Her Sexy Valentine Read Free Page B

her watch, fighting the compulsion to go inside. At 7:50 a.m. she was usually well into her workday, but Luke Chancellor always cut it close, so…
    As if she had conjured him up, his pewter-colored BMW zipped into view. She followed his car in her rearview mirror, noting where he parked. Then she timed her exit from her own sensible sedan so they would meet on their way into the building. It was a brisk winter morning, with enough of a breeze to send chills up her skirt. Carol tried to ignore the cold, slowingto allow Luke to catch up with her. He was whistling under his breath and tying a yellow tie, his white shirt collar flipped up. When he saw her, he did a double-take and rolled his wrist to check his watch.
    â€œGood morning, Snow,” he said with a grin. “Two more minutes and you’d have gotten a tardy slip.”
    â€œGood morning, Chancellor,” Carol returned as nicely as she could manage given the fact that she wanted to confront him about the icicle card he’d stuck in her book.
    â€œHow was your book club?”
    â€œFine,” she said, wondering if the man was, on top of everything else, a mind reader. Her heart pounded in her chest. Could he tell something was different?
    â€œSomething’s different,” he said, looking her up and down.
    She stiffened. “What?”
    â€œYou’re wearing a skirt,” he said, appraising her legs. “Nice.”
    It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the compliment—it was just that she hadn’t received acompliment from a man in so long, she didn’t know how to respond. “Thank…you?”
    He angled his head at her. “Was that a question?”
    Flustered, Carol nodded to his undone collar. “Didn’t have time to dress at home?”
    â€œMaybe I wasn’t at home this morning.”
    She started to roll her eyes at his insinuation that he’d spent the night elsewhere, then remembered some of the coaching tips the women in the book club had given her—act interested…make eye contact…flirt…touch him…
    â€œSo…um…where were you?” she asked, batting her lashes.
    â€œAt the gym.” Luke squinted. “Do you have something in your eye?”
    â€œEr, yes,” she lied, lifting her knuckle for a fake rub.
    â€œLet me see,” he said, stopping to turn toward her.
    Caught off guard by his sudden proximity, she inhaled sharply, breathing in the scent of shaving cream and soap that emanated from him. Even with her wearing heels, he stood ahead taller. The ends of his dark hair were still damp, conjuring up images of him in the gym shower…sudsing sweat from his long, muscular body. He peered into her perfectly healthy eye while she stood stock still in an effort to ward off the sexual vibes rolling off him.
    It didn’t work. Even standing in the cold wind, her temperature raised a few degrees.
    â€œHm,” he murmured. “I don’t see anything. Wait a minute—there’s something.”
    She cut her gaze to him. “What?”
    He pulled back. “A pair of big, gorgeous green eyes.”
    She wanted to scoff, but the sound came out sounding like…a sigh! Then Carol remembered she was supposed to be swooning over him. The sheer push-pull of emotion left her paralyzed.
    Luke, meanwhile, seemed to be enjoying himself. He walked ahead, his stride carefree. She shook herself and trotted to keep up as they walked into the lobby of the office building. An elevator car was waiting, open. Luke stepped inside, then looked to her. “Are you coming, or are you taking the stairs?”
    He was mocking her now. And she was so nervous, Carol was halfway ready to make a run for the stairwell. Maybe this seduction plan wasn’t such a good idea after all. Standing next to him in the open air was unnerving enough…she wasn’t sure she was ready to be confined with him on the