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She cleared her throat. “Thank you for providing the dress and accessories.”
“No thanks necessary.”
They approached her white Camry and came to a stop.
“Is Cherise where you usually send your women?” Marissa asked in a casual voice, though there was nothing casual about the question.
Bruno stepped back, allowing light to slant across her face and give a good view of her expression. “What does it matter? We’re going as friends.”
“I’m curious, that’s all.” She shrugged.
“I don’t send my women there, but I have, on occasion, asked Olivia and her staff to help one of my dates with a dress. I haven’t made the request very often.”
“Oh.”
Bruno’s phone chirped, and he saw the reminder for a meeting on the screen. He cursed. He was so taken with Marissa he’d forgotten all about the appointment. If he hurried, he might only be ten to fifteen minutes late. They’d wait regardless, but he hated to be tardy.
“I have to run. I have a meeting that I completely forgot about, and I haven’t had dinner yet,” he muttered.
“I have snacks in my bag, if you want something to hold you until after your meeting,” Marissa offered.
“What kind of snacks?”
She removed her messenger bag from the trunk and placed it on the hood of her car. “I have potato chips, nacho chips, Twix, and a couple of Snickers.”
Bruno peered at her collection. “Why do you have all these snacks? I’ll take the potato chips.”
She handed him the bag. “I’m a mother with a growing kid…” She sighed. “I’m a liar.”
Bruno lifted his eyebrows. “You don’t have a kid? Because I’m pretty sure I met Theo at the hospital a while back.” He popped a salty chip in his mouth. He hadn’t had one in years probably, accustomed to making his own homemade chips from potatoes.
Marissa laughed, a sound as magnetic and enthralling as the first time he heard it, weaving a spell around him that lingered in his ears long after she stopped.
“No, I mean that I lied about the reason for the snacks. They’re for me. I don’t let my son eat this stuff, which makes me a hypocrite.”
“Marissa has a flaw,” Bruno whispered with exaggerated shock.
“Don’t tease me, I feel bad enough. Do you want anything else?”
“I’ll take one of the Snickers.”
When she handed over the candy, their fingers brushed, and he felt a spark. Sharp, sudden. His gaze met hers, and for a brief moment the world narrowed to only the two of them.
“I, um… I better go,” she said.
Good idea, because right now he had the sudden urge to kiss her again.
“Good night, Marissa.”
He stepped away from the vehicle, and she climbed in and drove off. The sensation of her touch lingered on his skin, a tantalizing reminder of their brief contact. The simple act of taking candy had transformed into an intimate exchange filled with unspoken possibilities.
Placing a couple of chips in his mouth, Bruno strolled to his car, pleased that he’d come by because he’d learned quite a bit. The attraction between him and Marissa was as strong as ever, and when she’d inquired about other women using his account at Cherise, he had seen jealousy.
All of which meant the trip to L.A. could end up being much more interesting than he had originally expected.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Enjoy your stay in L.A,” the flight attendant said to Marissa and Bruno as they exited the plane.
