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Chapter Four
Daniel turned up the air conditioner in the car until the icy blast numbed the tip of his nose—not that it was hot outside. His sweltering state was solely related to the upcoming night, the opening of his exhibition, and the turning point in his friendship with Amy.
In keeping with his original plan, he was about to alter the bond between himself and Amy irrevocably. There would be no guise, no misconceptions, and no trickery in place. After this evening, things between them would never be the same.
There was a lot at stake. If the press and public hated his work, his professional reputation would be ruined. That in turn would impact his ability to raise the necessary funds required to refurbish the oncology ward.
And if Amy felt even the tiniest bit threatened by the next part of his plan, she’d bolt.
Anticipation shimmied through him as he pulled up outside her home. His breathing shallowed. The next few hours would be critical.
Amy greeted him at the front door in a dress that almost brought him to his knees. The hot black number hugged her curves and floated around her legs—and did dangerous things to her breasts.
Did she have the vaguest idea of how damn sexy she was?
Daniel clenched his fists by his sides and stifled his need to grab her. He took a deep, calming breath as he followed her inside.
Bad move.
Her vanilla perfume assaulted his senses. God help him, he wanted her. Now. It was time to finish what they’d started at Lexi’s party. Daniel fought the urge to push her against the wall, shove up her skirt, and bury himself deep inside her. Spend the rest of the evening ravishing her, making love to her.
“So, tonight’s the night.”
Daniel whipped his head up. “What?” How did she know what he had planned?
“It’s your big night. How are you feeling?”
Ah…she was referring to the exhibition. “A little edgy.”
“A little? You’re wound so tight you look ready to snap.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Would you like a drink, something to help you relax?”
“Yeah, please. Scotch, straight up.”
Amy poured them each a whisky and then clinked her glass against his. “To my best friend.” Luminous green eyes watched him with concern.
How would she react if he leaned over and nibbled on the corner of her worried mouth?
Would her breath catch? Would she surrender to him? Would desire build and pound through her, like it did through him?
“I’ve never seen you like this, Dan. You seem… I don’t know. ‘Tense’ doesn’t begin to describe it.”
He held his shoulders stiff, determined not to kiss her. “I’ll be okay. You ready to go?”
“Let me grab my wrap.” Amy walked out of the room.
The gentle sway of her hips and the seductive slit in the side of her skirt offering a delectable view of thigh were so inviting Daniel had to fight down the instinct to reach out and haul her back to him.
He downed his scotch in one mouthful, praying the alcohol would burn away his feverish hunger.
The drink made no difference. His body was in overdrive. The only heat that could touch him now was that of Amy pressed up against him.
Tonight, he would take her in his arms again, and the heat of their desire would sear them both.
Daniel held the gallery door open, and Amy walked into the cavernous room with walls lined with his beautifully framed photographs. A huge color picture of a group of doctors holding up champagne glasses hung on the wall opposite the door. The caption underneath it read All in Good Health. The blurb below welcomed guests to the exhibition.