“I agree…if he’s sincere.”
“You don’t think he is?”
“I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that he is very good at persuading people to share his point of view.”
“And you think that’s what he’s doing? Using his charm on your grandfather to persuade him to do whatever he wants?”
“Cobra is definitely a smooth operator. Not only does he have the gift of gab, but he’s charismatic.Toocharismatic.”
“Hmmm… And is he good-looking?”
Camille’s question made Desiree think back to her first impression of Cobra. He had been walking in her direction, andhe’d had such a sexy and purposeful stride. There’d been so much masculinity in every step he took.
Like the other groomsmen, he had been handsomely outfitted in a black tux, but there had been something about him that made him stand out. It could have been his beard that gave him a rugged look, only adding to his sexiness. He hadn’t been smiling nor had he been frowning. His expression was that of a man on the prowl, who’d seen something he wanted and intended to have it. If that was what he’d been thinking, he’d miscalculated when it came to her. If he didn’t know how she felt about him when they parted ways last Saturday, she’d make sure to tell him if they ever ran into each other again.
“Rae?”
Startled, Desiree realized she hadn’t answered her friend’s question. “Yes, he is extremely handsome,” she said truthfully.
“Were you attracted to him?”
Desiree decided there was no reason not to be completely honest. “Very much so.”
“Then maybe it’s not your grandfather you need to be concerned about. Maybe you’re worried he’ll manage to persuade you into doing something you won’t want to.”
“Don’t worry about me, Cam. I can handle him.”
“But why do you have to? He might be just what you need to prove Aimery wrong.”
She wished Cam hadn’t brought up the last guy she’d dated, a French racecar driver. Aimery had assumed that he was the hottest thing alive, both on and off the tracks. But in the bedroom, all his fire turned to smoke. The man was a lousy lover. And of course, when she hadn’t climaxed during the one and only time they had made love, he had blamed it on her. Then, to add salt to the wound, as she was getting dressed to leave, he had picked up his cell phone and invited another woman to his bed.
“The last thing I need, at this moment in my life, is a man. Especially one like Cobra Masters.”
“Then the only thing you have against him is his relationship with your grandfather?”
Desiree nibbled on her bottom lip. “To be honest, I don’t have a problem with Cobra’s relationship with my grandfather, as long as he doesn’t have any ulterior motives. Is it wrong for me to want to make sure his actions are sincere?”
“Of course not.”
Desiree was glad to hear that. She valued Cam’s take on things.
“However,” Cam added, “I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. You should get to know him.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. “I don’t know about that. Still, I’m glad I came home, so I can observe things for myself and intervene if I have to.” She sighed. “I’ve told you enough about Cobra Masters. Call me tomorrow and let me know how the play goes tonight, okay? And Cam?”
“Yes?”
“I have a feeling that Léandre will soon realize how you feel about him. Find ways to let him know.”
“Maybe he will, but right now, all Léandre cares about is his next production. In his mind, we’re friends—good friends, but nothing more. Why do the men in our lives have to be complicated?”
“I’ll let you figure that one out, since I don’t have a man in my life, and I prefer to keep things that way.”
After ending the call, Desiree stood, and when she did, she accidentally brushed the earrings she’d removed earlier off her desk, and they went tumbling to the floor. One fell under her chair, and the other rolled under her desk. “Dang.” She got down on bended knees to retrieve them.
Getting the one from under her chair was easy. The challenge was recovering the one from under her desk. A few moments later, she succeeded. “Gotcha. It took me long enough to find you,” she grumbled to herself, leaning back on her hunches to replace both earrings in her ears.
“And I wished it had taken you even longer,” a deep male voice said behind her.
