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He watched her, the softness in her eyes drawing him in. “You were able to quit the club?” He knew the answer to that. He’d gone in for a few nights after his friends had hired her, and there wasn’t a sign of her on any of those evenings.
“Yes.” She nodded and the blush grew. “With the big chunk of new clients at once, I was able to get all caught up on my loan payments, and if things continue this way, I’ll be just fine. My business will make it.”
She glowed as she smiled at him, and all he could do was stare at her. His fingers itched to reach out and touch her, to brush that soft skin, to feel those lips, see if they were really as plump and soft as he imagined. To taste them, nip at them and see if she moaned in response.
Oh, hell.
* * *
Holy hotness, Batman.Lily thought it was her imagination for a minute, but there was no mistaking this—Aiden Kyle was thinking dirty thoughts. And, oh shoot, so was she. She blinked, slowly.
She couldnotgo there with this man.
For a number of reasons. Not the least of which was the fact that the man had single handedly saved her business. If she screwed this up by acting unprofessionally, she could lose everything she’d worked so hard to build. Then, of course, there was the fact that she wasn’t baseball-player-girlfriend material. No, she was more like the tortoise and he was the hare in this story. He lived a life she couldn’t imagine. He had his pick of any woman he wanted. He had money and fancy shiny toys like the Corvette sitting in his driveway. He was so far off her pace it was laughable.
“Here,” Lily said, probably a bit too loudly, a bit too suddenly. She reached for the cooler bag at her feet, unzipping it, and pulling out the glass containers. “I have some samples to get you started. These are cookies. They have a great deal of protein and fiber, and are the perfect snack for before a workout when your body will need an extra boost in a small package.”
Aiden didn’t break eye contact as the corners of his mouth tipped and he took the container. “I’ve heard a lot about theses cookies. The guys rave about them.”
She grinned. “They’re my secret weapons. They have shredded carrots and pecans, but you won’t even know you’re eating something that’s good for you. I promise.”
She pulled another set of containers out and handed them over. “These ones are lunch-sized portions of a few things for you to try. I’ll drop off three days' worth of meals at a time from now on. Leave the empty containers on the counter, and I’ll take them to refill. No need to wash them. Just leave them with the tops off. I’ll gather them, clean, sanitize and refill.”
She was babbling again. They had already gone over this, as well as the alarm and key instructions so she could access his home if he wasn’t there. She had his schedule; she’d given him the drop off routine. They were finished.
Yet, here she sat, repeating everything again.
He smiled at her now, a full on melt your panties kind of smile that said he knew exactly how nervous she was.
She stood. Abruptly. He joined her.
“Well,” she said and stuck her hand out to shake his. And, then she didn’t know what to say.
He smiled down at her hand, taking it carefully in his much larger one, as though afraid he’d break her.
Lily retrieved her hand, a little disturbed at the way the warmth of the handshake seemed to seep into her, shaking her to the core. He still smiled at her, that knowing, confident smile that told her he knew exactly how flustered she was. And, he was not.
She backed up to the door. He was not the least bit flustered as that smile remained on his lips.Oh, those lips. What she wouldn’t do to have a free pass to those lips for a day. Or a night. Or five minutes. Lily felt behind her for the doorknob.
“So,” she said, still lost.Goodbye. Goodbye is the word you’re looking for.
“Goodbye, Lily,” he said.
“Bye,” she squeaked.
Good grief.
Chapter Seven
Lily shook off her umbrella and placed it outside the door before she set down the cooler bag. She pulled Aiden’s note off the door where he’d taped it, just as she’d instructed him to. He was letting her know which meals he liked best, what to repeat and what to avoid for future orders. She scanned the note and smiled as she tucked it into her bag. So far, he’d loved just about everything, just like his friends. She’d expanded her business enough to add another day of rental at the commercial kitchen space she used for her cooking and prep, making it that much easier to get everything done.
She made her way to the kitchen and unzipped the cooler bag, then started to settle all of Aiden’s meals onto the shelves of his refrigerator. For some reason, coming into Aiden’s space always seemed more intimate than going into her other clients’ homes. She had keys and alarm codes for most of them, since her clients tended to be busy professionals. She always came and went quickly, setting everything up, grabbing the empty containers, and going on her way.
But, with Aiden’s home, it just always seemed ... different. As though she could feel him there. And, it felt strange being there without him. As if she were invading his private space. She’d been purposefully coming when she knew he wouldn’t be home, though. Because after their last interaction, she’d decided avoiding him was a good idea. A necessary idea.
He wasn’tdatingmaterial, and Lily was a dater. She didn’t do flings. She didn’t do one-night stands, or even one-weekend stands or however long he’d want her before moving on to the next woman in line. And, she had no doubt there were plenty of women waiting for him. With his money, his fame, his looks, that body—good grief that body! With all of that, there was no doubt a line of women ready and willing to do his bidding for however long he’d have them.
And, she wouldn’t be one of them.
