Confused, Topaz turned and found herself staring directly into Alexander Rice’s turquoise eyes.
THREE
“Do you mind?” he asked, his big hands spread apart as an expectant look brightened his handsome face.
After a moment, Topaz blinked. “No, course not,” she softly accepted, her amber gaze holding a slightly awed gleam as she studied his exceptional height and incredible features. The tailored sandstone jacket, matching trousers, and collarless eggshell shirt flattered his complexion as well as his build. When his arms encircled her waist and he pulled her against his massive frame, she could have swooned. She could only focus on the deliciously hypnotic fragrance of his cologne.
“I promise not to keep you from your date too long.”
Topaz was lost in the mesmerizing effect of his eyes. A few seconds slipped by before she tuned in to his words.
“Casey,” she stated, realizing to whom he was referring. “We’re only friends. He lives across the street from me.”
“I heard. He starts working for me tomorrow, you know?”
Topaz was nodding. “He told me. You’re getting a really good guy and a talented one, too.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“Anyway,” Topaz sighed with a wave of her hand, “he should be getting out of here soon. We probably won’t even leave together.”
“You don’t even have a clue, do you?” Alex whispered, watching Topaz with a look of probing disbelief.
She tilted her head. “What do you mean?” she inquired with a soft laugh.
Alex wasn’t opposed to sharing his observation. “Topaz, there’s not a man in this place who wouldn’t want you on his arm when he walks out of here,” he explained, his expression changing when she blinked. “Not that I’m implying anything would happen or that you’re that type of... woman,” he quickly added.
She was smiling. “I understand now and I’m flattered by your compliment. It’s just that ...”
Alex’s gorgeous stare narrowed. “What?” he prompted.
Shrugging slightly, Topaz let her gaze waver. “Guys don’t, um ... tend to compliment quite that way. Usually they beat around the bush with it.”
His smile deepened as he laced his fingers at the small of her back. The distance between them closed. Topaz almost gasped, but masked the gesture with a phony cough.
“I have a nasty habit of speaking my mind,” he softly confided. “Whether the opinion is good or bad really doesn’t matter.”
Topaz made a face. “Must be hard to keep friends with an outlook like that.”
Alex responded with a quick shake of his head. “I don’t care too much for dishonesty and I try not to be that way. It’s taken me a long time, but I’ve managed to distance myself from people like that.”
“Sounds like you had a rough time doing that,” she noted, observing the stony look in his gaze.
“I did.” The response was flat and final.
Topaz pressed her lips together and nodded, deciding it was a woman-related issue. “Well, for the record, I always try to be honest,” she shared, deciding to keep the conversation alive. “But if I feel it’ll be too hard for the person to handle, I won’t say anything.”
Alex obviously disagreed. “It’s impossible for me to keep quiet if I have a problem with something.”
Topaz noticed the hard look returning to his extraordinary eyes. “I hope I never get on your bad side.”
“You?” he queried, his stare softening as it caressed her dark face.
Topaz swallowed past the lump that had suddenly lodged in her throat. Somehow she managed to keep her eyes locked with his, in spite of the affecting power behind his intense stare.
“You must have excellent control over your staff,” she noted.
“Meaning?” he challenged, enjoying their conversation. Topaz tapped her fingertips along the iron ridge of his biceps. “Being on your bad side isn’t a place I’d want to be.”
“Do I scare you?”
“No,” she answered without hesitation. Although the raw power the man exuded did send a shiver of ... something through her body. “I am comforted by the fact that you like honesty, but I could see how you’d strike someone as ... intimidating.”
“Really?”
Topaz blinked. “Did I offend you?”
“Not at all,” He responded with a slow shrug. “I like everything you just said.”
“And he has a sadistic streak!” Topaz teased, her laughter rushing to the surface.
Alex joined in. “It helps for people to view you that way sometimes.”
She closed her eyes. “Mmm ... I know what you mean. I wish I could wield that sort of power on my guys every now and then.”
Alex allowed his fingers to sample the softness of a heavy curl that dangled against her waist. “You have any women working for you?” he asked, though he couldn’t have cared less. In truth, he was more involved with the feel of her body swaying against his. Clearly she was in fantastic shape—every limb was perfectly toned. Still, there was a supple quality that was purely feminine—purely intoxicating.
“I’ve tried getting women into the shop for a long time, but I haven’t had any luck yet,” she was saying. After a while, the lack of response caused her to clear her throat and take stock of their snug embrace.
