Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2) (2 page)

She squirmed in her seat. What did Faye want to hear? What else could she say? She was simply not attractive enough.

"My face is not that pretty," she said.

"Really, now? Do you remember the magazine we were looking at the other day? The one where this girl had a make-over? Wasn't it you who said she went from drab and daggy to hot and sexy?"

"But that's different! She had some professional help. And who knows? Maybe they airbrushed her picture or something."

"Haven't we encouraged you to have a make-over, Jess? We're more than ready to bet you'd be surprised at the result."

"What good would that do?" she scowled. Every once in a while she would dress up, especially when she went to important client meetings and special occasions, like tonight. But she didn't see the point in having a make-over. It would be a waste of time, money and effort.

"See, this is the problem," Faye said with an exasperated sigh and a sweep of her arm at her.

"What?" Jessa whined.

"You don't make an effort because you don't believe it's worth it, right?"

"Hmm," she replied cautiously in a non-committal way.

"Why isn't it worth the effort?" Faye asked in a demanding tone.

"Who'd notice, anyway?"

"Ah! So how come Rob asked you out, huh?"

"That's why I'm so surprised by it!"

She couldn't believe they were having this conversation. Rob asking her out was a big surprise. It wasn't something that happened all the time. She wasn't like Faye or Clarise, who never lacked male admirers.

A thought occurred to her. "Hey, I think I know why Rob asked me out. It seems I'm the only single girl here tonight."

Loud groans came out from all three of her friends.

"Look, guys, that's just the way it is," she said with a shrug. She wasn't very pretty and there was nothing she could do about that. It certainly wasn't a crime. She couldn't understand why her friends wouldn't accept it.

"Jess, the only reason why we're always at you about this is because we want you to see what we see," Faye said, as if reading her mind. "Quite frankly, it's annoying when you mope around and say you want to find 'The One' but you hold yourself back with your lack of self-confidence about your looks. You're not just brains. You're beauty
and
brains. You are attractive. We have eyes, you know, so we know what we're talking about. We just don't know what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror."

Tears sprang to her eyes. She was lucky to have friends who see her as beautiful. But there was nothing special about her straight, long black hair, hazel eyes and petite frame. She was simply plainer than what they said she was. Wasn't that the reason Jasmine, her pretty younger sister, attracted four guys she had huge crushes on and that Jasmine even ended up dating all of them? Or why her big infatuation Michael chose to go out with her previous best friend even though she was the one who had the guts to approach him at the bar? All Michael could say to her was 'your friend's really beautiful'. That said it all. She wasn't. She had known it since she was a kid.

She stood up and threw her arms wide open. "Group hug."

"Oh, Jess!" her three friends cried at the same time as they gave her big bear hugs.

"Are you okay?" Victor asked.

"Of course, I'm okay. Listen, there are only a very few people in this world who are truly gorgeous inside and out. For some bizarre reason, I'm lucky enough to be best friends with three of them. Equally bizarre is the fact that one of the hottest men I've ever seen asked me out. I'm not going to question that and ruin my fun. I'm just going to enjoy the fact that it happened. I certainly don't get that every day."

Clarise and Faye looked at each other.

"Jess," Clarise said gently, "just thought I'd let you know Rob recently broke up with his girlfriend. He's not looking for a serious relationship at this point, just some fun. He said as much to Will earlier today."

"Oh." She was surprised at the pang of disappointment that hit her. She had learnt long ago not to get her hopes up with any first dates, but she felt a connection with Rob she couldn't quite put a finger on.
It's my attraction to his face and body. He's too good-looking,
she thought to herself.

"Yeah," Clarise continued. "I mean, you can still go out with him and enjoy being taken out to dinner. He seems like a nice enough guy as long as you don't expect anything more than just to have fun with him."

"Well, it's not an issue with me. I wasn't expecting someone like him to fall for me, anyway. It'll just be great to have dinner with someone seriously gorgeous."

*******

"When do you go back to Melbourne, Rob?"

"Next Saturday," Rob answered Will Matthews, his long-time friend. They'd known each other since their early teens, having gone to school together. When he moved to Melbourne five years ago, they kept in touch and remained close friends. "But I'll be back here again pretty soon, probably in three weeks' time or so," he continued. "I'd really like to establish a strong client base here. I'd like to target some of the larger Sydney-based corporate firms."

"Well, let me know what I can do to help you," Will replied. "You've been a big help to me for my Melbourne branch. I already have some high profile clients lined up to use my company's travel services because of your marketing strategy."

"Thanks … I'll definitely … let you know," he responded in a distracted tone, his attention shifting elsewhere.

"Granger!"

He was startled by Will's call. "Huh?"

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"You better not be staring at Clarise."

He chuckled. "C'mon, Will. Would I do that to you?"

Will narrowed his eyes at him. "It's Jessa then. You do know Jessa is one of Clarise's best friends, so I hope you don't have her on your list of potential playmates. I don't think she's that kind of girl."

"Hey, I just find her work fascinating. Maybe I can have an article written on my business in
Lifestyle
."

"Oh, right. That's a great idea. A good article there can attract loads of new clients for you. Mine's coming out in a couple of months."

"I've asked her out to dinner," Rob blurted out.

"Oh? To butter her up so she'll do a good write-up for you? They don't work like that, you know. They don't do any favours when it comes to their work. They're pretty objective."

"And Clarise is being objective with you?" he ribbed Will. "When it's so obvious the two of you are so hopelessly in love it's gag-worthy?"

Will grinned, clearly enjoying the thought of Clarise being hopelessly in love with him. There was no denying he was hopelessly in love with her. "Clarise isn't writing the article for me, Jessa is. And both of them have warned me several times they're not going to treat me differently from anyone else. It's their careers and reputations on the line, after all."

"I'm not looking for favours."

"So, then, you want to go out with her because …?"

Rob shrugged. He asked Jessa out because he found her attractive. She wasn't the type he usually dated but there was something alluring about her. From the way she looked at him earlier, it was clear the attraction was mutual.

It just occurred to him that there could be complications because of her friendship with Clarise. He didn't think about that. But that shouldn't matter if Jessa also found him attractive, should it? And it was only going to be one dinner - and maybe some fooling around in bed if she was okay with it. If she wasn't up for that, then no problem. There'd be other takers.

"I'm sure she can look after herself, Will. She can suss me out and make her own decision. I won't deliberately mislead her."

After Andrea, his last girlfriend, Rob had made a decision to be upfront with the women he asked out. He thought Andrea knew the score perfectly well so it came as a shock to him when she demanded they get engaged. He only agreed to be exclusive with her because it served them both. Theirs was a relationship of convenience tied with sexual compatibility, not commitment. That was the only kind of relationship he was interested in. It was a pity Andrea forgot that.

"How exactly are you not going to deliberately mislead her?" Will quizzed.

"How? Well, before I end up in bed with her - with any woman, for that matter - I'm going to let her know I'm not looking for a serious relationship."

"Okay, that could work, although you'll only be with women who only want casual sex."

"Yeah, so?"

"What about finding a nice girl you could potentially be in a serious relationship with?"

Rob's roaring laughter startled some of the people standing nearby. "You are fucking kidding me, right?" he said in a lower voice only Will could hear.

"What? Why?" Will asked in bemusement.

"Just because you're blinded by love doesn't mean you have to drag me down that path with you," he replied with an upward roll of his eyes.

"Drag you
down
? You don't know what you're missing!"

"Will, come on. You know all this love shit isn't for me."

While he was happy for his friend, Rob didn't believe everyone found the kind of love Will and Clarise had found with each other. Relationships like that were the exception rather than the rule. Besides, he couldn't see himself wanting to be tied down in a serious relationship with any woman. That would be way too constricting. He valued his freedom, first and foremost.

"Okay, okay. Whatever you think suits you," Will acquiesced. "As long as you're frank and straightforward with Jessa about your intentions, Rob.
Before
you end up in bed with her," his friend warned him.

"Don't worry about that."

CHAPTER TWO

Jessa felt inordinately nervous as she walked to the newly-opened David's Seafood Restaurant at the busy Darling Harbour complex, where she had agreed to meet Rob.

Relax. This is a date that won't lead to anything. You know it's just a friendly get-together.

She saw him standing outside the entrance as he looked out at the boats moored at the marina and her heart thumped hard in her chest. He looked relaxed, gorgeous and … yummy. Really, really yummy. She was grateful for the saleslady who helped her choose the dress she was wearing tonight. Apparently, she looked sexy and sophisticated in it. And she was wearing the highest pair of heels she'd ever worn. Rob was tall, probably around six feet. She just thought that, in case they kissed, she wanted to be able to reach his lips without him having to bend too much. Plus, it would be good to have her body completely plastered against
that
body while kissing.

She felt her arousal and gave herself a mental shush. As Rob wasn't looking for anything serious, the only reason she could end up in bed with him was for a one night stand or, at best, a casual relationship. She had never been into either of those options in the past. She only went to bed with a guy if he was a definite boyfriend, and Rob wasn't that. That was why she'd only ever slept with two men.

With some difficulty, she reined in her wayward thoughts.

*******

Rob's face broke into a huge grin as Jessa approached. He stepped forward to meet her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, Jess. You look great."

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," she said a little self-consciously.

He took her hand and led her inside the restaurant. He didn't release her until they were seated at their table.

"Have you decided what to have?" Jessa asked him.

"I'm having the scallops for entree and scotch fillet for main. What about you?"

"I'll have the grilled barramundi."

"Any entree?"

"Hmm. No, I think I'll save myself for dessert."

"You can have some of mine," he offered.

"Maybe I'll have a taste," Jessa replied with a shy smile.

Rob took a sip of cold water to cool himself down. His body reacted when he simply looked at Jessa. When she mentioned saving herself for dessert, he couldn't help the picture that floated in his head. He'd love to have her for dessert. And that shy smile she gave when she said she'd have a taste of his entree--well, there were all the parts of his body he'd also love for her to taste.

He shifted in his seat, his pants too tight, and pushed his erotic thoughts aside. It was too early in the night for that.

"Do you have family in Melbourne, Rob?" he heard her ask.

"My brother and his family are in Melbourne," he answered. "He's my only sibling and the primary reason I moved there. Five years ago, he bought a nightclub and needed help with making it profitable so he asked me to be his partner. After a year, it was doing great so I was able to spread my wings and started my marketing consultancy business. We're still partners at the club."

"Do you still have family here in Sydney?"

"Just an uncle and a couple of cousins I hardly see. My mum passed away when I was ten and my dad lives in London with his second wife." He took a sip of his wine then asked Jessa, "What about you? Where's your family?"

"They're all in Melbourne - my mum, dad, sister, two uncles, one auntie and their families. I visit at least once every two months and sometimes they come to have a mini holiday here in Sydney."

*******

They chatted animatedly about a lot of things over dinner. Jessa noticed that her earlier nervousness had gone, replaced by a feeling of ease and comfort. Not only was she having a great time in Rob's company, but she basked in his attentiveness and heated looks. No man had previously made her feel desirable and sexy, the way Rob was making her feel just with his gaze.

"Do you want to go for drinks afterwards?" Rob asked as they finished their sumptuous dessert.
 
"There's that bar just around the corner, or we could go to the one at the hotel I'm staying at." He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, then softly and slowly ran a knuckle over her cheek.

Rob's touch sent electric currents sizzling through her.
He's really good at this seduction thing.
Even though he hadn't said the words, she knew what Rob wanted. She could feel his heat and sensed the need of his body. She knew where things could lead to if she agreed to have drinks with him. His hotel room wasn't very far away.