Ten Brides for Ten Hot Guys

by Donna Fasano

  I shivered. Thank you, Candy Bar! You came through for me. You really did. I promise I won’t sell you. I will save you, as you have saved me.

  “Harrison, the magic is an irrevocable force of nature. You can’t fight it, so just accept it.” Of course our children couldn’t get married. That would be too strange. How to break it to them, gently?

  He broke free of my tight hold around his waist, jumping back a few feet as if I had the plague. “You’re one crazy lady, and I hope to hell your son isn’t carrying the same nut gene as you. No way is my Katie marrying into your family.”

  I blinked. His handsome face wore an angry mask. He wasn’t staring at me all goo-gooed eyed. He didn’t want to kiss me…or read me bedtime stories…or spend a lifetime of bliss with me.

  Humiliated, my knees trembled as I realized what a terrible trick had been played on me by the supernatural forces in the bar. In the past, two parties had been hit with magic simultaneously. Serves me right, I thought. I’m imagining the bridal bed, and he’s wondering how to have my son neutered to prevent crazy from marring the perfect family tree.

  I straightened myself up, tugging my shirt into place, positioning my hat just so on my blonde mane. “No worries, Har,” I said. “I’ll figure out a way to stop the kids from getting hitched. You go on now, drive careful. You don’t want to miss your appointment.” I picked up the bottle of scotch and made my way across the dark floor just as the lights flickered, teasing us with coming back on.

  “We need to work on this, together,” he said to my back.

  There was no easy way out, no Candy Bar magic for me.

  “I’m used to doing things on my own.”

  Chapter 3

  Rain pounded against the tile roof with enough force to shake the walls.

  Lydia grabbed her purse. “I’ve got to get home. Braden doesn’t like storms. But we are not done with our conversation, Candy.”

  “Should we stay?” Fran asked, gesturing between her and Susie.

  “No,” I told them. “Get out of here, before you’re stuck all night.” And then Harrison could leave, and I’d have Billy on speed dial, to explain the misunderstanding. Surely he wouldn’t make this big of a life decision without at least running it by me?

  Susie gave me a hug, looking from me to Harrison. “I don’t know, Candy. I can wait for Jake to come in, at least.”

  “You’re sweet, Sus. I’m fine, I promise. Drive safely, guys.”

  Once the door closed behind them, I turned to Harrison, who kept checking his watch. “I’m not crazy. Neither is Billy.” I gave him a frosty stare. Idiot was supposed to be all gaga about me--but no. He had to be the one person resistant to magic. Well, no big deal. I’d downplay the one-way attraction, never letting him know I’d like to eat him like an ice cream cone.

  “So what was that all about?” Harrison gestured toward the roof and the bar. The sharp scent of alcohol, whiskey mostly, wafted upward from where a few bottles had broken.

  “Rain storm.”

  “And you hanging on to me like you were drowning?”

  My cheeks heated. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” I stopped and faced him, and he had the good sense to keep his mouth shut. “About our kids,” I began. “How long have they been dating? I’ve never heard of Katie before now.”

  “And I’ve never heard of your son. Up until recently, Katie was dating a young man in law school. Brilliant guy. No trouble.”

  Said with all the arrogance of a man with a law degree. What kind of lawyer was he, anyway? Billy didn’t stand a chance in their family. We come from good hillbilly stock, while Harrison and Katie were clearly Mayflower descendents.

  “Not like Billy,” I said, squishing back my guilt. After all, my job as a mother is to protect my child, no matter how old that kid is. We were not like the Wolfes. I feared pain and heart break in Billy’s future if Katie was anywhere near as snobby as her dad.

  “How so?”

  I shrugged. “You know. Boys. Trouble at school, that kind of thing.”

  “Not really. Why don’t you fill me in?” He asked in a lawyer’s kind of voice. Not the bedroom voice I had hoped to get used to, but the one that probably got people yakking and sent away to Sing-Sing.

  I hesitated, wondering how much about Billy’s past I should reveal. I knew he’d be furious with me, so I treaded carefully. “Kid’s stuff,” I said again. “Mostly pranks.”

  “You don’t need to worry.” He leaned close. “I’m not about to prosecute him.” Then he flashed a courtroom smile. “It must have been difficult raising him without a father. Working the bar at night—guess the kid was left unsupervised. Natural that he’d test the waters. Right?”

  Harrison was fishing, and it was my fault. I changed tactics. “He tested the waters, all right. But I didn’t leave him alone. I hired a sitter when he was younger, then I’d fix him up with tutors or part-time jobs after school.”

  “So where did he find time to get into trouble?”

  I waved my hand, like it didn’t matter. “For people like me and Billy, trouble just happens. I’m a high-school dropout, barely making a living. Fact is, I’ve got the Candy Bar on the market to sell.”

  He glanced around, then at her. “That’s funny. I googled the Candy Bar, and the reviews were outstanding. Seems like this is an institution around Miami, a local favorite.”

  I was inwardly pleased the bar had shown well–it would help with a buyer. “It used to be, but two new bars opened up in the past year, taking some of my business.”

  “Competition keeps us on our toes, and the cream always rises to the top.”

  Good heavens, had he really just said that? How perfectly condescending. Unless he believed it, in which case he was naïve. “Well,” I said. “I’m not so sure about that. Anyway—we got off the topic. You came in here to talk to me about Katie and Billy.”

  “Right.” He scratched his head, giving his watch an exasperated glare. “I wanted to meet you, to see if you were part of the marriage plan.”

  I frowned. “Nope.”

  “Billy will probably inform you when you see him tomorrow. Maybe you should act surprised?” Harrison hedged toward the door. The rain, I noticed, was slowing down.

  “I don’t have a clue what to say to him. He’s always been strong willed and if I say one thing, he’ll be sure to do the other.”

  “Sounds like most teenagers,” he said, sending me a commiserating look. “They do it just to irk us.”

  I smiled. “So true.” For different reasons, we each knew what it was like to be a single parent. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy. Couldn’t help being so big and strong, and handsome and successful. Probably came from a whole lineage of men just like him.

  “Maybe we should pretend to be thrilled,” I suggested. “Try to push them into this. Then they will balk, think we’re the crazy ones, and run off scared.”

  Harrison stepped closer to me, giving me his full attention instead of the door. “Risky. What if it backfires?”

  My luck? That is exactly what would happen. I sighed. “Then we’d all be screwed.”

  He used his thumb to rub a worry line between his brows. “I know one thing for sure. If we tell them flat out that they’re too young, and don’t have our blessing, they will be more determined than ever.”

  “Agreed. So, we show enthusiasm. Confuse them a little.” I leaned against the bar, pouring us each a thimble full of scotch. “Here’s to our mutual partnership, created to protect our children.” I swirled the scotch, watching the amber liquid cling to the glass. “Yet, it’s so sadly layered by lies and deceit.”

  “Ouch.” Harrison paused before drinking. “Is it really that bad? We’re just trying to save them from making a huge mistake, and a lifetime of misery.”

  “What if we are wrong?” I asked, second guessing myself. “What if they really do love each other and we destroy something truly special?” My voice quivered. “I love my son and never want to cause him
unnecessary pain.”

  “Then time will prove them right.” He joined me at the bar, forgetting about his watch for a second. “Meanwhile, we might be able to slow things down. That’s all,” he spoke gently, his voice as seductive as a caress.

  We sipped on our scotch, and his eyes held mine. He had a warm, hypnotic gaze that warmed my insides and created a tingling between my thighs. He seemed to be leaning toward me, as if he too, could feel the magnetic pull. The scotch, the ambience inside the dimly lit bar added to the temptation of Harrison. His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched.

  Maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as I’d thought.

  It would be so wrong to embark on a romantic journey with this man, the father of my son’s girlfriend…while we were hatching a scheme to break them up.

  I put my glass down and straightened my shoulders, determined to end this attraction once and for all. If only I could look away.

  “Candy?” He put his glass on the bar, never breaking our gaze.

  I swallowed, my stomach twirling. “Yes?”

  “You’re not married?” His head leaned closer. “There’s no Mr. Thompson around?”

  “No.” I pressed my hand to my belly, the other hanging onto the bar. “Why are you asking?” I knew why. I wanted to hear him say it.

  “Because I want to kiss you right now.”

  Oh-oh. This was bad news.

  I sucked in a breath, fighting the waves of desire that floated through me. I almost succeeded, but then I cracked. Perhaps it was the smooth, fifty-year-old scotch talking—or the heated look in his eyes, but I leaned toward him and whispered, “You would?”

  His slight nod did funny things to my insides.

  I half-hoped he’d turn away, and show greater restraint—or better judgment than me. I covered my mouth. “We really shouldn’t.”

  He moved fast. His hand swept out and took the back of my head, guiding my face forward. His lips settled on mine, slanting one way and then another. It was a quizzical kiss, an exploration, as if he wasn’t at sure that he should be doing this, but curiosity won out.

  That lasted for about a second or two, and then he pried my lips open—although I’m not sure if pried is the correct word since I was openly gasping—and then he slipped his tongue in and tasted mine.

  Oh, sweet heaven. The man could kiss. His lips were firm and knowing—seductive as hell. I’m not an amateur either, so I let mine go soft and pliant as my tongue mingled with his. I gave a little sigh of pleasure and he deepened the kiss.

  I swayed and put my hands around his neck, and then my leg seemed to twine around his. We staggered to a wall, and luckily that supported us so I could concentrate on all the wonderful feelings that were flying through me—the sensations of his mouth on mine, the taste and scent of his scotch-tasting breath, the heat that emanated from his large, hard body. Which got my mind thinking—exactly how large?

  I pushed away, and then grabbed him to me again.

  We kissed for a very long time and I couldn’t breathe, or think, but finally I needed some air. “Whoa. Wait a minute,” I gasped. “What are we doing?”

  “Hell if I know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It feels good. But it’s not good, is it?”

  “No, it’s like the worst thing imaginable.” Billy’s face, stern with disapproval, came to mind but I cleared my head. “We have to stop. We must never ever do this again.” I wiped my mouth, straightened my clothes, and backed away.

  He followed me, stepping forward as I stepped back. “Do you want to stop?” He slipped a hand around my waist and dipped his head low. His mouth was inches from mine. I quivered. My lungs felt constricted, my mouth felt bare.

  “Yes. No. Not today, or ever.” I stared at his mouth, my hand on his forearm, brushing his wrist and his damn Rolex. “But don’t you have to be somewhere?”

  “Oh, shit.” He closed his eyes. “I can’t believe I forgot. I do, but can I come back?”

  “You mean tonight?” My voice squeaked.

  “Unless you have other plans.”

  “No, no. No other plans.” I licked my lips and tried to think up a good reason why he shouldn’t come. Our kids would hate us. Probably never forgive us for all of eternity.

  I’m not a very strong woman, what can I say? After only a few seconds of emotional debate, I caved. I’d never been kissed like this before. “I’ll see you later, then.”

  He nodded, then brushed his lips against my heated cheek and stepped away, his eyes still on me.

  I reached behind me and held on to the wall, unwilling to let the spirits of the dead Indians buried beneath me win out. I might be weak, but because of Billy I had to be strong and fight this force of nature with every quivering, lust-soaked cell in my body. “No. Don’t come back. You shouldn’t. The kids…”

  “I know.” He closed his eyes, and I could see the angst in his face. “But I want to. Of all the rotten luck. I haven’t met a woman that I wanted to fuck since my wife died, and now it has to be you.”

  His sincere anguish made me smile. “You say the nicest things.”

  He laughed, surprised. “Send me away if I come back.”

  “I might do that.” I pushed my hair out of my eyes and breathed deeply. “I will do that.”

  He winked. “I’d have to be here to find out, wouldn’t I?”

  “Goodbye, Harrison. Drive safely to your meeting. I’ll see you this weekend with the kids.”

  He left, and I was relieved to see him go. Had he stayed, I’m not sure what might have happened, but I know one thing for sure. It wouldn’t have been good. If…and that was a very big if…he came back, I’d show better control and reasoning power. I’d tell him that under no circumstance would we ever end up between the sheets. It was so not going to happen.

  My thoughts turned to Billy, and I felt a sharp pang of guilt. It was true that he’d not always been easy to get along with, and had acted out both at home and at school. He even ran away once and caused me a lot of anguish and grief--but that wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I worked nights, and I should have been home with him more. I also should have found a father-figure for my son during his young, formative years.

  A boy needed his dad and I failed him, big time. Sure, I tried when he was young. I dated a few men but nothing seemed to work out. I turned my focus on running a business and raising him alone. That was fine until the high school years, when all of a sudden he was too big to control and too stubborn to listen.

  Got to admit, the kid’s a lot like me. Only I made bigger mistakes—life-changing ones--although on hindsight I wouldn’t go back and change anything. Those errors in judgment gave me Billy.

  He’s a soft-hearted young man, and loyal, but he hides a big inferiority complex behind a tough exterior. I figured that out about both of us. We shrug things and people off so we don’t get disappointed, or hurt.

  That was exactly what I needed to do with Harrison. It wasn’t my feelings I had to worry about—it was Billy’s, my number one.

  “Why’s the place in darkness?” a voice behind me asked.

  Startled, I jumped, then put a hand to my throat and laughed. “Didn’t hear you come in. Has it stopped raining? We had quite a lightning storm here a half hour back.”

  “Yup. Skies cleared up,” Jake, my hunky bartender, said. “No one’s here yet?” He flicked on some dim lighting, and then without being told, began lighting the candles on the tables.

  We had a big round bar with four TV sets, and we’d get a lot of people crowding around soon. It used to be standing room only, and the high tops would have quickly been snagged by attractive women gathered in small groups. Where the pretty woman drank, men were sure to follow. Now, a lot of my customers—ones who’d been coming here for years—were down the street at that new gastro pub.

  I didn’t make my own brew, or have every sport on TV showing, but I did have a lively band every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, and the usual “talent show” once a month. It still focused o
n local talent--dancers, singers, or artists, and these nights sold out well. It was the other four nights a week that had fizzled.

  “What’s wrong?” Jake asked. “Why do you look so miserable?”

  “Do I?” I ran a hand through my hair. “It’s just all the stress. The “girls” came in today and I told them I was putting the bar up for sale. You know I mentioned it to you last week, and I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it since.”

  He nodded, and I continued with my story. “Well, they jumped down my throat and said I couldn’t do that—this is the place that brought magic and love into their lives.”

  “True, but the climate’s changing. Faster than we wanted it to.”

  I trusted Jake. He loved the bar as much as I did. “What do you think I should do? They want to give me financial backing, but I’m not sure that I want to stay here any longer.”

  “It’s a tough decision. You’ll figure it out. No one can make it but you.” He put his hands in his jean pockets, and leaned back against the bar. His long legs stretched from one side to the other, whereas my short ones dangled from a bar stool.

  “I do want a change. I’ve been here most every night for going on ten years. I missed all that time with Billy when I should have been around for him.” I sighed, and folded my arms around my middle. “Now it’s too late. He doesn’t need me anymore.”

  Jake stopped setting up, and looked at me. “What do you mean?”

  Tears sprang to my eyes. “He’s getting married.”

  “Holy shit! No wonder you’re upset. Who’s the girl?”

  I told him I hadn’t met her yet, and how the father had shown up and the pact we’d made.

  “Big mistake. You need to put your foot down, not give them your blessing.” He washed up the wine glasses we’d used earlier. “Can’t imagine him tied down at his age. She pregnant?”

  “I asked, and the father said no.”

  His bright blue eyes zoomed in on my face like a laser beam. “What are you not telling me?”

  “Nothing.” He continued to look deeply into my eyes, as if pulling out all my secrets. I folded like a paper airplane. “Okay. I kissed him. That’s all.”