Joy Avery - Campaign For His Heart

Lauder narrowed his eyes at her, then slid them to the clay, then back to her. “That’s not me?”

“No.”

He chuckled a sound so smooth and sexy, it caressed her skin, causing fine bumps to prickle her skin.

“That’s not me?” he asked a second time.

“I said no.”

Lauder nodded once. “Huh.” A second later, he glanced in Hannah’s direction. “Excuse me? Can you come over and help me out a second?”

What was he up to? Hannah joined them in front of the sculpture, visibly just as confused as Willow was.

“Lauder Tolson, by the way.” He offered Hannah his hand.

Another toothy smile spread across Hannah’s face. “Oh, I know who you are. Hannah Burrows. Nice to meet you.”

“Same here. So, Hannah, does this excellent work of art resemble me?”

Willow held her breath as Hannah scrutinized real Lauder, then the clay version. She tilted her head to the right, then to the left. A second later, she pressed her index finger into her chin.

“There is a strong resemblance. Especially here in the jaw region.” She used her finger to point out the area. “But I don’t think it looks exactly like you. If you hold your head just right, I guess it could pass for your distant cousin.”

Lauder burst into laughter. “My distant cousin?” He laughed some more. “Okay, I get it. Some kind of woman-code thing going on.”

Willow smirked. Hannah was definitely rehired. Eyeing Lauder, she said, “Now that we have that mystery solved, I’m guessing we can move forward.” Finally getting her apron unknotted, she tossed it over clay Lauder. “I’ll toss it in the garbage later.”

Lauder unapologetically checked her out. His scrutiny diminished some of the confidence Hannah’s flawless performance had given her.

Finding her eyes again, Lauder flashed one of those lopsided smiles he’d clearly perfected over the years. “Will you have dinner with me tonight?”

“Yes,” Hannah said, answering for Willow. “Um, I’ll be over...yeah.” A second later, she was gone.

“So? Dinner?” Lauder said.

“No.”

“ No . Wow.” He massaged his jaw as if she’d slapped him. “Just like that? You sure you don’t need a few minutes to pretend to consider it?”

“There’s nothing to consider. You asked me a question, I gave you an answer.”

“The wrong answer.”

“In your opinion.”

“Reconsider.”

“I have plans tonight.”

“A date?”

“None of your business.”

“How about tomorrow night? Or the night after?”

Why did he seem so determined? And was she actually contemplating a yes in her head? Clearly, his delicious scent had made her delirious. “I’m busy for the foreseeable future.” She shrugged. “Work. I’m sure you know how it is.”

Lauder studied her for a long moment. “Well, if you’re busy, you’re busy.” He flashed a half smile, then turned toward Hannah. “It was nice meeting you, Hannah.”

“Same here. And you have my vote. Edmondson is a joke.”

“I agree. Thanks for the vote. I appreciate that.”

Willow rolled her eyes at the unnecessary charm Lauder dripped all over the place. Just leave already.

“I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, Willow.” He started away, but stopped. “Oh. Here’s my business card. Just in case you change your mind.”

Willow took the wedge with a smile, then watched Lauder glide away like a sexy jaguar. Damn, he should really come with a warning label. Hannah came to stand next to her and shook her head. “What?”

“I can’t believe you lied to that fine, fine specimen of a man like that.”

“I didn’t lie. I am busy. With work...and other stuff.”

“You should have asked him to escort you to the A Hope for Home fund-raiser. With that sexy beast on your arm, every eye in the place would be on you.”

“I don’t want every eye in the place on me. I prefer blending into the background.”

“Remaining in the background is going to be kind of hard as a senator’s significant other.”

Willow whipped her head toward Hannah. “I’m not a senator’s significant anything.” She glanced back in time enough to see the elevator doors close, freeing her from Lauder’s spellbinding presence.

Hannah laughed. “You don’t even see it, do you?”

Willow turned back to Hannah. “See what?”

Hannah pinched Willow’s cheeks like a little old lady did a child. “Your cluelessness is just so adorable,” she said in a voice reserved for babies. “Honey, does Lauder Tolson strike you as a man who would give up that easily? He’s coming for you, sweetie.” She rested her hands on Willow’s shoulders. “I suggest you prepare to be conquered.”

Willow wanted to protest, tell Hannah she was insane. Unfortunately, she, too, had the feeling she hadn’t seen the last of Lauder. Prepare to be conquered? Ha! Lauder would never get close enough to conquer her. And that she could guarantee.

Chapter 3

For the life of her, Willow couldn’t figure out why she’d agreed to spend her Saturday night mingling with total strangers. Why hadn’t she gone with her first instinct and simply written a check to show her support for A Hope for Home Foundation like she typically did?

Hannah, Willow grumbled to herself. Her friend had given her this long, drawn-out speech about how getting out once in a while was good for the soul. Hannah was always giving her speeches, so why had she chosen tonight of all nights to listen?

The gnawing in her gut that urged her to come, she reminded herself. Next time, she’d just take an antacid and go to bed.

Maybe she could slip out as quietly as she’d slipped in, climb back into her vehicle and hightail it back across town. Sipping an ice-cold glass of grape punch in her T-shirt and panties sounded really good right about now.

Just as she made her mind up to leave, she spotted Gloria Barrett—organizer of this fine affair—headed her way. Shoot . She’d never get away now.

In her early sixties, Gloria could easily pass for a woman twenty years younger. With her caramel skin, curves most twenty-year-olds would die for and dazzling gray eyes, she had men flocking to her. But ask anyone and they’d tell you her heart belonged to one man and one man only, her husband of over three decades, Patrick Barrett.

“Willow. You made it.” Gloria snatched her into a tight hug, then held her at arm’s length. “You look amazing. Hon, you’re going to get some of these married men in trouble with this figure-hugging number here. And that deep teal color... Gorgeous.”

Willow ironed a hand down the front of the satiny full-length gown. “Thank you. Just something I threw together.” Which was a lie because she’d spent a month searching every evening-gown site on the internet until she’d finally found something that caught her eye. The sleeveless dress had cost her a pretty penny, but when she’d scrutinized herself in the mirror, she was convinced it had been totally worth the expense.

“Come with me. I have someone I want to introduce you to. Plus, I’m sure he’d appreciate us saving him from those lust-filled vultures circling him.”

Willow didn’t get the chance to protest before Gloria had her halfway across the floor of the large ballroom. With all of the positive energy in the stylishly decorated space, Willow considered being here not such a bad thing after all. And it was for a good cause. Two hours of her Saturday night wouldn’t kill her.

Besides, it wasn’t like she would have been painting the town red anyway. Inwardly, she sighed, agreeing with Hannah’s frequent piece of advice. I have got to get a life. One good thing about being here, it kept her mind off—