Page 28 of See You There

“My team tries to protect me as best they can,” Dahlia continued. “If you give me his information, I’ll be happy to send him those photos. I appreciate everything he did for me that night. He was a hero. He even stopped and helped me with Chandler.”

After a few more inane comments, the interview ended with the participants shaking hands. Dahlia approached Luke, waiting by the camera.

“That wasn’t too bad, was it?” she asked archly.

“Not at all,” he murmured. In fact, she had been masterful, steering the show hosts away from dangerous areas and keeping her composure.

Jeri joined them, gushing over Dahlia’s interview. “Oh, yeah,” she said, pulling a slip of paper off her clipboard. “Here’s the guy’s phone number and Twitter handle. Or would you rather send us the pictures, and we can text him?”

Luke’s brows lowered. It wasn’t a good idea to give a stranger her personal cell phone number. “I can send them if you’d like.”

“Thank you for your offer, but I’ll handle it.” Dahlia gave Jeri a serene smile. Dahlia and Luke reached for the piece of paper, their fingers brushing, and the electric spark jolted through him again.

Dahlia jerked her fingers back, her cheeks flushed and glared at him. Luke wisely hid his grin.This job is getting better by the minute.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Luke Bloom was goingto be a problem.

Dahlia knew it from the second he approached her at the car. Physically, he looked just like James. The same handsome face, sharp jaw, and thick dark hair… those eyes… As he got closer, there was something about the way he moved, something in his eyes that told her he wasn’t the same steady, conservative man she had met the day before.

And then it happened.

The dreaded spark. Her hormones lit up like the Fourth of July!

Dahlia groaned silently. It was the same freaking spark that tricked her into getting involved with Scott!

This time, she promised herself she would follow her brain and not her hormones. She was older now, more mature, she assured herself. He was nothing she couldn’t handle.

Except, the entire time she spoke to the interviewers, she could feel his eyes on her. Dahlia was uncomfortably aware of how he watched her, and it made her more flustered than normal. He made her feverish, impatient… reckless. And that was after a brief meeting.

Maybe her grandmother had been right about her.

Dahlia shook herself.No!She’d come too far, worked too hard, to get derailed just because her body was going haywire.

She slipped off the lightweight blazer. Dahlia was already sweating despite the air-conditioned studio. The heat hit them like a blast when they pushed the lobby’s glass doors open.

“It’s like sitting in soup out here,” she muttered.

“Is this your first Georgia summer?” Luke asked when Dahlia stopped awkwardly at the curb. He was standing so close that his spicy cologne filled her nose. Dahlia inhaled again, her stomach tingling.

Stop it! What is the matter with me?

You’re acting like a cat in heat, she scolded herself. That was it. That was why she was reacting like this. It was too hot! Obviously, her brain was cooking.

Dahlia fought the urge to pull her heavy hair off her neck.

Why is he standing so close to me! And why is he looking at me like that—he asked me a question? What was it?

“Yes. It’s my first summer.” Dahlia snapped, and his eyes widened at her tone. She sounded like a bitch, but there was something about him that made her—itchy. And the way his gray eyes glinted back at her, he knew it. She fought to hide a scowl.

Logically, Dahlia acknowledged Luke wasn’t physically different from James, but she was aware of Luke’s large frame in a much different way than she had been of his twin’s the day before. Dahlia had objectively appreciated how handsome James was. But the sight of Luke’s broad shoulders straining against the close-cut suit jacket, and his pant legs pulling slightly at his thighs was doing funny things to her belly.

Luke’s eyes gleamed at her. Dahlia glared back. She hated that he’d caught her checking him out.

“So, um, thanks for filling in today. I think it went well.” Dahlia kept her words measured and even. “I hope James is better soon.”

“He’ll be fine once it’s out of his system.” One side of Luke’s full lips curved up, and it felt like a thousand stupid butterflies took flight in her chest.