Exception to the Rules (2 page)

“Barry’s gay?”

“No. He’s bi.”

“Really?”

“Yes. So, I took a cab home. One that he did pay for.”

“What a jerk.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Only...” She looked down at her lap briefly. “He made me laugh at dinner. And I was so...I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out, Kallie.”

Kallie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “No biggie. I’ll just keep trying. Never give up. That’s my motto. I refuse to be old and toothless. Cats are definitely out since I’m allergic.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. It won’t come to that.”

“I definitely hope not. I am severely allergic to cats and my place is too small for a dog.”

Gaea shook her head, and wished she had something even close to resembling a social life where she might be able to meet someone right for Kallie. But since her entire social circle consisted of Cooper, who was gay, her father, who lived in Desoto, and her landlord, who made an art out of complaining while not actually doing anything, there didn’t seem to be much hope.

“If you don’t need anything else,” Kallie said, “I’m going to call the agency and double-check on the models.”

“No, I don’t need anything else. So that would be a great idea. Thanks.”

Kallie stood up and headed for the door. Before she went out, she turned back. “Do you think we can actually get Dax to agree to participate?”

Gaea leaned back in her chair. “Who knows? We’re certainly offering him a boatload of money to.”

“Oh my! Can you picture it? Dax Kavanagh strolling down the walkway? I almost faint just thinking about it. No, I’m certain I would faint.”

“I know he’s very attractive, but he’s just a man.”

Kallie tilted her head to the left and her lips twitched. “Just a man? Um, yeah, I think not. He’s...he’s...”

“Extremely gorgeous? Yes, I know.”

Kallie nodded. “I’ll keep you posted.”

Gaea looked down at the spreadsheet on her desk and forgot all about male models, dating fiascos, and even her own personal problems. Moments later, the world outside her office could have imploded upon itself and she wouldn’t have noticed.

* * * *

Sebastian Fuller was at a fork in the road. He had a decision to make, and neither of the two immediate options appealed much to him at all.

He could take the security analyst position in Stuttgart. He’d spent many years in Germany with his platoon. It would be a challenge, and the company, an international security firm, had been after his consulting services for a long time. But it would mean a commitment of eighteen months, which seemed excessive.

On the other hand, he could partner up with Fisher on a security project he had coming up in Washington, D.C., but that would also mean a whole hell of a lot of readjustment, moving up to Washington until the project was over, and, of course, being with Fish, who was a cool guy until he got too drunk, which he did, even while working on a project.

Sebastian’s gaze traveled over to the glass cabinet where he kept all of his military metals and career related awards. An empty space taunted him. Then he looked at his desk, at the pile of papers and articles he’d collected, all of the information he could find on both projects. Damn, he’d put a lot of hours into his research. So why wasn’t he more excited? Stuttgart was a good opportunity. Fisher wasn’t
that
bad. And if Bas monitored the liquor, maybe he could fix it so that his friend couldn’t consume so much of it.

He got up from his desk and walked over to the window. From the tenth floor of the small office space he rented, he could see the privately owned bookstore across the street. The stuff there indulged his quirky taste. When it came to his projects, the more difficult it was, the better. Between the Internet, the bookstore, and the public library, he could research as much as he wanted or needed to.

Maybe he should take a break, go down to the bookstore now, look through a few sections, have a cup of coffee. Come up with something new to research, or as his mother would say, bury himself in a new obsession.

He headed for the door, but before he made it there, he was buzzed from the receptionist. Crossing back to his desk, he answered the intercom.

“Yes, Ruby.”

“There is someone here to see you, Mr. Fuller. Cooper, uh, what’s your last name?”

Sebastian heard a mumble in the background. Then, “Cooper Whedon.”

“Great, send him around to my office.”

Bas put the phone receiver down, curiosity peaked. He’d known Cooper for over a year, mostly as someone who kicked his ass regularly at golf. He liked Cooper, liked his outlook on life and his taste in literature. He’d brought a rare first edition of
David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens and he’d paid a good price for it. But they’d never really socialized, except for the occasional run-in at the bookstore or on the golf course. What could bring him by?

Sebastian opened the door and invited Cooper in.

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Not at all. I was just going to head across the street to the bookstore and grab a cup of coffee as well. However, Ruby makes a good pot so I’ll get some of that instead. Would you like some?”

“Sounds good.”

Bas led the way into the small break room, where he pulled out two Styrofoam cups and began making his coffee. It wasn’t until after they returned to his office that Sebastian spoke.

“So, what brings you by?”

“I have a proposition for you.”

Sebastian stopped short. “Oh?”

Cooper chuckled. “Not that sort of proposition. This one will be more to
your
liking.”

Smiling, and very much relieved, Sebastian sipped from his coffee. “Interesting. Please continue.”

Cooper sat down in the chair across from Sebastian’s desk, placed his coffee near the edge, crossed his arms over his chest, and smiled. “I have a friend. Her name is Gaea Martin and she has a huge problem.”

Sebastian enjoyed his coffee while Cooper filled him in on the situation. His first instinct was to say no and not get involved, but the more he heard about Gaea, the more his curiosity was peaked and the more protective he felt toward her. Protect and serve was a way of life for him.

“She’s brilliant, huh?”

“Top five percent of her class at
TCU
. She has entirely too much remarkable ability for the company she’s at.”

“Workaholic?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe. I don’t think she’s been on a date in four years.”

“And I’d be with her. In her room for the entire week?”

“Yes. Well, wait. I don’t know about the ‘in her room’ part. But considering the point of the plan, you’d have to stick pretty close to her side.”

“Intriguing.”

“Who knows? If you play your cards right, it could lead down that path.”

“What did you say she looks like again?”

Cooper chuckled. “I never said. But now that you ask, she’s hot. About average in height, somewhat on the small side, but a stick of dynamite, if you know what I mean. Medium length dark hair, sparkling brown eyes. Really beautiful. She could have men lining up, but...”

Bas nodded, pleased, but not all that worried. Her looks were only a part of it. Her mind was what interested him the most. She was willing to pay him to be her escort. He didn’t need the money, but he did have something he wanted to bargain for.

“Okay. I tell you what. Arrange a meeting. Whenever it’s convenient for her. We’ll discuss this.”

“She’ll be excited.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

Cooper reached for his coffee. “What plan are you conjuring up?”

“Tit for tat, Cooper. With some very thrilling potential.”

Chapter Two

Cooper studied him for a long moment, clearly trying to figure out whether or not he would move forward.

“I’ll call her tonight,” Sebastian finally said with a slow grin.

“Great.”

Bas took another sip of his coffee. “Can I ask you why you’re not volunteering to help her out?”

“Believe me, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but I have to be in Orlando. Besides, I think this arrangement will work out better.”

“Why do you say that?” Leaning over, he reached into the bottom drawer for a box of cookies he’d brought in the other day. He offered some to Cooper before digging out a few for himself.

“Gaea and I met back in college, and I’d say I know her very well. Underneath the tough exterior is one hell of a good woman. She just has to realize that there is an entire world outside of her job. From what I know about you, that seems to be your specialty.”

Sebastian leaned back in his chair. “I suppose it’s reasonably accurate to state that I have a curious perspective about things.”

“Yes. The two of you in a room together shall be interesting.”

“I wonder why she hasn’t just put the boss in his place. Doesn’t he realize there are laws against that sort of crap?”

“I asked Gaea the same question. At this point, Gaea doesn’t want the hassle. She’s planning to move on to another company after this marketing campaign. This event can make her.”

“I follow you. Always planning the next step?”

“Never misses the smallest of details on paperwork.”

“But almost gets hit anytime she crosses the street?”

Cooper laughed, and lifted his cup. “To new adventures.”

Bas clicked his cup, but instead of taking a sip, he said, “Hey, why don’t you give Gaea a call now? See if she can meet me for a drink tonight.”

Cooper pulled out his cell phone and dialed. By the time he hung up, the arrangements were made, and Sebastian had four hours to put together a plan of his own.

If it worked, it was going to be a hell of a lot more exciting than the two projects he was currently considering.

* * * *

Gaea checked out her appearance in the window of the bistro next to the bar she was meeting Sebastian at. The weather had been kind to her hair today. She’d touched up her makeup in the car, and her suit still looked as if she’d put it on a half hour ago. Not that it mattered. She was the one doing the hiring, but still. The situation was just awkward enough to have a built-in nervousness factor of ten, minimum.

Sebastian Fuller. She’d done an Internet search on him, and what she’d seen had taken her utterly by surprise. The man was a very highly paid security consultant and had worked for some of the biggest corporations in the world. He was also a former Navy Seal, which sent a tingle down her spine.

After she concluded all of her research, she realized his price might be much higher than she could afford. She’d called Cooper back to make sure he hadn’t offered the man her entire salary for the year. Cooper had promised her that if Sebastian Fuller did this, it wasn’t going to be for the money. Which made her question...

Why? Why would he give her strange proposal any thought? What could he possibly get out of it, if not money?

She was about to find out. If she could get her legs to function properly so she could walk inside. After a few deep breaths and a little encouragement to herself, she adjusted her purse strap on her arm and walked inside.

Griffin’s was an upscale uptown bar. Drinks of all shapes, sizes and flavors covered the tall tables in the bar. There was a little laughter, but a lot of chatter bounced off the walls decorated with high-priced art. The splashes of bright color worked, especially with the oak bar and tables.

She walked a little further until she was midway between the door and the bar itself, then did a slow perusal. No one looked like Sebastian Fuller, although one man to her left bore a strong resemblance to Antonio Banderas. She kept looking.

A few seconds later, at the far left edge of the bar, a man alone, saving a seat, looked up expectantly. He was pretty close to Sebastian’s description. Around forty. She couldn’t tell if he was six-foot-four, but he had that military look about him. Brown hair, cut short, but still thick and shiny. Sexy green eyes, a nice nose, and a generous mouth. Altogether an attractive combination. A little too attractive.

Cooper hadn’t said anything about Sebastian being so gorgeous. The word hadn’t been mentioned once. And she knew from experience that Cooper knew a handsome man when he spotted one. So maybe it wasn’t Sebastian.

Cooper had stated that Sebastian was white. Not that she minded. For she was an equal opportunity dater that had dated outside of her own race before. The problem was she wasn’t certain Sebastian had.

As soon as the thought entered her mind, she pushed it aside. Cooper wouldn’t do that to her. He wouldn’t set her up with a guy that didn’t check out all the way. If she was aware of the fact that Sebastian was Caucasian, Sebastian was aware of the fact that she was African American.

The man in question waved, quelling her doubts. He stood up. Yes. Definitely six-four at least. Smiling, too. A great smile. A grin that multiplied his gorgeousness by a factor of infinity. She pasted her own smile on her face and made her way through the crowd. He managed to hold on to two bar stools while chasing away a redhead with boobs the size of melons.

“I really hope you’re Gaea Martin,” he said as soon as she was in hearing distance.

“I am.”

“Good because my mother raised a gentleman and this is the last empty seat in this place. I guess I should have suggested some place quieter.”

“There isn’t any place quieter. Not around here at this time of evening.”

He held out his hand. Long, supple fingers, strong grip. Warm, but definitely not damp. She felt her face grow hot just from the touch, which wasn’t like her. Not like her in the least.

“Sit down. Let me buy you a drink.”

“I should be the one buying.”

“Feel free to pick up the next round, if you want,” he replied. “What would you like right now?”

“A Cabernet, please.”

He nodded, then turned to get the attention of the bartender as Gaea climbed up on the stool. Being on the short side always made it a precarious position, but she didn’t show anyone anything she wasn’t supposed to on her way up. She set her purse on her lap and glanced at Sebastian. He was even better looking up close. It was his mouth, of course. Full, pouty lips, but incredibly masculine. Laugh lines etched on either side. If Kallie were here, she’d be sure to comment on how kissable they were. Ah, that Kallie. She had a way with words.