The limo stopped. The driver opened the door for them. Dean got out, and reached in to assist Kristen. The warmth of his fingers closing around hers caused her chest to freeze. Tingles rained down on her like snowflakes.
He gave a soft tug that brought her out of the limo and almost into his arms. Their eyes met and held. They might not want to mix business with pleasure, but the electricity humming through her made her wonder what it would be like to be on a date with him for real.
Crazy. Weird. Odd.
Those things popped into her head first. He might be good-looking, but he was also a genius who spoke his mind, always thought he was right and always wanted his own way. Those traits didn’t make a good boyfriend—or date.
She pulled back, as he pulled back. Almost as if they’d both taken those two seconds to ask the question, What if they acted on their attraction? and both decided against it.
* * *
Dean put his hand on her elbow and turned her toward the hotel. They walked into the stately lobby and were directed to the elevator that would take them to the ballroom several floors up. When the doors closed, he immediately took his hand off her elbow and stuffed it in his pocket.
Those few seconds after he’d helped her out of the limo, when they’d stood face-to-face, a mere fraction of an inch apart, his whole body had tensed with wanting her, and he’d suddenly seen that his gut wasn’t telling him she was somehow important. It was telling him he was a lot more attracted to her than he’d thought. Not because her eyes were pretty or because she had a long sloping back that led to the most perfect butt he’d ever seen. He liked her. Her.
She’d had hutzpah enough to question him about the situation with Alex. She’d easily confessed her fear about how she would explain approaching him to her boss. Then she’d admitted it was her own mess, and she’d clean it up.
He couldn’t remember the last time anybody was so honest with him. So open. And the fact that he liked it confused him. He was a need-to-know person, who lived in a need-to-know world. Yet hearing about her, her background, her situation, pleased him.
Even so, starting something with her was wrong. He did not do relationships. Especially not with innocent women. So he stopped the pleasant hum buzzing through him.
The elevator door opened and her gasp of joy took his gaze to her face. Her green eyes sparkled. Her lush lips lifted into a glorious smile.
“It’s so pretty.”
To him the decorations were fairly standard. Evergreen branches outlined the arch doorway that led to the ballroom where white poinsettias in short fat fishbowls sat as centerpieces on round tables covered with red linen tablecloths. Crystal glasses sparkled in candlelight. White lights twinkled overhead like stars.
Putting his hand at the small of her back, Dean nudged her out of the elevator. “It’s about normal.” He frowned. “Your princess must take you nowhere.”
“I’m a background person. But I’m changing that. And I appreciate this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone.”
There was that honesty again. So pure and so simple, it almost made him relax. But that was absurd. Not only was getting involved with this woman out of his life plan, but also his company was in trouble. Instead of constantly being drawn into wondering about unwanted feelings, he needed to use this time to assure people that he wasn’t out of touch. He was in control.
“Dean!”
Dean and Kristen turned toward the sound of the booming voice owned by George Perkins, the party’s host. A tall, striking man, with snow-white hair and probing blue eyes, he held out his hand to Dean. “So glad you could come.”
Dean said, “The pleasure is mine, George. Thank you for inviting me.” He smiled at George’s wife, who stood beside him. Petite and pretty, Lorraine glowed with happiness.
“Good evening, Lorraine.” Then he turned to Kristen. “Kristen, these are George and Lorraine Perkins, our hosts for the evening.” He faced their hosts and said, “This is my guest, Kristen Anderson.”
Kristen shook hands with George and Lorraine. “The decorations are wonderful.”
Lorraine brightened even more. Toying with the extravagant diamond necklace at her throat, she said, “Thank you. It’s always a debate. Simple and elegant or over-the-top. This year I went with simple and elegant.”