Page 11 of Stealth Mission
Fuck.
Expecting Cornelia, the hostess with the mostest, I turn around.
But it’s not her.
Chapter Five
At first, I didn’t believe my eyes. But now that I’ve caught his scent on the breeze, there’s no denying. The dip my stomach takes reminds me of riding on a rollercoaster. “I would never have expected to see you here.”
Questions burn through me as I move closer to the stranger from the bank when I should probably be going the other way.
Eyes softening, he studies my face as he turns toward me, lowering his voice for only my ears. “I was told everyone would be here, so I was hoping on an outside chance that included you.”
Smooth.
Tonight he’s in a perfectly fitted black suit, black shirt, and dark gray tie. No baseball cap tonight and his thick dark hair is impossible to ignore.
Man, he really is as handsome as I remember. Maybe more. I’ve never liked business men, but this man redefines what a suit can look like.
Then, there’s that face.My god, he is an architectural marvel. A perfect collection of angular planes and hard edges anchored by a solid jaw and sexy lips that make my skin crave his kiss.
The burning in my veins grows worse by the second.
But as hot as he makes me, beyond all that yummy collection of body parts, there’s a stillness in the man’s dark gray eyes that drowns me.
He makes me feel seen.
“I’m here…”
It’s a weak reply from my dry throat. Lucky I could speak at all around the pounding of my heart blocking my airway.
He’s completely serious, and locked on me like a missile guidance system, observing my every breath. “So nice to see you, pretty lady.”
Help!
That cashmere timbre is the final anchor, if I wasn’t drowning in him before, it pulls me under his spell.
I never had a thing for American Southern drawls. Not even McConaughey affected me. But this hits different.
I drag my eyes away before they bleed from his hotness. “You as well.”
Was that a lie?
I don’t understand how to feel about him. The voracity of my attraction to him shocks me.
I can’t really feel this level of magnetism. It’s impossible.
Maddening, truthfully. Feeling completely frustrated with myself, I chuff at him. “I really believe you’ve spent an entire day of your vacation thinking about me.”
Wow, girl.I am such an idiot.
“That sounded really bitchy.” I wince and give him an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry, you just make me feel…confused. Maybe it’s the leftover adrenaline from this morning. I haven't felt right since.”
A soft sound rumbles in his chest as the hard line of his mouth eases. “I’m glad you told me. Honesty is good. And it’s true, I was thinking about you as I drove over here.”
My hands tremble and I squeeze my purse so hard the sequins bite into my palms like tiny knives.
He looks down at my body. No leering. Just a quick glance. But his tone is thicker. “Not the only time I’ve thought about you since this morning. I’m glad you’re here. You look beautiful, by the way.”