career for me despite my parents’ wishes.

  I made good money and I was reasonably happy. Those things were important to me. Relationships were out of bounds right now, but Shevaughn could be a nice, short-term distraction.

  I noticed she wasn’t in the room. Based on what she told me about her role at the conference, I didn’t expect to see her. Still, I felt a pinch of disappointment.

  The attendees sat motionless as I delivered my first talk of the conference. Their attention shifted to the screen when I pointed to the special displays. I’d gotten in the rhythm of my presentation when Shevaughn arrived. The door opened and she looked around the room before stepping inside. After a slight shuffle as people turned to see who it was, she mouthed, “Sorry,” and moved forward.

  Today, she wore jeans with a blue-green top that hugged her breasts and hid her hips.

  While she wound her way to a table and took a seat, I didn’t miss a beat but couldn’t take my eyes off her for more than a few seconds at a time. Last night, we’d parted with the understanding that we’d meet up today. Or, at least, I had.

  “We have a break coming up now. Before we go, do you have any questions?” I said.

  I scanned the room, but nobody raised a hand or opened their mouths.

  “I take it you’re all brilliant, but we’ll find out for sure when it’s time to apply what we just talked about.”

  A wave of chuckles rippled through the room and I grinned as well.

  “Feel free to have some refreshment.” I pointed to the left where a food station was set up for the group. “We’ll start the next session in fifteen minutes.”

  The room erupted in noise as the twenty-something crowd moved as one body toward the snacks.

  I put aside the material I’d been using and reached for my second set of notes. Then, I got the next slide on the screen. When I finished, my gaze panned the room until I found Shevaughn.

  She was standing with her guys, plus two others. The men in the group talked back and forth and she smiled, with her arms folded under her breasts, only speaking now and then.

  As if she felt me staring, she turned her head and our eyes met. One side of her mouth curved and I returned her smile. Hands in my pockets, I sauntered toward her.

  She said something to the guys as they moved away, heading to the other side of the room.

  “I see you took half the morning off,” I said, letting my eyes say what I couldn’t with my lips.

  She laughed, a tinkling sound that made my lips curve again.

  “I did tell you I was mostly along to keep those two in order.”

  “Had a good night?” I asked.

  “I don’t sleep well in strange beds, but since I went upstairs late, I slept better than I normally do under the circumstances.”

  “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  “I thought we were having lunch together?” she said, a teasing note in her voice.

  “Yeah, that too, but I wanted to put dinner on lock down as well.”

  She laughed again and squished her lips together, as if satisfied. By what, I didn’t know. “You’re a greedy man.”

  “Only for your company,” I said.

  She rolled her eyes and then cocked one eyebrow. “I’m sure you say that to all the women.”

  “Nope, only the ones I’d like to know better.”

  She chuckled and did that thing with her eyes again. “You have to come a lot better than that to keep me satisfied.”

  My gaze turned hot, and I guess she thought about the way her words sounded because she sank her teeth into her plump bottom lip as our eyes met.

  “Don’t worry,” I said, tipping my head to one side. “I know how to treat a lady.”

  I looked at my pocket watch and slid it back into my pants. Funny how the time flew on wings when you were dealing with important matters.

  Shevaughn folded her arms and showed me a mischievous grin. “I thought only fuddy-duddies or old men kept pocket pieces.”

  I answered her grin with one of my own. “Nah. I don’t like the feel of jewelry or anything else attached to my body.”

  Her eyebrows rose and she got a look in her eyes that said she thought I was weird but I didn’t question her reaction.

  Time was winding down and I needed a drink. The area around the table had cleared, which meant I could get some fruit juice without any holdup.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. “Can I get you a drink?”

  She shook her head. “I’m good. You go. We’ll catch up during lunch.”

  I looked at her for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”

  Her smile was like that first ray of sunshine on a rainy day.

  “Later,” I said, walking away.

  I sensed her watching me as I crossed the room and it gave me a feeling of satisfaction and immense power.

  When I poured pineapple juice and put the glass to my head, I searched for her, only to find she’d left the room. After another scan to be sure I hadn’t missed her, I put the glass on the table and walked back to the stage.

  By this time, most people were back in their seats.

  I waited for the room to settle before picking up where I left off.

  “In this second segment,” I said, “we’ll look at how animation has changed in the last ten years.”

  Despite the interest of the attendees and their enthusiastic response to the material I introduced, I was a little disappointed when Shevaughn didn’t reappear.

  Just before I wrapped up, she returned wearing a sweater over her blouse.

  She took her seat next to her chicks, as I’d taken to calling them in my mind, and settled her eyes on me. Her study was intense, and it pleased me. It meant she was as interested in me as I was in her.

  This time, when I finished, the group had questions. I assumed they were now more relaxed. I had thrown in a joke when we restarted and sprinkled in a few more during the session. After ten minutes of answering their questions, I called a halt. “We can continue our discussion after lunch. Save your questions because we’ll have a rap session during the last half-hour of the day. Enjoy your lunch.”

  I gathered my notes, closed my laptop and slid both inside the computer bag. After slipping the strap over my shoulder, I turned expecting to see Shevaughn sitting in her seat, but she wasn’t there.

  At a glance, I realized she wasn’t any of the few people left inside the room. As I walked toward the doorway, Diana stopped me. “I loved the presentation, and the others did too. So glad you were able to do this.”

  “Good,” I said, distracted by the missing-in-action woman I was trying to find.

  Diana trotted alongside me, oblivious to my preoccupation. “Mr. Oldham and Mr. Mair, from OMG Corporation are here and would like to meet you.”

  I slowed my steps, knowing I couldn’t decline meeting the sponsors of this shebang. “Where are they?” I asked.

  “In The Palms, where we’re all eating.”

  “Okay, I need to make a stop, I’ll be along in a minute.”

  Her hands fluttered and then settled on the pearls at her neck. “I’ll tell them you’ll be along shortly. Don’t be too long.”

  Her words were light, but she meant business. Diana was a strong-willed old dragon. She knew the business side of the industry and could be formidable.

  Frowning, I entered the alcove to the washrooms at the end of the corridor. I wouldn’t have time to find Shevaughn, so a quick call to let her know we’d catch up later was in order. I raised my head and there she was, emerging from the other entrance.

  “Vaughn, I thought you’d disappeared on me.”

  She shook her head. “I went to get something from my room and thought I’d make it back before the end, but I got a call from my office.”

  Pushing the hair off my face, I said, “We have to take a raincheck on lunch. The conference sponsors want to meet me.”

  “No problem,” she said, “I understand. Later.”

  I was a little disappointed that she didn’t seem let down, but I killed my runaway thoughts. I was getting a little too serious, too quickly, especially after the disaster that derailed my life. Smiling, I said, “We irie?”

  Shevaughn stood akimbo and laughed. “Really?”

  I grinned. “Yeah, really. I’ve got more stuff in my repertoire, girl child.”

  She laughed again and shook her head as she went past me.

  I looked over my shoulder, thinking I had to be crazy. A moment ago, I was warning myself about jumping off the deep end and here I was tickled because I’d said something that amused her. I had to slow this freight train. Falling for anybody wasn’t part of my plans.

  The meeting with the sponsors went well. I pulled out the charm my mother swore I had in vast quantities and talked my way through lunch.

  Despite the fact that the OMG Corporation was putting up the money as a goodwill gesture, they wanted a return on their investment by way to the software platform they provided for animators. My job was to gently persuade the attendees that OMG's software was the best on the market.

  I put Shevaughn out of my mind and focused on the part of my job I didn’t especially enjoy, but knew it came with the territory. My reward would be dinner with Shevaughn, which I wouldn’t miss for anything.

  Chapter Five

  “Are you serious?” I sat sideways on the bench facing Scott.

  He nodded. “Yes, I’ll be there for eight weeks doing pretty much the same thing I’m doing at this conference, only in a lot more detail. The project is being funded by one of your training agencies.”

  He squinted. “I don’t remember the name.”

  “The NTA,” I supplied.

  “That’s it.” He nodded and slapped his knees. “So, in another three weeks, I’ll be on the island training young adults who want to make a career of animation.”

  “That’s awesome. Will you have time to do some freelance work?”

  “What are you thinking of?” He said, spreading his feet on the floor. We sat in an open area of the seaquarium where people passed us coming and going to various exhibits. The trip had been organized as part of the fun activities, and we’d come with the group from the hotel.

  “We have a new set of graphic artists who are not at the standard of Joey and Pete, but they need every bit of experience and exposure they can get. You being there would be the perfect opportunity to learn more of what they need to know without them leaving the island.”

  His hair moved in time with the bobbing of his head. “I’ll look at my schedule, but it should be doable.”

  “Tell me what your fees are, so I can let my boss know and if they’re not out of reach, we can make the arrangements.”

  His gaze was sharp when he frowned. “You have the authority to make that kind of deal?”

  Smiling wide, I said, “Don’t I look trustworthy?”

  “Of course, you do, but—”

  “Look at it this way. It’s a small company and I make many of the decisions since my boss is away a lot. She trusts me to make good recommendations. She also knows I’d never suggest anything that would harm the business.” I waited a beat before adding. “It’s how I make my living, you know.”

  “Okay, with that said…”

  When he told me his fees, my eyes widened.

  He chuckled. “What?”

  “You’re that good, huh?”

  His tone was a little cocky when he said, “You’ve seen for yourself what I do.”

  “Get real, I’ve only listened to you talking for a couple of hours.”

  “That’s long enough for you to get an idea of whether I have a clue to what I’m talking about.

  “All right, you’ve got me.” I put both hands up. “You know your stuff. Anyhow, I still think this is a viable idea. We may not be able to pay what you’re asking, but—”

  Arms folded, he let a slow smile pull at his lips. “Did I say I’m open to negotiation?”

  “I don’t know if I like the sound...” After watching him smirk, I added, “or the look of that.”

  He laughed and folded both arms. “You don’t even know what I’m thinking.”

  “I’ll bet it’s something that won’t be to my advantage.”

  “How d’you know? Like I said, you don’t know what I’m thinking.”

  “Okay, Mr. Fine, tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “From your reaction, I can tell you think my fees are high. They are, but I’m good at what I do and I make no apologies for charging what I do, but for you …”

  When he wouldn’t stop staring at me and refusing to speak, I poked his leg. “Stop playing and finish what you're telling me.”

 

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