Her mouth fell open and she stared up at him. “This is too much. I don’t want to take it this far.” There was that stare again. The one that dared her not to listen. It was actually pretty darn sexy. “Does that expression work on people?”
“Yes.” He finally sighed and relaxed. “Look. It’s just for a few days. It’s on loan. I can return it.”
That made her calm down. She really didn’t want him spending any more money on her, especially the ridiculous amount this ring would have cost.
“Although, it sure looks good on you.” He lifted her hand and ran his large warm calloused one over it. “Your hands are beautiful. Don’t you know, Tammy, that long graceful fingers and hands so soft, like this—” He lifted it next to his cheek with his eyes locked on hers “—need to be pampered.” He turned his stubble roughened face into the palm and kissed it.
Oh-my-God!She stared back at him, eyes wide, and with her heart thudding in her chest. Richard had given her jewels. Her mother did also, but it was to show status. She left them all behind except her grandmother’s pearls, but nothing could possibly compare to the way this man made it feel to wear them. That gesture; the caress, made her feel sensual and sexual all at once. It attached meaning to the ring. It was completely and utterly provocative. She just couldn’t take her eyes off of his. Is this what it was like to be seduced by Lance Hartley? No, she knew it wasn’t. This was only a tiny peek into what he could do. Her heart started picking up pace to the point where it galloped in her ears. There was a warm swirling sensation deep in her pelvis and she knew, right then and there, it was desire. Such a simple gesture completely turned her on and he hadn’t even unleashed his full sex appeal on her. Oh…dear….she was in trouble.
Just then the elevator doors opened to the building’s lobby and he released her. She was speechless. Where on earth did that sudden caress come from?
***
“Family?” Lance stated when they stood in the foyer to her parents’ apartment. The place was packed with people arriving at the same time. He pulled her close and looked down at her with a quizzical expression. “How muchfamilydo I have to memorize?"
“May I take your coat?” A male servant in black slacks and a red-tailed jacket asked Lance. He was one of many receiving guests in the foyer.
It was her mother’s way of making an impression. The food was probably the best New York had to offer and the décor was professionally done. It probably took weeks—months to set up the place. Her parents’ apartment wasn’t the penthouse, but it was still high priced with over five thousand square feet. Not as posh as Lance’s but a close second.
Lance removed Tammy’s wrap in the same manner he’d put it on her and handed it to the man. Then he removed his own coat and gave it to him.
She looked up at him and smiled remembering the ‘actor’ comment.Actor my ass, she thought to herself. He was doting and adoring, and yes they did have an audience, but she felt that the man’s attitude toward her had changed since she told him about her chastity. Well, she certainly wasn’t going to say anything and risk stopping the attention she was getting. She loved it. “Don’t worry they’re not relatives. My mother likes to throw extravagant parties,” she explained about the crowd. “I’m sure most of the people invited to the wedding never even met my brother.”
Lance didn’t say anything after that but took her arm and wrapped it through his while he stepped into the great room. There must’ve been at least thirty people there, and Tammy only recognized about eight of them. Some of them were her father’s business associates, and Uncle Owen, on her father’s side.
Her father spotted them first at put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. She saw him say something which caused her uncle to turn his head and see them. He nodded his greeting. Tammy leaned close and spoke softly to Lance. “That’s my uncle. He’s a financer. He’s very rich, so my mother thinks he’s wonderful. He’s my only other living relative.”
Lance smirked.
The two older men came forward and Tammy’s father introduced Lance to his brother. He first said hello to his niece, kissed her on the cheek and told her she was beautiful.
“Thanks Uncle Owen.”
“My future son-in-law, Lance Hartley.”
Tammy actually thought she heard a hint of pride in her father’s voice. Guilt started to seep in again. The last person she wanted to deceive was her dad. He never criticized her. However, he never said he supported her either, but she knew deep down that he loved her. Still, she was never dishonest about anything in her life. She was always straightforward even to her unaccepting mother.
“I’ve heard of you, and George filled me in on the rest. A damn good lawyer.”
“All gossip and fabrication.” He shook his outstretched hand giving him a warm greeting.
Owen Van Allen laughed. “Humility in a lawyer. I think hell just froze over.”
Lance smiled. “You might be surprised, but that’s not the first time I heard that.”
“The city could still use you.”
“I’m retired.”
“It’s a shame Hartley. I can understand though after what happened.”
Tammy swung her eyes to Lance who looked completely unaffected. What did happen?
“As I said, I’m retired,” he repeated.
There was no stress in his tone, nor a hint in his expression that indicated that what her uncle said bothered him, but it’s what wasn’t there that made her know it did. It seemed as if the lawyer in him suddenly emerged and he was in the courtroom; professional and unreadable. Gone was the smile. In its place was an expression that couldn’t be deciphered. He looked like someone completely different. Still gorgeous as heck though.
“Well, it must be nice then. I still have a few years left. It would help if my wife didn’t have such expensive tastes,” George joked, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
