Isa: A VIP I met at Verberne Schutzer.
Lilly: No fucking way. Who is he? Give me his name, I’ll have everything you need to know about him within the hour.
Lilly was not only an art expert but a secret hacker who could find anything about anyone.
Isa: It’s better you know as little as possible.
Lilly: I don’t like it.
Isa: It’s just friendship.
Lilly: Right, friendship with a hot guy that you met at one of your clubs. Isa, you’re playing with fire.
Isa: Stop worrying. It’s completely innocent. Besides, I never said he was hot.
Lilly: I hope you know what you’re doing. I’ve never known a man and woman to only be friends.
Isa: Got to go. I’m at the shop.
Lilly: This conversation isn’t over.
I had no doubt she was going to hound me for information until I relented.
I tucked my phone back into my handbag and pulled open the door.
My eyes immediately landed on Baz. He sat in the corner reading a paper.
Fuck, he was beyond gorgeous.
I wasn’t sure it was possible for a man to have this level of appeal. He wore a fitted green sweater and a pair of dark denim jeans. The tattoos around his wrist peeked out from the long sleeves, giving him a sophisticated yet dangerous edge.
His manner was eerily similar to the way Papa and his men carried themselves. He even sat in a position that kept anyone from coming up behind him.
As if sensing my study of him, he lifted his dark eyes to mine. My knees went weak, and I felt a flutter deep in my stomach.
No, Isa. This is friendship. Put any other thoughts away.
“Isa. You look beautiful.” Baz stood as I approached and gestured to the chair across from him.
He glanced behind me. “No security?”
“Oh, they’re here. The only reason you’d know they were around is if they wanted you to know.” I took my seat and waited for Baz to take his.
“Good to know.”
A waitress came up to us, and I ordered a coffee and a pastry.
“What’s your last name?”
Baz lifted a brow. “Does it matter?”
“Friends usually know these things.”
“Klein.”
I offered him my hand. “I’m Eloisa Benz.”
A slight smile touched his lips as he slid his palm against mine, engulfing my hand in his large one. “Baz Klein.”
The next hour was easier than I expected. We ate, laughed, and got to know each other. Our conversation never stopped and flowed from one random topic to the next. There was no touching on the subject of my upcoming marriage or the fact we shared a crazy attraction. It was almost like the conversations I had with Lilly.
I learned he was in shipping and a real-estate investor specializing in international projects, that he traveled a lot, and he’d had a tumultuous relationship with his father following his mother’s death.
I told him about growing up an only child to overprotective parents and grandparents. And the story of how I ended up in the nightclub business because of a suggestion from Penny and Hagen.
By the time our date ended, we had another coffee date set for the coming week, and I had a comfortable feeling that a friendship between Baz and me was something very doable.
Chapter Seven
One Week Until the Wedding
Isa
“So, are you going to tell me more about this guy you’re seeing other than his name?” Lilly glanced at the calendar. “Isn’t today your regular coffee date?”
I looked up from a painting I was examining and glared at her.
“I’ve already told you. He’s just a friend. We have great conversations. There isn’t more to tell.”
“I need more details. None of my searches has come up with anyone named Baz Klein.”
“You investigated him.” I couldn’t disguise my annoyance with Lilly. “I didn’t give you permission to do that.”
What I had with Baz was like nothing I’d ever had with any man before. We were real friends. He listened, gave advice, and took mine in return. We never crossed any lines. Although the underlying attraction seemed to be growing more intense.
“You’ve been so vague. I had to find out more about him. Especially with who you are and who you’re about to marry. The last thing you need is someone taking advantage of you.”
“I’m not stupid. I never go anywhere without protection.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it. I’m worried about your heart.”
“For my heart to be involved, it would mean we were meeting to do more than food and conversation.”
Now if only it didn’t feel as if I was lying. I’d grown attached to Baz, and admitting it to anyone would hurt more than when I told him we couldn’t meet anymore.
Something I’d have to do sooner rather than later.
I was on a deadline, and it was a matter of days until my life changed forever.
“You know I’m not going to judge you if you decide to move it to a different level and have a fling before you’re shackled to Weber.”
“I adore you for saying that, but I’m not going to start an affair with a man I can only be with for a week. I just want us to keep it in the friend zone.”
“And I have a bridge to sell you.”
“You’re such an ass.”
Lilly blew me a kiss and went back to studying the sculpture she’d spent the morning examining.
“Yes, but I’m not keeping things from my best friend.”
Setting down the magnifying glass I was using to inspect the painting, I said, “Fine. Ask me what you want to know.”
“How about what does he do?”
“He works in shipping.”
“That could mean anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “Does it really matter? It’s not like I’m marrying him. I probably know more about Baz than the man I’m actually marrying.”
She shrugged her shoulders as if agreeing with my statement and then continued her questions. “How old is he?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“On a scale of decent to scorching, where does he fall?”
I paused, thinking about his dark eyes and the sexy tattoos that covered his arms that I’d gotten glimpses of during our last coffee meetup.
