“Dogs, huh? I guess I can come up with something to say.”
“Good. You think about it. I hate to throw you out, but I have some work to do before we go to dinner tonight.” To add credence to her comment, she busied herself with shuffling files strewn across her desk.
“Oh. Sure. We can spend some of our time tonight going over stuff I can say tomorrow night.”
“Great.”
Dan rose and headed to the door. “And the rest of the night, we’ll spend talking about us. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find out that we’re compatible.”
Us? Compatible? For what? “Huh?”
He grinned and Serena noticed that dimple forming…the one she’d first noticed on him days earlier.
“You know. Us. Able to get along other than in a business-client relationship. Like, maybe becoming partners?” Dan turned and strolled out the door.
After a full minute of staring at the door, Serena swung into action. First, she had to secure herself a date for the next night. Then, she’d have to have a long conversation with Mike.
Serena got up and walked into her back room. She opened her filing cabinet that housed all her clients’ files. She needed a date.
Sean had been number one. Number one date and Mr. “One”. She quickly read through files number two and three and dismissed them. Both had met women through her matchmaking technique and were blissfully happy. Their files had been labeled “Inactive”.
Mr. “Four” was still up for grabs, so Serena decided to give him a call. A professor at nearby Johnson County Community College should be able to handle some type of conversation with her for an evening. Interested in sports and the arts, Jason would do.
She could find something to talk to him about for one night. And it would only be for one night. They didn’t match, wouldn’t be compatible. She dialed his number planning to make the necessary arrangements.
Chapter Nine
“Mike, you can’t go to the restaurant.”
With a surprised look, her brother opened his mouth to speak and then snapped it shut again. Deep down inside, she knew he wanted to protect her, but he’d have to back off this time and give her some space.
Serena dropped her head back against the headrest of her recliner. This would be a battle. “Please, stay home.”
“Why? You can say you’re inviting me along so you can tell both of us about your business at the same time. Sorta saving time by not having to do it twice or showing favoritism.”
She closed her eyes, panicking at the images of an unhappy threesome glaring at each other over what should be a digestible meal. “No. I need to do this myself. Don’t you see? He doesn’t like you. He won’t be himself if you’re there.”
“Oh, now I get it.” Mike walked over to her and ruffled her hair.
“I don’t think I’m gonna like where you’re heading with this, Michael Patrick Xavier.”
“Hey,” he shrugged, “I can take a hint. You want to be alone with him.”
Irritation rising inside her, she pointed a finger in her brother’s direction. “Stop that right now. Yes, I want to be alone with him, but only because I think I can find out more about him without you bothering us.”
Hand held over his heart, Mike offered, “C’mon, little sister. You know me. I’ll be very friendly and ask the right questions. He’ll never realize how much information he’s giving us.”
“No.” Serena shook her head. “You’ll turn into ‘Detective Man, Protector of Little Sisters’ and turn our dinner into an interrogation complete with thumbnail screws. Badgering Dan isn’t the way to get him to talk.”
“And your plan is?”
“I’ll just turn on the charm and flirt with him. You tell me the questions to ask and I’ll throw them into our conversation while I bat my eyelashes a few times and wiggle my hips.”
With a frown on his face and his hands in his pockets, Mike rocked back and forth on his heels. “You really think he’ll respond to that?”
Annoyed, she answered, “Yes. Why? Don’t you think I could interest him? If we weren’t in this mess, he could be someone I’d match for myself. If I was looking for a match. Which I’m not. But we have things in common.”
“You definitely have all the right stuff to catch the interest of any man, not that you ever seem to use it. I still feel like I should lurk around the restaurant, maybe…”
“Don’t you dare. If he sees you snooping around, he may act completely different. I want to root out the real Dan so you stay far away. Write down the questions I should ask, then stay here and eat me out of house and home or go out for the night.”
Mike smiled at her, offering a resignation shrug. “Okay. You win. We’ll do tonight your way.”
“Thank you.” The tension in Serena’s body ebbed away, then escalated again. She’d have to use all her vast knowledge on dating, seduce Dan and get him to play twenty questions with her commanding the inquisition.
“I’ll write my list of questions. Maybe I’ll go see if Annemarie’s around.”
At the mention of his former girlfriend’s name, Serena glanced at her brother, full of curiosity. “You still hung up on her?”
He shook his head no and walked briskly toward the window. Serena realized he was feigning interest in the great outdoors. “I just thought I’d check on an old friend. Any problem with that?”
Smothering her laughter, Serena answered, “Certainly not. Go for it. I happen to know she’s still single and carrying a torch for a lost love.”
In one quick movement, he pivoted to face her. “Who’s the guy?”
Serena’s laughter couldn’t be contained any longer. “You idiot. It’s you. It’s always been you.”
Mike’s shoulders slumped. “How do you know that?”
“She stops in my office almost weekly to ask how you’re doing. Need any more evidence, oh, great detective?”
“You know what happened. I couldn’t ask her to move until I got myself settled. Then, time just kept marching by until I figured it was too late to expect her to wait around for me. And this cursed gift I have can make life complicated.” He dragged himself over to the sofa and plopped down.
Serena moved over to her brother and sat next to him. After taking his hand in hers, she said, “Listen to me and consider I just may know more about the two of you than you think. Mike, she loves you. She’s waited for you and will be more than happy to move and accept your ‘sight’. You don’t give her enough credit for adapting.”
Mike squeezed her hand. “You really think so? God, I hope she still loves me. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her.”
Serena reached over to grab her phone. She handed it to him. “Here. Call her. See her tonight and straighten out your life. I’ll take care of Dan. All you need to do is check out where he works on Monday.”
Mike grabbed the phone and grinned at his sister before punching in Annemarie’s number. “Thanks for the pep talk. After I speak to her, I’ll write your list. Go get yourself ready for tonight. I have some private talking to do and I don’t want you standing here listening to my conversation.”
“Tyrant. Hey, this is my house. I can stand where I want to.”
“I’ll pick you up and lock you in your room if I have to.” Mike made a fake menacing move toward Serena.
“Never mind. I’ll go quietly. Tell her I said hello.”
* * * * *
At the office parking lot, Serena sat in her car and reviewed the questions Mike had listed and rattled them off.
“How often have you dated?”
“How long has your longest relationship been?”
“What do you find interesting about my business?”
“What part in the business do you intend to play?”
“How will you relate to clients?”
She shook her head sideways, trying to ease the tightness forming in her neck. So many questions. Were they all necessary? Some of them seemed, well, more personal than important to h
er investigation. But, maybe Mike knew the way to get people to talk and throwing in all the personal stuff was a way to get Dan to relax.
Relax. Ha! How was she to relax with all the cloak and dagger stuff going on? Maybe a few glasses of wine would allow both of them to be more comfortable with each other.
The silky red dress she’d chosen for the evening clung as she’d hoped. It was cut low in the front, showing enough cleavage, thanks to her long-forgotten, rarely used push-up bra. Flirting, seducing, whatever, had never been her forte.
She’d worn higher heels than usual, opting for the three-inch, black-strapped beauties she’d bought on a spending spree without a clue as to what they’d match with and when she’d have the courage to try them. Tonight seemed like the right time to break them in.
She’d carefully made up her face and fixed her hair, both done in close fashion to her usual style. Her fire-engine red lipstick emphasized the color of her dress. Flame-colored earrings hung delicately by the sides of her face. Even her nail polish screamed “Red”.
Serena glanced at her watch. Where was he? Here she was, ready for someone to start singing about “The Lady in Red”, memorizing her list, hoping her brother was patching things up with Annemarie and Dan…
“Hello. Sorry I’m late.”
Serena jumped in her seat as Dan appeared by her driver’s side window. “I didn’t see you coming.”
She followed the direction of Dan’s pointing finger and realized he’d parked next to her, exited his car to walk up to her and she’d neither seen nor heard him.
Opening her car door, she apologized for not getting out sooner. “Sorry.”
“You really were off somewhere. Going over conversation suggestions for me for tomorrow night? Or, weren’t you thinking of me at all?”
“Uh, maybe, but mostly just daydreaming. A woman needs to keep some secrets to herself, right?” Flirty enough? Should I bat my eyelashes?
His eyebrows quirked at her comment, then he smiled. “I like unraveling mysteries. I wrote that in my resume for my bio. Keep your secrets…for now.”
He walked to his car and opened the door for her. It took a great deal of restraint on his part not to pull her into his arms and squeeze her between him and the car frame. Kissing her wildly, fiercely, came to mind. Hell. Not even out of the parking lot and his hormones itched to march out of control.
He’d seen her sitting in her car, staring off into space, her lips partly open, begging for attention. The shimmering glow of her dress, highlighted by the streetlight near their cars, wouldn’t allow his eyes to stray. The closer he got as he walked to her car window, the more he could witness the rise and fall of her breasts, encased but not completely covered in the same shiny material. The urge to kiss the spot between them triggered his heart to beat faster.
No doubt lingered in his head. He wanted this woman. Needed her. His body craved Serena.
Too bad she could be a criminal he’d have to arrest.
Damn.
Chapter Ten
“Is it warm in here or is it me?” The temperature in the restaurant’s dining room had Serena fanning herself with her hand.
It could just be the closeness of the tables, too many people giving off body heat. It could be the wine. She’d chugged down a glass while casting aside any resemblance to ladylike grace, triggering her body to warm up with a wonderful, cozy feeling of tranquility. Then again, it could be Dan’s never-ending stare, raking her body up and down since they met for dinner.
With one eyebrow quirked up in a definite arch, he riveted his attention to her face. “Seems fine to me. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just commenting on being hot.”
In a sensual voice he suggested, “Is my being here a problem for you? Am I too close?”
Dan…a problem?
Yes.
No.
Serena debated which answer to give to either question.
On one hand, her brain screamed out a resounding, “Yes!” My body reacts to your presence, regardless of every effort I make to treat you like just another client.
On the other hand, she’d have to give a defensive answer, “No.” Don’t flatter yourself. I’m nervous about being here with you because I’m not sure I can trust you.
Dan…too close?
No. Come closer, take me in your arms and to hell with the consequences.
Yes. Move your butt across the table from me, instead of sitting next to me.
Dizziness settled in from the contradicting opinions warring in her head. Serena opted for the coward’s way out. “Never mind. It’s just me. Too much wine on an empty stomach.”
“Then let’s eat. I’m starved. We can discuss your business after we order.”
He transferred his gaze to the menu, allowing Serena to breathe a sigh of relief as his attention drifted from her to something, anything, else. Dan made a few comments about some of the entrees, mentioning ones he’d had and rating their quality.
Handsome. Striking. All-male. Sexy.
Hell, any of those descriptions would fit him to a “T”. Her eyes were drawn to him and the more she stared, the more entranced Serena became. His pale blue shirt created the perfect background for a blood red tie, it blazed with the word “coordination”, as if they’d planned to match his tie with her dress.
She’d always adored men in suits. The classy, elegant look accentuated his features. Dark blue suit, even the smart red handkerchief hanging slightly out of his top pocket, announced his presence.
Lord, keep my hands where they belong. Touching him would turn her world upside down. Combining that craving with his nearness and looks would launch her mind to spin farther and farther from sanity.
One word came to mind…lust. The depth of desire for Dan shook her to the core. Never had she experienced a wanton passion with Alan. He’d held her back from making her needs known, convinced her any real desire on her part labeled her a nymphomaniac.
With Dan, restraining her sexual cravings tested her control. The word lust had many synonyms and Serena could use all of them to describe her amorous need for Dan. She needed to refocus her attention elsewhere before she jumped him right then and there.
She grabbed her glass, now full again after Dan had refilled it and swirled the liquid slightly before sipping her wine. Serena focused on the light reflecting off its shiny surface. Clearing her throat while regaining control of her thoughts, she offered, “I know what I want to order. Here comes our waiter.”
Only occasional comments between them interrupted their dinner, most of their conversation concentrating on their meals. Chiding herself for forgetting the real reason for being there in the first place, Serena resolved to put her plan into action.
She was a woman on an undercover mission to unveil the true Dan Reese and needed to unleash her sex appeal and unveil her seductive charms. Serena tried her best to bat her eyelashes now and then, smiling a cute, sickening kind of smile she’d mimicked after observing another obviously amorous couple two tables over.
The woman simpered and sighed at her date and he reacted like a lovesick puppy basking in her adoring sunshine. Trying not to choke at the lovers playing their game but emulate the woman’s actions at a less intense level tied Serena’s stomach in knots. The food had to be wonderful, she just hadn’t tasted it with her full concentration diverted elsewhere.
Dan ate with relish, obviously enjoying and savoring his meal. He’d eyed her with a look of surprise at her attempt at flirting, but quickly presented a charming smile accompanied by a wink. Flirting and aiming attention in his direction had affected him, although Serena couldn’t be sure it would be a positive notch for her in scoring points.
“So, tell me about yourself and your business.” Dan had finished eating, wiped his mouth with his napkin and now directed his full attention to her. His timing wasn’t impeccable…she’d just shoved a forkful of dessert into her mouth.
Swallowing too quickly, she began to cough. Dan po
ured more wine into her glass and she welcomed its cool, calming effect on her throat.
“I didn’t mean to make that sound stressful. How about we just talk about ourselves first, business later.”
His quick, nonchalant comment lulled her senses. Flowing into any kind of conversation with Dan would seem as natural as breathing. His eyes mesmerized her, his voice soothed her nerves.
Or, maybe it was all that damn wine.
Serena needed a momentary mental shake to bring her back into the here and now, ready to deal on an equal level with Dan. She was supposed to be doing the interview, asking the questions. When did he gain control?
Clearing her throat, she replied with confidence, “You start first. I only know what you put down on your information sheet. Wait a minute. I have some questions written down…” She rummaged in her purse and came up with the list Mike had given her.
“Uh, have you dated a lot? What kind of women?” Serena’s face warmed at these questions as she rushed out the words and wondered whatever possessed her to agree to Mike’s line of questioning in the first place. She shifted in her seat as a twinge of curiosity spurred her forward. “How long has your longest relationship lasted? Any serious commitments?”
She refolded her list, slumped back against her chair and focused on Dan.
“This sounds more like a laundry list of questions coming from a jealous would-be lover.” His voice held a sensuous tone as he uttered his comment. His hand slipped over to one of hers and covered it in a warm, masterful protective squeeze.
Totally embarrassed, Serena wrenched back her hand. Too many letters danced in her head, all spelling out the word “sex”. He had to stop touching her even if her body craved each and every stroke.
“I, umm, want things to be open and honest between us. If you answer my questions, I’ll answer yours. If we decide to become partners, we need to know and trust each other. Since this is a dating service, I want to know your experience in relationships, even, say, if I do all the matchmaking.”
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