Substitute Seduction (Sweet Tea And Scandal 2)

“I’m wearing the necklace you bought me for Christmas last year.” London had not previously worn the statement necklace of stone flowers in hot jewel tones, thinking the look was too bold for her. But today she’d wanted her appearance to make an impact and the necklace had paired perfectly with the dress.

“Is your hair up?”

London’s fingers automatically went to the sleek side bun she wore.

“Forget I asked,” Maribelle said. “Just take it down and send me a picture.”

Feeling slightly ridiculous, London did as she was told, even going so far as to fluff her blond waves into a sexy, disheveled look, and was rewarded by her friend’s joyful squeal.

“I think that means you approve.”

“This is the London McCaffrey I’ve been waiting for all my life,” Maribelle declared in rapturous tones. “You look fantastic and it’s so nice to see you ditching those dull duds you think make you look professional.”

“Thanks?” Despite her friend’s backhanded compliment, London was feeling optimistic and excited about seeing Harrison again. Would he approve of her new look? Or was he a typical guy who wouldn’t notice?

“You really like him, don’t you?”

London opened her mouth, preparing to deny the way her heart raced and nerves danced whenever she was with Harrison, but couldn’t lie to her friend. “I do like him. More than I expected to. That being said, it might be that we have a lot of chemistry and there’s no possible way we’re compatible beyond that.” She left an unspoken but hanging in the air.

It was getting harder and harder to make excuses for why dating Harrison would be a waste of her time. Unfortunately, the real reason was a secret London could never share with her friend and that made what she was doing all the worse.

“Say whatever you want,” Maribelle said. “But I see things working out between you two.”

“I don’t know. We’re so different. We have divergent points of view about lifestyle and the things we enjoy. How do we go forward if we have nothing in common?”

“That sounds like your mother talking. How different are you really? You both come from money. You may not run in the same groups, but your families share some social connections. Both of you are committed to your careers and highly competitive. If you’re talking about the fact that he races cars for a living, he makes a boatload of money doing it and I think you’d be bored with some stuffy businessman who only wants to talk about how his company is doing. You need someone who gets you riled up.”

“You keep saying things like that, but excitement has never been my criterion for finding a man attractive before.”

“How’s that worked out for you thus far?”

Before London could protest that she was quite happy with her life, her desk phone lit up with a call from Missy, likely indicating that Harrison had arrived.

“I think Harrison’s here.”

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“Call me later to let me know how it went.”

Instead of reminding her friend that this was a business meeting, London said, “I’m sure there won’t be anything to tell.”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

London was shaking her head as she disconnected with her friend and answered the call from her receptionist. Sure enough, Harrison was waiting for her in the lobby.

Before she picked up her tablet containing all the information on the four venues she’d be showing Harrison today, London double-checked her makeup and applied a fresh coat of lipstick. She noted her sparkling eyes and the flush over her cheekbones put there in anticipation of seeing Harrison. The man had certainly gotten beneath her skin. Worse, she was glad of it.

Despite the fact that she’d seen him the night before, London’s stomach flipped as she walked into the reception area and spied Harrison’s tall figure. Although her primping had kept him waiting, he wasn’t checking his phone or flirting with her receptionist. Instead he was focused on the hallway leading to her office. Their eyes collided and a shower of sparks raced across London’s nerve endings, leaving her breathless and light-headed.

“Hi,” she said, her voice sounding not at all professional. Cursing her body’s longing to fling itself against his, she cleared her throat and tried again. “Sorry I kept you waiting.” Flustered by his slow, sexy smile, she turned to the receptionist. “Missy, I’ll be gone for the rest of the afternoon. See you in the morning.”

“Sure.” Missy brazenly winked at her. “You two have fun now.”

London’s mouth dropped open and her brain was scrambling to come up with something to reply when Harrison caught her hand and tugged her toward the door. She noticed how the man smelled delicious as he guided her to his Mercedes.

“Where to first?” he asked as he slid behind the wheel.

Although the entire afternoon’s plans were already firmly in her mind, she cued up her tablet, needing something to do to avoid looking at him. After naming an address half a mile down on King Street, she began listing the positives and negatives of the space.