Chasing Amber (Shaping Amber) by Lacey Daize Page A

day?"
    Amber looked up into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. They belonged to the businessman who had been checking her out before. She saw the reason for the blue suit as it helped to give his eyes an endless quality. "You could say that." She checked out the man slightly as she spoke, dark hair was cut short but wavy with a few grays sneaking in, broad cheeks rose slightly as he smiled at her. She placed him to be a few years older than her twenty-eight, but didn't think he was over forty.
    "Mind if I take a seat?"
    Amber shifted uncomfortably. "Aren't you meeting somebody? I saw two menus on your table."
    "I just got off the phone with him, he had an emergency uptown and had to cancel last minute. Since it appears you got stood up I thought I'd introduce myself to the stunning lady who deserves far better treatment."
    Despite the cheesiness of the line Amber found herself blushing. The man took it as a sign and sat in the chair opposite her.
    "I'm Jonathan Smith," he said as he reached a hand across the table.
    Amber hesitated, but eventually reached out to shake. However she was shocked when he instead kissed her fingers. Her blush deepened. "Amber... Amber Osborne."
    Mr. Smith snapped, and a busboy appeared. "Tell the waiter that Ms. Osborne will be joining me for lunch today."
    The busboy nodded, "Yes, sir."
    Amber looked at Jonathan slightly shocked as the busboy left. "I don't even know you."
    "How about this then, I'm not the man who abandoned you today."
    Amber shifted uncomfortably, noticing how her dress stuck to her skin. “I really should get back to the office. I canceled plans with friends this afternoon for the meeting but since it's been postponed I do have lots of work to do.”
    Jonathan eyed her sternly. “In the rain? First you say you cancel personal plans and now you would rather go out in this downpour than sit and enjoy a meal? You must be a glutton for punishment.”
    Amber blinked several times, unable to form a proper reply. “I don't want to go back out there, but I... Since...” Amber fumbled for words finally saying lamely, “My boss will be upset if I waste time.”
    “You said you canceled plans with friends. So your boss was already expecting you to be out.”
    “Ye...es, but I have plenty to do.”
    “You canceled personal plans, for a meeting, on a Friday afternoon. What boss wouldn't expect you to play hookey when the other person doesn't show?”
    “Mine.”
    “You obviously work too hard then.”
    Amber started and sighed before slumping back into her chair.
    “So it's settled then. You're going to stay here and enjoy a meal with me.”
    Amber blushed again, and Jonathan laughed. "Order anything you want, my treat."
    Amber sighed and tried to come up with another excuse to try and leave. However she realized that she had no viable reason to. She picked up and looked over the menu, finally settling on a seafood bisque and salad. Jonathan ordered lemon garlic chicken with fresh green beans and then took Amber's hand as the waiter disappeared to place the order.
    "So what kind of meeting brings a stunning lady like you into a restaurant, in a hotel, at noon, dripping wet?"
    Amber turned slightly. "I was supposed to meet an important client, however he was held up due to a flight delay."
    "Well it's my lucky day then."
    "How so?"
    "Because I cannot attribute meeting you when we were both canceled on to be mere coincidence. It has to be luck."
    Amber blinked several times, then looked at the table. “I wasn't even supposed to be here. This was my boss's meeting, but he said something came up only about an hour ago. The client was supposed to already be on the plane so I was just ordered to come down.”
    “And what was so important your boss had to send you instead?”
    Amber looked down at the table. “I don't know,” she whispered.
    “I didn't hear you.”
    Amber looked up again. “I honestly don't know.”
    Jonathan tsk'd. “Most clients would prefer to know why