“Samantha?”
“I’m speechless.”
“That would be a first.”
“Noah Whittaker is hot, hot, hot.” Her sister sighed dreamily. “You’ve come to your senses. Though, if you’ve finally decided to date guys who are hunk-a-licious, I’m surprised it’s Noah. You’ve been lacerating him in your column.”
“Right, and speaking of which…” With one eye on the clock, she brought her sister up to speed on her agreement with Noah, ending with, “So, what should I wear?”
“What should you wear?” Samantha said laughingly.
“Is that all you can say?”
Frowning, she said, “Well, what should I say?”
“How about, this is an opportunity most women would die for! How about, it’s not every day a sinfully delicious millionaire asks me to dinner? How about, how can I get Noah Whittaker to carry me off to his lovely penthouse in the sky?”
“How about, get your head out of the clouds?” Kayla countered. “Besides, this is strictly business.”
“Oh, Kayla, live a little! Besides, there’s no telling where things could go after you get your story.” Samantha dropped her voice. “Laugh with the sinners for once.”
“Coming from my little sister, I find that comment somewhat distressing,” Kayla said with mock severity.
“But for the record, Noah Whittaker doesn’t just prefer to laugh with the sinners. He likes to party with the devil.”
“Okay, whatever. Have it your way,” Samantha said in exasperation. “Now, let’s see…. I know! What about the camisole top that you got at a Filene’s sale? Very sexy.”
“Too sexy,” Kayla said emphatically, thinking of the silky top’s spaghetti straps and lace-edged cups. “It’s practically lingerie.”
“Exactly.”
Kayla glanced at the clock again. She was running out of time and getting desperate. If she paired the camisole with some black pants, heels and a wrap, she would have an evening look that was dressy but casual, not to mention sexy and cool. She bit her lip.
“Go for it, Kayla,” Samantha said, evidently sensing her hesitancy.
She sighed. “You know, you still haven’t told me why you called.”
Her sister laughed. “I’m not pregnant, homeless or desperate for cash. That’s all you need to know. And, really, sometimes I am just calling to talk. I’ll call you tomorrow to find out how your date went, and you can hear me gush about my exciting evening watching old flicks in the dorm’s recreation room. Now, go!”
Half an hour later, Kayla found herself opening her front door dressed in black pants and a silky blue camisole top edged with brown lace, her toes peeking out from high-heeled slingbacks. She’d applied some light makeup and left her straight blond hair loose about her shoulders. Her watch and chandelier earrings were her only adornments.
Noah’s eyes widened when he saw her, his gaze raking her from head to toe. He looked ready to devour her on the spot.
A shiver ran through her that had nothing to do with being cold. He looked devastatingly attractive in a blazer and a dark gray T-shirt paired with hip-hugging jeans, a five-o’clock shadow darkening his jaw.
“You look great.”
She glanced down at her clothes, pleased he approved. “I wasn’t sure what you meant when you said tonight was casual.”
He tapped a finger on his chest. “This is what I meant.”
As his blazer gaped open, she noticed the writing printed in black across the top of his T-shirt: Plays Well with Others.
“Geekdom values nonconformity over social acceptance. It’s the pursuit of neophilia in its purest form.”
At her confused look, he explained, “Neophilia means being excited by novelty. Geeks are big on novelty.”
“Oh.” Her brow furrowed. “In that case, I’m not dressed right.”
A smile hovered at the corners of his lips. “No, you’re dressed just right. At the risk of sounding sexist, the dress code doesn’t apply to women because even computer geeks want to be seen with a babe on their arm. It all goes back to the high-school fantasy of dating the most popular girl in the class.”
“That is sexist.” But he thought she was a babe? She quelled the flutter that gave her.
He nodded, still standing in the doorway.
Inviting him in was too dangerous, and they were running just on time as it was. She held up her hands, one of which clutched a small handbag and a light shawl. “I’m ready when you are.”
As she brushed past him, she ignored the grin that spread across his face, one that was all blatant male appreciation and said ready for what? Fortunately, he resisted the urge to give voice to what she could read on his face.
When they got downstairs, her attention was drawn to the sleek black Jaguar parked at the curb.
“Welcome to the Batmobile,” Noah said with a grin, opening the passenger door for her.
When he’d gone around the car and gotten behind the wheel, she glanced around the luxurious interior and asked, “Why do I suspect that the doors lock, the windows fog up and the passenger-side seat drops back at the driver’s command?”
As he turned the ignition, he tossed her a wicked grin. “I refuse to incriminate myself.”
Four
When they arrived at Ginza, a trendy Japanese restaurant, Noah introduced her to the two “executives” from Silicon Valley as a news reporter who was shadowing him for a profile on Whittaker Enterprises.
Tim and Ben, who looked no older than twenty-five, had attended the prestigious California Institute of Technology together. Neither was geeky in the obvious glasses-and-pocket-protector way, but Tim was wearing an orange T-shirt paired with a dark-red blazer, and Ben had used a safety pin to replace a missing button on his shirt.
Kayla discovered they had spent three years toiling away in the bowels of established high-tech companies, working eighty-hour weeks, before they’d decided to strike out on their own—so they could still work eighty-hour weeks but be their own bosses.
Over dinner, the conversation moved across a variety of topics, from which tech company had recently lured a top employee from a rival to which new computer software products would soon be launched onto the market. To her disappointment, however, there were no hints as to what sort of business relationship, if any, Noah was contemplating with Tim and Ben’s company.
However, if tonight was any indication, it didn’t seem as if Noah would have any reason to be interested in nefarious offshore investments in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. He had enough people with legitimate businesses knocking on his door.