Page 51 of Full Throttle

Colby faked glared. “You’re a mess.” She hugged her, then pulled back slightly. “Are you good? I could cancel.”

“No, you will not. I’m fine.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Lila doubted it. “Right. I’m sure I’ll see you after breakfast tomorrow. Have a really good time. I mean a reallyreallygood time.”

Chapter 17

Colby’s stomach started doing summersaults the moment she heard the doorbell. She sucked in a deep breath to steady her nerves and calmly walked over to the door.

“Good evening, Ms. James. I’m here to escort you to the LUXE hotel for your dinner with Mr. Lockwood.”

Colby was surprised and a little disappointed to find Liam’s overly large personal assistant on the other side of the door and not him. “Markos, right?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“Thank you. I thought Liam was going to pick me up?”

“He was detained on a business call. He sends his apologies.”

Colby waved to Lila and walked out of the house. “Liam really didn’t have to send you. He could have just called. I live five minutes away from the hotel and could have driven myself.”

Markos opened the car door. “Mr. Lockwood wanted to make sure you arrived safely.”

Colby smirked. “If I had to translate that, it would probably mean something like your boss is a control freak.”

Markos tried to suppress a grin. “He’s definitely particular.” Colby slid into the back. Once she was settled, Markos got in the front passenger seat and instructed the driver to go.

Colby could deny it to everyone else, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She was nervous and found it hard to be still. She crossed her legs, uncrossed them, only to cross them again. Colby tried to remember the last time she’d felt this way but couldn’t.

On the way to the hotel, she changed her mind about having dinner with Liam at least twenty times. Just as the hotel came into sight, she opened her mouth to ask that they turn the car around, but the words wouldn’t come.

Finally, the car stopped in front of the hotel’s entrance. “No turning back now,” she murmured.

Like clockwork, Markos got out of the car. But this time, when her door opened, Liam was standing on the other side.

For a moment, Colby stopped breathing.

He was impeccably dressed in a black dinner jacket and slacks. That wasn’t even his best panty-melting feature. Colby would have said it was his eyes, but after their kiss this afternoon, it was hands down his lips.

They curved in an upward smile.

This was not only a bad idea. This was going to be a spectacularly bad idea,she thought.I’m going to be a yes to whatever he asks.

Liam had every intention of picking Colby up with flowers, and everything like their dinner meeting was a real date, but an urgent business call had prevented it. When he opened her door and peered inside, he was at a loss for words. Colby was beautiful on any given day, but tonight she was fashion-magazine stunning. How on God’s green earth that she was still single was both a mystery and a travesty.

Liam managed to sound a lot more collected than he felt. “I’m glad you could make it.”

Damn those eyes.His gaze was no less intense than any of the other times Colby had caught him looking at her. But, tonight, they had an extra sparkle in them.

Liam held out his hand to help Colby out of the car. She placed her fingertips in his. It was immediate. The current that ran through her arm was like an electrical current. Colby was sure that everyone around them could feel it.

Maybe Lila was on to something about just getting the sex out of their systems.The simple touch of his hands left her breathless. Colby had to get it together. She couldn’t let Liam know that he had this kind of an effect on her.

“You clean up well, Mr. Lockwood.” Colby managed to say it without any trace of betrayal in her voice.

Colby stepped out of the car, wearing a fitted black wrap dress with a plunging neckline. It displayed her shapely legs and smooth brown skin to perfection. Liam studied every inch of her as he took his time caressing her body with the heat of his gaze. “I’m damn lucky that you let a mere mortal like me stand in your presence.”