fingers were at her back. Her bottom lip was locked under her teeth and she shivered under his touch when he hooked his index finger between the lowered zipper and parted material.
“Are you afraid of me, Kimberly?” he asked, stepping around her.
She held her dress to her chest. “No.”
“Good. I never want to see that fear in your eyes, that angst I spotted earlier today when you tried to tell Jason you had other plans.” He gave her a wry smile. “Now, go change before I break all sorts of rules I’ve tried to live by.”
“Care to give me an example?”
He lowered his head to hers, but didn’t deliver the kiss she wanted. “I’m a man who respects his woman. If I don’t back away from you now, I’ll never be able to convince you. Now, Miss Cartwell, go find something appropriate to wear. We have an exciting evening ahead of us.”
Chapter Eight
While Kimberly had slipped on something sexy, Wyatt had made himself at home. He returned to the car, retrieved a garment bag, and made use of her half bath, changing into a tuxedo.
After he dressed, he hung the bag on the back of her bathroom door. Around the same time he heard the defined click of high heels tapping against the tile foyer floor. Smiling to himself, he slicked back his pecan-colored hair and stepped out of the lavatory to greet her.
No one could’ve prepared him for the woman before him. Instead of maintaining his composure, he was immediately humbled. “You know how to take a man’s breath away on a first date.”
Kimberly glanced over her shoulder. Shooting him a seductive smile, she said, “Speaking of which, you wouldn’t happen to know what happened to my escort for the evening. Would you? He’s about your height, six two or six three, has medium brown hair, and pretty dimples similar to yours. Last time I saw him he was wearing nice slacks and a red shirt.”
He winked before he could control himself, appreciating her humor and eager as hell to flirt for a minute. “I told you we’re going to a party. I had to bring a change of clothes since I was in meetings for the better part of the late afternoon.”
“Do I look okay now?” she asked, her fingers brushing down the black lace bodice of her short dress. Hugging every inch of her flesh, the material she wore was slit on both sides revealing plenty of hip on the left and right.
The fishnet stockings were an added pleasure, one that would undoubtedly provide a night of distractions. Four or five inches of high heels provided a suggestive platform for added sex appeal. Her entire presence made a man ache in places that could definitely showcase his lust. He immediately thought of those spikes digging at his back in the middle of a heavy petting session.
“Is it too much, Wyatt?” she asked, tucking a loose strand of hair in a pearl clip at the back of her head. “I can change. For that matter, my closet is like shopping at a department store. I’ve had more men in and out of there than—”
He arched a brow and she stopped talking.
“I have a few brothers-in-law,” she reminded him, smiling. “I don’t mind if you want to browse the closet and choose something for me.”
“I’ve met your brothers-in-law,” he fired back while opening the front door. Extending his arm, he said, “And you’re perfect. Shall we?”
“Are you always so proper? You don’t need to be. I’m a country girl at heart. You don’t have to work hard to impress me.”
Oh, but he disagreed there. He wasn’t in the dark about Jason Neely. He’d observed the kind of control Jason maintained over Kimberly. If he wanted to win her heart, he had to stick with his plan right from the start.
“I’ve heard all about that country heart,” he said, walking alongside her. And while he was interested in her heart, he liked what was right above the surface, too.
Those perky breasts were pushed up for show, nearly spilling from the lace and begging for a man’s hands to catch them. A