“Hm,” rumbled a deep, amused voice. “Do you promise?”
“Do I…?” April turned and then flushed scarlet as she realized she’d just been flashing the backside of her short-shorts at Lana’s brother.
Samson Bennett sat there, smirking as he sprawled his six-foot-five frame across Lana’s sofa. April wanted to smack that look off his face, but as per usual, she was mute in his presence. She’d only seen him a few times before at Lana’s house during the holidays. But since he was twelve years their senior, he never stuck around to chat. He was in and out of the house, either with a different girl on his arm each time on his way to meet a woman before going to a meeting.
The man was as much a playboy as he was a businessman. You couldn’t get through the checkout line without seeing his face on a magazine related to one or the other.
“So you’re moving in with my baby sister.” He leaned forward and tented his hands.
“No, I’m robbing her place,”April’s voice dripped with sarcasm and she crossed her arms.
Samson raised his brows and tilted his head to the side. April tried to remain annoyed with him while he looked so coy and charming. Samson had his sister’s dark hair and dark eyes, although his hair only came just below his jawline… and what a well-cut jaw it was. As her embarrassment faded, April’s face continued to burn as her body reacted to Samson’s large, powerful form. It seemed out of place lounging about like that.
“You could’ve said you were here when I yelled,” she pointed out.
“I could have said ‘hello,’ I suppose. But it would’ve been strange, wouldn’t it? Some strange man yelling out of her apartment?”
“Strange, definitely, but it isn’t like I don’t know who you are.”
“Really?” Samson lifted his chin and sat up straight. “You’re a fan?”
“A fan? What?” Her face blanked in realization. “Oh, my God. Get over yourself, Samson. We’ve met!”
He raked his hand back through his hair as he rose to his feet. “Oh, no. I’d have remembered you.”
“Apparently not. I was Lana’s college roommate.” She paused, waiting for a light of recognition in his eyes that never came. “I stayed over? We had dinner at the same table on Christmas Eve during sophomore year. Well, part of it. Maybe you had too much champagne with Bunny before you sat down for five minutes and left before the main course.” April rolled her eyes. “Your mom was pretty upset.”
Samson strolled closer to April, practically casting a shadow over her. “Now, Bunny Bradshaw, I remember.”
“Good for Bunny. I have a few more boxes to bring up. My friend is holding the car.” April forced herself to look away from him, but she could still feel his body getting closer to hers. “Where’s Lana?”
“She went out to run an errand. She and I are going out to lunch now that I’m in town.” Samson stopped moving and leaned over a little, smiling like a Cheshire cat. “Would you like to come with us?”
He was so damn handsome that April’s eyes were drawn back to his like magnets. Her heart thudded impetuously in her chest.
“After you get cleaned up, of course.”
April flatted her lips into a line. Samson’s smile was so slick, so confident, and he looked down on her like his baby sister’s dumb kid friend. Like he was humoring her.
“I have a lot of work to do here. You two enjoy.” April patted her pocket to make sure she had her keys. “Maybe you should go easy on the mimosas, though. Try to finish something you start.”
Samson stepped back. “I’m the CEO of the country’s largest design conglomerate!”
“Yes, yes, and the CEO of disposing of girlfriends like used tissues.” April leaned into the doorframe. “I’ll see you around. Probably in the tabloids, but that doesn’t bother you, does it?”
April’s palms were slick with sweat as she sauntered back down the hallway to the elevator. She didn’t know if she hoped he’d be there when she returned, or not.
Chapter Two
“So,” Samson said as he cut into his steak, “What does your roommate do? Besides bust balls? Is she a budding fashion designer like you?”
“No, she’s in architecture.” Lana balanced a small bite of lobster risotto on her fork.
“And she came down here from Parsons, to what? Room with you?”
Lana pinched her lips to the side. “She came down for a job. But you know how things are in Houston. The funding for the project she was hired on evaporated, and so did her job. She’s been living in the drabbest little apartment, I swear. You should see the outfit she goes to work in.”