Tall, Dark and Paranormal: 10 Thrilling Tales of Sexy Alpha Bad Boys

by Opal Carew

  “Okay, I’m here. What’s the emergency?” Megan asked, breezing past Simone the moment she opened the door. “And why are you half naked?”

  Simone didn’t even stop long enough to answer. Instead, she swung the door closed, then hurried past the other woman on the way to the bedroom. “I’m having coffee with Drake in less than an hour and I have nothing to wear.”

  Megan followed. “Drake who?”

  Simone gave her friend an impatient look as she dug out a floral print sundress from the bottom of the pile of clothes and held it up. “Drake Parrish. The consulting editor you hooked me up with.”

  The blonde blinked in surprise. “He lives in New York?”

  Simone nodded. “Manhattan.”

  The other woman’s lips curved into a smile. “That makes things more convenient. I didn’t exactly hook you two up, though. But I’m glad you’ve got a date with him.”

  “It’s not a date,” Simone protested. “It’s coffee.”

  “Riiiight,” Megan drawled. “And do you always put this much thought into what you wear when you meet me for coffee?”

  “Of course not.” Simone tossed the dress back on the bed. “Okay, so it’s a date. Now help me find something to wear.”

  The other woman grinned as she dropped her purse on the upholstered bench at the foot of the bed. “So, did you ask him out or did he ask you?”

  Simone gave her friend a sheepish look. “I asked him.”

  Megan’s smile broadened. “You go, girl!”

  Even though Simone couldn’t help but laugh, she was determined to stick to the task at hand. “Right now, I’m not going anywhere unless I find something to wear.”

  Her friend put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips in thought. “What about jeans? You always look great in them.”

  Simone tilted her head to the side as she considered the other woman’s suggestion. She thought about wearing jeans, but while they did great things for her ass and showed off her long legs, she was concerned they might be too casual. She didn’t want to send the wrong message. When she said as much to Megan, the other woman nodded.

  “On the other hand, I’m worried a dress might not be casual enough,” Simone added. “It is just coffee.”

  Her friend was silent as she surveyed the mound of clothing on the bed. Simone did the same. How could she have so many clothes and yet absolutely nothing to wear? She bet Drake wasn’t spending the whole day agonizing in front of his closet. But from the minute she read his email that morning and replied back saying she’d love to meet him for coffee, it was all she did. It was a good thing she didn’t check her email before going to bed last night or she would have been up all night trying on clothes.

  Simone wasn’t sure what had made Drake change his mind about going out with her, but she was glad he had. Even though they spent the better part of yesterday chatting online with each other, she was nervous about meeting him in person. Of course, it could have something to do with the fact that she’d never been on a blind date before. What if they didn’t hit it off? What if there was absolutely no chemistry between them?

  “How about this?”

  Shaking herself from her thoughts, Simone looked at Megan to see the other woman holding up a short silk skirt and a lace-trimmed cami-top.

  “If you wear low-heeled sandals, it won’t look too dressy,” Megan added. “But because the skirt is short, it’ll still show off a lot of leg. Best of both worlds.”

  Simone eyed the skirt and top thoughtfully, then smiled. “Megan, you’re a genius! That’s perfect.”

  Taking the skirt from her friend, Simone slipped into it while Megan sat down on the bench.

  “I’m jealous, you know,” Megan said.

  Simone looked at the other woman in surprise. “You are? Why?”

  “Because you get to go have coffee with a hot guy like Drake Parrish while I have to spend the afternoon going through the pile of submissions on my desk.”

  Simone’s brow furrowed suspiciously. “How do you know Drake is hot? I thought you said you never met him.”

  “I haven’t,” Megan said. “But I’ve talked to him on the phone and his voice is sexy as sin. Honey, that man could read to me from the dictionary and have me soaking my panties.”

  Simone smiled as she pulled the cami-top over her head. She’d have to remember to use that line in one of her books. “That good, huh?”

  The blonde sighed. “Oh, yeah. And with a voice like that he has to be attractive.”

  Simone walked into the adjoining bathroom. Picking up her brush, she ran it through her hair. “You know, just because Drake has a great voice, that doesn’t mean the rest of him is going to be just as sexy. He could be hideous.”

  “He can’t be,” Megan said from the bedroom. “God wouldn’t be so cruel to my fantasies. Drake is gorgeous, I just know it.”

  Simone hoped so. Unscrewing the cap from the tube of lip gloss, she ran it over her lips, then sprayed on some perfume before studying her reflection in the mirror. Her makeup was light and natural, but still sexy, and the skirt and top hugged her slender curves perfectly. Satisfied with her appearance, she went back into the bedroom and groaned when she realized half the clothes in her closet were still piled on top of her bed. She started to put everything away, but Megan waved her hand.

  “Don’t worry about all this. I’ll put everything away and neaten up.” Megan gave her a wink. “Just in case you decide to bring Drake back here for a some dessert and a sack session.”

  Simone laughed. “I don’t think I’ll be taking part in any sack sessions on a first date.”

  Her friend grinned. “You say that now, but once you find out he’s just as hot as I say he is, you might change your mind.”

  Simone made no comment. She only hoped the other woman was right about Drake. She wouldn’t mind having a hot guy in her life now that she’d gotten her book on track. Going over to the dresser, she opened her jewelry box and took out a pair of oversized, hoop earrings, then slipped on a ring and a set of bangle bracelets. As she picked up her watch, she glanced at the time and was stunned to see it was almost two-thirty.

  “Crap,” she muttered. “I have to go.”

  Hurrying into the living room, she scooped up her purse from the couch, then started for the door. In the entryway, she stopped to turn and look at Megan.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind cleaning up?”

  The other woman shook her head. “Not at all. Now go or you’ll be late. And don’t forget to call me with all the details when you get home.”

  “I will,” Simone promised as she yanked open the door. “And thanks!”

  Once outside her apartment building, Simone stopped to look at her watch again. Okay, so she was running a few minutes later than she would have liked, but she still had twenty-five minutes to make it to the café. Though it was a beautiful day, walking so far in that amount of time was out of the question. She’d end up rushing and arriving at the restaurant all sweaty and windblown. She would have to take a cab.

  Luck was with her and she ended up getting a taxi within seconds. Climbing inside, Simone leaned back in the seat gratefully. Giving the cabbie the name of the café, she took out the little hand mirror she always kept in her purse and checked her makeup.

  “Got a big date?” the cabbie asked.

  Simone stifled a groan. Sheesh, was it written on her forehead or something? She took out her tube of lip gloss. “No, not a date. Just meeting a friend for coffee.”

  “Right.” The gray-haired cabbie laughed and glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “I went on one of those not-a-dates with someone, too. Turned out to be the best not-a-date I ever had. I ended up marrying her.”

  Simone ran the tube over her lips. “Uh-huh.”

  As the cab pulled up in front of the restaurant, Simone reached over the seat to hand him the cab fare. “Keep the change.”

  He gave her a nod. “Thank you kindly. You have fun on your not-a-date now. And ord
er the cheesecake for dessert. They make it good here.”

  She smiled and opened the door. “I’ll remember that.”

  Simone stepped onto the sidewalk and slowly made her way to the hostess area at the edge of the covered patio. If Drake was already at the café waiting for her, she didn’t want to look as if she was running late. She glanced at her watch. Five minutes to three. Perfect.

  The red-haired hostess picked up a menu and smiled as she approached. “One?”

  Simone returned the woman’s smile. “Two, actually.” She looked around the patio, but didn’t see a lone man seated at any of the tables. It would help if she knew what Drake looked like. When she’d asked him, he said since he already knew what she looked like from seeing her picture on the inside back cover of her books, he’d find her.

  She turned back to the hostess. “I’m meeting someone, but I don’t know if he’s here yet.”

  “Oh. Do you want to go inside and check?”

  “I don’t really know what he looks like.” Simone looked sheepishly at the other woman. “It’s kind of a blind date and we’re not actually supposed to meet until three. I’m a little early.”

  The redhead gave her a knowing grin as she picked up another menu. “I’ve been on a couple of blind dates myself so I know exactly how you feel. Why don’t I seat you at a table out here on the patio? That way, you can kind of check out any loner guys as they come in and head for the exit if your date ends up looking like some kind of weirdo.”

  Simone laughed. “Sounds good.”

  The hostess showed her to a table that gave her a great view of the entrance to the café as well as the street.

  “Your server will be with you shortly,” the woman said as she handed Simone one of the menus.

  The waiter came over as soon as the hostess left. He was tall and thin with curly, blond hair and glasses. He gave her a grin as he poured water into one of the glasses. “Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?”

  Simone shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m meeting someone, so I’m going to wait until he gets here to order.”

  He filled the other water glass. “My name’s Robert. Just let me know if you need anything before then.”

  Simone nodded and assured him she would. As he walked off, her gaze strayed to the entrance of the restaurant. Though a lot of men walked by the café, none of them came inside. Every time a cute guy got close, she found herself wondering if he could be Drake. And every time a not so cute guy got close, she found herself hoping he wasn’t. She supposed she should stop being so shallow. There was more to a guy than a handsome face, a chiseled body and a big penis. Having a great sense of humor and the ability to carry on a meaningful conversation definitely counted for a lot. From the time she’d spent chatting with Drake on the net, she already knew he scored big in both of those areas. She was going to appreciate Drake for the person he was, no matter what he looked like. Of course, that didn’t stop her from mentally sizing up every guy who got near the hostess desk anyway.

  But checking out every guy who walked by got old after a while. She glanced down at her watch and frowned when she saw it was already fifteen minutes after three. Over by the entrance, the hostess was looking at Simone as if she thought she’d been stood up. Simone was starting to think the same thing. Damn, she didn’t think Drake would do something like that. Then again, this was just another example of her bad taste in men.

  Telling herself she’d give Drake another ten minutes, she picked up a menu and opened it.

  Simone was just drooling over the picture of the New York style cheesecake in the desserts section when she realized someone had come up to the table. Thinking it was the waiter, she lifted her head to give him a smile. But as her gaze traveled up a pair of legs encased in tight-fitting jeans, then on to a trim waist and broad, muscular chest, she decided it definitely wasn’t the waiter.

  As her gaze continued upward, she saw that the guy’s face was just as gorgeous as the rest of him. Dark hair, a wide, sensual mouth and a chiseled jaw with a slight trace of stubble had him looking as if he’d just stepped off the cover of GQ. Or one of her romance books.

  Please God, let this be Drake Parrish.

  “Simone?” asked the jean-clad dream.

  The words were deep and velvety, and Simone let out a little sigh as they caressed her. Megan had said his voice was as sexy as sin and she was right. This was definitely Drake.

  Abruptly realizing she was sitting there looking at him like a lovestruck teenager, Simone opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. All she could do was gaze into those soulful brown eyes of his.

  “Huh?” was all she finally managed.

  He gave her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

  Simone’s eyes went wide when he started to turn away. Crap, he was leaving. “I am someone else!”

  He turned back to her. “Pardon me?”

  She blushed. “I mean, I’m Simone. Are you Drake?”

  The corner of his mouth edged up. “That’s me.” He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. “I’m sorry I’m late. There was more traffic than I thought there’d be.”

  Was there? Between freaking out about meeting Drake and the cabbie chewing her ear off, she hadn’t noticed much of anything on the way to the restaurant. She gave him an embarrassed smile. “To be honest, I was starting to think you’d changed your mind about coming.”

  “Definitely not. I’ve been looking forward to this all day. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about meeting you, though. I’ve never been on a blind date before.”

  For some reason, the fact a guy as handsome as Drake could be just as nervous about a first date as she was made Simone feel better about being anxious herself. She smiled. “Me, neither.” She would have said more, but the waiter chose that moment to appear beside their table.

  “How is your book coming?” Drake asked after they ordered.

  “Great now, thanks to you.”

  “I didn’t do much. I just gave you a nudge in the right direction.” He stirred sugar in his coffee, then picked up his cup and took a swallow. “That’s all I ever really do.”

  “I think it was a little bit more than a nudge. Thanks for sparing my feelings, though.” She sipped her iced tea. “So, have you always worked as an editor?”

  He set down his cup with a wry smile. “No. Actually, I used to work on Wall Street before I got into editing.”

  Okay, she hadn’t expected that. “Wow. That’s a big leap, going from Wall Street to editing romance books. There’s got to be a story there.”

  He shook his head. “Not much of one. I used to be a financial analyst for Graystone and Burke and just decided I needed a change.”

  Simone didn’t know a lot about the world of finance, but even she’d heard of that place. “Graystone and Burke is a pretty prestigious company. What made you leave? Did you get tired of carrying your paycheck home in an armored truck?”

  He chuckled. “Exactly. How’d you guess? No, I just came to the realization I didn’t like the kind of person I was turning into. I was too concerned with making money and having a corner office. It blinded me to the more important things in life, so I just up and left.”

  Simone knew there was probably more to it than that, but she didn’t want to pry. It seemed like a sensitive subject for him. She sat back and studied Drake, picturing him in a suit and tie, and decided he’d look damn sexy. She was more the jeans and T-shirt kind of woman, though, so she was glad he’d left the dark side and joined the world of romance. Besides, a suit would hide way too much of that amazing body of his. Like those arms, for example. If she had her druthers, there’d be a law that said he had to keep those muscular biceps exposed at all times. She was tempted to lean over and give them a squeeze, but she resisted the urge and let her gaze wander over his broad shoulders instead. She bet the rest of him was just as ripped.

  She blushed at the image of herself
running her hands up and down his chest right there where everyone could see. “Well, like I said before, editing romance books is about as far as you can get from Wall Street. How did you get into it anyway?”

  “Pure luck, really. I kind of just stumbled on it.” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “After I left Graystone and Burke, I hung around my apartment for a few weeks wondering what I wanted to do with my life. I worked as a personal financial advisor at first, mainly because it was the only thing I knew how to do. One day, a client suggested I write an article for Money Issues, the magazine where he worked. I hadn’t done any writing since college, but I figured I’d give it a try. I thought it would be a one-time thing, but the editor liked my piece so much he gave me a regular monthly column.”

  “That’s impressive. I worked for a magazine after graduating from college, so I know how hard it can be to get your own column,” Simone said. “How did you go from writing for a financial magazine to editing romance books?”

  “In between writing the column, I did some editing for the magazine, too. Word got around that I was fast and easy to work with and before I knew it, I was editing everything from instruction manuals to articles in home decorating magazines.” He shook his head. “I didn’t even know what a consulting editor was until one of the literary agents at Hewitt heard about me and asked me to work with a stockbroker who was writing a book. When they paired me up with my first romance writer a couple of weeks later, I almost turned them down. I mean, I’d never even read a romance book. How the heck was I supposed to edit one?”