with growing consternation.
“It doesn’t matter what you wear. I’m probably going to rip it off you at the end of the night anyway, so let me buy the dress. That way I won’t feel too guilty when I do.”
She felt desire stir at his words but they still made her smile. “Your logic is flawed.”
“It is, isn’t it?” he agreed, amusement lacing his voice. “It’s probably because I’m so turned on by your voice. I’ve never heard your voice on the phone.”
“It’s just an average female voice, Alex.”
“Yeah? Well there’s nothing average about the way I’m feeling. My pants are most uncomfortable, I can assure you.”
Angie was speechless and also incredibly turned on. How can he get me so hot and bothered just by speaking on the phone? she thought in wonder. “Well, you could always come by,” she suggested.
“I wish I could.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive,” she forced herself to say dryly.
“I can’t wait to have you to myself tonight.”
“That won’t be until after your grandparents’ shindig. What time is it anyway?”
“I’ll pick you up by seven. Is that okay?”
“Seven is fine. See you then.”
“I’ll be thinking of you.”
“Same here.” She hadn’t stopped thinking of him since he left that morning and she’d tried. Standing in front of the mirror several hours later, she was still thinking of him.
She ran her palms over the dress again. It was Vera Wang. She shuddered just to think of the cost of such a dress. It was the first inkling she’d had that her companion might be slightly better off than she’d imagined, not like she’d given it any thought. But what convinced her were the Gucci shoes and the Ralph Lauren purse. She was sure they could pay her rent for an entire year.
Having a fling with a simple architect was one thing, even if there was nothing simple about the way her pulse was racing at the thought of Alex. But the thought that Alex was as wealthy as she was beginning to suspect caused her to pause as she felt a thin shiver of apprehension run through her spine. Michael had also been wealthy and what she’d come to find out was that people with more money than common folk usually felt that their money excused them from being decent human beings. Why be considerate of others’ feelings when you could buy them a string of pearls? Well, Michael’s pearls had paid for her first class ticket, she thought with satisfaction.
Dabbing a bit of Annick Goutal’s Petite Cherie on her pulse points, she breathed in appreciatively and immediately felt calm. Ironically, it had been Michael who had introduced her to this perfume when they’d first met and it had quickly become her favorite. She took in another breath and reminded herself of her resolve. This was just a fling and she needed to make sure she didn’t get emotionally involved.
***
Alex cast a sideways glance at Angie. She was staring out the window of the moving car. She’d been curiously silent since they left earlier. Maybe he made a mistake taking her to his grandparents’ party in his Aston Martin Vanquish. She’d taken one look at the car and turned strange. Though he had no idea what she had against the car, it was luxurious and comfortable and drove like a dream.
He looked at her again before returning his attention to the road. “Okay, what’s the problem?”
She turned to look at him. “What?”
“You are not talking to me. What’s the problem?”
Through the corner of his eyes, he saw her shrug. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Alex felt irritation rise within him at the aloofness in her voice. She had turned into the woman he’d first met, before they’d shared a bowl of ice cream and every available surface in her apartment and he couldn’t have that. “Sweetheart, I almost took you against the wall when you opened the door this evening. That’s how hot you were for me. Now I’m getting frostbite and I’d like to know why.”
He