by Lori Foster
“Well, they went a little too far. First the interrogations about boyfriends, then too many opinions about how I dressed and how much makeup I was wearing. I know I’m the ‘baby’ of the family, but it still annoys me.” She sighed. “When I finally did move away from home, I entered a relationship with Manny, a man who not only cheated on me but also had the nerve to try to bully me into forgiving him when I found out about it!”
Helpless anger welled up inside of Sofia. The two-timing rat! Her temples throbbed just thinking about how she’d cried over her ex-boyfriend’s deception and how she had begun to doubt her ability to judge a man’s true character.
“I am half-tempted to accept Daniel’s generous offer and go with you on this marvelous cruise,” Sofia said. “I’d love to get away from Miami and clear my head.”
“Oh, but you must come with us! Daniel and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re meeting tonight at his favorite Irish pub in Coral Gables. Will you join us at John Martin’s around six for cocktails?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. Can’t wait to congratulate Daniel personally and let him know how lucky he is. If you pamper him half as much as you do me, he’s going to be spoiled rotten before long!”
Lucita’s round face reddened suddenly. “It’s my pleasure. I never thought I’d remarry after Vincente passed on. And it’s not because I haven’t dated,” she said, giggling shamelessly.
Sofia joined in her mirth. “Ay, Tia Lucita. You’re a regular Scarlett O’Hara.”
“Don’t be disrespectful to your old auntie,” Lucita admonished with gruff fondness.
Change. That’s what James liked, the challenge of meeting new women and enjoying their company for enjoyment’s sake, nothing else. The moment the women got a little needy, he backed off and severed the relationship. No sense in encouraging something that would never result in what they wanted. Marriage—the word gave him the willies. He had enough conscience not to purposely wound a woman’s tender feelings. His father had drilled this into James from an early age with stern but loving discipline. Whenever he was about to break up with a woman, he heard Daniel’s blustery warning in the back of his mind: Son, you’d better not hurt that girl’s feelings or you’ll be answering to me.
James Connor leaned back on the barstool at John Martin’s and drank his scotch and water. Of all the swanky places in Miami, this cozy, dark, unpretentious pub was Daniel’s favorite spot on a Saturday night. Not only did Dad enjoy his native Irish food, but he also joined in the merriment provided by an Irish band, singing and tapping his feet to the music. So if James wanted to intercept his errant dad, who hadn’t returned his phone calls for the past week, he figured he could always catch up with him at John Martin’s.
He glanced at his watch. Ten of six; Dad would be arriving soon. It never failed to amuse James how much his father was a creature of habit, unlike himself, who shunned routines and welcomed change. Hell, he’d never allow himself to sink into a rut like so many men he’d taken on as divorce clients. He often cited that as one of the reasons he didn’t intend to marry.
Unfortunately, Dad’s love choices hadn’t been wise ones. Even though he was larger than life, with a strong, decent character, Daniel had a weakness for women, especially pretty ones. Younger, greedy women had twice burned him, and that branded him as a “fool for love” in James’s opinion. Which was precisely why he found himself at John Martin’s on a Saturday night, instead of in South Beach enjoying delicious cuisine with a hot date. Maybe he could still make it; this wouldn’t take long. He’d been through this type of thing before.
He suspected that his dad was up to one of his hopeless romantic trysts again. The clues were all there. First Dad had announced a month ago that he didn’t need James’s help anymore with his finances since he’d hired a bookkeeper. Now a retired orthopedic surgeon, Daniel had known squat about finances then and hadn’t had an inkling of desire to pursue it. He was a healer and scientist, first and foremost, so he’d heavily relied on James to invest his money. And thankfully, the investments had been lucrative, affording Daniel a privileged lifestyle.
And now Dad seemed to be avoiding him, not even returning his phone calls. When James had finally been able to locate him last weekend, Dad had sounded almost too cheerful, a sure sign that he’d fallen in love again. If that was the case, it had to stop before dear old Dad ended up married again.
Lord knew Daniel’s previous wives had done their best to deplete his bank account. If it hadn’t been for James’s expertise in the courtroom, they would have taken Daniel to the cleaners. No way was James going to let some greedy little gold digger ruin his father’s retirement and break his heart in the process.
James was interrupted from his musings as he watched a middle-aged red-haired woman enter the bar on wobbly feet. He immediately rose from the barstool when he realized she was heading his way. Doreen D’Angelis. And from the way she was swaying, he wondered if she’d been on a drinking binge.
“Oh, James, what am I going to do?” she wailed as she tottered over to his side.
James held out a steadying hand, but instead of taking it, she collapsed against the front of his shirt, wetting it with copious tears.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, stunned by her emotional outburst. He’d never seen Doreen out of control. She was a private woman, always immaculately groomed and in control of the travel agency she owned.
He pulled away from her stiffly lacquered hairdo that was always styled in a perfect flip, to hear her muffled words. “It’s Daniel. I think he’s getting married again!”
Instead of swearing a mean streak, which would have given James a measure of release, he regarded her with a mixture of pity and frustration. None other than the woman who had been pining after his father for years had just confirmed his suspicions.
“How do you know that for sure?” he asked gently, peering into the poor woman’s mascara-streaked, reddened eyes.
She emitted a long, shuddering sigh before she could control her breathing enough to continue. “When he booked a cruise a few weeks ago for two, I presumed that it was a birthday surprise for you, because he warned me not to mention a word to you.”
“Oh, really?” the lawyer in him asked nonchalantly. James braced himself for what was to come as he retrieved a white handkerchief from his sports jacket and handed it to her.
Doreen accepted it and loudly blew her nose before continuing. “I was going to finally make my move this week and invite him over for a home-cooked Italian meal before he left on the cruise. But I never got to.” She paused dramatically.
“Why not?”
“Because he casually mentioned that he wouldn’t be a single man when he returned to Miami. Then he bought another ticket for a family member who would be accompanying him and his lady guest. Probably his fiancée,” she groaned.
“When are they leaving?” James asked quickly before she gave in to a fresh bout of tears.
“Next week. And they’re taking a two-week cruise, one I’ve always dreamed of taking for any honeymoon!” she wailed, starting to get worked up again.
With a flash of irritation, James wondered if his dad had ever realized that the businesslike spinster had been hopelessly in love with him for years. Unfortunately, her starched demeanor and conservative dress were not what the roguish Daniel found attractive in a woman. He had a penchant for overtly feminine, sensual women, the more flirtatious the better.
A tall, shapely brunette wearing a turquoise jersey dress that skimmed over sinful curves sauntered through the front door, instantly capturing James’s attention. The young woman appeared foreign, perhaps Latina. Shoulders thrust back, she exuded self-confidence in the sleek dress that flattered her high, round breasts, small waist, and curvy hips. The hem ended in a slight swirl around pretty knees just above nicely toned calves. He could hear her high-heeled sandals click against the tile as she headed toward the dining room.
When she turned her back, a potent surge of lust shot t
hrough James’s groin as his gaze fastened on the most perfect, heart-shaped backside he’d ever seen. Lush and round, it swayed with just a tad of jiggle to tempt any hot-blooded male into stroking or squeezing it, anything just to get his palms on those sweet curves and feel the soft flesh beneath the thin fabric of her dress. With keen eyes, he watched her speak briefly to the hostess before returning to the entrance.
Daniel arrived at that same moment, escorting an elderly woman with curly blond hair wearing an orchid wrap-style dress. James was floored as he watched the striking young Latin woman affectionately squeeze Daniel’s other arm and sidle up to him. Arms linked, the threesome entered the dining room.
Damn. He should have known that she was his father’s latest chickie-babe. The brazen little fortune hunter. James stared at her tantalizing derriere with a malevolent urge to swat it instead of offering the caresses he’d fantasized about earlier. He forced his gaze away, at the same time shifting his stance to accommodate an uncomfortable state of arousal that only served to make him angrier. He wondered who the older lady was … probably her mother.
Doreen’s violent tug on his sleeve snagged his attention. “Hey, you’re not listening to me,” she whined.
James was thankful that Doreen’s back was turned to the arriving party, but he didn’t want to take any chances. He tossed down the rest of his drink and banged the glass on the counter.
“Let’s go.” He clasped Doreen’s upper arm and ushered her to the other side of the bar, far enough out of sight where he could observe his father without her noticing them, and vice versa. Careful to keep her back turned to the entering party, James pulled out a barstool and gently pushed her down on it. “Sit down, Doreen; you’re about to topple over.”
“Oof, that feels better,” she conceded, burying her head in her hands. “I am a little dizzy.”
“Just keep your head down for a while,” he said absently, patting the top of Doreen’s helmet hairdo as he zeroed in on his father’s new love interest.
His thoughts were still haunted by the young lady’s seductiveness. Many women in Miami dressed provocatively and had great figures, but there was something about this one that had made him catch his breath when she entered the restaurant. Sultry and exotic, her mere presence had been an intense magnet luring his undivided attention. The resulting turn-on had been so sudden and intense, it floored him.
It also irked the hell out of him that the luscious beauty had been clinging to her sugar daddy—his father. She couldn’t be a day over twenty-five, he surmised. So that made his seventy-year-old father almost three times her age! It was disgraceful. The mere thought of the young woman’s greedy, underhanded motives made James see red.
“Jaaames,” Doreen whined in a singsong voice. “You’re not paying attention to me again.”
“What now?” he snapped.
She sniffled into the handkerchief. “You’re mad because I spoiled your surprise. I’m sorry.”
“No, of course not. I’m sorry I barked at you. I’m just mad at my father for planning another wedding,” he said, wearily patting her back in consolation. If Doreen continued to drink in the sad state she was in, she’d end up a sloppy mess. Deciding that he had to get her out of here fast, James gently pulled her up into a standing position. “Hold onto my arm, Doreen. I’m taking you home. You’re in no condition to drive.”
“But my car’s in the parking lot. I walked over here from the agency.”
“Doesn’t matter. You can get it tomorrow.”
She nodded glumly. “You’re right; I can’t drive when I’m feeling so brokenhearted.”
“Please don’t waste your energy and tears on my father. Dad’s a great guy, but he hasn’t had a good track record in romance. You know he’s already been divorced twice and from much younger women who were up to no good. You’re better off without him,” James said, trying to soothe her bruised feelings. Once they reached the exit, he walked her to his car and carefully put the seat belt around her before he got in on his side.
One thought droned in his mind as he drove Doreen home. He was determined to stop the damned wedding, come hell or high water. In this case it would be high water, because come next week he planned to be on that cruise aborting their wedding.
CHAPTER 2
Daniel handed the dessert menu back to the cruise ship waiter. “I’ll have the crème bru—hell and damnation!” he muttered, his blue eyes squinting as he scowled at the dining hall entrance.
“What’s wrong, Daniel?” Lucita asked. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“He’s no ghost.” He shot a quick glance at the vacant chair between Lucita and Sofia. “So this must be why there’s an empty fourth setting. Now he’s going to ruin everything.”
“Who is? What are you talking about?” Sofia asked, swiveling her head around to catch a glimpse of what had Daniel so rattled.
“My son, James. Doreen must have told him about the cruise. Damn!”
Awestruck, Sofia sat in breathless silence as she took in every detail of James Connor’s arrival. Tall and muscular, James’s intensely masculine physique commanded attention as he approached their table with grim, purposeful strides. The determined set of his broad shoulders coupled with the arrogant tilt of his dark head gave him an intimidating air.
Sweet Jesus! Tia Lucita hadn’t been kidding. James was too handsome for his own good. But a better description might have been too brutally handsome. Thick, close-cropped black hair framed a chiseled, masculine face. His midnight blue eyes lit on the trio with ruthless severity. Impeccably dressed in a dark blue sports jacket, starched white shirt, and tan slacks, James’ elegant attire fit in with the other passengers, except for one detail—his large, square hand gripped the handle of a black leather briefcase. She took in the stern set of his sensual mouth and she swallowed hard.
He looked downright confrontational!
James Connor was one person she wouldn’t want to cross, in a courtroom or elsewhere.
Daniel rose from the table. “James, what are you doing here?” He raised a cynical eyebrow at his son. “Do I dare hope that you’re on vacation?”
“What a greeting,” James said in a flat tone. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
“Of course.” Daniel gestured toward the women. “This is Lucita Sanchez and her niece, Sofia Sandoval.”
With a curt nod, James shook Lucita’s hand. His lips scarcely bared strong white teeth in a perfunctory smile. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Sanchez.”
Sofia wasn’t so lucky. Piercing blue eyes studied her for several moments before he extended his hand and clasped hers in a hard handshake. “James Connor.” His clipped tone warned her that he wasn’t pleased to meet her. She tried to look away from his arresting eyes, but they held her riveted, glittering like blue crystals against a tanned visage. He stood before her in unmistakable battle stance with wide shoulders squared and long legs slightly braced apart. His expression was so forbidding, she found herself dumbstruck, a rare occurrence since she was seldom at a loss for words.
When he cleared his throat, Sofia quickly snatched her hand out of his firm grip and gave her aunt a furtive glance. Maybe Lucita’s gift for diplomacy could diffuse the tension from the air.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Lucita murmured on cue. Her nervous giggle sounded like bells tinkling. “Daniel never mentioned you’d be joining us.”
James didn’t respond. Instead, he remained standing as he snapped open the briefcase and retrieved a large manila envelope. He placed it on the table and turned his attention to Sofia. His blatant male gaze rested on her décolletage, then returned to her eyes, pinning her with an awful look.
She was painfully aware that James towered over her, affording him a choice view of her bosom. Scorched by the sexual implication of his raised eyebrows, Sofia glanced down, mortified to note how her breasts strained against the rose silk fabric and peaked above the dipping neckline, forming a noticeable cleavage. It hadn’t looked
like that when she had glanced in the mirror earlier. But then she’d been standing, not sitting as she was now with the crepe fabric pulling downward.
If she hadn’t indulged in so much of her aunt’s fine cooking these past weeks, Sofia’s dress would have fit comfortably, as it had before. Since there was nothing she could do about it now, she straightened her shoulders and glared back at him. She wasn’t about to let his insult slide.
Arching a cool eyebrow, she allowed her gaze to travel the length of his body in an insolent once-over inspection, starting at his polished wing tips and working its way up to lock gazes with him.
“Do you have a problem, Mr. Connor?” she inquired.
“Yes, you,” he said bluntly.
“Me?” His answer momentarily stunned her. Was the man psycho or something? Other than the recent introduction, he had no idea who she was, yet his antagonism was palpable. “You must be kidding,” Sofia said, frowning at him.
“I’m dead serious,” he replied.
“James,” Daniel growled warningly.
Heavy awkwardness settled around them when James didn’t respond. Surely there was a misunderstanding. Could it be that he was hurt because Daniel had excluded him from the wedding invitation but had included Sofia? But this was silly! They were all adults.
Her heart went out to Tia Lucita and Daniel when she saw the dire expressions on their faces. Rooted to their chairs, the wary couple eyed each other with growing apprehension. She had to do something to make peace between everyone. Perhaps if she invited James to join them, he’d be amenable to a friendly discussion. She was sure that he’d adore Tia Lucita once he got to know her.
Before she changed her mind and gave into her gut instinct to tell him to go away, Sofia blurted, “Won’t you join us? We’ve finished the main course, but we—”
“This won’t take long,” James snapped, cutting her off in midsentence. “Just long enough to boot your greedy little rear end off this ship.”
