“Yeah, I hate wife and child beaters,” Mandy agreed. “What happened to the happy days of liquor-store robbers and car thieves?”
Heidi giggled as the door to the elevator opened. “Ah, those were the days.”
Mandy followed her out to the lobby, mentally cursing herself for not taking the external stairway when she saw Clint making a beeline for them from across the room.
“Here comes your boyfriend,” Heidi teased.
“Ugh,” Mandy groaned. “He’s nice, but he’s driving me crazy.”
“Just tell him you’re not interested,” Heidi suggested.
“How do I work that into normal conversation?”
“Hi, Clint, you’re not my type,” Heidi suggested. “What is your type, by the way?”
Mandy didn’t answer because, unfortunately, the prime example of her type had just walked through the front door of the courthouse. James Hardy was talking with the security guard by the door, explaining something to him, so he hadn’t seen her yet. He stopped talking after a second and lifted his gaze, finding Mandy’s eyes across the busy room.
James couldn’t help but smile when he saw her. There was something about her that was screaming “dirty librarian.” Maybe it was that pencil skirt and heels. Although, truth be told, he liked her even better in her tight jeans and comfortable shoes. Dammit. He’d thought yesterday’s response to seeing her was just shock. Apparently no one told his libido that.
James watched as the girl with Mandy continued to chatter on, never moving his gaze from the blue depths of Mandy’s eyes as she focused on him. Even across the room he could feel her pull. Mandy’s attention finally shifted from him when a security guard moved between them and started talking. One look at the conflicted look on her face told James that the guard was a regular visitor in her life – and maybe not a welcome one. He gritted his teeth and moved toward Mandy, telling himself he was only doing it to protect her. The security guard might be a suspect, after all. He was only doing his job.
As he drew closer, James heard the end of the security guard’s question.
“So, do you want to get some dinner or something?”
Mandy didn’t know how to answer the question. Clint had dropped hints before, but he’d never overtly asked her out. “Oh, Clint … I, uh … I’m busy. Sorry.”
Mandy was keenly aware of James’ approach. He exuded self-confidence and sex without even trying. The straightening of Heidi’s body next to her told Mandy that James’ arrival wasn’t lost on her either.
“Busy doing what?” Clint asked.
“Um … .”
“She’s already got dinner plans,” James said smoothly, sliding in beside Mandy so Clint could get a good look at his competition. Not that he was competition, James reminded himself. He was just saving a friend from an uncomfortable situation. After looking Clint up and down, James dismissed him as any kind of competition at all without a second thought. Not that there was a competition, James mentally chided himself again.
“What are you doing here?” Mandy asked, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.
“Taking you to dinner,” James replied. “You didn’t forget, did you?”
Mandy furrowed her brow. She would remember if he asked her out to dinner. This was something else. If she didn’t know better, she would say it was some male show of testosterone that she would never fully understand. That didn’t fit her history with James.
“No,” she said finally. “I was just telling Clint I was busy.”
Heidi’s brown eyes were wide as she watched the exchange. “You liar!”
Mandy frowned at her friend. “I’m not a liar.”
“You said that nothing happened last night,” she said. “I knew something happened.”
James scowled. What was this woman talking about? Did Mandy go out with someone after he left last night? “I’m James,” he said, extending his hand to Heidi. “I’m an old friend of Mandy’s from home.”
“Oh, I heard,” Heidi said, taking his hand. “I’m Heidi.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“So,” Heidi pressed. “You’re one of the older brothers of Mandy’s friend that’s a boy and a friend but not a boyfriend, huh?”
James pursed his lips, unsure how to answer the question. “Mandy is like family,” he said finally.
Heidi puckered her lips, turning back to Mandy for clarification. “Do they have kissing cousins where you’re from?”
James barked out a laugh and ran his hand down Mandy’s back instinctively. He could feel the strap of her bra through the back of her shirt and, for a second, he pictured the white lacy one that had been on her bedroom floor the day before. “We’re not actual family.”
Mandy frowned, trying to fight the tingles James’ hand was sending up her spine. “We’ve known each other for a long time.”
“A long time,” James repeated for Clint’s benefit. “A really long time.”
Clint’s face fell. “Oh, well, have a good night.”
Mandy’s heart went out to Clint. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine,” Clint said as he shuffled away. “Have a good night with your friend.”
“I told you,” Mandy hissed to Heidi the minute he was out of earshot.
“And I told you to tell him that he wasn’t your type and to get over it,” Heidi said, her gaze never wandering from James’ handsome face. “You’re pretty good looking,” she said after a second. “What do you look like with your shirt off?”
James glanced at Mandy uncertainly. “I, um, don’t know.”
“Ignore her,” Mandy said, turning her full attention to James. “What are you doing here?”
James smiled impishly. “I’m taking you to dinner.”
Mandy narrowed her eyes. “Since when?”
“Since now.”
Mandy wasn’t sure what was happening, but she sighed, giving in despite her inner misgivings. She had to eat, after all. The more time she spent around James, the more she worried that he was going to leave her heart in tatters when he ultimately left.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m choosing where, though.” She had to keep some sort of control, even if it was just in regards to dinner options.
James seemed uncertain. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”
Mandy smiled mischievously. “I guess you’ll have to find out.”
James met her smirk with one of his own. “Lead the way.”
Mandy moved to walk out the front door of the lobby, only pausing when she saw Heidi frantically waving out of the corner of her eye. Heidi lifted her hand to ear, miming a telephone as she did. Mandy sent her a terse nod and then focused her attention back on James. “Let’s go.”
James chuckled under his breath. He hadn’t missed Heidi’s covert girl signal. The problem was, he couldn’t help but think he was just digging himself in deeper by taking Mandy to dinner. This wasn’t what he envisioned when he came to the courthouse. He was just going to give Mandy a quick update on her case and walk her to her car. That’s all.
The more James thought about it, the more he wondered if that was really the truth. He could’ve called her and told her they were still investigating. So what, pray tell, had forced him to get in his Explorer and drive across town in rush hour to see her?
Five
“This isn’t what I expected,” James said, glancing around the Thai restaurant doubtfully.
“You don’t like Thai?” Mandy asked, her voice full of faux innocence. She’d purposely picked a restaurant that couldn’t remotely be construed as romantic. She didn’t want James to think she was trying to force an issue he clearly had no interest in pursuing. She wasn’t desperate and she wasn’t fourteen anymore. She was a grown woman, for crying out loud.
“No, I like Thai,” James replied. “I just thought we would go to a place a little more … upscale. You’re a little overdressed for this place.”
Mandy glanced around Thai Express, suddenly feeling sil
ly that she’d picked it. “It’s comfortable. I’m not all that dressed up.”
James read the worry on her face and smiled. “It’s definitely comfortable,” he agreed, picking up the menu. “So, what do you eat here?”
“Pad Thai usually. It’s my favorite.”
James read the description of the dish on the menu. “Sounds good. Let’s make it two.”
Once the waitress had taken their order and dropped off their drinks, James considered what to say. “So, tell me about yourself. Tell me all about Mandy Avery.”
Mandy raised her eyebrows. “Well, I grew up in Barker Creek … .”
James smirked. “Thank you, smart ass. Tell me what happened after you left Barker Creek.”
“I went to Central,” Mandy replied. “I was there four years. I got this job right out of college. I’ve been here about two years. There’s not a lot to tell.”
James frowned. “That’s your whole life in a nutshell? There weren’t any interesting turns along the way?”
Mandy rolled her eyes. “I almost rushed a sorority in college before I realized that I wasn’t really interested and I lost my virginity on prom night somewhere in there, too. That’s about it.”
James felt his chest tighten – and his cheeks color – at the mention of Mandy’s virginity. “Anyone I know?” His voice sounded choked, even to his own ears.
“Todd Winthrop.”
James scowled. “That guy was an ass.”
“He was bad in bed, too,” Mandy laughed. “Three strokes and done.” Mandy waved her hands for emphasis. “In hindsight, I wish I had stayed inside and eaten the dried up chicken. It would’ve been more fulfilling.”
James laughed despite himself. “Live and learn.”
“That’s my motto,” Mandy said, sipping from her Diet Coke. “What about you? You joined the Marines, right?”
“I did.”
“Right after graduation,” Mandy pressed. “Did you know that’s what you were going to do all along?”
James nodded. “I knew I wanted out of Barker Creek,” he said. “With four of us, there wasn’t a lot of money for college. I figured that the military was the best way to get a college education.”
Mandy nodded in understanding. “Did your parents know?”
“I think it came as a surprise,” James admitted. “I didn’t want to hurt them or upset them, but I needed to get out of that town.”
“I hear that,” Mandy replied. “I knew when I left for college that I would never go back and live there. It was like this big weight just lifted off my shoulders when I got to college. There were so many new things, new people, it was just so much fun.”
“You liked college?”
“I did,” Mandy agreed. “I missed Ally, don’t get me wrong. I made new friends.”
“You guys didn’t stay in touch?”
“We did but, you know how things go, when you’re separated that long you just kind of drift apart,” Mandy said. “That’s why, when I heard she was down here, I couldn’t wait to see her. We always had so much fun. It was really great seeing her.”
“Yeah, she’s going to college right now,” James said, pride evident in his voice. “She’s working as a secretary at an insurance firm, too.”
“She looks great,” Mandy said.
“She’s not the only one,” James said sincerely.
Mandy couldn’t fight the warmth spreading across her cheeks and pooling between her legs. “So, tell me about the military.” Do not think about that, Mandy warned herself. He was just being nice.
James shrugged. “There’s not a lot to tell,” he said. “I was there for six years and then I wasn’t anymore.”
“That’s not much of a story,” Mandy prodded.
James shook his head. “It’s not something I really want to talk about.”
“Oh,” Mandy said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. That was stupid of me.”
“It’s fine,” James said, waving off her apology. “What I learned there gave me the opportunity to do what I’m doing now. I really have no complaints.”
Mandy furrowed her brow. “And what exactly do you do?”
James laughed. “Save damsels in distress. That’s right in the title of my job description.”
Mandy cocked her head to the side, trying to hide her smile under her hand. “Besides that.”
“It’s a lot of different things,” James said. “We set up security systems for businesses. We provide bodyguards for visiting dignitaries. We even serve as chauffeurs for certain people if they need it. It’s pretty varied.”
Mandy smiled as she pictured James in one of those little chauffeurs’ hats. In quick order, that thought was marred by the idea of him only wearing the chauffeur’s hat and nothing else, which caused a weird heating in her loins again. “Is it dangerous?”
James shrugged. “Not really. I guess there are a few dangerous situations,” he ceded. “Most of it is pretty boring.”
“And you brought Finn and Grady into the business when they were done in the Navy?”
James nodded. “They were ready to get out of the military and I thought it was a great chance for us all to build a solid business.”
“It seems to be working for you,” Mandy said.
“I enjoy it,” James said. “How about you?”
“How about me what?”
“Do you like being a court clerk?”
“Not really,” Mandy admitted guilelessly.
“Then why do you do it?” James asked, his eyes dark and curious.
“It’s what I went to school for,” Mandy replied. “I thought it was going to be different than what it is.”
“And what is it?”
“A lot of sadness really,” Mandy replied. “The people who come through that court have already screwed up their lives so profoundly it’s virtually impossible to ever get it back on track. Most of them have no hope for something better. It’s a little depressing.”
Realization dawned on James. “You thought you were going to be helping people get a fresh start, didn’t you?”
Mandy sighed. “Does that make me naïve?”
“No,” James said. “It makes you sweet.”
Mandy rolled her eyes. “I’m not sweet.”
“Oh, you’re sweet,” James laughed. “You’ve always been sweet. I used to worry that people would walk all over you when you were younger. You seemed to have found a balance.”
“You’re just saying that because your high school girlfriend used to make my life miserable.”
James scowled at the mention of Ann. “Why would she go after you?”
“You forget, I still had a year of high school with her after you left,” Mandy said. “Once you dumped her she became … unpleasant.”
James barked out a laugh. “She was unpleasant before I left.”
“Then why did you date her?”
“Boredom,” James said. “There weren’t a lot of options in Barker Creek. I would imagine that is how you ended up going to prom with Todd Winthrop.” The name was like sandpaper on his tongue. For some reason, James had the sudden urge to hunt Todd Winthrop down and beat the crap out of him.
Mandy couldn’t argue the point. “I guess. She was really mean.”
“She was horrible,” James agreed. “That’s why I had no qualms about leaving her for the Marines.”
“I bet,” Mandy laughed. “Did you know what a horrible mess you would be leaving behind when you did?”
“I had a small idea,” James admitted. “I didn’t really care.” A suspicious thought entered his mind. “Why did she go after you?”
Mandy dropped her eyes as she tried to hide her embarrassment. “You know why.”
James did but he wanted to hear her say it. “No, I don’t. Tell me.”
Mandy found the courage to meet his brown eyes across the table. “Because I had a crush on you and she wanted to make me pay for it. She wasn’t any better to your sister, by the way.”
&n
bsp; James’ heart warmed at Mandy’s confession. “I knew you had a crush on me.”
“I’m sure you did. I wasn’t very subtle back then.”
“I don’t think very many people knew,” James replied. “You played your cards close to your vest.”
“I would never wear a vest,” Mandy scoffed. “And, I think it was fairly obvious. All those ‘Mandy and James 4-Ever’ doodles on my notebooks were a dead giveaway.”
James grinned like a fool. “You did that?”
“I was a fourteen-year-old girl,” Mandy replied. “Of course I did that. We all did that. It’s not exactly something new. Don’t let your ego get too big.”
“How come I never saw one of those notebooks?” James teased. “You spent the night at our house three times a week. It seems like I would’ve seen one or two of them.”
“Because I wasn’t stupid enough to bring them to your house,” Mandy replied. “I was a teenage girl, not a stupid teenage girl.”
“No, you were never stupid,” James agreed. “I can’t argue with your taste, though. Well, Todd Winthrop notwithstanding.”
“He’s better than Ann Nelson,” Mandy countered.
James considered the statement. “You have a point.”
The waitress picked that moment to deliver their food. Once she was gone, James took a bite of his dish and then focused his attention back on Mandy. “You know, if you don’t like your job, you can always go back to school and pick out something else. You’re going to have more than enough money to buy a house and go back to school if you want to.”
“I’ve been considering it,” Mandy admitted. “I would probably keep my job and go to school. You know, keep the benefits.”
“That’s practical,” James agreed. “It’s probably not a bad idea. What would you go back to school for?”
Mandy shrugged, averting her gaze from James’ probing eyes. “It’s stupid.”
James reached across the table and grabbed Mandy’s wrist impulsively. “It’s not stupid if it’s what you want. That can never be stupid.”
Mandy stared at his hand in surprise. It took James a second to realize what he’d done but, when he did, he pulled his hand away reluctantly. Mandy already missed the warmth.
Deadly Intentions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 1) Page 4