Nicholas closed the hotel room door behind him and paused before walking across the lobby to get Shayla for dinner. She was a woman through and through, and he always found his control wavering around her. There was no way he should be taking her out to dinner tonight. They had no reason to come in contact with each other until the Mings' dinner party. She was free to do her thing until then, and he was free to do his. But a part of him was determined that they do their things together. To put it more bluntly, he had an overpowering desire to be in Shayla Kirkland's company whenever possible.

      And that wasn't good.

      Glancing down at his watch, he began walking across the lobby to her room. A knot was pulled tight in his stomach. Shayla Kirkland held a certain appeal he could not resist. Oh, there was that strong sexual appeal he came up against each time he saw her. But then she possessed another sort of appeal on a totally different level. She had an intellectual appeal that was playing havoc with his mind. The woman was as smart and intelligent as she was beautiful and seductive. It seemed that everything about Shayla Kirkland had the ability to turn him on. Did she have any clue as to the effect that she had on him whenever they were together?

      He had precious little time to ponder that question as he stood before her door. He knocked once, and then the door opened. Soft light from inside her suite illuminated the section of the lobby in front of her room. Another knot pulled in his stomach when his eyes feasted on her. She was dressed in a chic mint-green pantsuit, and as usual she looked great. A mixture of desire and longing tried overpowering his senses, but he refused to let it.

      "You look very nice tonight, Ms. Kirkland."

      "Thank you."

      "Ready?"

      "Yes."

      He took a step back when she moved out into the lobby, closing the room door behind her. "I hope you're hungry," he said, leading her toward the elevators.

      "I am. I worked up quite an appetite while shopping."

      When Nicholas reached up to push the elevator button, Shayla couldn't help but stare at his large hands. They appeared to be strong. His fingers were long, and the dark hair that dusted the back of his hands appeared in sharp contrast to the dark brown hair on his head. She realized that was because of the dim lighting in the elevator. His coloring, which she would have described as light almond, somehow added an air of supreme sensuality to him.

      When the elevator opened, Shayla quickly withdrew her attention from his hands. "Will Paul be joining us?" she asked. A part of her hoped that he wouldn't.

      "No. He grabbed something to eat earlier."

      Shayla nodded. Good. It would only be the two of them. She was determined to put her plan into action tonight. "Thanks for the flowers. They're beautiful."

      "I'm glad you like them. You're most deserving." He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her arms to assist her in taking a step back when the elevator stopped and others entered. The heat from his hands, those hands she'd just been so attentive to, made her tremble deep inside. She glanced up at him, searching for some sign that he had felt her reaction to his touch, then relaxed when she didn't notice any. They continued the elevator ride in silence.

      Nicholas cursed silently. He had felt her tremble from his touch. He couldn't keep from imagining how she would react if he caressed her bare skin. For a moment, he wished he had the chance to find out. He inhaled deeply as he tried willing those disquieting thoughts away, then discovered he couldn't-especially when he was totally consumed by her scent.

      Shayla's perfume, he thought, was downright alluring, sensual, and provocative. He leaned over, stopping a mere few inches away from her neck. At that close range he was getting the full potent effect of it. "What's it called?"

      Shayla looked up at him, suddenly caught off guard by his closeness and the sharp coloring of his gold eyes. "What?"

      "The perfume you're wearing. What's it called?"

      She held his gaze. "Seduction."

      She watched as the color of his eyes deepened. "I can understand why."

      Shayla was spared having to respond when the elevator door opened.

      When they stepped into the lobby, Nicholas couldn't resist placing his hand in the center of her back as he led her down the stairs and through swinging glass doors to a waiting limo.

      Shayla turned to him, surprised. "We're leaving the hotel?"

      "Yes, do you mind?" he asked when he noticed she had slowed her steps.

      Yes, she minded. Since the day she had arrived, the hotel had served as her safety net. Instead of telling him her true feelings about the matter, she shook her head and said, "No."

      Nicholas smiled. "Good. I thought it would be nice to get away from the hotel for a few hours. Besides, you and I need to get our stories straight."

      Shayla waited until she was seated comfortably in the backseat of the limo with Nicholas before asking, "What stories?"

      "The ones about our engagement. I understand Ming is not hosting some short-order dinner party. A number of Chinese dignitaries and quite a few important American businessmen will be attending. News of my engagement may surprise some, and I want to at least know something about my fiancée, in case I'm asked."

      Shayla blinked at him. She hadn't thought her little white lie would cause this much trouble, and said as much.

      "As you told Paul yesterday, you had to do what you had to do. I don't have a problem with the story you came up with. Engagements can easily be broken. And I'm not concerned about my business associates from the States. I can deal with them later. I just don't want Ming and the others to think they were deliberately deceived in any way. I have a feeling Ho Chin will be there, and I'm not sure he fully bought the story of our engagement. He may try his hand at digging holes in it."

      Shayla nodded, and the limo made its way through the streets of Hong Kong to the restaurant.