University of Chicago. Impressive.”
“Says Mr. Harvard.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “So, really, what are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d stop by to thank you for a nice ending to what could have been a dangerous evening for me.” He brought his hands up to his throat and did the universal choke sign, making them both laugh.
“Seriously? That’s why you came by?”
He should probably make nice and let her get back to work, but it was like he’d been hot-glued to his chair. It was too late in the day to rent a fishing boat, but he could hit the beach this afternoon. Catch up on his reading. The thing was, he was enjoying being around her too much to leave just yet. “There was this car I saw on the way in. Do you have time to show it to me?”
“You want me to show you a car?” she asked slowly. “Which one?”
“The red Mustang convertible.”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “The Mustang doesn’t seem like your kind of car.”
“It’s not for me. It’s for my sister, Becks.”
“Oh.” She blinked. “That’s right. You mentioned something about that last night.”
Curious now, he couldn’t help but ask her, “What kind of car do I seem like?”
She playfully studied him. “Let’s see … I take you for a three-car kind of guy. BMW during the week. Pickup truck on Friday and Saturday nights. And a Volvo on Sundays to take your mama to church.”
He grinned. “You got one out of three.”
“Let me guess. The pickup truck?”
He nodded. “I have a car service that takes me to work. And my mama drives herself to church.”
“But you tag along every once in a while. Am I right?”
“Maybe.”
“A car service, huh? Pretty fancy.”
“Not really. Instead of fighting traffic, I can get in an hour of work each way.”
“In that case, the accountant in me approves of your efficiency.” Her brown eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Thank you.”
They stared at each other for a few long seconds. An image of her laid out on the desk with him on top of her flashed through his brain. Or she could be on top. Whichever she preferred.
As if she could read his mind, she broke the moment by hopping down from her perch on the edge of the desk. “Why the Mustang? And why Esposito’s Used Cars? There must be hundreds of car dealerships in the Dallas area. I would think if you wanted to buy your sister a car, you’d start there.”
“What kind of salesperson are you?”
“A horrible one. That’s why I let my brother do the sales and I take care of the finances.”
“Call it an impulse buy.”
She looked as if she didn’t believe him, but she still opened the door to her office and motioned for him to follow her. “In that case, c’mon. Let’s take a look at the car.”
11
Was Sam DeLuca flirting with her? Annie sifted through the last ten minutes, trying to pinpoint what had given her that idea. On the surface, their conversation had been friendly, almost playful. There had been nothing overtly sexual. Yet she’d felt herself getting all hot and bothered just the same.
What was he doing here? Like she’d told him, there were hundreds of car dealerships back in Dallas. Why waste a day looking at a car when he could go fishing or relax by the beach?
She put on her best professional smile and led him over to the vehicle. “This car rides like a dream. It has less than ten thousand miles on it, and we offer a certified warranty.” She hit the key button to unlock the door. “Want to take her for a spin?”
“Don’t you need to see my driver’s license first?”
“Probably. This isn’t my forte. Frank Jr. or one of the other salespeople are the ones who show the cars, but I think I can trust you.”
He took the key from her, then settled into the driver’s side, adjusting the seat and the mirrors to accommodate his height. He easily found the button that took down the car’s top.
Annie buckled herself in. “Where do you want to go?”
“How long do we have?”
“As long as it takes to make the sale.”
He slipped on a pair of sunglasses. “In that case, let’s hit the beach.”
He drove over the Intracoastal bridge, then took a left to go north on AIA, paralleling the eastern coastline. She pointed out areas of interest. Her cousin’s fishing boat business and Bootleg Pete’s, a local bar.
The wind