Chapter Four

Less than a week later, Sara found herself once again seated across from Christopher. Thankfully, this time they weren’t in a candle-lit restaurant, but rather in Senator Healy’s D.C. office. As agreed, she had called Christopher directly after returning to Washington and set up a meeting with the senator.

Now, as the three of them sat there, Senator Healy explained the finer details of the education initiative he and Senator Kenny were pushing. Much to Christopher’s credit, he asked insightful questions regarding how the new plan would be implemented and what kind of timetable would apply. Since he’d already told her he was on board, she guessed his questions had more to do with his genuine interest and not because he’d changed his mind.

“This is something I can support, so what exactly do you need me to do?” Christopher asked, directing his question to both her and the senator.

“Just what we wanted to hear, right, Sara?” David didn’t give her an opportunity to answer before launching into his next sentence. “Money is always a must for these types of things, and we need to get the word out. People need to know about the proposed initiative and how it will benefit their children and grandchildren. Once the public is behind it, the senators and representatives will be more likely to vote in favor of it. We’d like you to do a few TV ads to promote the plan. Who better than you to be the spokesperson for it?”

Sara felt Christopher’s eyes on her and couldn’t stop from looking in his direction. Somehow she resisted the urge to squirm in her chair as his brown eyes remained fixed on her.

“Everyone knows your history. People will be more open to someone like you who has used education to change his life rather than a Hollywood celebrity,” she said. Prior to the meeting, she and David discussed in detail how best to sell their plan today.

Christopher nodded once, his eyes never leaving her face. “You’re probably right. But I think it’d be even more powerful if you did the ads with me. From a marketing point of view, an ad with me and the President’s daughter is ideal.”

“I agree, but Sara refuses to attach her name publicly to the plan.”

He briefly glanced at Senator Healy. “She told me that, David, but maybe she’ll reconsider.” Christopher looked directly at her again. “What do you say, Sara? Will you work on this with me? These ads will attach both our names to the plan. And you know the importance of this initiative. It’s not like we’re talking about some fluff piece of legislation. If this passes, it’ll improve education for millions of children.”

This time she did squirm in her seat as a lead ball plummeted through her stomach, not only at the thought of working with Christopher but at putting aside a personal rule she’d made when she joined David’s staff. How could she work with someone she felt so uncomfortable around? Sure, she respected the man. It’d be hard not to considering all he’d achieved. Plus he’d never once run to the paparazzi with a story about her family or her brother despite his connection, something a lesser man would’ve done without any hesitation. That didn’t change what had happened between them.

He’s not Phillip. She let her gaze trail over Christopher while his full attention was once again on the senator. The man across the table acted nothing like the man who’d tried to ruin her father’s political career.

Memories of Christopher intervening when Phillip stopped her at the fundraiser came rushing back to her. If it hadn’t been for him, there definitely would’ve been a scene. Phillip just couldn’t take no for an answer.

“I agree with you Christopher, but she’s been adamant about this one.” David’s statement forced her to store away her thoughts of Christopher for the moment and concentrated on what he’d said. Christopher was right. If it passed, this education initiative would affect millions. And with Christopher on board too, it would no longer be just her name attached, which made her feel a little better about publicly endorsing it. However, working with a man she’d slept with seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

Darn it. Why couldn’t Christopher stick with her original plan?

Beneath the solid cherry conference table, Sara tapped her foot against the floor, the sound muffled by the thick rug. “If you both think it’s necessary, the two of us can do it.”

The words flowed from her mouth before she stopped to consider her exact word choice. Once the words escaped, Sara looked over at Christopher. There was no mistaking the heated gaze he threw her way before glancing down at his watch. A hot flush burned her face, and she jotted down some notes on her legal pad to keep from looking at either man.

David slapped his hand on the table, the sound echoing around the room. Instantly, Sara jerked her head up.

“Excellent. My contacts in Hollywood are all set to start filming the commercial for us. They just need my final okay and you two.”

An argument against the new plan sat on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn’t get the words past her lips. Despite her uneasiness at working with Christopher and attaching her name to the initiative, she had to admit it was a good idea. If they showed their support together, it would make a more powerful selling tool.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Christopher wrap his hand around a glass of water and raise it to his lips. He had such large hands, yet their night together they’d been so gentle and smooth. No rough skin or calluses ruined his hands. Even from across the table, she could see how short and clean he kept his nails. There were no ragged edges or torn skin. For half a second, she closed her eyes, almost able to feel his hands sliding down her back and up her legs again.

“If your people are ready for us, Sara and I can fly back to California together in a few days.”

The momentary daydream went up in a puff of smoke when Christopher spoke.

Probably better I don’t think about any of that now anyway.

“I think that can be arranged,” David said before turning toward Sara and letting her know what he wanted done. “Call Bruce Gordon, tell him everyone is on board and that we want to get started ASAP.”

Sara nodded. “Won’t they need time to write scripts?” She backed the proposed bill 100 percent, but she wanted this done right. Ad campaigns took time and required the correct amount of preparation.

“Already prepared. I made a calculated guess Christopher would agree. Before filming, you can go over the scripts and adjust them as you see necessary,” David answered, his usual confidence leaking into his words.

David’s words didn’t surprise her. If the senator had any characteristic in overabundance, it was confidence. Hence he always assumed people would fall in line with his plans. While she sometimes found it annoying, he wasn’t the only politician to suffer that flaw. Even her father fell into that category from time to time. Sara shot a glance toward Christopher. Going by his expression, the senator’s assumption didn’t shock him either.

“If we’re through here, I’ll contact Bruce.” Sara uncrossed her legs and stood.

“We are for now,” David said.

After gathering up her notes, Sara left both men seated in the senator’s office and returned to her desk with a list of tasks.

***

Dark blue suit, check. Lilac dress, check. Sara went down the list, crossing each item off as she added it to her suitcase. Since the year she first left for boarding school, she always made a list of the items she wanted to pack regardless of whether she was going away for two nights or two months. Some might consider the habit ridiculous, especially since she could buy what she forgot, but she couldn’t shake the habit.

Once she reached the bottom of her list, Sara closed the suitcase and slipped it off the bed. Then she turned her attention to her monthly calendar. The day before, she’d spent over an hour rearranging meetings so she could make this impromptu trip to California. While she thought she’d managed to reschedule everything, she figured one last pass over it wouldn’t hurt.

Halfway through the first week, a popular heavy metal song her brother liked came from her cell phone. Jake. For a few heartbeats, Sara sat frozen, her hand poised above the device. She hadn’t talked to him since leaving Hawaii. Rarely did she go this long without at least a quick phone call to say hi, and she missed talking to him. Before she changed her mind, Sara pressed talk on the cell phone. “Hello.”

“Are you in D.C. this week?” Jake asked after greeting her. “Or is this the week of the fundraiser in Providence?”

“I’m home. The fundraiser was last week.” Sara drew rows of connecting triangles along the edge of a piece of paper.

“Good. Why don’t you come spend the weekend? Charlie has the weekend off, and Mom and Dad are coming for dinner on Saturday.”

Sara’s ears perked up at the mention of her parents. She knew her brother still hadn’t told them about his marriage. If he had, their mom would’ve called her by now. “Need reinforcements, big brother?” She couldn’t stop herself from teasing him. He did the same thing every chance he got.

“If I did, I’d call Dylan. If anyone can unruffle Mom’s feathers, it’s him,” Jake answered with amusement. “I just thought I’d get you out of your little office on the Hill before you turn into a workaholic like our brother.”

Turning the paper, she began another group of triangles. “I’d love to see the fireworks when you drop the news, but I’m leaving for California tomorrow. The senator asked us to do some ads supporting his new education initiative.” Only after Sara spoke the words did she realize she’d used us rather than me.

“Us? Who’s us?” Jake asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

Damn Jake for being so attentive. While working with Christopher was no big deal, she hated the idea of bringing him up with her brother. It only reminded her further of the friendship she’d put at risk.

“David got Christopher on board. He thought an ad featuring the two of us would boost support with the public more than an ad featuring only him.”

“Doesn’t surprise me that he signed on. When you see him, tell him my number hasn’t changed. I’ve called him a few times, and he hasn’t called back.”

Jake’s comment confirmed what she already suspected. Christopher was avoiding Jake too. Leaning her head back against her chair, Sara eyes closed. “I’ll tell him.”

“I can think of someone else who would support this legislation if you asked her,” Jake said, his voice taking a serious tone.

She knew without him continuing whom he had in mind. As an elementary school teacher, Callie had a passion for education. And it wasn’t that she hadn’t considered it already.

“Callie would be a great person to have on board with her background, and you know how much the American public loves her.”

Everything Jake said was true and the very reason she’d already considered their half sister. Still Sara held back from calling her. While their relationship was more cordial now than when they first met, they were far from best buds. She’d created the situation herself, and she’d undo it if she could. Just thinking about the way she’d treated Callie made her cringe.

Memories of the conversation she had when Callie first came to meet their father, played across her mind like a bad movie. Hoping to get rid of the images, Sara opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. The images lingered. “I’ll consider it, Jake. You know it’s complicated.”

On the other end of the line, Jake remained silent and she guessed he was formulating his rebuttal.

“Only you can fix it, sis.”

Perhaps her brother was correct, but that didn’t mean she wanted to reopen any old wounds. Right now she and Callie were able to be in the same room together and be civil to each other. If Sara reminded Callie of her previous behavior, who knew what might happen?

“Like I said, Jake, I’ll think about it.”

“Whatever. Call me when you get back home.”

She knew Jake well enough to know it was taking most of his self-control to keep himself from pressing the issue further. “I will. Good luck with Mom and Dad. If you think of it, record the moment you tell them you’re married.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”

Sara hit the end icon on the phone after saying goodbye, her entire body a jumble of emotions. Although she hadn’t lied to Jake, hiding what had happened with Christopher felt like a betrayal. To top that off, her shame regarding Callie had her stomach in knots. If Callie had only showed up a few years sooner, maybe their relationship would’ve started differently. Before Phillip entered her life, she’d been more trusting and open to starting new relationships. Her time with Phillip managed to kill all that. Now she approached all new relationships, regardless of the person, with apprehension and suspicion. In fact, since Phillip, she hadn’t developed any new friendship or let anyone get close to her—at least not until her brother’s wedding. Something about Christopher allowed her to drop her guard. While she attributed some of it to the cosmos she’d consumed, the drinks didn’t completely account for what happened after Jake’s wedding. The suspicion that usually shadowed all her new acquaintances never appeared as they danced and talked. The only emotions she’d felt that evening were attraction and curiosity.

Now that she’d let him get close, he often popped into her thoughts. She knew he didn’t belong there. Yet he kept making an appearance, and now she had a whole week ahead of her with him around. Somehow she needed to push thoughts of their night together aside and focus on the task at hand. Exactly how though, she hadn’t figured out yet.

“But I will,” she muttered as she turned her attention back to her calendar.

***

Sara struggled to stifle a yawn the next morning as the limo stopped at Reagan International Airport. The previous evening, she’d gotten little sleep. After talking to Jake, she’d finished packing and crawled into bed around one o’clock. Unfortunately, sleep had eluded her. Instead, her conversation with Jake and uneasiness about this trip with Christopher weighed heavily on her mind. Now, however, the sleep she’d craved so much the night before threatened to overtake her.

“Another late night working, Ms. Sherbrooke?” Colin, one of the Secret Service agents assigned to her detail, asked.

“I had a lot of loose ends to take care of before this trip. And please, Colin, call me Sara.” She’d been telling the agent that ever since he became part of her security detail, but so far he continued to address her as Ms. Sherbrooke.

Colin nodded slightly. “I’ll try to remember that, ma’am.”

Sara fought the urge to roll her eyes. Ma’am was worse than Ms. Sherbrooke. Man, she wished Raymond, the Secret Service agent Colin replaced, would come back.

“Andrea and I reviewed your proposed itinerary while in California. We have a few issues we want to review with you,” Colin said.

Tossing her cell phone into her purse, Sara slipped the straps onto her shoulder and reached for the leather briefcase at her feet. “Let’s plan on doing it once we get to the hotel.”

She didn’t want to do it all. She knew the agents were only doing their job, but sometimes she found their presence intrusive. In fact, she envied Jake for telling them to take a hike. But as much as she didn’t care for their constant presence, she did feel safer with them around.

The door to the limo opened, allowing a blast of unusually cool air into the vehicle. “That should be fine,” Colin replied before exiting the limo first.

Before following the agent, Sara slipped on her jacket, grateful for the protection it gave her against the cool, early morning air.

At least it’ll be warm in California. Smoothing out any wrinkles, Sara made her way to the stairs leading up to Christopher’s Gulf Stream jet. With her right foot poised over the bottom step, she stopped. It had made sense to fly back with him, despite the fact she could use the family jet or one from the senatorial pool. They could use the flight time to review the scripts, which had been e-mailed to her. Standing here now though, her body tensed and her mind told her to turn around and scrap the whole trip.

Everything will be fine. The sound of her heel hitting the metal step vibrated through her entire body, and she forced her left foot onto the first step too.

“Perfect timing. Did your driver already get your bags?” Christopher appeared at the plane door.

Today he’d gone for what she called the super-casual look. With his faded jeans, plain gray T-shirt, and sneakers, he reminded her a little more of the guy who’d roomed with her brother instead of the ultra-wealthy CEO the rest of the world knew.

“All set.” Sara forced a smile despite the tightness in her chest. She couldn’t explain it, but each step up the stairs seemed to be taking her further away from her life as she knew it and closer to something else. Something new and unexpected.

Christopher took a step back so she could enter the plane. “Excellent. As soon as you’re settled, we can go.”

Forty minutes into the flight, Sara ditched her jacket and reached for her cup of tea. Both she and Christopher had finished their breakfast and gone straight to work. Or at least she tried to work. Her brain had other ideas. It wanted to focus on the man sitting across from her, not the documents on the table. Once again, Sara’s eyes traveled back to Christopher, the man who visited her dreams every night. The man, who despite knowing it was a huge mistake, she wanted to get to know better.

Despite her inability to work, Christopher wasn’t suffering from the same fate. Since opening his laptop, he hadn’t looked up once—a fact that actually annoyed her a little. Men never ignored her.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Christopher looked up and his eyes locked on her face. Heat instantly scorched her cheeks. It was one thing to study someone but another to be caught doing it.

“Sorry, I haven’t been very good company today,” he said, his eyes never leaving her face. “I’m almost done with this.”

The soft leather felt cool against the back of her thighs as she shifted in her seat, causing her skirt to ride up her legs. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Christopher’s eyes dropped down to the screen once again. She heard his fingers moving over the keyboard, then he closed the laptop, and his gaze once again settled on her face.

“All done. I’m all yours.” His mouth curved into a wide smile.

Memories of their one night together exploded in her mind. They hadn’t spoken of it on the three occasions they’d seen each other, yet she couldn’t help but wonder if he ever thought about it. Too bad asking is out of the question.

“You should be careful who you say that to.” Maybe a little teasing would help her think of him as a brother type rather than a lover. After all, she joked with Jake all the time. “Say that to the wrong woman and you’ll find yourself holding a pumice stone giving a pedicure.”

Without warning, he leaned forward and lifted her leg toward him. The feel of his hand on her bare calf sent shivers through her body.

“Since it looks like you had a pedicure recently, I guess I’m safe.” He lifted his head from his inspection of her coral pink toenails. Slowly, he put her foot back down to the floor and released it. But even after he moved his hand away, she could feel it on her skin.

Why did I do that? Christopher gripped his armrests, hard enough to make his knuckles turn white to prevent himself from touching her again.

“So how did you end up working for Senator Healy? Didn’t he run against your father’s friend George Beck in the primary?” A discussion of politics should be a good way to keep them both distracted.

“My father wanted me to work with George. They go way back, and George guaranteed me a spot on his staff if I wanted it.”

“Then why did you go with Healy? A lot of people didn’t think he could win.” Sara struck him as the type to follow the expectations of her family. Jake was the rebel, not Sara.

Sara shrugged one shoulder. “I like George. I’ve known him all my life, but I don’t agree with his policies. A lot of them are too old-fashioned. Besides, I wanted to earn my position, not have it given to me.”

Prior to a few weeks ago, he’d thought of Sara as little more than a spoiled rich girl. Sure, he knew she was well-educated, but he hadn’t realized she used her education or had any aspirations for the future. Obviously he couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only did she have aspirations, she wanted to achieve them through hard work like everyone else.

“Makes sense. But why Healy? I’m sure half a dozen senators or congressmen would love to have you on their team.” Having the daughter of a popular president in your corner had to be a plus in politics, not to mention she had a law degree from Harvard University.

“I liked his platform. It was something I could rally behind. Take this legislation of his for education. He understands the importance of boosting the sciences and technology in schools. Many of the senior politicians are stuck in the past and don’t see that our schools are lagging behind in those areas.” As she spoke, more emotion poured into her voice.

Christopher raised both hands in surrender. “You don’t have to convince me. I agree, remember,” he said with a laugh.

“Sorry,” she said, looking a bit sheepish, “this topic gets me a little emotional.”

Christopher dropped his hands in his lap. “I never would’ve guessed.”

“I think we have a good chance of getting it approved. When these ads run, I think people will realize how much the country will benefit and contact their senators, urging them to vote for the bill. Senator Healy was right. You’re the perfect spokesperson—although I’m not sure he needs me too.” Sara reached for her teacup as she spoke.

“You’re wrong there. Trust me on this one.” Christopher emptied his coffee cup and asked the flight attendant for more. “Are those the proposed scripts?” He glanced over at the papers in front of Sara. She’d been folding and unfolding the corners of the pages through the majority of their conversation.

Sara looked down, and he got the impression she’d forgotten about the papers. “Yes. They were e-mailed to me late last night. For the most part, they’re good, but I thought we might want to tweak a few lines.”

“We have time now. Why don’t we go over them?” Christopher said, coming to his feet. Before Sara could agree or disagree, he moved to the other side of the table and sat down next to her.

“May I?” He leaned closer and reached for the papers. As he did, he caught the slightest smell of her perfume. A light flowery fragrance, it was the same one she’d worn in Hawaii and again at the fundraiser. Normally, he didn’t remember the smell of a particular perfume. Having grown up in a house with four sisters, he’d constantly been around it, but he couldn’t tell you which sister favored what fragrance. Somehow though, he knew the one Sara wore now was the same one from those other nights.

Sara pushed the scripts closer to him. “I marked the sentences I think need work. What do you think?”

It didn’t take long for him to read over the material and commit it to memory, just one of the benefits of a photographic memory, and he had never been more grateful for it than he was now. Sitting so close to Sara with her perfume teasing his nose destroyed most of his concentration.

Christopher shifted in his seat in an attempt to put more space between them and not land on floor. “I agree this sentence needs work.” He pointed at a sentence underlined in red. “Do you have any ideas?”

Sara reached for the script and her hand brushed against his. “I wrote some ideas on the back.”

He looked up and his eyes immediately zeroed in on her lips. The memory of how perfect they felt against his made his body ache to hold her close and taste her again. How would she respond if he kissed her now? Would she push him away or wrap her arms around him?

“How do they sound?”

Her question intruded on his thoughts. “Good.” He dropped his eyes back down to the script and kept reading. Maybe if he stopped staring at her mouth, they’d get some work done. “This line, I like already.” He pointed to the next underlined sentence on the page. “But let’s work on this last one here.”

***

Thud. The airplane wheels hit the ground and jolted Christopher awake. Stretching both arms over his head, he tried to work the stiffness out of his shoulders and neck. How long have I been out? Christopher glanced across the plane, expecting to see Sara sleeping as well. Throughout their time working on the script, she kept yawning. Instead, he found her sitting, her body rigid, gripping the armrests of her seat.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, getting out of his seat and moving toward her.

“I dread the landings,” she admitted. “I’m not a big fan of flying in general, but I really hate the landings.”

He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. Since he knew she traveled a lot, he couldn’t imagine her being afraid of flying.

“I know. More people die in car accidents than plane crashes, but I still don’t like it.” She released her death grip on the seat. “And I’ve done it so much, you’d think it wouldn’t bother me anymore, but it does.”

Obviously, she’d had this conversation before. “At least you don’t let your fear stop you.” So many people refused to try things because of their fears. The fact she didn’t let her fear interfere with her life, told him a great deal about her.

“Not when it comes to flying anyway.”

Sara’s comment made him wonder what other things she feared. It certainly sounded as if she had others, although he couldn’t picture her fearing much. She, like everyone else in her family, came across confident and sure of their place in the world, not the type of person who shied away from things because they were scared.

Maybe she’s afraid of snakes. His mom and sisters were petrified of snakes. They wouldn’t even look at the snakes behind glass. “Sorry, I fell asleep. I didn’t intend to.”

Sara unfastened her seat belt. “It’s okay. I read a book. I started it a month ago and still haven’t finished it. Just don’t have enough time.”

What type of books did she enjoy? Did she lose herself in mysteries like his sister Caroline? Or did she prefer romances like his mom and sister Rachel? He didn’t see her enjoying a horror. Then again, over the past month he was learning that his previous view of her was far from accurate.

“A few extra hours in a day would come in handy some time,” he said.

During the week, he routinely worked eighteen-hour days, but on the weekends, he left work behind whenever he could. Since he owned the company, he could do that. Sara didn’t have that luxury; her schedule revolved around the senator’s.

Gradually, the plane rolled to a complete stop and the flight attendant opened the door. Outside the window, Christopher saw the limo he’d arranged to pick them up. Despite the fact that they’d been on the plane for hours, he didn’t feel any immediate desire to rush off. During the flight, their conversations covered several topics, and he found he liked talking to her. He didn’t do that with many women. Sure, he talked to other women, but not usually about anything of consequence unless they were family members. Since becoming friends with Jake and then later making his first million, women tended to throw themselves at him, but none really provided an intelligent conversation.

In the beginning, they hoped to get to Jake through an association with him. Later they started to come because of his new wealth. Sara didn’t need either, and unlike many of the women who chased him, she had a brain. He could carry on an intelligent conversation with her and use words with more than one syllable.

“Our meeting with Bruce Gordon is scheduled for ten o’clock tomorrow. You look tired. You should take the rest of the day off and relax,” Christopher said, standing up. Without a second thought, he reached for her leather briefcase by her feet. He couldn’t stop himself from letting the back of his hand skim across her bare calf as he picked it up. Her bare legs had been taunting him ever since she’d stepped on board.

Damn it. A simple touch should not affect him, but evidently his body had other ideas as blood pooled below his waist and his pulse pounded.

“Are you ready to go?” He looked at her as he straightened up, prepared to tell her he’d carry her briefcase for her, yet the look on her face stopped him. A pale pink covered her cheeks. Her slate gray eyes were filled with desire and focused on his mouth.

Gratitude surged through him. It felt good to know the attraction he felt wasn’t one-sided. Without stopping to think, he bent toward her, intent on kissing her lush pink mouth. Halfway to his destination, he stopped himself. Once already he crossed the line with Sara. Doing so again wasn’t a wise idea. So instead of kissing her, he held out a hand and helped her up.

During the ride from the airport to Sara’s hotel, both remained silent. While he didn’t know what thoughts kept Sara quiet, he knew what bothered him. How was he going to maintain a professional relationship with her as they worked? Just being around her in Washington and then again today on the plane, his thoughts had continuously returned to their night together. Each time they’d gotten together since then, he’d wanted to repeat that night. He’d managed to hold himself back so far. Could he continue to do that as they worked closely together though? Like I have much of a choice in the matter.

Now, Sara sat across from him facing the window, but he’d seen the desire in her eyes when he touched her. Did she want to repeat what happened in Hawaii as much as he did?

The limo turned onto Santa Monica Boulevard and came to a stop in front of the Sherbrooke Plaza Hotel. Sara turned away from the window and looked at him for the first time since leaving the airport. “After I e-mail the script changes to Senator Healy, the first thing I’m going to do is sit in the hot tub and relax.”

He almost groaned out loud at the mental image her words created. Considering his current state of mind, he didn’t need an image of her soaking in a hot tub floating around in his head. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Rather than a hot tub, he needed a vat of ice. As soon as he got to his apartment, he planned to take an ice-cold shower. “I thought we could have dinner together tonight. If you’re too tired, we can skip it and meet up for breakfast tomorrow.”

“After some time in the hot tub and tea, I’ll be fine. Dinner sounds lovely.” She gifted him with one of her real smiles, and he forgot how to breathe for half a second.

“Then I’ll be by around six.” Without waiting for a reply, he slipped out of the car and extended a hand to help her out once again, thankful for all the proper etiquette instructions Jake had given him years earlier.

One slender leg peeked out of the door, immediately catching his attention. When Sara’s other foot touched the pavement, his eyes made a trail from the coral nails poking out of her open-toed heels to the bare thighs her skirt revealed.

It’s going to be a long night.

“You’re not staying here?” Sara asked as she adjusted her skirt so the hemline once again brushed her knees.

“I have a place in Los Angeles.” He expected her to question him further but instead she took a step away.

“I’ll see you tonight.”

He stood next to the open car door and watched her walk away. Her strides were fluid and graceful as her long, slender legs carried her toward the door. A quick glance around told him he wasn’t the only male present who watched her either. When she disappeared into the hotel, Christopher climbed back into the limo. Yep, the next few days were going to be hell.