Chapter 18
18
A s Dylan slipped into his tux jacket and adjusted his bow tie one last time, he hoped this evening wouldn’t be too boring for Sam.
He’d attended countless dinners like this, where rich landowners mingled, discussing work and not much else. Most of his fellow business associates were years older than him and he had little in common with them, apart from a love of the land.
He would’ve rather avoided this particular gathering altogether, if not for a small niggle in his gut telling him if could get Sam alone, away from work, she might open up to him.
So, he’d booked flights to Sydney, rooms in one of the city’s top hotels, and tickets to the conference and dinner, all in the hope the woman who piqued his interest more with each passing day would come clean and divulge the secrets she hid.
Despite many cunning attempts to drag snippets of information from her about her past, she’d held fast, not giving him one iota. And the more she kept him guessing, the more intrigued he became, until he could hardly function these days without wondering what made Samantha Piper tick.
As for their physical attraction, he’d managed to keep his libido under control. Just. He’d grown used to cold showers at the end of a day’s work after spending endless hours resisting the lure of her light, floral fragrance, a forbidden glimpse of cleavage as she reached across his desk, or the tantalising sweep of her tongue as it moistened her lips while she concentrated on a particular task.
Yeah, it had been hell working with her these last few months and pretending like he didn’t feel anything for her, but what else could he do?
He valued her astute opinions as a businesswoman and didn’t want to risk losing her, despite his reluctance to hire her in the first place. Sure, he’d toyed with their attraction on a few occasions, but thankfully, neither of them seemed keen to pursue it. He should be glad, yet he couldn’t help feeling disappointed too.
He knocked at Sam’s hotel room door, and when it opened, he gaped at the exquisite vision before him, her body wrapped in a soft blue fabric that hugged in all the right places and brought out the matching flecks in her green eyes. She’d used subtle makeup to highlight her gorgeous eyes and lush lips, and had pinned her curls back in some sort of elaborate arrangement. Her appearance screamed ‘grab me’ and he had to curb the impulse to do exactly that.
“Right on time. I like a man who’s punctual.”
Sam smiled, taking Dylan’s gob-smacked expression as an indication of approval.
She twirled, revelling in the soft chiffon swishing around her ankles. “You like?”
He nodded, his expression of wonder all the reassurance she needed. “You look incredible.”
Her skin tingled under the intensity of his stare and she resisted the impulse to rub her bare arms.
“Good. I know this dinner is important to you and I wanted to make an impression.”
He whistled, long and low. “Well, you’ve certainly done that.”
She picked up her sequinned evening bag and pretended to swat him with it. “I didn’t want to impress you, just your colleagues.”
“Who?”
He continued to stare at her and she wondered if he’d lost his mind.
“Your colleagues . You know, those people you do business with, the same ones we’re going to have dinner with.”
He shook his head. “Change of plans. Room service. Here. Now.”
She laughed and tucked her hand through the crook of his arm. “Thanks for the compliment. Now, let’s go.”
When Sam had purchased the dress, she knew it looked good on her: the strapless bodice highlighted her delicate shoulders, the fitted line accentuated her slimness—she’d lost weight over the last year, stressing over her parents’ expectations of her as they pushed her toward creepy Max.
Though she craved Dylan’s approval, she’d been totally unprepared for the blatant desire blazing in his eyes when he first saw her in the dress, and for one, dizzying moment, she thought he might take her into his arms, back her into the room, and kick the door shut.
“How do you expect me to concentrate on business tonight with you looking like that?”
“Like what?” She batted her eyelashes in exaggerated coquettishness.
He waited until the elevator doors slid shut before answering. “Like every man’s fantasy come to life.”
Her breath hitched as he placed both hands on her shoulders and bent toward her, his lips brushing hers.
She’d been unprepared for the kiss, though didn’t stop to analyse it as she responded with matching eagerness, wrapping her arms around him and moulding against the lean hardness of his body.
He kissed her like a man starved, a deep, endless kiss that reached down to her soul, making her crave him more than she cared to admit.
This overwhelming, helpless feeling that she belonged to him—only him—terrified her beyond belief.
He groaned as she pulled away and buried her face into the crook of his neck.
Rather than calming her, his aftershave infused her senses as she took a steadying breath that threatened to tear apart the last shred of her self-control.
“There’s no use hiding from this, from us,” he whispered in her ear, his lips raining a blazing trail of light kisses from her earlobe to the hollow above her collarbone.
“Dylan—“
He silenced her with a quick peck on the lips. “Let’s table this discussion for later.”
Sam didn’t have time to respond as the elevator doors slid open and in walked the last man she expected—or wanted—to see.