Janie looked behind her and gave an apologetic look toward Eric, whose face showed determination and then she was whisked away to another part of the room. Her heart was beating quickly, first because Luke was being so possessive and second, because a handsome man had just come onto her. She was a woman, after all, and it always felt good when a handsome man took notice.
“You’re being rude and your mother taught you better manners than that. She’d be ashamed of you right now,” Janie said under her breath. “He could be another contender,” she pointed out.
“No,” he said adamantly. “And my mother would be praising me right now for rescuing you from the clutches of the biggest player at this party,” he grumbled, continuing to lead her through the venue. “Trust me on this, Janie. You don’t want to a go out on a date with him,” he grumbled. “And you were supposed to text me when you were ready. You need to go back into the bathroom and do something about that neckline. I’m sure someone at this party has some double sided tape to secure your dress a little better.”
She stopped walking causing him to stop as well. “You’re pissing me off, Luke,” she warned when he finally made eye contact with her. “My dress is fine and you know it. If you don’t want to look at my neckline for the rest of the evening then I’ll be happy to head back to Eric, who I’m sure would appreciate it more.” She paused. “You know,” she began, starting to get worked up and putting her hands on her hips, “it’s amazing women even agree to date you. You can be such an insensitive clod sometimes. As if I didn’t have enough body issues to begin with and you make a comment like that, when you loved this dress when I tried it on.”
She whirled around and began walking to get another drink. He was such an ass. She didn’t get very far since he took her hand again and led her to an alcove, bypassing people who were saying hi to him and calling his name. He kept walking until they had some privacy. By this time, she was fuming.
“And I’m not some teenager, Luke, whose skirt length has to be checked by the hall monitor,” she whispered vehemently, trying not to make a scene.
He interrupted her. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. He took her hand and squeezed it bringing it to his lips until she looked up at him and then said again more forcefully. “I’m sorry.” He swallowed with a look of chagrin. “I didn’t mean to –” He stopped and shook his head. “He’s not right for you, okay? And I didn’t like the way he looked at you. I don’t want men looking at you like you’re a piece of meat,” he said adamantly.
She rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Well maybe I want to be looked at like a piece of meat sometimes. I mean,” she sputtered in frustration, “men never looked at me that way while I was growing up,” she mumbled and looked down. “Idiot.”
He tipped her face back so she looked up into his gorgeous blue eyes which were shining with concern and apology. “I am an idiot. I’m sorry.” He sighed and was quiet for a moment, then said, “I know you’re no longer a ‘baby girl’, but seeing men look at you like that puts my back up. I don’t like it.” He didn’t look happy at all.
She needed to turn this situation around to her advantage. If she was going to seduce him, she needed to use whatever cards were dealt tonight and make them work.
She leaned into his hand still holding her chin. “If you didn’t know me and just saw me at a party, would you find me attractive?”
He hesitated then his eyes went from intense to dark. “Yes.”
A visceral current of need coursed through her so strongly she nearly lost her breath. “What would you do? If you didn’t already have a history with me and wanted to meet me?”
He clenched his jaw. “I’d come over and introduce myself.”
“Like Eric did?”
He looked like he was struggling in how to answer the question and removed his hand from her chin, shoving it in his pocket.
“You see, that’s the problem, Luke. If you didn’t know me, and saw me at a party and found me attractive, you probably would approach me the way Eric did. But because we have this history between us, I’m beginning to think it’s going to be too hard for you to find a man for me since you’ve only seen me one way. You said you were going to find a man like you, someone you could trust with me. I mean is it even possible for you specifically to find a man you can trust, someone like you, but also know in the back of your mind that the man you choose may want to tear my clothes off?” She brought her hand to her neck just above her cleavage, where she rubbed her fingers as if she had to scratch an itch.
And she definitely had an itch to scratch. Its name was Luke Daniels.
His eyes drifted to her fingers at her chest.
“You see the dilemma here?” she continued. “If you continue to treat me like you’re my chaperone, I don’t know if I’ll ever get this man who we’ve designed this list for. You need to see me as a woman, Luke. How many different ways do I need to say this?”
He pierced her with his eyes. “I do see you as a woman, Janie.” He looked away to make sure no one was listening then back into her eyes. “I think last night proved that.”
She gulped. “Well, then. You need to find me a man who can be trusted but who wants to ravish me,” she murmured, enjoying the look on his face. “I’ve said this to you before. Eric Weston definitely has potential.”
“No.”
“You said I could date, but just no sex.”
“There’s no way he’ll go out with you and not expect sex. You need to trust me on this. And he can’t be trusted.”
“Well, it’s not like he’s going to force me or anything, Luke. It’ll be nice to go out with a guy who wants me.” She continued stroking her finger over the top part of her chest.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said you were playing with fire, Janie. Don’t toy with these men.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I can’t just go out with a guy for fun? I’m not toying with anyone. Not all guys expects sex and I’m certainly not going to promise it to them. I told you I wasn’t a tease. I went out with Danny for a while and we didn’t have sex.”
Luke pressed his fingers to his eyes and let out a huge and frustrated expulsion of air. “You just said that you wanted a man to ravish you and Weston had potential. Weston is most certainly not a man with potential for the end game here. He’s a player, like Detective Douche.”
She rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with going out with Eric just once. I agreed to no sex and I have the next several weeks off from work so this is the perfect time to get to know some more men.”
“Cristo. You’re impossible, woman,” he mumbled, running his hand down his face.
“Hey, if you don’t want me to end up with a guy like Weston, then you better hurry up and find the right man. Chop, chop. Get to it, Daniels, because I look good tonight,” she purred and watched him swallow, his eyes darkening even more. “And last night barely took the edge off.” She licked her lips and gave him a sexy smile. “I’m feeling like I need to scream again.”
His eyes zeroed in on her tongue then he brought them back to meet her eyes again, taking a moment before speaking. She couldn’t read his thoughts, but he cocked his head to study her more intensely. Then as if making a decision, he said, “Remember our deal. If you decide to go out with anyone in the next two weeks –”
“I know, I know. I have to tell you and no sex.” She waved him away with her hand.
He grabbed her hand to stop her from waving it. “I’m going to find you that man, Janie. And he’s going to undress you with his eyes, ravish you with his body, and make you scream with pleasure with his hands and words. And,” he said emphatically, “he’s going to respect you, not hurt you or look at you like you’re a slab of meat on the counter. He’s going to treat you the way a woman needs and wants to be treated. Then it’ll be time for you to kick men like Weston to the curb. Do you understand?”
She felt warmth flood through her at his words and his promise. “That’s a tall order and you’ve
only got two weeks, Luke.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do you understand?”
She shivered at the no nonsense way he was talking to her. “Yes,” she said softly.
“Good,” he nodded, quiet a moment longer. He looked off to the side at the room then brought his eyes back to hers, looking as if they were holding a secret. “I’ve actually been thinking on it, and,” he paused and took a breath, “I’m fairly certain I actually know who this perfect man is.” The last couple of words were said on a whisper.
“Really? Wonderful,” she said breathily, immediately nervous. “What’s his name?”
The silence continued for a moment and then he smiled, “I have ’til Christmas.”
God. You’re a pain in my ass. “Why wait if you know who he is already?”
His eyes looked away for a moment, then eventually back at her. They were now calm, his voice smug and completely in control, enjoying the conversation. “I have to think about this man some more. When he’s presented to you, I want him to be fully ready, and completely sure of what he’s getting into,” he said with a slight chuckle.
She raised an eyebrow at his comment, her mouth quirking up. “Thanks a lot.”
He touched a curl resting on her shoulder. “This man needs to be someone who’s ready for the long haul. Not someone who’s just going to fool around with you. And he has a few more things to do to be ready. He’ll need to be prepared in more ways than one before this happens.” He paused, then, “He needs to be ready for the real deal. Because that’s what you are, Janie. You’re the real deal, and you deserve a man who’s going to invest himself fully in the relationship.”
She was so touched by what he’d said that she was momentarily speechless. Eventually she spoke. “That was really sweet.”
“It’s true,” he shrugged. “So, I’m not telling you my thoughts on this guy yet for those reasons. And because as I’ve said to you before,” he began, “patience is very important. The anticipation will make the meeting of this man,” he paused, “much, much better.”
She frowned. If this man wasn’t him, she was going to be seriously pissed. “Yeah, well that doesn’t help me tonight, does it?”
“I’m afraid you’re just going to have to be happy with me for the evening,” he murmured dryly.
She shrugged nonchalantly, acting put out. “Fine. But in the meantime, I want to have fun tonight. If men ogle, let them ogle, okay?” she said, watching his reaction.
He smiled that enigmatic smile. “Fine. We can’t let this outfit go to waste. But I want you by my side the whole time. I’m going to be inspecting these men. They can ogle, but some of them might not be date-worthy these next two weeks.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Come on. Let’s introduce you to some folks so you can charm them with your sparkle.”
He took her hand and led her back to the main area, and all the while she hoped her plan hadn’t backfired.
Chapter 10
For the next hour, Luke walked the floor with her, introducing her to models, photographers, designers and other executives from the conglomerate he oversaw. She’d finally met his publicist, Javier, and his husband, Johnny, and immediately fell in love with them. They not only praised her for the food that evening, but Javier couldn’t seem to say enough about her personality and sense of humor.
Javier was thrilled, as he’d told her over and over again when he’d gotten her alone, that she and Luke were spending more time together. This was the first she’d met him so the only way he could’ve known anything about her was through Luke. The publicist commented on seeing the photo of them from when they’d been out to lunch and was so happy to see it. The fact that Janie had told another woman that Luke was gay just to keep her away from him tickled him pink. He insisted that Luke needed someone just like her at his side who kept him in line and didn’t fall all over him.
That caused her to chuckle. Oh, Javier. If you only knew.
He graciously arranged for some photos to be taken with her and Luke, and she beamed as Luke pulled her to him while smiling at the camera for a couple of shots.
Everyone was extremely complimentary of the food and she’d given out almost all of her business cards, and she’d brought at least a hundred. Without trying to read into things, she couldn’t help but notice the smile of pride on Luke’s face while he watched everyone’s reaction to her when they’d learned she had been the head chef for the evening.
Janie was having the time of her life. She’d seen Eric watching her at one point with Vanessa nearby, and when she’d made eye contact with them, they’d both smiled a nod in her direction, Eric raising a glass to his lips acknowledging her. Other than that, he hadn’t approached.
Vanessa, however, had shot daggers at her more than once and had eventually come over to say hello.
“Hi Janie,” she said sweetly. “It’s good to see you again.”
How was it possible that the two of them could have the same basic adjectives to describe their appearance, but be so different? They both had red hair, Janie’s was a curly strawberry blond, Vanessa’s a deep red cut in a straight chic bob. They both had green eyes, Janie’s were sparkly and cat shaped, Vanessa’s a dark mossy color. Their body types were the complete opposite as were their personalities.
“Thanks, Vanessa,” Janie smiled back politely.
Vanessa glanced over Janie’s shoulder to where Luke stood a few feet away then sent a condescending look to Janie. “You’re very proud of yourself, I’m sure, to get a party for GSoul,” she murmured, sarcasm dripping from her tongue. She took a sip of her drink.
Well, well, well. It looked like Vanessa was finally showing her true colors. “I am, actually.” Janie beamed up at the woman who stood a few inches above her.
“Where would you be without Luke to help you, I wonder,” Vanessa said, cocking her head.
Janie remained cool. “I imagine I’d be exactly where I am right now.” She wasn’t going to hold back if Vanessa wasn’t. “Were you implying something else, Vanessa?”
Vanessa chuckled. “I would never dream of insulting Luke’s baby girl. He does dote on you so, just like any older brother would.”
Fucking A. This was the first time Vanessa had ever shown her claws. And they were sharp.
Janie tsked, “Careful Vanessa. If you don’t watch yourself, one might think you sound a little jealous. I wonder why that is when you’re not even dating Luke anymore.” She cocked her head.
Vanessa’s eyes became brittle and she lowered her voice. “Don’t you worry about me, Janie. I’m never hurting for male companionship. I was just trying to help a fellow sister out. I mean, I don’t think you realize how ridiculous you look when you stare up at him.” She looked down at her in mock sympathy. “It’s really so sad.”
Janie tried to stop the blush from rising, but she didn’t know how successful she was. Vanessa’s face transformed into one of perfect sweetness just as Janie realized the reason for the change. Luke put his arm around Janie’s shoulder and pulled her in to kiss her temple.
Just like he’d done for years. Just like Jem. Just like Mike.
“Hey you,” Vanessa said with a brilliant smile, her eyes eating the man up. “I was just telling Janie here what a great job she did tonight. The food was incredible.”
Luke smiled in agreement and looked down at Janie who was still examining Vanessa with a dry look. When she finally turned to Luke, she could tell he was trying to figure out what he had missed.
He couldn’t be that stupid, could he?
“I have more people for you to meet,” he began then glanced at Vanessa. “Excuse us, Vanessa.” Without waiting for a reply, he led Janie away. “Everything alright?”
“Just great,” she muttered, not wanting to get him involved in the cattiness of women. She put on a happy face and let him take her around the venue.
Now after several more glasses of champagne and approaching midnight, Janie couldn’t hold in her yawn
s any longer. She was definitely tipsy, tired and the ‘Seduce Luke Daniels’ plan was beginning to disappear into the ether as the minutes ticked by.
“You must be exhausted,” Luke murmured into her ear as he led her away from the last set of people he’d just introduced her to. They arrived to a small low lit area with comfy sofas where they now sat in the empty space. It felt like heaven.
She reached down to rub at her ankle and their eyes met across the short distance between them.
“You did great tonight,” he said. “Everyone loves you as I knew they would,” he smiled down at her. “Are you ready to call it a night?”
“I’m tired, but it’s not even midnight yet. Don’t you need to stay longer?”
“I can go anytime. If you’re tired, we can go.”
He was so sweet as he looked at her with his beautiful blue eyes. She was hit by the love she had for this man in that moment and sighed.
“Thank you for tonight, Luke. What you’ve done for my business just in one night alone is immeasurable.” She reached out and squeezed his hand.
He smiled and squeezed her hand back. “You have nothing to thank me for. You did this. I just introduced you to a few people, but you were the one who proved to them how good of a chef you are. You should be really proud of yourself and the staff.”
“I am. I can’t wait to debrief with Ayanna. We’re sure to get some business from tonight so we’ll need to strategize about extra help in the coming months.”
“It’s a good problem to have,” he smiled, still holding her hand and stroking his thumb on the top of her knuckles.
“It is,” she agreed. She knew he hadn’t noticed, but when they’d sat in the quiet seating area, there were various mistletoe hangings over the sofas and chairs, inviting holiday kisses. “Luke?” Her eyes were twinkling. Perhaps the ‘Seduce Luke Daniels’ plan could be resurrected.
“Hm?”
Remembrance: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series Book 4) Page 17