One Special Moment - Brenda Jackson [32]
But now as she stood in front of the mirror admiring the raw silk dress she had purchased, she knew it was well worth it. Everyone always told her she looked good in red, and as she gazed at herself, she had to agree with them. She liked what she saw and hoped Sterling would, too.
She would find out soon enough, she thought, when she heard his knock on the connecting door to the suites. When she opened the door she took a step back as Sterling’s imposing height and stature filled the doorway.
The man looked absolutely gorgeous.
He was dressed in a black dinner suit that was immaculately tailored to fit his broad frame. His crisp, designer white shirt and the black bow tie he wore made him look so devastatingly handsome that a lump suddenly lodged in Colby’s throat. The man who stood before her, the son of a lumberjack, whose strikingly handsome features often graced the pages of numerous magazines as well as the big screen, exuded a physical magnetism that was awesome.
Awesome.
Colby released a sigh. That was the one word that could describe him. Sterling Hamilton was awesome. He would do justice endorsing her brother’s new cologne. Awesome would perfectly describe the man promoting it.
“Hello, Colby. You look nice. Very nice.”
Sterling’s words, spoken soft and husky in a deep voice, brought Colby back to full awareness. She knew he’d been observing her close scrutiny of him. Evidently he felt now it was his turn to do likewise with her. He gave her a penetrating stare with clear and observant eyes. Awareness flowed through her body as she watched his open and unbidden gaze begin at the top of her head and slowly work its way down.
His gaze met hers and she saw something in the dark depths of his eyes that made her slightly wary. She felt like a canary caught by a cat, and somehow felt he knew it. She tried to relax but discovered she couldn’t. The only thing she was capable of doing was standing there and returning his stare as he gave her a heated appraising look.
Then after holding her gaze, much too long to Colby’s way of thinking, his eyes slowly moved down and settled dead-center on her mouth. And they stayed there.
He had a problem.
That thought occurred to Sterling for the second time in two days, as he stood before Colby with his gaze fastened on her mouth. It was a mouth whose lips had been pampered with glossy red color. He inhaled sharply when she nervously swept her tongue across those red lips to moisten them. Desire, hot as volcanic lava, suddenly rushed through his body.
He forced his gaze down. The dress she was wearing could have been made just for her. It showed off her figure to a degree he found enthralling. His eyes consumed every sensuous detail, including the way the t-straps left her shoulders partially bare, and how its simple bodice emphasized her generously rounded breasts and small waist. But it was the front slit in the dress that captured his full attention. It provided him a tantalizing glimpse of a dark, silk-clad thigh.
He was quite taken with her appearance. Most people wouldn’t consider her drop-dead gorgeous, but her attractiveness definitely made a statement. And he knew without a doubt that to him, tonight, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. And that was a strong conclusion to make considering that his profession placed him in the company of many glamorous and beautiful women.
But Colby Wingate’s beauty stood out. It was different, it was unique and, like the perfume she wore, the only way he could think to describe it was to simply define it as Colby. Even with her feistiness, there was a rare innocent quality that seemed to radiate from her. He had felt that way ever since their first kiss yesterday. Initially, he had dismissed such a notion as ludicrous.