Dare to Love, page 10
“Thank you, Mr. Kennedy,” Cynthia replied. “My husband did warn me that you are quite the flirt. You better be careful, Matthew, he might steal me away.”
“I highly doubt that with this lovely creature beside his side,” Matthew Russo replied.
Lexie looked up from her flute and found Mr. Russo leering at her.
“Young man, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Matthew inquired, openly staring at Lexie’s cleavage across the table.
“Of course.” Will assisted Lexie from her seat “Allow me to introduce Ms. Lexie Thompson, my fiancée.”
Lexie eyes widened in amazement and her mouth fell open seconds before Will swept her in his arms and planted a deliciously long, fervent kiss on her warm lips. As he did, Lexie felt a cool piece of metal close around the third finger on her left hand. When she pulled away and looked down, Lexie was surprised to find a beautiful diamond ring on her finger. She stared back at Will in bewilderment as he steadfastly held on to her hand while she unsuccessfully tried to escape his clutches.
“Where did you get this?” she whispered in his ear as he helped her back into her chair.
“It’s my mother’s. Now go with me on this,” he said.
Lexie nodded in agreement and gazed down at the diamond solitaire on her finger. It was truly the most exquisite piece of jewelry she’d ever received. He’d thought of everything. The man continued to surprise her.
“Wow, fiancée, huh?” David inquired. “I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone, Will.”
“Yeah, man,” Evan agreed. “I thought you were a confirmed bachelor.”
“In another time I would have agreed with you.” Will laughed. “But when you meet the right person like my Lex, here,” Will grabbed Lexie’s hand and placed a tender kiss on it, “you know you’ve struck gold.”
Detecting the laughter in his eyes, Lexie went along with the ploy. “Thanks, baby.”
The evening progressed smoothly with talk of locations and investment terms. Lexie jumped in when needed and provided a lively diversion. Will appreciated her efforts as she kept the conversation rolling from entertainment to politics. The Russos and DuBois twins were hooked on her every word. Will watched how effortlessly Lexie adapted herself to any given situation and was impressed. Here was a woman who was comfortable in her own skin. It was a helluva turn-on.
“Isn’t that right, Will?” Lexie added, bumping his shoulder and giving him a sexy wink.
“Hmmm, what was that?” Will asked, forgetting all rational thought when he was around her. How could he think straight when she was giving him those sexy little looks under those incredibly long lashes?
“I was telling the Russos how we met.” Lexie smiled mischievously at him.
Will sat up straight. What the devil was she up to? “And how was that, sweetheart?” he inquired.
“Don’t tell me you forgot how we first met!” Lexie’s mouth turned downward in a little pout.
“C’mon, tell us, Lexie,” David inquired, his eyes wide with rapture. “We want to hear all about it.”
Will didn’t like the hint of excitement in David’s tone. He wasn’t oblivious to the appreciative male glances the Dubois and Mr. Russo had sent Lexie’s way throughout the evening. And they were surely enjoying Lexie’s figure; when she’d excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, he’d watched as all three men watched her tight backside sashay off with the plump Mrs. Russo close behind her. When Lexie tossed her hair, she had the ability to make all the men at the table salivate.
Could he be a little jealous? No, he couldn’t be. Will dismissed the notion. He just didn’t appreciate men panting after his date.
“Well, it’s a simple story, really.” Lexie smiled at David flirtatiously. She knew she really shouldn’t. She wasn’t blind to the fact that Will tensed at her side every minute she played up to David. To combat it, she reached underneath the table to squeeze the hard expanse of Will’s thigh. “Our best friends hooked us up, isn’t that right, Will?” Lexie sipped her champagne and waited for a reaction from Will.
Will couldn’t believe the little minx. She was trying to get him all excited. Well, he wouldn’t have it. He would show her he was immune to her charms.
Turning to face her, Will laughed in response. “Of course it is.”
So he was trying to ignore her touching him, eh? Lexie was no slouch in the lovemaking department. She’d had her share of lovers and knew it didn’t take long to get a man’s blood pumping. Sensuously, she stroked his thigh until she finally made contact with his manhood. His muscles tensed beneath her wandering fingertips and Lexie knew Will was ready to jump out of his skin, but instead he maintained an air of coolness.
As much as Will would have loved for Lexie to continue to seduce him underneath the table, he had to wrap up dinner. “I want to thank you gentlemen and you, Mr. and Mrs. Russo, for coming out this evening.”
“It was great, really, Will,” Evan agreed. “We are looking forward to working with you on this project. Aren’t we, David?”
“Absolutely,” David finished. “You’ve prepared a thorough proposal that would be an excellent investment for us.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Matthew said. “And with a fine woman like Lexie behind you, you surely won’t go wrong.”
Will leaned over and placed a kiss on Lexie’s unsuspecting cheek. “Thank you.”
“That’s me.” Lexie replied, joining in. “The woman beside her man.” Men like Matthew probably only trotted out their wives for special occasions. Lexie refused to ever have a relationship like that.
“After-dinner aperitif?” David inquired.
Before anyone could get a word out, Will declined. “Urn, none for us. Lexie and I have plans for the rest of the evening.”
If it was possible to blush with her mocha coloring, Lexie did. She couldn’t believe Will. Given the hour, which was somewhere in the vicinity of eleven o’clock, it was a clear that she and Will couldn’t possibly have any plans other than those in the bedroom.
“Don’t be embarrassed, old girl.” Cynthia rose from the table and shook Will’s hand. “Be happy that you have a young stallion such as our William here that can keep you satisfied in the boudoir.”
Lexie couldn’t help but laugh at the middle-aged Italian. She surely didn’t mince words. Raising her head, she stood up for the final farewells.
After they were gone, Lexie turned her harsh tongue on Will. “Plans for the evening?” Lexie inquired, pushing her chair back. “And what might those be?”
“Let’s discuss it on our way to the car.”
Grabbing her purse, Lexie stalked out of the restaurant to Will’s car. She waited for him to open the car door, but instead of opening it, he pressed her against the cold metal. There was no denying that Will’s arousal had not dissipated.
Pulling her firmly to him, Will did what he had wanted to do all night. He ground his lips into hers and Lexie accepted all his pent-up frustration, returning it with some of her own. She responded to his feverish kiss and opened up her mouth to receive his demanding tongue.
While his tongue ravished her mouth, his hands had a mind all their own and were slowly raking every inch of her.
“Will, stop this.” Lexie tried pushing at his hard, firm chest. “We can’t do this,” she insisted.
“And why not?” Will asked, his breathing ragged and uneven as he pulled away to stare deeply into her dark brown eyes. “Why can’t we do what comes naturally?” Will cupped her chin and searched her upturned face for an answer. “Why can’t we do what we both want to do?”
“Because we have a purely business arrangement.”
“Lexie, you and I have been dancing around each other for days. Why not just enjoy each other until we both decide otherwise?”
“What happened the other night was a mistake, a moment of weakness, a lapse in judgment. Now open my door.”
“Okay, okay.” Will clutched his heart. “You’re really killing my ego, you know?”
“Don’t worry.” Lexie touched his chin. “I’m sure you’ll recover.”
“Ouch, are you always this brutal?” Will asked, opening the car door. He knew when to call it quits. He wouldn’t beat Lexie over the head with the idea of a love affair. He would bide his time, allow her to get used to the idea. Slowly but surely he would ease her into the transition of the inevitable that the two of them would become lovers.
“Hmmm, not always.” Lexie bent down and slid into the passenger seat.
“I guess I bring out the worst in you,” Will commented once beside her.
“As I told you before, Will, you and I are not a good match.”
“The other night would say otherwise, but perhaps you ought to remember this conversation the next time you attempt to seduce me underneath a restaurant table. I am only a man, you realize.”
“Point taken. Now are you going to take me home or not?”
“All right, all right. I’ll take you home. But don’t think you and I are over.” Will kicked the ignition into gear and pulled out of the parking lot. Taking a direct route to Lexie’s apartment, Will had her there in twenty minutes.
Lexie smiled self-confidently. It was clear that Will didn’t appreciate her turning him down, but Lexie had to keep him at the bay. Her feelings were all over the place and she had to get in control of them again. She did want Will as much as he wanted her, but there was no way she would give any man that kind of control or the power to hurt her ever again. When she was ready she’d allow William Kennedy into her bedroom, but not a moment before.
When they pulled into the parking lot of her building, Lexie breathed a sigh of relief. The sexual tension had crackled inside the car and Lexie was afraid of what she might do if Will made a move. Would her defenses crumble if he tried to touch her again? Kiss her again?
Not giving him the chance, Lexie jumped out of the Lexus and trotted toward her building.
“Lexie, wait!” Will yelled after her, hopping out of the car. He grabbed her arm in an iron grip.
“What is it, Will?” Lexie twisted around angrily to face him. She hated that her body reacted to him even when her head told her to run in the opposite direction. “You know I’m not inviting you in.”
“In time you will,” Will replied as he slipped the diamond ring off her finger and bounded down the stairs back to his car.
What would it be like to be Will’s girlfriend? Lexie wondered as she and her staff took a second measurement of the models in the clothes selected for the show.
She was just finishing up when Lauren walked in the room.
“How’s it coming?” Lauren asked over her shoulder.
Swinging around, Lexie answered, “Everything is going along perfectly. The venue and caterer are booked, the collection is in order, and the models are on their second fitting.”
“If those models in the lobby are any indication, it looks like you have everything under control.”
“You bet.” Lexie gave her a thumbs-up signal. “Thank you for your faith in me, Lauren.”
“It’s well deserved. Continue on, then, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” With a pat on the back, she was out the door.
Lexie wrung her hands. Even with the well wishes, she still had a nagging feeling in her gut.
She was still fretting when Will called that afternoon.
“Put down those fabric swatches and purchase orders and meet me at the corner of Rush and Division.”
“What’s going on?”
“Don’t argue with me, woman, just meet me.”
Glancing at her watch, she decided she had time to play a little hooky. “Okay, I’ll meet you in thirty.”
Lexie pulled beside Will’s car in the parking lot of a vacant one-story brick building in the commercial district of Chicago’s Northwest Side and hopped out her car.
“Hello!” Lexie yelled as she knocked on the door and stepped inside a wide-open space that had been completely demoed. All that remained of the structure were the steel frame and bare concrete floor. Lexie hoped her Manolo Blahniks wouldn’t scuff.
“Hey, gorgeous.” Will smiled, coming forward to grace her with an unapologetic kiss on the lips.
Lexie didn’t scoff because she really didn’t mind it all that much.
“What do you think of my new place?”
“This is yours?” Lexie asked, waving her arms around.
“Yup.” Will had finalized the details with his real estate agent and was set to close at the end of the month.
“It’s incredible!” Lexie exclaimed. “And what about this?” she rushed forward to caress a baby grand piano with mahogany finish in the corner of the room. “Do you get to keep it, too?”
Eyes twinkling, Will answered, “Yeah, it comes with the place. Now c’mon, I’ll give you a tour.” Will held out his hand. Accepting it, Lexie allowed Will to lead her from the soon-to-be remodeled bar adjacent to the piano to the upgraded stainless-steel kitchen with ceramic tile flooring.
“Hmmm, what’s this room going to be?” Lexie inquired when they stopped in a front of a closed door.
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out. Put this over your eyes.” Will handed Lexie a silk scarf.
“What for?”
“Just do it, Lexie,” Will ordered. Smiling, Lexie acquiesced and slid the scarf around her head and over her eyes.
Opening the door, Will led her by the hand inside the room. He left her side for a few moments to open the drapes before returning to her side to remove the blindfold.
Lexie blinked several times, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light. She was surprised to discover a picnic lunch spread out on a blanket in the center of the room.
“Well, what do you think?” Will asked, coming forward to kneel on the blanket.
Lexie shook her head. “Just when I think I have you all figured out, you surprise me, Will Kennedy. You wouldn’t be trying to romance me, would you?”
“Is it working?”
Lexie nodded.
Will held out his hand. “Good. Come join me.”
Lexie took it and joined him on the blanket. Opening up the basket, she found a gourmet lunch of Brie, cold meats, potato salad, and fresh fruit. Lexie prepared plates for herself and Will while he opened a bottle of white wine.
After they’d stuffed their bellies, Will and Lexie laid out on the blanket and stared at the ceiling. Lexie was impressed when Will revealed the rest of his plans for Risqué, his new club. She visualized the crowds beating down the door to get in. “Oh, I like the name. It’s very sexy.” Lexie rolled over to face him. “When do you plan to open?”
“If all goes well with the renovation, six months, tops.”
“Wow, that’s fast.”
“Not really. I’ve already selected a contractor and I have all the licenses and permits.”
“That’s fantastic, Will. Sounds to me like you’ve thought of everything.”
“I hope so. This is a big venture to me and will take me away from Millennium. That’s why I have to make sure all my i’s are dotted and all my t’s are crossed.”
“It will all work out.” Lexie stared at Will. Now more than ever, she was even more assured that if she wasn’t careful, Will could become a habit she couldn’t quit.
“More wine?” Will asked.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Could be. Now come here,” he said. “You’re pretty far away over there.” Will observed that Lexie had settled herself on the opposite side of the blanket. Just the sight of her flesh imprisoned in those sexy lace-up pants and wraparound shirt flustered him to no end.
Unable to resist, he stretched out across the distance to pull Lexie closer to him. “Is it so bad being near me?” he asked, his hand stroking her hip haphazardly.
Holding her breath, Lexie allowed him to hold her against his solid frame and nuzzle at her neck. His warm breath caressed her skin and Lexie knew that soon she would be a goner. Abrupt, she stood up.
“I have to go.” Lexie looked around for her purse.
“Why? We’re having such a good time. Why do you keep running away from me, Lex?” Will asked, rubbing his head. He couldn’t understand why every time they got close, she ran.
“We were, but I have to get back to work.” Lexie answered the first question and avoided the last. “Thanks for lunch.”
Hardly hazarding a glance at Will, Lexie stooped to pick up her purse and rush out the room.
Will fell back onto the blanket and released a long sigh. He’d almost gotten to her this time. She hadn’t wanted to go. He’d seen it in her eyes, but she was still fighting the attraction between them.
Chapter Ten
“All right, sista girl, give up the goods!” Christian glided into Lexie’s cubicle several days later. Finding no place to perch his Esprit-covered bottom, he tossed several designer clothes onto a chair and fell on the small couch.
“Watch those, Christian, do you know how much those cost?” Lexie sighed in frustration.
“Yes, I do, dearie. You’re not the only one who scours the pages of Vogue and Cosmo,” Christian replied.
Lexie chuckled. Even on his worst day, Lexie could never get angry at him.
“Now what gives? You’ve been far too quiet for me to let this go. You know I’ve been dying from curiosity. So please, try me on for size. What happened with Mr. Dream Boat the other night? When you went to his club?”
“Christian, you’re too much.” Lexie shook her head and swiveled her chair around to face the cubicle wall, but he already read the guilty expression on her face and rightly deduced the truth.
“Girlfriend, don’t tell me. You gave up something, didn’t you?” Lexie turned back and lowered her eyes, unable to look Christian in the eye. He doubled over in laughter on the couch. “I warned you. Turns out you were one of the lucky many to wind up in his bed.”
