She stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off before reaching for the hair dryer affixed to the wall next to a row of mirrors.
She had to admit, his studio was very nice, much nicer than the one Carl just sold to the letch. It looked newly renovated, and if his new project was half as nice, it would be a pleasure to call it her home away from home. Assuming, of course, he still wanted her… to work for him.
The woman she’d met in the lobby earlier stepped into the dressing room, startling Victoria. She pressed a hand to her chest to still her pounding heart.
Karen grinned. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I guess I’m just a bit on edge. It’s been one of those days.”
“I know what you mean.” Karen propped her hip against the wall and folded her arms. “So my boyfriend tells me you two went to high school together.”
Victoria knew that tone of voice; she’d heard it too many times when an insecure girlfriend or wife assumed she was making a play for their man. “Yeah, he’s a great guy. You’re a lucky lady.”
“I guess.”
“Is there something wrong?” Victoria would rather not have a personal conversation with a virtual stranger while wearing a towel, but she didn’t see a way to politely extricate herself from the situation without offending Karen.
She wrinkled her nose as though she’d whiffed a foul odor. “I guess you met Beth, huh?”
Victoria grinned. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one who disliked the voluptuous redhead. “I sure did. I take it you don’t like her very much?”
“The way she flaunts her body and flirts with…” She flushed. “Never mind, you don’t need to hear my problems.”
“Vent away. It’ll take my mind off my own problems for a while.” Victoria wasn’t one to dwell on the negative, but in her life, it was usually tough to ignore. If she didn’t have bad luck, she wouldn’t have any luck at all.
“Brad said he invited you to Jimmy’s. Are you gonna come?”
“If you wouldn’t mind?”
Karen smiled. “Not at all. In fact, I’d love to get to know you better.”
It had been a long time since Victoria had made a new friend, too long. “Great. Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll meet you guys out front, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
Chapter Three
The foursome was piling into a booth when Karen said, “Uh-oh, here comes trouble.”
Jay glanced up just in time to see his brother, Mike, heading toward them. If he didn’t miss his guess, Mike would be coming on to Victoria inside a minute.
“Hey, y’all. How’s it goin’?” Mike asked.
Just as Jay suspected. Mike may have included the group in his greeting, but he zeroed in on Victoria as though she was the only one seated at the table.
“What do you want?” Jay asked. He winced when Victoria looked up at him like she thought he checked his manners at the door. “Victoria, this is my brother, Mike.”
She smiled when Mike pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Gee, I never would have guessed you two were brothers.”
Karen laughed. “They’re not identical twins, but you’d have to be blind not to notice the resemblance, right?”
As far as Jay was concerned, the resemblance ended with the reflection in the mirror. He loved his brother. They were close, but in terms of their personality, they couldn’t be more different. Jay was calm and quiet, whereas Mike could be rude and obnoxious when provoked. Both men were workaholics, but Mike liked to relieve stress by knocking back shots and bedding women, whereas Jay preferred to unleash his stress on one of the heavy bags in the studio.
Mike grinned at Victoria as he inclined his head toward his brother. “Please tell me you’re not seein’ this guy.”
“No, I just applied for a job at his studio.” She smiled, disarming both brothers at the same time. “Turns out Brad and I went to high school together. Small world, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Hey, listen,” Mike said, pointing toward the band crowding the small stage. “They’re playin’ my favorite song. You wanna dance, darlin’?”
“Um sure, why not?”
Jay could think of a dozen reasons why letting Victoria dance with his brother was just about the worst idea he’d ever heard, but since no one was asking his opinion, he had no choice but to watch her take his brother’s hand.
Karen reached across the table to smack Jay upside the head as soon as the couple was out of earshot.
“Ow,” Jay said, rubbing the side of his head. “What the hell was that for?”
“Just trying to knock some sense into you, dumbass. Why the hell did you let her dance with your brother? You know him. He’ll have her flat on her back within the hour.”
The thought of Victoria sleeping with his brother stirred a vicious rage like he’d never felt before. He wasn’t the jealous type, and Lord knew he had no claim on the woman in his brother’s arms, but he felt his gut clench as he watched Mike’s hands drift to the swell of her bottom.
“You got a thing for Vicki, boss?” Brad asked.
“No!”
“Don’t listen to him,” Karen said, rolling her eyes. “He’s been drooling over her ever since she walked into his office.”
“Tread lightly with her, Jay. Seriously, she spooks easily.”
Jay tore his attention away from his brother long enough to focus on his friend. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know a lot of the details, but I know she had it rough growin’ up. All the guys back in high school tried and struck out with her.”
Jay was happy to hear she wasn’t promiscuous. It diminished his brother’s chances of leaving here with her tonight ten-fold. “Yeah, well, high school was a long time ago. People change, right?”
“Sure, but I just wouldn’t want you to get your hopes up, ya know? I mean, you gotta ask yourself, how is a girl who looks like her still single?”
His friend had a point. In Jay’s experience, the gorgeous women were either married, engaged, or digging for gold. “It’s a moot point. I’m not interested in a hook-up.”
Karen nudged his forearm. “Who the hell’s talking about a hook-up? I’m talking about a real relationship. You know, a commitment with a woman who may actually be around to help you celebrate your next birthday.”
Before Jay could respond, the owner of Jimmy’s bar, and his old friend, J.T. McCall, approached their table.
“Hey, man, long time no see. How’s it goin’?” J.T. asked, offering his hand.
“Good. Hey, I saw your beautiful wife on TV the other day. Was it just me, or did I see a baby bump?”
J.T.’s face lit up. “Yeah, can you believe it? I’m gonna be a daddy in six short months.”
“Man, that’s great,” Jay said, shaking his friend’s hand again.
J.T. was married to country singer Nikki Spencer, and Jay knew her demanding career made it difficult for the couple to plan for the family they both wanted.
“You guys must be thrilled.”
“I can’t even tell you,” J.T. said as he tipped his cowboy hat back on his head. “I feel like I’ve been waitin’ for this forever.”
“Nikki must be stoked too, huh?”
J.T. rolled his eyes. “This just gives her another excuse to shop. She’s already started loadin’ up the spare bedroom with baby clothes and we don’t even know if we’re havin’ a boy or a girl yet.”
Jay chuckled. “Lemme guess, she’s buyin’ one of each, just to be safe, right?”
J.T. pointed at him and laughed. “How’d you know?”
“Hey, it don’t matter, man. As long as she’s happy, right?”
J.T winked. “You know there’s nothin’ more important to me than keepin’ my woman happy.”
Karen sighed dramatically. “A sexy, romantic cowboy…” She propped her chin in her hand as she stared up at J.T. “You do know you’re every woman’s fantasy, don’t you?”
Brad scowled. “Ge
t outta here, man. You’re makin’ the rest of us look bad.”
J.T. laughed. “Sorry, I’ll try and rein it in next time.” He glanced at the dance floor. “Holy hell, who’s the hottie your brother’s dancin’ with?”
Jay growled. “Don’t ask.”
“Do I sense a little brotherly rivalry?” J.T. smirked. “Since you’re sittin’ here and he’s out there with her, I’m gonna put my money on him.”
“Save your money. She’s my employee, and I don’t date my employees.”
“I guess you’re gonna let Mike have her then, huh?” J.T. asked.
“Hell no,” Jay said, getting to his feet and pushing J.T. aside. “I wouldn’t set him loose on my worst enemy.”
Jay tapped his brother on the back. “Step aside, Romeo. I’m cuttin’ in.”
Mike groaned. “Do you have to?”
“Yeah, now get lost.”
Victoria smiled as she slipped into Jay’s arms. Mike and his brother were equally good-looking, but there was something different about Jay. She felt it in the way he held her, the way he touched her.
“Was he givin’ you a hard time?” Jay asked as he brushed his lips against her hair.
Victoria barely resisted the urge to purr like a contented kitten as she settled into his powerful arms. “If you mean did he ask me out, the answer is yes.”
Jay’s hands tightened on her hips, digging into her flesh. “What did you say?”
“We’re going out to dinner tomorrow night.” She tipped her head back to look at Jay. “That doesn’t bother you, does it?”
He clenched his jaw. “No, why should it bother me if you wanna date my brother?”
She’d only agreed to the dinner to put some much-needed distance between herself and Jay. The attraction simmering between them was too compelling to ignore forever. Her only hope of fighting it was putting up a big old barrier between them, and since his brother volunteered for the job, who was she to argue? Mike told her in no uncertain terms he loved his job as a detective sergeant and he had no interest in pursuing a serious relationship in the foreseeable future, which suited her perfectly.
“How much notice do you need to give?”
She forced herself to focus on Jay’s question, instead of the brush of his calloused palm sending thrill bumps up her arm. “Um… notice?”
“You gonna just bail on the letch or you need to give him some notice?”
“You’re offering me the job?”
“Yeah, if you’re interested.”
“Of course I’m interested.” She was interested in more than the job, but she’d never utter those words aloud. “I can start tomorrow.” One of her friends at the studio was looking for more hours, so she wouldn’t be leaving the new owner in the lurch.
“Perfect. Meet me at the new studio at 9:00. You know where it is?”
She nodded. “It’s just a couple of miles from my apartment.”
“Convenient.”
Despite the gentle brush of his hands over her skin, she could tell he was angry. “Is everything okay?”
He glanced at their booth. Mike had moved in to claim his seat. “Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”
“Look, if you’re not comfortable with me dating Mike…”
“Listen, I don’t care what you do on your own damn time, so long as you show up to work when you’re supposed to. Just know my brother’s an asshole.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I can’t believe you just said that about your own brother.”
He smirked. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’ve said a lot worse.”
She enjoyed seeing his clear blue eyes sparkling at his brother’s expense. “Did you guys get into it a lot when you were kids?”
“Still do, but we’ve always got each other’s back, no matter what.”
Victoria suspected he was telling her they’d never let a woman come between them, not that she intended to. Mike was just a fun diversion to distract her from her attraction to her new boss. They both knew the score, so no one could get hurt.
“It must be nice to have siblings.”
“You’re an only child?”
She hadn’t intended to say that, it just sort of slipped out. She didn’t engage in wishful thinking, and she never gave a total stranger an opening to ask questions about her past. “Just lonely.” She bit her lip to keep from saying anything more.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He smiled. “Trust me; having siblings isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
She almost asked if having parents was all it was cracked up to be, but she stopped herself just in time. “I’m sure you’re right. All those fights… having to share everything.” Not that she’d ever had anything worth sharing. Her foster parents always seemed to spend every dime of the government subsidy they received for her care on booze, cigarettes, and lottery tickets.
“You’re right, but I wouldn’t trade my relationship with Mike for anything, and he knows it. He’s a pain in the ass most of the time, but he’s my brother, and I love him, no matter what.”
Victoria wondered what it would be like to have someone love her with their whole heart. She’d accepted that would never happen. When your mother leaves you on a stranger’s doorstep as a screaming infant, it’s tough to believe in happily ever after. “It sounds like you guys have a good relationship. The perfect family, huh?” She wasn’t surprised. Jay was one of those guys who seemed to have everything together: a successful business, an active social life, the respect of his peers, maybe a girlfriend waiting for him at home…
“Hardly. My parents divorced when we were kids.” He shrugged. “It sucked, but they’re good friends now. They’ve both moved on, and they’re happy, so I guess it worked out for the best.”
She admired his ability to see the best in a bad situation. She’d never quite mastered that skill. “So, how’d you get into karate?”
“My old man was into it when I was a kid. I used to go with him on a Sunday afternoon, you know, just to watch. As soon as I was old enough for the Little Dragons program, I was all in.”
Victoria grinned as she absently skimmed her fingernails across the back of his neck. “I bet you were an adorable dragon.”
He chuckled. “My mom thought so. I thought I was fierce.”
“You certainly are now… fierce, I mean.” She’d seen him in action. He was as intimidating as hell, which shouldn’t turn her on, but it did. “I love watching you. In fact, the few times I’ve seen you demonstrating your form, I’ve been mesmerized.”
He surprised her by brushing his thumb across her bottom lip. “Mesmerized, huh? I know the feeling.”
“Jay… I…” He looked like he was getting ready to move in for a kiss, but suddenly the music stopped and he let her go.
She felt cold and more alone than she had in a long, long time, which was crazy because she was used to being alone. She wanted to be alone. Didn’t she? “Thanks for the dance.”
“My pleasure.”
Chapter Four
Jay was going to kill his brother with his bare hands. Mike may have a gun strapped to his waist, but Jay knew he could take him down before he even had a chance to draw his weapon.
He walked by the booth and grabbed a handful of Mike’s shirt. “Outside. Now.”
Mike grinned. “Excuse me,” he said to Karen and Brad. “I think I’m being paged.”
Jay was in no mood for his brother’s asinine jokes. If he thought for a second Jay was going to stand by and watch him use and discard Victoria as he did every other woman who passed through his pathetic excuse for a life, he clearly wasn’t firing on all cylinders.
He was already stalking the sidewalk by the time his brother made his way outside. “What the hell do you think you’re doin’?”
“Uh, I think I’m havin’ a beer before I head home.”
“Don’t be a smartass. You know what I’m talkin’ about. Why are you makin’ a play for Victoria?”
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Mike shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d mind. She’s your employee after all, and I know you don’t mess around with your employees. Unless you’re plannin’ on makin’ an exception for this one.”
Jay knew his brother was just trying to bait him, but as much as Jay hated to admit it, he was right. “No, I’m not gonna date her, but you shouldn’t either.”
“Listen, she’s a beautiful woman. If you’re not interested, I sure as hell am.”
Jay was interested, too interested. Therein lay his problem. Damn his professional ethics. He knew dating an employee was just asking for trouble, but the thought of his brother going out with her tomorrow night infuriated him. “She’s a sweet girl. I don’t want to see her get hurt.” It was true, but he knew Mike wouldn’t believe that was the only reason he was interfering.
“She’s not gonna get hurt. She knows the deal.”
Jay took a step closer, trying to rein in his anger. He hadn’t come to blows with his brother since they were kids. Martial arts taught him his hands were lethal weapons. He would never instigate a fight, but he would defend himself and the people he loved to the death if anyone tried to cross him. “So, you’re just plannin’ on sleepin’ with her?”
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, man. Bottom line is we’re both single, consenting adults, so what happens behind closed doors is our business, not yours.”
Jay shoved his hands in his pockets. It was the only way he knew to keep from striking out at his twin. “If I asked you to back off, would you?”
“Hell no! You said yourself you don’t plan on datin’ her. There’s nothing between you two, never has been. Guy code doesn’t apply here.”
“You’re crossin’ a line, and you know it. If the situation was reversed, and you asked me to back off, you know I would.”
Mike rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you’d back off because you wouldn’t give a shit one way or the other. When was the last time you actually cared about a woman, and don’t tell me Lily, ‘cause we both know you were just killin’ time with her.”
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