“Shit, I’m sorry,” I said before looking up and meeting light hazel eyes that instantly hypnotized me. Why did they look so familiar?
“I’m not.” His voice was deep and throaty as his eyes raked me from head to toe with no shame.
Wiping the frown from my face, I regained my composure. “I was looking at the floor and not where I was walking. Did I get champagne on you?”
“I’m fine.” He brushed a single droplet from his jacket sleeve. “I’m Daniel Alexander.”
He extended his hand, and I forced myself to shake it.
“Of course you are,” I said, slightly tossing back my head.
Barbara would love to hea
r this story tomorrow.
“Oh, you know who I am? I’m impressed.”
“Don’t be. My assistant did all the research and then forced me to read it.”
He laughed, and his face crinkled in a way that showed he did it a lot—laugh that was. Lines around his eyes creased like they were always there, and I found them charming. I stared at said lines as if they were magical beings, and I wondered what it was, or who, that made him laugh so often.
“See something you like?” he teased, breaking the spell I was under, as he cocked an eyebrow.
“Yeah, the floor,” I said before glancing back down at it.
“Italian marble. Every inch of it was flown in from this tiny town in Italy. Beautiful, isn’t it?”
How the hell did he know that? “It is. I was thinking about how it looks exactly as I pictured from a script I recently read. It’s almost like the story was talking about this particular house.”
“Maybe it was,” he offered simply.
“Or maybe I’ve just found my perfect location for the interior and exterior home shots,” I bit back with more fire in my tone than I had intended.
His mouth upturned into a cocky half smile. “You talk to your boyfriend with that mouth?”
I shook my head at his ridiculous question. “Is that your way of asking me if I’m single?”
“Are you?”
“Why do you care?”
“’Cause I want to know.” He blinked once before refocusing his hazel gaze on me. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No, and I’m not looking for one either—you know, if that was your next question.”
Daniel laughed again. “Feisty. Most women aren’t feisty around me.”
“Let me guess, they drop their panties at the mere sight of you?” The thought had crossed my mind.
He leaned in close to me, his mouth nearing my ear. “Usually.”
“How charming and wonderful for you to get off so easily—pun intended.” Normally, I wouldn’t behave so crass at a professional event, but Daniel’s ego seemed to bring out the best in me. Instead of berating myself for being so cavalier around him, I made a mental note that I never planned on seeing or speaking to him again, so my attitude couldn’t hurt. I turned away to find the powder room, suddenly remembering where I was headed before running into Mr. Super Hot Distraction.
My forward movement stopped with a jerk as he tugged on my arm. “I never ask them to act like that. They just do. And I never said I take them up on it either.”
“Oh, I’m sure you sit at home every night with your dick in your hands, wondering what on earth to do with it.” I rolled my eyes, not believing a word he’d said.
“I never said that either. I fuck, Elizabeth, and I do it often. But it’s with women I trust and have known for years.”