Didn’t throw caution aside for a good time—not anymore. Life had consequences. It was a lesson he’d learned the hard way a long time ago, and one he didn’t forget. So why was he even thinking about a woman who A: kept turning him away, and B: came with strings?
Well, the answer to A didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. Her reluctance to get involved made her safe. She wasn’t interested in a relationship—she’d said it flat out at the bar—and yet she couldn’t quite resist him. So he wouldn’t have to worry about her planning their wedding the first time he got her into a bed. Which made her ideally suited for a fling. Throw in the fact that she was leaving within a few months’ time and it almost negated B. The strings. She worked for Amanda.
In his business, a part of his life—Amanda who already tied him to too many things he’d prefer to let go.
Definitely not the kind of hassle he needed.
He shook his head and caught a glimpse of motion from the corner of his eye as Cali pushed through the revolving doors and stepped out into the fresh morning air. A gentle breeze caught a few auburn curls that had slipped free of their tie, framing her face in a soft show of light, color and motion.
His chest tightened, his groin quickly following suit.
Hell.
Didn’t matter. She looked good. There was some chemistry. So what?
The big head was in control and it was telling him to ignore the little head’s apparent unflagging interest. He wouldn’t give in to the persistent itch that had him speculating as to what it would take to get Cali beneath him, because, logically, he knew he was better off keeping things hands-off.
The only place he had to get Cali was into her apartment.
Jumping out of the car, Jake rounded to the passenger side to help her in. “All set?”
“Yes, thanks.” She settled back, reaching for the seatbelt over her shoulder. The fabric of her top pulled taut with the twist of her body. She crossed to fasten the belt, and the swell of one creamy breast pushed forward as the deep vee of her halter offered a tantalizing view into the shadowy hollow of her cleavage. A rush of blood straight to Jake’s head was followed immediately by its plummet south, to the usurper beneath his belt.
Oh, now, that was ridiculous. He was a doctor. A heart surgeon. He saw enough breasts and cleavage on a daily basis that to be affected by a peek down a gorgeous woman’s shirt was ludicrous. He swung the door closed and shook out the fingers that had locked around it.
Enough was enough. She was a woman. He handled women with ease.
Returning to his seat, he forced a casual tone. “Do you mind the top down?”
Cali shook her head then smiled up at the Chicago sky, bright with only a few cottonball clouds strewn above the lake. “Not at all. Days like today are the reason convertibles were created.”
“Couldn’t agree with you more.” He grinned, shifted into gear, and pulled into the traffic headed for the Drive.
Beneath the sun’s warm rays, sandy beaches alternated with rocky shores and grassy stretches of park as they sped north along the lakefront. New buildings with their shining glass and metal knifed up into the vast blue sky, while the blunt stone façades of monuments to old Chicago endured beside them in classic countenance.
Quiet, Cali watched the passing terrain, fidgeting with her fingers. This was crazy. They were both stiff and overly polite, and after last night there was no excuse for it. They’d talked and laughed for hours without a moment’s awkward pause. So they weren’t going to pursue a physical relationship? So what? That didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy the platonic elements of their connection. Today circumstance had thrown them together again, and he, for one, was going to make the most of it.
Jake glanced over at her and, keeping one hand on the wheel, he caught hers with the other. “Cali, I’m the same guy from last night. We had a great time