"That’s right. Go."
"Look—" He gripped her shoulders, and his touch sparked a shiver between her legs. "I spoke quickly. I don’t want to go. If you don’t want to go to bed, I can accept that. But can we talk? Have a drink? Or a cup of coffee? We don’t have to stay here if you’re not comfortable. We can go to a bar or a coffee shop."
Her body was on fire, and she was tempted to spend the evening with this handsome stranger—for that’s what he still was, a stranger. However, it couldn’t lead to anything good, and she’d just be heartbroken when it ended.
Holly had already experienced enough heartbreak for this lifetime.
"I’m sorry, Jack. Just go. Please."
"Aw, damn, sugar. Why won’t you let us get to know each other?"
"Because..." Her voice trailed off and she cleared her throat. His dark beauty left her breathless. He was a sweetheart and he deserved the best—better than she could give, anyway. She gulped in some courage. "Because I have nothing to offer you, that’s why."
"I disagree."
"You don’t know me."
"I’d like to change that."
She opened the door and looked at the floor. "I’m sorry."
Tears stung the inside of her eyelids as he walked away toward the elevator.
He didn’t look back.
Chapter Five
He was waiting at her law office the next day.
He looked luscious, of course. He was still wearing jeans and a western shirt. This time the shirt was a creamy beige that accented his golden skin tone. Could he be any more tempting?
"Mr. Sherwood’s been waiting for a while, Holly," Cindy, the receptionist, said. "Said he had an appointment."
Holly let out a harsh breath. Reprimanding Cindy would do no good. The young woman took phone calls and manned the lobby, and each tenant contributed to her salary. But each tenant who rented an office here kept his own calendar. Executive suites, the offices were called, and many sole proprietors found them an economical way to do business while keeping the professional air of a downtown building. The situation usually worked just fine.
/> "Is everything okay, Holly?" Cindy asked. "It’s not like you to miss an appointment."
I don’t miss an appointment…when I have one. Holly smiled at the receptionist. "Just running late is all." Now, what to do with Jack? He’d already been waiting and to keep him any longer would look bad to Cindy. "Come with me, Mr. Sherwood."
She opened the door to her office, gestured him in, and closed the door.
"Don’t you have a home to go to?"
"Yup." He took a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. He looked completely comfortable and at ease. And absolutely edible.
Damn him.
"Then why aren’t you there?"
"I have a legal problem."
"How’d you find me?"
"A little bird." He chuckled. "With a raspy voice and smoke on her breath."
Holly rolled her eyes. "Sheila. One day I’m going to revert to my teenage years and kick that woman’s ass. I could take her, you know."
Jack’s smile lit up the room. "Aw, leave her alone. Poor thing’s gonna be on oxygen in ten years anyway."