Irresistible Forces (McKingley) (17 page)

Captivated, he continued closer until her face was clear. It
was
her. He’d never forget her face. The smooth skin, delicate features and large eyes framed by doubly thick curled lashes. She was slender with a tiny waist and breasts that, he recalled, fitted so perfectly in his hands.

He knew when she noticed she was no longer alone—her fingers faltered and eventually she halted playing. Her dark brown eyes flashed with reminiscent passion before it faded and her gaze cooled. A flush skated up her cheeks, though.

“That was beautiful,” he said, ignoring the powerful impulse to touch her.

Her cheeks reddened further. “Thank you.” She ducked her head. “What are you doing here?”

Not the issue at hand for him. “You left.” He fought a chill from the ice in her eyes. Then, like the passion, it vanished to leave behind a blank slate. His gaze moved to her hands, which remained on the keys, then back to her face. The signs were there. Blatant and obvious. She was about to bolt. He moved closer and watched her eyes grow wider.

“Harmony,” he said, her name falling familiarly from his lips.

“Excuse me, Jonathon. I must go.”

He reached out for her arm. She stilled beneath his touch. “Wait.”

“Why?”

He wasn’t sure but he’d been unable to get this woman out of his mind since their one date and night of shared passion. Jon felt a bit out of control and it disturbed him. He liked neat, orderly, controlled situations. Even in the courtroom, he was always as prepared as he could be to ensure surprise didn’t take him. She unsettled him, rattled him, but damn it, she visited him every single night in his dreams. Now he had her, he didn’t want to let her go.

“Let me take you to dinner.” When she hesitated, he added, “We’ve been out before.”

Her flush told him she recalled exactly what had happened on that date. How it had ended up—clothes strewn all over the floor and moans the only sounds in the room.

“When?”

“Now, if you can leave.” His phone buzzed in his pocket and he ignored it.

“Okay.”

Her soft, lyrical voice had the power to make him crazy with lust. He stared as she got to her feet and slid the bench in under the piano. She wore charcoal grey slacks that hugged her hips. As he observed her, he noticed she allowed her right hand to be swallowed up by her sleeve until just her unpolished nails were visible.

He waited for her to gather her stuff and walked slightly behind her as she made her way up to the door. Close enough so the gentle scent of gardenia could be smelt and far enough to ogle the natural, seductive sway of her hips.

They paused at the door leading outside and stared at the continuing downpour. He grumbled under his breath—getting soaked and ruining his suit were not in the plans of the day. He slanted a glance at Harmony and noticed the sparkle in her eyes as she gazed out over the campus.

“Perhaps we should wait it out,” he suggested.

Silent, she led the way to a small sitting area. He claimed the chair across from her. He couldn’t take his eyes from her.

“You’re staring,” she mumbled.

“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to help myself. You look so different than you did…that night.”

A small smile lifted one side of her mouth. “Teaching a music class is hardly the place to wear a cocktail dress.”

He grinned broadly. Perhaps not, but she’d looked damn good in it. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to McKingley to teach?”

She pursed her lips and glanced up when thunder rocked the building. “When exactly would I have done that? During our bidding war over the vase? Or after, in your hotel room?”

He flashed an arrogant grin. “So you do remember.”

Her brown eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”

Stretching out his legs, he made sure to touch her foot with his, craving the physical contact.

“I was here giving lectures all day. Over at the law building.”

“That’s right, you mentioned something about being an attorney.”

He was pleased she remembered. “Yes. How long have you been teaching music?”

She tensed, her entire body did. Her right hand completely disappeared inside her sleeve. Not for long, but he did notice.

“About a year or so.”

There was a story there. “Why were you so determined to get the vase?”

Her eyes sparked and he realised he’d just erred. Grievously. “Just because I’m not a lawyer doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate fine things.”

Harmony Oshiro seethed inwardly. The handsome, arrogant and stuffed-shirted Jonathon Wright never failed to do two things to her. One, make her forget all common sensibilities and want to spend the night with him, engaging in all kinds of erotic endeavours. Two, get her dander up with nothing more than a simple glance from his medium brown eyes.

The look he’d given her when they’d begun to bid on the same vase was as if he didn’t believe she could afford such a thing. True, she’d gone over her intended budget to acquire said item, but his smug, over-confident look had spurred her into the rash action. So she’d won the vase, and consequently, she’d been eating noodles and peanut butter and jelly since. Nevertheless, it had been worth it. She’d secured the final item in the set her grandmother had begun for her.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean for it to sound that way. I was just curious as to why you wanted it so bad. Does it have a special meaning for you?”

“My grandmother gave me the first few in the collection. The one offered that night was the only one I didn’t have.” She cocked her head to the side. “What about you? Why did you want it?”

His entire countenance softened and her heart skipped more than a few beats.

“My mom. She loves little knick-knacks like that. And the robin’s egg blue colour is one of her favourites.”

She smiled and his gaze heated. “So you did it for your mom.”

His grin made her heart race. “Yes.” He glanced away briefly then said, “The rain appears to have stopped.”

He assisted her to her feet and let his hand linger afterwards. Then he slid it around to her back, the heat from his palm warming her through her shirt. Outside, the air smelt clean and fresh. The dark clouds rolled away off in the distance, leaving the sun free to shine down.

“Where did you want to meet?” she asked.

“We can go in my car and I can bring you back here to collect yours.” He spoke as they walked.

“I don’t have a car.”

He stared at her, brows raised and a bit of a shocked look on his face. “Is it in the shop?”

She chuckled. “No. I don’t own one.”

He inhaled sharply. “Then I will take you and bring you home.”

Her insides trembled a bit at that statement. He’d
taken
her for sure already. Over and over that night. She stumbled slightly at the memory.

“Okay.” She wanted to be around him—perhaps it didn’t make sense but being with Jonathon Wright allowed her to
feel
. “Where are we eating?”

“Are you, like, a vegan or something?”

She shook her head.

“Then we can go to a small place on the outskirts of town. Great food. One of my favourite places.”

They walked to the parking lot and she sighed when he unlocked a Mercedes. A metallic iridium silver coupé.
He must really be loaded.
At least the car didn’t sport any vanity plates.

Jon held the door for her and she slid into the interior, across the tan, butter-soft leather seat. The inside had a beautiful wood trim and she was afraid to touch anything for fear of ruining it. She tried not to fidget, but she was growing more nervous with each passing moment. Not for fear of what could happen, merely because she was a much simpler person. Her vehicle, when she’d had one, had cost about five thousand dollars. It wasn’t a model that started at over one hundred and fifty thousand.

He got settled and she hid a smirk when she spied him wipe a piece of fuzz off the dash. Mr Jonathon Wright, attorney at law, was a neat freak. The powerful engine turned over and they were on their way. As he drove, another storm rolled in and began to drench the earth.

Eventually they pulled into a place called Hattie’s. Jon grabbed an umbrella from the back seat and had it opened, offering him shelter, before he got out. She stifled another laugh—personally, she loved the rain. He came around to her door and together, under the umbrella’s protection, they hastened to the door.

He escorted her to a table in the back as they followed the attendant. Again, he rested his strong hand against the small of her back and took her mind back to their shared night. She blinked away the thoughts and focused on what he was saying.

Her meal was delicious and he said as much about his. They both lingered over dessert and coffee, and she imagined he was in no rush to go back out into the fury of the storm. Then again, neither was she.

“What about your family?” he asked, stirring creamer into his coffee.

“My parents live over in Japan—that’s where I grew up. I have an older brother, who’s married with one child. They also live in Japan.”

He stared at her. “So you’re the only one who came to the States?”

Memories of concert tours flashed and she forced them away. “Yes. I had been over here for a while and decided to stay.” Better that than to see all the disappointed faces of her family.

His eyes were sharp and assessing as he moved his gaze over her. As if he knew there was more to it than what she’d told him. “And now you teach music at the college?”

“That about sums it up.”

The look he gave her told her he didn’t believe it for a second.

“And you?” she asked quickly, wanting the attention off her.

“Me. Well, my family is bigger than yours is. There are six of us kids in all, but also the town is full of our cousins, aunts and uncles, so it feels larger most times. I have two older brothers, an older sister, then there are the two youngest sisters.”

“Wow.” Things had been crazy at times with just her solo brother. To have five siblings—it must have been a zoo.

He chuckled, a deep warm sound. “Yes. It had its moments.” A shrug. “Still does.”

She ducked her head and finished off her final piece of fried cheesecake. Stuffed, she rested her fork on the plate and leant back. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner.” She gave him a smile.

His gaze grew predatory and she felt an answering tremble in the pit of her belly.

“Why did you leave?”

Her protective barriers shot up immediately. “What does it matter?”

A loud rumble of thunder outside echoed the lightning in his eyes. “Why?” he asked again.

“I had my own room and my own plans.”

He didn’t approve of her answer—that much was obvious. His jaw flexed before he calmed down.

“Are you ready?”

The abrupt change in conversation threw her momentarily. “Of course.” She reached for her purse.

“You’re not paying.”

She jerked her gaze to him and realised it wasn’t a battle she’d win. “Thank you, then.”

He paid then escorted her back through the rain to his car. She hid her laugh as he muttered under his breath, cursing the rain. “I looked for you,” he said once he’d begun to drive. That surprised her and she was unsure of how to respond. “Even the next night at that auction. I searched everywhere for you.”

“I left after getting what I wanted. There was no reason for me to stay longer.” The moment she spoke the words she realised how they sounded, and she blushed. “Oh my goodness, I didn’t mean it like that. I… I…was talking about the vase.”

He gave a short bark of laughter. She looked at him and reached out a hand to lay it on his arm. It never got there. Through the windshield, headlights glared and Jonathon yelled, “Shit! Hang on!” then swerved off the road as an oncoming truck in the wrong lane barrelled past, showering them with even more water.

With her breath lodged in her throat, she gripped the edge of the seat and the door handle. The coupé bounced and skidded until they finally came to a halt.

“Are you okay?” he demanded, touching her as if he needed to ascertain it personally.

“I’m fine,” she said over the pounding of her heart. “Are you?”

“No,” he bit off. “I’m fucking pissed off. He could have killed us. Not only that, he didn’t stop to see if we were all right or not.”

Well, that was true. The road seemed to be deserted. She took a couple of deep breaths only to realise she was gripping his hand. Releasing it, she ran her palm over her mouth. That had been too close. Much too close. He started the engine, which had shut off, and put the car back in drive. The rear tyres began to spin.

He scowled, cursed and gunned the engine again. She could feel the car sinking further. She unbuckled her belt and reached for the door only to halt at his stare.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re stuck. All you’re doing is sinking us deeper. I was going to push.”

He stared at her as if she had three heads. “No way. I’ll go push, you drive.”