Читать книгу Tender to His Touch - Adrianne Byrd - Страница 12

Beverly laughed. The question had been so unexpected that she couldn’t do anything but. The handsome stranger next to her joined in. His intriguing hazel eyes were so bewitching her heart skipped a beat. She estimated him to be six-two, lean but well muscled. His medium-brown skin had a healthy glow, and he had short-cropped hair that was well-groomed. She fought the sudden impulse to run her fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked. Bottom line, he was a good-looking man with a smile that took her breath away.

“Okay. I admit that was a pretty cheesy pickup line,” the handsome devil admitted.

“But very effective,” she said, throwing him a bone. “Maybe I should be asking how many wives you have stashed away.”

He held up his bare right hand. “I’m as free as a bird.”

She arched a brow at him. Did he think a missing ring meant anything these days?

“I’m divorced.”

“What a coincidence,” she said.

“Now what idiot let you go?” he countered, shaking his head and hitting her with his sexy dimples.

“I know, right?”

They laughed.

“Mind if I buy you a drink?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t—”

“C’mon. Just one.”

The bartender popped up out of nowhere.

“What’ll you have?” her handsome admirer asked.

“Whoooo, boy. It’s, um, been a while.” She hesitated, not knowing what to order. She was more of a wine connoisseur and didn’t know any of the latest cool alcoholic concoctions so she stuck with an old staple. “I’ll just have a Long Island iced tea.”

“And I’ll have another whiskey on the rocks,” the stranger said and then turned his attention back to Beverly. “By the way, I’m Lucius Gray.” He extended his hand.

“Beverly Clark—well, Turner, actually.” She laughed at the slip. “I can’t believe I still make that mistake.”

When his large hand closed around hers, a delicious warmth raced up her arm, her nipples hardened and she tingled in places she’d long forgotten about. That was definitely a good sign.

“If you don’t mind, I have a second cheesy line I’d like to ask you,” Lucius said.

“All right.” She smiled. “Shoot.”

“What’s a beautiful woman like you doing in a bar like this?”

“Well, I just wanted to grab a quick drink to help me relax before I head out for the evening.”

His gaze roamed over her. “So you’re staying at the hotel?”

The bartender returned. “One Long Island iced tea and one whiskey on the rocks. Enjoy.”

Lucius waited patiently for an answer while Beverly took a sip of her drink.

“Mmmm. Now that hit the spot.”

He chuckled, deciding to keep an obvious sexual retort to himself.

Beverly glanced over at him and read him easily. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

Lucius held up his hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, right.” She sipped more of her drink. “And to your previous question, I’m just staying at the hotel for the weekend. And yourself?”

“No, I actually, uh—” he glanced around “—had a meeting with a client, but it looks like that’s already ended.”

“I’m not keeping you from your work, am I?”

“No. No. It’s all right.” He flashed another smile. “We had already wrapped things up. When you strolled in and caught every brotha’s attention in that knockout dress.”

“What—this old thing?”

Lucius laughed.

She bobbed her head and then returned to nursing her drink. “So what do you do, Mr. Gray?”

“I’m an attorney…and please, call me Lucius.”

“Okay, Lucius,” she said, purposely lowering her voice. “It sort of sounds like luscious.”

Lucius’s eyes darkened with unmistakable desire. “You can call me that if you like,” he said, leaning in close. “But only when we’re alone.”

At the feel of his warm breath against her cheek, Beverly experienced a few more tingles. Good Lord, one drink and she was ready to jump the man’s bones.

“Anyway,” Lucius said, “I work for one of the largest African-American law firms in Atlanta. We primarily deal with big litigation cases. You know, health care, pharmaceuticals and insurance fraud.”

“Ahh, an attorney,” she said noncommittally.

“What? Don’t tell me that you have something against lawyers?”

She shrugged. “No. It’s just that…well…”

“What?”

“It’s just that you might be the first attorney I actually like.”

Lucius choked on his drink. When he recovered, he barked with laughter.

Beverly chuckled at his side. “No offense,” she added. “But the last time I had to deal with attorneys I was going through a pretty messy divorce.”

“No offense taken, I assure you. And to be completely honest with you, I wasn’t too crazy about my divorce attorney, either. If you don’t mind my asking, how long ago did you get your freedom papers?”

She shrugged. “Two years.”

“Ah. So your wounds are still fresh.”

Was he suggesting that she still had baggage? “What about you?”

Lucius took another sip of his drink. “Five years. I’ve officially been divorced longer than I was married. But I did get a beautiful daughter out of the deal.”

Beverly’s easy smile dimmed as she reached for her glass.

Lucius soaked in her profile. “Are you sure that we haven’t met somewhere before?”

This time, she nearly choked on her drink. “Cheesy line number three,” she said, dabbing her mouth with a cocktail napkin.

His laughter deepened as he shook his head. “Nah. Nah. I mean it. You look very familiar to me. Do you live here in Atlanta or did you fly in on business?”

“No. I live here in Atlanta,” she said. Her face continued to warm beneath the intensity of his gaze. It didn’t help that the alcohol from her drink felt as if it suddenly had a direct pipeline to her blood system. “Mmm.” She closed her eyes and enjoyed the small buzz.

Lucius’s body reacted to her sexy moan. “Damn. I should’ve had what you’re having.”

Beverly giggled—something she hadn’t done in a long time.

“So what is it that you do, Ms. Turner?”

“I’m a fashion designer—local. I own a boutique out in Virginia Highland. Have you ever been out there?”

He thought hard and long about it. “Can’t say that I have.” His eyes narrowed. “But I swear you seem familiar. Maybe with lighter hair?”

Beverly blinked. “Actually, I recently darkened it.”

He continued to scrutinize. “Was it longer, too?”

“Yes!” Now she tried to study him. Had they met before?

“I’m going to figure it out,” he assured her. His eyes continued to roam hungrily.

He wanted to taste a sample of her lips, not doubting for a moment that they would be sweet, intoxicating and downright addictive. He had a nearly uncontrollable desire to bury himself in the soft curves of her body. Good Lord, he was already thinking about her this way after just talking to her for a few minutes. How long had it been since he’d been with a woman? He frowned, trying to come up with an answer. Ten months. Eleven months. A year? Surely, it couldn’t have been that long—had it?

He reached for his drink again while trying to rein in his horny body. Hell, if he stood up right now he would have to figure out a way to walk with three legs.

Beverly glanced at her watch.

Lucius did the same. He was really going to be late to the private cocktail party. But if he played his cards right, maybe the night would end on a higher note than trying to see how many of his old college buddies still had a head full of hair.

“Can I get you anything else?” the bartender popped up to ask.

Beverly warred with whether she should stick around and enjoy Mr. Lucius’s company or get her butt over to Cork for the Hollington private cocktail party. It wasn’t any easy decision. It felt good to have a man look at her the way he did. It made her feel beautiful, desired, and downright horny. When was the last time that happened? In her mind, she was already experimenting with different acrobatic positions and she could feel herself overheating.

Whoooaaa, Beverly. Slow it down.

“Are you blushing?” he asked.

“Huh? What? No!” She blinked and shook her head clear of those naughty thoughts. “I’ll just have some water,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am. Coming right up.”

Lucius’s evenly groomed brows rose in mild curiosity.

“A woman must know her limitations,” Beverly said, meeting his gaze. “I don’t want to do anything I might regret in the morning.”

He clearly caught her meaning and licked his lips. “I don’t know about regret, but maybe you should do something you’ll enjoy.”

Their eyes locked and the temperature in the bar skyrocketed. Where was that damn water?

“Here you go,” the bartender said, helping Beverly break the spell she’d fallen under.

“Thank you.” She tossed down half its contents in one long gulp.

“Damn. Thirsty?” Lucius asked.

“Just a little.” She chuckled.

They glanced at their watches again.

“Am I keeping you from something?”

She hesitated and then gave him an apologetic smile. “I am supposed to be somewhere.”

“Oh?”

“It’s a cocktail party over at Cork. I—”

Lucius snapped his fingers. “That’s where I know you from.”

Beverly frowned.

“Class of ’99. Hollington College. You’re that Beverly Turner.” He balled his hand in front of his mouth and laughed. “You were homecoming queen.”

Stunned, Beverly blinked at him. “You graduated at Hollington?”

“Sure did. Four of the best years of my life. Now it’s coming back to me.” He laughed. “You used to hang with Kyra Dixon, right?”

“Yeah.” She continued to struggle to place his face.

“I used to be on the football team with Terrence Franklin. Offensive lineman.”

Beverly experienced a flicker of a memory—tall boy, tight ass, hazel eyes. “I think I do remember you,” she said, smiling. “What a coincidence.”

“I’d say.” His smoldering gaze roamed over every inch of her. “Boy, you’re just as beautiful today as you were back then.”

Beverly’s blush deepened. “I love it when a man lies to me.”

“We never officially met back then,” Lucius confessed. “But I remember peeping you out on more than one occasion.” He set down his drink. “Tell you what. Since I’m heading to Cork myself, what do you say I give you a lift?”

It wasn’t exactly smart to jump in a car with a man she hardly knew.

He leaned forward and gave her a wink. “I promise, I’m harmless—despite my being a lawyer.” He stood from his stool, tossed a few bills onto the bar and then offered her his arm. “C’mon. Live a little.”

Beverly could almost hear Clarence cussing her out if she turned down this fine brotha. It would be nice to actually walk into Cork on a handsome man’s arm. Plus, who knows how the rest of the night might end up?

Girrrrl, you are going to get laid for sure.

She certainly hoped so. “All right. Let’s go.”