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"Knowing how you look and the fact you're with me, he most likely thinks you took a wrong turn or I hired you to be here or something," I answered without a hint of humor.
"Escort? Is it that obvious?" he asked, jerking his thumb at himself playfully, a hint of amusement in his deep gruff tone.
I snorted at his quick wit. "Jesus, hello?" I gestured my thumb toward my chest in a 'check me out' kind of way, pointing out the obvious differences between us: my age, my dowdy black slacks, white blouse, and—confirming my suburban appearance—a gray woolen coat. My attire was in total opposition to the super sexy, ripped, polished CEO thing he had going on.
"I'm looking. I've been looking since I first sat down. What man couldn't help but notice you, Billie? You might think me forward when I say this, but you're a very sexy woman," he said, nodding toward my damp, practically transparent blouse that revealed hints of my ivory lacy bra underneath. I folded my arms across my chest and he chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I don't see the humor in what you're saying."
"I don't feel attractive after what I've been through. It didn't exactly fan my ego."
"Why are you putting yourself down like this? We're just getting to know each other here, and how you see yourself isn't how I see you at all. In case you haven't heard this lately, I think you're hot as fuck."
The shock from his statement; true or not, sent another zap of electricity coursing through my body. My stomach flipped in response to his description of me.
His words had hit home in the nicest possible way, and I felt flattered, but not entirely convinced he'd been serious. I chuckled sheepishly at his admission.
For a few moments we stared at one another, me in denial, him … well, goodness only knew what he'd thought at that moment. However, because of his kind attention, I felt a form of insta-love for my tall, dark, handsome stranger. Touched that he'd taken the time to care about how I felt just when I'd needed it the most.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but there's no need to … I mean, I'm certainly no Beyoncé," I replied. To me, she was the epitome of exotic, elegance, and beauty.
"Well, I know that, darlin'. For one, you're not tall enough, and I hate to burst your bubble further, but I'd say you're maybe half her size. I'd say you're more of a Natalie Portman with long hair, if you need to reference someone at all. No point in comparing apples to oranges."
"Natalie Portman, huh? Damn, you're smooth, but I'll take it," I replied and snickered again. His comment had made me feel just a little bit taller than my five foot three in my chair. One thing I knew was my kind stranger had both gall and a silver-smooth tongue, because he was clever and hadn't hesitated in his reply.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Logan and cringed. The jolt of shock had been of quite a different kind to the ones Sawyer had stirred in me. Looking over Sawyer's shoulder, I watched as he spoke to the redhead I knew instinctively was my homewrecker.
As if it were gearing up for attack, my body immediately locked up as I braced myself and felt pressure on my mouth as my lips automatically pinched tightly together. Blood roared in my ears as my heart rate spiked when Logan turned and headed directly toward us.
Without turning around, Sawyer leaned over and slipped his hand into mine. I stared down at it, still in shock and he gave it a small squeeze.
"I take it the man of the moment is behind us?" he muttered intuitively in a barely-there voice. Turning my focus on Sawyer, I remained slightly frozen and nodded slightly, too choked up from a sudden collective of warring emotions rising within from my chest to my throat.
Previously, I'd only seen a picture of Poppy. It had been tucked into Colby's beach bag after a trip to Nantucket with them, shortly after his eighth birthday. This woman's face wasn't all that, but she was ten years younger and had a body I could only dream of. My petite, boyish frame was nothing like the taller, curvy, buxom redhead I'd seen clinging possessively onto my cheating husband's arms moments before.
Staring confused by my thoughts into Sawyer's eyes, my feelings had fleetingly stretched from absurd to sublime. What the hell am I doing? The girl Logan had chosen over me was everything I wasn't. She was more suited to the young, gorgeous man staring intently back at me than she was to Logan.
"Trust me?" he questioned in a whisper, his serious hazel-eyed gaze intense. I had little trust in any man, but without waiting for my answer he leaned farther across the table and intimately swept my long still damp hair behind my ear.
A small thrill shot down my back in stark contrast to the nerves crippling me as Logan moved closer. Sawyer, undaunted by his approach, swept the rest of my hair behind my shoulder with the back of his hand, exposing my neck. A quick burst of adrenaline unexpectedly erupted within me and immediately sparked feelings of desire I hadn't realized I had missed until that very moment.
Fighting to ignore how my body was reacting, I convinced myself Sawyer was a brilliant actor. He genuinely looked as if he had wanted me and the tender unhurried way he touched me made me feel desired.
My heart felt as if it were about to explode in reaction because, acting or not, it had been a very long time since any man had looked at me the way Sawyer did. Considering the circumstances I had felt ridiculous when I suddenly wanted to lean into his hand for a more tangible connection. However, I could have cared less Logan had been watching by then.
With a soft smile like he got a kick out of making a show of us, his gaze rolled leisurely up my neck, traced across from my ear to my lips, and his tongue immediately licked his own. I felt his weighted gaze crush in my chest until I could barely breathe, and it dawned on me; Sawyer's brazen intent was to kiss me.
Wet heat pooled between my legs, my breathing staccato as my heart missed a beat. I struggled to control the unwanted, yet inevitable desires my young acquaintance's actions had stirred within me.
It only took me one more beat to remind myself that what he was doing wasn't how he truly felt, but some elaborate ruse to help give me payback to Logan for how he had treated me.
Taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger, he tipped it up as I sat hypnotized by his undivided attention. All the while tiny vibrations of anticipation collected at the center of my core. Scoring the soft pad of his thumb across my lips, he slid it down to my lower jaw again, dragging my lips apart before he traced his fingers up my cheek and back into my hair.
As he cradled the back of my head, my focus cleared a little from my mesmerized state, and I noted his pulse beating rapidly in the hollow of his neck. With this came the realization I was not alone in anticipating what could follow.
In those few seconds, I almost believed he truly wanted me and we were on our own and nothing else had mattered. As we continued our trance-like stare the air grew heavy as pressure built between us.
When his hungry eyes dropped from mine to my lips, his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed and instantly my already fast heartbeat raced. The pace was so rapid it made me feel dizzy and my mouth went immediately dry. It was a crazy situation, but from that moment on, everything else in the room appeared to fade away.
Fascinated by his slow deliberate moves, I sat transfixed, small bubbles of desire running through me while his other hand cast a tempting trail between my ear and my collarbone. Stopping, he rested his fingertips there and in that instant his tender touch centered me.
