well. I can’t believe you haven’t told me about Will Rutledge. He’s gorgeous ! And here you were not more than five minutes ago trying to get me to believe you were still heartbroken.”
Savannah shook her head. “No, no, you have it all wrong. I might not still be suffering from a broken heart, but that doesn’t mean I’m looking for a replacement. I-I don’t even know the man. We-we only just met. Just now. Like…a minute ago. Right before you showed up.”
“ Mm , no wonder you haven’t mentioned him. I’m sure I’ll be hearing a lot more about him in the future, though. I saw the way he looked at you. He couldn’t drag his eyes away.”
Savannah’s heart thumped. Excitement mixed with more than a little nervousness flooded her veins. Maybe she’d overreacted? After all, nothing had been said about Will recognizing her. Apart from his parting comment—and that could have been simply a quip from a man who found a woman attractive—his behavior had been nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe she was worrying about nothing?
She looked at Chloe and smiled. She’d been gifted a few hours with a friend she hadn’t seen since she’d moved to Sydney. It might have only been six months ago, but when they’d been used to catching up every few days, it felt like a lifetime.
She recalled her earlier vow to let her hair down and enjoy herself. There was no reason it couldn’t still happen. Having Chloe along for company was an added bonus. Will looked good enough to eat in his tuxedo and he was obviously not immune to her.
What could it hurt if she flirted with him? He didn’t know anything about her and after tonight, she was unlikely to see him again. It wasn’t as though they ran in the same social circles. He was clearly known to the Duncans and yet she’d never crossed paths with him before.
She frowned and wondered why Lucy had never mentioned him. Perhaps he was married? She couldn’t recall reading anywhere about a wife, but it wasn’t like Lucy to pass over an opportunity for matchmaking. Speaking of Lucy, where was she?
* * *
The queue at the bar extended at least three men deep. Will breathed a surreptitious sigh of relief. It meant he’d have a decent length of time before he had to return to Savannah and keep up the façade that he hadn’t recognized her, a chore he was finding more and more difficult.
She looked breathtaking in the long black gown that clung to her curves like a second skin. Her hair fell in a mass of auburn ringlets, loose and unfettered down her back. He wanted nothing more than to bury his hands in it and breathe in her exotic scent.
But he couldn’t do any of that. To do so, would mean he would have to acknowledge he’d already met her—in a brothel, no less. She was a friend of Pete and his wife. There was no way Will was going to be the one to make them aware of her occupation. He could only assume they didn’t know—after all, it wasn’t something one would necessarily choose to advertise.
The fact that Savannah hadn’t recognized him caused a moment’s consternation. It wasn’t as if he’d been in disguise. In fact, he’d been dressed just as formally then as he was tonight, minus the bow tie.
Then again, it had been dark and she’d been taken unawares. It was possible she truly didn’t realize he was the man she’d encountered in the brothel. Either way, there was no denying his body had reacted to her as strongly tonight as it had the first time they’d met and he was having a hard time keeping his interest under wraps. Not that she seemed to mind over much. He was sure he hadn’t mistaken the way her chest rose and fell just a little bit faster after his quip about the drinks.
“So, Declan, how’s it going down in Canberra?”
Pete’s question interrupted Will’s reverie and he forced himself to concentrate on the men who stood beside him.
“It’s been a good move, Pete. You can’t beat the weather down south in the summer and as
Savannah shook her head. “No, no, you have it all wrong. I might not still be suffering from a broken heart, but that doesn’t mean I’m looking for a replacement. I-I don’t even know the man. We-we only just met. Just now. Like…a minute ago. Right before you showed up.”
“ Mm , no wonder you haven’t mentioned him. I’m sure I’ll be hearing a lot more about him in the future, though. I saw the way he looked at you. He couldn’t drag his eyes away.”
Savannah’s heart thumped. Excitement mixed with more than a little nervousness flooded her veins. Maybe she’d overreacted? After all, nothing had been said about Will recognizing her. Apart from his parting comment—and that could have been simply a quip from a man who found a woman attractive—his behavior had been nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe she was worrying about nothing?
She looked at Chloe and smiled. She’d been gifted a few hours with a friend she hadn’t seen since she’d moved to Sydney. It might have only been six months ago, but when they’d been used to catching up every few days, it felt like a lifetime.
She recalled her earlier vow to let her hair down and enjoy herself. There was no reason it couldn’t still happen. Having Chloe along for company was an added bonus. Will looked good enough to eat in his tuxedo and he was obviously not immune to her.
What could it hurt if she flirted with him? He didn’t know anything about her and after tonight, she was unlikely to see him again. It wasn’t as though they ran in the same social circles. He was clearly known to the Duncans and yet she’d never crossed paths with him before.
She frowned and wondered why Lucy had never mentioned him. Perhaps he was married? She couldn’t recall reading anywhere about a wife, but it wasn’t like Lucy to pass over an opportunity for matchmaking. Speaking of Lucy, where was she?
* * *
The queue at the bar extended at least three men deep. Will breathed a surreptitious sigh of relief. It meant he’d have a decent length of time before he had to return to Savannah and keep up the façade that he hadn’t recognized her, a chore he was finding more and more difficult.
She looked breathtaking in the long black gown that clung to her curves like a second skin. Her hair fell in a mass of auburn ringlets, loose and unfettered down her back. He wanted nothing more than to bury his hands in it and breathe in her exotic scent.
But he couldn’t do any of that. To do so, would mean he would have to acknowledge he’d already met her—in a brothel, no less. She was a friend of Pete and his wife. There was no way Will was going to be the one to make them aware of her occupation. He could only assume they didn’t know—after all, it wasn’t something one would necessarily choose to advertise.
The fact that Savannah hadn’t recognized him caused a moment’s consternation. It wasn’t as if he’d been in disguise. In fact, he’d been dressed just as formally then as he was tonight, minus the bow tie.
Then again, it had been dark and she’d been taken unawares. It was possible she truly didn’t realize he was the man she’d encountered in the brothel. Either way, there was no denying his body had reacted to her as strongly tonight as it had the first time they’d met and he was having a hard time keeping his interest under wraps. Not that she seemed to mind over much. He was sure he hadn’t mistaken the way her chest rose and fell just a little bit faster after his quip about the drinks.
“So, Declan, how’s it going down in Canberra?”
Pete’s question interrupted Will’s reverie and he forced himself to concentrate on the men who stood beside him.
“It’s been a good move, Pete. You can’t beat the weather down south in the summer and as
Similar Books
