Star of His Heart - Brenda Jackson [4]
She fought to control the intense desire that was running rampant in her midsection and the increased tingling of her breasts against her blouse. No man should have this much of an effect on a woman. No man.
Angry with herself as well as with him for placing her in such a predicament, she took a deep, calming breath when she reached his table. She met his gaze with exasperated eyes. “Ashton.”
“Netherland.”
She took another deep breath upon hearing her name spoken in a satin-smooth tone from his lips. “Welcome to Sisters tonight.”
“Thank you.”
She placed an opened menu in front of him. Before she could recite that night’s dinner special, he said, “I don’t need that. I know exactly what I want.” He closed the menu.
She nodded, thinking he probably did since he had patronized her restaurant every single night this week. “All right. What is it that you want?”
Ashton’s eyes darkened even more, exuding strong sensuality, virility and masculinity. When he spoke, his words were husky, sexy and unerringly clear.
“I want you, Netherland.”
Chapter 2
The look in Ashton’s eyes told Netherland he was as serious as a heart attack and just as lethal. The four words he had spoken suddenly changed the rhythm of her heartbeat when their impact sent a jolt of desire through her. It wasn’t what he had said. It was how he had said it and how he’d looked at her while saying it. Then to top things off, without warning, the most devastating smile caught the corners of his mouth and extended deep into his dark eyes.
Netherland cleared her throat. She noticed that a hush had spread across the restaurant and wondered if Ashton’s words had been loud enough to be heard by others. Taking a quick glance at the table next to his, it was quite obvious that the three women sitting there had gotten an earful. One of the women’s jaw was dropped open in shock. Another was fanning herself with the menu as if the room had suddenly become overheated, and the third was gulping down the contents from her wineglass as if it were destined to be her last drink.
Netherland frowned. Ashton Sinclair’s foolishness had gone on long enough, and it was time she told him so. And what she had to say would best be said in private.
She returned her attention to him and said as calmly as she could, “May I speak with you privately?”
He nodded smoothly as he stood. “Sure. Just lead the way.”
Netherland’s first inclination was to take Ashton into her office but then she immediately dished the idea. There was no need to have her customers speculate as to what they would be doing behind those closed doors. So instead she led him to a section of the bar that was vacant and not quite visible to prying eyes. She took a seat on one of the bar stools and Ashton slid next to her on another.
“Nothing for me, Kit,” Netherland said to the bartender who walked up to take their order. She gave Ashton a quick look. “What about you? Do you want anything?”
Ashton’s devastating smile returned. “I told you what I wanted, Netherland.”
Netherland sighed deeply before returning her gaze to Kit. “There won’t be anything for either of us.” When Kit walked away Netherland turned her attention to Ashton once more. “Ashton,” she began slowly. “You take pleasure in stirring me up, don’t you?”
He turned up the wattage on his smile even more. “Yeah, but not the way I’d like,” he responded in a husky voice, full of hidden promises.
Netherland shook her head, wondering what on earth she was going to do with this man. “It’s time we had a long talk to straighten out a few misconceptions, don’t you think?”
“What sort of misconceptions?”
“Evidently you think that if you keep showing up here each night, you’ll finally wear down my resistance, and I