Him.
Twelve
They were going back to his hotel room.
Danny couldn’t believe it, even as he sat in the cab, holding her hand. She was pressed up against his side, and despite all the layers she wore, he could feel her like she was sitting there naked.
Despite all the talking they’d done in the restaurant, now they were quiet. It wasn’t the awkward kind of silence that he’d experienced on other dates when he couldn’t find any way to connect with the woman he was out with. This was the expectant silence of two people waiting to see what would happen next.
He knew what he wanted to have happen.
Not that he was attached to it.
But, fuck, he wanted it bad.
The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel, and the doorman opened their door as Danny paid the fare. He tipped the young man, who offered him an enthusiastic goodnight, then he took Jules’ hand and led her up to his suite.
He opened the door, waiting to let her decide to enter.
She strode in, completely sure of herself. He smiled at that. Of course she was sure of herself. She was the most solid woman he’d ever met. That she was at Winners Inc. to get a grip on her relationship with her dad was something.
She dropped her bag onto the counter in the kitchen and began to untie the belt on her coat as she wandered around the suite. “Nice,” was her verdict.
“A drink?” he asked her, slipping out of his suit coat and rolling his sleeves up. “I have whiskey. MacNiven’s, of course.”
She laughed, taking off her coat and dropping it next to his. “Of course you have MacNiven’s.”
He’d had the hotel send up a bottle. The better to know his nemesis. Uh—his ally, he amended the word, remembering what Lottie had said to him. He poured them each a glass and joined her in the living room, holding out a glass to her.
“Thank you.” She took a sip, humming in appreciation, before she went to the windows that looked out over the city. “It’s nice up here. I’ve come to the hotel, of course, but I’ve never stayed here.”
“Hotels are pretty much the same all over.” He sat on the couch, his arm stretched on the back, watching her take in all the details of the room.
“The only time I’ve stayed in hotels was for conferences, or if I had to go out of town for a deposition. I’ve never had an affair in one.”
“Is this an affair?” he asked, trying to stay neutral about that but not really liking it.
“A love affair maybe.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “I bet your Tim has a song for that.”
As good as Tim McGraw was, Danny couldn’t think of any song the man had done that captured what he was feeling for Jules right now.
She was still wearing her power suit, but she’d unbuttoned the top of her blouse, so he could see the shadow of her breasts. A few wisps of her hair had come free, softening her face. She had a little glow—he knew it was from him instead of the wine they’d had, because he felt the same way. “Come sit with me.”
She raised her brow, but she came over, kicking her shoes off before curling her legs under her, snuggling next to him.
He brushed her hair back from her face. She was so beautiful.
“No one’s ever looked at me the way you do,” she murmured, settling under his arm.
He lifted her chin with his finger. “I could look at you for the rest of my life.” He lowered his mouth to hers, slowly, to give her time to stop him if she wanted.
She didn’t. Instead, she melted into him with a soft gasp of pleasure, her hand fisting his shirt over his heart.
He speared his hand into her hair, pulling out the pins and letting them drop on the floor as he found them in there.
She laughed softly against his lips, leaning into him.
Sexy as hell. Even if she were completely cool and still buttoned up, she was sexy as hell.