Ugly Ducklings Finish First by Stacy Gail Read Free Book Online Page B

was her presentation or the passion vibrating in her tone that held the audience so captivated.
    Maybe his memory was on the fritz, but he was sure Payton didn’t used to have a voice that reminded him of melted wax and night-blooming flowers. Standing there so coolly untouchable while speaking in intimate tones promising all sorts of earthly sins, she was every man’s fantasy. Hell, he’d bet real money the men in the room were dealing with some uncomfortable action below the belt with that voice of hers making love to every last one of their nerve endings. And those dark, mysterious eyes and that kiss-me-now mouth probably had them dreaming of unbuttoning her severe suit jacket to discover what lay beneath it.
    The wayward thought hit a jarring note somewhere deep inside, and his face tightened with a scowl. The idea of what other men were thinking made him want to punch something. They didn’t know Payton like he did, so those bastards didn’t have the right to wonder if she was wearing a camisole that was more lace than fabric. Or if she preferred something soft and silky and as wildly feminine as the veiling business suit was severely tailored. A lacy brassiere, perhaps. Or maybe she wore nothing at all.
    Wiley shifted again. Damn. Now he was the one dealing with some uncomfortable below-the-belt action.
    To keep his mind off the tightening ache in his groin, he tried to concentrate on what she was saying. The lawyer in him found particular interest in the story she recounted of a small boy who had been injured by a well-meaning EMT, who had used adult-sized forceps in an attempt to remove food from the child’s windpipe. The man in him found particular interest in the way she moistened her lips with a quick sweep of her pink tongue.
    It wasn’t until the end of the question-and-answer period that she saw him. Wiley knew the exact moment it happened. Her gaze glanced off his, but it was powerful enough to stop the rhythmic operation of his lungs dead in its tracks. Her shoulders stiffened, as if she’d just been stuck with something sharp, and her flow of words stumbled to a pause.
    In the momentary silence, with the wave of nuclear-level heat that was his awareness of Payton being aware of him, Wiley swore he could hear his own heartbeat.
    He wasn’t sure whether he was amused or irritated when she wrapped up her lecture and moved away from the podium without looking in his direction again. But he was definite about not being amused when a man emerged from a pack of admirers to take her hand, while his interested eyes embraced much more than that.
    Wiley’s jaw hardened. A predator always recognized his own kind.
    “This is one of my main priorities as well, and I’m glad the problem is being recognized,” the man was saying as Wiley pushed through the throng. “If you’re free this evening, Dr. Pruitt, I would love to have the chance to delve into this subject further.”
    “Ah. Dr. Falkener. Actually...” As if she could feel his determined approach, her dark eyes slanted his way and lingered in a way that he decided silently pleaded for help.
    When a damsel was in distress, what else was a knight in shining armor supposed to do?
    “I’m afraid Dr. Pruitt already has arrangements for this evening.” Wiley plucked her hand from the bold interloper’s and whisked Payton away.
    * * *
    Payton’s stunned silence lasted only a handful of seconds. “Wiley... Wait, what the hell are you doing here?”
    “Saving you.” His smile was all dimples and charm. She could have choked him. “You’re welcome, by the way. I was happy to do it.”
    No, choking would be too good for him. He needed something far more painful. “You shouldn’t be here. I didn’t come to San Antonio for a vacation, I’m here to work.”
    “I respect that. For what it’s worth, I didn’t interrupt or in any way disturb you. Or did I?”
    “Did you what?”
    “Disturb you.” His voice had dropped to hover somewhere just