That night at dinner, his male energy had called out to her, and she hadn’t quite recovered yet. She’d been dreaming of him for years, but lately, those dreams had become even more vivid. She had definitely liked the Cort she’d met in Paris. But this Cortez Masters was older, even more suave, polished, and smooth. He could lay on the charm without even trying. And the way he had looked at dinner, in his expensive trousers, Brooks Brothers shirt, and Italian knit blazer still had her fanning her face. Definitely hot.
When they’d walked out of the restaurant, side by side, she’d caught several women checking him out. It was hard to believe he didn’t have a steady girl. Or so he claimed. Still, she had no reason not to believe him. Compared to his brothers, he was the only one who wasn’t known as a womanizer. He dated whenever it suited him, but so far, it seemed as if he wasn’t interested in settling down. Like her, he’d obviously made the decision to put his career first.
She felt a shiver run through her. Like it or not, she thought Cortez Masters was the most desirable man to walk the face of this planet. That night with him was never far from her mind. He’d been her first…and her only.
Sex had never really been that important to her. She’d heard stories from her cousins, and though she’d been curious about sex, she’d never really worried if she found out the truth or not. A lot of that, she conceded, was due to Monica’s less-than-complimentary view of the act.
She’d merely wanted to lose her virginity, but Cortez had done so much more than that for her. He had given her an experience of a lifetime. Even four years later, she was still getting hot flashes, just from the memories.
Victoria had been taken with him four years ago, and she had to admit, he still pushed her buttons. She’d found something with Cortez — something she didn’t want to experience again with anyone else.
After that night in Paris, she had returned to school, graduated, and then decided to remain for her master’s degree. With her education and acquired skills, she’d felt confident enough to talk her grandfather and father into broadening the nursery’s market, wanting Bennett Nursery to be more than a place to buy plants. She wanted to transform it into a business that specialized in corporate landscaping, as well.
After years of barely getting by, her father and grandfather had no problem turning the business over to her, as long as they got a reasonable cut of the profits each year. What they’d asked for was small in comparison to what she’d thought they would want. That’s why she had established a special trust fund for them that none of their wives — past, present or future — could touch. The trust would assure they lived comfortably for the rest of their lives.
She’d just moved back to her desk when she heard the sound of the buzzer. Was her administrative assistant connecting a call from Cortez? She hoped not…she hadn’t made her decision yet.
“Yes, Charlotte?”
“Ms. Bennett, your mother is on line two.”
A smile touched Victoria’s face. She and her mom were close and talked at least two or three times a week. She connected the call and said, “Hey, Mom, how was the cruise?” Her mother and Edison had taken a two-week voyage on a riverboat along the Moselle and Rhine Rivers to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.
“It was wonderful. We started in Paris, toured several places in Germany, and ended up in Switzerland. Now I know why you loved Paris so much. I told Edison I want to go back one day. It’s so beautiful there.”
Victoria nibbled on her bottom lip a moment. “Funny you should say that. I’m planning on going back there soon…in a few weeks, in fact.” There. She’d made up her mind to give Cortez his two days. In all honesty, she would be getting her two days, as well.
She spoke with her mother for a few more minutes, then had to let her go when she got a business call from one of her franchise owners. An hour later, she was calling Cortez. She knew how to reach him at the law office, and he’d made certain she had his mobile number before they’d parted the other night.
“Yes, Victoria?”
She paused when he said her name. Of course, she shouldn’t be surprised he’d known it was her. He obviously had caller ID. “I’ve come to a decision about Paris, Cortez.”
“And?”
She hesitated a moment, then said, “I’ve decided to join you in Paris.”
There was silence on his end for a moment, then he said, “Good. Glad to hear it. I’ll make all the arrangements.”
“I’ll share the cost.”
“No reason you should. I’ve got this.”
“I prefer sharing, Cortez.”
“Maybe some other time.”
Some other time? Did he think they would be doing this again? And if he did, shouldn’t that assumption bother her? She decided not to let it and allow the things, like who paid for what, go for now. “Fine. Just let me know when the arrangements are finalized.”
“I will, Victoria.”
Later that day, after his last appointment, Cortez leaned back in his chair and thought about his phone conversation with Victoria. He knew she hadn’t liked his decision to handle the financial aspects of the Paris trip, but he wanted to do this. For her. For him. For them. When he’d picked up her call, he had been on his way to an important meeting regarding an out-of-court settlement. And today had been his lucky day. He’d scored well for his client with the settlement, and was elated with Victoria’s decision.
His thoughts shifted to his conversation with Quinn a few days ago. Since running into Victoria at Alexia’s birthday party, Cortez had periodically asked his cousin about her, trying to piece together in his mind what might have been the reason for her flight that morning. He’d been careful in his questioning, for fear Quinn would figure out that there was something between them. Still, Quinn was sharp and had probably figured things out, although he hadn’t said anything.
He drew in a deep breath. Like he’d told Quinn, he knew it would take more than two days to win Victoria over, but he intended to try. What he hoped to accomplish in Paris was simple — he wanted to give her a reason to consider starting a relationship with him. One with a promise of a future together.
He would wine and dine her and show her there was more on his mind than sex…although, he intended to give her plenty of physical attention, as well. But when she left Paris to return home, he would make sure she knew another side of him…one she didn’t know now.
Whether he admitted his true feelings for her was up in the air, he needed to know she was ready to hear it. By their last day in Paris, he would know.
Right now, though, he needed to start making arrangements for their trip. And he was sparing no expense. She’d have no doubt just how important this was to him…how important she was to him.
Operation “Win Over Victoria” had begun.
VICTORIA SAW THE MAN holding the sign with her name on it the moment she walked out of Charles de Gaulle Airport. It had been a relaxing flight — in first-class. She hadn’t expected that, and had to admit the nine-hour flight had been a lot nicer than her previous one to Paris. The flight attendants had lavished her with attention…including offering warm chocolate chip cookies that tasted as if they’d been freshly baked. And she’d even been able to take a nap, something she’d always had trouble doing while traveling.