Good with His Hands(4)

They fell in step together, and he opened the door for her when they  reached the stairwell. Dani walked up and down these same concrete steps  on a daily basis, but it had never felt thrilling or sexy before.  Gray's presence heightened her senses, made her more aware of her own  body. As she descended the stairs in front of him, she swore she could  feel his admiring gaze drop to her hips and butt. The ogling wasn't  unwanted. After all, she was the one who'd propositioned him. And  holding the attention of such an incredibly sexy man made her feel  powerful and feminine. Boldly sensual.

While she'd never been shy, even she was surprised at how brazenly she  was behaving. She'd daydreamed about making a move on him when he  finally smiled at her, but she'd had no idea how hot the chemistry would  be between them. It made her wild impulse to take him home feel  inevitable rather than insane.

Still, one-night stands were uncharted territory for her. At this  precise moment, tasting his kisses seemed like the best idea she'd ever  had, but would she feel that way the next time they ran into each other  outside the coffee place? What would it be like to stand in line for a  latte behind a guy who'd seen her naked?

As they reached the exit, she took a deep breath. "No matter what  happens tonight, you don't have to worry that seeing me will be awkward  when Monday rolls around or that I'll crowd you."

"Monday?" he echoed. Evidently, he hadn't thought that far ahead yet.

She gave him an earnest look over her shoulder, wanting to clarify that  there were no strings. "I'm definitely not looking for a relationship. I  was supposed to get married in..." She consulted the slim gold watch  around her wrist. "Forty-five minutes. My fiancé eloped last weekend  with the woman he was seeing on the side. Right now, I need to have a  really good time and forget the whole mess." Permanently, if possible.                       
       
           



       

Did her words make it sound as if she'd picked him at random? "I've  been thinking about you all week," she added. "And it seems like the  attraction's mutual. What do you say, Bryce?"

He frowned.

"Gray," she corrected. He'd said the nickname was what his friends  used, and she was hoping they would become very friendly before the  night was over. "Want to help generate a little amnesia?"





      3

IDIOT, IDIOT, IDIOT. Sean wanted to howl at the bitter unfairness of  the situation, at his own stupidity. He was in his brother's office  building, so why the hell hadn't it occurred to him that the stunning  brunette had mistaken him for Bryce? Maybe because no one had confused  the two of them since second grade. They were too dissimilar.

The disappointment at hearing his twin's name from Dani's full, cupid's  bow lips stabbed deep. The idea of his brother flirting with her,  touching her... His hands clenched into fists at his sides. Then again,  she must not know Bryce, or why would she have introduced herself? Sean  spared a moment of contemptuous disbelief for his permit-seeking,  suit-wearing brother. The man worked down the hall from a woman who  looked like this and had never even asked her name?

Idiocy must run in the family.

As he mentally berated both himself and his brother, Dani's forehead  crinkled. "Damn," she sighed, regret lacing her husky voice. Had she  taken his silence as rejection? "Was I too forward?"

"What? No. Actually, I like that in a woman." A lot. She was gorgeous,  with her wild fall of dark hair and her long, lean body, but what made  her sexy as hell was the sense that she knew what she wanted and wasn't  shy about going after it. When she'd first seen him in the hallway, the  awareness in her gaze had been like a wave of heat, burning a  tantalizing path.

He'd always been drawn to brunettes. In her body-hugging top, nails  painted a fearless red, she looked like his fantasy made real. But, odds  were, when he told her he wasn't Bryce, she was going to be mortified.

They'd reached the parking lot. When he informed her of her mistake,  would she bolt for her car? She'd be gone from his life as suddenly as  she'd appeared. Everything inside him protested at the idea.

Guilt warred with lust. Sean was ready and willing to help her forget  her problems and bolster her wounded ego. But she wants Bryce. Except,  Bryce wouldn't have been any good to her. Mr. Rules and Regulations  would never go home with a woman whose name he'd only just learned; he'd  be appalled by the very idea. If Dani wanted a good time, then she  had-however inadvertently-chosen the right brother.

Even Sean's ex-girlfriend, the one who'd despaired of his never  amounting to anything, had said so. Tara's parting words echoed in his  mind. "If you and that sophisticated twin of yours could be combined  into one person, you'd be the perfect guy. He's the one with ambition  and smarts...but, let's face it, you sure know how to show a girl a good  time."

Unaware of his mental anguish, Dani smiled. "As long as I'm being blunt  and inappropriate anyway, can I just say, now that I've seen you in  short sleeves, I think it's a shame you wear all those jackets?" Her  gaze went to his arm, as tangible and arousing as a caress. She was  attracted to him. Specifically.

It was impossible not to return her grin. "Want me to flex or anything? I live to serve."

"Then have that drink with me," she coaxed.

He took an involuntary step closer, breathing in her honey and vanilla scent. How could any man refuse her? "Absolutely."

* * *

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'm doing this! Dani's gaze darted to the rearview  mirror, as if she had to make sure Gray's SUV was still there. Without  the physical evidence, this seemed more like a naughty daydream than  real life. Her skin was tingling all over. Between adrenaline and  hormones, she had to squeeze her fingers around the steering wheel to  keep them from trembling.

Back in the parking lot, before they'd gone to their own cars, she'd  thought he might kiss her. She'd barely been able to tear her gaze from  his mouth. Had he been able to tell how hard her pulse was pounding?  She'd been so turned-on that anything they'd done would have felt  natural. The drive to the bar, however, allowed just enough time for  nerves to creep in.

It had been months since she'd had sex and years since she'd been with  anyone other than her ex-fiancé. Needing moral support, she instructed  her phone to call Meg.                       
       
           



       

"Hey," her friend answered, sounding relieved. "I'm glad it's you! I've  been trying to give you space today, in case you didn't feel like  talking, but-"

"I don't mean to cut you off, but we don't have much time."

"Well, that sounds dramatic. Like, you're fleeing the country from bad  guys and need to tell me you've left something important in a  bus-station locker. Or you're going to ask me whether you should cut the  blue wire or the red wire."

Dani laughed. Apparently, all the action movies she made her friend  watch had left an impression. "I went into the office today, and Hot  Architect was there! Well, Gray." In the military, nicknames were  common; she rarely thought anything of using them. But calling him Gray  felt intimate and gave her a rush of pleasure. "Short for his last name,  Grayson."

"You're already on a nickname basis?" Meg asked, sounding impressed. "You work fast."

You don't know the half of it. "I have to tell you something, and if you love me, you won't talk me out of this."

"This promises to be good," Meg said cheerfully. "And I think we both  know I'm the 'jump out of the plane, worry about the parachute on the  way down' friend. You're the voice of reason who talks me out of things.  Or tries to-I rarely listen to good sense."

Maybe Meg's "seize the day" attitude is rubbing off on me. "Gray's in  the car behind me right now, following me to the bar in front of my  complex. And if things go well over drinks..."

Meg let out a squeal of delight. "You're taking him home with you!"

"I haven't decided for sure." The hell you haven't, her libido argued.  "Would sleeping with him be completely crazy?" Not that sane had gotten  her anywhere, except dumped and relocated to a crappy apartment.

"Crazy's what you need tonight. Celebrate your freedom! Instead of tying the knot, you can tie up Hot Architect."

Dani grinned. "So much for any worry that you might judge me for  seducing a stranger." Despite how often their paths crossed, she knew  almost nothing about him.

"No judging! But for safety's sake, check in with me tonight and again  in the morning. If I don't get proof of life, I'm showing up at your  place with Nolan."