Zoe gave her a warning look. “Will you please let me finish?” Lucy had the good judgment to murmur an apology. “He has money, too. That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
“I’m trying to get to it if you’ll let me.” Zoe glared and then continued, “He seemed…” Lucy leaned forward a bit as if hanging on to the words. “He seemed…disturbed.”
Lucy blinked. “Disturbed?” she said with confusion in her tone. “What the heck does that mean?”
“I don’t know. It wasn’t the reaction I expected. But then, I didn’t expect my father to be accused of stealing either. Declan probably thinks lying and cheating runs in the family.”
“Zoe,” Lucy said, her voice softer. “I’m sure he doesn’t think that. And once he gets to know you he’ll judge you for you. Besides, clearly, he’s here to seek you out. Or I assume he is. I don’t think he would do that if he thought such things.”
“Maybe he feels guilty for how he reacted when I told him.”
“No,” Lucy said discarding that idea. “He’d call, not show up.” She paused. “But…” She hesitated, biting her bottom lip.
“But what?” Zoe demanded, hands going to her hips. She was on edge and wanted to know what Lucy wasn’t saying. Now.
She sighed. “Fine. I’ll say it. Don’t judge him by his family either. Or his job. Or anything but whom he proves himself to be in your eyes.”
Zoe gave Lucy her back, hugging herself, not liking the way her friend’s words took hold. Deep in her gut and in her heart. Was she judgmental in an unfair way? Maybe. She didn’t like the thought. Not one bit. Her hand went to her forehead. “I’m really confused right now.”
“You really like this guy, don’t you?”
Did she dare admit it out loud? Zoe turned to face Lucy. “It was only supposed to be a one-night stand.”
“But?” Lucy urged.
“I keep thinking about him. The fact that he showed up here made my heart beat all wild for all kinds of reasons. I was…excited to see him. It’s crazy. I’m begging to get hurt. I don’t want to be one of those freaky people who marry a version of their inattentive father and convince themselves it’s not some weird need for approval from someone just like him.”
“Is he like your father?”
“I don’t want him to be.”
“Then maybe he isn’t. Are you willing to give him a chance? A real one? Because if you are, that poor man has been standing outside for a really, really long time.”
She was right. He had. “Crap,” Zoe said and headed for the door. Declan Price might not be her type, but he was hot. And he was here. And she wanted him. Bad. For now, that would just have to be enough.
Chapter Twelve
Declan had told himself to stay away from Zoe. Just until he dealt with the complications of her father and his firm. But here he was, only hours later, waiting outside a theatre, hoping to catch up with her.
Declan had been to see his father and found him stubborn and determined to make his wife come home groveling. Though the news that his wife had taken an apartment seemed to shake him, Declan hadn’t gotten past “no” and “she’ll be back”. He’d begged his father to take time off, to take his mother away somewhere. But all his pleas had gotten him nowhere.
Feeling disappointed and more parent than the child, Declan had headed to his mother’s to take her to dinner. She’d barely touched her food, upset his father hadn’t called, and then she’d started crying. By the time Declan had taken her home, called her best friend to stay with her, and given her some over-the-counter sleeping pills, he’d been on edge.
The crazy thing was, Zoe felt like the solution to how he was feeling. For a loner who didn’t get close to women, this one had fast become important to him. Meeting Zoe, and seeing his parents as they were, had made him realize that alone wasn’t always so wonderful. He’d hated the way he and Zoe had parted at lunch. In fact, he couldn’t get it off his mind. She’d been upset and he couldn’t help but wonder if she needed him the way he did her right now. He wanted her to open up and talk to him. To explain what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.
So here he was, wanting to see her. No. Needing to see her.
He glanced down a moment and then felt a rush of heat. Zoe. He felt her eyes on him. Damn. He felt her presence. What the hell was happening to him? His gaze lifted and he found her walking toward him, her expression sultry. Not surprised. Every inch of his body screamed for her. With awareness and warmth. Even his heart beat faster.
Never before had he responded in such a way to a woman. He watched her approach, anticipating her touch. Her soft scent. Her lips. The black dress she wore was short enough to display long, lean legs. The silky fabric hugged her curves displaying the sway of her curvy hips with tantalizing results.
When she stopped before him, he reached for her, pulling her close and brushing his mouth across hers. Heat swirled in the air charged with the electricity of their connection. Her body lightly touching his made him yearn for more. It would be easy to forget the shuffle of people around them. To devour her with his mouth and pull her tight against his hips.
“Surprise,” he said, feeling the way she fit perfectly in his arms with a wave of possessiveness.
Her hand went to his jaw. “Not an unpleasant one.”
His fingers trailed her wrist and slowly moved up her arm. “I wasn’t so sure. You left lunch a little abruptly.”
She wet her lips, tempting him with a quick flash of her tongue. Her lashes fluttered and lifted. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Why?” he asked, studying her.
“It’s…hard to explain.” She started to pull her hand away.
He gently shackled her wrist. “Try,” he said in a gentle voice.
She swallowed. “Later.”
“Hmmm. Zoe?”
Declan and Zoe both turned toward the female voice. He’d barely noticed the woman who’d been walking beside Zoe.
“Oh God, Lucy,” Zoe said, trying to step away from Declan. For some reason, he really didn’t like that idea. He took her hand. She glanced at him, a slight frown on her face, but she didn’t try to escape. A feeling of accomplishment hit Declan. Holding hands
in public meant they were having more than sex. This was becoming a relationship. And at that moment, he realized, with certainty, it’s what he wanted.
“This is Declan Price,” Zoe said to her friend.
“Hi, Lucy.” Declan smiled and noted the twinkle in the brunette’s green eyes. She wasn’t upset about being forgotten at all. In fact, he had the distinct impression that she approved of his presence.
Lucy gave him a nod. “Nice to meet you.”
“She’s my closest friend,” Zoe said, glancing at him.
“Declan,” Lucy said. “Zoe and I are supposed to meet my husband for drinks at Serendipity. He has a table reserved. Want to join us?”