Hot Property (Hot Zone 4)

CHAPTER FIVE

AMY WALKED THROUGH SPARKS, the steak house chosen by Roper for their lunch, and found herself taken in by the old-boy charm of the establishment. She appreciated the decor and she tried to focus on that—on anything except the man watching her intently as she approached.

Roper rose as she came closer and waited until she was seated and they were alone before settling back in. “I’m glad you could join me,” he said, his voice warm and welcoming.

“I’m glad, too.” She placed her napkin on her lap and took a second to cover her stomach with her hand, hoping to ease the butterflies inside, made worse because the car ride had taken longer than it should have. The vice president was in town, roads were closed and gridlock was the word of the day. “I’m sorry I’m late. The traffic was horrendous.”

“Not a problem. It gave me time to relax a little first.” He glanced down and pulled his phone from a holder at his waist. “Excuse me. Phone call.” He answered, had a quick conversation that sounded much like the one she’d heard New Year’s Eve with his mother, before meeting her gaze once more. “Sorry, that was my sister,” he said, placing his phone on the table.

“No problem.” She clasped her hands together, thinking that his family most definitely was his problem.

“Where was I? Oh, yes. I’m glad you’re here and I ordered us champagne.” He inclined his head to the side of the table, and for the first time she noticed the ice bucket and the bottle chilling inside.

Memories of New Year’s Eve rose quickly and vividly in her mind before she could shut them out. But she couldn’t concentrate on business if she was busy remembering how soft and moist his lips had felt on hers or how the intoxicating scent of his cologne had wrapped around her, enveloping her in heat.

She cleared her throat. “It’s a working lunch,” she reminded him, hating that she sounded stiff, but knowing it was necessary.

“And we will work. But first—” he treated her to a sexy smile “—I’d like to toast our new relationship.”

“Relationship?” The word came out more like a squeak.

“Working relationship.” A teasing sparkle lit his gaze. “Isn’t that why we’re here?”

She exhaled hard. “I’d love to toast. I just can’t promise to drink.”

“Still recovering from New Year’s?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’m over it. I mean—”

“I understand what you meant.” He laughed and leaned forward in his seat. “And if you’d just relax around me, I won’t even ask why you haven’t returned any of my calls.”

Her cheeks grew uncomfortably hot. “I needed to distance my work and my personal relationships.”

“Which I might have understood if you’d called me back and explained. Or if you’d told me you were working at the Hot Zone to begin with.” He gestured to the waiter, who began to unwrap, uncork and pour the champagne.

“The subject of where I was working never came up. But I admit not returning your phone calls was a little cowardly of me. I’m sorry.”

“And I’m sorry about the reporters and the articles in today’s paper.” His normally easygoing smile disappeared, replaced by obvious regret. “I have no idea how they zeroed in on us after New Year’s and I certainly never thought they’d make us newsworthy. I took a private booth back here, so hopefully we’re safe from prying eyes.”

His cell phone buzzed suddenly, shaking on the table and breaking the connection subtly flowing between them. Although he’d set the phone to vibrate, the intrusion was just as noticeable.

Shooting her an apologetic glance, he picked up the phone. This time, however, his tone was different, brittle even. “Bad time. I’m busy. I’ll call you later.” He disconnected the call and placed the phone back on the table.

She met his gaze. “Your brother.”

He nodded. “You’re astute.”

“I just remembered what you told me the other night. Where does he live?”

“Nowhere permanent. Right now he’s staying with a friend not too far from here.”

“So all three of you are in the city.”

He nodded. “We love our mother, but distance seems to work best for all of us,” he said, laughing.

“Speaking of your mother, I suppose she’s going to call next?” she asked.

He groaned. “Probably, but I’d rather not think about her right now. So back to New Year’s…I’m sorry for the press showing up like that. If I’d known, I’d have taken you out the back or used my car so they never would have gotten a shot of you in the first place.”