Lydia Lane. Lydia, this is Jacob Lincoln of Lincoln Holdings.’
Lydia offered her thin hand to Jacob, hot pink fingernails glinting in the created light. ‘Enchanted, Jacob.’
‘The pleasure’s all mine, Lydia,’ Jacob said, his tentative smile showcasing his dimples.
‘I never knew the man behind the name would be so young, and so damnably attractive. Either way, you are a breath of fresh air blowing into this old crowd.’
Holly tried hard not to laugh aloud at Lydia’s lavish efforts at sophistication.
Jacob leaned in closer to Lydia, his voice secretive. ‘I’ve never actually been to one of these evenings before.’
‘Really?’ Lydia whispered back. ‘Why are you here tonight, then?’
‘I was invited by the kind people of Cloud Nine Event Management.’
Holly looked up, her eyes narrowed, and finally connected fully with his. ‘No, you weren’t.’
Lydia coughed back a scandalized laugh.
‘I mean, I don’t remember seeing your name on the guest list,’ Holly said more tactfully.
Jacob reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his invitation. Holly grabbed it and saw that it was addressed to the chairman of the Find Families Homes Foundation, the main beneficiary of the night’s takings. Her eyes flew back to his.
‘That’s you?’
‘That’s me.’
‘But they’re wonderful.’ ‘Meaning I’m not?’
Drowning in Jacob’s amused eyes, Holly gulped down a lump that had begun to hinder her breathing. She looked to her drink for inspiration and, finding only bubbles that matched the sensations in her stomach, she reached deeper for an explanation.
‘No, I mean they are so kind, one of my … Cloud Nine’s favourites. Their board always sends the most wonderful appreciative notes of thanks for our efforts but they have never sent a representative to the actual events.’
‘Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?’ The tinge of a Louisiana accent leant his naturally deep voice a captivating drawl and it washed like an intimate caress over her bare shoulders.
‘Looks like someone did not do her research,’ Lydia said. ‘Not my fault, of course. I’ve been out of town.’
Jacob grinned.
‘I have a question for you, Jacob. Lincoln Holdings runs all events in-house, don’t they?’ Lydia asked. ‘Why is that?’
Trust Lydia to get straight to the point. Holly pricked up her ears, very interested in the answer.
‘I like to stay in control, so I keep my interests close. I find no point in outsourcing work when I can usually do it better.’
Holly openly scoffed.
‘Though Holly and I will agree to disagree on that point.’
‘If you are not simply an A-list party-goer, and have no use for her professional expertise, how do you know my gorgeous young friend here?’ Lydia asked.
‘We’ve only met briefly once or twice …’ Holly mumbled.
‘Mutual friends set us up on a blind date.’ Jacob answered.
The two spoke over the top of each other, with Jacob’s deep, clear voice coming out on top. Holly groaned, wishing she had not felt the need to entertain Lydia with her blind-date disaster stories earlier.
‘Oh, you have to be kidding!’ Lydia jumped up and down on the spot, clapping her hands in glee, her ringlets bobbing up and down, all efforts at sophistication blown. And Holly knew Lydia would sooner not breathe than not comment.
‘Were you the guy with the live-in mother or the one who is planning on keeping Holly with child for the next decade? If he’s the one with the foot odour, Holl, I’d wash this man’s feet morning, noon and night.’
The one with the live-in mother? The one with foot odour? Had Holly been on further blind dates since meeting him? Ben had not mentioned a word of it. True, he had not asked Ben, just assuming the misguided idea would have lost its momentum by now.
But there had been others. And though that meant she was still forging ahead on her mad husband hunt, which he wanted no part of, he found he did not like the thought of her seeing other men one little bit.
‘Come on,’ Lydia repeated, ‘which one were you?’
Holly watched Jacob under lowered eyelashes. Since Lydia’s outburst, a small muscle in his cheek had been clenching and unclenching and his bright eyes were clouded by shadow. He turned an enigmatic smile her way, his stare so focussed it knocked the breath from her lungs.
‘Well,’ he said, his deadpan gaze never leaving her face, ‘I hope I’m the one who spoilt her for all others.’
Holly’s mouth flew open wide, ready to deny the ludicrous statement outright, knowing Lydia would otherwise lap it up.
And then it dawned on her. That was exactly what he had done. On her other dates she had been distracted. When they had picked her up, her mind had wandered to the night in the foggy street. When they had sat down to dinner she’d remembered Jacob in his impeccable suit, wearing those ridiculous yellow galoshes at the greyhound track. When they’d spoken they’d been drowned out by memories of Jacob’s smooth, sonorous voice, rich with charm and that barely there accent.
She had not been looking for problems on her dates, but looking for ways in which those men could measure up to this one. Having experienced his intelligence, wicked sense of humour, and looks so fine they made her knees weak every time she caught him even glancing her way, she was finding it hard to accept less in the other men she met.
But he so clearly did not match her criteria. Too detached, too independent, too … too much. Not like Ben in the least. And Ben was her yardstick when it came to husband material.
‘How was the date, really?’ Lydia said, breaking the silence.
‘It was entirely dreadful.’ Holly said.
‘It was quite promising.’ Jacob said.
And again, his answer came through loud and clear.
‘Promisingly dreadful or dreadfully promising?’ Lydia asked.
Before either could answer, Lydia’s attention was drawn elsewhere. ‘There’s the superb St John. I have to congratulate him on his ace lithographs. I’ll leave you two sweet young things to yourselves, then, shall I?’
Lydia left in a cloud of youthful perfume and floating pink feathers, and once more Holly was alone with Jacob. She knew she should bid him good evening and walk away. The less time spent in his complicated company, the better.
She searched for a way out, someone requiring her professional attention. But she only found the simpering blond gentleman eyeing her like a hawk. She glanced back at Jacob and in a heartbeat knew the blond would be the safer option.
But it was too late. She was drawn into Jacob’s resolute hazel gaze and found herself rooted to the spot. She could not blame her bubbling drink for the hot flush creeping across her bare neck, as she had been drinking nothing bar lemon, lime and bitters with a dash of honey all night.
* * *
Jacob watched in fascination as the faint blush swept across Holly’s delicate shoulders. He felt an unrelenting urge to stroke a cool hand along her neck to feel its warmth. Her face hid nothing of the tumult raging inside her and he was amazed. Amazed at her strong physical reaction to him, though not amazed at how much he enjoyed it.
‘Why did you really come tonight?’ Holly asked, her eyes hiding none of her uncertainty.
Jacob plunged his hands deep into his pockets,