She sighed. “Fine. I assume I’ll need to wear a cocktail dress.”
“That would be perfect.” On every level.
“See you Thursday.”
They hung up and Kevin was excited. Not only had the mayor liked his ideas, but he was also bringing Kevin on board to help develop the partnership. On top of it, Kathy would be spending the evening with him as his date.
* * *
On Thursday night, as Kathy slipped into her only little black dress, she wondered how she could determine if she had, in fact, lost her mind. She was getting ready for her date with Kevin.
The word sank like a rock in her stomach. Not a date, she reminded herself. It was a networking opportunity to increase business. That was all.
Her fingers trembled as she attempted to apply eyeliner. She never had been a very good liar, even to herself. She inhaled slowly and deeply. Kevin had offered her an excellent opportunity, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t enjoyed their time together at the block party.
He’d said she should take time and think about the fact that he wanted another chance with her. All she’d been doing outside of work was think about him. The whole thing was crazy. Sure, they’d been good together when they dated, but they were different people now.
What if they didn’t mesh well anymore?
Her hormones answered with all of the ways she’d like to mesh with Kevin. The sexual attraction was still there, more than she ever wanted to admit. But they couldn’t base their relationship on sex, no matter how good it might be.
He scared her because she wanted to give him the chance he asked for. Spending the day with him had reminded her of all of his good qualities. He loved his family. He was playful and fun. He cared about those around him. He was a more mature version of the man she’d fallen for years ago. And physically, he spoke to every nerve in her body.
Her heart, however, wouldn’t listen. It spoke to her in quiet words of warning. He’d hurt her. She’d given him love, and he’d tossed it aside. What would happen if he did that again?
But what if he didn’t?
She tossed her eyeliner in the sink in frustration. Her mind had been stuck on an endless loop for days. Give him a chance. No, he can’t be trusted. Back and forth so many times, she suffered from a mental case of vertigo.
Shoving the inner voices in a closet in the back of her brain, she resumed putting on her makeup. The argument could continue after she rubbed elbows with wealthy, powerful businesspeople. Kevin was simply her avenue to make that happen.
She could handle this. And she was fine until her doorbell rang at six twenty-five. “Come in,” she said into her intercom, and hit the buzzer. Then she swiped on a quick coat of lip gloss and stepped into a pair of heels. Closing her eyes, she said a silent wish that Kevin would look run-down and crappy tonight.
Swinging the door open, she was disappointed that her wish hadn’t come true. Kevin stood in the hallway looking damn fine in a dark gray suit and navy tie. He was sporting a couple days’ worth of scruff, but it was neat.
“Hi. I’m almost ready.” She left the door open for him to come in. Grabbing her small black clutch, she filled it with her cell phone and a stack of business cards. It took a moment for her to realize that Kevin still stood in the hall. “Is there a problem?” she asked.
“Uh, no. You look amazing.”
“Thank you. Is this appropriate for a cocktail party for people trying to woo the mayor?”
“That is appropriate for just about anything.” His gaze traveled down her body and back up.
Her skin heated under his praise and attention. With her purse in hand, she said, “All set.”
He stepped away from the door to allow her to leave and lock up. When she turned to put her keys in her purse, he was standing close, too close for someone who was just a business associate. He fingered her curls.
“I forgot how sexy these curls are when you leave your hair down.”
She never thought of her curls as sexy. They’d been an annoyance most of her life. Now she at least liked them. Once her keys were tucked away, she looked into his eyes and forgot everything.
A shade darker than her favorite faded blue jeans, the pupils were dilated, and there was no mistaking the look of lust.
He released her hair and stepped back. “Thank you for agreeing to come with me tonight.”
“It’s just drinks and conversation, right? No big deal.” They headed down the hall to leave.
“It’s a slightly bigger deal for me. Mayor Park asked me to work this party to help him figure out who might have the best way to handle tourism for the city. If things work out tonight, I could get a promotion out of this.”
“Wow. But no pressure, huh?”
He smiled and led her out of the building. “No pressure for you. You can mingle and talk about flowers, pass out business cards, stand around looking pretty, and have a good time. The pressure is squarely on my shoulders.”
For the first time probably ever, she saw Kevin O’Malley look unsure of himself. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. What are you looking for?”
“That’s just it. We’re not even sure.” He unlocked his car and opened the door for her. “We’re hoping we’ll know it when we hear it.”
“That’s a tough order to fill.” She slid onto the cool leather seat, and he closed the door for her.
On the way into downtown, they chatted about work and Kevin’s family. He steered far from the topic of them and being a couple, for which she was grateful. At the restaurant, he used the valet and walked around to her side of the car to let her out. They walked to the door together, where he flashed
