Mitch raised a brow. “Where?”
“In love.”
Mitch smiled, not really caring that the four men he had joined for drinks at the conclusion of their business meeting had figured things out. “And just what gave me away?”
“Your mood,” Justin said easily.
Dex Madaris spoke next. “It was the way you keep looking at your watch.”
Clayton Madaris then added, “For me it was the fact that you mentioned three times since we got here that you have a business meeting with Gina at her place tonight at nine.”
Mitch’s gaze then moved to Trevor to see just what he had to say. “For me it was that silly-looking smile you still have on your face.”
“Oh.” Mitch chuckled and took another sip of his drink. When he absently checked his watch again a few minutes later, the other men began laughing. And he couldn’t help but join them. He had met the Madaris brothers through Trevor after he had become engaged to Gina. The Grants and the Madarises had grown up in the same neighborhood and were a rather close-knit group.
Deciding to change the subject about his love life, he turned to Clayton. A few months back a demented escaped convict had run Clayton over when he was leaving his office one day. The hit-and-run had been intended for Clayton’s wife, Syneda. He had pushed her out of the way and taken the impact himself.
“I’m glad to see you’re out and about and back to your old self again, Clayton,” Mitch said seriously.
Clayton smiled. “Thanks. You know what they say: you can’t keep a good man down.”
Mitch nodded, then asked Clayton and Dex how their wives were doing. Syneda and Dex’s wife, Caitlin, were both expecting. Mitch was suddenly reminded of the times that Gina had asked him for a baby, and how he’d flatly refused her with the excuse that he wasn’t ready to become a father. But now, if given the chance, he would gladly give her fifty babies if that were what she wanted. The thought of becoming a father didn’t bother him like it used to. In fact he actually relished the idea of having a son or a daughter if Gina was the child’s mother. He could imagine a little girl who was a replica of her mother.
“You got that silly smile on your face again, Mitch.”
Mitch took another sip of his drink and rolled his eyes at Trevor. “You know, I could be thinking about all the money I’m going to make off this deal.”
Trevor nodded. “Yeah, that could explain the smile, but it doesn’t explain why you’re looking at your watch every ten minutes.” He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Mitch a hard stare. “Now tell me again the reason you’re meeting with Gina this late at night.”
Dex chuckled. “Leave him alone, Trev. There’s nothing wrong with a man who admits to making a mistake and then goes about trying to make things right.”
“And you think he plans to meet with Gina, this late at night, to make things right?”
Evidently Trevor’s question raised some serious doubt in the other men’s minds; they suddenly eyed Mitch suspiciously. “Hey, guys, back off. What’s going on with me and Gina is our business,” Mitch said in an irritated tone. Jeez! It was bad enough he’d felt the need to defend himself to Trevor a few days ago, but now the Madaris brothers were trying to give him grief, too. It was a known fact that they considered Gina as one of their sisters.
“Okay, we’ll back off for now,” Dex said slowly. “Like I said, there’s nothing wrong with a man who admits to making a mistake and tries making things right. Just don’t think about making the same mistake twice.”
Mitch knew that of the three brothers, Dex was the one he had to worry about. He meant what he said and said what he meant. “Trust me. I don’t plan on making the same mistake with Gina.”
Evidently satisfied that enough had been said, Clayton Madaris decided to change the subject. “Has anyone noticed that Blade has just as many women as I did when I was his age?”
Justin raised his eyes to the ceiling. “And you think that’s something to brag about?”
Clayton smiled. “Hey, it’s good to know there’s another Madaris out there keeping the ladies happy.”
Dex frowned. “Oh, is that what he’s supposed to be doing?”
“You bet. If he keeps it up he’ll be the one to inherit that case of condoms I’ve been keeping in my closet, since I won’t be needing them anymore.”
Mitch chuckled. It was common knowledge that Clayton was Houston’s number-one womanizer during his bachelor days. Also, it had been rumored that he’d kept a case of condoms in his closet. Evidently it had been more truth than rumor. Hearing Clayton mention condoms made Mitch wonder if Gina was still on the Pill. He decided not to take any chances—he’d stop by the convenience store on the way over to her place.
He looked at his watch again. The time was close enough for him. “I hate to leave but I got to run,” he said, standing and tossing a few bills on the table.
“Maybe the four of us should go over to Gina’s place with you.”
Mitch frowned at Trevor’s suggestion. “Don’t even think about it.” He then turned and hurriedly walked out of the restaurant.
Gina paced restlessly about her house after checking the clock for the umpteenth time. Was Mitch still coming over? Was he on his way? Why was she so anxious to see him? She had interviewed a dozen people, so what made him any different?
She sighed, knowing the answer to that one. None of them had been a man she had slept with before.
She looked down at the outfit she had chosen to wear for tonight’s meeting; a skirt and blouse and there was nothing provocative or tempting about either item. She wanted to set the mood for what their meeting was—strictly business. In fact, instead of them sitting in the living room she had decided to conduct the interview in her office. At no time did she want Mitch to think this was a social call.
Thinking that the lighting in her living room appeared too seductive, she quickly crossed the room and switched on another lamp. The last thing she wanted or needed was for Mitch to get any ideas. They had kissed three times already that day and the last thing she wanted was a repeat performance. Heaven help her if she got one, so she figured the best way to handle the situation was to start out letting him know what she expected and what she would not tolerate.
She took a deep breath when she heard the sound of the doorbell. Taking another large gulp of air for good measure, she slowly crossed the room to the door and glanced out the peephole.
Gina sighed resignedly as she opened the door; she immediately knew she had made a mistake in agreeing to this late-night meeting. When his gaze met hers she felt all the things she had felt the first time they had met.
Sexual chemistry. Instant attraction. Animal lust.
And it certainly didn’t help matters that he was now clean-shaven and dressed in a designer business suit that gave him a suave, elegant, and professional appearance. There was an aura of masculine strength in the tall, powerfully built body standing across from her. This was the Mitch Farrell she knew and was used to. He looked nothing like the Mitch who had resembled a desperado earlier that day.
The porch light reflected confidence and an air of sensuality that almost took Gina’s breath away. Mitch held her gaze with the compelling force of his. She nervously licked her bottom lip and immediately knew it had been a mistake when his gaze shifted to her mouth, then seconds later shifted back to her eyes.
Finally he spoke. “May I come in?”
Gina tried to ignore the tiny flitters of pulsing heat racing through her body at the sound of his voice, deep and husky. She stepped back. “Yes, of course.”
She inhaled deeply when he entered. He was bringing into her house the scent of a man. Her throat felt tight and her insides burned hotter with the masculine aroma. It was earthy, sensuous, and all Mitch. Tension pricked at her nerve endings and she wondered how she would survive being in his presence in such close quarters. She drew a steadying breath, determined to get through it.
Closing the door, she watched him
glance around her living room and noted a variety of expressions that crossed his face, admiration and appreciation among them.
“You have a beautiful home, Gina.”
“Thanks.” It was slightly larger than the one the two of them had shared. She had always wanted for them to get a bigger house so they could start a family, but he’d kept making excuses as to why they couldn’t.
“Since the time is already far spent,” she said, heading straight into business, not wanting her thoughts to dwell in the past, “we may as well get started. I plan to conduct the interview in my office.”
He raised a surprised brow. “Your office?”
“Yes. I thought it would be appropriate since this is a business meeting.”
He nodded smiling. “That’s true, but do I get the offer of something to drink first?”
“Sure, what would you like? I have cola, tea, fruit juice, water, wine…”
“A glass of wine will be fine.”
“All right. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Mitch watched as she walked away and looked at the sensuous body he knew so well from head to toe. He inwardly grinned. If Gina thought tonight would be strictly business she had another thought coming. Oh, sure, things were bound to start off that way, but he planned a totally different ending to the night—and he was determined to make it so. He’d known it the moment she had opened the door. She looked beautiful and he knew that although she probably had not done anything to deliberately get him aroused, just seeing her had effectively done that.
While she was in the kitchen getting his wine, he decided to check out the layout of her home. Specifically, he wanted to know the location of her bedroom. He made a quiet and quick assessment and returned to the living room a few moments before Gina appeared carrying a wineglass.
“Here you are,” she said, walking over and handing it to him.
“Aren’t you going to join me?”
“No. I prefer not to drink while conducting business.”
He nodded. “Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I don’t want to take up any more of your time than I have to. So let’s get started.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it, Mitch.”
“Don’t mention it. Like I told you that first night at dinner, I want the article done right and I know you’ll do that.”
She led him across the living room into her office. Again she watched him glance around and saw his satisfied expression. “This is nice. I bet you spend a lot of time in here.”
“Only when I have to do a lot of typing and research. I seldom do interviews at home. In fact, you’re my first.”
“Again?” he asked, turning to her and smiling over the rim of his wineglass. “I was also the first man to ever make love to you. The first guy to ever make you…”
Come. A jab of desire went through Gina at the memory. Although he hadn’t finished the sentence it had been very easy for her to supply the missing word. Her body, which was already heated inside, began burning hotter with all the memories.
Deciding not to make a comment, she cleared her throat and said, “You can sit in that chair, Mitch.” With trembling fingers she picked a sheet of paper up off her desk. “Here’s a copy of the questions I plan to ask tonight. As you can see, there are only six, so you won’t be here that long. And to help things run smoothly, I will tape this session. Is that all right with you?”
“Yes, that’s fine. When will you get around to asking the other questions?” he asked, accepting the paper she handed him. He knew she had at least twenty questions to ask him for the interview.
“Later this week when your schedule permits. Tomorrow I will replay your responses and work on tonight’s segment. For the next group of questions I’d prefer if we were at your ranch. I think a change of location for each session will enhance the interview.”
Mitch nodded. “You believe that technique is better than asking all the questions in one session and be done with it?” he asked, not that he was complaining. He liked the thought of spending a lot of time with her.
“Yes, I think so,” Gina answered, taking the chair behind her desk. “This way neither the interviewer nor the interviewee gets tired and fizzles out. I want you to relax and be yourself: And I want you to be open and honest with me.”
“Thanks. I intend to.” He glanced down at the questions. All six involved his love life.
Seeing his curious expression Gina said quickly, “I thought it would be best if we go ahead and cover these questions first. There are a lot of women who have been fantasizing about you ever since you did that calendar.” She decided not to add that she was one of them.
“It was for charity.”
“I know, and from what I understand the sales were phenomenal. I’m sure the relief fund for the September eleventh tragedy appreciates you and the other men who participated.”
Mitch removed his coat and tie, taking her up on her suggestion that he relax and be himself. Gina leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs to fight the heat forming between them as she watched him. He had such a wonderful body. No wonder the women had gone bonkers when he had appeared in the calendar as Mr. February. Dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and an open shirt that had revealed his beautiful chest, he had definitely been a lot of women’s flavor for the month. She had been totally surprised when a friend from college had mailed her a copy of the calendar. The Mitch Gina knew would not have done such a pose, no matter the cause, and she wondered why he’d done it.
Curiosity got the best of her and she found herself asking, “Why did you do it?”
“Do what?” he asked as he eased down in the chair.
“The calendar.”
Mitch glanced down at the sheet he held in his hand. “That’s not an interview question,” he said, smiling.
“No, it’s not. I just want to satisfy my own curiosity.”
“Like I said, it was for charity,” he replied, looking directly into her eyes. But knowing that she knew him better than anyone, he added, “And also for Tom.”
“Tom?”
“Yes, Tom Swank, a business associate of mine and also a good friend. He was in the World Trade Center when it went down.”
Gina heard the pain in his voice. “I’m sorry, Mitch.”
Mitch nodded, accepting her words of regret. “Tom and I had a meeting that morning.”
Gina sat up straight in her chair. “You were in New York that day?”
“Yes. And I was to meet with Tom at eight but a phone call from my office delayed me. It saved my life.”
“Oh, Mitch,” Gina said as a lump formed deep in her throat. She shivered at the thought that Mitch could have been one of the victims and thanked God that he hadn’t been. And her heart went out to Tom Swank’s family. “Was Tom married?”
“Yes, and he had a six-year-old son. That’s when I began examining my life. I thought it was so fortunate that Tom had had a child that he had spent time with; a child who would carry on his legacy. It made me realize what I didn’t have.”
“I always wanted to give you a child, Mitch, but you didn’t want one,” Gina said, her voice rising slightly.
“I know,” he responded quietly. “But that was then. If I could turn back the hands of time I would get you pregnant in a heartbeat.”
Their eyes held. Neither spoke. Both knew they could not turn back the hands of time even if they wanted to.
“Ah, I suggest we go ahead and get started,” Gina said, clearing her throat and reaching across her desk to turn on the tape recorder. It was time to move on. “Rumors have been circulating for the past three months that you’re having an affair with model Lori Brasco. Is it true?”
“There’s no affair. Lori and I are nothing more than friends who share the same interests.”
A good reporter would ask just what those interests were, but Gina decided she really didn’t want to know. “What about your alleged affair with department store heiress Nicole Lane?”
“Nicole and I d
ated a few times but that’s it,” he said as he casually undid the top button on his shirt. Then the second. And the third.
Gina tried not to notice what he was doing but found she was watching him anyway. She swallowed and forced her vision back down to the paper in front of her. “Do you ever plan to remarry?”
“Yes.”
Gina’s head snapped up, surprised he had answered so quickly and with such conviction. “You think you’re good husband material?” she asked curtly. That question was also not on the paper.
“Now that I’ve learned from my past mistakes, yes.”
Gina sighed. The interview was going badly. She wasn’t asking the questions she should be asking and was asking some she shouldn’t. “And what have you learned, Mitch?”
He smiled. It was a beautiful, rich smile but at the same time it was serious. He stared at her for the longest moment before replying. “I’ve learned not to ever take a wife for granted again. I also learned that success is just a level of achievement, but a wife is a gift, a beautiful gift to be loved and cherished. She’s not a possession to be picked up and played with on a rainy day…or made love to when the urge to do so strikes you. I’ve also learned that although it’s a very enjoyable part, there’s more to a marriage than sex. And I’ve learned to appreciate the good times in a marriage, as well as the bad. But more importantly, I’ve learned to appreciate a wife.”
Gina’s throat was so thick she could barely swallow. She was supposed to remain neutral, unattached, and unbiased, but she was doing a poor job of it. “And what brought on this stunning revelation?”
Mitch held her stare when he said, “Losing my wife, the woman I had loved more than life itself. I had two years to analyze what went wrong with my marriage and what I could have done to make things right. In the end I acknowledged all the mistakes I had made and didn’t like myself very much, so it became crystal clear why in the end she didn’t like me either.”
Gina fought the tears that clouded her eyes and waited a few minutes before asking softly, “Does your wife know that?”
“She does now.”
Some Like It Hot Page 14