She snuck a look around the banquette to be sure Cairo was still at the bar before offering a longer explanation. “Okay, listen. The White Orchid is Annabelle Mendez’s dream. It’s an extension of her. Sophisticated, edgy, daring. Cool and hip and modern. The shop is Annabelle, and I’m committed to maintaining everything she is. Every single person I hire is open-minded and forward-thinking. Invested in women’s sexual freedom. And I am too. It’s just that…”
He leaned forward.
“On occasion, I find myself attracted to a man like you.”
“Like me?” He sounded caught halfway between insult and pride.
“Traditional. Sort of…old-fashioned.”
“Old-fashioned?”
She waved a hand, her mind searching desperately for a better descriptor. “You’ve got a country-club vibe, you know?”
His mouth opened as if he meant to repeat her words again, but then he only shook his head. He looked…traumatized? “I run a brewery,” he rasped.
Beth pressed her hands to her eyes to give herself a chance to gather up the courage she’d sat down with. “I’m sorry.” When she opened her eyes, he looked a little less confused, but maybe she’d only pressed her eyeballs too hard. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I’d heard of you and I kind of thought… Well, considering your reputation, I thought maybe you were a no-strings-attached kind of guy. And, obviously, I’d want a no-strings-attached kind of, um, encounter. Not a date. Not in public.”
“You mean you…? You’d want to…”
“Oh, God. I’m sorry. This is so wrong, especially after what just happened. Jamie, I really like you, but I don’t know what I was thinking. I can’t get involved with a guy like you.”
He took a deep breath. “You… Jesus. ‘A guy like me?’ All this talk about being open-minded, but you seem pretty damn narrow-minded about me.”
“Oh, there you go,” she said, relieved that her ridiculousness had removed any chance he’d like her. “Yet another problem! I’ve exposed myself as a hypocrite, another good reason not to get involved.” She was nodding, but Jamie was shaking his head in what appeared to be utter shock.
Beth’s courage was gone. She’d taken control and been honest. She’d embraced her sexual desires. But now that she’d managed that big step, it was time to run away and regroup.
“Okay!” she said brightly. He jumped as if he’d been lost in thought. “I’m sorry about…” She gestured toward his lap. “And thank you. Just… I’m sorry.”
She started to slide out of the booth, but he put a hand on her wrist to stop her. “Wait.”
She froze.
“You’re not exactly the kind of woman I usually date, either.”
Beth stiffened. “From what I’ve heard, you date all kinds of women.”
He blinked as if she’d surprised him, then he shook his head. “Regardless, I meant to say that I’ll leave, and we can still see each other. Later. Tomorrow. No one needs to know.”
Her heart stopped beating for a painful moment. She thought of his hands, his scent, the gorgeous mouth she wanted so badly to taste. And then she thought of the childish panic she’d felt at the sight of Cairo. She clearly wasn’t ready for this.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she sighed.
“Think about it.”
She shouldn’t. But she knew she’d spend all night thinking about it regardless, so Beth nodded. “Okay. I’ll think about it. But no promises.”
This time when she slid away, he let her go.
Beth walked away from him as if it were easy. As if everything was back to normal. But inside, she was changed. She could feel it.
Chapter five
TWELVE HOURS LATER, Eric’s brain hadn’t stopped spinning. He kept staring at the horizon, trying to steady himself, but the horizon was a convention hall filled with milling people, so that didn’t help. Still, it kept him from gawking at The White Orchid’s booth. Mostly.
Today she wore a black skirt. Just as conservative and businesslike. Just as fantastically cupped over her ass as the brown skirt had been. But this one had a little pleat at the back of her knees that flipped out when she walked.
And the heels. The heels were deep red. How was he supposed to keep his eyes off her for more than a minute?
He let his gaze slip up from her shoes to her calves then over that magnificent ass. The rest of the way up her body, he was telling himself to look away, look away… He should’ve taken his own advice, because when he reached her face, he realized she was staring back. He held her gaze until she closed her eyes, then he cursed as he turned back to the stacks of promo coasters he was unpacking.
How the hell did she consider Eric the inappropriate half of this puzzle? As if he could be seen with Beth Cantrell, for God’s sake. He was a business owner trying to promote his place as a respectable brewery, not a party bar. And he was, for all intents and purposes, the head of his family. He had an innocent little sister to think of. My God, what would Tessa think if she found out Eric had dated a woman like Beth? What would she imagine?
Not that Beth could know any of that. She thought he was a man primed for meaningless sex.
Christ, he’d been crazy even to flirt with her.
But when he turned around to grab another box, his peripheral vision hinted that Beth was looking again. Tension swept through his body, painful at first, but as the tension faded, it left behind a warmth that haunted him like a ghost.
When was the last time he’d felt true physical anticipation? The kind of suspense inspired by the mystery of a stranger’s body? But it didn’t matter. He wasn’t a detective. He wasn’t an adventurer. The mystery of Beth Cantrell had nothing to do with him.
But the ghostly warmth stayed with him. He couldn’t shake it.
And how was he supposed to when he’d touched her that way? When he’d watched her face as she came apart in his hands?
“Henry,” he barked. “I’m going to make the rounds. Hold down the fort.”
They wouldn’t start serving samples until eleven, so he didn’t anticipate that Henry would have any trouble handing out coasters and hats and brochures. But Eric didn’t use the chance to pass Beth’s booth again. He headed resolutely in the other direction.
The booth he wanted was about halfway across the room. A local roasting company had offered to make a bid on supplying him with barroom snacks like cashews and peanuts. Eric had promised to hear the owner out. He liked the idea of organic ingredients and imported salt, but it would likely prove too pricey.
He was only a few booths from his target when he spotted Kendall and veered toward the right so he’d be sure to intersect the man’s path.
“Mr. Kendall,” he said simply, holding out his hand as a trap.
“Donovan.” The man’s hand was just like his face, big, meaty and unhappy, if the overly strong grip was any indication.
“It’s great to see you again. I was hoping I’d find you today. You enjoying the expo?”
“A lot of new faces,” Kendall muttered with an arrogant look around.
Yes, Eric wanted to say, that’s the point. But Kendall probably wouldn’t appreciate that. “About lunch today. I hoped we could—”
“Can’t do it, Donovan.”
Eric felt a surge of anger, but he forced a smile. “All right. But I hope you’ve set aside time this evening.”
Kendall sighed, his eyes shifting past Eric as if he couldn’t wait to get away. His attitude made Eric want to growl. He could make this guy a decent amount of money given a chance.