I let out a long hot breath. I might as well go out. The chief was right. It was time for me to move on, whether I thought I was ready to or not.

Besides, it’d be a shame to get all dressed up for nothing. The doorbell rang at exactly seven o’clock, just as I was powdering my nose. My date had arrived right on time. I loved punctual men.

I opened the door to find another bouquet of orchids 64

J e n n i f e r E s t e p

outside. These were picture-perfect and more beautiful than all the rest combined. They made the ones in my office look like cheap plastic imitations. I could just make out Johnny’s green eyes through the exquisite purple and white petals.

“Do you know where I might find a beautiful bridesmaid?”

His voice was just as rich and cultured as I remembered. His faint accent sounded sophisticated, sultry, and utterly sexy. I’d always been a sucker for accents.

“I’m not a bridesmaid anymore,” I said, stepping back to let him inside.

“But you’re still beautiful.”

“Aren’t you the charmer?”

He winked. “Always, Fiona. Always.” Johnny tossed the flowers onto a nearby table and swept me into his arms. The man didn’t waste any time, that was for sure. His lips covered mine, and all thought vanished. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He opened his mouth, and I slid my tongue inside the hot depths. He tasted like mouthwash, tart and tangy. His spicy soap wafted up my nose, and I breathed in, enjoying the aroma. Whatever that scent was, it complemented him perfectly. Johnny’s hands traced circles up and down my back as I explored his mouth with my tongue. It was a long, slow, lingering kiss. The sort that whispered of even better, slower, longer, harder things to come.

After a good two minutes, we came up for air.

“You know, we could just order in,” Johnny murmured, pressing a kiss to the hollow of my throat. My pulse roared under his lips.

“Dinner first,” I said, stepping back.

I had an image to maintain, and I didn’t want him to think I was too eager. Or know that single kiss had me ready to toss him over my shoulder, carry him back to the bedroom, and ravish him from head to toe. Three times over. H o t M a m a

65

The truth was the intense attraction unnerved me. One look, one kiss, one minute alone with him, and I was all hot and bothered. At least, more so than usual. I’d never believed in love at first sight, but lust was another matter. Or was it? Did Johnny Bulluci really have that much of an effect on me? Or were my hormones just hot to trot because of the long drought?

I didn’t know the answers to my questions, so I concentrated on him. His tawny mane of hair glistened under the dim lights, and his eyes were as green as polished turquoise. Johnny wore a navy blue suit with a faint pinstripe. It looked fantastic on him. Or he looked fantastic wearing it. I couldn’t decide which one it really was. Maybe I should get him to model some designs for me, provided I could lure him away from Bella. With him in the store, sales would go through the roof. If I could stop the society types from tearing off his clothes, something I was dangerously close to doing myself.