“Hello.”His eyes blaze a path from the tips of my toes upward, his smile growing with each inch of my body he burns, until his eyes meet mine.He stares for longer than is comfortable.
“Hello.”I sound breathy and maybe the suit isn’t the only thing to excite me.
Zach nears, his masked expression unsettling, and my steps falter.He is gorgeous, and this time I don’t find his classic handsomeness off-putting.Black hair, thick and wavy, and mussed enough to see he’s been running his fingers through it.A strong chiseled jaw, darkened with scruff, highly defined cheekbones, and a straight nose pointing to those lips.Damn, his full lips.
The corners of his mouth tip up into a smile, or maybe it’s a smirk, as if he can hear my thoughts.His laugh lines accentuate the vibrant blue of his irises, framed by thick, black lashes.
Now standing in front of me, he grasps my elbows and his touch is electric as he bends to plant a quick, soft kiss to my lips.
Sweet mother of Christ.
Clearing her throat, Karen smiles at me and he pulls back, eyes still on me.“Karen, we’ll have dinner now and that will be all.Have a good evening.”
“Yes, Mr.Rothwell, I’ll call the dining room.”She picks up the phone.Taking my hand, he leads me into his office.
At the far end of the room, an oval conference table that I somehow didn’t notice the last time I was here is set for our meal.A young man dressed in a waiter’s uniform slips discreetly into the room from a door on the other side.He wheels a cart like hotels have for room service over to the table.
“Would you like salmon or roast beef?”Zach pulls my chair out.
“Salmon, please.”
When we’re both seated, the waiter places silver-domed covered plates in front of each of us.
“Wine?”Zach gestures to the bottles on the table.
“White.”
The waiter makes quick work of pouring our wine and then removes a few things from the table, including a tiny bowl with a white substance.
“Is that horseradish?”I point to the dish in his hand.
“Yes.”
“Is it all right if you leave it?”
“Certainly.”He rests the bowl in front of me before turning to Zach.“Do you need anything else, sir?”
“No, that’s all.”
The waiter simultaneously removes the silver domes from our dishes and silently leaves.Zach waits until the door closes to speak.
“Horseradish and salmon?”He quirks an eyebrow, watching me spoon some of the condiment onto my plate
“Yes.It’s good.Do you want to try?”
He nods, keeping his gaze on me as I scoop a dollop onto his plate.I sip my wine and watch him taste the unusual pairing.“Wow, it does go well together.”
“I can’t have salmon without it now.”I smile.“This is really good.Thank you for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.Glad you like it.”
“Was this ordered in?”
“No.We have an executive dining room two floors up.We could have eaten there but this is more private.”
I quirk a brow and give him a suggestive look.“More private?Why, Mr.Rothwell, it sounds like you have plans for me.”
His intense gaze and the hard set of his jaw cause me to question if it’s smart to copy his flirty mood from earlier tonight.
