And why did she react this way every time she saw him? Her heart was racing, but everything else seemed to slow down. She noticed every little delicious detail about him. And there was a good ten-second delay in all her responses because her brain was refusing to work properly. At this rate, he would think she was a moron. "Good evening."
He stood and rounded the desk. "Sorry to take your chair, but the others are occupied." He gestured toward the chairs facing her desk. Two packages, wrapped in brown paper and twine, sat in each chair.
"They're portraits," he explained before she could even ask. "I just came from having mine done. Fred is actually very good." Adam grinned, displaying his dimples at their deepest. "You gotta admit, Fred is an unusual name for an artist."
Unusual for a vampire, too, Darcy thought wryly. She tried to ignore her reaction to Adam, but it was hard to do when her heart was dangerously close to exploding in her chest. And all because of a pair of dimples and turquoise eyes. She wondered if Fred had managed to do him justice. "Is one of these yours?"
"No, mine was still a little wet."
Oh yeah, a little wet. She could relate to that.
"Fred said these four were finished," Adam continued. "He was too busy to bring them here, so I offered to do it for him."
"You really didn't need to do that."
"Oh, but I did." A corner of his mouth quirked up. "It gave me the perfect excuse to see you again."
Her heart thumped louder in her chest.
"And then tomorrow, when my portrait is dry, I'll have another reason to drop by and see you. A clever strategy, don't you think?" His left dimple deepened.
She gulped. He was gorgeous. Fair of face with a sexy voice like a troubadour. Sheesh, he was a perfect match for the list the ex-harem ladies were making. Maybe they were on to something after all.
He sat on the edge of her desk. "So, how was your weekend?"
She stiffened, recalling how Shanna's father had almost ruined her wedding. Surely Adam had had nothing to do with it. "I went to a wedding." She watched him closely for a reaction.
He narrowed his eyes as if trying to remember, then nodded. "Right. Your friends, Raoul and Sherry. How'd it go?"
Darcy exhaled in relief. How could he have told anyone when he couldn't even remember the names correctly? "It was fine."
"Good." He glanced away. His jaw shifted slightly, and she wondered if he was grinding his teeth. Suddenly, he gifted her with one of his fabulous dimpled smiles. "So where are they going on their honeymoon? What's the popular place these days?"
Her heart stuttered in her chest. Why was he asking her that? "I - I don't know."
He nodded. "One of my sisters went to the mountains in Canada. Another went to Hawaii." His dimples deepened. "I bet you would choose the beach."
She looked away, her cheeks warming with a blush. He was right about that. But it was not likely to ever happen. She moved toward the door. "I'm very busy..."
He plucked a photo off her desk that showed the building where the penthouse was located. "So, this Raleigh Place is where we'll be doing the show?"
"Uh, yes." So he had looked at her stuff. Well, it was normal to be curious, right? After all, it was her own curiosity that had forever changed her life. A shiver skittered down her spine. Curiosity killed more than the cat.
He stepped toward her. "Are you all right?"
"I - I'm fine." Did he really care?
"You certainly work long hours. It's almost midnight."
Her eye twitched. How could she possibly explain DVN's odd hours to a mortal? "I - I have a lot of work to do." And she needed to get him out of here. If Sly or any of the ex-harem saw him, they would instantly know he was mortal. And then, they would hound her with questions she didn't want to answer.
"I understand." He watched her sadly.
She suddenly suspected he understood more than he was letting on. Her guard went up. "Was there something you wanted, Mr. Cartwright?"
"I want you to be safe." He touched a lock of her hair that rested on her shoulder. "I want you to trust me."
"I hardly know you."
He rubbed the tendril of hair between his thumb and forefinger. "We can change that anytime."
She wanted to sway forward and rest against his strong, broad chest. With effort, she forced herself to step back. "I don't have any time." She opened the door and peeked out. The hallway was clear. "Thank you for bringing the portraits."
"You're welcome." He stepped into the hallway. "When does the show start?"
"We should be ready in two weeks. I'll send all the information to your agent." Darcy headed down the hallway, then froze when she spotted Sly talking to the receptionist. Shoot! Why couldn't he be in his office, molesting Tiffany? Sheesh. When it came to men, even the perverts were undependable. She grabbed Adam's arm and turned him in the opposite direction. "How would you like a tour?"
"Great." He cast her a worried look, but allowed her to escort him past her office. "I thought you were short on time."
"A few minutes won't hurt." She pulled him around a corner and out of view of the receptionist's area. "This is where the recording studios are located." She motioned to the right. "Studio One is where they do the Nightly News with Stone... Cauffyn." She quickly gestured toward the left. "And this is - "
"Let me guess." He pointed to the number printed on the door. "Could it be Studio Number Two?"
She smiled. "Yes, how clever of you. That's where they do Live with the..." Her smile froze. "The celebrity talk magazine." Good God, she'd almost said Undead.
He didn't seem to notice. He was trying to peek through the window, but the blinds were closed. "It looks dark in there."
"Those shows are done for the night. The last soap for the evening is on right now." She gestured down a side hall to the back of the building. "Studios Four, Five, and Six are the big sound stages where they do the soap operas."
"What about this one, Studio Three?" Adam walked toward it and peered around the closed blinds. "What's going on in there?"
He certainly was a curious one. "That's a small studio where they make commercials and such."
"The red light is on. Are they making a commercial now?"
"No, not exactly." She could hardly explain an exercise program for vampire fangs.
He examined a control panel by the door. "Is this a sound button?"
"No, don't." Darcy reached out to stop him but it was too late. Voices from inside the studio emanated from the small speaker by the door.
"I don't think she can hold that position for very long," Gregori spoke. "It looks kinda awkward."
"She can do it," Giovanni insisted. "She's a professional. And she looks so beautiful. So sexy."
Adam's eyes widened. "What are they doing in there?"
Darcy leaned against the wall. "It's like... an exercise."
"R-rated exercise?" Adam asked softly.
"I wouldn't say - " Darcy was interrupted by Giovanni's voice.
"It is time, bellissima. Let them out. Show them to me."
Adam gave her a skeptical look. "Would you say X-rated?"
"No!" Darcy huffed. "DVN doesn't do that sort of thing."
"That's it, bellissima!" Giovanni exclaimed. "They're so beautiful. So white and perfectly shaped."
Adam arched an eyebrow at her.
She winced. "It's not what you think."
"Now, pull them back in, bellissima. All the way in."
Adam leaned close, planting a hand on the wall by her head. "Maybe I have a dirty mind, but it sounds kinda kinky to me."
Embarrassed, she lowered her gaze. Then she realized she was staring at his crotch, so she raised her eyes level to his.
He smiled slightly, only revealing a hint of the dimple in his left cheek. She fought an impulse to poke a finger at it.
He braced a forearm against the wall on the other side of her head, pinning her in. "I've been thinking a lot about that kiss we shared. Have you?"
She opened her mouth to lie, but was interrupted by Giovanni's excited voice.
"That's it, bellissima! Now do it in time with the music." The strains of a slow jazz number filtered through the speaker. A saxophone played low and silky. "Do it again, bellissima. In and out. In and out."