"I'm sure that if you take a look at these figures you'll agree that keeping my lease open is a good business measure. You'll get so much more for the property with a tenant able to pay the lease than with it empty!" she said as she fished out a small sheaf of papers from her bag and handed them over the table to him. He took the papers and glanced at the top sheet before dismissing them with a casual wave of his hand.
"That may be, but when I redevelop the block it will produce a better return than undeveloped as it is," he replied. "Be assured Miss Luxford, I've crunched the numbers and it has to be done."
"Oh no! But you can't! Most businesses can't afford to pay much more than they're paying already! We're all reliant on the permanent population and the people who live there don't have lots of money to throw around like you do down here in the city!" she snapped back at him. "In fact, some local businesses have gone under recently. They can't cope with these tough economic times, and you raise their leases! They'll never be able to pay it!"
He had to admit that she was beautiful when she was angry! Fire flashed in those green eyes, and the heightened color in her flushed face made her look sexy and tousled. He thought he had never before seen a mouth quite as ripe for kissing as hers. He could vaguely smell the fruity lip-gloss she wore, and absently wondered what kissing her would taste like.
"The redevelopment will not take that long and it'll be over in a few months. Why don't you take a little holiday and you can return to a new and better looking premises when you return?" he said.
Oh! He was so annoying! Dinah wondered was is being deliberately block headed, or did he really not understand how different economic conditions were outside of the big city? Many of her friends in her local business community were barely holding on and this redevelopment could mean the end for some of them! Including hers!
"It's just not that simple!" she replied. "We rely upon the summer holiday crowds to boost our annual income and with summer coming the local businesses just cannot afford to take a holiday! You city folk can holiday in summer, but who's going to provide your accommodation? Who's going to cook your breakfast and make your latte's if we go on holiday too? Huh?"
Dinah knew she was being unfair to him. She had no idea if he had a holiday home in Devon Bay or not, but the point was still the same. Summer was when the local business owners worked their hardest, while the holiday spot filled with sun seeking revelers from the city. It was something that they knew they had to put up with in order to live all year round in their slice of paradise, but that didn't mean that they had to roll over to big city developers intent on destroying their community!
He smiled again, that slow lazy sexy smile, as he watched her get herself all worked up. He liked watching the rise and fall of her breasts underneath the fabric of her dress. When she got all emotional her body seemed to come alive, and he had not missed the signs of her physical reaction to him earlier. He thought that she was luscious and ripe for the picking! How hard would it be he wondered to get her into his bed tonight? Now there was a challenge!
She was looking at him with wide eyes, and he realised with a start that he had been staring at her for too long while she waited for a reply. He wondered if she had noticed her effect on him the same way he had noticed his effect upon her earlier. His silent question was answered as a blush spread over the fine soft skin of her face and down her neck. He watched in fascination as he saw her nipples harden and thrust out through the fabric of her dress, and he felt a quickening in his groin.
He cleared his throat and forced himself to concentrate. "Of course, we can look at the timing of the renovations to fit around the summer season," he said and wondered why he was capitulating to her demands so readily. Was it because he wanted her in his bed? Wanted her like he had never wanted a woman before in his life? This was not how he did business! But he found himself going on, as if he had lost control of his faculties and his brain was clouded by pure sexual desire. She was smiling now. He experienced a small moment of pleasure that he had made her smile, before he squashed the feeling with ruthless cold calculation. He could not let his body rule his business decisions!
"I'll have the project manager take a look at the time outline again and we will see what we can do," he continued. He hoped that his vague offer would satisfy her and allow them to move to other, more sensual topics.
The waiter arrived to take their orders. Dinah realised she had only given the menu a cursory glance and quickly scanning the mains she noticed one of her favorites. With a smile she turned to face the waiter and said, "Veal Scaloppini please."
Jared ordered the Lasagne, which was prepared fresh daily on the premises.
As the waiter turned away Jared focused his gaze back on Dinah and presented her with a stunning smile. "Business cannot be done on an empty stomach, as I'm sure you know," he said as he raised his wine glass and she picked hers up to toast with him.
"To what are we toasting?" she asked, liking his playful mood.
"To a mutually agreeable business meeting."
Jared delivered his comment with another smile and Dinah felt her stomach turn butterflies and warmth spread up her thighs. The intimacy of the restaurant made it feel like he was the only other person in the world at the moment and it felt good.
"Well, that sounds fine," Dinah said.
Smiling at each other they clinked wine glasses. The wine felt cool and crisp on her tongue and refreshed her dry mouth. She was feeling quite breathless sitting across from one of the country's most eligible bachelors, and certainly the most gorgeous and sexy man she had ever laid eyes on. At that moment Dinah wanted to live in the moment and enjoy this hour as much as she could. She almost never dated and had never had lunch with a man as sexy as Jared Knight. She decided in that instant that she would just live this next hour in the moment and enjoy herself as much as possible.
As their lunch arrived they settled into small talk, but the body language was the real conversation. It was subtly infused with sexual longing on each side, and they each in turn reflected back the desire they felt for each other. The air between them was charged with sexual tension and Dinah felt her body come alive and vibrant. She thrummed with energy and longing for this man opposite her. Each small movement of his body exuded animal magnetism. She breathed deeply his raw masculine scent.
When coffee was brought to their table Dinah's fantasy came to an end.
"Are you planning on staying tonight in the city Miss Luxford?" Jared said. "There is a wonderful new play at the theatre, which has just been redecorated. The old Regent Theatre has had a full makeover. All its old heritage features have been restored and the interior is looking better than new." He was looking calmly into her eyes trying to hide the inner turmoil she had created in him. He, Jared Knight, who could have any woman in this city in his bed with the flick of his wrist was anxious that she would accept his request to be his date for the evening!
"I have tickets and I would be honored if you would join me," he said.
He was the picture of civility and good manners. How could she deny him? She had only a momentary pause, wondering why of all the women who must be only ready to fall at his feet he would ask her!
"Of course, I'd be delighted," she heard herself reply.
"That's settled then," he said as he left a generous tip for their waiter on the table and steered her to the door. "The play is at nine, I'll pick you up at seven thirty. I thought we could have some dinner first?"
They were on the street again, and the lunchtime crowd had thinned out as the afternoon had deepened. She realised with a small shock that they had been in the small intimate restaurant for over two hours!
"Where are you staying?" he asked.
"With my sister," Dinah replied and gave him the address as he made a note of it on his iPhone. She flashed him her most brilliant smile then turned and walked down the small alley back into the main street crowds. She could feel his eyes burning into her back and she began to anticipate with
delicious longing the evening ahead with Jared Knight.
Sitting back in his office Jared scarcely noticed the view before him. His eyes were open, but were unseeing. He was trying to comprehend his strong reaction to Dinah Luxford, a reaction that none of the society beauties he dated and took to his bed had ever before created in him. Where had he lost his cool? Where did it go? He was so used to being in command and complete control of himself, but now he felt like a teenage boy full of hormones. He felt himself stiffen just thinking about her beautiful body underneath that grey dress.
After about half an hour contemplating his unusual reaction Jared determined there was only one way to get this woman out of his system. He would wine and dine her tonight, and then he would bed her. Once he had her then he could move on and his head would be clear again.
With satisfaction on a decision made he turned his mind to his upcoming business deal of the afternoon. He refused to acknowledge to himself that he was more than looking forward to enjoying the delights that Dinah Luxford's body would offer him, and if he had been honest with himself he would have realised that he was entering dangerous territory where this one woman was concerned.
Chapter 4
Dinah's sister, Angela, was only mildly surprised but very happy when she turned up on her doorstep. Soon she was surrounded by her two nieces, Mia and Katie, both pulling at her skirt, both wanting to be picked up at once. Dinah gave in first to one then the other, burying her face in their sweet smelling curls and breathing deeply their innocent child smell. Her sister and brother-in-law certainly did produce beautiful children she thought, smiling, as she negotiated the chatter of her excitable nieces while trying to continue a conversation with her sister.
"It's so lovely to see you! Look girls! Aunty Dinah is staying with us tonight!" Angela said. The girls responded with rapturous excited squeals.
"So who is he?" Angela murmured to Dinah. Her sister knew her too well.
"What do you mean? Why do you expect there's a he?" Dinah retorted with a small flash of alarm. Was she that transparent?
"Only a man could make you stay away from your beloved Ultimate Cafe for a night! He must be gorgeous!" Angela said. She did love a good romance and she had been trying forever to get Dinah to find a man. Dinah was sorry to disappoint her.
"It's Jared Knight actually, and I'm having dinner to discuss my lease with him. He holds the lease on the whole block in Devon Bay's central shopping area. In fact he owns them."
"Okay, sure, if you say so. Discussing a lease is it?" Angela said. She was not fooled and Dinah suddenly wondered what she was getting herself into.
A man like Jared Knight, only probably THE most eligible bachelor in the city, asking her out? Was she mad? Surely she was not his type? He could have any woman he wanted, and she was sure he preferred more sophisticated and polished women, like the cool blonde secretary he had in his office, rather than someone unused to city ways and who barely dressed up or wore makeup!
With horror she suddenly realised that she had absolutely nothing with her to wear to the theatre or dinner. As soon as that thought intruded into her consciousness she stopped worrying. Angela was exactly the same size as she and would lend her anything she needed. Dinah relaxed.
"Actually he's asked me out to dinner and the theatre," Dinah informed Angela as Mia and Katie hung off her legs. Both wanted to be picked up at once and neither could wait. She looked down at a mass of golden curls and perfect skin over cherub cheeks.
At once her sister knew what she needed and bustled Dinah upstairs. "Girls, Aunty Dinah is going to have to dress up as a princess tonight because she's going out with a prince!" said Angela. The girls squealed with delight and the next hour was spent amidst laughter and love finding the perfect ensemble for Dinah's date.
Being surrounded by family soothed Dinah's nerves. After being thoroughly unsettled by her strong physical reaction to Jared Knight she needed the love of her family to bring her back down to reality. She hardly ever dated, having had only two boyfriends in her entire life, a fact she was conscious of and made her inexperienced. In Dinah's view it probably meant she would be a hopeless lover. To have a date with the most eligible bachelor in Auckland, even if it was because of business, meant Dinah would have been a complete bundle of nerves were it not for the calming presence of her sister and the love of her nieces.
Dinah settled into being fussed over and pampered, enjoying the hugs and play from the two little girls. Even though she worked very hard and had little time for socialising, her family was vitally important to her and she made sure she visited them often. When she could not visit they would speak on the phone several times a week. Angela always offered a calm and sane sounding board for Dinah's business ideas, and tonight Dinah needed to absorb some of Angela's calmness for the evening ahead!
Chapter 5
Jared arrived promptly at 7.30 p.m. Dinah expected no less, knowing that with a brilliant reputation in business he was sure to be on time. The man did not negotiate multimillion dollar property deals if he wasn't organised.
He looked absolutely gorgeous in a dark casual shirt and slim fitting pants. Angela opened the door as Mia and Katie tumbled about her feet, eager to see the man who was taking their one and only favorite Aunt out. They had spent a good part of the afternoon dressing Dinah and they wanted to see how her prince would be dressed. When they saw him they immediately shrank back into their mother's skirts, suddenly shy in the face of this impossibly tall and good-looking stranger.
At that moment Dinah appeared at the top of the stairs and they all turned as one to look up at her.
Dinah was wearing a cream wrap dress, cut just below her knees. The silky fabric draped softly about her body and the skirt flared out from her hips to accentuate her small waist while the V of the neckline revealed the swell of her breast. She had matched it with sling-back heels to achieve a classic chic look. Her makeup was minimal, but Angela had helped her skillfully apply it and had finished it off with a sweet fruity lip-gloss that gave her lips a full kissable look. The whole process had taken over an hour, but Mia and Katie had enjoyed every moment of it and Dinah had not wanted to deny them the pleasure of dressing their favorite Aunt.
She felt ready and confident, but the moment she saw Jared standing at the foot of the stairs looking up at her she felt again those same heady butterflies in her stomach that she had felt on first meeting him. Her throat suddenly felt tense and she had to consciously relax and breathe. He had an instant effect on her and not for the first time she wondered what she was doing. He was so good looking Dinah's eyes quickly scanned his broad shoulders underneath the taut fabric of his dark shirt and she realised with a small start that she was conjuring up a picture of her hands running across his smooth chest and arms, down his rib cage and over his stomach muscles…. She really needed to keep her mind on him with his clothes on or she would quickly lose the ability to have a coherent conversation with him. The last thing she wanted was for Jared Knight, multimillionaire property developer, to think she was an airhead!
Dinah put her chin up and walked down the stairs. Proud of the efforts of her beautiful nieces and her adored sister she projected an air of grace and confidence. She had learned that the best way to be confident was to act confident.
It was the older of the two little girls, Mia, who broke the spell and with a loud voice declared that her Aunty Dinah was The Most Beautiful Princess in the world, and with all the tact of a three year old demanded that Jared agreed with her.
It seemed that Mia had quickly overcome her initial shyness.
With another of his slow sexy smiles aimed straight at Dinah, Jared agreed. "She certainly is very beautiful. She makes a lovely princess," he said.
Dinah's stomach turned somersaults, and she felt a sudden weakness in her legs. The look Jared had given her was heavy with smoldering desire and promise, and she felt a corresponding almost involuntary response from her body. The sexual chemistry between them was strong, it
was undeniable, and at that moment Dinah did not care where he took her as long as she spent the evening by his side, and preferably with less clothes and more privacy!
"You've been kissing a princess!" Mia shouted, pointing at Jared. "He's changed from a frog so he's been kissing other princesses Aunty Dinah! You're not supposed to kiss other princesses, you're supposed to kiss my Aunty Dinah!" Mia exclaimed. She was clearly putting Jared in his place, but Angela, Dinah and Jared could not help but laugh. For Dinah that was the light relief she needed to break her mind away from Jared Knight's amazingly honed and perfect body for long enough to kiss her nieces good night and assure Angela that she would enjoy herself.
Jared was the perfect gentleman. He opened the car's door for her and ensured her skirt was tucked inside the car before closing the door with the soft click of a well-designed machine. Dinah breathed in subtle scents of leather and Jared's cologne. As Jared started the engine soft music filled the comfortable interior of the car, and the feeling of intimacy increased as he turned to give her a brief but appraising look.
"I meant it, you know," he said.
"Oh, what was that?" she said.
"You are a beautiful woman Dinah Luxford and I'm a lucky man to have the pleasure of your company for the evening."
Dinah was only briefly surprised. She knew she was an excellent businesswoman and an even better chef, but she did not normally give much thought to her looks. It seemed that she was Jared Knight's type after all, or at least he did find her attractive! The thought gave her so much pleasure and confidence, she was able to return Jared's smile with her own subtly seductive look.
"Thank you. So, where are we going for dinner? I'm starving!"
Ultimate Love Page 2
