Tempting the Best Man

by Tanya Michaels

  Unfortunately, based on that final glare, the head she wanted to see bashed was his own. He hadn’t meant to insinuate she couldn’t be more than a waitress...or that there was anything wrong with waitressing, for that matter. But he’d obviously put his foot in his mouth.

  Not the first time.

  When she’d knocked on his door in college, looking for his roommate, Daniel had made some assumptions based on the women his roommate usually dated. During small talk while they’d waited, Mia had made a comment about majoring in business and, taking in her blue-streaked hair and controversial fashion choices, he’d legitimately thought she was kidding. Laughing had not endeared him to her.

  Twice before the dancers’ finale, he tried to approach Mia to apologize, but she evaded him, moving with impressive speed in her high heels. He didn’t want to make a scene by cornering her, but as he and the other men boarded the party bus for their next location, he regretted not having the chance to say he was sorry.

  “Saw you escort Terrence from the building,” Eli said quietly. “Thanks.”

  Daniel nodded. “Your cousin was having trouble taking no for an answer, and the waitress was about to eviscerate him. Damnedest thing—I went to school with her. Mia Hayes.”

  “Isn’t she great? Not only has she made the entire wedding process painless, she stepped in tonight when one of her servers canceled last minute.”

  Daniel blinked. “What do you mean ‘wedding process’?”

  “She’s our event coordinator. She arranged everything for tonight and hosted a bachelorette scavenger hunt for Bex.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card, which he handed to Daniel.

  As Eli continued happily chatting about the arrangements Mia had overseen for next weekend, Daniel stared at the writing on the card. She ran her own company. So...not a cocktail waitress, then. Although it had seemed like a valid assumption under the circumstances, he was embarrassed by his reaction to seeing her. When would he learn that Mia Hayes didn’t meet simple expectations? On the plus side, he now had the phone number for her office.

  Considering their history, further contact could be disastrous. Yet Daniel caught his own grin reflected in the window. He couldn’t say whether or not a conversation with her would end in disaster. But he was damn sure it wouldn’t be boring.

  * * *

  “HOW DID I LET Penelope Wainwright talk me into organizing a formal tea?” Mia asked, grateful to be back in the office before Monday was completely over. After showing her client three potential venues in the Roswell historic district, Mia had lost an hour plodding behind school buses and swearing at afternoon traffic. “High-society crap isn’t my area.”

  Shannon Diaz, receptionist and one-woman IT department, closed a drawer in the metal filing cabinet. “You agreed because she caught you after a weekend of binging on Downton Abbey episodes,” the brunette reminded her. “And because Penelope is one of our best paying clients. And the tea is a fund-raising event for a good cause. Not to mention, you secretly adore her.”

  “Ha! Well, I admire a couple of her qualities,” Mia relented. The sixty-year-old woman did not suffer fools, for instance. “But she’s a pain in the ass to work for—demanding, opinionated...”

  Shannon shot her a pointed look over the top of her playfully retro multicolored horn-rimmed glasses.

  Mia scowled. “Is it wise to imply I’m an opinionated pain in the ass when your job security is in my hands?”

  “You’d be lost without me. My job security is just fine.”

  “Too true.” Pausing at Shannon’s desk before heading into her office, Mia added, “You know, as wonderful as your professional confidence is, don’t you think that—”

  “Want to hear your messages? No point in wasting office time on my personal life.”

  “You’re brilliant and beautiful and not without a sense of humor. Plus, we already know she likes you. All you have to do is ask her out.”

  “When I’m ready,” Shannon mumbled.

  Timing had been a major hurdle between Shannon and Paige. The woman who ran the French café on the third floor of the office building once asked Shannon on a date, but, emotionally raw from recent heartbreak, Shannon had refused more abruptly than intended. By the time she changed her mind a few weeks later, Paige was seeing someone.

  “You’re both single now,” Mia said.

  “I’m aware. But what if it’s too soon after her breakup? Besides, it’s been ages since she asked me out. Who knows if she’s even still interested?”

  “You—”

  “So about these messages.” Shannon waved squares of pink paper at her. “A prospective client set up a meeting to get price quotes, Wren had a brainstorm about the venue for her sister’s engagement party and Dara Abrams returned your call about flower deliveries.” Mia was trying to set it up so that, rather than being thrown out afterward, any remaining live flowers from events she coordinated could be donated to nursing homes. “And a man called after lunch.”

  Mia arched an eyebrow at the vagueness. Shannon was usually a stickler for details. “Did the man have a name?”

  “One assumes. But he didn’t leave it.”

  Even though it was an illogical leap, Mia’s mind immediately went to Daniel Keegan. It had been a shock to run into him for the first time since college. There were millions of people in the Atlanta metropolitan area; she and Daniel didn’t exactly run in the same circles. He’d looked so damn good. That part wasn’t unexpected—his physical appeal had always made her lady parts twitch with interest—but she’d been startled to find that he was even more attractive than she’d remembered. For a few brief, titillating moments, she’d believed the attraction was mutual.

  But even if he thought she looked drop-dead sexy in a corset—which, frankly, she did—it was difficult to imagine him contacting her. In the past, he’d wanted as little to do with her as possible.

  His loss. She banished all thoughts of Daniel and his mesmerizing eyes and the corded forearms that made her yearn for a look at the muscles hidden beneath his well-tailored clothes. She didn’t need mental images of him for fantasy fodder. She had cable.

  Mia took the messages. “So what did the mystery caller say?”

  “He asked to speak with you and seemed disappointed to hear you were out of the office. In lieu of leaving a message with me or on your voice mail, he asked if I knew when you’d be back. Maybe he’s planning to call again. Maybe you have a secret admirer!”

  “I’ve never found the idea of a secret admirer romantic. It actually runs the risk of being a little stalker-y, if you think about it. Someone lurking on the edges of my life but without the nerve to walk up and say hi directly? I’m attracted to people who put their cards on the table.” She paused a beat. “Maybe Paige appreciates the direct approach, too.”

  Shannon sighed. “I’m not ready. And you may sign my paychecks, but you are not the boss of my love life.”

  “Sorry. You’re right.” Mia hadn’t meant to push so hard, she just wanted to see her friend happy. “I won’t bring it up again, I promise. But one last general piece of advice? To get what you want, sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” said a masculine voice from behind them.

  Daniel. Mia spun around, stunned to find him entering the office. Her mouth dropped open, but she couldn’t think of anything to say other than what the hell are you doing here? which was hardly a polite, professional greeting. She swallowed. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Stepping out of my comfort zone.” He flashed a self-deprecating grin. “I thought maybe I could buy you dinner, if you’re not busy after work.”

  Tempting. Dressed casually in well-worn jeans and a black sweater, he looked every bit as good as he had Friday night. Where’s your pride? The man had
insinuated that she couldn’t hold a grown-up job. If she were a petty person intent on making a point, she’d name-drop wealthy Penelope Wainwright. But she didn’t care about Daniel’s opinion, she just wanted him to go away and take his assumptions with him.

  “Actually, tonight I...” She sighed. Fibbing wasn’t in her nature. Besides, Shannon was watching with acute interest. After all of Mia’s encouragement to take some risks, wouldn’t dodging Daniel be hypocritical? “Dinner sounds—” confusing “—nice. But I have at least another hour’s worth of work to do here.”

  “No problem.” He held up a briefcase. “I noticed on the building directory that there’s a café upstairs. I can grab a cup of coffee and get some work of my own done.” He wrote down his number so she could text him when she was ready. Then he was gone, leaving her bemused over the turn of events.

  “Well.” Shannon leaned back in her chair, grinning. “At least one of us has a date.”

  “I wouldn’t call it a date, at least not in the romantic sense. Just two former classmates catching up. Daniel and I went to college together.”

  “And you never...?” Shannon waggled her eyebrows. “I mean, he’s not my type, but damn.”

  Mia resisted the urge to fan herself. Damn, indeed. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Diaz.” There’s not room for both of us. Even back in college, when Mia had told herself she couldn’t like anyone as closed-minded as Daniel Keegan, she’d had more than her share of dirty thoughts about the man. Seeing him again stirred up each and every one of them.

  Trying to look unfazed, she headed into her office. But she couldn’t focus on work. She didn’t know which was more difficult—wrapping her head around Daniel’s out-of-the-blue invitation to dinner or trying not to fantasize about dessert.

  3

  EVEN THOUGH THEY’D agreed Mia would text him, Daniel was still somewhat surprised when her message popped up on his phone. She hadn’t looked thrilled to see him when he’d appeared in her office earlier. On some level, he’d expected her to find a reason to cancel. Then again, Mia had never been the sort to make excuses. She meant what she said and said what she meant.

  A decade ago, he’d found her bluntness abrasive. But after Felicity blindsided him, dumping him when he’d never realized she had reservations about their relationship, he had a greater appreciation for outspoken females. Mia might be opinionated, but a man would know where he stood with her.

  Eager for her company, he hurriedly stuffed graded papers into his briefcase. Instead of waiting for the elevator, he took the stairs and met her in the lobby. She stood against the wall, studying her phone. Between her trench coat and the leather boots that went up almost to the hem of her skirt, she wasn’t showing any skin. But the way she carried herself made her as sexy as she had been in fishnet tights and a corset.

  When she glanced up, her hazel eyes meeting his, awareness jolted through him. At that moment, asking her out felt like the best decision he’d made in months. “Thanks for agreeing to dinner,” he told her. “I hope my showing up in person didn’t make you feel obligated to say yes.”

  Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “No worries on that score. My parents have tried to control me through a sense of obligation for years, with no success.”

  He felt a stab of envy—would that he could shrug off his own family obligations so easily. “Glad to hear it.” Did that mean she wanted to go out with him?

  She nodded toward his briefcase. “Get a lot of work done?”

  No. He’d been too distracted by the prospect of going out with her. “Some.”

  “What kind of career did you end up with, anyway?”

  “I teach.”

  Lips quirked in a half smile, she studied him in a leisurely perusal that made his skin prickle with heat. He reached for the door, welcoming the January chill.

  “You’re a professor,” she said, as they stepped outside.

  “Good guess.”

  “Well, I can’t picture you surrounded by small children. And college is so much more serious than high school.”

  For a minute, he really wished that he taught teenagers so he could show her he wasn’t as predictable as she imagined. But you are. Depressing.

  On the other hand, coming to see her this evening had been completely out of character. Who knew what other surprises might be in store? “And you’re an event planner,” he said, curious about the path she’d taken.

  She turned to face him, walking backward down the sidewalk. “What would you have guessed? I mean, if we hadn’t run into each other and I happened to cross your mind for some reason, what would you have imagined me doing for a living?”

  Daniel felt as if the question was a test. He had a history of unintentionally insulting her, which he didn’t want to do now, but she wasn’t the type of person who would appreciate a disingenuous answer, either. “No idea. But I could have pictured you as a lawyer. You always enjoyed arguing.”

  Her laugh suggested she was not offended by this assessment. Instead, she winked at him. “I enjoy lots of things, Danny.”

  His pulse pounded in his ears. He was suddenly very grateful Felicity hadn’t accepted his proposal. The fact that Mia’s mischievous smile seemed sexier than anything that had happened to him in the past six months proved there had definitely been something missing in his last relationship.

  “Why did you come here today?” she blurted. “If it’s just because you feel like you owe me an apology for putting your foot in your mouth the other night, don’t worry about it. I was already cranky from that jackass trying to—”

  “I’m here for fun.”

  She raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. He didn’t blame her. When was the last time he’d done anything for the sheer hell of it—because it made him smile, because he liked the exhilaration of not knowing what would happen next?

  He held her gaze, feeling freer, lighter, than he had in a long time. “You said that if I had changed, we could have had fun together. Maybe I need a change.” He’d carefully planned his life, set short-and long-term goals and worked studiously toward them, yet where had his efforts landed him? Single, with a family that would drive him ever crazier as the fall election approached. And as much as he hoped the university’s board of regents granted him tenure, stressing about their answer wouldn’t improve his chances.

  “Daniel Keegan having fun.” Mia’s tone was light and teasing. “There’s a mind-blowing concept.” They’d run out of sidewalk, and she paused at the edge of the parking lot. “So where to? Did you have a specific place in mind?”

  No. He was officially making this up as he went along. The only place he wanted to be was alone with her, but that seemed like an odd thing to say to a woman he hadn’t seen in nearly a decade. “What are you in the mood for?”

  “Ever had a plantain s’more?”

  “A what, now?”

  “Baked plantain, rolled in chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker crumbs. There’s a restaurant about fifteen minutes away that does Latin American and Caribbean food. They shouldn’t be too crowded on a Monday. Excellent dessert menu.”

  Her priorities amused him. “You always decide where to have dinner based on the desserts?”

  “Yes.” Her husky tone was both challenge and invitation. “What’s wrong with enjoying the evening more because you know it’s leading up to something deliciously decadent?”

  “I can’t argue with that.” The longer his gaze held hers, the more he wanted to hear about her ideas of decadence. He broke the connection, glancing toward his car. “I’m, ah, parked over there. Do you want me to follow you to the restaurant?”

  “To be perfectly honest, I spent the afternoon in traffic and am in no hurry to get back behind the wheel. Do you mind driving? I can give you directions to the restaurant, then you can bring me back here. If that’s not t
aking you too far out of your way.”

  “Not at all.” He might be out a little later than expected, but that might be a good thing. If he went to bed later than usual, would he stop waking up at three thirty or four in the morning, unable to fall back asleep?

  He’d had insomnia since New Year’s. During that window of time when he tossed and turned, pretending he might actually fall back asleep, it wasn’t Felicity who haunted him so much as his family’s faces when he’d told them. Poor Daniel had hung in the air like suffocating smog. His two older brothers were both married and unquestionably successful. Had he imagined the hint of smugness in their condolences? Daniel’s birthday was in a few weeks, which meant the usual family dinner. God willing, he’d have tenure by then. He would not be the failure in the Keegan family.

  He led Mia to his car and opened the passenger door for her, which earned him a bemused smile.

  “The polished manners of gallant Daniel Keegan,” she said softly.

  “Is that a roundabout way of saying I’m old-fashioned?” His own friends called him stuffy. To a free spirit like Mia, he must seem downright rigid.

  “It’s a roundabout way of saying I’m surprised you’re voluntarily spending time with me. I’m not known for demure refinement...as you pointed out more than once when we went to school together.”

  He flinched. In retrospect, he’d been a bit of a self-righteous ass when he was younger. Luckily, the longer he’d been out of his parents’ house, the less he judged others through the Keegans’ narrow worldview. When he’d met Mia, he’d found her both fascinating and discomfiting. He’d been raised not to steal attention from his brothers, who were clearly Going Places, raised never to do anything controversial or scandalous. His job was to blend, to be polite and unobtrusively charming.

  Mia Hayes did not blend.

  When he climbed in on his side of the car, he told her, “I’m sorry if there were times I was a sanctimonious jerk.”