Chapter 4

-No,” Teresa said at once. -You don't need a husband or a partner to have a child, you know?

If she knew the irony behind the words she had just uttered... -I heard that. And twice in the same day. - He let out a laugh and Teresa's broad smile erased the unhappiness at the memory. She had full lips. She wore no makeup and her white skin glowed under the dim lighting of the pub. She looked down at her legs discreetly. Her pale skin was smooth and he restrained the urge to caress it to see if it was as silky as it looked.

He had come in search of a woman to drown his sorrows, but the bar was deserted. He was not ashamed of his intentions. He was a womanizer. He was not

proud of it, but it was the truth. His father knew the life he led, that's why he had set that condition so he wouldn't lose the business. James couldn't believe the man's hypocrisy. He had led that kind of life for the past two decades and now he was supposed to redeem himself with a baby and a dirty diaper.

-Are you a single mother?

Yes. I have a six-year-old boy. His name is Steven.

-Steven. What do you do when you're not looking for a job, Teresa?

Teresa turned to look at him. He gave her a good feeling. He spoke in low tones and whispers, but his baritone voice was so deep that she felt a pang of desire in her belly. -Lately, I don't have time to do anything but look for work.

He narrowed his eyes and Teresa's heart skipped a beat. James took a slow breath and let it out.

-And if you didn't have to worry about work, what would you be doing right now?

With her elbow on the bar, Teresa rested her chin on her fist, blushing a little as she realized she'd gotten a little too close to him. -I'd read a good book. - He sighed. -I haven't read a good book in six years.

James froze, as if he'd been punched in the chest. He was about to lose his business and felt the world crumbling around him, as Teresa Cooper walked around town in the middle of the night, strength and courage in her eyes, looking for a job so she could support her son. And her whole dream was to have time to read a book.

He moved closer to her, trying to understand her. All the women he had talked to were obsessed with their looks, their money and sex, but it was clear that Teresa did not belong to the species he had assumed to know so well.

Even her beauty was unique. She seemed unaware of how stunning she was, the way her light eyes sparkled as she spoke and held her chin with her tiny hand. It wasn't exactly what he had in mind when it occurred to him to go to the nightclub and pick up a woman to take back to his hotel room. He was looking for one as frivolous and spoiled as he was. Not that woman. He found it hard to believe she was real.

He leaned forward. -I have a confession to make. Teresa took off her coat. -Yes?

He clenched his jaw as he watched her raise her eyebrows innocently. -I've never been so impressed by a woman before... or felt so much desire for her at the same time. And that was before you took off your coat, so I don't have to tell you it's much worse now.

Teresa froze. She saw him look at her lips without looking away and felt herself melt at the expression on his face. She felt a strong attraction to him. For a few minutes, she had forgotten the situation she was in. Sitting next to him, she had forgotten that if she didn't find a job soon, she would have no way to pay the bills. In that instant, nothing mattered. She was looking into the eyes of the most attractive man she'd ever seen in her life and she'd be hung if she passed up such a luxury.

Over the past six years, numerous men had tried to convince her to date them, but she hadn't had the time or the desire for a relationship. But that night, she needed to let loose and cling with all her might to that breath of fresh air that made her forget her worries. He could turn those precious minutes into a couple of hours, and he didn't think he had the courage to turn it down.

-Would it be too bold to admit that I felt the same way?

James noticed the changes the excitement was causing in her body. His eyes were narrowed, and the green iris had grown warmer and brighter. -You look completely different than you did a few minutes ago...when you were talking to the manager.

-I feel completely different.

He took a breath and moved closer to her. -Can I buy you another drink?

Teresa smiled and her gesture became infectious. -I don't think that's a good idea. I'm tipsy enough as it is, and I'm dying to follow my impulses. I don't need anything to make me feel bolder.

The way he spoke made her smile. Then he gritted his teeth and the desire he felt for her took over everything else. He couldn't wait to see her naked and vulnerable, to run his tanned hands over the pale skin of her body and admire the contrast between them. To feel the power to claim her body as his own. -There's nothing wrong with being impulsive sometimes.

-Really? - He laughed. -Tell me more.

He pulled away. -Well, for starters, how would you feel about being impulsive and coming with me upstairs to my room? - His smile faded a little, but his eyes darkened and he blinked more than usual. She felt hopelessly attracted to him and was too naive to know how to hide it. -What's the worst that could happen?

-What could happen is that we end up doing something really stupid.

She stopped resting her fingers on the bar and stroked his arm, boldly. -Or therapeutic.

Teresa was lost. Her fingers kept stroking the soft fabric of his shirt sleeve. She felt her skin burn through the barrier that separated them. -

How can we know what's going to happen so we don't regret it later?

Hearing the concern in her voice, he felt like hugging her and hiding it. That strong protective sense towards her was an unfamiliar feeling. James wanted her more than anything else in his life. -There's never a guarantee that you'll get what you want,” he said quietly, thinking that he would never have believed it possible for his business to be taken away from him. He pushed his father's will and its fateful consequences out of his thoughts. -Take a chance. It might be worth it. - He knew his judgment was impaired, but his brain kept telling him that this woman was a novelty. She had slept with celebrities, singers and models. They had all been fixated on luxury and privilege, feeling oblivious to the repercussions of their unwise decisions. This woman, with bright green eyes that betrayed his feelings, was authentic and natural. -You're too good for me.

Teresa couldn't help but let out a laugh and shook her head negatively. -Don't patronize me.

She slipped a hand into his, lifting it and interlacing her fingers. -I mean it.

The friction of her masculine fingers intertwining with his was indescribable. Her skin burned at the feel of his touch. It had been years since she'd had an intimate gesture like that with any name, and her heart was pounding, threatening to burst out of her chest.