Others were milling around in the hallways. Matt and Iris kept walking, side by side and holding hands, with little or no conversation between them. They would pause periodically to admire some of the building’s ornate and elegant designs.
“Have you been here before?” he asked, when they stopped to admire yet another art piece.
“Yes, several times for weddings and other parties. I can even recall coming here to hear my mom play when the symphony held a concert here. What about you? Have you been here before?”
“Yes. I recall a time when my godfather contemplated buying it but changed his mind.”
“Oh.”
They continued walking, stopping periodically to admire several pieces of artwork on the walls. Iris wondered if he could feel the sexual chemistry that had been simmering between them since she had made her presence known to him tonight. Chemistry that was threatening to ignite if they didn’t somehow find a way to contain it.
Thinking that talking might do the trick, she was about to tell him what the earlier incident with Candy Sumlar had been about when he said, “I didn’t know you were coming here tonight.”
She glanced over at him. “Shauna needed a date and asked me to come with her at the last minute.” She paused and then said, “I didn’t know you were coming tonight either.”
He nodded. “Deena needed a date and asked that I come with her at the last minute as well.”
Iris shook her head. “Last-minute dates. Aren’t we lucky?” she said, teasing sarcastically.
He smiled. “It seems so.”
She stopped walking when they reached an area that led into a beautifully lit courtyard with numerous flowering plants and benches. “Matt, about that incident earlier with Candy Sumlar.”
“Yes?” he said, offering her a seat on a bench. She took it, and then he sat beside her.
“There was a reason I pulled that stunt earlier.”
He nodded. “Would you like to tell me the reason?”
“Earlier tonight, I overheard Candy and her agent plotting to pull you into a PR stunt. She needs to stay in front of the media to remain relevant and was going to use you to do so. If you noticed, there were photographers ready to take photos of the two of you together.”
“I noticed. Instead, they got pictures of you and me,” he said, winking at her. “I appreciate your timely intervention.”
She felt heat spread in her stomach with his wink. “As your public relations specialist, it’s part of my job.”
He frowned at her words. “That might be true, but I also consider you a friend, Iris.” He then glanced up at the sky. “It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” she said, glancing into the sky as well. It seemed that reminding him of their business relationship bothered him.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of the band. He stood. “I guess that’s our cue to go back.”
“Yes, I guess it is,” she said. A part of her wished they could stay out there longer. Why was she having conflicting emotions where he was concerned? One minute she wanted it to be all business between them, but then another minute she wanted…
Iris didn’t want to think about what she wanted from Matt. It was too sexually arousing to even consider. It would be breaking all her norms and tossing caution to the wind. It would be doing something she hadn’t done since her college days. Mainly, it would be taking a walk on the wild side.
She stood, and Matt didn’t back up, which placed her body smack against his. That same body that looked so hot in his tux. That same body she often envisioned naked in her dreams when she was about to lick it all over.
“I meant to tell you earlier how nice you look tonight, Iris.”
They were standing so close that not only were their bodies touching, but their mouths were mere inches apart. “Thanks. You look nice yourself.”
At some point, she had expected him to take a step back. He hadn’t. Instead, he released the hand he’d still been holding and wrapped both of his hands around her waist. “I know we agreed not to mix business with pleasure,” he said, “but…”
She nervously licked her lips. “But what, Matt?”
“But I want us to change that policy.”
Iris licked her lips again and saw how his gaze followed the movement of her tongue. “Why would you want us to do that?”