The Heat is On (3 page)

Instead, she just laughed again. “You rocked my body.

There’s a difference.”

Was there? He always felt oddly uncomfortable when Annabel e, or any of his friends, for that matter, tried to explain what love felt like. Sure, he loved people—his mom, Nana O’Connor, his four older sisters. But
love
love? He had no clue how that felt. If he weren’t constantly surrounded by happy couples, he wouldn’t even believe it existed.

He and Annabel e got out of the car and headed for the door of the flower shop. He walked ahead, opening the door for his friend’s girlfriend like the southern gentleman he was. A bel chimed as they entered the store, and almost immediately, the heady and powerful scent of flowers fil ed his nostrils. He breathed it in, reminded of the yard in his mom’s Nashvil e house. The O’Connor women loved to garden.

His gaze took in the elaborate arrangements and baskets

of

fresh-smel ing

flowers

practical y

overflowing the shop’s smal space.

“So pretty,” Annabel e murmured as she admired a vase containing bright yel ow tulips intermingled with curly white wil ow and white shasta daisies. That he knew the kind of daisies they were boggled the mind.

Apparently he’d picked up some gardening knowledge over the years without knowing it.

The sound of footsteps came from behind a green curtain separating another doorway from the main room. “I’l be right with you!” a muffled feminine voice chirped from back there.

“I like this place,” Annabel e whispered to him. “It’s the perfect combination of charm and elegance. Think Hol y wil like it?”

“How the hel would I know?” he mumbled back.

“This is why you should have brought
Holly
and not me.”

“Hol y was busy. And you’re my friend. Friends do this kind of stuff for each other.”

He pretended to brood, but he wasn’t annoyed that Annabel e had dragged him along on her errands. He liked spending time with her, and he was actual y proud of her for what she was trying to accomplish.

She’d left behind a successful job at one of the top event planning firms in San Francisco just so she could be with Ryan, and Matt ful y supported this new venture. Together with Carson Scott’s wife, Hol y, Annabel e had started an event planning business of their own, and the two women had already planned and catered some seriously ritzy parties. Matt helped out at one of their wedding receptions, and had been floored by the results.

The footsteps from the back room grew louder.

Matt swung his head toward the curtain in time to see a very familiar face.

Recognition dawned in her gray eyes at the same moment.

“Seriously?” Savannah said with a sigh.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he blurted out, “but I’m not stalking you.”

“Uh, I
wasn’t
thinking that. But
now
I am.” A flush crept into his cheeks. His peripheral vision caught Annabel e giving him a perplexed look. Wel , no kidding. He was usual y way smoother than this, but yet again, Savannah brought out his inner stammer.

An awkward silence descended, which Savannah ended with an impatient frown. “Usual y when someone comes into a store, they have some sort of purpose. To buy something, to ask about an item… In this case, it would be flowers.” She gestured to a vase on the counter. “Are you here to buy flowers?” Matt was suddenly tongue-tied. Fortunately, Annabel e took pity on him and flashed Savannah a big smile. “I’m Annabel e Holmes, from Prestige Events. We spoke on the phone this morning?” Savannah’s face relaxed. “Oh. Right.” She stuck out her hand, which Annabel e shook firmly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Matt final y found his voice, feeling the weird urge to clarify why he was there. “I don’t work for Annabel e.” Both women shot him a strange glance.

“And we’re not dating either,” he found himself adding. “I’m here as a friend. We’re friends. Me and Annabel e… We’re…”

“Friends,” Savannah finished. She furrowed her brows. “Uh, yeah, so should we talk about what Harte to Harte flowers can do for you?”

The question was directed at Annabel e, who was now staring at Matt as if he’d grown a bushy mustache. “Matt, why don’t you…browse or something?”

In other words,
go away.
As much as he didn’t like being banished, he desperately needed to regroup here. Drifting over to a display case fil ed with intricate wreaths, he took a calming breath and tried not to kick himself in the shin. Okay, this was getting ridiculous. Somehow he ended up turning into a blubbering imbecile when Savannah was around. But he was just so surprised to see her here.

Annabel e’s comment about fate blazed through his mind. Was she right? Had fate actual y placed Savannah in his path again? And if so, how could he make sure she didn’t go sprinting in the other direction? As far as first impressions went, he’d blown it. His second impression wasn’t much better, either. What he needed to do now was channel his innate hotness, wil up some confidence, which he usual y possessed in spades, and get Savannah to agree to go out with him.

After he convinced her he wasn’t a total loser.

Savannah shook hands with Annabel e Holmes again, pleased with the agreement they’d reached.

Apparently Annabel e and her partner were in search of a florist they could use on a regular basis, and Annabel e had agreed to hire Savannah for an upcoming wedding. Savannah was determined to impress Annabel e. This was a test of sorts, which, if she passed, would lead to a possible stream of income she could total y benefit from. She’d been thinking about opening a second location for almost a year now, and working with an up-and-coming event company would be good for business.

“So the bride and I wil come over on Wednesday to discuss what she’s looking for,” Annabel e finished.

“You can come up with some ideas and designs, and we’l go from there.”

“Sounds good,” Savannah said. “Thanks for thinking of my shop.”

Annabel e smiled. “I had a good feeling about it when I browsed your website. I real y think—” A loud clatter interrupted her sentence. Savannah turned to see Matt bending down to retrieve an empty plastic bucket he’d knocked off a stool near the rose display. The sight of his taut behind sent a rush of warmth to her body. Lord, the man fil ed out a pair of jeans real y, real y nicely. She’d been trying to ignore him during the entire discussion with Annabel e, but her gaze had floated in his direction every few moments, admiring the view.

He was just as sexy as she remembered. And stil equal y adorable.

She got the feeling he was usual y pretty smooth when it came to chatting up girls, yet he blushed and stammered when she was around. Kind of a turn-on, watching this big, gorgeous man get al tongue-tied around her. Definitely a nice ego boost.

And now that Jake was out of the picture…

“He’s real y not usual y so pathetic,” Annabel e said in a low voice, snapping Savannah from her thoughts.

She glanced at Matt again, who now stood near the door with his arms crossed across his muscular chest, as if he was afraid to touch anything else.

“I think you make him nervous.” Annabel e’s laugh held a note of admiration. “To be honest, I’ve never seen him al blushy and weird around a woman.” Savannah shrugged. “I tend to have that effect on men,” she joked.

That got her another laugh. “Wel , put him out of his misery, wil you?” Before Savannah could object, Annabel e cal ed Matt over. “Savannah wants to talk to you, stud. I’l wait in the car.”

Just like that, Annabel e’s curvy body hurried off, her brown hair bouncing over her shoulders as she left the store. The bel over the door chimed, then tinned away into silence.

Matt slowly walked over to her, a rueful grin on his face. “Annabel e’s not very subtle,” he remarked.

“Not real y.”

He rested an elbow on her counter, an action that drew her gaze to the impressive bicep of his forearm.

He instantly noticed where her eyes had landed, and his grin widened. “You think I’m attractive,” he said, sounding delighted.

Savannah rol ed her eyes. “Sounds like
you
think you’re attractive.”

A pained look flitted across his face. “Show some mercy already. For some reason I act like a total moron when I’m around you. The least you can do is admit this attraction isn’t one-sided.” A smile lifted the corner of her mouth. He had a point. Maybe he did deserve some leniency. Besides, she real y had no reason not to see him again, now that she’d ended things with Jake. Alas, her sexy surfer ended up being kind of boring and a bit of a jerk.

Matt, however, didn’t look boring at al .

“Fine,” she said. “I find you attractive.”

“Thank Jesus. Now wil you agree to go out with me or what?”

The words were gruff, completely unpolished, but he seemed pleased with himself that he’d final y said something right.

“I’m not looking for a relationship,” she admitted.

“And now that I’m doing the flowers for that wedding, I won’t have much time to date anyway.”

“You can make time for one drink.” His green eyes glittered playful y. “I promise, I’l make it worth your while.”

“Do people stil use that line?”

“Yup. So what do you say?”

Another smile tickled her lips. “I guess I can squeeze in one drink after work.”

His entire face lit up like a little kid’s on Christmas morning. “What time should I pick you up?” For the first time in his life, Matt was actual y nervous about a date. As he stepped out of the shower, dripping water al over the bathroom mat, he suddenly wondered if he should ask Annabel e to come downstairs so he could ask for clothing advice.

Jeez. What the hel was wrong with him? He could seduce the panties off a nun, for fuck’s sake. Women freaking loved him. If he was the kind of guy who ticked off notches in his belt…wel , he’d be on his tenth belt by now.

But Savannah made him feel like an anxious teenager again. It wasn’t just her looks that captivated him, though her smokin’ body did make his mouth water. She was just so…self-assured. She seemed to know exactly who she was, completely comfortable in her own skin, and her easygoing attitude and sharp wit were a total turn-on. He didn’t usual y think beyond the first date, but with Savannah, he already wanted more, and they hadn’t even gone out yet.

Which was why he couldn’t have sex with her tonight. As much as he wanted to, as much as his body throbbed with arousal at the mere thought of her, he needed to force himself to keep his hands off her this evening. It was messed up, but he feared that if he slept with her so soon, this fascination would disappear, and he wasn’t ready for that to happen yet.

Another first—he wanted to get to know a woman before he screwed her.

God help him.

Deciding to forgo cal ing Annabel e—he wasn’t in the mood to be ridiculed—he strode into his bedroom and threw open the closet door. As he dressed, he marveled at the silence in the apartment. Ever since Ryan moved upstairs into Annabel e’s place, Matt was living solo. Made it easier to bring chicks back here without worrying about keeping Ryan up, though he didn’t do it often. He didn’t like having women over.

They always wanted to stay when he only wanted them to leave.

Clad in a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt and an open blue button-down, he grabbed his keys from the basket on the hal table and left his second-floor apartment. He took the stairs two at a time, suddenly eager to get going and see Savannah again. The black Dodge four-by-four he’d just signed the lease on had decent speed, and he made it to Savannah’s shop in less than fifteen minutes. Shutting off the engine, he took a deep breath and hopped out of the SUV. There was a separate entrance to Savannah’s upstairs apartment, with a smal intercom mounted on the wal . He buzzed, then waited until her chirpy voice said, “Come up.”

Uh-oh.

She wanted him to come upstairs?

That wasn’t part of the plan. He’d hoped to wait down here for her, then drive her to the classy bar he’d researched on the web. He was kinda scared to be alone with her. At least with other people around, he wouldn’t be able to rip her clothes off and devour her body the way he so desperately wanted to.

Gulping, he opened the door and climbed the narrow staircase up to the second floor. Savannah’s door was painted a bright yel ow, and it swung open the moment he reached the landing. She appeared in the doorway, wearing a pair of tight black yoga pants and a loose red T-shirt that didn’t hide the ful ness of the breasts beneath it.

“Hey,” she said with an easy smile. “I figured we’d stay in, if that’s cool with you?”

Another gulp. Crap. Looked like he needed to conjure up some wil power. Pronto.

In a strained voice, he said, “Sure.” Savannah gestured for him to come inside, and when he stepped into the apartment, he immediately saw her personality splashed al over the place.

Mismatched furniture, some modern, some antique, fil ed the spacious living room. Colorful abstract paintings hung on the wal , with the occasional breathtaking landscape sandwiched between them. A smal kitchen was tucked off to one side, and the living area was separated from the sleeping area with a see-through Japanese screen that featured bright pink cherry blossom trees. He caught a glimpse of a large futon with a bright magenta bedspread, but tore his gaze away. He couldn’t focus on the bed. Beds meant sex. And he was determined not to sleep with Savannah Harte until he figured out why he liked her so much.