Dazzle her: Laws of Seduction Book 3 (13 page)

Reeling from the confrontation between Jett and James, I move to sit down on the couch. I feel James watching me. After several moments of silence, he finally asks, “Are you alright?”

“Not really.”

“Don’t worry. He’ll come around. It just may take a while.”

I nod my head absentmindedly before looking at him more closely. “You said you loved me.”

Moving to sit beside me on the couch, James smooths his hand down my cheek in a familiar gesture. “How can you doubt it? I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I didn’t think I could. You are so beautiful and brave. It takes my breath away.”

I rapidly blink away the moisture building in my eyes. “I’m not brave.”

James laughs. “Oh baby, you are the bravest person I have ever met. Your strength humbles me and makes me want to be a better person.”

“Really?” I am shocked that a man like James, who is downright gorgeous and in control of every situation, admires me.

“Yes, really. You are irresistible. I knew on the LIRR train that you were something special. I just didn’t think I deserved someone like you.”

“Oh James, of course you do.” I lean into him and he meets me halfway. His mouth engulfs mine in a soul-searching kiss that sends lightning bolts of pleasure down to my toes. He pulls me onto his lap and his hands drift up my legs. When he realizes that I am bare under his shirt, he groans. “The only thing that is keeping me from fucking you hard this moment is the thought of being interrupted by your roommate.” I wiggle around on his lap, and he tightens his grip on my thighs. “Stop it. I didn’t know you could be such a tease.

“I’m just frustrated.”

Pushing me back slightly, he consoles me. “In about ten hours, we’ll be in the Hamptons with the whole weekend in front of us.” James raises his hand and brushes my hair away from my cheek, tucking it behind my ear. His hand wavers imperceptibly, catching my attention.

“What?”

James clears his throat. “It looks as though I might have gotten a little carried away last night.” His thumb gently strokes the side of my throat.

Clapping my hand to the spot, I look up at him in horror. “Did you leave a mark on me?”

“It’s quite small, almost invisible.” His attempt to reassure me falls short. I jump off his lap and run to the bathroom to see for myself. My image in the mirror reveals a purplish mark the size of a hockey puck. I groan in dismay. James, who has followed me into the bathroom, laughs. “Oh come on. It’s not that bad.”

I narrow my eyes at him and give him a stony glare. “I don’t think you would be so lackadaisical about it if this was your neck,” I hiss at him while pointing at the offending mark. I am horrified by a new thought. “Do you think Jett saw it?”

“It was hidden by your hair. Besides, the way he feels about me, I am sure he would have called me on it if he had noticed.”

I hope that James is right. “I can’t wear a turtleneck in the middle of August.”

“Technically, it’s the end of August.”

I glare at him again. “You are not helping.”

James raises his hands up as if in surrender. “I apologize for not being more careful. It’s probably best if I take off now and let you get ready for work.”

Closing my eyes in defeat, I nod my head. “Maybe Sam can help me with damage control.”

“That’s the spirit. I’ll see you at the office.” After a rather long pause, I wonder why he is still standing there. Then it hits me. I am wearing his shirt, and he has nothing else to wear home.

Not in the mood to give a striptease, I order James to turn around. Quirking an eyebrow at me, James does as I ask. I take off his shirt and wrap a towel around myself before holding his shirt out to him. He takes it and turns around, giving my towel a once over. He seems to know better than to say a word as he backs solemnly out of the bathroom. I listen as the front door closes behind him.

Of course, Sam laughs her head off when I show her. “Looks like James was feeling enthusiastic last night.”

“What am I going to do?” I moan in despair.

“Come on. It’s not that bad. We’ll just touch it up with make-up and camouflage it with a scarf.”

In short order I find myself in black dress pants and a stretchy, white t-shirt. Sam orders me to put on my black work heels while she looks for a scarf. In a few moments she returns with a floral one with a black border. She wraps it around my neck this way and that until seemingly satisfied. “There, you’ll do. Have a look.”

I walk over to the mirror and see no trace of the mark. Relief makes me gush. “Sam, you are a miracle worker. What would I do without you?”

“Die of mortification?”

We both laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Realizing that we are going to be late, we both finish getting ready and hustle out the door in record time. As luck would have it, the subway pulls into the station just as we pass through the turnstiles leading onto the subway platform. The subway is less crowded than usual since it is a holiday weekend, and Sam and I score seats together for our short ride.

Once I reach my desk, I dive right into work, determined to meet the deadline I have set for myself. A call from Mills interrupts me mid-morning. They have made no progress on determining the identity of the arsonist, and the work on my office is to be finished by the middle of next week. After the call I realize I didn’t have a chance to talk to James about my disturbing conversation with Davis from the evening before. As if he knew I had been thinking of him, James appears at my desk and gives me a warm smile. “You’re looking beautiful today. I like the scarf.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Thank you. You’re looking pretty good yourself.” James looks devastatingly handsome in a charcoal gray suit and a dark purple tie. ““I like purple,” I say, giving him a wink.

James laughs. “I also find purple an enchanting color.”

Patti and Nora, who have been listening to this exchange avidly, look confused. This makes me laugh even harder. Becca walks by and, seeing us laughing, stops. “What’s so funny?”

This sobers me up. “Nothing. I’m just being silly.” I look back at James. “Is there something you wanted?”

“No, I just wanted to see you.”

I hear Patti and Nora’s sigh dreamily behind me. “Well, aren’t you two just too cute,” Becca says with a syrupy smile that I cannot believe is genuine.

“How was the get-together last night?” I ask Becca. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”

“Oh, that’s alright. It fell through anyway.” Becca looks at me as if this is somehow my fault. I turn to Patti and Nora, begging them with my eyes to say something to take the attention away from me.

Picking up on my silent plea, Patti asks Becca, “Do you have any plans for the weekend?”

“I’m going out to the Hamptons with some friends.” She turns to James and gives him a coy smile. “You go out to the Hamptons a lot too, don’t you James?”

“Yes, I try to make it out there as much as I can. Lainey is coming with me this weekend.”

Becca pastes another syrupy smile across her face. “That sounds nice.”

“I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll see you later, Lainey.” James flashes his charming smile at us and heads back to his office. Becca stares after him until he is out of sight, and then turns back to me. “Since we will all be in the Hamptons, maybe we can all get together while we’re there. Wouldn’’t that be fun?”

“I’m not sure what James has planned,” I hedge. “I’’ll have to let you know.”

“Okay, give me your number so I can give you a call.”

Seeing no way around it, I dutifully relay my phone number. Looking extremely satisfied with herself, Becca sashays away. I watch as she disappears, feeling somehow outmaneuvered.

When she is definitely out of earshot, Patti says, “You had better watch yourself, Lainey, that little she-cat wants your man.”

“I know. She told me.”

“What? You mean she came right out and told you?”

I turn to see identical expressions of wide-eyed shock. “Yep, at Bethany’s birthday celebration.” Both Patti and Nora appear to be speechless at this revelation.

Finally, Nora finds her voice. “What did she say exactly?”

“Oh, something to the effect that James is a prize to be won, and she always wins.”

“She is absolutely devious asking for your number after saying something like that. Lainey, you have to let her calls go to voicemail. Don’t play her little games.”

“Okay, I promise not to take her calls.”

Patti gives me an approving smile. “Good for you.”

We all turn back to our work, and I realize that once again I have missed an opportunity to tell James about Tobin’s creepy photos.

CHAPTER 16

“Did you fly back early to check up on me?” I ask my brother as he sits across the table from me at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Noise from the midday traffic plays around us like a soundtrack.

The guilty expression that spreads across Jett’s face is answer enough. “You’re my little sister. I was worried about you. I am worried about you,”” he corrects.

“Look, I know you are trying to look after me and to keep me from getting hurt, but you are going to have to trust that I can take care of myself.”

“But James McAllister, Lainey?”

“Can’t you give him a chance? For my sake?”

“It doesn’t look like I have much of a choice.”

I take a bite of my burger and wash it down with some of my vanilla milkshake. “When are you leaving for Indy?”

Jett, who has nearly devoured his own burger with a few large bites, wipes his greasy fingers off on a napkin before replying. “This evening. You can still come with me if you want. The ticket is on me.”

“I thought lawyers were known for their subtlety.”

“It was worth a try.” Jett finishes his burger and starts in on his fries. “This sure beats the burgers I’ve had recently.

“They don’t make good hamburgers in Taiwan?”

“Not like this.”

I had to admit the Shake Shack did make a mean burger and fries. Jett had been the one who had insisted that we go here, saying he wanted “home food.” “Tell everyone at home hello and give them my love.”

“I will. I bet Jakey won’t even remember me.”

“That’s alright. Just play with him, and you’ll be golden.”

We are about ready to leave when Jett brings up my relationship with James again. “There is nothing I can say or do that will convince you to break things off with McAllister, is there?”

“I’m afraid not. I love him, Jett.” The look of anguish that crosses Jett’s face breaks my heart, but I feel helpless to reassure him.

I return to the office feeling oddly deflated. I barely manage to finish and submit my brief when James turns up, ready to leave for the weekend. It isn’t until we are on the road that I have time to recount what Davis had told me over dinner the night before. At James’s reaction, I wonder if I shouldn’t have waited until he was no longer driving. “What the hell, Lainey? Why am I hearing about this just now?”

“I was going to tell you last night, but well… you know. Then Jett showed up this morning.” James continues to drive while fishing around in his pocket. ““What are you doing?”

“Here.” He hands me his phone. “Look up Cheney in my contacts and call him. You need to report this immediately.”

I do as he says, and Cheney picks up on the third ring. After explaining the situation, I give him Davis’s phone number. He promises to follow up early next week.

James seems impatient to get to our destination. When we are almost there, he confesses that he wanted to go straight to the boat and try for a sunset sail. It is close, but we make it in time to cast off for a short sail and experience a glorious sunset from the deck of his boat. We eat a picnic dinner that James had called into the marina restaurant.

The next morning we are about to cast off once more when we hear a familiar voice. Turning, I watch in amazement as Becca comes tripping down the dock. “James and Elaine, what a surprise running into you like this.” Becca takes in the long expanse of the boat before turning back to James, “Is this your boat? It’s very sexy.”

I fight the impulse to roll my eyes. James gives a simple nod of his head. When she realizes that James is not reacting to her comment as she expected, she turns back to me. “I love sailing. I’d love to go out on this, and it is such a beautiful day.””

Doesn’t she already have plans? Before I have a chance to reply, James breaks in. “Some other time. Lainey and I are going out alone today.”

“Oh, right. Some other time then. Don’t forget!” Becca wiggles her fingers in a goodbye wave before heading back down the dock in the same direction she came from.

“That was odd,” I say looking back at James, who just shrugs his shoulders, obviously not interested in talking about it anymore.

We are out on the water when James receives a text from Rex letting us know he has arrived and will be throwing a party together at the house this evening. “Do you think Becca will show up?” I joke from my prone position on the bow of the boat, where I am lying on my stomach, dozing in the sun.

“She does seem to be turning up every time we turn around.”