Page 22 of Impulse

“Yes.”

“Was I, uh, on the list?”

“No.”No apologies or hesitation.“But after we met, I tossed it.”

Presumptuous of him to assume she would accept his proposal.On the other hand, it was flattering he’d been impressed by her… what?Looks?She’d been in full stunt gear, makeup, and wig when they’d met.And by the time she’d changed, he’d already left.She wondered when he’d chucked the list.

“You may have to retrieve that list, Lex.I suck at acting,” Jillian said.

“But that’s where you’re wrong.You are a natural.”

The waiter appeared with their appetizers and went about placing the bowls and plates on the table while Jillian silently came up with every possible reason to reject Lex’s proposal.As soon as the waiter left the room, she pounced.

“No, I’m not.I don’t follow scripts.”

Lex reached up and pinned her hand.“No, Jillian.You are perfect for the part.All you have to do is be yourself.You are smart, quick-witted, and you know your self-worth.You,” he stressed, “don’t take crap from anyone.”

Jillian gawked at him.How could he have read her so quickly?She’d had no choice but to stand up for herself at age ten when her mother married her stepfather and Jillian went from being an only child to having four boys around the house.Two brothers and two cousins.She either had to swim or sink, and she’d swum, giving the boys hell as much as they’d given it to her.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”Lex asked, sounding too smug for her peace of mind.Bet he was never wrong about anything.

“No, you’re wrong.”She picked up her spoon and scooped the creamy soup.She needed to think.Holy smokes that tasted good.She hummed and watched Lex shift in his seat as though uncomfortable.He watched her with unnerving intensity.“What?”

“Do you always hum when you eat?”he asked in a voice gone husky.

She paused with the spoon halfway to her mouth.“Is that a deal-breaker?”

He chuckled.“No.”

His utter belief in his crazy plan was mind-boggling.She watched him as he started on his appetizer, topping each piece with caviar and bringing it to his mouth.Everything about him was mesmerizing, from his wavy hair to the sensual curve of his lips.Then there was that dimple on his chin.She wanted to stroke it.Ever since she’d stepped inside his Rolls Royce and encased herself in his masculine scent and leather, she’d thought of nothing else but him.

Walking into the restaurant and watching him stand up like a sleek panther had shot her nerves to hell and back.The man had a hypnotic sensual aura mere mortals couldn’t resist, and she was only human.The laid-back grace of his walk, his masculine scent, and the natural acceptance of his place at the top of the world were all designed to make a woman want him.And Jillian had wants and needs she hadn’t known existed until she met Lex.She’d even started to wonder what it would be like to have all that energy and power focused on her.

Now she was searching for a reason to tell him no.Walk away.

Their eyes met, and heat sizzled between them.Then he smiled.Oh, he knew she was attracted to him.Knew and liked it.Arrogant bastard.

A bit miffed, Jillian said the first thing on her mind.“You know there are a few less Beluga in the world because of you.”

Lex cocked his eyebrows.“Why?”

“You know why.”She stared pointedly at his plate.

He made a face.“These are from farm-grown, not wild ones.”

She sighed.“That’s even worse.You make belugas suffer the indignity of being removed from their natural habitat, deprive their predators of food, and mess with the ecosystem.”

Lex put his spoon down, steepled his fingers, and rested his chin on top.The tiny smile curling his lips said he knew she was deliberately yanking his chain.“What are you having there?”

“Veggie soup,” she said triumphantly.

“But if my memory serves me correctly, you ordered fish.”

Jillian shrugged.“It’s not my fault they landed on my plate.They should have listened to Dory.She told them to…just keep swimming… just keep swimming...”

Lex laughed, the sound coming straight from his gut.Jillian even forgot about being pissed at his arrogance and enjoyed the moment.Could he look any more gorgeous?

“I think Marlin said that to the other fish and saved them, not Dory,” he said.