Riding the Storm - Brenda Jackson [14]
“Yes.”
In her present frame of mind, he was the last person she wanted to see. It was on the tip of her tongue to suggest he invite one of the “ladies” from the club to dine with him. But she thought better of making the suggestion, since he might very well do it. “I think I’ll pass on dinner. I’m not hungry.”
“Well, I am, so how about keeping me company?”
She lifted a brow. “Keep you company?”
“Yeah, I enjoy being with you.”
Jayla dropped down on the bed, feeling ridiculously pleased by his admission. Although she knew that she shouldn’t read too much into his words, she suddenly felt confident, cocky and in control. “Well, I hope you know that my company is going to cost you,” she said, breaking the silence between them.
“In what way?”
She rubbed her fingers over the smooth wood-grain texture of the nightstand next to the bed. “I’m not hungry for anything heavy, but I’d love to have a slice of K-Paul’s mouthwatering strawberry cheesecake.”
She could hear him chuckle on the other end. “K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen? I’ve heard of the place, but have never eaten there. I’m going to take your word that I won’t be disappointed,” he said.
She grinned. “Trust me, you won’t be.”
“How long will it take for you to get ready?”
“I just got out of the shower so it won’t take me long to slip into something.”
It was close to forty-five minutes before Jayla appeared in the lobby.
But the moment she walked off the elevator, Storm knew she had been well worth the wait. His chest grew tight as he watched her walk toward him, thinking she looked absolutely incredible.
He’d known he was in trouble when she had mentioned on the phone that she had just gotten out of the shower. Immediately, visions of her naked had swam his mind, which was a lot better than any live scene he had witnessed at that club earlier.
Common sense told him to pull himself together and remember who she was. But at the moment, all his senses, common or otherwise, were being shot to hell with every step she took toward him. He stood practically unmoving as he watched her, enraptured, while hot desire surged through his bloodstream.
She was dressed in a short dress that totally flowed over her figure, emphasizing the gorgeous shape of her body as well as her long beautiful legs. His gaze lowered slightly to those legs. It had been hard to keep his eyes off them this morning, and it seemed this evening wouldn’t be any different. She had the kind of legs any man would just love to caress and have wrapped around him.
He drew in a deep breath, not wanting to think such thoughts but discovering he was hard-pressed to stop them from coming. Whether he liked it or not, he was undeniably attracted to Jayla Cole.
“Sorry I kept you waiting,” Jayla said when she came to a stop in front of Storm.
“You were worth the wait. Ready to go?”
“Yes.”
They took a cab over to the restaurant and Storm was glad he’d gotten the hotel to make reservations for him. The place was packed. “Something smells delicious,” he whispered to Jayla as a waiter showed them to their table.
“Everything in here is delicious,” she said smiling.
Including you, Storm was tempted to say. He wondered how he could assume that when he’d never tasted her, but he just knew that she would taste delicious.
The waiter presented them with menus. “Just coffee for me now and I’ll wait for later to order dessert,” she said handing the menu back to their waiter.
Storm glanced over at her. “Since you’re familiar with this place, what do you suggest?”
Jayla caressed her upper lip with the tip of her tongue as if in deep thought. “Umm, I’ll have to recommend Chef Paul’s Duck & Shrimp Dulac. I had it the last time I was here and it was totally magnificent.”
Storm nodded and returned the menu to the waiter. “Then that’s what I’ll have and I’d like a bottle of sparkling mineral water.”
“Great choice, sir,” the waiter said before walking off.
Storm leaned back in his chair. “So, do you return to work on Monday?”
Jayla shook her head. “No, I won’t officially return to work until a week from Monday. Then