Lauren blinked. In truth, she wasn’t planning on going back to her place tonight. She’d check into a hotel for a few nights, because, yeah, she was nervous. Staying here would be really nice, but she could barely keep her eyes off of Nick and her mind focused when she was around him. A hotel was the safer option.

  “I can’t put you out,” Lauren said. “I mean, you’ve been more than generous, but you have a life, and it’s pretty much against everything in my personality to rely on someone else.”

  “Really?” Nick said, sounding intrigued. “Is that why you live in a tiny condo in a questionable neighborhood?”

  “It’s not that bad.”

  The edges of Nick’s mouth lifted, and he moved closer to her. “You can stay here; there’s plenty of room.”

  Lauren took a step back because his presence was filling up the entire hallway. “I really hate to be in anyone’s way. For all I knew, the thudding was because you had a special guest over and you were engaged in a vigorous activity.” The second the words left her mouth, she could have kicked herself.

  Nick’s eyes widened, then he laughed. “You’re funny, Lauren Ambrose.”

  She stepped back again, mortification pounding through her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean . . . I didn’t think.”

  He shook his head slowly, but amusement filled his eyes. “So you came down the hall to investigate?”

  She wanted to disappear. “No.” She bit her lip and looked away.

  Nick chuckled and moved closer still. She was next to the wall, and he braced a hand against the wall, only a few inches from her head. She didn’t move, couldn’t have moved if she tried. His hazel eyes were focused on her with an intensity that made her skin buzz. “Believe me, the last thing I’d do is have a special guest over when the beautiful Lauren Ambrose is sleeping in my house.”

  Her throat went dry. She wanted to look away from him, push off the wall, and head to the kitchen. Instead, she stared into his eyes. His gaze slipped to her mouth, and her heart about pounded out of her chest.

  What was happening? Was she being completely duped so that she’d talk her grandma into taking his company’s offer? Or was she just weak-kneed at the sight of a handsome man wearing no shirt?

  She pressed a single finger against his warm chest. “You’re sweaty, and I have things to do.”

  Nick smiled. “All that stuff?”

  “Yeah, lots of stuff.” She slid past him, and as she headed toward the kitchen she felt his gaze on her every step of the way.

  Once in the kitchen, she took another bite of the cantaloupe, then she put the container away. The thudding started up again, and it reminded Lauren of what she’d said to him. Face heating again, she got herself a glass of ice water. With double the ice.

  Nick missed her.

  Lauren had been back in her place for a week now, and he didn’t like it. For three nights she’d stayed with him, and although the protective order had been filed and the security cameras at her complex inconclusive about who’d door-ditched her, Nick still didn’t like her on her own.

  But Lauren Ambrose was one stubborn woman, and he knew where she got it from.

  Lillian and Sofia Ambrose had sent back some changes to the contract he’d offered them. This was a huge step in the right direction, and although he wouldn’t be able to meet most of their demands, at least they were making them. He considered this a positive step, because it told him that the deal was getting real.

  And he was pretty sure Lauren didn’t know about the negotiating. He guessed that she’d be caught up soon enough; after all, she’d have to vote on any major change in the company, and this would be a significant contract.

  The conference call he was now on was going longer than he’d planned. He’d already presented his ideas, and now the other three executives of the small plane company were going over each point thoroughly. Nick’s administrative assistant, Paulie, was taking notes on her iPad as she sat across the wide conference table from him. Paulie wore her green-rimmed glasses today, which matched her green hoop earrings and green-striped shirt. The fifty-something woman had her own style, and that was one of the things Nick liked about her. That and her no-nonsense personality.

  He fiddled with his phone, still paying attention while he scrolled through the texts between him and Lauren over the past week. Mostly him asking, “How are you doing?” And her saying, “Good.”

  Lauren wasn’t much of a texter. And she’d only answered once when he’d called. It was driving him crazy. She was driving him crazy. Even with her one-word texts, he could hear her voice in them. And if he closed his eyes, he could see her in his mind. The first time at the airport curb with her wild hair. At her grandmother’s estate, wearing that navy dress. At the gallery in those black heels. Then, at his home, her messy bun, plain T-shirt, curvy yoga pants. That was the real Lauren, the one with no pretention, no defenses. Those small smiles of hers. Her sideways glances when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. How she ate straight out of the containers of food in his kitchen. Which would have normally bothered him with anyone else, but not her.

  “What do you think, Nick?” Brandon Pulmer asked.

  Nick dragged his attention away from his phone. He caught the smirk of Paulie—she knew he hadn’t been listening, and she turned her iPad around so that Nick could read the last few lines of her notes. Bless her.

  “It makes sense to extend the hours in the summer,” Nick said. “By one hour, though, not by two. Those small-plane pilots are always pressing their luck as it is.”

  “Duly noted,” Brandon said.

  Paulie turned the iPad around and pecked at the miniature keyboard.

  Nick knew that Lauren was attending a fundraising gala tonight. He’d looked it up on her website, and he wondered idly if he should attend. Some of her paintings would be up for auction, and he could add to his collection. Plus he’d be donating to a good cause of building a park in a rundown neighborhood.

  He exhaled. The gala might be sold out, but there was only one way to find out. He pushed mute on the conference call, then said to Paulie, “Can you look up the Neighborhood Friends Gala and see if there’s an available ticket?”

  Paulie began to type away at a new screen, and Nick appreciated her efficiency. He unmuted the conference call and tried to follow along as best he could. But once Paulie gave him the thumbs up, his thoughts shifted back to Lauren as he wondered what she’d be wearing tonight. His tux should be ready to go, dry-cleaned after the last formal event he’d attended. He was sure he’d know plenty of people at the gala. Investors and donors made it a habit to attend these types of functions, not only to donate, but to see and be seen. Sort of the social night out for the who’s who of San Diego.

  A text came in from Tammy, and Nick exhaled. She was a woman he’d dated a few months ago, but she was too finicky for his taste.

  Hey, babe, I’m coming down to San Diego this weekend. You around?

  Tammy was . . . how should he explain it? A trust-fund baby who had plenty of her own money but did nothing. Unless he counted spa days and yacht outings as an occupation. In fact, he’d met her at a fundraising gala, and she’d been sweet and attentive. He’d let that go to his head, which was wrong, but sometimes it felt nice to have some undivided adulation. He’d been in a weird space since his father had recently died, and normally he wouldn’t have gone out with someone as shallow as Tammy. Yet it had been nice to escape reality with her for a few hours at a time.

  Now . . . he replied to her text. I’ll be around, but I’m dating someone, and I don’t think she’d like me skipping out.

  There. Not exactly the full truth, but it would accomplish two things. Let Tammy down gently, and let her know that there wasn’t a future between them. Besides, what were the chances of him randomly seeing her in San Diego anyway?

  There was always a chance, he knew, since she was familiar with his favorite restaurants and they had some of the same acquaintances.

  The conference call moved to the final agenda item, the budget.

  Nick turned his phone over and pulled up the organization’s financial spreadsheets. For the next hour he reviewed numbers, pushing all else out of his mind. Or at least as much as possible.

  By the time he left the office, the sun was setting and he was running late. The good thing was that Paulie had told him there was a silent auction beforehand, which usually delayed things. And he was only worried about getting there for the live-auction portion that would start halfway through the dinner service.

  Once he was in his tux, he drove to the event center and pulled his sports car up to the valet stand. He climbed out, noticing that he was the only one arriving. Maybe he was later than he’d thought.

  “Thank you,” Nick told the valet and hurried in. He hoped he hadn’t missed the live auction, where Lauren’s paintings would be up for bidding. At the reception table in front of the event room, he handed over a credit card and then took the bidding number they gave him.

  He strolled past the reception area into the main room and saw that the lights were dimmed and a video documentary was playing about how Neighborhood Friends had helped other neighborhoods with rejuvenation projects.

  Nick followed the table numbers to his assigned table while scanning the room and looking for a woman who fit Lauren’s description, but he didn’t see her. He sat at the only empty seat at his assigned table. The man on his right nodded a greeting, and the woman on his left gave him a broad smile. He didn’t know her, but that didn’t seem to stop her open friendliness.

  “Hello,” she said, leaning close. “I’m Gloria Roddy; who are you?”

  “Nick,” he said simply.

  Her gaze raked over him. “Nice to meet you, Nick.”

  He nodded, then turned his attention to the video. After it had run its course, the lights brightened, and the MC walked to the podium. “Enjoy your dinner, ladies and gentlemen. The silent auction has now closed, and bidding for live items will start in twenty minutes.”

  The MC left the podium, and soft music began to play.

  “So, Nick, where are you from?” Gloria said, facing him. Her spider-like, fake eyelashes fluttered.

  “Mostly here,” he said, then he turned to the man next to him. “You look familiar.” He didn’t in the least, but Nick wanted to put some sort of divide between him and Gloria.

  It worked, because she started talking to the person on her other side while the meals were delivered by a host of servers. Nick kept asking John, the man to his right, more questions about his insurance agency. It worked until Nick caught sight of a woman in a red dress a couple of tables over. Tammy was here, and before he could look away, she caught his gaze.

  Dread pooled in his stomach as Tammy flashed a bright smile, and he felt obligated to smile in return. Within seconds she was at his table. He rose to greet her and give her an obligatory kiss on her cheek.

  “Wow, I can’t believe you’re here.” Tammy’s gaze moved to Gloria, who was watching them with open interest.

  “Is this the woman you’re dating?” Tammy said.

  “Uh, no,” Nick was quick to say. “She’s . . . not here.” Lauren was here, he just hadn’t seen her yet. Besides, the last thing he’d do was introduce the two women.

  “Aw, too bad,” Tammy purred, running her hand up his arm. “Do you think she’d mind if we danced? Just once?”

  Nick blinked. Sure, there was a dance floor, and a few couples who must not be hungry were dancing, but it wasn’t something he was interested in doing with Tammy.

  “Better not,” he said. “Word might get out.”

  Tammy laughed. “You must be whipped, Nick. I never would have thought.” Her eyes narrowed for the briefest moment. “Do you have a picture of her? I’d love to see the woman who ensnared Nicholas Matthews.”

  “Oh, there’s Steven,” Nick said, looking past her. “I should talk to him before the bidding starts.” He excused himself, and as he walked away from Tammy, he felt her gaze boring into his back. So be it. But now, he had no idea where he was walking. He passed by a couple of tables, then moved toward the long tables set up for the silent auction. He didn’t want to turn around to see if Tammy was still watching.

  He shouldn’t have come. It didn’t look like Lauren was even here. Had something happened to her? He pulled out his phone and scrolled through the last text he had from her. It was from yesterday. Nothing from today, even though he’d texted her this morning.

  Frustrated, he pocketed his phone, then looked up to scan the crowd a final time. His gaze paused. At the far table, a woman sat, dressed in a low-backed white dress, and although her hair was smoothed and straightened, Nick knew it was Lauren. She was talking to and smiling at the man seated next to her. Nick didn’t have a good view of the man, but he could see Lauren’s profile clearly. And she was beautiful.

  Nick wasn’t sure how long he’d been staring when the MC stood and introduced the auctioneer. Nick made his way back to his seat, which was in a location where he couldn’t see Lauren anymore.

  Nick retook his seat and only gave one-word answers to Gloria’s questions.

  He waited patiently through the bidding of the vacation packages, the pro sports memorabilia, jewelry sets, and handblown glass art.

  “Next, we have a painting by local artist Lauren Ambrose,” the auctioneer said. “This painting is called Butterfly on Skyscraper.” An image of the painting displayed on the slideshow.

  Nick gazed at the picture. Even if he hadn’t known Lauren, the painting was something to behold. She’d put incredible, lifelike detail into the miniature of a butterfly who could have never flown so high as a fifty-story skyscraper. Or maybe it could. The juxtaposition was intriguing.

  Several bidders raised their numbers, and the auctioneer listed them in turn. When the bidding slowed, around $5,000, Nick raised his auction paddle. Another woman near Lauren’s table raised hers by five hundred. Nick raised his auction paddle again.

  This continued for a few more interchanges, until finally Nick won out at $8,000. People in the crowd clapped as the auctioneer declared him the winning bid and went on to the next item.

  Nick set his paddle down, waiting for the next Lauren Ambrose painting.

  “Are you an art collector?” Gloria asked with a wide smile and a gleam in her eyes.

  “Only select art,” he replied, not liking the way that Gloria was appraising him.

  Tammy was suddenly at his side, and when she leaned down to whisper in his ear, he nearly shot out of his chair. “Congratulations, Nick. I like a man who can appreciate the finer things of life.”

  “Thanks,” he said, trying to keep his smile from turning into a grimace.

  Tammy said something else before moving on, and Nick could only sigh with relief.

  When the auctioneer announced the next Lauren Ambrose painting, Gloria tapped Nick on the arm. “You gonna bid again?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She giggled and turned her rapt attention to the front of the room. The art piece was another miniature, this one of a small puppy in the wilds of a rocky landscape. The bidding got to $7,000 before Nick raised his paddle. He won that one too, for $9,500.

  His Lauren Ambrose collection was growing.

  Nick waited until the next item was well underway before he rose and made his way over to the reception table. He glanced over at Lauren’s table as he walked, but she was no longer in her seat. Maybe she’d left early? Or was at the restroom?

  He continued to the reception area and picked up his receipts for the artwork. The woman at the desk assured him that his paintings would be specially delivered the next day to his home.

  Nick strode out of the event room and headed through the lobby, when a voice stopped him.

  “You following me, Mr. Matthews?”

  Nick turned to see Lauren standing in the lobby, her arms folded.

  When the bidding on her first piece of art had turned into a bidding war, Lauren had turned in her seat to see who was stirring things up. The sight of Nick sitting at one of the back tables, wearing a tux, raising a paddle to drive up the price, had made her breath stall.

  And then he’d bought her second painting.

  Now she faced him in the lobby, and the sight of Nicholas Matthews in a tuxedo was not for the faint of heart.

  Maybe she should have just let him leave and called him later to give her a piece of her mind.

  Nick slowed his pace and walked toward her. The lobby was currently empty, and the only other sound besides her thumping heart was the soft classical lobby music.

  Her face heated as Nick approached, because his hazel eyes made a thorough scan of what she was wearing. She was more dressed up than she’d ever been around him, thanks to a last-minute shopping spree and being talked into this form-fitting white dress by a friendly sales lady.

  Nick probably owned more than one tux and didn’t have to think twice about what he’d wear to a formal gala.

  “I might have known there was a small possibility you’d be here tonight,” he said in that deep voice of his, his lips twitching.

  Lauren wasn’t going to give in and smile. She kept her arms folded. “You spent almost twenty grand on my paintings. Do you like throwing money around?”

  Nick didn’t seem perturbed at her question; in fact, he stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Money toward a good cause. Did you see the plans for the neighborhood park? Really tugged at my heart strings.”

  Lauren brought her hand to her mouth, but she was too late to stop her laugh. “I can see that you’re still teary-eyed.”

  Nick did smile then, and Lauren told her heart to be still.

  “You can’t blame me for bidding, especially when you’re the one who’s donating your time and talents. Neither of which I have much of, so I have to come up with the next best thing. Cash.”

  Lauren smirked. “Is that why so many women were flocking around you?”

 

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