Brad slapped Coop’s shoulder. “Tell me something, Valentine, do you find Daisy attractive?”
My eyes shot open. “Brad!” I practically screamed his name.
“Better yet, would you ever date her?” His expression seemed to tease me across the table. He was so casual and nonchalant about it. Meanwhile I felt like my world was imploding.
“I could murder you in cold blood right now.” I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring darts at him.
“Not the smartest thing to say in public, Dais.” He resumed his focus on Coop. “What do you say, man?”
“I know he’s paying you, but you don’t have to answer that.” Oh, but I wanted him to. Most of my indignation was fake, and Brad knew it.
Coop hesitated before stating, “I make it a point not to date clients, past or present.”
Brad’s lips turned down. His gaze narrowed in challenge. “You didn’t answer the question.”
“Because it’d be unprofessional of me to ponder an answer.” Coop didn’t back down.
“I’m giving you permission,” Brad insisted.
I shrunk back in my seat. I was one big ball of anxiety. I’d never desired an invisible cloak more than now. Brad was typically carefree, but he had his prowler moments. I always felt bad for the person on the receiving end of his determination.
Coop’s gaze traveled between Brad and me. He was unreadable. His eyes were clouded, his expression shrouded, if a bit irritated.
My heart plummeted. My gut tightened painfully. I couldn’t take it anymore. I stood, my chair scraping loudly across the floor. “I’m gonna go. I’ll meet you outside, Brad. Thanks for the update, Coop.” I spoke in a hurry, snatched my purse off my chair and raced outside.
The cold air slapped my face; my eyes stung as tears trickled from them. It was one thing to wonder, to dream and fantasize because hope still existed. Hope was what padded your courage slowly but surely until you wanted it bad enough to take the plunge.
But now I knew it was one sided and, for some reason, that hurt more than letting Brad go. Somewhere between his formality and the mesmerizing oceanic hue of his eyes, I’d noticed little things he’d said, he’d done, that had hinged tiny hooks in my heart, attaching me, luring my thoughts, to him. He’d never flirted, borderline at most. He never found little ways to brush against me, even when he sat beside me. He also didn’t look at me like Brad looked at Lisa.
I jumped as Brad flung a protective arm around me. “Come on, Dais. I’ll buy you lunch.”
“I can buy my own lunch, thanks.”
He spun me towards him as we reached his car. “I saw the way he looked at you, Dais. He just wouldn’t admit it to you. I gave him an in.”
I knew he meant well. “You can’t force love, remember?”
“You also can’t run from it. I know the look he had. I had it every day for six weeks before I caved and approached Lisa. Trust me. He’s got it bad for these curves.” He grabbed my hips and gave them a hearty shake.
I cracked, laughing. I smacked his hands away, but he didn’t move them. “Stop.”
“Only if you let me buy you lunch.”
“So you’re going to stand here all day like this, hands convulsing on me, if I refuse?”
“Yup.”
“Hold on. Let me run that by Lisa.” I opened my tote and dug around for my phone.
He shrugged his shoulders, undeterred. “She’ll laugh her ass off and tell you to hold out.”
My stomach chose that moment to growl. “Alright. I’m hungry and weak with heartache. You totally doused my heart in hot sauce.”
He sighed, dropping his arms as he took me in. “I’m sorry, Dais.”
I turned my nose up, averting my gaze with an uppity harrumph. “Say it with cheesecake.”
“I can do that.” He stepped around me and opened the passenger door. He was always a gentleman with the doors.
—
Chapter Five
February 3rd
Daisy
“Let’s go, girls,” Brad called.
“We have names you know,” I stated, moving past him. I fished my car keys out of my clutch on the front porch while he locked up.
“You don’t need those.” Brad stole my keys from my grip.
“Yeah. We’ll take my SUV,” Lisa said.
I felt my brows dip inwards, confusion stopping me in my tracks. “Won’t you two want to celebrate after?”
They exchanged glances. “We can wait.” They spoke in unison.
I narrowed my gaze on them. “Okay, guys, what’s going on?” I folded my arms, not moving another step.
Lisa tugged me towards her modest SUV. She was surprisingly strong for her size. “Brad and I wanted to take you to a nice restaurant as our way of saying thank you.”
I softened, my arms falling to my sides. “That’s really not necessary.”
She shrugged. “We want to. Please.” She laced her fingers, holding her hands in front of her chest. At my reluctance she continued,” You’re going to help us with all the wedding shopping and fittings. Think of it as early payment.”
“No more after today.” I was firm, ensuring they both heard.
“Yay!” Lisa squealed, running around to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
Brad opened my door and rushed to catch the tail end of Lisa’s opening. Soon we were loaded up and heading towards downtown.
I couldn’t help but notice the way Brad and Lisa’s hands were entwined atop the console as she drove. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. I don’t think he even knew he was doing it. They were both relaxed, so in tune with each other.
A pang of longing stabbed my chest. That’s what I wanted. Not with Brad, but with some other man.
Cupid immediately came to mind. It didn’t matter that the truth was out there. It’s like my heart still believed that he was the one and refused to let him go, which I knew was ridiculous. We’d barely had two non-business conversations, certainly not enough to feel the way I did.
And that was what confounded me. For a month, I’d lived with guilt. I felt bad that Brad had put Coop in the position he did that day. I should have done more to rescue him, but curiosity had temporarily stolen my humanity.
Oh well. It was all over as of today. Maybe my heart would realize that and stop fighting me.
“I’ll drop you two off and go find parking,” Lisa said.
I looked up right as she pulled in front of the restaurant. My eyes widened. “Um, are you sure about this?”
I stared at the famous Italian restaurant. It’d been featured in nearly every culinary magazine, did several spots on Food Network and was noted as a must-eat travel destination on the Travel Channel. The food was amazing from what I heard, but expensive. While I rubbed elbows with the wealthy, sort of, I’d never felt totally comfortable around them.
I watched as the doorman, dressed to the nine in a black and white tuxedo, held the door for a couple.
“Positive.” Brad jumped out of the car and opened my door.
I kept my knees glued together as I exited, not wanting to flash anyone. I’d picked a good day to wear a dress. The deep plum color added a richness, an elegance to the sexy dress. It was one of my favorites. It was a rouged, Marilyn style wrap dress that hugged my curves, hid my imperfections and made me feel like a goddess. An oversized dark teal clutch complimented the dress without taking away from it. Matte gold glitter pumps, big wavy hair that fell over my bare shoulders, ruby red lipstick and a bold, gold necklace with a hefty jaguar pendant that rested just above the swell of my breasts screamed that I was a brave, confident woman. I suppose I wanted to walk away from Brad feeling strong, sexy and in control of my future. This outfit kindled that ideal.
He closed the door and drew my hands in his. “You look beautiful.”
“You don’t look back yourself.” I smiled, taking in his tailored grey suit and white oxford. He was casually formal without a tie, yet it would still work in Vogue.
My heart came to a stop for a long moment as he slid first his, then my wedding ring off and placed them in my palm. “I’ve got no regrets. I want you to be happy. I want you to find what I have with Lisa, Dais. You deserve fireworks and champagne. Don’t settle for anything less.”
My chest constricted. For two years Brad had been my constant. It wasn’t until nine months ago that I moved out and he pursued Lisa. And, regardless of what felt right, what was right for both of us, it was still a bittersweet moment.
I was surprised when tears welled, blurring my vision. I threw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest.
“I’m not going anywhere, Dais.” He held me tight.
“I know.” This was easier for him because he wasn’t moving on to lonely nights on the sofa. He was moving onto true love, to the happily-ever-after we all wanted. I pulled back, dabbing at my cheeks. I stuffed the rings into my purse before I dropped them in tizzy. “I know nothing is changing, but it feels like everything is.”
“Maybe you need a little change in your life, Dais. You work hard for very little money. You’ve done all those amazing clothing sketches yet have done nothing with them. You have the business brains, the creativity and the drive to do your own line from the ground up. I’m willing to invest in you; you should too. We’re not getting any younger. It’s time to stop putting off your dreams and to finally start chasing them, starting with Coop.” He’d never called him that…
Brad turned me towards the door. My heart took off, skipping a few beats.
Coop stood dressed in a sharp black suit with accents of true blue. His eyes stared straight into me, beyond any walls I’d erected and into my soul. And somewhere in the middle of him starting at me and me staring at him, I flashed forward to our wedding day. I could picture him dressed just like this, standing beside the altar, waiting for me like he was now.
“I told you I’m always right,” Brad teased. “He admitted the truth last month. He wants to do you up, down and all around-”
I backhanded his stomach, cutting him off, but never took my eyes off Coop.
“He wanted everything to be finalized,” Brad continued.
I looked at Brad, realization dawning on me. “You set this up back then, didn’t you?”
“Guilty.” He didn’t act guilty. “I meant what I said, Dais. It’s time you start chasing your dreams. You’ll be much happier.” He pressed a hand to the small of my back and gave me a gentle shove. “Now go, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I smirked back at him. “That doesn’t exactly narrow down the field.”
“I know.” He flashed a smile before walking back to the SUV.
The moment he opened the door, Lisa yelled, “You look hot. Go have fun.”
I knew my cheeks were as red as my lips when I lifted my gaze back to Coop.
A smile played on his lips. “You look gorgeous.” He closed the distance as Lisa drove away. He extended an arm towards me. “Shall we?”
Someone please pinch me. “I suppose we shall.” I linked my arm through his and let him escort me inside.
White and creams from the stones to the statues lent an understated opulence to the restaurant. The monotone color palette forced the eye to discover the exquisite details, such as the cherub carvings on the buttons tufting the plush cream chairs that sat before tables covered in fine white linen that seemed to glisten when the light hit it.
“Do you come here often?” I asked as we approached a hostess station. The employees, aside from the doorman, were dressed in all white.
“Never. You?” He gave the woman his name and looked at me, waiting.
“Never.” I knew my smile was tight. This place made me nervous. It was nothing short of stunning, but with all the white and cream everywhere, I could picture myself spilling something red already. It was the same fear that plagued me every time I stepped into a wealthy client’s home.
“Looks like it’s a first all around.”
Why did I suddenly want to pull a Cupid and bolt? “Looks like it is,” I said.
We followed the woman to a table. My breath hitched as I caught sight of the bouquet of at least two-dozen red roses. A quick check around showed other tables with a low cut, white rose and cream carnation arrangement.
I looked at Coop. “You?”
He shrugged, pulling out my chair. “Isn’t Valentine supposed to be a romantic?”
Unease wound through my chest. You shouldn’t do things because you’re supposed to. You should do them because you want to.
I paused, studying the restaurant again. It was beautiful. Every detail was a work of art, but all of my adult life I’d worked in homes and shops full of luxury and the same attention to details, and never had I relaxed inside them.
The truth was, I didn’t want fancy dinners, multiple closets and a grand flower arrangement. I wanted to live comfortably, to be comfortable enough to spread my wings and give this thing a real try. I couldn’t be myself at this table because I wasn’t a fine dining kind of woman. And looking at Coop, despite all his professionalism, I got the feeling he wasn’t either.
“Is everything okay, Miss?” The woman was cordial but not genuine.
“Can we have a minute, please?”
“Of course.” She bowed her head and backed away.
I turned face and stared straight at Mr. Dreamy. It’s time to start chasing your dreams, Daisy. “Moment of truth here.” I fought the flush I felt stealing over me. “I’ve never been so enamored by someone I didn’t know. You pretty much star in my dreams every night, whether you realize it or not, and have been since the moment I laid eyes on you. I don’t know what that says about me, other than perhaps I need to get laid.” I chuckled nervously. “You said you felt like you were doing what you were supposed to do; granted, I don’t know you really, but that’s not what the man in my dreams does. The man in my dreams does what he wants to do, what feels right. And this, though I appreciate it, doesn’t feel right to me, Cupid.”
His expression tensed. His muscles stiffened as his eyes darkened. When he spoke, he spoke with a taut jaw. “If I did what I wanted, I would skip the date, bypass all formalities and take you right to bed. You’re not the only one who dreams. But you deserve more than that. Women are not a prize to be claimed.”
“Yet you treat the flowers and restaurant like a bait and hook.”
“Perhaps, but it’s me that keeps them on the line.”
“Okay, well I’m not taking your bait. What’s your backup?” I folded my arms over my chest, waiting, hoping, he had a comeback.
His gape was calculated, like the answer to my question was written in my eyes. “You get to drive Red to the grocery store. I’ll buy what we need. Then I’ll drive you to my condo. We’ll open a bottle of wine and cook barefoot together before eating on the couch while watching whatever cheesy movie is on TV. When you’re relaxed and content, I’ll make my move.”
Chills chased down my spine. My nipples strained against my strapless bra, my breasts swelled as desire warmed me to the bone. Anticipation pressed low in my stomach. “Now that’s just cruel. I’m the kind of woman who enjoys dessert first. Serve yourself up with whipped cream before wine and food and we can leave together now.”
He licked his lips. “Deal.”
My face split devilishly. “Well, what are you waiting for Cupid? Shoot your arrow and knock me off my feet.”
“I’m going to forgive you this once for that line.” He grabbed my hand and swiftly led me out of the restaurant. He tossed me the keys to Red, a shiny, candy apple red Corvette, after he opened the driver’s door for me.
I kicked off my heels and glided in behind the wheel. I stuffed my clutch beside me and started the car. The engine purred like a sexy feline.
He tossed his jacket over the seat and got in. He pulled his tie loose as he shut his door.
“New idea,” I started. “We skip the grocery store and run by my place so I can change. Then we’ll go t
o your place, be naughty, order take-out, open whatever alcohol you have and crash on the couch in front of the TV.”
“Stop talking and drive.” He practically growled, his need obvious.
I couldn’t contain my pleasure as I sped off.
—
Cupid
Men typically started out wanting to be bachelors forever. No responsibilities, no commitment; fun and free all the time. But then your friends start to marry off. You witness their happiness, all the benefits of a partner, and eventually jealousy builds, tainting your glass so it looks dirty rather than rosy. I’d been at that point for years. Hell, I’d embraced my namesake and helped restore that look of love and adoration in their eyes, but I never found the woman who put it there for me.
My best friend, Brian, told me the day he met his wife. “There’s just something about her. Yeah, she’s hot, but it’s not just looks. I barely spoke two words to the girl, but I’m tellin’ ya, Coop, that’s my girl. She was meant for this stud to mount forever.”
It’s a soul deep reaction most men are too macho to admit. I was almost too stubborn to admit it. Brad damn near beat it out of me. I knew I could have fought him off, but I didn’t want to. I just wanted her, and I was tired of making excuses.
As insurmountable as it seems, I knew it was Daisy from the moment I laid eyes on her. If I had to bend some rules to be with her, well, my gut said she’d be worth it, and I’m Cupid after all. If there’s one thing I know, it’s love. And damn was I going to love Ms. Daisy and all her curves tonight.
—
Daisy
The moment I stepped out of the car, his mouth was on mine. His lips were soft yet commanding. I felt every straining muscle as he pressed his body against mine, fighting to remain in control. He was still trying to seduce me, but he was kissing me the way he thought he ought to.
I bit his lip, halting him. “Kiss me the way you want to or not at all. I’m an all in kind of woman.”
He nipped my bottom lip before he pulled away. “Lead the way, gorgeous.”
I bent into the car and grabbed my heels, purposefully giving him a full view of my ass in my tight body hugging dress during the process.
Red Hot Valentine: Falling for Cupid Page 4
