SILENT DESIRES

“Ah!” He said. The sound of satisfaction. “It’s okay. I understand how work can be. There must be a lot to tell me about yourself and I do want to know all of it. Would you join me for dinner, Savvie? I’ve been really busy with work myself and I think spending the evening with a beautiful woman like yourself would be amazing.”

“Dinner…” she repeated dazedly. The invitation had come so fast her head was spinning.

“Yes… Dinner. Regardless of what you might think I promise I’m not a big bad wolf, and you don’t have to fear my gobbling you up on the spot,” he assured her with dry mockery.

“Right!” she said, though the idea of being gobbled up by Matt Bradford had actually sent her pulse-rate zooming. “Where and when?” she asked, trying to sound efficient and not too eager.

“Whatever suits you, Savvie.”

Which lobbed the ball straight into her court. Was it a test of how much she would try to screw out of him? What did he expect her to choose? She was overthinking this.

Best to go for her own comfort zone, she swiftly decided, given she was in an absolute tizz about meeting him again. The intimidation of a ritzy restaurant would only make her more nervous.

“Are you okay with a down market place?” she asked, wondering if he preferred the privileges that went with being in trendy surroundings.

“No problem,” he assured her. So he didn’t need ego-stroking. Good. She thought.

“Do you like Thai food?” she asked.

“Fine with me.” he said.

He was being very accommodating. She thought. Glowing happily, Savannah gave directions.”Along Oxford Street, between the end of Hyde Park and Taylor Square, there’s a little restaurant called Titanic Thai. I could meet you there at seven-thirty.”

“Should I book a table?” he asked.

“No. I’ll drop in and ask them to keep me one.” Savannah said.

“You live nearby?”

“More or less,” she answered vaguely, not wanting to divulge too much about herself at this point.”I’ll see you there then?” she asked.

“Seven-thirty, Oxford Street, a Thai restaurant called Titanic but it’s only little,” he said in a tone of amusement.

“That’s it,” she confirmed and rang off, feeling pleased with herself for not only seizing the chance he’d held out, but for taking command of proceedings, as well.

Her feet wanted to skip all the way to the bus stop.

————

Got her!

Back at his office, Matt’s hand clenched in exhilarating triumph.

Then he laughed at himself for being so absurdly excited over another meeting with a woman whose life was so remote from his, they’d probably have nothing to talk about. God! He hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

Nevertheless, that bit of reality did not dim his desire to experience all there was to know of Savannah Carson. He’d been in the mood to embrace the wildly improbable ever since she’d smiled at him at the diner, and tonight was another step in the same vein.

Knowing who he was, she could have taken him for an expensive dinner at a top class restaurant. He wouldn’t have cared if she had, but he was delighted with her choice. It was in keeping with this whole encounter-totally off-the-wall.

“Titanic Thai, here I come!” he said out loud, grinning to himself as he bounded up the stairs to the master bedroom of his apartment.

Shower, shave, change clothes, get to Taylor Square, scout the restaurant…tonight he was going to get the princess with the magic rainbow smile and the heart of gold!

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Savannah knew that the most sensible course was to play it cool with Matt Bradford, not look as if she expected anything from him, turn up in jeans and pretend she wasn’t madly wishing he found her too desirable to pass up. Their lives were too different to envisage any serious relationship between them.

On the other hand, she’d never been so captivated by a man. Even if it could only be a mad fling with him… Temptation wove its own more exciting path around common sense and was in full swing by the time she reached the apartment where she invariably lived with Victoria.

It was within easy walking distance of the Thai restaurant.

As she showered, washed and blow-dried her hair into a silky mane that rippled over her shoulders, her mind moved into a totally reckless whirl of wanting to make something happen between her and Matt Bradford.

Her hands reached into the clothes cupboard and pulled out the lemon, lime and green dress. It was a gorgeous dress. She loved the colors and the colors loved her.

It was also a wicked little dress. In fact, one of the guys who also worked at the diner, who regularly tried to move their relationship into a sexual one, had described it as a bed-me-dress.

It was halter-necked, virtually backless, and had to be worn braless, the low V-neckline in front showing a seductive hint of cleavage. A wide tan leather belt drew attention to the curvy lines of her figure, and the soft fabric flowed into a frothy skirt that was deliciously feminine. Teamed with strappy tan leather sandals and no jewelry, it wasn’t too, too dressy, Savannah decided.

And so what if it did stir the pot tonight!

Matt Bradford had appeared like magic in her life. Wouldn’t be such a bad thing if she had a little fun.

Why not use a bit of female witchery to keep him in it, at least for long enough to explore the feelings he’d aroused?

She was twenty six years old and had virtually perfected the role of an onlooker of life, a passer-by who’d never felt truly wanted enough by anyone to become enmeshed in a deep involvement. A lasting attachment to Matt Bradford was not really within the bounds of reason, but a brief one…a fiercely compelling conviction surged through her…that was worth going for, given that no other man had ever made such a deep impact on her.