Chapter 13

"Okay, where did you find the hunk and why have you been keeping him a secret?"

Kari looked up from her desk to find her office manager, Sheila Warrick, leaning in her doorway, a huge grin on her face and her eyes filled with curiosity.

"What?" She frowned, her mind still on the contract she was reviewing. "I don't understand. What hunk?"

"The one with the impressive package and the seduce me eyes." She laughed. "I can't believe you haven't said one word about him, Miss I-have-no-one-in-my-life."

Kari felt a trickle of perspiration wiggle its way down her spine. "I don't...I'm not..."

"I usually leave her speechless," that voice like melted chocolate said from behind Sheila. "That's probably why she hasn't said a word."

Sheila moved aside and there he was, just as tempting and wicked as the night before. In place of last night's jeans he was wearing black slacks that looked as if they'd been tailored specifically for him and a grey silk shirt, open at the throat. The turquoise ring that bound his silk fall of hair last night had been replaced by a twisted gold one that matched the tiny stud winking in his left ear.

Kari took a deep, controlling breath and somehow managed to pull herself together. "Thanks, Sheila. I can take it from here."

"You sure?" Sheila lingered in the doorway. "I can help you with anything you need."

"We're good. Thanks for showing me in." With a movement almost like magic he swept Sheila out of the office and closed the door. His eyes bored into her. "My bed was uncomfortably empty when I woke up this morning."

Kari moistening her lips with the tip of her tongue. "I wanted to save either of us any embarrassment."

"Embarrassment?" Anger etched ever line of his face. "Kari, we had a beautiful night that I was hardly ready to end. Why the fuck would I be embarrassed?"

She dropped her eyes to the folder on her desk. "I don't...I thought..."

In two long strides he was standing in front of her desk. He cupped her chin with his palm and tilted her face up to him. "Is this about that stupid fucking age thing again?" When she didn't answer, he said, "Well, is it?"

"H-How did you find me? I didn't even give you my last name."

"I could say I used my extensive resources, but instead I was just plain sneaky." He reached in his pants pocket and pulled out a business card, holding it up between two fingers. "I stole it from your purse."

"You stole it?"

"Uh huh. I had a hunch you might do exactly what you did. I filched it before I woke you for the shower."

At the thought of that shower his eyes darkened, and the look he gave Kari made her pussy tingled.

"Okay. So you found me. Now what?"

He walked around her desk and lifted her out of her chair, pulling her into him for a long, heart-stopping kiss. Whatever else she had been going to say disappeared like windblown feathers. When he finally released her she could only stare up at him with hazy eyes and wonder why she ever wanted to disappear from him.

"Now we go to lunch," he said, his own breathing none too steady. "Get your purse."

"Lunch? B-But I have clients..."

"And you just got a new one. Me."

She stared at him. "You? Why do you want a real estate agent?"

He was guiding her toward the door. "The usual reasons. I want to buy a house and rent some office space. Maybe a whole floor in a building." He grinned down at her. "That's what you do, isn't; it? Handle real estate?"

"B-But I don't understand."

"You will." He chuckled at the faces of her agents staring open-mouthed as he led her out of the office. "She won't be back today, folks."

"I'll take care of her calendar," she hollered as the door swung shut behind them.

"There. See?" He punched the button for the elevator. "All taken care of."

But-"

"No buts." He winked at her. "You can't be rude to a client, can you?"

In minutes they were in a black SUV pulling out of the parking lot and heading toward downtown San Antonio. Her brain was so rattled she couldn't form coherent sentences. Riley was humming to himself, reaching over every now and then to squeeze her hand. Finally she broke the silence.

"What kind of business?"

He slid a glance at her. "What?"

"What kind of business are you in? What kind of house do you want? And offices."

"I just closed a deal on a technology business here. Like the city. Decided I wanted to stay." He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "Especially after last night."

"Listen, Riley..."

"I'm just a man who made the Internet pay off big time and needs a place to put down roots. I've been here for three weeks."

"Staying in the hotel?"

"Uh huh. It's a great hotel, don't you think?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good. That's where we're having lunch. Up in my suite."

She knew she should protest. Should make him take her back to the office. Should argue with him about this. It was so hard for her to give up control, especially to a man. To let him be in charge. But last night hadn't she decided that was what she really wanted With the right man? Just thinking of handing the reins to Riley drenched the crotch of her thong. Her nipples were so tender against the lace of her bar as she thought of being with him last night and the things they'd done.

She let out a long breath.

She 'd wanted adventure. This morning she'd run like a coward but Fate was giving her a second chance. A chance to live out her fantasies with a man who was everything a woman could ask for. This time she wouldn't run away from it.