Page 36 of The Comeback Heir
Wynn picked up the black silk sheath, the only one she hadn’t put back in its protective bag. “This one’s nice,” he said. “Did it fit?”
“Like a dream, but I’m serious, Wynn. It’s out of my budget. You must have forgotten to tell your ex-girlfriend that I’m not in your league.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Was he deliberately being obtuse? “I have a good job and a nice home, Wynn, but you’ve made it to the big time. You fly around in private jets. You outfit your daughter’s nursery as if she might grow up to be a princess. People jump to do your bidding. You’re rich, and you’re powerful. You and I don’t move in the same circles anymore.”
“So you’re a snob.”
She ground her teeth. “I need a different kind of dress.”
He picked up the black silk, running his hand over the fabric like a caress. “Does this one look good on you?”
She nodded her head slowly. “That dress would look good on just about anybody.”
“Then keep it. If it makes you feel better, I’ll deduct it from your pay over the next nine months.”
Felicity was torn. This new plan was better than letting Wynn buy her clothes. But it was still wildly impractical to spend so much. On the other hand, maybe if Wynn saw her in this beautiful frock, it would erase the memory of those awful lavender pajamas.
“Okay,” she said. “I guess that will work. Thank you.”
He put the dress back on the bed and approached her with a look on his face that made her legs tremble. When he was in touching distance, he slid his hands under her hair and cupped her head, holding it steady as he went in for a long, thorough kiss.
Felicity put her hands on his wrists, clinging as the room kaleidoscoped in dizzying whirls. Wynn’s taste was intoxicating. He held her confidently. There was no diffidence in his kiss, no second-guessing.
He staked a claim. And Felicity liked it. She kissed him back, not bothering to hide her enthusiasm. That cat was out of the bag. She and Wynn were physically compatible, and since neither was in a relationship, this resurrected attraction might follow a familiar path.
But she wasn’t naive enough to see a future for the two of them. She still carried the weight of a guilty secret. One that might make Wynn look at her with anger and disgust.
It was an old secret, no longer relevant. But she had never told him one small detail because she had been ashamed. It hadn’t mattered until now...now that they were sharing the same space, the same wild attraction.
Wynn pulled back, staring at her. “Where did you go, Fliss? You zoned out on me.”
Her bottom lip threatened to tremble. “Sorry.” She kissed him softly. “What are we doing, Wynn? Other than complicating our lives...”
“Having fun?”
His lopsided grin told her he wasn’t taking anything between them too seriously. That was a good thing. Right?
Once again, she pondered whether she would have to leave. But it seemed terrible to accept Wynn’s help with her father’s funeral and then bail on her job of caring for Ayla.
Any direction she turned, the choices weren’t great.
“I should finish packing,” she said, stepping back. “And do we have a dinner plan?”
Wynn stared at her as if he could see the turmoil in her brain. Then he sighed. “I do have a dinner plan. Missy is going to babysit Ayla this evening. A trial run for tomorrow’s trip. You and I are going out to eat. We need a break. And you need cheering up.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Maybe not.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “But I want to take a beautiful woman to dinner.” Before she could stop him, he picked up the black dress again. “Wear this. The restaurant is fancy.”
“But, Wynn...”
He was already gone.
Felicity hadn’t realized how stressed she was...about everything. But by the time they were seated at a table for two with a white linen tablecloth and candlelight, she could feel herself mellowing.
The restaurant was lovely. Wynn’s driver had picked them up at the apartment and dropped them off on a small side street near Central Park. From the outside, no one would guess how exquisite the establishment was, nor how exclusive.