She’d wanted to cool off? Not even the spring breeze blowing in behind him would cause her blood to chill now. At a professional glance, he looked every inch the executive she wanted to target with her new business angle. From a personal standpoint, he set her body tingling with one long glance.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
He nodded and offered an awkward smile. “Charmed?” He held out his hand, then seemed to reconsider, then changed his mind again and shoved his hand forward, nearly hitting her in the chest.
She tipped her head to the side, stunned by his awkward manner. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
He laughed aloud, a sexy, rumbling sound that vibrated inside her. A confident sound at odds with the inept handshake he’d offered. “No, I meant the sign outside said Charmed! so I assume I have the right place.” The voice was every bit as sexy as the man.
A renewed surge of warmth trickled through her veins, slow and easy, like warm molasses. She liked the feeling. “That you do. I’m Kayla Luck, the owner.”
She shook his outstretched hand.
His touch was strong and self-assured, so unlike the weak handshake of the men she’d met at the accounting firm where she used to work.
“Glad to meet you, Ms. Luck.” And he began pumping her hand too eagerly. “Or is it Mrs.?” He paused a beat. “I really should have asked; I mean, I have no right to jump to conclusions and insult a lady…”
Unable to comprehend his sudden rambling, she interrupted him. “It’s Ms. or Miss. Your choice.” She eased her hand out of his grip before he yanked her arm out of its socket.
The rough edges of his skin brushed against hers. Despite all logic, she enjoyed the lingering caress.
“No Mrs.,” he mused. “Must be my lucky day.” He shook his head and laughed. “That was pathetic. You must hear jokes like that all the time.”
“Too often. What can I…” Kayla caught her slip. “I mean, what can Charmed! do for you, Mr.…?”
“McDermott. Kane McDermott.”
“Are you here for the wine-tasting class, Mr. McDermott? Because it’s been canceled.”
He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “I can see why. It’s a damn furnace in here.”
“Actually it is the furnace.”
“Which explains why you’ve stripped for summer before the start of the season.” All traces of awkwardness gone, his smoky gaze fell on the silk shell that clung to her skin.
Embarrassment nearly suffocated her. She started to cross her arms and stopped, realizing she’d only made an uncomfortable situation worse. Bold admiration lit his chiseled features, the frank look at her breasts common to most men she came in contact with. Throughout her twenty-five years, she’d grown to both know and hate that stark, assessing look. Yet somehow, with his velvet stare now raised and boring into hers, she couldn’t take offense.
Even so, she couldn’t possibly be interested in a stranger with too many inconsistencies in his character. Awkward one minute, self-assured the next, Kayla couldn’t help but wonder who he was.
And what he wanted.
She brazenly looked him over. He might have been prepared to walk into a photo shoot instead of her place of business. His dark hair was full, the bottom curling around his collar. The cut was longer than most nine-to-fivers preferred and added a dangerous edge to his appearance. The hard look in his eyes seemed to verify that impression. The perfectly sculpted features were at odds with the man inside. Mr. Kane McDermott had been around life’s many corners more than a few times.
He wasn’t the ordinary man who frequented her aunt and uncle’s establishment. Her establishment, she reminded herself. The man was a paying customer, and that meant she had to quit dissecting him and get down to business.
“Can I get you a cold drink?” she asked. She had bottles of water in the office refrigerator.
He leaned against the wall, one shoulder propped against the scarred wooden paneling. His potent gaze never strayed from hers. “How about I buy you a drink?” he asked in that seductive voice. “I mean…oh, hell. I can’t pull this off.”
“Pull what off? What’s going on?”
“I can’t pretend I’m a guy who can’t get his own woman and needs lessons in how to approach a pretty female.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You think that’s the service we offer?”
“‘Let her be Charmed!’?” he asked, repeating her aunt’s company slogan. “It was on the website my friend directed me to.”
“I see. Well, we’ve advanced beyond those days. Not that we can’t offer basic etiquette lessons if you need them, but…” His words suddenly penetrated her brain. “What do you mean you can’t pull this off? That you can’t pretend you’re a geek in need of training?” she asked warily. She’d wondered about his agenda and it wasn’t like her to be sidetracked by a hot guy—which made this one all the more dangerous.