Temperatures Rising. BRENDA JACKSON
straightened her body, turned around and looked into his face. He had stood there, literally transfixed while drinking in the lusciousness of her curves before taking an admiring visual path up to her face.
If there was such a thing as instant, mind-blowing physical attraction, he had experienced it right then and there. A woman being pretty was one thing, but being punch-in-the-gut beautiful was another. First there was the most mesmerizing pair of sable-brown eyes he’d ever seen. Then there was a rounded chin on a medium-brown oval face, the two somehow totally in sync with each other. In addition to the softness of her high cheekbones and her shoulder-length styled hair, she had a pair of lips he would have given anything, possibly even his Heisman Trophy, to get a taste of.
Sizzling heat had instantly invaded his body, and it had taken Warrick saying his name twice before he had dragged his gaze away from her. But not before that same gaze had studied her hands and found her fingers ringless. And not before he’d decided that his six months of sexual draught were about to come to an end.
While Warrick had gone about making introductions, Terrence could tell by the set of Sherri’s jaw that she hadn’t liked the interest he was showing in her and she wouldn’t make things easy for him. No problem there since he was a man who appreciated a challenge every once in a while. Trouble was, he hadn’t counted on her still being a difficult case almost an entire month later. He refused to believe he was losing his touch or that the physical attraction hadn’t been mutual. He had seen the flame that had come alive in her eyes, although she had immediately tried to douse it.
For him, Sherri Griffin projected a number of things and sexual pleasure headed the list. There was something totally feminine and sensually captivating about her. While she tried coming across as all business, he refused to go there with her. The only level he was willing to meet her on was a sexual one. The effect she had on him would make it impossible for things to be otherwise.
So since she wanted to play hard to get, he would start turning up the heat. What the hell. At thirty-four, he still enjoyed having fun and there hadn’t been any excitement in his life since finding out about Olivia’s involvement with their father’s political enemy. And as the warm rush of water trickled over his skin, he quickly came up with a plan to deal with Ms. Griffin.
By the time he got in bed less than an hour later, his body was relaxed and his mind was clear. He didn’t intend to overwhelm her or pressure her. Instead, he would use the oldest trick known to a desperate man, one that included seduction that was impossible to resist. He wasn’t called the Holy Terror for nothing.
Chapter 2
“I can’t believe you turned him down again.”
From the top of the stairs, Sherri looked at Kim, who was still standing below with an astounded expression on her face. Three days a week she and Kim met to jog along the beach where their condos were located. After leaning over and inhaling slow and deep, Sherri straightened her body and placed her hands on her hips.
The disappointment in Kim’s voice was evident, and Sherri couldn’t help wondering why. “Really, Kim, it’s not that bad. He’ll get over it, but now I’m worried as to whether or not you will. What’s with you wanting me to go out with him, knowing his reputation?”
Instead of answering, Kim jogged up the stairs to join her. After taking a huge gulp of water from the water bottle, she said, “Because I know you can handle him.”
If only Kim knew just how wrong she was, Sherri thought. She was still reeling from the side effects of that visit he had made to her office two days ago.
“Besides, you need to indulge yourself in a fling,” Kim added.
Now it was Sherri whose face was filled with astonishment. She couldn’t believe her friend had made such an outlandish statement. “Let me get this right. You think my way to handle him is to have an affair with him?” She saw the smile that lit Kim’s features and wasn’t all that pleased it was at her expense.
“Hey, get the daggers out of your eyes,” Kim said, laughing. “I’m just reminding you of the promise you made to me last year.”
Sherri lifted a brow. “And what promise was that?”
“The promise that once you got out here and were settled, you would let go of that situation with Ben Greenfield and concentrate on meeting someone else.”
Sherri dragged her eyes away from Kim. “I’ve been busy,” she said, which in a way was true.
Kim wiggled her brows. “Now that reminds me of another promise you’ve broken, the one where you swore you would never let work interfere with pursuing a worthwhile relationship with a man. Especially because Ben claimed the reason he was breaking off your engagement was that you could never make time in your busy schedule for him, so he—”
“Found someone else,” Sherri finished for her softly. At the time she’d felt it had been a lousy excuse for his infidelity. His betrayal had hurt.
“You said you wouldn’t give another man the chance to make that claim,” Kim reminded her.
“Which is the reason I refuse to get involved with anyone,” Sherri said. “I don’t have the time right now. I need to learn all I can and—”
“You know all you need to know about running a radio station, Sherri. Come on, this isn’t the first one you’ve managed. All you had to do is become familiar with the setup of WLCK. You’re good at what you do,” Kim said as they began walking slowly toward Sherri’s bungalow.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now back to the reason why you won’t go out with the Holy Terror,” Kim said while looping her arms around her friend’s shoulders.
Sherri couldn’t help but smile. Kim refused to let up, and it served Sherri right for convincing her friend to move to the Keys with her when she had gotten the job offer from her uncle Warrick. Since Kim was a nurse, it hadn’t been hard for her to get a job at one of the hospitals here.
Sherri had just opened her mouth to say something when she saw the floral arrangement in front of her door. “Wow! I wonder where these came from.”
She picked up the vase filled with a beautiful arrangement of mixed flowers. “They’re gorgeous, aren’t they?”
“Yes, so who sent them?” Kim asked.
Sherri pulled off the card and opened it up. Moments later she massaged the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, not wanting to believe the message written on the card.
“Well, Sherri, who sent them?”
She opened her eyes and frowned at Kim. “They’re from Terrence, like you really wouldn’t know,” she said.
Kim placed a hand over her mouth in surprise. “The Holy Terror sent you those?”
Sherri lifted her heard and quirked a brow. “Don’t tell me you’re really surprised about this,” she said.
Kim shrugged. “Well, I am. I did my research on the guy and everything I’ve read about Terrence Jefferies indicates that when it comes to pursuing women he doesn’t put out a lot of effort or give it much thought. He doesn’t have to since women usually flock to him.” She glanced at the floral arrangement. “I would think a lot of thought went into ordering those.”
Sherri would think so, too, but then, she hadn’t gone to the trouble of doing an investigation of Terrence like Kim had done. “I can’t get weakened by this,” she decided to say. “I’ll thank him for the flowers but make absolutely sure he understands that nothing has changed. I still won’t go out with him.”
She looked at the flowers and couldn’t help but smile.
Her smile faded when she noticed the sympathetic look on Kim’s face. Kim knew her better than anyone. “I’m headed for troubled waters, aren’t I?” she asked her friend