“Well, what do you think about the pork chops?”
Alpha glanced across the table at Riley. It hadn’t taken long to go over the budget and wrap up all the other minor details she needed to finalize in order to move ahead with her plans. All her people were ready and in place and now that he had approved her suggestions and the budget, it was full steam ahead. She’d be putting on a party that she knew would impress him and everyone attending.
She smiled ruefully. “I think if push comes to shove, you can quit your day job and become a chef. Everything tastes wonderful, Riley.” And she meant it. The pork chops were so tender they all but melted in her mouth and the gravy and potatoes were better than any she’d ever eaten…even those at McKay’s.
From his smile she knew her compliment pleased him. “Thanks. Wait until you taste my shrimp and lobster casserole. It’s going to knock you off your feet.”
Hmm, was that an invitation? Sounded like one to her. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“And I’m looking forward to eating your cookies. They smell good.”
“Thanks.”
She continued to eat and when she glanced up he was watching her with a strange look on his face. She tilted her head and arched a brow. “Something’s wrong?”
“No,” he said rather quickly and continued eating. Moments later, after taking a sip of his wine, he said, “I looked at a calendar earlier today and if we both agree to go the full six weeks for our affair, then it ends the night of the company party.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She saw something flash in his eyes. “So we understand each other?” he asked.
She smiled. “Perfectly.” She then picked up her wineglass and took a sip, not sure why he was still sitting there staring at her. Had he expected her to request more time or something?
She glanced at her watch. It was getting late. She darted a look over at him. “Do you still want to go riding?”
“Yes.
“Then we need to get going if we want to take advantage of the daylight.”
He stood. “I agree.”
She stood, as well. “I’ll help clear the table.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to, and it’s the least I can do for such a great meal. You outdid yourself.”
He chuckled. “For you, any day.”
She didn’t say anything as she helped him clean off the table and load up the dishwasher. The heat was on, and it was getting to her already. And she had a feeling things would be getting hotter.
An hour later Riley stood at the window and looked out, waiting as Alpha used one of his guest bathrooms. He had enjoyed his time with her and now it was close to seven. It was hard to believe she had spent five hours with him today. And he had enjoyed every second of those hours. After dinner she had helped him clear the table and load the dishwasher. Then they had gone riding, and she’d pulled one over on him when she’d given the impression she wasn’t good when it came to riding a horse. The woman was an excellent rider.
When they returned they had eaten the cookies she had baked and drunk cold glasses of milk. He shared more stories about his family and she had listened attentively, asking questions and laughing when he told her all about Bane’s, Bailey’s and the twins’—Aiden and Adrian’s—escapades and how Family Services had threatened to separate the youngest Westmorelands from the family if their bad behaviors didn’t improve.
But the one thing he noticed was that she hadn’t talked a lot about herself or her family. He knew she was from Florida, that her parents owned a veterinary business and that she had a sister. But there was the issue of the missing ring on her finger. Had something other than a career move driven her to Denver?
“You even have a beautiful powder room, Riley. And it’s so big. I probably could roll a bed in there and take a nap.”
He turned around slowly. “Glad you—”
Whatever he was about to say died on his lips when their gazes connected. Suddenly, from across the room he held her in focus. His stomach tightened and his nerve endings sizzled. “Like it,” he said, finishing his sentence.
She’d done something to her hair. It was no longer pulled back away from her face in a ponytail, but was now loose. A mass of brown curls were hanging around her shoulders. He’d seen her hair that way before, earlier today in his office. But for some reason, at that moment, restyling her hair made her look incredibly beautiful.
His feet began moving toward her with a purpose ingrained in every part of his body. He met her gaze, held it, and when he came to a stop in front of her, he reached out and traced a finger across her chin. He then slowly moved his finger down the length of her neck before touching a lock of her hair. “You’re wearing it differently,” he said in a deep, husky voice, liking how the silky tresses felt flowing through his fingers.
She nodded slowly. “The clamp came loose while out riding and I thought I’d play it safe and take it off. The clamp was a gift from my sister and means a lot. I don’t want to lose it.”
“I like your hair this way. It’s a stunning shade of brown. The color is perfect for your skin tone. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them while gazing up at her. “I promised not to rush you, but just so you know, I have no qualms about making love to you tonight. I’m tempted to do just that.”
“Then I better move temptation out of your way by letting you take me home. Then you can concentrate on other things.”
His lips curved in a smile. “Even if you weren’t here, I would think about you, Alpha.”
She chuckled softly. “I bet you say that to all the ladies.”
Riley shook his head as he continued to kiss her hand. Now he was using the tip of his tongue to taste her skin. He liked hearing how her breathing sounded forced. “No, I don’t say that to all the ladies.”
And he meant that. He would admit to throwing out a convincing line or two when it served his purpose. That was to be expected when he was a man on the prowl. But that’s not what he was doing here. With Alpha, he was being totally honest. He had thought about her over the past week more than he’d thought about any other woman. He had dreamed about her, waking up with a need and desire he’d never felt for any other woman.
Since he didn’t know why his experience was so different with her, he intended to be cautious in whatever he did, whatever they shared. He had to be realistic enough to admit there had been something between him and Alpha from the first. She had been wearing gloves, yet when their hands touched he had felt the intense heat. He had felt the chemistry. An electrical charge had zinged through him. At first he’d thought it was a fluke, nothing more than an overreaction. But then, when he’d picked her up in his arms in McKay’s parking lot to carry her into the restaurant, it was as if something had exploded between them, a connection he couldn’t describe. And that was before he’d even seen what she was hiding under all those clothes.
He straightened and reached up to touch her chin again, coaxing her to meet his gaze. “Go out with me this weekend. We can do dinner and a movie or a play.”
He studied the shape of her lips. Heat stirred his groin, making several ideas flow through his head and prompting him to add, “Or better yet, after dinner we can come here or go to your place and play a game.”
Her brow arched. “What game?”
“The Pleasure Game. Have you ever played it before?”
He saw how her eyes darkened with desire when she shook her head. “Can’t say that I have.”
“Then let me assure you that you’re going to enjoy it. It’s easy to play, and there are not a whole lot of rules to follow. You can let me know that night if you want to play. How about if I pick you up for dinner around seven? There’s this restaurant near the airport that I’ve heard nice things about, and I want to take you there.”
“Okay,” she said, smiling softly.
“And the Pleasure Game will require you staying overnight here or me staying overnight at your place. No pressure. No rush. If you don’t think you’ll be ready to play Saturday night just let me know.”
She nodded. “I will.”
He leaned in close and slanted his mouth over hers, needing to taste her and leave her with something to think about. When she opened her mouth to return the kiss, he pulled her into his arms and deepened it, knowing he would be counting the days until he spent time with her again.