Tender to His Touch. Adrianne Byrd

fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked. Bottom line, he was a good-looking man with a smile that took her breath away.

      “Okay. I admit that was a pretty cheesy pickup line,” the handsome devil admitted.

      “But very effective,” she said, throwing him a bone. “Maybe I should be asking how many wives you have stashed away.”

      He held up his bare right hand. “I’m as free as a bird.”

      She arched a brow at him. Did he think a missing ring meant anything these days?

      “I’m divorced.”

      “What a coincidence,” she said.

      “Now what idiot let you go?” he countered, shaking his head and hitting her with his sexy dimples.

      “I know, right?”

      They laughed.

      “Mind if I buy you a drink?” he asked.

      “Well, I don’t—”

      “C’mon. Just one.”

      The bartender popped up out of nowhere.

      “What’ll you have?” her handsome admirer asked.

      “Whoooo, boy. It’s, um, been a while.” She hesitated, not knowing what to order. She was more of a wine connoisseur and didn’t know any of the latest cool alcoholic concoctions so she stuck with an old staple. “I’ll just have a Long Island iced tea.”

      “And I’ll have another whiskey on the rocks,” the stranger said and then turned his attention back to Beverly. “By the way, I’m Lucius Gray.” He extended his hand.

      “Beverly Clark—well, Turner, actually.” She laughed at the slip. “I can’t believe I still make that mistake.”

      When his large hand closed around hers, a delicious warmth raced up her arm, her nipples hardened and she tingled in places she’d long forgotten about. That was definitely a good sign.

      “If you don’t mind, I have a second cheesy line I’d like to ask you,” Lucius said.

      “All right.” She smiled. “Shoot.”

      “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing in a bar like this?”

      “Well, I just wanted to grab a quick drink to help me relax before I head out for the evening.”

      His gaze roamed over her. “So you’re staying at the hotel?”

      The bartender returned. “One Long Island iced tea and one whiskey on the rocks. Enjoy.”

      Lucius waited patiently for an answer while Beverly took a sip of her drink.

      “Mmmm. Now that hit the spot.”

      He chuckled, deciding to keep an obvious sexual retort to himself.

      Beverly glanced over at him and read him easily. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

      Lucius held up his hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

      “Yeah, right.” She sipped more of her drink. “And to your previous question, I’m just staying at the hotel for the weekend. And yourself?”

      “No, I actually, uh—” he glanced around “—had a meeting with a client, but it looks like that’s already ended.”

      “I’m not keeping you from your work, am I?”

      “No. No. It’s all right.” He flashed another smile. “We had already wrapped things up. When you strolled in and caught every brotha’s attention in that knockout dress.”

      “What—this old thing?”

      Lucius laughed.

      She bobbed her head and then returned to nursing her drink. “So what do you do, Mr. Gray?”

      “I’m an attorney…and please, call me Lucius.”

      “Okay, Lucius,” she said, purposely lowering her voice. “It sort of sounds like luscious.”

      Lucius’s eyes darkened with unmistakable desire. “You can call me that if you like,” he said, leaning in close. “But only when we’re alone.”

      At the feel of his warm breath against her cheek, Beverly experienced a few more tingles. Good Lord, one drink and she was ready to jump the man’s bones.

      “Anyway,” Lucius said, “I work for one of the largest African-American law firms in Atlanta. We primarily deal with big litigation cases. You know, health care, pharmaceuticals and insurance fraud.”

      “Ahh, an attorney,” she said noncommittally.

      “What? Don’t tell me that you have something against lawyers?”

      She shrugged. “No. It’s just that…well…”

      “What?”

      “It’s just that you might be the first attorney I actually like.”

      Lucius choked on his drink. When he recovered, he barked with laughter.

      Beverly chuckled at his side. “No offense,” she added. “But the last time I had to deal with attorneys I was going through a pretty messy divorce.”

      “No offense taken, I assure you. And to be completely honest with you, I wasn’t too crazy about my divorce attorney, either. If you don’t mind my asking, how long ago did you get your freedom papers?”

      She shrugged. “Two years.”

      “Ah. So your wounds are still fresh.”

      Was he suggesting that she still had baggage? “What about you?”

      Lucius took another sip of his drink. “Five years. I’ve officially been divorced longer than I was married. But I did get a beautiful daughter out of the deal.”

      Beverly’s easy smile dimmed as she reached for her glass.

      Lucius soaked in her profile. “Are you sure that we haven’t met somewhere before?”

      This time, she nearly choked on her drink. “Cheesy line number three,” she said, dabbing her mouth with a cocktail napkin.

      His laughter deepened as he shook his head. “Nah. Nah. I mean it. You look very familiar to me. Do you live here in Atlanta or did you fly in on business?”

      “No. I live here in Atlanta,” she said. Her face continued to warm beneath the intensity of his gaze. It didn’t help that the alcohol from her drink felt as if it suddenly had a direct pipeline to her blood system. “Mmm.” She closed her eyes and enjoyed the small buzz.

      Lucius’s body reacted to her sexy moan. “Damn. I should’ve had what you’re having.”

      Beverly giggled—something she hadn’t done in a long time.

      “So what is it that you do, Ms. Turner?”

      “I’m a fashion designer—local. I own a boutique out in Virginia Highland. Have you ever been out there?”

      He thought hard and long about it. “Can’t say that I have.” His eyes narrowed. “But I swear you seem familiar. Maybe with lighter hair?”

      Beverly blinked. “Actually, I recently darkened it.”

      He continued to scrutinize. “Was it longer, too?”

      “Yes!” Now she tried to study him. Had they met before?

      “I’m going to figure it out,” he assured her. His eyes continued to roam hungrily.

      He wanted to taste a sample of her lips, not doubting for a moment that they would be sweet, intoxicating and downright addictive. He had a nearly uncontrollable desire to bury himself in the soft curves of her body. Good Lord, he was already