“Your brother told me,” he quickly changed the subject, “he had a sister who lived in California, and who was living on the college campus.”
She chewed faster as her eyes widened. “You must not have talked to him for a while. I lived in California before finding this job in Manhattan, and that was almost two years ago.”
“You’re right.” He nodded. “It’s been that long since I was in Chicago.”
“I’ve talked to Cade since then, and told him I worked for Upbeat magazine, but he never told me he knew the owner’s son.”
Brad gave her a sheepish grin. “That was my fault. You see, I don’t tell very many people what my father does for a living.” He chuckled softly. “I don’t even tell them whatIdo for a living. I want people to think of me as a normal person, not a rich guy. You’d be surprised how many people will treat you differently when they know how much money you’ve got. I told Cade I was a model.”
Her gaze moved slowly over his face. “You know, when I’m with you, I don’t think of you as being rich.”
“Oh, yeah?” He lifted an eyebrow. “What do you think about me when we’re together?”
Her smile relaxed. “When I’m with you, I think I’m with a warm, caring man who is very kind with his words, but... who looks like a beach bum.” She laughed.
“A beach bum?” He poked her sides, making her squirm. “If you want to see a beach bum, then I’ll take you to the beach sometime. But my sweet Tyger, I’mnota beach bum.”
She giggled and slapped at his hands, but he refused to stop. Being fun with her like this was nice.
“Actually,” she said between laughs, “it’s just your long hair and your beard and mustache that makes me think that you’re a beach bum.”
“Oh, really?” Brad wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He dropped his face to her neck and rubbed his well-groomed facial hair on her skin. “This, my sweet Tyger, is called a goatee. A lot of men have them.”
Her wiggling stopped, and at first, her body stiffened, but within seconds, she relaxed in his arms. In an instant, her breathing became ragged.
“My mistake,” she whispered heavily.
Her perfume and her soft body against his, was driving him wild. He wanted to kiss her passionately, and he suspected she wouldn’t stop him. But if he started, he wouldn’t want to stop. Ever. However, he had to force himself to pull back. That was the only way to keep her wanting more.
He kissed her neck briefly before straightening. He tried not to look at her face, because he was sure he’d see passion written all over it. Instead, he glanced at his watch. “I need to make a phone call so we’ll be able to get our haircut done by a professional.” He scooted out of the booth.
“Who...” She cleared her throat. “Who will you call?”
“Lance. He’s the only one in town who I’ll let touch my hair.”
She swallowed hard. “Lance? The popular hair dresser who only takes appointments with the rich and famous?”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
She shook her head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I’ll be back in a moment.” He hesitated to leave her, especially when her eyes were wide and wondrous and she looked so pretty. On instinct, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Before pulling away, he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth for a quick taste. When he withdrew, her face flamed red and she was breathless.
He grinned. “You had a little syrup on your lip,” he lied. He hurried and left the table so that he wouldn’t be tempted to check for more syrup on her lips.
* * * *
BREANNA’S HANDS WEREnervously cold as she walked into the shop with Brad. A tall man in his early to mid-thirties came out of an office to greet them. His hair wasn’t as long as Brad’s, but almost. He was nice looking, but standing next to Brad, nobody would notice.
The men laughed and gave each other a hug. She realized Brad was just an overly-friendly person. That was his personality, and she loved it.
“Lance, I want you to meet the lovely, Tyger Loveland. I want you to find a style that will enhance her beauty.”
Her cheeks heated quickly. Why she became so embarrassed whenever he mentioned her looks, she didn’t know – unless it was because she knew she wasn’t pretty at all. If his friends had eyes in their head and had perfect vision, they’d see it, too.
Lance stood back and ran his gaze over her with his arms folded. One of his fingers tapped against his arm. Suddenly, his eyes became as large as his growing smile.
“I know the perfect style.”
