by B. T. Love
A country boy was all wrong, because what I was looking at was pure man. His hair was freshly cut and his t-shirt fit him nicely, allowing me to see how fit he was. My body tingled that familiar way at the pleasant sight in front of me. I only hoped he was wearing that musky cologne again so he would fulfill yet another one of my senses.
“A country boy?” I repeated. “I can’t imagine you out there shoveling horse poop.”
“Yeah me either, which is why I don’t have a horse,” he joked. “Only a dog named Kitty.”
“Your dog’s named Kitty?” I laughed with amusement.
“Yeah, my niece named him.”
“Awe, and it’s a boy too?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Poor boy.” He backed off of the banister. “Would you like to come inside? You can meet my dad.”
“Oh, so that’s who that was. When I first saw him I thought maybe I was at the wrong house.” I climbed the few stairs and Brad opened the screen door, standing back so I could go inside.
His living room was so clean and modern. Although the house itself didn’t quite fit the image I had of him his furniture sure did. Everything was leather and it looked high-end. He must have liked plants because different kinds were dotted throughout the living room, giving the space a cozier touch. He had a gigantic flat screen TV that must have been special ordered because the size was just unreal. Tall surround sound speakers stood on each side of it and an expensive-looking stereo system was tucked behind the glass of his TV stand. Yeah, it was a pretty nice place.
Brad closed the screen door behind him and motioned to his dad who was sitting in the leather rocking chair on the other side of the room. “Roxy, this is my dad, Charlie.”
I walked over and held out my hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said as he shook my hand with a gentle grasp.
Charlie was probably in his mid-sixties. His demeanor seemed younger but his body told a much different story, it itself frail and shaky. His eyes sparkled just like Brad’s and his smile resembled his too, but I could tell he wasn’t well.
“You have a beautiful piece of property here,” I said, stepping back a bit.
“Yeah, Brad was set on finding a place I could relax at. He didn’t want me bothered by all the noise in town.”
“I completely understand that. My apartment is right in the center of town; it can get pretty loud.”
He smiled and reached for a glass of water beside him, his hand shaking against his control. After taking a drink he sat it back down and cleared his throat. “Never get old,” he joked.
“Would you like some iced tea?” Brad asked. “I can get you a glass and we can take a little stroll around my property if you like.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Once Brad was out of the room, Charlie pointed to a picture of him on the wall as a teenager. “See that right there? That’s Brad after he was elected class president his senior year. It’s my favorite picture of him.”
I went over to the picture and smiled. He was a stud even when he was younger. “Why is this your favorite picture of him?” I asked.
“Because he worked hard to get elected. He never gave up on what he wanted, and he’s still the same way today. That’s why he’s as successful as he is.”
“I’m sure you’re proud.”
“Very. You know, he’s never once lost a case in his whole career as a lawyer.”
“Yeah,” I laughed lightly. “I know.”
Brad came back into the room holding two glasses of iced tea. “Here you go,” he said, handing me mine.
“Thanks,” I said as I took it from him.
“You ready to go outside?”
“Sure.” I looked back to Charlie. “It was nice talking to you. Thanks for sharing your memory.”
He nodded with a pleasant smile. “Talk to you later.”
We went outside and walked around the side of the house in the direction of the barn. It was so relaxing being with him; I felt at ease. As we continued along I delighted in the realization that he chose to wear his intoxicating cologne. There really was nothing better than a good-smelling man.
“Was my dad telling stories?” he asked happily.
“A couple,” I nodded. “He told me about you winning class president your senior year. And he brought up how you’ve never lost a case in your career.”
“Yeah, he always finds a way to bring that up.”
“Like father like son,” I teased.
He smiled into his glass as he took a sip. “Well I can’t argue with that.”
“You’re sure you don’t want to try?”
“Nah. I’ll win the argument anyway so there’s no point.”
I hit him jokingly on the arm. “So confident.”
“Don’t act like you don’t like it.”
I laughed and looked down at my glass. The truth was that I did like his confidence. We had been talking a lot, mostly on the phone, over the past couple of weeks, and I had to admit that I was growing quite fond of Bradley Hunter, my hunky devil with an angel’s smile.
“Now where’s that dog at?” Brad said as he scanned the area. “He’s probably asleep by the pond out back.”
“You have a pond?”
“Yeah, it’s just a little one.” He brought his hand up and cupped it by his mouth. “Here Kitty Kitty!” he called out to his dog.
“That’s hilarious!” I laughed. “Ah, man . . . Your niece couldn’t have picked a better name.”
“I agree.” He whistled before calling out again, “Kitty! Here Kitty Kitty!” A few short seconds later a large Golden Retriever came running around the side of the barn. “There he is!” Brad said to him as he knelt down and rubbed his head playfully.
“He’s adorable; I love dogs.” I knelt down as well and patted his silky fur. “He’s so soft.”
“Yeah, I just gave him a bath this morning.” He gave him another rub and then stood back up. “Want to see the pond?”
“Sure.”
He led me around the barn and through a narrow path of trees that ended at a cute little pool of water that was tucked secretly away from everything else. “Here it is,” he said with pride. “I love this pond.”
“It’s beautiful. Are there fish in it?”
“Yeah, some Coy. They’re a little hard to see though because the lily pads are kind of getting overgrown.”
Off to the side of the pond there was a large rock that was flat on the top side. “That’s the perfect place to sit,” I said, nodding at it.
“It just happens to be my favorite spot. You wanna have a seat?”
“Sure,” I smiled. As we went over to the rock and sat down our shoulders grazed and we laughed quietly. I felt a thrill just from brushing against him that way, and I wondered if he felt the same way as well. “Well Brad,” I sighed pleasantly, “your house is beautiful. Thanks for inviting me out to see it.”
“Thank you. I wanted you to see what my home life was like.”
“Yeah. How come you never mentioned that you lived with your dad?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know; I don’t really like talking about it I guess.”
“Why? Because it would look like you still lived at home with daddy?”
“No,” he chuckled. “And technically he lives with me.” He bent over and sat his glass down on the ground. “I’m sure you could tell he’s very sick.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I figured so.”
“Yeah, well, about three years ago he was diagnosed with kidney cancer.”
“Oh no,” I said softly. “I’m very sorry to hear that.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We were all sorry to hear it. He’s a very good man.”
“I’m sure he is. He seems like a sweetheart.”
“He is. He was so positive when he got his diagnosis. The rest of us all fell apart but he kept his chin up and was sure he was gonna beat it. He went through all th
e treatment and got sick and all that crap, and then he got the news that it had spread. They gave him two years to live, and it’s been three.”
“How hard that must have been for him, for all of you.”
“It still is hard. And then my mom passed away last year and he didn’t have anyone to take care of him. My sister is younger than me and married with kids so I didn’t feel that it was right to put the care of our dad on her shoulders. So that’s where I stepped in. I finished up the last of my cases in the city while I searched for a house that was in a low-key area. I saw this place and thought it would be the perfect area to move him to so he could live out the rest of his life in comfort. The city was too rowdy for him.”
Wow. Brad’s story was so sad. To have one parent pass away and another one fall ill with something that would take him away as well must have been the biggest heartache for him to have to carry. For such a seemingly strong man to have that much going on in his personal life was a big revelation to me. There was so much more to him than I knew about.
“I’m sorry to hear about your mom.”
He sat back up and smiled. “Thank you. I miss her.”
“How did she pass away?”
“Well, I guess the easy answer is surgery complications. She had issues with her heart that she needed surgery to fix. She went into cardiac arrest while on the operating table.”
“Man, I, I don’t really know what to say about all of that, other than your mom would be so proud to see how well you take care of your dad.”
“Thanks,” he said honestly. “They took very good care of me growing up. It’s only right that I do the same for my dad.” He shifted on the hard surface of the rock. “And what about you? We haven’t discussed much about your parents either during the times we’ve talked. I only know that they got a divorce when you were young.”
“Yeah, well, there’s not too much to tell. They live in town and are both re-married. I talk to them all the time.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Parents are important.”
“You ever want to be one?” I asked, sneaking in the typical question a woman wants to find out when she’s trying to reel in a committed man.
“Sure,” he said with a shrug. “Honestly I would be fine either way. I love kids; I love my niece and nephew. Being a dad would be an honor. But at the same time if it never happened I would still be fine. I’ve got my Kitty over there to fill that void.” He nodded over at his dog who was laying by the other side of the pond, chewing on a stick. We both laughed.
“Well he’s certainly the most adorable baby I’ve ever seen.”
“And just like a baby he’s good at helping me pick up chicks.”
“Oh lord,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “Please don’t tell me you use poor Kitty as bait.”
He crossed his arms and looked down, chuckling deep in his chest. “Nah. I don’t need help picking up chicks; they flock to me.”
“There’s the Bradley Hunter I’m so fond of.”
He nudged my shoulder. “So you’re fond of me, huh?”
“Unfortunately,” I smiled.
“So does that mean you’ll let me kiss you now?”
I pulled my head back at his remark; I wasn’t expecting him to ask that. “Kiss me? Now?”
“I mean, if there’s a time that works better for you I can call Nancy and reschedule it.”
My eyes narrowed but my smile was firmly planted on my face. “I’ll let you kiss me after you answer one question.”
“Ooh, now I’m on the witness stand, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Well now I’m intrigued. Go ahead.”
I leaned down and sat my glass on the ground. “I love your cologne.”
“I know.”
I straightened back up, my content expression turning quizzical. “How?”
“Because I’m good at reading people.”
“That’s what you think . . .”
“You still don’t realize how good I am, huh?”
Oh man, why did he have to word it that way? My mind took a fork in the road, veering off into erotic thoughts about how good he was. I wanted desperately to find out just how talented he was in other areas besides his job. He never lost a case because he was remarkable in the courtroom. I was sure he was remarkable in-between the sheets as well.
I cleared my throat. “Then prove it if you’re so good.”
His eyes lit up with the oncoming challenge. “I can give you one right away. Your pen tapping habit.”
“Yeah? So? What about it?”
“You’re anxious.”
My tongue traced along the backs of my teeth; it frustrated me that he was right. “You’re wrong,” I lied.
“Liar.”
His brutal comeback made me smile. “Fine. Yes, it’s an annoying habit I’ve dealt with all of my life. I can’t help it.”
“I know you can’t. So, why were you anxious when we were in your conference room that first day?”
I thought back for a second, remembering the smug smile on his face as he threatened my client. I hadn’t seen that expression much lately, and I knew it was because he had a reputation to uphold when he was on the clock. When we were alone, he was a completely different man. A man who I was falling for. “I was anxious that day because you were a big shot from the city,” I answered.
“And what about now? Do you still see me that way?”
“Sometimes,” I said honestly. “But that image is slowly fading away.”
What I said seemed to make him happy. “Good.”
“Now, back to my question. I noticed that you don’t wear cologne when you’re working. Is there a reason for that?”
“Yep.”
“Are you gonna tell me?” I laughed.
“You’ll just poke fun at me.”
“Most likely.”
“Fine,” he smiled. “I don’t wear cologne when I work because it’s too much of a distraction.”
“What do you mean? You mean it distracts you?”
“No, it distracts my clients.”
“I don’t get it.”
He sighed heavily out of his nose. “Okay, well, let’s just say that I know from experience that women love a man who wears cologne.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “That’s common knowledge.”
“I used to wear it all the time,” he went on. “And then about five or so years ago I was working on a case with a woman client who had come into my office needing help with her divorce. We had a few face to face meetings and every time she saw me she would compliment me on my cologne. Sometimes she would bring it up more than once in one session. It irritated me, mostly because she was being flirtatious, so the next meeting we had I decided not to wear it. It amazed me at how much more she listened to what I was saying when I didn’t smell so good.”
I stared at him blankly for a moment. “That has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life.”
The corner of his mouth pulled back with a smile. “I’m telling you, I’m right.”
“So what you’re trying to tell me is that we women are so driven by our sense of smell that we actually lose focus during important matters?”
“Yep.”
“And this is just based on one instance?”
“No I tried it again with another woman client with the same outcome.”
I shook my head. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No it’s not,” he laughed happily. “I guarantee if you take some unattractive guy and spray some cologne on him that a woman would find him much more attractive, just by adding that one element to him. The human sense of smell is a very powerful thing.”
“So why wear any at all? You’re wearing some right now, wouldn’t you rather have my complete attention?” The sarcasm level in my voice was at a ten.
“I want your complete attention, yes. But I want you to be more, how should I say this, persuaded.”
“Persuaded, huh?”
“Yeah, pers
uaded.” He lifted his hand and carefully pulled my hair off from my shoulder with his finger, letting it fall behind my back.
His touch gave me chills. “Persuaded by my senses?”
“You have many senses, Roxy,” he said, his face growing serious. “I can persuade all of them.”
My breaths deepened. “Only if I let you . . .”
“You will,” he said as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“There’s that over-confident man I know so well.”
He smiled. “Like I said, I’m just good at reading people. I know what you’re feeling right at this very moment.”
“Is that so?” my eyebrows lifted with curiosity. “Then go ahead; tell me.”
“Gladly.” He took his hand away and shifted to face me a little better, looking me square in the eyes. “You found me attractive as soon as I walked into your office. I made you nervous. It bothered you that I argued so openly with you in front of your client. It bothered you that Claire smiled at me the way that she did.”
I smiled slyly, amazed at just how right he was. “Go on.”
“When we were in the store you picked up on the scent of my cologne first, thus proving my point that it drew your interest to me, without even knowing it was me or what I looked like. I just thought I’d throw that one in there . . .”
“Your reasoning is still ridiculous but continue.”
“You hated me at first but as you got to know me better that changed. You wore your hair down at the restaurant to impress me; it worked. You’re absolutely beautiful.”
My eyes dropped as I smiled at his compliment. “Thank you.”
“And,” he continued, “as we’ve talked on the phone you’ve let down your wall, allowing yourself to see me as the man I really am. And now you’re here, and my cologne is sparking your senses, clouding your judgement. Because you already think I’m the sexiest man in town, and the fact that I smell good only drives your senses more wild with each second that passes. When I touched your hair you didn’t want me to stop. You’re about to let me kiss you, and you’ll thoroughly enjoy it.”
I was at a loss for words. “Wow. Now I guess I see why you’ve never lost a case . . .”
“I tried to tell you.” He smiled; his eyes were soft and kind as he looked me over. His hand came to my cheek and his thumb smoothed along my skin with a firm yet gentle touch. “Is this a good time?” he asked, his words teasingly serious.