Free Charming You (Thirsty Hearts Book 1) by Kris Jayne Page A

soup and brought it to his mouth. He choked it down before abandoning his spoon.
    Surely, Miranda would appear soon with the next course. He cast an eye to the empty doorway. Rebellion swelled inside him, forcing him to wonder how many of these dinners he intended to endure for the rest of his life.
    Life with Vivienne was what he wanted. But this family? He wasn't sure.

Chapter Nine
    N ow that Micky had met Nick, she realized how often their paths could have crossed before. One day, she saw him from a distance at the coffee shop near their building. The next, she saw him walking across the lobby with colleagues on her way back from lunch.
    Today, Micky stepped into the elevator to head home, and there he was, descending from the floors above. As soon as the doors opened, her gaze was drawn to his. The clarity of his green eyes shocked her system, pushing her heart rate up as if she were taking the stairs. She stepped into the elevator and turned to press the button for the first floor. Her destination was already alight.
    She hadn't heard anything from him in the several days since their non-date and, after how she left things, hadn't expected a call. Micky had decided it was for the best even if fate kept throwing him in her face.
    "Micky, how are you?"
    "Good. And you?"
    "Doing well."
    His presence filled the elevator, making it hard for her to breathe. She could feel his emerald eyes boring into her.
    "Heading off to another hot date?" he asked.
    "No," Micky replied, clearing her throat. "Not tonight."
    Nick glanced down at the laptop bag stuffed with folders and her computer.
    "Taking work home? Tsk, tsk," he chastised, wagging his finger. "Didn't you promise your friend Andrew you wouldn't work so hard?"
    "No. I think you promised to make sure that I had a good time."
    "And did I deliver?"
    Heat infused Micky's solar plexus. His flirtation caught her off guard. He could have called days ago if he were interested in her. She would have told him no, but that didn't matter.
    "I had a good time the other night. But obviously, you and I aren't going to date or whatever," she stammered with exasperation. "Why don't we cut it out with the flirtatious games? It's not going anywhere."
    Nick raised his brows. "Where'd that come from? I know I didn't call you, but, honestly, at the end of our dinner, I didn't get the feeling like you wanted me to. I figured we could be friends. Now you're mad."
    Micky didn't want to admit that he was right.
    "I'm sorry. I've had a long day," she said, hoping that alone would account for her craziness. It wasn't like her to go from zero to bitch in two seconds.
    "Something on your mind?" he asked.
    "Just work," she answered. That wasn't entirely untrue.
    She'd wandered into the break room and heard a couple of her coworkers speculating about a rumored merger with a competitor. She filled her cup with her company's substandard coffee and scooted out as quickly as possible. The transition from cog to manager in the know stressed her out. Still, she knew that wasn't the reason for her short temper. Something about being in proximity with Nick rearranged her molecules. He had magnetism, and he tossed it around so easily. He irked her as much as he compelled her.
    "Well, if you are up for it, how about a friendly drink?" he asked.
    Nick looked like he'd surprised even himself with the proffered invitation.
    "I don't know."
    "Just friends. I'll even let you pay again," he proposed.
    Micky couldn't suppress her smile. "We'll go Dutch."

    N ick had intended to go straight home. Then, he saw Micky, and figured he should take another shot at gathering information.
    Plus, she looked damned sexy when her hazel eyes flashed with anger, turning amber. That look made his stomach clench. He wanted to fix whatever had gone wrong in her world and put that gorgeous smile back on her face. Nick assured himself that could be a friendly impulse and nothing else.
    Not wanting to venture far, he suggested the hotel bar