Debbi Rawlins - If He Only Knew...

“Cody, what are you really doing here?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts, her tone bordering on accusing, as if she’d read his mind.

He reluctantly looked up from the menu. “Excuse me?”

“Come on. Tell me.”

The challenge in her eyes made him smile. “I have a client—”

She tilted her head to the side. “I know why you’re here. I just don’t understand it.”

“Don’t understand what?”

“You barely gave me the time of day when I was in New York.”

“That’s not true.”

“And then that last night—” She briefly looked away, and then stared back with determination, leaning closer, the undersides of her breasts grazing the table. In a low voice, she asked, “What was that about?”

He felt his face flush in embarrassment. He turned to his menu and prayed for a waitress.

“Don’t be defensive. Please. I just don’t understand why you didn’t ask me out months ago.”

He looked up at the change in her tone. There was no accusation, just curiosity, and that he understood. “You were working for the firm.”

She looked him straight in the eyes. “Was that the only reason?”

He shook his head. “Man, I should’ve gone to a Braves’ game.”

“I assume that means I’m not going to get any more out of you, right? Well, that’s okay. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot. As for the Braves, they’re out of town, playing the Cubs. But they’ll be back on Wednesday.”

“You like baseball?”

Her eyes widened. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Uh, no. You go to the games?”

“Most of them. Are you a Mets’fan by any chance?”

Amazing. She was the only woman he knew who liked baseball. “Hell, yes.”

“I bet you have great season tickets.”

“I don’t have time to go to the games. I try to catch the scores on ESPN.”

“That’s sad,” she said earnestly. “The fun part of baseball is sitting in the stadium with all the noise and eating hot dogs and popcorn. Oh, and I love those big pretzels.”

He smiled at the rapture on her face, at the flash of memory from his college days. Before law school. Before life had gotten so damn complicated. “Don’t forget a tall frosty beer.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I can do without that.”

“Normally, I’d agree. But there’s something about a ball park dog and a cold beer that can’t be beat.”

Her lips curved in a mysterious smile before she obstructed it by taking a sip of her margarita.

The odd smile and her silence made his eyes narrow. “You know something I don’t?”

“Probably a lot of things.” Salt from the rim of the glass clung to her lower lip and she used the tip of her tongue to remove the small chunk. Slowly, as if she knew the act was driving him crazy.

He silently cleared his throat. “Is that right?”

She nodded, and then she went real still, staring at him as if she’d just now realized he was at the table. To say the look was unnerving was an understatement.

“What are you doing tomorrow night for dinner?” she asked.

The way she asked matched the gleam in her eyes, and he wasn’t sure if he should be thrilled or head back to New York on the next flight. “Why?”

“Here’s the thing.” She placed her clasped hands on the table and leaned forward with no hint of a smile. “This is my territory.”

“Meaning?”

“If you want to see me, it’ll be on my terms.”

Cody snorted. Who did she think she was talking to? He could have a date every night of the week if he wanted. With attractive Manhattan socialites. Prominent career women. Sara was a damn temp worker, and she thought she could dictate terms to him?

He drained his scotch. “What?” he asked, as he realized with a jolt that her terms might be very, very interesting. “What are your terms?”

“First, we’ll only—”

“Shelby?” A tall, balding man, wearing a well-tailored suit, approached the table. “I thought you were still in Europe.”

She blinked and her face paled. “Robert?” She shot out of her chair, glanced at Cody and said, “Would you excuse me?” before taking the man’s arm and steering him toward the front of the restaurant.

Cody watched until he couldn’t see her anymore, and then stared at the amber liquid at the bottom of his tumbler. Barely a taste of scotch remained. The man had called her Shelby, and she obviously knew him. She hadn’t been in Europe. She’d been living in New York. What the hell was going on?

Their waitress was taking orders at the next table, and Cody couldn’t decide if he should get another drink or disappear before Sara got back. What did he know about the woman, anyway?

Using a different name. Lying about going to Europe. Choosing a restaurant she’d never been to before.

It all spelled trouble.

He reached into his jacket for his wallet, anxious to pay his tab and get out, when he saw her heading back toward him, without the balding man. Long blond tendrils bounced as she walked and even from three table lengths away, he could see the sapphire blue of her eyes. But it was the slow wide smile and straight white teeth that got him. Right in the gut. And lower.

“Sorry,” she said in a breathy voice as she sat down. Her gaze briefly scanned the room behind him, before she met his eyes.

“What was that about?”

“He’s a family friend,” she said without blinking, without displaying any other sign she was lying.

“But he doesn’t know your name?”

Her eyebrows went up in challenge. “He mistook me for my sister.”

“Right.”

“Okay, here’s the deal.” She reached behind for the black leather purse she’d hung on the chair back. “As I said, my territory, my terms. This is nonnegotiable. I choose where we go, what we do. I’m leaving now. If you can deal with that, come with me. Otherwise, the best of luck on your case.”

He needed at least one more scotch. “Are you serious?”

She’d already gotten up and stopped only to give him a definitive nod before walking away.

Screw her. The woman was totally insane. His gaze stayed on the graceful sway of her slim hips, the way her jeans hugged the generous swell of her backside. Instead of getting his questions answered, he had a dozen more. She wasn’t just intriguing, she was infuriating. He should be grateful to get out of this so easily.

Shit.

He threw a couple of twenties on the table and then hurried after her.

S ARA LOOKED straight ahead until she got out of the restaurant and into the chilled evening air. She should have known better. Did she think she could get away with going to a restaurant in Buckhead and not seeing someone she knew? She’d have been better off choosing a place out of the phone book. Someplace on the far side of town. Not that it mattered now. From the look on Cody’s face, she knew she’d never see him again. Which was probably just as well.

Damn him. Why hadn’t he made a move in New York? All that time wasted…

She jerked open her purse, looking for her car keys and then remembered she’d taken a cab. Since taxis weren’t abundant in the area, she’d have to call for one. Sighing, she got out her cell phone while glancing up at the darkening sky. Looked like rain. Great.

She sensed him behind her a moment before he laid a warm hand on her bare arm. Sucking in a breath, she slowly looked up at him. His eyes were more green than blue and the surprising hint of stubble on his chin made him look more rugged than usual. As quick as that, she knew she’d been full of it, thinking his loss was no big deal.

“Okay,” he said simply. “You win.”

“It’s not a matter of winning or losing. It’s just—” A chill chased up her spine and she shivered.

He moved closer and slid an arm around her shoulders, bringing her against the warmth of his body. “Is this allowed?” he whispered.

The urge to give him a good shove faded next to the pleasure of being pressed against his chest. “Only because it’s freezing out here.”

He smiled. “Freezing?”

Sara sighed. So it was only in the low seventies. Still, it was unseasonably cool. And his chest felt so damn good. A lot stronger and more sculpted than she’d imagined. Despite his busy schedule, he obviously found time to work out. “We’re going to have to take a taxi.”

“You don’t have a car?”

“I do, but it’s in the shop.”

He gave her an odd look, though there was no way he could know she’d lied. “No problem.” Frowning, he looked down the street. But of course there were no taxis.

“This isn’t like New York,” she said. “Most people around here drive, so we’ll have to call for a cab.”

“Right.” With a look of exasperation, he removed his arm from around her shoulders and reached into his breast pocket for his cell phone.

Immediately, she missed his touch. But the sudden realization that she had no idea where they should go next sent her thoughts in a different direction. There were a dozen places that she favored but none without consequence. Of course there was always Chloe’s place. But the first night? Not a good idea.

“You wouldn’t happen to know the number?”

She shook her head. “I’ll run back inside and ask the hostess to call.”

Before she could move, he took her hand. “I’ll take care of it.”

She didn’t argue. She simply enjoyed the feel of his palm pressed to hers, the way his long fingers curled around her hand as he called directory assistance, even though the problem of where she’d take him once the cab arrived remained unsolved.

Was she being too cautious? At this point, did it really matter if he knew who she was? While living in New York, it hadn’t just been about the anonymity. She’d genuinely wanted to know how it felt to live by herself, to depend on no one else for money or influence or anything else.

But now she was back to reality. And Cody would be here for one short week. He’d actually called and wanted to see her. Only for sex, of course. And only because he was here in Atlanta, where no one knew him. She laughed at the irony. Except it wasn’t really funny. She still didn’t know what to do. After all, what if he was the one?

The sudden ridiculous thought took her by surprise and erected her defenses so fast it made her chest tighten. She withdrew her hand from his and moved away, keeping her gaze averted. There could be nothing between them but sex. Anything more, for her especially, was out of the question.

“Are you all right?”

She looked over at him. He’d already put his cell phone away. Who knows how long he’d been watching her? “Did you get a hold of a cab?”

He hesitated, and she braced herself for an unwanted question. But all he said was, “One should be here within five minutes.”

“Good.” She checked her watch. Mostly for the distraction. She’d purposely not worn the bracelet. She didn’t want him reading too much into it.

“Care to tell me where we’re going?”

This time she did the stalling. Should she wing it? Get to the other side of town and then blindly choose a place at which to stop. Or should she play it safe and take him to Chloe’s?

Safe? She nearly laughed out loud. There were so many questions in his gorgeous eyes, but there was also that spark, the connection she’d never thought she’d feel again.

All right. There was safe, and then there was safe.

She smiled up at him. “How about we go to my place?”

S ARA NEEDN’ T HAVE opened the door to Chloe’s apartment to realize how incredibly dumb it was to have brought him here without having checked out the place first. Chloe was a terrific hairstylist but she was rather odd.