“I’m really sorry! I should have pushed the door open with a little less enthusiasm,” Theo apologized for the millionth time.
“I’m sure my face will be just fine,” I offered, still a little annoyed. But it was hard to hold anything against someone who was so sincere in their regret. Theo Anderson was a seriously nice guy.
He looked at me briefly, a soft smile on his face. He really was too pretty to be real. Cole was good-looking in a savage, rough and tumble sort of way. He was the kind of hot that made you fearful for your sanity.
Theo was good-looking in a way that was both safe and reassuring. He was the sort of gorgeous that made the perfect arm candy and looked great on Christmas cards. His was the kind of face that made you think about merging your DNA because you just knew your children would be unbelievable.
“I sure hope so. I’d never forgive myself if I did anything to mess up that beautiful face.”
Oh he was good. He was smooth without being obvious about it. He gave the compliment with just enough reserve that you’d never know he was flirting with you.
He cast a quick glance in my direction and I found myself preening, despite the wads of bloodied tissue I held against my nose.
I fluffed my hair a bit and stuck out my chest. I smoothed the lines of my skirt over my thighs and I noticed Theo’s eyes flickering to my legs. He swallowed and I knew he appreciated what he saw.
I was a woman who knew when a man thought her attractive. I was by no means oblivious and I didn’t like to pretend I didn’t know when I was being given the full body perusal.
I was also a firm believer in coquettishness and eye batting. My low cut blouses, tight fitting sweaters, and short skirts were the fiercest weapons in my arsenal.
I liked the attention and I enjoyed being the center of anyone’s interest.
Theo’s shy interest was more fulfilling than a seven layer chocolate cake.
The air in the car was thick and I could taste the delicious tension. It had been a long time since I felt a sexual spark with anyone that wasn’t a certain tattooed lead singer. After my fizzling disaster with Lambert, I was beginning to think that Cole had broken me. That he had taken my desire and kept it all for himself like the greedy bastard he was.
I felt myself blush under Theo’s gaze and thought to myself,
Maybe not…
“I think at the very least, I need to buy you a new phone,” he said, indicating the shattered pieces of my iPhone in my lap, killing the moment.
“That’s okay, Theo. It’s on warranty,” I said, waving off his offer.
Theo shook his head. “No, I’m the reason it’s busted. It’s the least I can do.”
“Who am I to argue with such chivalry?” I murmured, maneuvering my body so that it angled toward him, distracting him with my curves.
He gripped the steering wheel and swallowed again.
Being desired was a heady feeling. It was addictive. And with everything going on with Cole recently, I could use a new sort of rush. I needed something to distract me from my uncomfortably evolving emotions.
“I don’t think smashing your nose with a door is an example of chivalry. Bad timing perhaps, but definitely not chivalry.” Theo’s self-deprecating comment was remarkably endearing.
He chanced a glance at my legs again, his eyes lingering. Until a horn blasted and he had to swerve back into his lane. I tried to hide my self-satisfied grin as Theo kept his eyes resolutely on the road after that.
Taking pity on the poor guy, I turned toward the window and pulled my jacket around my chest. It was the least I could do to ensure we got to the hospital in one piece.
“What were you doing at The Center so early? Did we have a meeting?” I asked, hoping I hadn’t forgotten to write it down. Given the morning I had been having, it wouldn’t surprise me. And my flakiness wouldn’t go far in helping me project that whole responsible vibe I was really going for.
Theo shook his head. “No, I was just thinking about you last night and had some ideas I wanted to toss your way about the gala. I wanted to get your opinion.”
I grinned again and then wished I hadn’t. My nose throbbed. But I couldn’t help but teasing him anyway.
“You were thinking about me last night? Why Mr. Anderson, I’m not sure that’s entirely appropriate. You’re my client after all,” I remarked, affecting a thick southern drawl.
I was rewarded by the noticeable flush that quickly rose to Theo’s cheeks.
He cleared his throat and gave me a shaky smile. “I just meant that I was thinking of things to tell you. I didn’t mean, I'm sorry, I just. . .” he was fumbling. It was ridiculously adorable. And I let him stumble around for a bit before I came to his rescue.
“I was just giving you a hard time, Theo. I knew what you meant,” I reassured him and he relaxed a bit. For being such a fantastic example of the male species, Theo Anderson lacked a lot of confidence.
Theo relaxed and gave me a much easier smile. “You’re a bit of a ball buster aren’t you?” he asked, taking his turn to tease.
“I was voted Most Likely to Squeeze a Man’s Nuts in school,” I joked.
Theo laughed and the sexual tension eased somewhat.
We pulled into the Emergency Room parking lot and Theo hurried around to my side of the car and let me out. He started walking me toward the entrance when I put my hand on his sleeve.
“You don’t need to go in with me. I’m a big girl.”
Theo’s eyes were warm as he looked down at me. “I have no doubt, Vivian. But I want to wait with you,” he said.
Before I could argue, he was already walking me toward the hospital.
And true to his word, Theo waited with me for the two and half hours it took for me to be seen. I kept telling him to leave. I felt guilty he was giving up his morning to hang out in a waiting room.
Theo pulled a manila folder out of his briefcase and handed it to me. My nose had finally stopped bleeding so I wasn’t in danger of dripping blood all over the place.
“Well, let’s do some work then,” he suggested, pulling out some printouts for me to look at.
“This is beautiful,” I said, looking at the picture of a ballroom decorated in rich blues and greens in a rendition of a sea scene.
“We always go for something that has to do with our charity. Last year the theme was Our Endangered Environment. The girl who had the job before you had decorated the place like an Amazon jungle. It was horrible. It looked like a kid’s birthday party. We almost didn’t come back to The Claremont for this year’s gala,” Theo shared, cringing.