Page 15 of Valentine's Day Daddy

“Emma!” I hiss. “Stop.”

“Yes, this is Ezra,” he says.

The deep rumble of his voice washes across my skin, making me tingle in uncomfortable places. I shift on my feet, trying to stop that flood of heat and moisture that’s filling the center of me. I can’t even recall the last time I felt so wet. And I hate that nothing more than the sound of his voice and the memory of his face provokes that sort of reaction in me.

“Hi, Ezra,” she says. “Yes, can you hold the line for a moment? I have Ashton Rodgers here and she’d like to speak with you.”

“Ashton Rodgers,” he asks, sounding surprised.

“Yes, from the recent Soulmates event?”

“Emma please,” I whisper.

“Oh, I remember her quite clearly,” he replies. “I’m just surprised she’s calling—and that she has an assistant to make her calls for her.”

“Yes, well, I like to think of myself as a facilitator, rather than an assistant," Emma says. "But either way, she'd like to speak with you."

“Looking forward to it,” he says.

Emma hits the mute puts the phone down on the table and slides it across to me, a wide, wolfish smile on her face.

“I softened him up,” she says. “Now it’s up to you to seal the deal, baby.”

I look at the phone and feel my legs trembling. My heart is still racing and I swallow hard, trying to work a little moisture into my mouth. In my mind’s eye, I see those icy blue eyes and that strong, chiseled jaw. I picture his designer suit covering that amazingly fit body and recall the way the timbre of his voice made me shudder deliciously.

With a trembling hand, I reach out and pick up the phone. Emma is smiling and nodding, silently encouraging me. I clear my throat and press the phone to my ear.

“H—hello?”

7

“Frankly, I’m surprised you called,” he says.

“Frankly, I am too,” I reply.

He laughs softly and takes a sip of the dessert wine. We’re sharing a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce that is probably the most decadent thing I’ve ever eaten. And the dessert wine pairs with it perfectly. The man knows how to enjoy a fantastic meal, I’ll give him that.

“I trust tonight hasn’t been too horrible for you,” he says.

I smile at him. "Shockingly enough, it's been… nice."

And it has been. Ezra has been a perfect gentleman. More than that though, he’s been pleasant company as well. The conversation has been lively. He’s witty and clever, and I don’t know the last time I laughed as much as I have tonight. He's intelligent and well-spoken—and is knowledgeable about a wide range of topics. Our conversation has neither lagged nor been uninteresting. I find that I can listen to him talking about almost any subject… at length.

“Can I ask you something?”

I nod. “Sure.”

“Why is it shocking to you that you’d have a nice evening with me?” he asks. “And why do you think I’m this evil, mean man?”

I open my mouth to reply but pause. My breath catches in my throat as I watch the way the candlelight flickers, making the shadows dance across his chiseled face and sparkle off his glacial-blue eyes. He's a beautiful man and just sitting here with him, enjoying his company, is making me feel a thousand different things. It's not only made my heart beat a little faster, it's gotten my panties soaking wet. I can't wait to get home just to take them off because it's so uncomfortable. It's one reaction I didn't expect to have to his company.

I clear my throat and take a quick sip of my dessert wine. “I guess it’s because guys like you aren’t usually nice. You take what you want without asking or consideration for the rules, let alone anybody else. It’s all about you. The arrogance is… smothering.”

“Guys like me?”

“Rich guys,” I tell him. “Spoiled and entitled guys who are used to getting their way in just about everything.”

His smile shows off the deep dimples in his cheeks, which somehow makes him even more beautiful to me. I’m already trying to find ways to spin this because if I tell her how nice of an evening I’ve had, Emma is never going to let me hear the end of it.

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