MrTemptation (20 page)

“Go get dressed,” he said, looking at her. “I’ve got a
surprise.”

“I’ve a few surprises of my own,” she replied.

“This evening is all about having a good time.”

“I’ll be right back.”

She ran to her closet and pulled out the sexy black dress
they had seen on the model at Sparkle Industries. She’d phoned Barbara, who was
able to alter the sample to a size six and send it to her hotel. She hadn’t
even tried the dress on, wasn’t even sure she would have the nerve to wear it
in public.

Didn’t Preston deserve to be seen with a hot date?

“Turn your back,” she said.

“What?”

“Do as I ask. This is your first surprise.”

Preston walked to the window and looked out to the park
across the street.

“I’d rather watch you dress,” he said.

“I don’t need the pressure,” she replied playfully.

She shrugged off the bathrobe. She didn’t bother with a bra
and panties. The fabric being so thin and clingy would show off any line.

She slipped the dress over her head and the silky fabric
fell into place. The sleek material electrified her skin. The plunging neckline
ended at her waist. She adjusted the bodice to give her boobs just the right
amount of exposure. The plunge was not gapingly wide but wide enough to cause a
stir and more than just a glance. The rest of the dress clung to all the right
places.

Cadence Burke, you’re out of your mind wearing this
dress.

She strangled the little voice that was always ruining her
fun.

Being daring for the first time in her life, she opted to go
without pantyhose and she slipped into her high-heeled shoes. She put on her
graduation pearls and the pearl earrings the mayor had given her on her
twenty-first birthday.

She retreated to the bathroom to check herself in the
mirror. The image reflected wasn’t the Cadence Burke she knew.

She twisted her hair up and pinned it into an elegant
chignon. So it would be Gwyneth tonight and not Lady Gaga. With a small amount
of makeup and perfume applied in strategic places, she was ready to go.

Preston was talking on his cell as she strutted out of the
bathroom. She didn’t interrupt but she was disappointed. Did another client
need him? Would he be thinking about some far-off business deal all through
dinner? Would he have to leave early?

He finished his call and stowed his phone in the case.

She cleared her throat loudly.

He spun around.

She settled her hand on her hip. “Well?”

She needn’t have asked. The look on his face was exactly
what she had been hoping for. His eyes roved over her, stopping at the plunging
neckline.

His eyes widened and a slow smile crept across his lips.
”Wow.” His voice rasped in his throat and he coughed. “You look gorgeous.” His
gaze traveled up to her neck to the place in her throat that he’d kissed with
such reckless abandon moments before.

Cadence shuddered involuntarily. “So do you recognize the
dress?” she asked.

“A Sparkle design?”

“You know it is. I saw your tongue about fall out of your
mouth when we were in the designer’s fitting room.”

“Looks better on you.”

“Nice save.”

His gaze connected with hers. He was ready, willing and
able, his expression told her. Boy, was he able. His mouth settled in a slight
curve.

“You are so beautiful, Cadence,” he said, closing the
distance between them.

Her entire body quivered in anticipation of his touch. He
took both her hands and held her at arm’s length, raking her with his gaze.

“I never would have thought I could be so lucky to escort a
woman as stunning as you to dinner. I’m sure I’ll be fighting off every man out
there.”

They were words a man in love would say. She took a deep
breath, wishing it was true.

“Thank you, Preston. You aren’t so bad yourself.” She meant
what she said. He was the kind of man she could fall for, head over heels.

“Every time I look at you, all I’m going to want to do is
pull you into the nearest dark corner and have my way with you.” He growled
deep in his throat. He knew how to make a woman feel desired.

She loved hearing him say these things. He’d made the last
few days an enchantment. Reality would return all too soon. Tonight she would
enjoy his company as if nothing else mattered.

“We better get going before we get distracted,” she said.

She couldn’t believe she’d put the brakes on another round
of lovemaking.

He nodded and let her go. He glanced longingly at the bed
and then back at her. “I’ll take a rain check on the bed play.”

He didn’t force the issue. She was grateful and kicking
herself at the same time.

I must be crazy
, she thought. She turned away and let
him open the door. It was an old-fashioned thing to do but she totally wanted
him to.

Once in the elevator, she gave in to temptation and pushed
him against the wall.

“Don’t look so shocked,” she said. “This is the new
Cadence.”

His expression quickly changed to desire. He held her just
as forcefully, his jaw tight, his breathing ragged.

She tilted her head up and their mouths joined together in
one long rush of tongue, lips and heat. He moaned, making her bolder, and she
rubbed against him, liking how his body fit against hers and how easily she turned
him on.

He pressed the length of his hardness into her, sending
waves of pleasure through her.

She heard the ping of the elevator. The door opened and a
man dressed in a three-piece suit entered. He looked from Preston to Cadence,
and Cadence could practically see the light bulb as it went off in his brain
that the two of them had been doing naughty things on the elevator, forbidden
things.

He flushed red as embarrassment set in for what he had
interrupted. He nodded a polite greeting and gave them his back, placing
himself right in front of the elevator doors.

Cadence and Preston exchanged a glance and both of them
tried to suppress their laughter. Preston cleared his throat. She bit her lip.

Finally, the doors opened. Cadence had never seen anyone
move as fast as that man as he shot out of the elevator as if he was scared
they might start doing something compromising right there in front of him.

Cadence couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out
laughing.

“Did you see the look on his face?” Preston said, shaking
his head.

“Looked like the top of his head was going to blow off, his
face was so red!” Cadence exclaimed between breaths.

“I’ve never seen anyone look so uncomfortable.”

“I know, poor guy. What a surprise. He’s just going about
his business, gets on the elevator and catches two strangers making out.”
Cadence wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Yeah, I bet he was thinking,
if only I waited thirty
more seconds, I would have seen the show
.”

They clasped hands and stared at each other, smiling. She
hadn’t had such a good time in ages. She’d become alive with Preston, and free.
She was acting like a careless teenager with him, something she had never
experienced.

This freedom was so rich, so real, she never wanted to go
back to that other life.

No, Cadence, no sour grapes tonight.

“What’s the matter?” Preston asked.

Her thoughts must’ve been showing.

“Oh nothing, just thinking how much fun I’ve been having
with you and how much I’ve been missing in my life.” She gave him a winning
smile and hoped he couldn’t see right through her.

He tilted his head, his eyes squinted a bit, as he studied
her. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m positive. Are you going to interrogate me,
Counselor?”

“Your happiness is important to me.”

She took a deep breath. What a positively lovely thing to
say. She reached up and touched his cheek. His hot skin sent a bolt of
electricity to all her vitals.

Man, oh man. I’m in deep.

“Then prove it. I’m starving! Let’s go before we completely
miss our reservation.”

“You got it.” He lightly squeezed her hand and raised it to
his lips, where he planted a very loving, soft kiss with a devilish flick of
his tongue at the end.

She gasped when his tongue, wet and warm, licked her skin.
She tried to pull away. He laughed and nipped each knuckle.

“You really should behave yourself,” she said breathlessly.

“Why?”

Good question. One she’d grappled with her entire life.

The night air as they stepped outside refreshed her and
brought her to her senses. The city lights all around her, the people who
rushed nonstop along the sidewalk, the doorman who tipped his hat, made her
smile.

The city had a definite swagger of its own and she loved
that she was part of it.

Frank greeted her as if she were an old friend.

“So where are we going?” she asked as they climbed into the
limo.

“It’s a surprise,” Preston said.

“Give me a hint.”

“Nada.”

“French? Thai? Caribbean?”

“My lips are sealed.”

She’d like to unseal them. “At least tell me if you’ve eaten
there before?”

“Yes, I have. I really like the place. It’s special to me. I
hope that it can be a special place for us both.” When he looked deep into her
eyes, Cadence’s poor heart pounded like a jackhammer.

She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the mouth, letting
her lips linger there, hoping he would consider the kiss as thanks. He seemed
to. His hand lightly caressed her leg as he brushed his lips across her mouth.
The heat he produced would be her undoing, especially if his hand went any
farther up her thigh.

Chapter Eleven

The limo came to a stop and Frank dutifully opened the door.
Preston stepped out of his side of the SUV and joined Frank. He held out his
hand. She reached for it gladly and exited the Caddy.

She looked around her and saw they were in front of a
building, not a restaurant, and then she realized it was an apartment building.
Not just any apartment building, it was the Dakota with a view of Central Park.

“Preston? What are we doing here?” She gaped at the famous
building of pale-yellow brick and contrasting dark-brown masonry with the image
of a Native American carved in the facade.

“This is where I live.”

“John Lennon lived here.”

“Several floors below mine.” The streetlight cast a twinkle
in his eyes. “That’ll be all tonight, Frank,” he said.

She winked at Frank. “He’s pretty sure of himself, isn’t
he?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Frank winked back.

Still holding her hand, Preston led her to the entrance
complete with a sentry box. A doorman in top hat and uniform stepped out of the
box and opened the door for them.

“Good evening, Mr. Night, madam,” he said with a bow.

“Thank you, Jimmy,” Preston said. Cadence smiled and they
walked into the building.

The interior of the Dakota was an amazing mix of Gothic and
Victorian architecture. An inner courtyard led to separate lobbies and
passenger elevators.

“Good evening, Mr. Night, madam,” the elevator man said.

“Evening, Larry,” Preston said.

The man opened the elevator for them and pressed a button.
The top button. The penthouse. He lived in the penthouse? He really was doing
well for himself.

If he’d brought her here to impress her, he’d succeeded.

She needn’t worry about him dating her for her money. He
seemed to have plenty of it on his own. They rode to the top in silence. Not an
uncomfortable silence, a pleasant silence filled with anticipation.

What was he planning for her? Butterflies flitted around in
her belly. She was nervous, excited, even curious, and fidgeted with the strap
on her handbag. He’d planned something romantic for her in his space. Was he
ready to take the relationship to the next level?

She didn’t attempt to hide the smile that came naturally to
her now. Except, she didn’t know why but her apprehension was always there,
ready to surface at a moment’s notice.

She had never had a man do so much for her, try to impress
her so, and she wasn’t sure why she second-guessed his motivation. A lifetime
of habit, she mused.

Please let this be for real.

“What do you have planned for me?” she asked.

“Just you wait and see, babe. It’ll be a night to remember.”
He caressed her face and kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

She’d no doubt.

The elevator opened into a spacious foyer decorated in dark
browns, deep greens and beiges, with splashes of black and gold. Postmodern
furniture lined the walls and included an oil painting by Yves Klein.

“My humble abode,” he said.

“I like it.” She hadn’t imagined what kind of place he’d
live in and she was wowed.

His taste was most definitely masculine but with touches of
elegance she hadn’t expected. He took her handbag and set it on a small gilded
table.

“Are you a fan of Klein?” she asked.

“The painting came with the condo,” he said.

At least he was honest about his art. “And the Hockney in
your office?”

“A gift from an appreciative client.”

She winced. Of course he had rich clients but she had to
wonder what he’d done to command that much appreciation.

He studied the Klein. “I like the color blue.”

She blinked. “You don’t find many people who’ll admit it’s
the color that attracts them to a piece.”

He laughed. “I’d never try to fool you by pretending I have
superior knowledge about the art world.”

“I won’t act as if I know a thing about the law,” she said,
laughing with him.

“Deal.”

Moments later, a man appeared—from where, she couldn’t say.
He was wearing a dark suit and his expression was blank. “Sir.”

“Edwin, this is Cadence Burke.”