Power of Love (The Armstrongs Book 1)

by Jessica Gray

  Trevor watched her with interest, trying to hide a growing grin. “I can handle that. Hand me your cell phone and I’ll give you my number.”

  Nicole gave him her phone and watched as he sent himself a text message. When he handed it back to her, she saw that he had sent her his phone number and vice-versa.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow with the details,” she said.

  “Of our date, or the show?”

  She shook her head at his teasing. “The show, and we’re not going on a date. We’re simply going out together.” She slipped off the bar stool and took a few steps away from the table. “I’ll call tomorrow.”

  Trevor nodded and smiled at her.

  Nicole backed out of the bar and almost fell a few times in her rush to put enough distance between him and her. She lectured herself about her upcoming un-date. Trevor Armstrong had a weird power over her, and that had her senses on high alert. Nobody got to have power over her. Not even the most gorgeous man in the world.

  Life had been a good teacher in that regard, and she had learnt her lesson well. The hard way. She would not make that mistake again. Ever!

  Chapter 5

  Trevor shoved the paperwork sitting in front of him across his desk and spun around in his chair to stare out the window. Women like this make their entire sex look bad! He’d been rewriting the divorce demands of Mrs. Amanda Barrows-Smythe for the last hour, this being the fifth time he’d had to include new demands in her divorce settlement paperwork!

  This was one of the nastiest cases he’d dealt with in a long time, making the Patton case look like child’s play. He was getting desperate. Some of his clients understood common sense and fair play. This lady had become a hyena, smelling how badly her husband wanted this divorce over and out of the limelight. The media were circling around both of them, and she loved it!

  And I thought this would be a cut and dried case! Ha! When she’d first approached him, he’d read over both prenuptial agreements – the one she had signed, and the one he had signed. Both parties had come into the marriage with their own inheritance and wealth, and according to the terms of their agreements, if the marriage failed to last, they both were to leave with their separate fortunes intact.

  Mrs. Amanda Barrows-Smythe had since then redefined what was hers and what was his. Her newest demands were ludicrous and so over the top, he was very uncomfortable even putting them in writing.

  I need a break. A real break! He looked out the window, wondering how he could work his schedule to take a little time away from the problems associated with this case. His musings were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

  He picked it up, glanced at the caller I.D., and smiled. He felt a warm rush in his chest, surprising himself. What is that? If he didn’t know better, and hadn’t sworn love didn’t exist, he’d think maybe he was developing feelings for the woman he’d only met one time. One time?

  Thinking about it, his smiled deepened. Yeah, one time? He might have met her once, but she touched a part of him that had been buried deep down inside; he’d thought it gone forever. That thought made him a little uncomfortable. He cared too much that she was calling, which meant his heart was involved already. Not good!

  When the phone continued to ring, for the fourth time, he swiped his thumb across the screen and lifted it to his ear, only to shake his head because the line had already switched to voicemail.

  While he waited for the line to dial her back, he tried to figure out what it was about her that had sparked his interest. She wasn’t even what he would consider his type! His dates of recent months had all been with the good-looking ones, models or women who could have easily taken to the runway. They were tall, lithe, and dressed to impress. They were also shallow, dim-witted, and lacking in character!

  Nicole was different. She had a personality that shone through, and her face could easily have graced the cover of any fashion magazine, but she was way too small to be considered a top fashion model. Trevor found that didn’t bother him in the least; as far as he was concerned, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

  Her beauty shone from the inside. She might be small in stature, but she was a fierce and powerful woman nonetheless. He recalled how she had filled the whole bar with her presence yesterday, and even though every male in the place had ogled her, she’d handled it with ease. The men who’d been brave enough to challenge her power had quickly discovered she wasn’t all bark and no bite. They might have wanted her, but she did things on her terms, and she had been there for…him!

  He glanced down at the phone in his hand and shook his head when he realized it was waiting for him to push the connect button. Doing so, his mind took a mental vacation, cataloging her looks.

  Her long blonde hair shimmered in the light. That wonderful smile brightened up her entire face and brought light to her eyes. Her confidence aside, she looked fragile and he wanted to protect her. She could be strong and exude power and independence all she wanted, but he would still want to play knight in shining armor to her.

  And those small, firm breasts. I'd love to touch them. They’d fit perfectly into my hands…Trevor shook his head at how quickly his mind had taken that turn. No daydreaming.

  “Hello, this is Nicole Kendrick.”

  “Hello, Nicole. This is Trevor. I saw your call come in but couldn’t answer my phone quick enough. It’s nice to hear from you.”

  “Hi, Trevor. Thanks for calling me back. I just finished leaving you a voicemail. I guess you can delete it now.”

  Trevor chuckled into the phone, “Guess I can. So tell me, where are we going?”

  “To the Field Museum of Natural History.”

  What?! A museum. God, that’s got to be the most unromantic venue for a date any woman has ever suggested. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he decided he could handle being bored for a few hours. He consoled himself with the fact he’d be with Nicole, so the venue might be boring, but he wasn’t going to forego an opportunity to spend time with her.

  It’s not a date, remember? He didn’t care what they called it, he just wanted to spend some time with her. She could call it a business meeting, an interview, a date – they were just words!

  Trevor shook his head. There wasn’t anything remotely resembling a date, or romantic, when he tried to assimilate the Natural History Museum into the picture. This is not something that lovers would do.

  Unable to hold his tongue completely, he said, “You’re really determined to make this as un-date-like as possible, aren’t you?”

  Nicole giggled into the phone, “You caught me.”

  Trevor held back the groan as his body responded to the sound of her mirth. Even her giggle turns me on. “Fine. I’ll be there. At 4 o’clock?”

  “Yes. See you then.”

  Trevor smiled as he disconnected the phone and thought about the afternoon to come. He was actually excited, and as the time to leave drew nearer, he found himself looking at his watch every five minutes. I’m only going so I can find out if doing the radio show will be worthwhile. That’s the only reason I’m doing this!

  He continued to tell himself those untruths, hoping that his denial would somehow become reality. No such luck!

  As the time to leave drew nearer, he stopped by Blaine’s office to tell him he would be out of the office for the remainder of the afternoon. They’d given Erin the afternoon off to spend with her daughter and grandchildren visiting from the west coast.

  “Where are you off to? It’s what,” Blaine looked at the clock on his desk, “3:15. Are you okay? You never get out of here before 6 or 7 o’clock.”

  Trevor hid the excitement he was feeling by downplaying his destination. “That radio talk show moderator called and wants to meet with me.”

  Blaine grinned broadly. “You’re going on your date!”

  “It’s not a date! You were sitting there and heard her say it several times.”

  Blaine nodded his head. “Saying it don’t make it so! Now, wher
e is she taking you?”

  “The Natural History Museum. See, not a date.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. It could be fun. Think about how scared she might be when you get to the mummy room. She will probably need you to hold her close so she doesn’t freak out.” Blaine waggled his eyebrows at Trevor, who laughed and backed out of his office.

  “Yeah, I don’t think she’s that type of woman. I can’t imagine anything in that museum will cause her a moment of fear. Besides, I think she wanted a neutral venue to discuss her talk show.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, buddy. Have a nice time on your date!”

  As Trevor headed out of the office, he answered back, “It’s not a date!” to the sound of Blaine’s laughter. It’s not a date!

  Chapter 6

  Trevor arrived at the museum, moving into the main foyer, the giant dinosaur skeleton rising behind him. He did a 360-degree turn, trying to recall the last time he’d actually been inside this building. It was something he passed several times a week, moving around the city, but not one of his favorite haunts. When he glanced at his watch, he realized it hadn’t taken him as long to get here as he’d planned. It was still ten minutes to four.

  He moved out of the main walkway and took his time looking at the skeletal remains that were the trademark of the museum. Finally, he spotted Nicole pushing through the main doorways on the other side of the dinosaur and coming towards him.

  His heartbeat sped up as he watched her walk towards him with confidence. She was so beautiful; it took his breath away again. Strong. Powerful. She’s the perfect woman for you. That thought had his eyebrows rising as he fought with his inner voice. No way! I am not doing relationships right now.

  Trevor focused on what she was wearing rather than the annoying voice in his head. She had on a white button-down blouse, boot-cut jeans, and sneakers. The blouse was tight on her body, drawing attention to her cute breasts. They were small compared to most of the women he had dated, but on her petite frame, they were perfect. Who needs silicone-enhanced boobs when you can have the real thing? They might not be the largest ones he’d admired, but they were infinitely more tempting!

  As he watched her approach, he found his eyes unable to stop looking at her. I wonder what she tastes like? Does she like to have her breasts kissed and fondled? He quickly dismissed those thoughts. They were here on business terms. No more. No less.

  A group of schoolchildren entered behind him, and he watched as they took off running towards Nicole, swarming around her, and causing her to laugh as she did a quick spin to watch them pass her.

  That move dropped his eyes from her breasts to her ass! Her boot-cut jeans perfectly molded themselves to her curves, and he squeezed his hands into two fists as he imagined squeezing her tightly there.What is wrong with you, Trevor? He couldn’t seem to keep his mind off her body.

  Forcing his gaze to drop down, he saw her sneakers matched the dark blue of her jeans. How would her legs look if she wore heels? The elevated heels would lift her ass even higher, tighten her calves…she’d be a walking wet dream! Trevor, get it together. It’s fine to admire a nice body, but you’re practically salivating over a woman you’ve only exchanged a few sentences with!

  You’re not looking for a relationship. You’re a workaholic. Love doesn’t exist, but the idea of it and subsequent reality keeps you busy day after day. Love is an ideal doomed to fail from the onset. Think about Mrs. Barrows-Smythe if there is any doubt left!

  Just thinking about that client was like dumping cold water on his spirits. But then he lifted his head and met Nicole’s smile. “Hi.”

  Her smile grew even bigger as she beamed at him. “Sorry I’m late.”

  He looked at his watch, saying, “You’re two minutes late. That’s not really considered being late.” He didn’t add that being unpunctual was one of his pet peeves. Everyone who knew him knew that he hated people who were constantly running late. It was rude and disrespectful to those who had to wait on them.

  Nicole laughed. “Most people would think so, but I’m usually ten minutes early, to make sure I’m on time.”

  Wow! Didn’t I just get done congratulating myself for the very same thing? He shared a smile with her, the place in his heart where she’d taken up residence growing just a little bit bigger.

  “Let’s go see what’s new,” she suggested.

  Trevor nodded and touched her elbow as he steered her around yet another group of schoolchildren. The small touch set off big sensations across his body. It was like energy bolts going from his fingertips to every part of his being. I am so in trouble here. Those feelings aren’t usual, nor are they ones I can ignore. Whatever’s going on here is serious!

  They rounded the large platform where Chicago’s most famous dinosaur stood, glancing up to smile at “Sue” as they headed further into the museum. The foyer was packed with both tourists and locals, but Trevor didn’t have eyes for anyone but the beautiful woman walking by his side.

  “So, not to sound like a cliché, but do you come here often?” he asked, making sure he didn’t accidentally lose her in the groups of kids.

  “Whenever I can. I just love this place. I never tire of looking at the exhibits, and find something new each time. How about you?”

  Trevor shook his head, “To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I was here. Maybe for some charity function?” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Let’s go upstairs first. They have this exhibit right now with sculpted clay and bronze statues from different time periods in history. The detail on them is amazing!”

  Trevor grinned at the enthusiasm in her voice. That woman was more likeable by the minute. Not that he wasn’t already head over heels into her. They took the elevator up, and he dutifully followed her into the exhibit hall, his eyes going wide as he took in the statues. He’d been expecting small, modern statues, but these bronze casts were ancient and to echo her sentiments – amazing! “Wow!”

  Nicole looked back at him with a nod. “See, I told you. The artists did such a good job on these!” They weren’t elaborate, but the emotion they conveyed was spectacular.

  He followed her around, more interested in watching her reactions to the art than in the art itself. One particular piece captured her interest and she exclaimed, “Look at this!”

  Trevor laughed when she immediately turned red and covered her mouth with her hand. She looked around as the others inside the exhibit all turned to see what had caused her to shout out. “Sorry,” she murmured to several groups of people, before looking at Trevor.

  “I didn’t mean for that to come out that loud!”

  “I don’t see any security guards getting ready to storm the exhibit hall, so I think you’re fine. What did you find?”

  Nicole showed him the sculpture that had caught her fancy, and he listened as she expounded upon its virtues. “I’ve been looking for a piece of art for my living room. Something to put on my coffee table, but I haven’t found it yet. Something like this would look fantastic!”

  Trevor grinned at her, loving the fact she was being real with him. Genuine emotion poured from her, with no artifice or playacting involved. It was refreshing, and he realized he was enjoying himself. More than he’d thought he would. This visit to the museum wasn’t boring. At all.

  “I’d love to have a sculpture like this. It’s perfect.”

  Seeing her enthusiasm, Trevor made a production out of looking around the exhibit hall before he leaned towards her and whispered, “You know the museum doesn’t sell its pieces, and it might be kind of difficult to pull off, but if you want to try to sneak it out of here, I’ll play lookout.”

  Nicole looked at him incredulously for a moment, until she noticed the gleam in his eye. She punched him in the biceps and shook her head at him. “Funny!”

  Trevor rubbed his arm, making faces. “Ouch!”

  “That didn’t hurt and you know it,” she told him with a chuckle.

  Trevor joined in her lau
ghter and then turned to scrutinize the sculpture. “So, you’d put something like this on your coffee table?”

  Nicole nodded her head and then added, “Well, a more modern version of it. And made of metal, not clay.”

  “Well, keep looking. Chicago has a virtual smorgasbord of galleries, I’m sure one of them has what you’re looking for.”

  “Yeah. Hey, let’s go look at the mummies,” she said enthusiastically.

  Trevor mentally groaned, remembering Blaine’s remark, but followed her down to the bottom level. As they made their way to the Ancient Egypt exhibit, they talked about a variety of things, and Trevor never once felt like the conversation was forced.

  He loved to tease her, and realized he hadn’t enjoyed spending time with a woman he wasn’t related to for so long, he’d forgotten what it was like. Nicole was so easy to talk with; it was as if they’d known each other for years. It was uncomplicated, and Trevor liked that fact.

  Three hours, two trips up and down the elevator, and one restroom stop later, Trevor realized this afternoon had been like nothing else he’d ever done. Usually a date was comprised of dinner, maybe a movie or a trip to a theater, but he’d never before considered a trip to the museum as some place to go for enjoyment.

  While he waited outside the women’s restroom for Nicole to return, he tried to recall the last time he’d done something unusual with a woman. But he couldn’t come up with a single thing.

  And when was the last time you could actually say you had fun with a woman, and sex wasn’t involved? The answer to that question was the same – Never! Time for that to change.

  Suddenly he realized that he was getting hungry, as he’d missed lunch. Again. Without Erin in the office to remind him to eat, or to order him lunch and then demand he eat it, he usually got so caught up in whatever case he was working on – he didn’t eat.

  When Nicole stepped from the restroom a moment later, he smiled at her, asking, “Are you up for dinner? I’m starving.”