Page 10 of Forever Mine
Chapter 5
Scott
The chill in the room settled over me. So did disappointment. Since meeting Shevaughn, she’d burrowed inside my head and refused to leave my thoughts. The moment I noticed her in the lobby, she captured my attention. Creamy, milk-chocolate skin I wanted to feel under my fingers, full lips, a cloud of soft curls, and a saucy-looking mouth.
At first, she eyed me as if she was annoyed with me. Then her dark eyes turned assessing, as if she wanted to tidy me up, which was how many women reacted to me at first sight. Something in her gaze shifted again as she swept me from head to feet.
I guess I was looking at her the same way and only woke up when the agent at the desk spoke to me. That was when I went back to working out where I was going to sleep.
Shevaughn stayed in my thoughts after we met again in the elevator. I watched her through the glass—classy, cool, confident, and wrapped up in her world. She was tall and willowy, but had nice curves and her skin made my fingers tingle with the need to touch her.
I wasn't a guy who needed attention, but after locking eyes with her earlier, her seeming indifference almost made me antsy. But the interest she didn't hide immediately restored my equilibrium. Weird.
I’d gone through a rough time recently, so women weren’t at the top of my priority list.
This woman though …
Her eyes carried an oriental slant. She was good-looking; beautiful, in fact.
Of course, when I saw her again at the reception, I felt like a little boy who’d been let loose in a toy store and spotted just the thing he wanted. I hadn’t lost any time talking to her. Dinner was amazing and now, I couldn’t wait to see her again.
Today, I was doing a presentation on the history of animation, which I’d been fascinated with since high school. So much so, animation became a career for me despite my parents’ wishes.
I made good money and was reasonably happy. Those things were important to me. Relationships were out-of-bounds right now, but Shevaughn could be a nice, short-term distraction.
I noticed she wasn’t in the room. Based on what she told me about her role as chaperone, I didn’t expect to see her. Still, the pinch of disappointment puzzled me.
The attendees sat motionless as I delivered my first talk of the conference. Their attention shifted to the screen when I pointed to the special displays, so I knew they were in tune with me.
I’d gotten into the rhythm of my presentation when Shevaughn, pushed the door open and looked around the room before stepping inside. As people turned to see who it was, and the rustle subsided, she mouthed, “Sorry,” and moved forward.
Today, she wore jeans with a blue-green top that hugged her breasts and hid her hips. While she wound her way to a table and took a seat, I kept on talking but couldn’t take my eyes off her for more than a few seconds at a time. Last night, we’d parted with the understanding that we’d meet up today. Or, at least, I had. I’d shared more about my work and got her comfortable enough to agree to each lunch with me today.
“We have a break coming up now.” I said, “Before we go, d’you have any questions?”
I scanned the sea of faces, but nobody raised a hand or opened their mouth.
“I take it you’re all brilliant, but we’ll find out for sure when it’s time to apply what we just learned.”
Chuckles rippled through the room and I also grinned.
“Feel free to have some refreshment.” I pointed to the left where a food station was set up for the group. “We’ll start the next session in fifteen minutes.”
The room erupted in noise as the twenty-something crowd moved as one body toward the snacks.
I put aside the material I’d been using and reached for my second set of notes. Then, I moved the next slide onto the screen. When I finished, my gaze panned the room until I found Shevaughn.
She stood in a group with her guys, plus two others. The men talked back and forth and she folded both arms under her breasts, only speaking now and then.
As if she felt me staring, Shevaughn turned her head and our eyes met. A faint smile crossed her lips, and I needed no further encouragement. Hands in my pockets, I sauntered toward her, thankful the men had moved away.
“I see you took half the morning off.” My eyes said all that things I couldn’t with my lips.
She laughed; a tinkling sound that made me want to join her. “I’m sure I told you I was mostly along to keep those two in order.”
“Had a good night?” I asked, inhaling her fruity perfume.
“I don’t sleep well in strange beds, but since I went upstairs late, I slept better than I normally do under the circumstances.”