Open Invitation?

She opened her mouth to say yes. Then no. Then yes.

His blue gaze engulfed her, spread over her skin like the soft sting of an astringent; cool and hot at the same time. After a moment, he reached out an index finger and stroked along her jaw to just under her chin. He tilted it up and angled his face over hers while her heart galloped around in her chest like a mad thing. He was much, much too close to her.

She was much, much too close to him.

And she didn’t want to do a damn thing about it.

SHE’S AN EXOTIC porcelain doll. Perfect, delicate features. Dark eyes full of foreign ritual and pageantry. Lips that whispered of mystery and private pleasures.

She’s the kind of woman who was born on a pedestal, though. An untouchable Audrey, full of silver screen mystique. A china figurine with a painted-on skirt that no man ever got beneath.

A damn shame. Dan would like to see what Lil’s hair looked like tumbled around her face and neck, instead of in that sleek style she wore. He’d like to see that prim blouse of hers unbuttoned, skimming just over what he imagined were small, pink nipples. He’d love to see her barefoot, with her skirt hiked up to a point just shy of indecency.

And if he didn’t stop his thoughts from wandering down this path, he was going to embarrass himself. He hadn’t missed the self-conscious flush on her cheeks at their former position: him handing her money while she balanced on her knees in front of him.

And seeing how prim and proper she was, how utterly alien that position probably was to her, turned him on even more. He’d also seen her glance at places she shouldn’t, which sent quick lust spiraling through him. He wanted to get primal with this exotic little Audrey; see if Miss Manners knew what to do with a real man.

Of course, smashing a woman’s good china was generally not the way into her bed. That had been a real smooth move.

He’d seen the sudden flash of anguish when the cup hit the floor, even if she’d quickly disguised it. He felt like a shit-heel.

Were you born in a barn? Mama had yelled at him once.

I don’t know, Mama, you tell me. A rude response, one that did him no honor. But one that channeled his anger at her and her disappearance and her social climbing.

He still couldn’t believe he was here at friggin’ charm school. Dan reminded himself that he was doing this for Claire, and Claire alone.

And regarding this weird attraction to Lilia London? He’d taken Psych 101 in college. That old goat Freud would probably explain it as a rebel, subconscious urge. Was his lust for the china doll an instinct to literally screw manners? Yep. That’s all it was. Dan was sure of it.

3

LILIA RETURNED to her senses and backed away from the animal and his magnetism before he got any closer and…and…kissed her or something. God forbid.

Because kissing clients was not acceptable. And judging from this man’s awful performance in her office just now, she needed to get right to work on him.

She sat in her Queen Anne chair and demurely crossed her feet at the ankles, knees together. She clasped her hands in her lap and smiled while Dan made himself comfortable—or tried to—in her visitor’s seat. He dwarfed the antique, and she heard an ominous creak as he tried to lounge against the back of it.

Dan froze, hearing it, too. He shot her an uneasy glance. “This thing gonna hold up under my weight?”

“It should be fine,” Lilia told him, praying that this was indeed so. Like most of the pieces in her office, the chair had belonged to Nana Lisbeth, who hadn’t believed in reproductions. She’d been terribly old-school and formal.

Dan spread his knees, ready to frog-leap out of the chair at a moment’s notice. She hid a smile.

“Shall we get right to work, then?”

“Why not.”

“Fine. Then let’s begin by going over your, ah, performance since you arrived.”

“My performance?” Dan seemed taken aback.

“Your…behavior. And ways in which it can improve.”

He shrugged and then nodded.

“Now, for starters, let me say that the correct way to behave is almost always what makes the people around you comfortable. I’m probably about to make you rather uncomfortable, but it’s in the spirit of learning, all right? And I apologize beforehand.”

“All righty.”

“Let’s talk about greetings. When you came in, I believe you said, ‘howdy.’ Is that correct?”

“Yup.”

“Let’s change that to merely ‘hello.’ And ‘yup’ to ‘yes.’ Then there’s the issue of your Western hat. That absolutely must come off before you enter a building.” In fact, it should be left behind in Texas or burned.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I did know that. I just lost my manners when I saw how gosh-darned pretty you are.”

Lil flushed. “Thank you. But that leads us into another issue. Your compliments are charming, but for Connecticut or England, they may be a bit effusive.”

“E-what?”

“Florid.” Seeing him look more confused than ever, she added, “Too much. Over the top.”

“I can’t tell a woman she’s pretty?”

“You can, but perhaps in a less familiar way. Now, when I offered you coffee, you said—”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

“Yes, please,” Lilia corrected. “And you always say ‘thank you’ when a beverage is given to you.”

“Okay.”

“When I offered you the plate of cookies and fruit, you put an entire cookie into your mouth. That’s not acceptable. You need to make it last at least three bites, and of course you’ll never talk with your mouth full.”

“No, never,” he said solemnly.

“Now, let’s talk about your boots. While they are indeed very fine, they never, under any circumstances, belong on a desk or any other kind of furniture.”

He muttered an apology and looked slightly shame-faced.

Lilia forged ahead. “Breaking the cup and saucer was an accident, and it could have happened to anyone. However, you should never again disrobe in a place of business.”

“I was trying to save your rug!” he exclaimed.

“I do realize that, and I thank you. However, a paper towel would have sufficed.”

“You ladies sure didn’t seem to mind the view.”