Devil in Disguise

by Morgan James

  Without another word, he turned and started for the front door.

  “But... Gavin!” I threw my hands in the air in exasperation before feeling Victoria’s bemused gaze on my back. I swiveled toward her. “Can you believe the gall of that man?”

  “I think it’s sweet.” Her head tipped to the side as we fell into step behind him. “He’s very handsome.” She ignored Blake’s low hum of disapproval. “Who is he?”

  “No one.”

  “Please.” Victoria pulled me to a stop and propped her hands on her hips. “How do you know him?”

  “It’s not important.” I tried to propel Victoria toward the exit, but she remained frozen in place, face tipped up in defiant expectation. I knew she wouldn’t give in until I told her something. I shifted restlessly on my feet. “We kind of...”

  Victoria’s eyes lit up. “Did you finally go on a date?”

  Good Lord, she made it sound like I’d been in a convent. Though, to be fair, that wasn’t far off the mark. Still, I grimaced and bit my lip. “Not a date.”

  Victoria tipped her head to the side as she contemplated what I’d said—and what I hadn’t. “So... oh!”

  I smirked. Oh, indeed. There’d been quite a few of those during my night with Gavin. I stared across the lobby at the man who sent a curious look my way as he got ready to hold the door open for us. The black suit accentuated his sleek form, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to him. My eyes skated over him one more time, and I was transported back to Friday when I’d skimmed my fingers over every inch of him. It was a shame the man was such a jackass, because he was definitely worth going back for seconds.

  Victoria squealed beside me, tearing me from my reverie. “I’m so happy for you!”

  “No, no,” I warned her. “Don’t get your hopes up. It was just a one-time thing.”

  “I don’t know,” Victoria sang as she started again toward the door. “He looks pretty determined to me.”

  “Yeah, well...” I didn’t have a response for that. Still, I had my life to figure out before I could even begin to think about inviting a man into it. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?” Victoria asked as we continued on. “I know the whole thing with Steve has made you wary, but...” She lifted her hands in a little shrugging motion. “It doesn’t have to be serious, not yet. You deserve to find someone who cares about you.”

  “Maybe.” It was all the response I could muster at the moment. Gavin had taken my reserve and turned it upside down, then shaken it like a snow globe. I’d never felt more comfortable with a man than I did with him. The rational part of me screamed to give him a chance, to let him prove he was as serious as he seemed. My heart, on the other hand, was locked up tighter than a vault. I couldn’t bear to endure that kind of hurt again, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever let someone fully inside ever again.

  Our small group reached the front door, and Gavin held it wide, then followed us to the parking garage. I was hyperaware of his presence as he strode beside me, doing his best to make small talk. When I failed to respond, he finally grew quiet, and we passed the last portion of the trip into the parking garage in an awkward silence. The four of us stopped beside my car, and I took the boxes from Gavin and Blake, then set them in the back seat.

  “You good from here?”

  I met Blake’s intense gaze before turning to Gavin. He looked so sincere, I figured he deserved at least a couple minutes of my time. With a sigh, I turned to Blake.

  “Yeah, we’ll be fine. Thank you.”

  I hugged Victoria, who looked like she might burst with happiness. I rolled my eyes and gave Blake a lopsided smile. He studied Gavin, the corners of his mouth tugging down in a frown like he still wasn’t quite sure what to make of the other man. He finally met my eyes and gave me a meaningful look. I clearly read the message in his hazel eyes that he’d gladly tear the man apart if he made a wrong move. With a surreptitious wink to Blake, I leaned against the car and turned my attention to Gavin with a raised brow.

  He waved to the others as they walked away, Victoria comically craning her neck to watch us. Blake finally managed to corral her and guided her around the corner to where her car was parked. I tipped my head at Gavin. “That bruise looks like hell.”

  His lips pulled up in a grin. “I’ll bet you can kiss it and make it all better.”

  My mouth kicked up in a smirk before I could stop it. Not wanting him to see how appealing I found the suggestion, I let out a little scoff. “There’s too much wrong with you to fix with just a kiss.”

  His expression turned serious, and he stared at me imploringly. “I really need to apologize. What I said was...” He shook his head. “I was a dick.”

  I nodded once. “You were.”

  “I didn’t know about...” He raked a hand through his hair before gesturing after Victoria. “That was her, right?”

  “It was.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  I met his solemn gaze. If he could own up to his actions, then so could I. “Me, too. I was a coward. I was going to leave you a note.” He raised a brow in my direction, and I felt my cheeks heat. I knew I’d taken the easy way out, running out of my own home without a word to escape a one-night stand. “I think I was, anyway. To be honest, I wasn’t totally thinking clearly. I saw the news, and I had to go see for myself that she was okay.”

  “I understand.” He reached out and took my hand. “I don’t blame you for that. I thought you were running away from me because you were embarrassed.”

  I gave a little nod but remained silent. What could I say to that? Admit that it was partially true? I’d been terribly ashamed of my behavior that night; part of me still was. My husband and I had been separated for only months, and my divorce hadn’t even been finalized before I’d thrown myself at Gavin like a sex-starved lunatic. I almost cringed just thinking of the things we’d done that night, things I’d never done with another person, including my husband of six years.

  “I really hope you’ll let me take you out on a date sometime.”

  It was tempting, I couldn’t deny that. But the insecurities of my failed marriage came rushing back. I didn’t want or need a man in my life at the moment. I needed to get my head on straight and fix my life. I needed a job, something positive to focus on. Maybe down the road Gavin and I could be friends or... more. But today was not that day.

  I shook my head and reluctantly pulled my hand from his. “I’m sorry. I just... I can’t.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  I met his gaze. “Both, I think. I just... With everything that’s happened recently, I have a lot of things to sort through, and I need to do something for myself for once, not what someone else wants, and—”

  I caught myself rambling and immediately jerked to a stop. He stared deep into my eyes as if trying to read what lay in my soul, and I shifted under the scrutiny.

  Finally, he took a step back. “Okay.”

  Okay? My brows drew together. A mixture of relief and disappointment swirled in my gut at his immediate acquiescence. Maybe everything he’d said was a lie; maybe he didn’t want me as badly as he’d tried to convince me.

  I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak. “Okay, then.”

  After all, what more was there to say?

  Eyes still locked on mine, Gavin took several slow steps backward, each one putting more and more distance between us. Panic suddenly seized me. I’d only felt truly happy lately when I’d spent time with him. Granted, it was only one night, but still... what if I was letting a truly good thing slip through my fingers? Part of me wanted to lunge after him and apologize, beg him to go out on that date he’d offered. My fingers twitched at my side, and I curled them into a fist to keep from reaching for him and drawing him back to me.

  I didn’t need his kind of complication in my life. If I said it a hundred more times—maybe a thousand—I’d start to believe it. I shook off the thought. No, this was definitely for the best.

  With a slow nod, Gavi
n winked at me. “I’ll see you soon, red.”

  Before I could utter a response, he’d spun on a heel and was already striding away. I’d turned him down. Why did he look so upbeat? Then his words sank in.

  “I meant what I said!” My words lacked conviction, even to my own ears, and I resisted the urge to stamp my foot.

  He didn’t respond, didn’t even turn around, just waved a hand over his head to acknowledge my statement. With a harrumph, I yanked open the car door and slid inside. I slammed the door on the thought of him and started the car, heading toward home and a whole future of possibilities—hopefully one lacking arrogant, overbearing men.

  Chapter Ten

  Gavin

  A smile curled my mouth. Playing with fire had never been so much fun. I sat back in my chair and linked my fingers behind my head, the scene from the healthplex playing through my mind once more. I loved the way Kate got all fired up. I’d had to bite my cheek to keep from smiling when she tried to pass the huge guy off as her boyfriend. Yeah, right. I saw the appeal, but he wasn’t her type—not like I was.

  Her cheeks had gotten bright red, and I swore she was tempted to smack her friend—Victoria—when she’d refused to play along. I should send the woman flowers or something for doing me a favor. Then I’d heard them talking about me as I’d strode away. Victoria was solidly Team Gavin. I grinned. Winning over the best friend was step one.

  My desk phone rang, and I picked it up, tossing a quick look at the clock in the lower right-hand corner of the computer screen.

  “Yes?”

  The elderly receptionist’s warm voice flowed through the speaker. “Your two o’clock is here.”

  “I’ll meet them in the lobby. Thank you, Mrs. Hodges.”

  Dropping my feet to the floor, I shrugged into my jacket, then straightened my tie before heading out of my office to meet my next clients. I flipped on the light for the conference room as I passed, then continued toward the lobby, following the childish peals of laughter that drifted my way. I rounded the corner and paused midstride at the sight that greeted me. A tall man stood in the middle of the small lobby, making airplane sounds as he held a baby suspended high over his head. The toddler waved her arms and legs, clearly delighted with the activity. Next to them, seated on the couch, a pretty brunette watched on, her lips curled into a soft smile.

  As soon as they saw me, the woman stood and the man lowered the baby to his chest, a huge grin on his face. “Sorry about that.”

  I waved away his apology. “No need. She seemed to be enjoying it.” I held out a hand, first to the woman. “Gavin Price.”

  She tipped her head in acknowledgement and slipped her hand into mine. “Lydia McLean.”

  I turned next to the man, who returned my handshake. “Xander McLean, and this”—he bounced the baby on his hip—“is Alexia.”

  “Hey, beautiful.” The baby turned her head into her father’s shoulder, peeking at me with one eye, and I grinned as I gestured down the hallway. “You can follow me.”

  I watched with interest as the man wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist, then fell into step behind me. As soon as they were seated along one side of the table, I closed the door and sat opposite them. While Lydia extracted a sippy cup and some snacks from a large bag, I took a moment to study them. She wore a wide head wrap to hide a portion of hair that had been shaved away, and the white square of a bandage was visible over her temple. The baby sat on the table in front of Xander, her curious gaze flitting around the room. It suddenly struck me, seeing the baby’s face next to his, how much they looked alike. From her pale blonde locks and bright eyes, she seemed to be spitting image of her father. They were a beautiful family, which made me all the more curious about their appointment today.

  I’d looked over the paperwork just a few days ago, and it seemed like a pretty cut-and-dried case to me—Mrs. McLean had requested to annul the marriage nearly a year ago, and all we were missing was a signature from each party in order to prepare the final paperwork. From the looks of things, though, the annulment no longer seemed to be required.

  Finally all settled, Mr. and Mrs. McLean gazed across the table at me expectantly, and I jumped right in. “First of all, I’d like to apologize for not following up sooner. It was an oversight that should never have happened.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Xander said. “Actually, I’m glad it worked out this way—we both are.”

  He and his wife shared a warm look, and I sat back in my chair with a little smile. It wasn’t often that I dealt with happy clients like this. “So,” I began slowly, “should I assume that we can disregard the paperwork?”

  “We...” Lydia faltered for a second, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. “It was kind of an impetuous mistake on my part.”

  Her husband draped one arm over the back of her chair and lightly grazed his knuckles across her shoulder. “On both our parts,” he said before turning his icy blue gaze to me. “We met in Vegas a couple years ago. One thing led to another, and...”

  My brows rose, and I lifted my chin in understanding as my gaze bounced between them. “Got it.”

  As a lawyer, this was precisely the type of situation that I typically advised clients to be extremely wary of. Seemingly aware of the same thing, Lydia dropped her eyes away, blushing furiously, and Xander pulled her closer. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people had said the exact same thing—that eloping in Vegas was rash and would never work out. Neither tried to defend themselves; they didn’t have to. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that they’d found something special.

  Lydia leaned into her husband, and he dropped a kiss on her forehead. The baby squirmed on the table, one of Xander’s arms curled loosely around her, ready to catch her in case anything happened. The man in question turned back to me. “We’ve decided to give things a second chance.”

  “Good. I hope it works out for you,” I said sincerely. They truly looked happy, and I wished them the best—but I still couldn’t figure out exactly why they were here. “Well, then, you can disregard the paperwork you’ve received, and I’ll make the changes on my side.”

  “I appreciate that,” Xander replied, “but there’s actually something I was hoping you could help us with.”

  I tipped my head in question, and he continued. “The woman I spoke with told me you could help us with our wills.”

  I nodded. “I can do that. Do you have an existing will, or are you starting from scratch?”

  They exchanged a quick look. “From scratch,” Lydia said.

  “I work security,” Xander spoke up, “and I want to make sure the girls are taken care of in case anything happens.”

  My eyes moved to the insignia on his chest displaying the letters QSG in white thread, and I nodded thoughtfully. It looked so familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d last seen it. I tipped my chin toward the logo embroidered into the shirt. “Is that where you work?”

  His head dipped, his eyes following my gaze before meeting mine again. “Quentin Security,” he clarified. “I was discharged from the Army a couple months ago, and a buddy of mine invited me to come work for him.”

  “I’ve seen that logo before.” Focusing intently, I tried to bring the man’s face into view. I’d seen him when I visited Kate at the healthplex. What was his name again? I stared across the table at Xander. “Tall guy, broad, beard. I met him at the healthplex not too long ago.”

  Xander nodded knowingly. “Blake.”

  I snapped my fingers. “That’s it. His girlfriend works with a friend of mine.” Calling Kate a friend sounded childish, but I didn’t have a better word for our relationship—yet. “Is your group local?”

  Xander nodded. “We do a little bit of everything—PI work, personal protection. We’re in the process of setting up a gym upstairs to offer self-defense courses.”

  “Nice. I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

  With that, we transitioned into a discussion of preparing a living will for both of t
hem, listing assets and beneficiaries. Half an hour later, Alexia began to fuss, and I smiled over the table at them. “I can finish this up and send it your way in a couple days to check over.”

  Lydia gathered her things and stood, holding one hand out to me. “Thank you so much.”

  “No problem.” I shook Xander’s hand. “I’ll be in touch.”

  I walked them to the lobby, then returned to my office and closed the door. Pulling my cell from my pocket, I flipped through the messages and emails, noticing that the one name I was looking for remained infuriatingly absent. I set the phone on the blotter on top of my desk and sat back in my chair, pondering my next step. I wanted Kate to reach out to me, but I had a feeling she never would. I’d have to take that step—but I had to do it carefully. If I came on too soon or too strong again, she’d bolt like a fractious pony.

  If there was ever a woman worth waiting for, it was Kate Winfield. I’d never felt this way about a woman, not even as a horny teenager ready to fuck anything with two legs and tits. I knew I wanted her from the moment she walked into my office more than six months ago. I’d spent a grand total of about twenty hours with her, but I knew—just knew—that she was it. Now that I’d touched her, tasted her, felt every curve beneath my hands, there wasn’t a chance in hell that I was ever going to let her go.

  Everything about her appealed to me—her intelligence, that wicked sense of humor, her fiery hair and temper to match. And then there was her passion, wild and unrestrained, giving as good as she got. God, how I wanted her—all of her—but I knew I needed to keep it slow and steady, acclimate her to my presence. I knew how badly she’d been hurt by that asshole ex of hers, and I needed to prove to her that I wasn’t the same. I couldn’t risk moving too fast and spooking her. If I pushed too hard, she would run like hell, and I would lose her forever. I knew that whatever was between us wasn’t love, not yet. But it could be. I just need to convince her to take another chance. I’d be here waiting until she was ready. After all, I’d already waited this long. What was a few more weeks, or even months?