Passionate Night Read online

  “Can I think about it?” she asked, even though she really wanted to answer, ‘Yes and what time are you picking me up?’ But she had to remain in control of herself. This wasn’t like her at all to be infatuated with a man she’d just met.

  An amused expression washed over his features. “Sure. At least you didn’t say no.”

  “Uh … I didn’t say yes either. However, why don’t you come by the club tomorrow night. We’re having our Wind Down Wednesday. We open early at six for happy hour. Drinks and appetizers are half off until eight. Get out and have some fun. You may meet someone.” Wait. Why the hell am I trying to give this masterpiece away?

  A serious grin raised up his left jaw. “I only have my eyes set on you, beautiful one.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks as the smile she wanted to suppress burst through followed by a giggle which was so unlike her once again.

  “Well, maybe I’ll have an answer for you tomorrow evening.”

  “I hope so.” Glancing at his cell phone once more, Hunter stood. “I hate to go, but I have a conference call meeting soon with Cannon and some other members of Doctors Unlimited that are on a different time zone. It’s almost nine in the morning where they are.”

  Standing on shaky legs, she motioned for him to follow her. “I understand. I’ll set up a time so you can meet with the executive chef to taste some samples. In the meantime, I’ll email you the menus and prices. I think majority of them will go with your budget.”

  Once they made it to the lobby, Harper was halfway disappointed he had to leave, but she had a million things to do before the club opened. One was to remember how to breathe again.

  Unlocking the door, she glanced up at the commanding man in her personal space who stared at her seductively, causing her heart to do somersaults. She hated strangers so close but decided to make an exception this one time. After all, the man wasn’t exactly a stranger, right? She’d spent the last hour in his presence trying her hardest to listen to what he said while attempting not to drool. She inhaled his cologne so she wouldn’t forget it, and snapped a mental picture of his alluring face so she could describe him to her best friend as well as remember him once drifting off to sleep.

  “It was very nice meeting you, Harper Bennett,” he said in a deep, low voice.

  Well there goes remembering how to inhale and exhale. The way her name rolled off his tongue sent an electric current to zoom through every cell in her body. Luckily, she lived within walking distance of the club because a cold shower may be her next task.

  “You, too.” Gulping, panic washed over her when she thought Hunter was going to lower his mouth to hers as his eyes brushed over it. She swore she could feel his succulent lips and long tongue that she’d noted earlier on her. His strong, smooth hands could definitely join the party, and she’d invite his muscular chest, too. In fact, every inch of him could come and the image sent another charged current to bolt through her.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow evening, Ms. Bennett.”

  Once he left and the doors were secured, Harper bent down and took off her six-inch heels which brought her down to five-foot-three. Carrying them, she trekked over to the elevator and pressed her pass code to the private third floor which housed the executive offices. Dashing to hers in a daze, she shut the door and plopped in her gold leather chair that her brothers had named the Diva’s Throne.

  Harper was in utter disbelief of her thought process. In the time it had taken her to leave the lobby and crash into the chair, she’d managed to daydream about undressing Hunter for a long, hot shower. But who was she kidding? He was a well-traveled man that probably had a woman in every city he’d journeyed to. Of course he flirted with every pretty lady that crossed his path and she was simply next on the list. With that assumption she breathed somewhat easier. Becoming involved with a man always on the go wasn’t on her agenda. She preferred stability and the peace of mind to sleep at night knowing that whomever she dated wasn’t far away in another city screwing someone else.

  Besides, the man probably hasn’t even given me a second thought and is not showing up tomorrow night. Yet the more she tried to convince herself of that, the more she knew it was a lie. Hunter would be there, and she’d count every second until she saw him again.

  Chapter Two

  Hunter thumbed through the papers on the desk as he sat in front of his laptop Skyping with Cannon and four other high-level members of Doctors Unlimited. However, he wasn’t listening at one-hundred percent to what they discussed. The conversation pertained to more doctors fresh out of medical school and a training program, but he managed to tune them out since it wasn’t his division. Instead, his thoughts were all mixed up on the vibrant smile, stunning figure, and smooth, toffee-coated legs of Harper Bennett. He was knocked off guard when Harper told him who she was. He was expecting a man because of the name. Plus, it was a last minute appointment his assistant had set up.

  Normally, he’d researched who he was meeting with in advance, but he’d returned from a long flight the night before from Thailand and was operating on little sleep thanks to jetlag. However, settling his gaze on her gorgeous face for the first time woke him from tiredness and tossed him into a blissful abyss as an uncanny rapture had raged through him. He’d become so aware of her beauty and sexiness from the initial stare that he’d found it hard to recall why he was at Club Masquerade in the first place.

  He was drawn to her almond-shaped, cat-like fiery eyes that had scanned over him briefly like an x-ray before settling upon his face. He’d noted the subtle rise of her delicate breasts under her silky pink blouse, and her fingers running through her bouncy array of back-length curls which symbolized she was fully aware of his immediate attraction to her. Her succulent, rose-painted lips had parted into a sultry smile, and when she spoke it soothed him like passionate sex and jazz on a rainy night. He’d noted the pearl necklace around her neck with the matching clasp bracelet that signified her refined elegance. However, he sensed another side of her that was anything but refined when he caught her dark brown eyes turning even darker as they quickly glanced under his belt.

  Harper was petite and dainty in stature, but her over-confident and sassy personality made her appear taller and in charge. Of course her heels added height to what he figured a five-foot-four frame and enhanced her cute, little rump and curvy hips that settled provocatively in the straight skirt. He’d tried to stay focused on planning the fundraiser, but how could he when her captivating scent filled the atmosphere and every word that flowed from her kissable mouth poured out like warm honey journeying down his throat?

  Hunter was rather surprised he’d asked her out. He didn’t date, or at least not exclusively. That always created complicated situations over the years, and he’d broken a few hearts along the way. His career required him to drop everything without a second’s notice and jet to the next city that needed him. He was in charge of overseeing that everything ran smooth with the organization. He was Cannon’s right-hand man and trusted with making sure nothing was amiss. Hunter took his position very seriously. He had no connections as far as a wife and kids and never felt guilty about shooting off to the next country. Of course he missed his parents and his siblings, but he always made an effort to visit Memphis when he was in the States.

  Hunter knew one day he would have to settle down in one location if he ever wanted a chance at having a family of his own. Cannon had made the suggestion several times over the past few years, but Hunter loved his freedom. He enjoyed his life of being hands on and helping others. He wasn’t a doctor, but he was trained in basic first aid and he’d learned other medical procedures to help patients when the times arose in crisis or epidemic situations.

  However, meeting Harper reminded him that he missed the sincere smile, the tantalizing, lingering scent, and the warm, silky skin of a woman. Like her, he never mixed business with pleasure, but asking her out seemed to be the natural thing to do. And while she didn’t agree to a date, she did invite him
back to the club the next evening. To him that was a positive step in the direction he wanted to travel. He’d never been a clubber, or at least not a club like Masquerade. He preferred the blues and jazz clubs that he frequented when he was home in Memphis or oversees if time permitted. Though if seeing her again meant listening to the latest hip hop and rap songs that he barely knew, then he would be there just to see her sexy strut and the swish of her hips that were on the same beat of a bass drum.

  Reality came slowly back as Hunter frowned and then forced out a knowing smile along with a nod as if he knew what was happening on the computer in front of him. The other members of Doctors Unlimited were saying their good-byes and logging off the conference call, leaving Cannon with a peculiar grin and a questioning, raised eyebrow.

  “Are you all right, man?” Cannon asked, sipping from a mug and setting it down on the desk in front of him. “You stared off into space for a moment.”

  This is why I hate FaceTime, Hunter thought. “Nah, man. Listening to you guys.” And thinking about the beauty with the smile that could make the sun shine at night.

  “So, is everything all set for the fundraiser event?”

  “Yep, just left Masquerade and arranged all the details with the event planner.” It was on the tip of his tongue to say sexy event planner, but he managed to hold it in.

  “Isn’t that a night club?” Cannon asked with a slight grimace.

  “Don’t worry, man. It’s very swank and posh. It’s an upscale establishment. Besides, it will be closed to the public. They do a lot of charity events when possible.”

  “Great. Yasmine and I are hoping to make it. I’ve been in contact with some of our big whale donors and they’re onboard for the new clinic and the stateside headquarters in Atlanta.” Cannon paused as a serious expression washed over his face. “You know the offer still stands for you to run the US headquarters, right?”

  Normally, Hunter would say no but something pulled at his heart strings. He brushed it aside and changed the subject before he got ahead of himself with the silly notion of thinking that Harper Bennett was somehow factored into the equation called his life.

  “How’s Yaz and Mia?” he asked, referring to Cannon’s wife and their six-year-old daughter.

  “They’re both well. I saw your parents at my parents’ estate this afternoon. Your folks are excited and relieved that you’re in the States for the time being.”

  “Yeah, my mother can rest easy at night knowing I’m not halfway across the world rescuing people from a tsunami.” He’d spent the last week doing exactly that. “But I’m coming to Memphis next month to visit.”

  “I know the feeling because at the same time they’re proud of you for wanting to help but terrified something could happen to you as well. Every time I leave I always promise my mom and Yaz that I’ll return unscathed. Of course, I don’t go as much as I used to with running Arrington Family Specialists and dealing with other aspects of Doctors Unlimited, but I miss it sometimes. I honestly do. That’s why I conceived the idea in medical school in the first place. My mission was to help as many people as possible.”

  “And look at it now. You’ve made a difference, big cuz.”

  “Thanks, man. I’m going to run and help put Mia to bed. It’s my turn to read the bedtime story.”

  “All right. Talk to you soon.”

  Shutting the lid to his laptop, Hunter stood from the desk and plopped down on the couch in the sitting area of his hotel room at Pinnacle Boutique Hotel. The hotel was located in midtown Atlanta, a short cab ride away from Club Masquerade and away from Harper. Wrinkling his brow, he wondered how the hell that thought had jumped into his brain. However, Harper’s face hadn’t left his thoughts and as he grabbed the remote to turn to ESPN, the scent of the perfume that had lingered on his hand from their handshake whiffed to his nose. A naughty smile crossed his face as he grabbed his iPad seated on the cushion next to him, logged in online, and typed Harper Bennett. No, he wasn’t a stalker. He would’ve done this before his appointment with her and been better prepared knowing he was meeting a Ms. Bennett not a Mr. Bennett. Even though now he had to admit that what he was doing could be considered borderline stalkerish.

  Hunter came across a picture of the Bennett triplets at an event. Harper appeared even shorter standing in between her two brothers who appeared to be around his height at six-foot-two. She was breathtaking in a black, mini cocktail dress with her hair swept up in a tousled, messy but sexy style that enhanced her sharp cheekbones and her alluring eyes that he could definitely find himself becoming lost in and not wanting to be found. He stumbled upon another picture of her by herself from the same occasion that showcased her toned, muscular legs even better than the skirt she had on today.

  A beep from his cell phone startled him, and he was highly surprised and elated that it was from Harper. He’d placed her cell number in his phone on the cab ride back to the hotel and he’d had to stop himself from dialing her. It was a short text stating she’d emailed him the menu and if he had any questions to call. As he read it, another message from her popped up that ended with a smiley face.

  Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night. :)

  A sly grin emerged as he typed: Ditto, beautiful one.

  *****

  “What the hell did I text?” Harper asked herself out loud, pacing back in forth in her office. It was supposed to be a business text. Hell, it was supposed to be a business meeting!

  The vibrating cell phone in her hand startled her, and she glanced down to see his response. Beautiful one? He’d called her that earlier and it had to be the sweetest term of endearment any man had ever called her—especially when he said it in such a sexy and seductive manner. Then she’d made the mistake of reading the text in his voice. Her heart vibrated faster than her phone and breathing correctly no longer seemed like the easiest thing to do. She’d never hyperventilated, but she had a strong notion that she was doing just that. What had she started? No, wait, what Hunter started by asking her out. Regardless, she wasn’t supposed to continue it. She was supposed to nip it in the bud immediately.

  She found herself beelining to the computer, typing in his name in the internet search engine, and tapping her foot on the white marbled floor of her French provincial decorated office. Nothing wrong with a little harmless research. Right?

  A few articles popped up about the organization, including a recent one on the building of the clinic along with a headquarters office in Atlanta. Apparently, Hunter was overseeing the project for the next few months and stated in the interview that “I can’t wait until it’s complete so I can go to another locale and do the same”.

  And with that comment it reminded her that he was off-limits. A big no-no in order to protect her heart. She didn’t want to start dating him, like him more than she should, then he left, and she never saw or heard from him again. Yet when she clicked on another link, Harper found several pictures of him that had her side eying her rule. His official picture on the Doctors Unlimited page caused her to bite her bottom lip as heat puddled in her center. The blue suit he wore fit his immaculate frame as if it was made exclusively for him. His smooth, delectable skin was indeed appetizing, and she craved to know how sweet the chocolate tasted.

  Exhaling, she chastised herself for carrying on about a man that she couldn’t date. She scrolled through some more photos and one pulled at her heart so strong that tears welled in her eyes. In the picture, Hunter carried a young boy he’d rescued who had lost his parents in a hurricane and unfortunately had to have his leg amputated because a heavy beam had fallen on it. The caption stated that Hunter stayed and comforted the child during the entire ordeal and then traveled with him the following week to his grandparents’ home in another country to make sure he arrived there safely.

  Wiping back another tear, she closed the laptop lid and prayed hard that she wouldn’t fall for him. However, a compassionate, kindhearted man like Hunter impressed her because her brothers and her fath
er were as well. She hated shallow, egotistical, arrogant men who weren’t concerned about the world around them and only cared about their well-being and no one else.

  Sighing, she knew she was in need of advice and only one person could offer it honestly. She glanced at the clock and scrolled through her cell phone to call her best friend since they were ten years old, London Alexander, who had just finished the six o’clock news in Charlotte, North Carolina.

  “Hey, bestie!” London answered in a chipper tone. “Surprised you’re calling at this time.”

  “Yeah. I need to go down to the main floor soon to meet with some of my staff but I have about twenty minutes …” She sighed as her voice trailed off.

  “I hear it in your voice. What’s wrong?”

  “I met someone … well, not really. I mean possibly, but he doesn’t live in Atlanta and you know I hate long-distance relationships. Not that I want a relationship with him, but there’s something about him that intrigues me to the point that I haven’t stopped smiling since I met him.”

  “You? Smiling at work? Don’t let the employees see that,” London teased.

  “Now you remind me. I swear I don’t know what’s coming over me. I’m behaving like a lovesick teenager over the popular jock that finally noticed me.”

  “Uh huh. Soooooooo go out with him anyway for the fun of it while he’s in town. No harm in that if you have chemistry.”

  “He asked me out, but I told him no because he’s a client and I don’t date clients. But then I kind of invited him to the club tomorrow night.”

  How the hell did she even think that inviting him to the club tomorrow night was a smart thing to do? Even when she had boyfriends she hated when they came because she was at work and sometimes her job meant being extra nice and smiling extra pretty at the ballers and celebrities that frequented. Her boyfriends took it as flirting when she would hug or wink at the handsome—and even the not so handsome—men. She didn’t want them. And they didn’t want her. It was all in fun. They respected her and more so her overprotective brothers to never mess with her. She was hands off. Plain and simple.