Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [84]
Chapter 4
“Have breakfast with me in the morning, Jo.”
Johari glanced over at Monty. He was standing with his back against the wall in the elevator that was returning them to Club Chandler.
“I don’t think that is wise,” she said in a low voice. She wondered if he’d been able to tell that the kiss they had shared moments ago had been her first. She also wondered if all men kissed that way—with an ability to demolish a woman’s senses, make them want to explode from the heat of passion. Her mouth still tingled from his intense kiss, and she could swear their lips had produced fiery sparks.
“If you’re nervous about being alone with me, then let’s invite Cel to dine with us.”
His words pulled her thoughts back in and she shook her head. “That’s not it, Monty. If I were nervous about being alone with you I wouldn’t be alone with you now. And as far as Cel being invited, that’s not possible because she is flying out in the morning.”
He lifted a brow. “She’s leaving New York?”
Too late Johari wondered if she’d said too much and figured if she had there was no way to retract it. “Yes. She’s meeting her boyfriend in Florida to go on a cruise to the Bahamas.”
“So you will be here in this city alone?”
Johari swallowed. She could say that she wouldn’t be alone, that her fiancé would be flying into the city to join her. But for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to do that. “Yes, I will be alone.”
“So will I. Is there any reason we can’t spend tomorrow together?”
A rush of sensations tore through her veins. She could think of several reasons and the way her body was reacting to his very presence was one of them, definitely topping the list. “I told you that I’m promised to someone.”
“Yes, but I would think we can spend time together as just friends. Besides,” he said, drawing out of the shadows where he was leaning against the panel wall to come stand before her, “I would hate for you to miss out on experiencing more excitement before returning home. I have the ability to take you not only around this city but anywhere else you’d like to go in the world.”
Johari tried downplaying her body’s reaction to his closeness as she attempted to take in what he’d just said. “Anywhere in the world?” she asked, looking at him with stunned eyes.
“Yes. Because of my business I have a private plane.”
She nodded. Her family owned several private planes and she frequently went with her parents on trips. But as usual they were accompanied by heavy guards and chaperones. There had never been a time when she was allowed to just go off and enjoy anything and anyplace by herself. The thought of doing so now was tempting.
She doubted Monty knew just how tempting it was. She studied him, saw the darkness in his eyes, felt heat radiating from him, then she quickly concluded that maybe he did know. She wondered what he thought would be in it for him. What he would get out of spending time with her? It was quite obvious he was a man who had been around. A man used to certain things. Money. Women. Sex.
“Why, Monty?” she decided to ask. “Why would you do that for me when you know there is nothing that I can do for you?” There, she’d asked, hoping she couldn’t have made things any plainer than that.
“But there is something you can do for me. You can keep me company for as long as you can. You remind me of what it’s like to be carefree. You want to do something that I haven’t done in a long time and that is to just enjoy life.”
He chuckled and said, “I’ve been told by a lot of people that I work too hard, don’t have enough downtime for myself.”
Johari nodded. She could believe that. Her brother had been the same way until he’d decided to take a month off and do nothing. That was when he had met Delaney.
She glanced up at Monty and decided to ask another question, one she’d been curious about since meeting him. “How old are you?”
A curve of a smile touched his lips. “How old do you think I am?”
She studied his features. His eyes, she thought, were full of intelligence way beyond whatever