A shiver worked uncontrollably down her back, and her ni**les puckered against the silk of her bra.
“I like to give a man his way in appropriate circumstances,” she said lightly. “I tell you what. You come pick me up and we’ll eat at my choice.”
“I’ll be there in half an hour,” he said silkily.
“I look forward to it.”
She was smiling as she replaced the receiver. She leaned back in her chair and flexed her toes under her desk. What the hell she was doing flirting with Damon Roche when he was lining up another man for her was beyond her, but the devil just took over when it came to the man.
Had he found someone already? Nervousness scuttled around her stomach and gave her a slightly nauseous feeling. Could she go to bed with a complete stranger? More than that, could she place her well-being, her trust, her entire self in his hands?
Maybe she hadn’t thought this through adequately.
A worried frown tugged at her lips, and she rubbed her face with her hands. It wasn’t too late to back out. She could meet Damon and tell him she’d changed her mind, right?
Of course you can, moron.
It wasn’t as if this was some make-or-break business deal. It was sex, and she could say no at any time.
Feeling better about her options, she slipped her shoes back on and stood. A quick trip to the bathroom would tell her if she had any major repairs to do on hair and makeup.
Twenty minutes later, she walked into the lobby and was glad she’d chosen dressier heels today. They directed attention to her legs, which she knew without false modesty had drawn a man’s stare more than a few times. Her skirt clipped the top of her knee, so she had plenty to show.
To her surprise, Damon was striding toward the door of the office complex. She smiled in greeting as he entered. He was dressed casually, as casual as a man could look in expensive slacks and polo shirt.
“You’re early,” she said as she checked her watch.
“I try to never keep a beautiful woman waiting,” he said with easy charm.
“Good philosophy. Are you ready then?”
He offered his arm but didn’t wait for her to take it. He reached with his other hand and enfolded her fingers in his firm grip before tucking it securely under his elbow.
They walked into the warm air, and she looked around for the Bentley. Instead, he guided her toward a sleek, black BMW parked in front of the entrance.
He opened her door and settled her inside before walking around to the driver’s side. As he slid in beside her, she glanced appreciatively at the interior.
“You drove yourself,” she said unnecessarily.
“It would appear so,” he said with an amused smile. “So, where are we going?”
“Cattleman’s. Do you know where it is?”
He grimaced. “Why beautiful women like you and Faith hang out in that place is beyond me.”
“It has character,” she said with a straight face. “But if you hate it, we can go somewhere else.”
He pulled into traffic and maneuvered down the busy street. “No, I agreed to go to the place of your choosing, so Cattleman’s it is.”
“You’re a snob,” she said smugly.
He cast her a surprised glance and then evidently saw she was teasing him.
“Not a snob. I just enjoy . . . let’s just say I enjoy the finer things.”
Serena nodded. “Nothing wrong with that, but I have to tell you, I’m a beer and onion ring type girl.”
“Barbarian,” he said in mock horror. “I have nothing against some greasy finger food and a good beer, but I don’t turn down a well-aged steak and a good glass of wine either.”
“Mmmm, steak. I love steak. I love meat. I’m a total carnivore. Cattleman’s has great steaks.”
“I’ll be amazed if you don’t order a girly salad. What is it with women always ordering salads, anyway?”
She pretended to consider. “Well, I’ll order a salad if it has steak in it.”
He laughed. “Then I guess we’ll have steak for lunch.”
They drove into the parking lot, and when Serena reached to open the door, Damon stopped her with a hand to her arm.
“Let me,” he said.
He got out and walked around to open her door. Then he extended his hand down to her. Tiny little sparks shot up her arm when she slid her fingers across his palm. He pulled gently, and she stepped out to stand beside him.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Again, he tucked her hand under his arm and walked her toward the entrance. When they walked inside, the hostess greeted them, and Damon leaned in to murmur quietly to the young woman. She smiled immediately and nodded. Then she motioned for him and Serena to follow her.
They were seated across the room from the bustle of the lunch crowd. Serena settled in and raised an eyebrow as the hostess left.
“Bribery?” she asked. “This area is usually closed for lunch.”
Damon smiled. “Let’s just say I’m used to getting my way.”
Serena snorted. “We’ve already ascertained that.”
“I wanted a place we could speak privately,” he said. “I have something for you.”
“Oh?”
Her heart slammed against her chest when he slid an envelope across the table toward her. She hadn’t even noticed that he’d carried it from the car, but then her concentration had been on other things. Like how damn good he looked.
With trembling fingers, she opened the envelope. Before unfolding the pages, she looked up at him in question. She was fairly certain that this was what she’d asked for, but now that it was here, in front of her, she was a little frightened and a whole lot unsure.
“You hesitate,” he said quietly.
“I’m nervous,” she admitted.
“Quite natural. Are you having second thoughts?”
She flushed. “You never said a word about the fact that it was me . . .”
He shrugged. “I figured you had your reasons. You don’t owe me an explanation.”
She stared down at the paper then slowly opened it. Age, address, physical details, appearance, characteristics were all listed first. Her eyes flickered over the sheet as she tried to take in as much of the information as she could at once.
No criminal record, stable job and income. Her gaze shot back up the page, and it was then she saw the name staring boldly back at her. Damon Roche.