Read Online Whatever You Like by Maureen Smith - Free Book Online

her?”
    â€œI would have, but I didn’t have to.”
    â€œThen how…?” Lena trailed off as a memory surfaced from that night. The chauffeur had called her by her last name after the near-collision with another car. “The new guy. Damn it.”
    Roderick chuckled softly. “Having that piece of information about you helped me track down the rest.”
    Lena scowled at him. “What is it with you? What part of ‘I can’t see you again’ did you not understand?”
    Ignoring the question, he asked idly, “Do you have a taste for anything in particular?”
    â€œNo,” she snapped in exasperation. “I don’t care where we eat. I shouldn’t even be going anywhere with you! Do you have any idea what could happen if my colleagues find out that I’m an escort?”
    â€œDon’t worry,” Roderick murmured. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
    Lena crossed her arms and glared through the windshield, too incensed to appreciate the vivid splashes of yellow, orange and red that transformed the tree-lined landscape into a Thomas Kinkade painting.
    â€œI hope you’re not leaving Evanston,” she grumbled. “I only have one hour for lunch.”
    Roderick slanted her an amused glance. “I seriously doubt your boss is gonna be watching the clock,” he said dryly. “He was more than eager to rearrange your schedule to accommodate me.”
    â€œTell me about it,” Lena grumbled. “If you’d sweetened the pot with another half a mil, he might have driven us to the nearest hotel and slipped us a credit card. And I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have objected.”
    â€œHell, no.” Roderick’s wolfish grin made her toes curl inside her kitten-heel pumps.
    She crossed her legs and watched his eyes follow the hem of her skirt as it rose to tease him with a glimpse of her smooth bare thighs. His gaze lingered long enough to send heat sizzling through her veins, burning a path to her groin. All of a sudden, checking into a hotel room didn’t sound like such a bad idea.
    She was more than relieved when Roderick’s cell phone rang. He reached inside his breast pocket and pulled out the sleek BlackBerry, then gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. It’s the office.”
    She waved a hand. “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
    She stared out the window as he spoke into the phone, his deep, dark voice pouring over her like melted honey. He was by far the sexiest, most compelling man she’d ever encountered in her life. She wished they’d met under different circumstances, or never met at all. He made her want things she shouldn’t want. Things she couldn’t have.
    When she realized that they’d left Evanston, she shot a dirty look at Roderick, who merely grinned.
    He drove into downtown Chicago, maneuvering through midday traffic with the skilled ease of a native. Their destination was an upscale restaurant that catered to an exclusive clientele, the kind of place that required reservations a month in advance.
    As the car glided to a stop under the canopied entrance, a valet opened Lena’s door and helped her out while another retrieved the keys from Roderick. The maître d’ waiting near the front entrance greeted Roderick by name, bowed gracefully to Lena andescorted them through the busy restaurant to an opulent private dining room.
    They were seated at a table for two near a cozy fireplace. The intimate setting made Lena feel like they were on a date, which she suspected had been Roderick’s intent.
    Once the waiter had taken their orders and departed, she raised a brow at Roderick. “You’re obviously a regular here, but how did you get this room—especially during the lunch rush—without a reservation?”
    His eyes met hers. “I had a reservation.”
    â€œWhat, a standing reservation