What’s a Girl to Do?:

The effort alone deserved a gentle let-down, since her rejection on Friday night hadn’t gotten through that beautiful head of his.

‘Fine. I’ll stay, but only because I’m starving.’ And were those chocolate truffles? Yeah, she’d stay for dessert before she put her foot down.

Mandy winked, then she was off down the stairs with a clatter of heels hitting concrete. Wisely, Calvin didn’t smirk, only pulled a chair out for her. She slid in, breathing through her mouth in case he was throwing out the bottled pheromones again.

He disappeared behind her and then she heard the click of the door closing. She whirled the top half of her body around to face him, a skitter of unease dancing down her spine. ‘What are you doing?’

Part of her wondered if this was a bad idea. She was alone with a man who drove her body crazy, a man she barely knew. He could be a rapist or a murderer. But if he was either of those things, getting Mandy to bring her up here would blow his cover, wouldn’t it? Mandy would know the last person Shey was with, and there was CCTV all over the building.

Calvin left the key in the lock and sauntered back to her with a manly gait that drew her gaze down his body to take in every inch of that tailored suit. Shit, even his walk was sexy. The corner of his mouth pulled up and her heart stuttered.

‘I want to make sure no one interrupts us.’

She watched as he sat across from her at the table, wondering if what he said was true.

‘I’m not going to hurt you, Shey. You don’t need to be afraid of me,’ Calvin said seriously.

Stupidly, she believed him. But he meant physically, not emotionally, and to her the latter was all that counted. ‘Why lock the door? It’s not as if anyone will come up here.’

One eyebrow rose as he studied her expression with intent eyes, like she was exhibit A, and she stifled the urge to squirm in her seat.

‘You’re really not afraid,’ he said, a warm smile curving those lips.

‘I have pepper spray in my handbag and grew up in the Bronx.’ She tried for an angelic expression.

Calvin laughed and her smile slipped. Every time she heard that sound it felt like he was zapping her with little electric currents. His eyes worked like twin lasers, heating her from the inside.

This was just like what had happened to her mother, except now it was happening to her.

Every conversation she’d had with her mom about boys came flooding back into her mind and dulled the connection with Calvin. Being here with him was risky, even though she’d ruled out physical danger. The last thing she needed was to lose her head and her control when she was with a man. She should leave right now.

‘I didn’t mean to laugh,’ he said, sensing the tension in her. He leaned forward. ‘I’ve never met anyone like you, Shey.’

The way he focused on her was so consuming, she lost the ability to speak. Her imagination ran wild for a second as she imagined herself walking around the table, undressing him and letting him do all the dirty things those eyes promised.

But reality snapped her back to her senses. Shaking her head, she stood, and he rose too.

‘Where are you going?’

‘This can’t happen.’

Shey could tell by his incredulous expression that he couldn’t believe she was shooting him down. The reality was that they had no future beyond lunch, and staying for that long would be risky. He was a man used to getting what he wanted, and she had a feeling there were many before her that he’d taken at his will. Scores of women who, no doubt, fell at his feet.

There was no room for a player in her life, messing with her body and giving her what it desired. Accidents happened, she was living proof. But she was smart and learned from her mother’s mistakes. Passion led to carelessness and that led to the end of careers. A carefully planned romance that she was in control of would be much safer.

‘Sit down. We’re just having lunch.’

They weren’t and they both knew it. This lunch was a form of foreplay, and damned effective.

‘Just lunch?’ Shey asked, unable to move. Those truffles were calling out her name, even though she knew a moment on the lips was a lifetime on her hips. He nodded and she slid into the chair.

‘Tell me why you panicked. The truth,’ he added, like he couldn’t stand lies.

His eyes latched onto hers with an intensity she shied away from. She ignored his question. After all, she didn’t panic. It was self-preservation, which her body clearly wasn’t interested in.

‘How do you have a key for here, and why were you at Storm on Friday?’ If this was the last chance she’d get to ease her curiosity, she had to go for broke.

His grin sent a heated shiver through her, chasing away the last shred of her fear. ‘Ladies first.’

Shey stopped the frown before it happened. He was… infuriating really. She reached for her wine and took a sip to calm herself.

‘I’m not sure what you expect, but I can’t give it to you.’

He picked up his own wine, a calculating glint in his eyes that told her he was looking for another angle to persuade her. Yeah, it was flattering that he wanted her this much, but whatever was between them couldn’t go anywhere. She had to keep her focus or she’d be screwed, and not just literally.

‘Calvin—’

He leaned forward, elbows on the table. ‘Stop fighting me. Maybe I just want to have lunch with a beautiful woman, is that a crime?’

She grinned. ‘Is that a line?’

He chuckled and she couldn’t help joining in. The tension in her shoulders melted away, and she had to admit the guy was smooth. Either that or she didn’t really want to leave in the first place.

Shey glanced down at the plate. He’d bought all her go-to-lunches from her favorite deli. She thought again about the effort he must have put into this meeting. It warmed her heart, especially when she glimpsed the fairy lights above. It was almost romantic. Not to mention over-the-top, since she got the vibe he was only looking to take a dip beneath her panties.

‘How about you answer my other questions?’

The air crackled with something taboo, and Shey felt drawn to him like he was a black hole, sucking her in. She tried to fight it, but that was the hardest thing she’d ever done. She needed to keep her head.

‘I own the building. Marco wanted to renegotiate the rental agreement to expand Storm’s offices to this floor.’

Suddenly the effort she found so romantic didn’t seem that way anymore. Sure the fairy lights, the candles, and the hamper of her favorite foods, were all lovely. But that was the extent of it. Surface stuff that didn’t involve any more effort than picking up a phone and ordering someone—probably Mandy—to do it for him.

‘You look disappointed,’ he observed.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she shrugged. ‘I only agreed to lunch to tell you that you’re wasting your time. I’m not interested.’

He grabbed her wrist; his hold firm but gentle. Her skin sizzled, and she tried to keep her mind sharp, but all she felt was a stronger pull and she couldn’t stop herself from falling into the spiral of urgent desire. He traced his thumb over the veins on the underside of her arm and Shey’s breath caught in her throat. Calvin’s smile slipped, and his eyes promised things she should know better than to want.

‘I think you’re as interested as I am, though I seem to be the only one willing to admit it.’

Shey snatched her arm back, his self-assured observation giving her the strength she needed. ‘Lust is irrelevant. It’ll take more than some sandwiches and wine to get me to swoon over you.’

He picked up some parma ham and cheese with his fingers. ‘I don’t want you to swoon over me. Eat.’

Calvin popped the food into his mouth. Shey watched that sculpted jaw work as he chewed. She forgot for a second what he’d said. His thick throat bobbed and her heart raced, the pull in every cell of her body intensifying as she wondered what it would be like to lick her way from the hollow in the center of his collarbone all the way up over his Adam’s apple.

She reached for the wine and took a huge gulp. It was smooth as silk, just like him. The fruity taste was divine. Not even close to distracting her from his presence, though. He seemed to dominate the entire lobby, his impressive Armani-clad body the only focal point.