How to Resist Prince Charming(5)

Damn. There went her horny brain again. Seriously, she was really going to have to rein in her imagination. It was getting out of control.

Remembering he still held out his palm for a shake, she flushed and quickly took his fingers. His skin was warm and so inviting she didn't want to let go. She lifted her eyes to his, and a bolt of pure lust slammed into her; she immediately pulled away. As she did, the pad of his thumb grazed the knuckle of her thumb. By the zing it shot through her, he might as well have slid his hand up the hem her dress and inside the crotch of her panties.

And there went another vivid, dirty image exploding through her synapses.

“Oh,” she gasped quietly, not meaning to let the exclamation escape.

The humiliating part was that Braxton Farris heard her little slip. His eyes sprang to hers, where they glittered with awareness.

Guiltily, Lenna’s gaze darted to her dad. But he hadn’t seemed to notice any part of the embarrassing exchange.

“My youngest is sick tonight,” he explained. “Since my wife decided to stay home with her, I dragged Lenna here with me.”

Braxton Farris smiled at Lenna again. “Well, at least she’s stopped kicking and screaming, I see.”

Lenna grinned at his joke, but her father didn’t.

“Pardon?” Tom said, frowning slightly.

Mr. Farris cleared his throat, his smile faltering. “Kicking and screaming,” he repeated. “You said you’d dragged her here.” When Tom continued to give him a blank look, he added, “You know the saying, dragged, kicking and screaming.”

“Oh,” Tom grumbled.

Lenna wanted to pinch her dad. Then she wanted to sink into the floor and die of humiliation. Risking a glance at Braxton Farris, she noticed he looked just as uncomfortable as he yanked at his bow tie.

An uneasy silence fell among the three of them. She bit her lip, thinking she should somehow smooth ruffled feelings.

Mr. Farris rubbed the back of his neck and treated both Lenna and her dad to a tense smile. “Anyway,” he murmured. “I hope you both enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Then he backed a step away, turned on his heel, and escaped.

Lenna immediately spun to Tom. “Dad!”

“What?” He glanced at her with a don’t-start-with-me scowl.

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you always that rude to your boss?” No wonder the new Mr. Farris had threatened insubordinate termination.

Her dad’s answer was a small, unconcerned shrug. Lenna drew in a sharp breath, shocked to discover her father had an enemy. She’d never seen him so hostile before. He must truly and honestly despise having Braxton Farris for a superior.



She’d seemed nice. Hell, she’d seemed sweet.

Braxton wanted to bash his head against the top of the bar where he sat.

Staring at the lovely stranger from across the room hadn’t been enough for him, had it? No, he’d just had to go over there and meet her. Yep, and now, every night when he went to sleep, he was going to see the little dimple on the corner of her mouth that had appeared when she’d smiled at him. At him! God, she’d even blushed when she’d noticed him ogling her with her dad standing between them. If that wasn’t asking for Tom to strangle him, he didn’t know what was. The man already thought Braxton was the anti-Christ.

Now that he’d had a close-up of her face, though, heard the sound of her voice, and seen her sweet, polite smile, Braxton knew he was a goner.

He never should’ve gotten close enough to experience the rays of her smile. He felt sunburned in a good and hot, achy kind of way.

She danced with her dad a few times, and she took a swirl or two around the floor with a few of his cronies. But she never danced with anyone closer to her in age. Braxton decided not to push his luck in that department.

He stayed away.

Slouched on his stool, swirling white wine around the inside of his glass, he waited for an opportune moment to leave when he heard her voice. His body tensed as he listened to her order the same brand of wine he was currently chugging.

Braxton lifted his head and turned. She didn’t notice him next to her. He knew he should let it slide.

But he couldn’t seem to obey his brain.

“Sure you’re old enough to drink that?” he asked, causing her to whirl his way.

She blinked twice. After graciously accepting the wine glass the bartender passed her, she nodded toward his drink. “Are you?” Her eyes teased as she sipped.

Braxton beamed. She was going to talk to him. Yes!

“Well…” He bit his lip, unable to help himself. “I will be in four months.”

Lenna choked on the sip she’d just taken. “Oh, my God. You’re only twenty?”

He pulled his walled from his pocket and flipped it open to show her his I.D. She impressed him when she actually stepped forward and grasped the side of his billfold to check for herself.

A small wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows. “But this says you’re twenty-four.”

“That’s because I am.” At her confused glance, he threw his head back and barked out a laugh.

With an appalled gasp, she slugged him lightly in the arm. “You are so evil. I actually believed you.”

His chuckle began to settle. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. But Jesus, do I really only look twenty?”