Angelica swiveled in her seat. The dimly lit room was full of laughter and lots of flirting. Windows lined the lounge, with a pair of double doors that led to a crowded patio beyond. Outside, tables and chairs surrounded a massive tree covered in white mini lights.
Music filtered through from the dance club, sometimes with a strong rhythmic beat and other times a slow, sexy groove.
As the band moved into the latter, the erotic rhythm of the bass guitar and drums sent another shiver through her.
Marcus called her name, and when she turned toward him, he winked, then jerked his chin toward the stairs. “He’s here.”
For a second she couldn’t breathe, as though all the air had been sucked from her lungs. She let her gaze move slowly toward the entrance. There he was, standing at the top of the short staircase, looking sexy as hell dressed in a black leather coat, blue silk shirt, and tailored slacks.
Awed as she was by his physical presence, she reminded herself that he was the reason she’d come here tonight. She sat up a little straighter, drink in hand.
He scanned the lounge, just as she had, his gaze moving slowly, then landing on her. She smiled and lifted her glass to him. She’d hoped for an answering curve of his lips, some indication he might be interested. Instead he frowned, though holding her gaze steadily.
Not the most encouraging note.
But the moment of truth had arrived. Was there a chance in hell she could persuade a frowning man to at least have a drink with her?
She felt in her gut that her life was poised right on the head of a pin, and what she did next would either catapult her forward or send her back to her apartment and a sad bottle of tequila for comfort.
Despite his frowns, she made a quick decision.
Grabbing her clutch, and setting her drink down, she slid off the bar stool and headed in his direction. She’d come here to talk to him and talk to him she would, even if all he did was tell her to get lost.
As she mounted the stairs, he turned back in the direction of the foyer with a slight jerk of his head. With that small movement, hope soared.
She found him in the foyer, standing near the tall water feature. As she drew closer, his gaze fell to her cle**age. She watched desire spark in his eyes, and an answering response raced through her body.
Still very nervous, she pushed her hair away from her throat, and his gaze followed, his nostrils flaring. He blinked and his lips parted. She hadn’t been wrong about him; he was interested in her. Yep, he was the one.
“I was hoping to talk to you tonight. I’ve seen you here before, of course.”
He searched her eyes. “What do you want?”
Angelica’s turn to frown. She’d hoped for a little ice-breaking chitchat, maybe the promise of a smile. Instead his jaw stiffened as once again he held her gaze, frowning.
But she wasn’t about to give up, at least not yet. “Can I buy you a drink?”
He shook his head slowly. “Not interested.”
Well, that was a lie, so she pressed on. “Let me buy you one anyway.”
His eyes narrowed. “What’s your game, Angelica?”
Her heart skipped a couple of beats. He knew her name. That meant something.
Swallowing hard, she drew in a deep breath. “I don’t have a game. I just wanted to talk to you, maybe get to know you.”
“I never took you for a fortune hunter. Guess I was wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why else would you be talking to me like this?”
She didn’t understand why he suddenly sounded so hostile. It made no sense. “You think I’m after your money?”
“Sure. Why not?”
He was being incredibly rude. “How do I know you even have a nickel?”
He snorted. “Women like you always know.”
“Women like me?” She shook her head. This was not how she’d imagined her first conversation with him going. “You know, I asked around and no one knows much about you except that you have ties to Europe and maybe South America. Your last name sounds Spanish enough. And you dress well, but even a monkey could put on a fine suit and Cartier watch, and look well shod.”
Something passed through his eyes—amusement maybe, she couldn’t tell. But for a second he seemed almost human.
His steely expression returned fast enough, however, and he squared his shoulders. “Let me speak plainly.”
“Oh, you haven’t been?”
“All right, let me speak more specifically. You don’t belong here in this club and when I saw that you’d stopped coming, I thought, Good, one less gold digger to worry about.”
She compressed her lips but lowered her voice. “I’m not a gold digger. You’ve got me wrong.”
“Then how about you just stick to your own kind?”
“My own kind? You mean people who work hard, take care of their families, that kind?”
He snorted. “Go home, Angelica, to your little apartment and to the numbers you crunch all day long.” So he knew the details of her life. That meant something, too, but it also made her a little nervous. Had he been checking up on her?
He leaned close, though his voice sounded a little softer, not quite so mean. “Go home and live your life. Find some guy who can set you up in a suburb and make babies with you. Isn’t that what you really want?”
The question brought her up short, maybe even going to the heart of why she’d come to the club tonight. She decided to be honest with him. “I could have had that, I suppose. Yet somehow, you were what I wanted. I came here for you.”
He seemed taken aback, surprised even. He huffed an exasperated sigh and took her arm in his hand. “For f**k’s sake, just go home.”
But the sudden physical contact had a strange effect on her as she met his gaze once more. Desire for him flowed all over again, an unstoppable wave of need that brought tears to her eyes. She couldn’t explain it as anything other than a bone-deep inner knowing. She knew the man’s cruel words weren’t truthful. He was merely trying to drive her away.
“Reyes,” she whispered softly. “You’re not indifferent. I can sense it. And I promise you, I’m not after anything, except this.” She leaned up and kissed him.
His lips were moist and sensual and for just a moment, he leaned into her and returned the kiss.
When she finally drew back, his eyes flared once more and the grip on her arm increased. “Who are you?” His voice was now hoarse and deep.
She wanted to ask him to take her somewhere, anywhere, but he released her arm and once more adopted a hard expression.