by Laura Ann
“Too true.” Marcus pulled out a chair and plopped down.
As Faye walked over, James held a chair out for her. She wrinkled her nose and deliberately took a different one. “I’m perfectly capable of pulling out my own chair,” she snapped, ignoring the way his manners made her feel. No man is worth swooning over. I’m strong. I’m independent and I plan to stay that way.
James shrugged and sat down in the chair himself. “This is great, thanks Faye.” He winked at her.
Faye nodded, ignoring his flirtations. James had never made any qualms about telling Faye how he felt about her. Marcus and James worked at the same law firm and had become friends seemingly overnight. They had been brought on at the same time, brand new lawyers and had bonded in more ways than one. Now their relationship was more like two brothers rather than work friends.
When Marcus had first brought James home, Faye had nearly had a heart attack. He was six-foot-two of masculine perfection. Dark hair, dark beard, green eyes and a body that showed he stayed active in his spare time.
Apparently, her attraction hadn’t been one sided since James had been asking Faye out almost as long as they had known each other. What he couldn’t seem to accept was that Faye was never going to have a boyfriend, or a husband. She’d had many chances over the years, but she had turned them all down.
Being raised by a mother who couldn’t handle being alone taught Faye some difficult lessons as a young girl. One, men never stuck around. Two, if you let them in your heart, you’d never be whole or independent again. So by the time she was a teenager, Faye had decided to not only get out of the small town she was raised in, but to never let a man take away her sense of self. She had a good job, a cozy apartment and the freedom to do what she wanted. She was not about to let a man take that away from her, no matter how much her body reacted to his presence.
“What do I owe you for dinner?” Marcus asked, as he stuffed a bite of chow-mein into his mouth.
Faye glared. “I am perfectly capable of paying for dinner, Marcus Silverton.”
The two siblings were raised with barely enough money to live on, meaning there had been absolutely nothing for them to use for college. Marcus, however, had been a football star and gone to school on a full-ride scholarship, which had allowed him to become the lawyer he was now. Faye, had worked a full-time job all through high school in order to get herself started in beauty school, knowing a university was too much. But she had worked hard and had succeeded. What little she had taken out in loans was paid off and now she was able to enjoy almost anything she wanted.
Marcus held up his hands in surrender. “No offense meant, I just don’t want you overstretching yourself.”
She pinched her lips in annoyance. She knew Marcus meant well, but his insistence to pay for things made her feel weak and she hated it. “I don’t make as much as a lawyer, but I make enough,” she said through gritted teeth. “Bringing my brother Chinese food once in a while is not going to hurt me.”
Marcus’ lips pulled up in a half smile. He reached over and squeezed her hand. “You did good, Sis.”
All the fight drained out of Faye at his words. “Thanks,” she murmured in return.
“So... how goes the world of hair dye and split ends?” James asked with a smirk.
Faye fought the temptation to snap back at him. Butter him up, Faye, she reminded herself. You need a favor tonight. “Oh... it just keeps plugging along. I’ve been working on building my clientele that are looking for hair specialties like braids and such. It seems to be going alright.”
Marcus and James nodded.
“How about you two? Any exciting cases going on?”
Marcus cocked his head. “Now, Faye, you know we can’t tell you any details. All that stuff is confidential.”
James leaned forward with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “We can’t tell you details, but there’s one you’d find pretty funny.”
Marcus groaned and leaned back in his seat. “I can’t believe this stupid thing is even real.”
Faye made a face. “Uh... okay?”
James looked around as if to make sure no one was listening before starting. “We’re representing a dry cleaning company who is being sued because they supposedly gave a man the wrong pants.”
Faye frowned and waited for James to continue. When he didn’t she snorted. “That’s it? Like really?” She shook her head. “You’ve got to be making that up.”
James put up three fingers, “Scout’s honor! This guy says they were his favorite pants, and the company gave him the wrong ones. He wants emotional damage money.”
JAMES SMILED WIDELY as he watched Faye’s face light up as she laughed. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, even with her purple hair, and he had done everything in his power to let her know he was interested, but he’d been shot down every time.
Marcus had explained long ago about Faye’s belief that men were only going to ruin her freedom, but James wasn’t willing to accept that answer. He was going to prove to her that, one way or another, that there were good men out there, even if she hadn’t met them.
“That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” she snickered. “Do you guys have a good defense for it? I mean, surely it’s a shoo-in. There’s no way a judge is going to take that seriously, right?”
James pursed his lips and shrugged. “You never know, weirder things have happened, but in this case, we’ve got a pretty good way of tackling it head on.”
Faye raised her eyebrows.
“We’re pushing the burden of proof back to the plaintiff,” Marcus huffed. “He’s gonna have to figure out a way to prove those pants aren’t his. They were his size and the color and brand of the ones he dropped off, so trying to say they aren’t his is ridiculous.”
“If they match his pants, why is he sure they’re different?” Faye asked.
“He says they feel wrong,” James jumped back in. “They were his favorite pants and now they don’t feel the same.”
Faye snorted, her corkscrews bouncing. “Unbelievable.”
James stood and started gathering all their empty plates. “So, Faye...” he began, “when are you going to let me take you to dinner?” James sighed internally, not willing to let any of his frustration be visible. He’d been asking Faye out for over a year and knew exactly how she would come back at him, but something deeper kept him trying, despite all the rejection. Good thing I’ve never lacked in confidence, he thought wryly.
“Man, when are you going to let it go?” Marcus groaned, his head thrown back. “This dance is getting old.”
James put the dishes in the sink, then turned to look at Faye, who was eyeing him with narrowed eyes, her finger bouncing on the table.
“Actually,” she began.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Marcus put up a hand. “That’s not how this usually goes. Are you changing the playbook on me?” he teased his sister.
Faye uncharacteristically ducked her head and looked sideways at James. “Not really, but I do need a date for something.”
James perked up, willing to listen to anything she offered. Geez, I’m pathetic.
“My friends and I are going to a Christmas Ball back in my hometown,” she said softly, twisting a lock of hair.
James recognized the movement as a nervous tick and he had to keep from smiling smugly. She wouldn’t be nervous if she didn’t care about what I would say. That means she wants to go with me, but she doesn’t want me to know it. I KNEW IT!
Faye sighed. “Now don’t go getting a big head,” she scoffed. “I can see that stupid smile pulling at your lips.”
James spread his hands wide. “I’ve got nothing to hide. We all know I’ve been trying to get you to spend time with me for forever. The fact that you’re finally saying yes is nothing less than a miracle. There’s no way I’d mess that up by doing something as ridiculous as smiling.”
Faye rolled her eyes. “ANYWAY... a jerky girl we went to high school with has kinda
thrown down the gauntlet and we’ve all decided to take the bait.” She scrunched her nose. “Which means I need a date for the night. JUST! One night,” she emphasized. “This is not an invitation for anything long term.” She looked at him with raised eyebrows.
James knew she was expecting him to answer her, but he was enjoying the moment too much, despite her stipulation. Instead, he leaned back against the sink and folded his arms. Time to make her come to me.
Faye’s shoulders dropped and she shot him a look. “Really? You’re going to make me ask you all formal like?”
“What? I didn’t hear a question in there anywhere?” He bit his cheek to keep from laughing at her exasperated expression.
“You two might as well just give in and get together,” Marcus said with a snort. “The tension you two create could power the whole city.” He stood and sauntered down the hall. “I’m gonna change my clothes. Try to have your flirting done by the time I get back, huh?”
Faye stuck her tongue out at her brother’s back, then glared at James when he chuckled. “Fine.” She put on an innocent face. “James Hanson, would you please accompany me to the Christmas Ball? I’m desperate.”
James finally let out his amusement and laughed. “Desperate, huh? Well, way to keep my ego in check. What man doesn’t want to hear that he’s the very end of the line?”
Faye rolled her eyes again.
“But!” He held up a finger. “I would love to take you... but I have my own condition.”
Her nearly black eyes darted straight to his. “Such as?”
“Such as, this counts as a real date. I know you said it’s only one night, but I truly want that one night. You let me open doors, hold your hand, pull out your chair... everything.”
Faye huffed and folded her arms over her chest. “What if I don’t want to do that? Has it ever occurred to you that we modern women don’t like being made to feel useless?”
James stalked toward her, enjoying the slight panic in her eye when she realized she had riled him. Coming up close, he put one hand on the table and the other on the back of her chair, closing her in. “Has it ever occurred to you,” he said in a low tone, “that we men don’t do those things to make you feel useless? But rather as a way of respect? We men are grateful for any time you women are willing to show us a little attention and being helpful and chivalrous is a way to show our appreciation. It’s not about your abilities, we already admire those, it’s about recognizing that we have something precious with us.” He leaned a little closer with every word. “We know you can do anything you set your mind to, but we also don’t want you to forget we exist.” His cheek was now rubbing against hers as he whispered in her ear, and it took all of James’s self control not to start planting kisses on her silky skin. “So will you please allow my humble self to show you the respect you deserve by acting like a gentleman for the night?”
Faye’s chest was heaving and James was thrilled to see she was just as affected by their nearness as he was. “Okay,” she breathed and he fought the desire to yelp in triumph.
Standing up straight, he nodded. “Perfect. Send me the details.” Walking away from Faye’s shocked face was more difficult than he could have imagined, but he did it. “Later, Marcus!” he yelled down the hall before heading toward the front door. He looked back right before turning the knob. “And thank you for dinner, Faye.” He winked. “And the date invite.”
Without waiting for any answers, James left. Once inside his car, he took a few deep breaths. “Good grief, I’m such a sap.” He rubbed his hands up and down his face. “I should have kissed her while I had the chance,” he muttered glumly.
He backed out of the driveway. “No... you did it right. She needs to come to you. She needs to be the one making choices here. You had to leave her wanting more because there will only be more if she chooses it. And it sounds like you’re only going to get one shot at helping her make that choice.”
CHAPTER 2
Faye looked herself over with a critical eye. James was going to be there any minute to pick her up and together they would drive the forty-five minutes to her old home. She snorted at her thoughts. “You might have gotten out of the place, but you didn’t go far,” she murmured. “Doesn’t matter,” she shook her head. “All that matters is that it’s done.”
She smoothed down the wrinkles in the front of her dress. She almost couldn’t breathe in the curve-hugging sheath-cut dress, but once she’d had it on, she couldn’t resist purchasing it. Two broad straps went over her shoulders with a square neckline. The dress clung to her body all the way down, except for a slit that ran up her left leg, and stopped a couple inches above her knee. It’s deep purple color matched her hair, and she loved how it all looked against her dark skin.
“Showtime,” she mumbled as the doorbell rang. The butterflies in her stomach which had been wreaking havoc on and off for the last few weeks were in full flight mode. Putting a hand to her abdomen, Faye slipped on her heels and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, she pulled it open and nearly fainted.
Oh... My... Her train of thought stopped, having no words to finish. James was standing before her looking like the most delectable dessert she had ever seen. His dark hair was slicked back and his beard trimmed. A suit which had obviously been made just for his gorgeous figure teased Faye’s senses with the hills and ridges of his muscles. His shoes were extra shiny and his silver tie completed the ensemble with a festive flair.
“You look stunning,” James said in a gravelly voice, then cleared his throat and looked away momentarily.
“Yeah...” Faye responded without thought. “You too.”
She’d never admit it, but James’s smirk was a total turn-on. “Wow. Can’t say I’ve ever been called stunning before.”
His joke snapped Faye to her senses. No! No getting involved. This is only for one night. Focus. “I meant you look nice,” she said quickly, but his smug smile let her know it was too late to take back her reaction. Huffing to cover her embarrassment, she stepped back to grab her coat and purse. “Let’s go,” she said, marching out the door.
“Uh... aren’t you forgetting something?” James stayed where he was with his eyebrows raised.
Faye frowned. “What?” She glanced down to make sure her coat was on properly and her purse in her hands.
“You agreed, this gets to be a real date.” James sauntered up to her and Faye swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “You promised I could play the gentleman tonight,” he said in a low voice.
Curse men who are too attractive for their own good, Faye grumbled internally. He played a dirty trick on me that night and he knows it. Opening her mouth to argue, James quickly cut her off.
“Uh, uh, uh!” He shook his head. “You promised. No going back on it now or else you’ll find yourself without a date.”
Faye sighed. “Fine.” She threw her hands in the air.
He laughed. “That’s my girl.” Grabbing her hand, he wrapped her fingers around his elbow and began to lead her to the complex parking lot.
“Not your girl,” Faye grumbled, determined to have the last word.
“Yet,” James said cheerily.
Faye wanted to kiss him and strangle him all at the same time. “Don’t you ever give up?”
James opened the car door and helped her get seated comfortably before pausing in the doorway. His emerald eyes turned serious when they stared into hers and Faye found herself unconsciously holding her breath. “Not when the prize is this magnificent,” he said bluntly.
When the door closed and James began to walk around to his side, Faye put her hand to her chest and took a couple of calming breaths. That man is beyond dangerous. Why can’t I be strong enough to resist him? I refuse to be like my mother and yet I can’t get this guy out of my head.
James started the car and in a few minutes they were on the freeway heading smoothly toward Evanswood. “I guess the same could be said for you,” he said with a sideways glance.
“Huh?” Faye turned her eyes from the scenery and looked at her handsome date.
“Don’t you ever get tired of fighting it?”
Yes. All the time. But losing is worse than the fight. Instead of answering, Faye pinched her lips and turned back toward the window.
“Come on,” James insisted. “We’ve got a decent drive ahead of us and for once, your brother isn’t here to play interference. Let’s be honest with each other tonight. I’ve been asking you out for a year now and you always turn me down, yet I can tell you’re attracted to me.” His eyes slid toward hers again. “Marcus told me a bit about your upbringing, which I have to say sounded a little rough. I’m sorry about that.”
Faye snapped her head in his direction, ready to jump down his throat, but her words died before they left her lips. True sympathy and compassion shown in his gorgeous eyes and she couldn’t find it in herself to be rude when he obviously meant what he said. Instead, she simply nodded.
“So, it feels to me like you’re afraid that if you let a man in, you’re going to become your mother.”
“You know nothing about my mother,” Faye said softly. James kind tone and charity about the situation was making it difficult to keep up her defenses. She wanted to rail that he had no idea what he was speaking of, but truth was, he had nailed it on the head.
“I know that she spent all her time chasing men who were wrong for her,” James said just as softly. “I know that you spent your childhood watching her fall into depression over and over again every time each boyfriend or one-night stand left again. I know that you’ve never dated anyone as a result. I know that you worked your way through high school and beauty school, refusing to take money from your brother despite the fact that he had enough to share. I know you refuse to live with your brother in his large, empty home because you’d rather be independent in your tiny studio apartment. I know that you still don’t talk to your mother ever since escaping after graduation, even though she finally got the help she needed and is doing much better.”