Playing With Temptation. Reese Ryan

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       Chapter 4

      Nate fluffed the pillows on the sofa in his office for the third time, then readjusted the chain on his neck again.

      This isn’t a date. It’s business. Be cool.

      He eased onto the sofa and drummed his fingers on his knee. Kendra would arrive shortly for their first official meeting.

      She and Marcus had met before the ink dried so she could lay out her ideas and they could come to consensus on a plan. Marcus had thought it was best for him to sit out that meeting.

      Fine by him.

      He recognized the necessity of jumping through PR hoops. Still, he resented wasting time and money defending himself about truthful comments made in private.

      Not that there was any such thing as privacy anymore in the social media age.

      A car door slammed. Nate glanced at his watch and smiled. On time, as always. Kendra was right; in many ways, she hadn’t changed. Organized and efficient, she’d never been late for anything.

      Nate opened the door before Kendra could ring the bell, startling her. She dropped her leather portfolio, her papers sailing across the porch.

      He planned to help her recover them, but froze, mesmerized by the perfectly round shape of her curvy bottom in a narrow black pencil skirt as she bent to retrieve them. Finally shaken from his daze, he stooped to pick up a few sheets that had landed near his feet. He handed them to her, his fingertips grazing her soft skin.

      Kendra withdrew her hand, as if she, too, felt the spark of electricity that charged his skin when they touched. She gave him an uneasy smile as she accepted the papers and stuffed them back into the portfolio. “Not the graceful entrance I hoped to make.”

      “Also not quite as entertaining as your entrance to the junior prom.” He grinned.

      “You did not just go there. You’re never going to forget that, are you?”

      He chuckled. “Don’t think anyone in Pleasure Cove ever will. Principal Dansby nearly crapped himself when you came strolling up to the stage in your purple Prince tribute gown with your right butt cheek on display.”

      Kendra shuddered, shifting the portfolio to her other arm. Her cheeks glowed red beneath her dark brown skin. “You know the ass-baring feature was completely unintentional. I told my mother wearing panty hose was a bad idea. If I hadn’t been wearing them, my dress couldn’t have gotten tucked into the back of them. I still blame her for the entire fiasco.”

      “We managed to have a good time, despite getting tossed out—thanks to your indecent exposure.” He smiled at the warm memory of the two of them strolling on the beach that night, hand in hand.

      They’d crashed a sunset wedding on the beach. Kendra had been moved by the ceremony, her eyes brimming with tears. She said it was the most perfect thing she’d ever seen. He wiped the tears from her face and promised to marry her one day in a sunset ceremony right there on that beach.

      He’d attempted to keep his promise, but look how that turned out. Nate shook his head, purging the memory from his brain. Jaw stiff, his hands clenched into fists.

      Kendra seemed aware of the shift in his mood. She clutched her portfolio. “Is this still a good time?”

      “As good as any.” He opened the door wider and stepped aside to allow her to enter.

      “This place looks incredible.” Her eyes danced as she glanced around the open space. “I haven’t been here since they first broke ground.”

      That had been by design. He’d bought the land and had this place constructed because he expected to build СКАЧАТЬ