Ample Delights (3 page)

All things considered, it had turned out to be a pretty good day.

* * * *

Nick pulled on his T-shirt as he walked down the hall. He’d exited from the studio to strip out of his clothes in one of the fastest wardrobe changes ever when Terrah had stopped to chat with Michelle. Ginny had been thrilled to answer his question about Terrah’s whereabouts, and he knew she hadn’t left the building yet.

So where was she?

He went past two offices before he found her snagging a bottle of water from the vending machine with one hand as she texted with the other.

“Hello, Terrah.”

She whipped around at the sound of his voice, and Nick rushed forward as she lost her balance and fumbled to keep hold of her phone. Neither of them could save the device from hitting the floor with a loud clatter beside her makeup case.

“Damn.”

They both leant down to pick up the phone and bumped heads instead.

“Ouch!”

“I’m so sorry.”

He handed the cell phone to her with an apologetic grin as they both straightened up.

Smooth, Tasso, real smooth.

“Is it broken?”

Terrah pushed buttons on the phone. “The screen isn’t lighting up as it should.”

His gaze swept over her lovely, heart-shaped face and fell to her mouth as she continued to fiddle with her cell. She had the most incredible pair of lips he’d ever seen.

Those lips are made for kisses.

Nick pushed back the errant thought as Terrah softly cursed.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. If your phone is broken, I’ll replace it.”

Her fingers stopped flying over her cell and her cinnamon-brown eyes met his.

“It was an accident, no worries. I’ve dropped it before and it’s come back to life. It could be fine in a few hours and, if not, it was time for me to get a new one anyway.”

“Are you sure?”

Terrah grinned. “Positive. Were you looking for Jocelyn? I think I saw her just getting ready to go.”

“No, actually, I was looking for you.”

The surprise on her face quickly changed to a look of concern.

“Is it the makeup? Did you have an allergic reaction?”

Her gaze flicked over his face and chest before she lifted her eyes to his. The concern he saw in her beautiful brown eyes stirred him.

And
her lips…

Just watching those full, totally kissable lips move with each spoken word was beginning to give him a hard-on.

“I’m not here about the makeup.”

His gaze ran appreciatively over Terrah’s hair. He wanted to touch one of the dark curls she’d restrained in a low ponytail. She tilted her head and his eyes were drawn to the dainty silver earrings swaying in her earlobes.

“No?”

The quizzical look on her face made him smile.

“No. I wanted to invite you to dinner.”

“Dinner?”

Terrah’s eyes widened as he took a step closer.

“Yes. Let me take you to dinner, especially since I’m the reason you dropped your phone.”

“That’s really not necessary.” Her gaze narrowed as she stared at him. She shifted her eyes from his to mess with her cell again.“Besides, I don’t go to dinner with involved men.”

“Involved?”

“Yes,
involved
.” Terrah shook her head as she unscrewed the cap on her water. “Does Jocelyn know you’re in here trying to hit on me?” 

“I’m not involved with Jocelyn.”

One sculpted eyebrow lifted in his direction.

“Oh, really?”

“Really.”

“Well, not according to the tabloids.”

“Haven’t you heard the phrase, ‘Don’t believe everything you read’?”

Terrah scoffed. “Okay, so you’re not
involved
with Jocelyn…just
sleeping
with her. I get it.”

“No, I don’t think you do.”

Nick studied her as she took a sip of water. His eyes dipped to her mouth again and he wondered how such delectable lips could utter such sassy words. He frowned as Terrah let out a resigned sigh and waved her hand.

“Have a good night, Nick.”

* * * *

Terrah brushed past Nick, utterly confused by the mixture of excitement and contempt making her heart pound. She still couldn’t believe he’d asked her out.

The nerve of some men.

Nick Tasso was a player, obviously not accustomed to having his dinner invitations turned down. Terrah walked faster and her heels echoed loudly in the hallway. She reached the exit, pushed through the door and took a deep breath as she stepped outside. The sun had not yet set, and the sidewalk was filled with busy New Yorkers hurrying to get home in the summer heat.

Terrah joined them, taking her MP3 player out of her shoulder bag and walking towards the subway. Nick’s invitation to dinner had shocked the hell out of her, completely thrown her for a loop. For the briefest of moments, she had been thrilled, blindsided by his ridiculously intoxicating good looks. Thank goodness she’d come to her senses. She hadn’t even been tempted to say yes.

Right.

Terrah boarded the subway, grateful to find a window seat. She sat down, turned up Adele’s song of love and loss, surprised by the sting of tears in her eyes. She swallowed them down, changed to a more upbeat tune and froze in her seat.

Her makeup case!

She’d been so distracted by Nick’s proposal, she’d left it in the room by the vending machine.

Damn!

Incensed, Terrah got up from her seat to get off at the next stop. Her makeup supply had cost her a fortune. Plus, she had colours of lipstick and eyeshadow that were irreplaceable. As much as she didn’t want to, she had to go back.

The sun was slipping from the sky by the time she made her way out of the subway and back to the studio. She pushed the buzzer and yanked the door open as the lock was released. The sound of familiar laughter behind her drew her attention. She turned just in time to see Jocelyn get into a shiny Mercedes parked alongside the kerb, with another male model Terrah had worked with before. Terrah watched the two of them exchange a hot kiss before Jocelyn’s man for the night pulled the car into traffic and it sped off.

Maybe Nick had told her the truth about his and Jocelyn’s relationship status.

What does it matter?

Weary, Terrah walked back down the hallway towards the room where she hoped her case still was. She stepped inside the doorway and cursed out loud.

Her makeup was gone.

“Looking for this?”

Terrah spun around to see her beloved case in Nick’s upheld hand. “Omigoodness, yes!” Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze locked with his. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Why did his deep voice send shivers of delight up her spine?

“I thought someone had taken it.”

Terrah tried to appear cool when she was anything but after rushing back off the subway to get her stuff. She was hot and flustered to find herself face to face with Nick again.

“I picked it up right after you stormed out of here.”

“Thanks again—” Terrah glared at him. “Stormed?”

Chapter Three

“
Stormed.
” Nick emphasised the word as Terrah fiddled with her shoulder bag. 

“Can you just give me my case, please? It’s been a really long day. I’m so tired and hungry…” Terrah shot him a quick look. “That was not an invitation to
extend
another invitation.”

Nick chuckled. “I didn’t assume it was…but my invitation still stands.”

He handed her the case, struck again by how lovely she was. She had the most expressive eyes and it wasn’t hard for him to see the wariness in her level gaze.

“Before you say no for the second time, I’d like to say again that I am not involved with Jocelyn…or anyone, for that matter. It would make my night if you changed your mind and said yes. Are you really going to say no to sharing a meal with the man who stayed around to guard your makeup?”

Terrah laughed, and the girlish sound of it made Nick smile.

“Fine. We’ll go to dinner. It’ll save me from having to wash dishes later.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to work so damn hard to convince a woman to go out with him.

Eating with him would save her from doing dishes?

Damn.

The woman was seriously trying to bruise his ego.

Terrah lifted her face to his as he held open the door for her with a hesitant smile. His eyes were drawn once again to the tempting fullness of her lips as they curved upward, and that was when he saw it. That tiny flicker of desire flashing in her eyes before she masked it.

She was attracted to him.

It was on.

Nick resisted the unexpected urge to sweep her into his arms as she stepped by him and onto the sidewalk. He could almost envision what it would feel like to kiss her. He’d start off slow, run his tongue along the generous swell of her bottom lip. He wanted to make her wet and hungry for more. He would not stop pursuing her until she craved
him
.

“What do you have a taste for?” Nick asked after he cleared his throat.

“I could go for anything right now.”

Her innocent statement sent all kinds of erotic images through his head, of the two of them intertwined beneath his sheets. His body overreacted against his will and Nick stuffed one hand into his jeans, hoping to camouflage his semi-erect cock as they walked.

“All right, I know a great restaurant on Madison Avenue. Do you want to just catch a cab?”

“Yes! I didn’t wear my comfortable heels.”

Nick glanced down at her shoes, thinking her non-comfy shoes showcased her killer legs well.

Terrah pulled on the strap of her shoulder bag. “I wish I could drop off my gear before we go to dinner.”

“I’m staying in a hotel not far from the restaurant I’d like to take you to. We could drop your stuff off there, if you’d like?” Nick saw the suspicion in her eyes. “We could just leave it at the front desk. You could swing by and grab your case afterwards.”

“Well…”

“C’mon, Terrah, I’m not propositioning you for sex.”

He grabbed her arm as she stumbled.

“I didn’t say you were.”

“Your eyes, Terrah… Your eyes say it for you. Let me have this stuff.”

Nick stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and Terrah followed suit. He slipped his fingers beneath the strap of her shoulder bag, pulled it off her shoulder, placed it on his own and took the makeup case back from her hand.

“So what’s it going to be? Do you want to lug your gear with us or drop it off?” Nick asked as he hailed a cab.

“Drop it off.”

“Good.”

Nick stepped to the kerb as a yellow taxi pulled up and Terrah moved beside him. He opened her door and wondered what kind of perfume she wore. The damnable sexy scent wafted into his nose and lingered as she got into the car. Nick envisioned what it would be like to kiss Terrah’s thighs as she slid back into her seat and unknowingly offered him a tempting peek. His cock, which had finally decided to behave, stirred at the thought when he slammed her door closed.

Keep thinking like that and you won’t be able to hide your hard-on.

Nick went around the other side of the cab, got in and closed his own door. After giving the address for his hotel to the cabbie, he turned to Terrah just as the first few bars of Jamie Foxx’s
Unpredictable
began to chime.

Terrah started to chuckle as she took her cell out of her purse, checked the display and silenced it.

“What is so funny?”

“This song is so fitting for this moment.” Terrah shook her head as she looked at him. “Going out to dinner with you is the
last
thing I expected tonight… Completely unpredictable.”

“Hey, I’m glad I get to spare you a night of having to wash dishes.”

Terrah laughed. “You’re funny.”

Nick grinned at her as the taxi wove in and out of traffic. Terrah didn’t know it yet, but the joke was about to be on her. He could tell she thought she had his type pegged, but he was going to show her just how unpredictable he was.

* * * *

Terrah took Nick’s hand as he opened her door, and got out of the cab. She tried to ignore the way her pulse reacted as he smiled at her.

Why did he have to be so charming on top of gorgeous?

“It’s not so hot now,” Nick said as they walked up to his hotel.

“Thank goodness.”

It
was
cooler now the sun had set, but the air was still muggy. She didn’t like the heat, but New York weather was the last thing on her mind. Underneath the calm façade she was trying hard to keep in place, she was freaking out.

She was going to dinner with Nick Tasso, her ultimate fantasy guy. It was crazy. She shouldn’t have accepted his second invitation to dinner, but she hadn’t been able to say no. Not with him waiting for her to accept with those sexy, hypnotic, green eyes of his. Besides, he’d earned a dinner date for sticking around with her makeup case. She appreciated what he’d done no matter what his motives had been.

Terrah flicked a glance at Nick and decided she wasn’t going to focus on
why
he’d asked her out right now. He appeared to be oblivious to the attention he was garnering from just about everyone they passed by. She wasn’t unaccustomed to men looking at her, but this was something else. Nick was getting play from males and females, and he seemed completely unaware of it all.

Duh, he’s a top model.

Being constantly stared at was the status quo for him.

And he truly was something to stare at.

The sky-blue T-shirt he was wearing highlighted his bronze skin and muscled arms. He pulled open the glass door in front of them, and Terrah couldn’t help noticing the smattering of dark hairs running up his forearms. A much-needed blast of cold air rushed over her heated skin as they stepped into the opulent lobby.

“Your agency put you up in style, I see.”