Four

“You surprise me, Nicole.”

She peered into his dark eyes, wishing she could see their true color. The tabloid magazines said they were gray, but the dim lighting didn’t allow her to see. “Why do I surprise you?”

“Because you know how to make a Colorado Bulldog.”

She shrugged. “It’s my grandfather’s favorite drink.” Just as the words flew from her mouth, she quickly snapped her lips together. She couldn’t say anything that would connect her to James Adkins. In fact, she needed to get Mick talking about his business and the real reason he was here.

“It’s not a popular drink.” He withdrew one hand from her leg and rested it on the table. “I don’t order it very often, but I thought tonight called for an out-of-the-ordinary creation.”

She swallowed the cotton forming in her throat again. He wanted to make something out of tonight, just as she did. She hoped she could pull it off without him suspecting her true purpose. But she must! Mary was correct when she told her this was Nicole's mission. If she couldn't pull off the planned scheme, she would definitely lose her grandfather's business.

“I agree. Tonight is certainly very different.” She laughed lightly. “So, Mick, what kind of business are you in?”

Mick lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t want to talk about business anymore tonight. I’ve been doing that for most of the day with my associates. Instead, I’d like to get to know you better.”

He ran a long, extremely tanned finger around the rim of his half-empty glass of water. Good grief! Even his fingers appeared muscular. Was that even possible?

She struggled for something to say to keep the conversation flowing, but she wasn’t used to going out with such good-looking guys. Mary should have been the one to play the loose woman part, not the shy and awkward Nicole who had never been in a lasting relationship with a guy.

No topic of conversation came to her mind, and it upset her that he didn’t want to talk about his business in Maple Springs. Unfortunately, the only thoughts running through her head were those she didn’t want to think about. His wavy dark brown hair appeared as if he’d just pushed his fingers through his shortened locks. She couldn’t stop thinking how comfortable it felt sitting with her foot in his lap, or what it would be like to wrap her arms around his wide shoulders. His lean frame tempted her to press against him just to see how well she would fit next to him.

Why was she thinking this way? Apparently, her disguise and the plan she had for him were ruining her in more ways than one. Oh, Lord… forgive me for my immoral thoughts.

The waitress placed their drinks in front of them, lingering a little longer in front of Mick. He smiled at the other woman, but once she left, he focused back on Nicole.

“Tell me something, sweetheart,” he said.

His deep voice shook Nicole out of her disturbing thoughts. “What?”

“I’m trying to figure out why any man in his right mind would stand up a luscious babe like you on a date?”

She stopped breathing, yet her heart hammered madly. He thought she was luscious? He must be drunk in some way. Then again, Mick Remington was a womanizer who had a different model girlfriend every other month. And from what Nicole had read about him, he liked them wild and easy.

A smile tugged her lips, and she quickly remembered the lie she’d started earlier. “Thanks for the compliment, even though I think your vision is still impaired.” She shrugged. “I don’t know why my date ditched me. I met the guy a week ago. I guess he wasn’t as interested in me as I’d thought.”

Mick slid his hand across the table and stroked her fingers. “Then that’s his loss and my gain.” He lightly squeezed her hand before withdrawing. “I’ve always believed things like this happen for a reason.”

Desire lumped in her throat, so she quickly sipped her drink. “You do? Why do you think that?”

“Well, I’m here. You’re here. We’re both without dates. If you’re anything like me, you’d rather not be alone on a Friday night.”

He was definitely a sweet-talker and he knew what words to use to seduce women. She took another swallow of her drink. Things were heading in the right direction. He had his drink, and now it was time for her to slip him the sleeping pill without him noticing.

Quickly, her mind settled on an action. Before she could change her mind, she shifted her leg enough that the icepack fell to the floor. “Oh, dear.” She frowned, acting like she was going to reach for it.

“No, let me.”

As he leaned his head under the table, she hastily withdrew the pill from the side-pocket of her clutch purse and plopped it in his drink. The herbal pill dissolved quickly, just as she knew it would.

He straightened and placed the ice pack on her foot. “There. Is that better?”

“Much better, thank you, again.”

A few seconds passed before his fingers moved on her leg. “Nicole, are you going to answer my question? Do you want to spend the rest of the evening with me in my hotel room?”

“Although I should say no because I don’t know you very well, I’m tempted to say yes.”

He chuckled. The deep timbre of his voice rattled her senses – as if she wasn’t already rattled by the sudden attraction. But she must stay focused.

His tender touch ran over her foot and up her calf in a mind-boggling caress. Desire laced his intense, hypnotic eyes, and she couldn’t stop her breath from accelerating. He was a tease, but knowing that didn’t make it easier. She’d be fighting him the whole evening, just as she’d fight her own urges, which of course, was why she’d given him the sleeping pill.

“Then say yes.” He winked. “You might be surprised how entertaining I can be.”

She hitched a ragged breath. Curse his entrancing voice, and the relaxing strokes of his fingers on her leg. Her mind had gone blank. All she could do was stare into his eyes – eyes that were melting her fast.

“I think,” he continued in a husky voice, “that we should take this conversation back to my hotel room.”

She tried swallowing, but a lump of anticipation filled her throat. Her mouth had grown dry, so she licked her lips. His gaze dropped to her mouth mere seconds before he gave her a limb-quivering grin.

Her heart sank in panic. She’d lived most of her life on the straight and narrow as she made decisions that would keep her on the pathway to becoming the president of Adkins Dev-Tech. But could she continue with her plans for Mr. Remington now?

Tonight would be the hardest night of her life!