Miami After Hours

Angela rolled her eyes. She didn’t want Daniel to see where she lived. Her apartment building was ordinary and certainly nothing like the luxury ones they sold. Now he would know that she was merely acting and dressing like she was one of them. He’d see she was a fraud. But she had no choice because he’d already raised his window.

When she arrived at her apartment building thirty minutes later, Daniel was still behind her in the town car. She sighed when he exited the vehicle and turned off the engine.

Oh Lord!

He came around to the driver’s side of her car and opened her door. She exited, but all she could do was stand there, holding on to the door. For what—support? Or to escape back inside so she wouldn’t be faced with the potent magnetism that exuded from Daniel’s every pore?

“You really didn’t have to do this,” she began, but he placed an index finger over her lips. Angela sucked in a deep breath at the light contact.

“I understand why you didn’t want me to come, Angela, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Daniel glanced up at the building. “Before my parents divorced, I grew up in a middle-class community. It was a far cry from where I live now.”

“Yeah, well, some of us can’t live as upscale as all that,” Angela responded.

“I know that. So be proud of who you are and where you come from.” He reached out and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. Doing so brought his sensual mouth entirely too close to her own. “It’s made you who you are.”

She glanced up at him. And in that moment, she wanted him to kiss her. Oh, how she wanted it. She would instantly surrender if he tried.

Instead his hands moved from her hair to slide across her cheek. “Get inside safe and I’ll see you at the office on Monday. Nine o’clock sharp.”

All Angela could do was nod and walk with leaden feet to the door of her apartment building, feeling as if she’d been kissed even though he’d barely even touched her. And that could only mean one thing. Trouble.

Chapter 4 (#u944d82b8-863f-502e-a76f-1011129c0662)

On Monday Daniel was out of sorts. As much fun as he’d had with Angela on Friday, he wanted their return to the office to be business as usual, because he understood those parameters. However, that was hard to do because his mind kept wandering to how good Angela looked last night and how great she’d smelled when he’d been standing close to her after accompanying her home.

He’d wanted to kiss her. Badly.

His libido had even demanded it, straining in his trousers at just how fine the woman looked. And if he’d made just the slightest overture, turned on his signature charm, she could have been his.

But he hadn’t crossed the line.

If he went with his heart’s desire, which was to learn more about Angela, he risked problems at the office. But practicing restraint was a lot harder to do than preaching it, especially when Daniel had told Angela that he’d mentor her and that she could accompany him to high-level client meetings.

One of them was a new listing for an eight-bedroom, six-bath waterfront estate on Sunny Isles. The sellers were just the right mix of privileged wealth that Daniel knew Angela needed to be exposed to. In addition to co-brokering with him on the downtown Miami development, Angela would see in person what it would take to sell a large development from start to finish.

But he’d promised her he’d take her under his wing, and he was a man of his word.

* * *

After some off-site meetings, he returned to the office on Monday afternoon to pick up paperwork for his next appointment and made a beeline for Angela’s office. She waved him in, glancing up from her computer screen.

“Hey, there,” she said, “how are you? How’s your day been?”

Daniel was jolted by just how different Angela looked today. She was back to her usual work attire of a sleeveless fuchsia silk blouse tied at the neck and a black pencil skirt, but no less sexy than she’d been on Friday.

“Busy,” Daniel replied, “and about to get even busier. I have a listing appointment at four on Sunny Isles. Care to join me?”

“Sure, just give me a minute. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

A few minutes later, Daniel was leaning against the edge of the reception counter chatting with Myrna when Angela came toward him. He stood upright as she approached, desire instantly surging through him when he noticed her long, shapely legs emphasized by a pair of strappy heels. He willed the hard throb of his desire to disappear, but it didn’t. His attention was focused so entirely on her sleek body that he ignored Myrna. Instead, he headed swiftly to the door to open it and Angela slid right past him, allowing him to catch sight of her tight bottom as she walked ahead of him.

“So tell me about the estate and the seller,” Angela said when Daniel met her at the elevator bank just as the doors were opening. They both stepped inside, but when he opened his mouth to speak he realized just how close she was standing to him. His gaze traveled from the elegant line of her neck to the curve of her shoulders to the smooth, silky strands of hair that hung generously down her back. Angela had returned to the boundaries of their previous encounters, and that was just fine with him. He needed to get his head back on business.

He blinked rapidly and then finally answered her. “Well, it’s a seven-thousand-square-foot two-story home that sits on the water and has a private dock. Not to mention there’s a spa, a gym and a gorgeous infinity pool with a large outdoor entertaining area.”

She smiled. “Impressive. Have you determined a listing price?” Angela asked once he’d finished describing the house and they’d made it to the garage. This time she didn’t ask whether she should get in his sports car; she just slid in and buckled up.

“No, but I’m hoping to convince them that seven point five is the right price.” He roared the Ferrari to life and exited the garage.

“Are they thinking of more?”

Daniel nodded. “They would love eight million, but the comps in the market aren’t supporting it. So I’ll talk them off the ledge. They are motivated to sell and don’t want it to sit on the market.”

“Wise move.”

* * *

Angela did her best to keep the conversation focused on selling the Sunny Isles home, but it wasn’t easy. She hazarded a glance Daniel’s way when his eyes were on the road. He was dressed in a linen suit that was exquisitely cut and showed off the hard muscles she suspected were underneath it. She marveled at the size of his large masculine hands wrapped around the wheel. Sitting beside him right now, Angela was very aware of him.

She’d felt it Friday night, too. Felt the pull of desire between them, but had blown it off as the excitement of the evening. But now? Today? There was no excuse for the way she was feeling. Daniel was off-limits to her and she knew that. But that hadn’t stopped her mind from wondering what it would be like to feel his incredibly full lips on her.

Feel the heat of his skin.

Touch him all over.

Their short drive to Sunny Isles went faster than Angela expected, and she was happy to escape the confines of the sporty car. As she exited, Daniel was right there to grasp her hand.

“Thank you.” Angela managed to step out onto somewhat shaky legs. Because that’s exactly what Daniel’s touch did to her. It made her slightly weak in the knees.

They walked together to the impressive front door of the home and Daniel pressed the doorbell. An older woman with flaming red hair and a bright smile greeted them dressed in a colorful print tunic and flowing white pants.

“Daniel, darling,” she drawled with a hint of a Southern accent, “please come in.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Wilson,” Daniel replied as he stepped inside the foyer and Angela followed him. Once inside, he turned to her. “I’d like you to meet my associate Angela Trainor. She’ll be partnering with me on this listing.”

The woman’s brow rose. “Partner? I thought you would be representing us.”

“And I will be,” Daniel responded softly. “I’m mentoring Angela on larger listings such as yours. Let me assure you, you will have my expertise at the helm.”

A smile returned to her face and Angela tried not to be offended. She knew she wasn’t as experienced as Daniel, but the disappointment on Mrs. Wilson’s face made it clear that she expected Daniel, and nothing less than the best would do.

“Come, let me show you around,” Mrs. Wilson said as she began walking down the corridor.

“And where is Mr. Wilson?” Daniel asked.

“Oh, he’ll be joining us as soon as he finishes his business call.”

“Of course, lead the way.”