Lori Borrill – The Personal Touch (страница 8)

“Thanks.”

She wanted to say something more, but she didn’t know what, so she opted for a simple goodbye before hanging up the phone. Though her sensible side told her to keep taking things one day at a time, she had to admit a sense of anxiousness when it came to their relationship. She was so sure of their future together, of him being the ideal man for her in every way, she wished they could skip the formalities of dating and go straight to the altar.

Of course, that went against every rational word of caution she handed out to her friends and clients. She’d never felt that rushing a relationship was prudent, and she intended to heed her own advice. But having some permanence and formality between them would certainly be nice, especially when she considered having to deal with men like Clint Hilton.

Clint’s musky scent still hung in her office, taking her mind back to their meeting this afternoon. She recalled the silky way his gaze had slid over her when he’d demonstrated the vibe. Remnants of that look still tingled in her insides, calling to her in forbidden temptation. Now that she’d seen the man in action, she didn’t doubt all the stories Carmen had told her about him—the womanizing, the playboy vacations in every party spot on the globe. The man had the “It” factor and knew how to use it, which made him dangerous to any woman who didn’t watch herself. Margot had to admit that when he’d caressed that smooth gaze over her body, she’d felt naked and unguarded. Even a little aroused. An engagement ring would make a nice safeguard against a man like Clint. Because while Margot had her preferences set firmly in mind, she had no doubt Clint Hilton could turn a woman stupid with the wink of one crystal blue eye.

Blinking away the thought, she gathered her things and shut the lights in the office. While Clint might have touched her lustful side, her good senses reminded her that Rob was her future, and she’d simply keep that in mind as she played this phony courtship.

But as she locked the door behind her and headed for her car, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it might be easier said than done.

“TELL ME AGAIN where you met this woman?” Jillian asked as Clint dropped four bags of groceries on the stone counter in his kitchen.

“Capras. It’s a deli down on 4th.” He stepped over to his wine rack and pulled off two bottles of cabernet.

“Hmm, you don’t waste time, I’ll give you that. It was barely a week ago that treacherous blonde stormed out of here and you’ve already found someone new.”

He would have moved a lot sooner if work hadn’t kept him so busy this week. But now that he considered it, it probably ended up for the better. It would have looked strange suddenly bringing Margot around if he’d just had another date two nights before.

He winked. “Have you ever known me to beat around the bush?”

She gave him a wry smile. “I suppose not.”

She began helping him unload groceries, surveying every item in the bags as though she could size up his intentions based on his shopping list. Eyeing a small can of imported caviar that cost nearly as much as the blue sapphires on her ears, she stated, “My, you’re putting on quite a spread tonight. Are you sure you want me to stay and join you?”

The comment was made under the guise of a considerate gesture, but Clint knew damn well his mother would hold it against him if he asked her to take a hike for the night. It was a little game they’d been playing for years. She made polite offerings and he had to figure out which ones were sincere. Like the time he’d inadvertently made plans on a Sunday that ended up being Mother’s Day. His mother insisted he keep his reservations and swore that it would be perfectly fine to celebrate Mother’s Day two days early. So he’d believed her and went on his trip, only to spend the next three years hearing about that one disappointing Mother’s Day where she didn’t have both sons with her.

That was when Clint discovered that what his mother said and what she expected were two different things.

“Absolutely not. This is your home, and you are joining Margot and me for dinner.”

She tried to keep a poker face, but he didn’t miss the twinkle of pleasure in her eye.

“Really, it’s your first date and you obviously want to impress her.” She held up a bottle of finely aged balsamic vinegar. “I’d be a third wheel.”

“You’ll be pleasant company.” Then he shoved a bunch of garlic chives in her hand and asked her to chop them.

Round one; advantage Clint.

For the next hour the two worked together in the kitchen, preparing one of the many meals he’d learned to cook from his father. Cooking had been one of Jerald Hilton’s hobbies that had grown out of necessity when he was a young college student at UCLA. Unlike Jillian, who was born into wealth and had staff to take care of the family’s basic necessities, Jerald had worked his way to the top. Of course, the rich relations he’d married into hadn’t hurt his career, but at his core, Jerry Hilton was part of the working class who took pride in the things he could create with his own hands, a superbly crafted meal being one of them.

“This is nice, cooking with you,” Jillian said as she whisked together a vinaigrette for the salads that sat chilling in the fridge. “It reminds me of the early days with your father.” Then she looked around his high-tech kitchen. “Although the accommodations are quite a bit better than the tiny apartment we had when we were first married.”

The tiny apartment she referred to was the two-thousand-square-foot penthouse three blocks off Wilshire Boulevard her parents had bought the young couple as a wedding present.

“You know, your father cooked a meal like this for me on our first date,” she added. “It’s how I knew he was serious about me.”

She threw him a glance that asked if the same significance applied to Margot.

“I like Margot,” he said. “As far as being serious about her, it’s a bit premature to say at this point.”

The look on her face said she knew he was lying, and that was okay. As long as she didn’t know why Margot was special, she could think what she wanted. In fact, it was probably best his mother presumed he had serious intentions. She might open up more freely if she thought she was conversing with a future daughter-in-law instead of another one of Clint’s casual flings.

And in reality, if it weren’t for what he’d heard from Carmen, that might have been true.

Clint had already been impressed with Margot after their meeting, and then the contract she’d drawn up etched another checkmark in her favor. She hadn’t missed a beat in the five-page document. Every point had been covered in a manner that was clear and firm, yet fair to both parties. And the fact that she’d whipped it up overnight underscored the fact that his intuitions had been on the mark.

Margot Roth was as sharp as she was sexy, a fact that both intrigued and dismayed him.

Because after returning from her office, he’d made a beeline to Carmen to find out everything he could about the beautiful matchmaker with the big brown eyes. And what he’d learned was that if he wanted more than her business, he’d come around a month late. Apparently, Margot had a boyfriend, and though the relationship was new, Carmen seemed to think it was already serious.

Clint couldn’t deny that the news irked him, not so much because she was taken, but because he’d only missed her single status by a few short weeks.

He hated being denied something he wanted, but even more than that, he couldn’t shake the inexplicable feeling that she should be his. He didn’t know where it came from. Hadn’t felt that way about a woman before. It was just this thing that had come over him and kept sticking like glue. An overwhelming feeling of possession.

It was like walking into a gallery and seeing a painting he knew he had to have. If pressed to articulate why, he’d have a hard time because it wasn’t simply the colors, or the style, or the frame or the subject matter. It was the way they all came together in a package that hit that special sequence of buttons.

Except this time, the artwork had a big Sold sign on it.

“Have I seen her in any films?” his mother asked.

“Margot isn’t an actress.”

“Oh, so she’s a model?”

He frowned. “I date women besides models and actresses, Mother.”

“Then what does she do?”

“I don’t know. Some kind of counselor.” He followed her onto the terrace, where she proceeded to set the table while he put out the steaks and readied the grill. “We only spoke briefly while we were ordering lunch. I intend to find out the details tonight.”

“Well, I’ll hand it to you. You don’t have trouble finding women, that’s for sure.”

The doorbell rang and he glanced at his watch to see that she was exactly fashionably seven minutes late. Hell, even her promptness was perfect. As he trekked to the front door, he reminded himself that Margot was here on business, and as much as he would have liked to throw in the pursuit of pleasure, it wasn’t worth harming his integrity. His father had always told him that in their business, honor and reputation meant everything, and one’s personal life could never be separated from the job. Few people could get away with being unscrupulous in private while still maintaining respect in the business world, and rather than test those waters, it was best to regard all aspects of his life as a piece of the whole. Do right by people, and for the most part, people will do right by you.