by Marie Harte
He jerked his door open and pulled her inside, locking the door behind her. From what she could see through dimmed lights, he had a nice, masculine place. Up close, his apartment had more charm than she’d seen through his windows. White-washed walls framed a spacious apartment with brown leather furniture. He had oak hardwood floors, dark cabinetry that looked extremely expensive and definitely hand-crafted. His small kitchen was bright and cheery, with an apple-green tile backsplash against white cabinets. No dishes cluttered the sink, and the rest of his place looked tidy, as if he’d recently cleaned.
For a split second she wondered if he had a girlfriend they’d never seen, or worse, if he might in fact be gay. But Faith had seen him watching porn, she remembered, and unconsciously glanced toward his windows. She blinked, noting them completely covered.
“No need to give your friends more of a show than we have to,” he said in a gritty voice.
She whipped her head to him, studying him warily. What the hell had she been thinking? She stood alone in an apartment with a virtual stranger, one who seemed in a pretty fierce mad as he glared at her. He towered over her, his muscles clearly outlined in the soft lighting of the room. She took a cautious step back, aware he’d locked his door, and swallowed loudly.
Seeing her fear, his scowl deepened.
Anxiety flared. What did she really know about Gage? He worked in construction, put in a full day’s work, and didn’t screw around, or at least he hadn’t for the past three months. He apparently liked porn—she still had a bone to pick with Faith about that—and despite leaving his curtains wide open at night, had issues with being spied upon.
He took a step closer and surprised her by sighing. “Now, Hailey, why don’t you tell me what you’ve really been doing in Faith’s apartment every Friday night for the past few months.” He walked toward her and she froze. He mumbled something under his breath, and her gaze followed him as he walked around her to his door, then leaned back against it, blocking any chance at escape. His muscled arms crossed over his massive chest, and he stared at her with an intensity she found unnerving.
“How do you know my name?” And how did he know about Fridays at Faith’s? She stalled, trying to think of a way out of this mess. It was one thing to fantasize about doing a guy this hot, but another to actually do it. Should she apologize nicely, flirt, or maybe offer some kind of financial restitution?
He smiled, a lazy grin that widened as he glanced from her eyes to her mouth, and lingered over her breasts. “I know a lot about you, Hailey. I know you used to live in Abberwick before you moved across town. I know you’re good friends with Faith and your three other pals, the women who hang around Friday nights watching me.”
She flushed at the accusation in his tone. “If you didn’t want to be watched, you should have closed the curtains.” A pitiful defense, but it was all she had.
“Tsk, tsk.” He shook his head. “Never admit to the crime. And especially not to your victim, unless you mean to make things right.”
His voice ended on a husky note, and the predatory gleam in his eyes had her breathing hard. The fact that her nipples immediately knotted into beads and her panties grew damp only worried her further. It didn’t seem normal to be turned on and frightened at the same time.
“Look,” she began in a shaky voice, “I’m sorry if you think I did something you object to. You’re a good-looking man. And if I happened to glance at you a time or two through Faith’s window into your brightly lit, exposed apartment, I apologize.”
He grinned, and her heart raced like she’d run a marathon. God, why couldn’t he be an arrogant jerk with no sense of humor? Her fear faded as if it had never been there, and suddenly her sex drive shot into high gear, shocking the crap out of her.
“Hailey, you have one hell of a fire in those hot, whiskey-brown eyes.”
Sure, but have you ever looked into her eyes? Frigid bitch, resounded in her thoughts, and she wondered how Gage saw her as someone so different from the woman her coworkers saw on a daily basis.
“I think you’ve made a mistake, Mr., ah…” she paused, waiting for him to fill in the blank. When he continued to grin, his hungry gaze wandering over her body, she froze him with the look she regularly gave Eddie at work.
Unlike Eddie, however, Gage didn’t frown or glare back in disgust. His mouth quirked at the corner, and to her bemusement, she had an almost irresistible urge to kiss him there.
“My name’s Gage. And if you want to know my last name, you have to take me to dinner.”
“Take you to dinner?” she repeated blankly.
“Yeah, if you want to stay out of jail for being a Peeping Tom, and if you want to know exactly who you’ve been spying on.”
“I told you, I wasn’t spying—”
“Save it.” He held up a callused hand. “Dinner or jail? Your choice, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart? The annoyance she should have been feeling at the inappropriate pet name was smothered under another wave of lust. On his lips, the endearment sounded like a come-on. One she was all-too-willing to hear all over again.
What the hell am I doing? He’s locked me in his apartment, and now he’s blackmailing me into dinner? That or jail? Is this how he gets all his girlfriends? A glance over his superbly conditioned body made her rethink the notion. And then, to her astonishment, she found herself nodding hesitantly while her mind shrieked at her to say no.
The satisfaction on his face made her shiver. Would he look like that while making love? And why can’t I stop thinking about him naked and in bed?
“Tell you what. I’ll meet you at Kincaid’s on the corner of 8th Street, tomorrow night at six. And don’t be late.”
While she stared at him with her mouth open, her thoughts a muddle of confusion, desire and surprise, he unlocked and opened the door, and gently pulled her out into the hallway.
“Like I said, Hailey. Don’t be late, or I’ll make that police report. Have I mentioned my cousin’s on the force?” He closed the door with a sly grin, and Hailey could only stare in puzzlement.
She’d been caught by the man she ogled every Friday night. Caught and blackmailed into dinner. And she had a vague sense of happiness over the situation.
It was only as she left the complex for the nearest liquor store, where she should have been heading in the first place, that she realized she hadn’t come off as a frigid bitch for once. And she’d spoken clearly and firmly to a man who should have scared the hell out of her, but for some reason didn’t anymore. As if in a dream, she drove to the store, purchased a few bottles of wine and one of brandy, and returned to Faith’s, curious as to Sydney’s take on the matter.
The minute he shut the door in Hailey Jennison’s face, Gage Warren sagged back against it, silently groaning.
For months he’d been dying to meet her, and then she’d moved out of the damned building. By chance, he’d been working on a job a few doors down from her new place when he’d seen her and her redheaded friend entering an older home on The Hill. An inquiry online had shown him she’d purchased the quaint home herself, no other names on the listing but hers.
He’d known she wasn’t married, and after a few carefully placed questions around the complex, he’d learned she wasn’t currently dating either.
“I just forced the woman to dinner,” he said stupidly, realizing what he’d done. “Hot damn.”
He grinned widely and shucked the rest of his clothing, heading for the shower with an urge to suddenly rid himself of the day’s grime. The hard-on he’d been sporting since touching Hailey had only grown, and with some discomfort, he realized he could still smell her on his skin.
She wore some kind of perfume, nothing floral, but a sensual scent that made him think of sultry nights and slick sheets. He groaned and stepped into the shower, turning the water on cold, his dick still throbbing as he envisioned Hailey from top to bottom.
The first time he’d seen her, he’d fallen in instant lust. She had a centerfold�
��s body—large breasts, a trim waist, long, long legs and a firm, round ass. And her face…high cheekbones, almond-shaped amber eyes and lush lips he’d imagined time and time again wrapped around his cock.
He groaned and began soaping his body, his arousal almost painful. How was it he’d finally found a woman who interested him, and he’d had to force her into a date? The thought might have been depressing had he not caught her watching him. He smiled, aware she’d been one of his admirers from day one. Hell, that’s why he’d strutted around his apartment while being ogled by a bunch of women in the first place.
It didn’t hurt his ego that most of the women across the way were attractive. The redhead he’d seen enter Hailey’s house that day had been interesting, but not nearly as much as Hailey. A woman who looked that good should have been married, or at least attached to someone. But, from all accounts, Hailey shot down any guy stupid enough to ask her out. For that reason, he’d bided his time, encouraged she’d at least liked the look of him.
But after several months of still no contact, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Confronting her had been difficult, his surprising fear of rejection making him wonder just how the woman had gotten to him so hard, so fast. He didn’t really know much more about her than that she didn’t date, and that she was hot as hell. But something he’d seen tonight in her eyes, a shaky wariness, made him think twice, forced him to slow down when all he’d wanted was to shove her up against the wall and fuck her brains out.
He groaned at the image and finally allowed himself some relief. Grabbing his painfully hard shaft, he began pumping. His large fist clenched tight, and he found his rhythm, easily envisioning Hailey’s hand, then her mouth, wrapped around his cock. Her tongue would slide smoothly across the head, licking at the come gathering at his tip. She’d suck him deep, stroking, unrelenting with those cherry-red lips as she played him with her seductive tongue.
And she’d be naked, her breasts round and soft and white. Her nipples would be stiff, arousal flushing them pink as she fingered herself, as hungry for his cock as she was for climax. He panted heavily, his hand quickening as he envisioned her crying out, her orgasm intense as she sucked him harder, deeper into her mouth, then fondled his sack with her soft hands…
“Shit,” he rasped and shot hard, his orgasm intense. He closed his eyes as he came, ropy jets of come marking the blue tile. Damn, but if she was half as good as his fantasies, he’d never take another woman in his life.
As he rinsed off and toweled dry, he wondered just what it would take to penetrate the icy wall surrounding Hailey. She had a thing for his body, that he knew. But what the hell did he need to do to get her to open up to him?
He grimaced. He knew he was good in the sack. There he could persuade Hailey to give him a chance. But how to get her there? His poor rapport with the opposite sex not withstanding, he knew he came across as the rough type, less than a gentleman for sure. But hell, he wasn’t like the twins, his older brothers. Both of them could pass for Romeo, held doors for women, and knew every which way to compliment them. He, however, did his best work with his body. His mouth had a tendency to screw up even the easiest of relationships.
Frowning, he threw on a pair of shorts and grabbed a frozen dinner from the freezer. After nuking it nearly inedible, he wolfed down the cardboard-tasting meatloaf and gritty potatoes and decided to make it an early night. He’d worked his ass off today, nearly finishing the trim work inside their latest project. Derrick would have a hell of a time criticizing the work he’d accomplished.
Smiling at the thought of finally muting his outspoken brother and business partner, he lay back in bed and folded his hands behind his head. Studying the ceiling, he idly noted a few cracks needing repair around the light fixture as again his thoughts lit on Hailey.
Sighing, he decided to seek help from the sources closest to him, and prayed they’d help him reach the flesh and blood goddess who’d finally fallen right where he wanted her.
Chapter Three
“So, I still don’t understand,” Sydney said, swallowing another mouthful of Zinfandel. Sydney, God bless her, liked to indulge. Wine, chocolates, men. It was a wonder the woman didn’t weigh four-hundred pounds and have six kids. But she possessed great genes and had a head when it came to the opposite sex. Unlike Hailey.
“He blackmailed me to go to dinner with him. What’s to understand?”
“Why you didn’t offer to take him to dinner as an apology. He had to blackmail you into it? Honey, something is definitely wrong with you if you need to be forced to date that man.”
Hailey blushed. “I’m not good at men. You know that.”
“You’re not good at believing in yourself,” Sydney began, making Hailey sigh. Not this again. “Your mother didn’t do you justice. Too many men and not enough time for her daughter. Trust me, I’ve been there.” Anger glittered in Sydney’s green eyes. “But that’s another story. Don’t think you can distract me from a date with Mr. Tool.”
“His name is Gage.”
“Gage what?”
“I don’t know.” Hailey frowned and took a sip of wine. A sip, a nibble of a cracker, a forced date with her fantasy man. She sighed. She and Sydney were as different as night and day. “That’s another condition of our date. He won’t press charges, and when we’re done the date, he’ll tell me his last name.”
Sydney hooted and choked on her next swallow. “My bet is Gage has the hots for you, like any other guy with a pulse. And I think it’s telling he didn’t do anything to you in his place. He could have tried something, you know. But instead he’s meeting you at Kincaid’s. That place is awesome.”
“And expensive.”
“Like you can’t afford it,” Sydney snorted. “You don’t spend money on anything else. When’s the last time you bought some new clothes?”
“I just bought some hose yesterday.” Ha. Take that, Sydney.
“With your taste, control tops. Hell, Hailey, you’re verging on old age and you’ve yet to reach thirty. Grab yourself some thigh-highs and a garter belt. Go sexy and grab that fine man before someone else does.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, oh. Before someone like me grabs him,” Sydney challenged, a sparkle in her eyes. “I’ve been in a dry spell lately, and a night with Mr. Tool would definitely ease my frustration.”
Jealousy suddenly overwhelmed her and Hailey blinked, confused at her feelings. Sure she’d dreamed about Gage for months, but that didn’t make him hers. Sydney and the others had watched him just as long. So what made her feel so possessive? And why did his hungry gaze not turn her off as so many others had?
“Sydney, let me ask you a question.”
“Shoot.”
She took a deep breath. “Do you think I’m an icy, ah, frigid bitch?”
“What? Who the hell called you that? Mr. Tool?”
“No, no. I overheard one of the sales guys at work the other day.” She repeated the conversation. “I’m happy now, with my life I mean. I have a decent job, a great new house, and wonderful friends.” She eyed her friend up and down with a grin. “And you.”
“Funny girl.”
“I’m not lonely, exactly, but—”
“You can’t help wondering what it would be like to have a special man in your life.”
“Does that make me desperate?”
“Hell no. I’m there too.” Sydney flashed her a grin. “And I’m not desperate. Frustrated, like I said, but I’m choosy. When I find the man worthy of giving up Friday nights with my girlfriends, then I’ll know he’s someone special.” She paused. “I think you should give Mr. Tool, I mean Gage, a shot. We know he’s gorgeous, but he sounds interesting. Now most women would call him a pig for forcing you into a dinner with him. But me, I think it’s flattering.”
“I kind of thought so too, after I thought about it a while. And he could have called the cops.”
“Do you think? After all, would they believe him, or a houseful of attr
active, single women?” Sydney grinned. “You have to admire his intelligence, and his craftiness. So you spend one dinner with him. It’s not sex, and it’s not forever. Relax and enjoy yourself.” For once, Hailey thought she heard Sydney mutter.
Glaring at her best friend, she took another sip from her glass.
“Are you going to nurse that thing or what?” Sydney asked, exasperated. “You’re as bad as Amy, nibbling at the pretzels. And speaking of Amy…”
Footsteps sounded outside Faith’s apartment and the doorknob rattled.
“Don’t tell them about Gage and me, okay?” Suddenly, it seemed imperative that her big date with her fantasy man be a secret.
“Fine by me. But I want every juicy detail on Sunday.”
“Deal.”
“Welcome back, ladies,” Sydney said with a mock toast as the door finally opened. The women poured in with arms full of liquor and snacks. “Don’t worry. Hailey and I spent the past two hours being questioned by the police for being stalkers.”
“What?” Beth squeaked, and Hailey laughed.
“She’s just teasing. Now how about some Sex and the City, girls?”
Everyone began talking and laughing at once, and Hailey settled back into her Friday night routine, doing her level best not to think of the man across the complex.
———
Saturday morning, sitting in his mother’s spacious kitchen, Gage stared at his brother Dylan with a scowl. Derrick, Dylan’s twin, sat with a cup of coffee halfway to his mouth before he began laughing like a loon.
“You’re telling me to skip dinner and take Hailey back to my place for a quick fuck? This from Mr. Romance?”
Dylan shrugged. “Sorry, but you asked for my professional opinion.”
“Hell no, I didn’t. I asked for advice from my brother, not Freud’s worst nightmare of a psychiatrist.”