The Mr. Wrong Series

by Madden, A. M.

  I remembered the first day he had walked into our school, and like every other female in the building, my heart had skipped a beat. Thomas Carson looked like he’d stepped out of the orientation brochure for an Ivy League school.

  Besides his classic good looks, he was a genuinely nice man. I knew the type well. Having grown up in Connecticut, I’d been surrounded by men like Thomas my whole life. My Sundays had consisted of dressing up to attend church with my parents and brother. School uniforms were the norm, everyone looked the same, and originality was nowhere to be found. All my life I’d felt like a square peg in a round hole.

  Rarely did I break the rules or disappoint my parents. Everything I did back then was to please them. I held no regrets, as I loved what I did for a living. But I often wondered, if certain choices hadn’t been left to me—like the college I attended or the career I had chosen—would I be in an entirely different place right now? If my parents had control over my life, no doubt I’d be married, spending my time as a stay-at-home mom, and living within a mile of the house I grew up in.

  I knew college was my ticket out of Uptight, USA. My goal to break free of the mediocre came to fruition when I was accepted into Fordham University. Naturally, Dad was not happy with the out-of-state colleges I applied to. He insisted I should attend one in Connecticut or even Massachusetts. Refusing to budge, Fordham had been an olive branch of sorts. It gave him the confidence I’d receive a top-notch education at a private Catholic university, while giving me distance.

  What my parents hadn’t planned on was my decision to stay in Manhattan and not return home. They eventually got over it, sort of. With each visit came the typical inquisition regarding my love life or lack thereof. In fact, as I glanced at Thomas, I knew my mother would bust an ovary over how perfect he was for me.

  The problem with Thomas was that damn zing wasn’t there, and I now knew for sure it existed thanks to Dante. I was fully aware that needing a spark sounded delusional. I was a practical woman, and although I loved a fairy tale as much as the next hopeless romantic, it had never been something I’d required in my life.

  Seeing the love affair between Brae and Jude, or Sabrina and Luca, or even the unconventional relationship Vanessa and Kyle had, caused an unfamiliar envy to develop within me. I could only surmise that having my friends all head over heels in love was what had shifted my focus on what I wanted from comfortable and safe to exciting and dangerous.

  And now that I’d seen fireworks could exist between a man and a woman in the real world, I wanted that for myself.

  Shit, the Cassie from a year ago would probably have slapped this version across the face to knock some sense into her.

  With one final tack, all the apples were now in place. “There… done.”

  Thomas straightened and admired my handiwork. “Nice job. I was about to drive up to Central Park to enjoy this weather before we are sequestered within these walls. Care to join me?”

  That icky feeling that came right before refusing someone swelled within me. “I wish I could, but I’m waiting for the insurance adjuster to call.”

  “Oh, right. Your accident. Is your car still in the shop? Do you need a ride anywhere?”

  “No, not yet. I still have it. But I was going to head home in case he called and approved the repairs.” No sooner had I said that when my old-fashioned ringtone sounded from my bag.

  “Maybe that’s him now.”

  The screen displayed an unknown number, and as I slid the bar to accept the call, Thomas whispered, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I nodded with a smile before saying, “Hello?”

  “Cassie Brooks?”

  “Yes, that’s me. I was expecting your call.”

  “Were you now?” I smiled at the unexpected chuckle that followed his question. But when he then said, “I’m glad to hear that,” with a hint of an accent, I practically fell off the edge of my desk.

  “Who is this?” I asked, despite my suspicions.

  “Who do you want it to be?”

  “Do you always play games? Can’t you just answer the question?”

  “It sounds like you already know the answer to all of the above,” he said, another chuckle following his statement.

  “Ugh!” That agitated feeling that had consumed me last Saturday night began to simmer once again. “You are so… so… so…”

  “Charming?” he quipped, and I could practically picture the arrogant smirk on his face.

  “What do you want, Dante?”

  “To apologize.”

  A wicked laugh erupted on my end of the call. “Apologize? I think you’re incapable.”

  “Not true. Hey, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I’m sorry your car was hit. I’m also sorry I gave you a hard time.”

  At his words, the ire I held inside started to dissipate and suspicion replaced it. “You can stop blowing smoke up my ass.” Guessing it was my pride that fueled the sarcasm, the moment the words were out I regretted them. I glanced at the classroom rules tacked to my wall, especially the last one that said, Be kind to others, and felt like a hypocrite.

  The slight pause on his end worsened my regret, but before I could apologize, he quietly said, “I’m not blowing smoke up your ass, Cassie. I am sorry your night was ruined. Look, just as I bent down to grab my bag, the driver looked back at me. Maybe that move caused him to miss your turn… I don’t know. I had forgotten until now. And if it helps, I can change my statement to include that.”

  “You don’t need do that, Dante.”

  “Okay, then can you let me take you to dinner… as a do-over?” That wasn’t what I’d expected him to say, and my fumble to answer proved as much. “I’ll take that as a yes? Is tomorrow night good?”

  A string of refusals played in my mind on an endless loop, yet my brain somehow malfunctioned when the one word that made its way out of my mouth was, “Yes.”

  Chapter 4

  Dante

  Honestly, I was a bit surprised she agreed to my request. Hearing her calm and agreeable voice was a pleasant change from her irritated, annoyed one. Maybe Luca was right, and she wasn’t the she-devil I thought she was. Generally speaking, the first impressions I had of people were spot on, but that being said, we hadn’t met under normal circumstances.

  The rest of my day was spent getting my apartment in living order and scheduling shoots with local models and ad agencies. My fee wasn’t nominal, and I didn’t need to fill my calendar with anyone who wasn’t serious about their profession.

  I stood staring at the city’s skyline as it began to illuminate against the darkened sky. Up here in my glass fortress, New York seemed so peaceful at night. Yet below on the streets, it always boasted an energy I craved. I turned to look at my apartment, proud of all I’d achieved, before I slipped into bed. Even though I was tired, I found myself staring at my cell phone. I wanted to text Cassie, an urge that not only baffled but surprised me. Chasing women wasn’t in my repertoire, nor did I plan on adding it. Plus, if I opened the door to communication, it could give her the opportunity to change her mind. Since that was an unpleasant thought, I closed my eyes and tried to let sleep take me, but my brain refused to settle.

  The sound of sirens and horns honking outside enabled my insomnia. In the shadows cast by the moonlight, I could vividly see Cassie’s sweet smile while staring at the ceiling. The contradiction between that innocent persona and flashes of seductive vitality drove me insane with curiosity. Knowing I’d be seeing her tomorrow night caused my heart to beat a bit faster. The woman was unaware of how she could affect a man—namely me.

  Sometime during my tossing and turning, I finally passed out. Thankful to get any sleep at all, I woke, my eyes blinking open. I lengthened all my muscles, pushing my arms against my headboard. The morning sun filtered in the sides of the curtains, creating streaks of light on my pale oak floor, mimicking the highlights of Cassie’s hair.

  Cassie. What the fuck… I went to bed thinking about her,
and I woke up thinking about her.

  I wanted… no needed… to make tonight special enough to erase our first encounter. The mere thought of her made my blood rush through my veins. I was unsure if it had been because she was my brother’s friend or someone I wanted to get to know better, but I planned to use the time to find out.

  Normally, I’d be picking up my date, but since I decided not to have a car in the city, that wasn’t an option here.

  Rather than dwell on the negative, I got out of bed, shrugged on some clothes, and headed into the kitchen. I made myself a cup of espresso and sat at the table with my laptop.

  As an additional gift to Vanessa, I wanted to download and edit pictures from her party. When I clicked on the files, rather than focus on the other partygoers, the fiery blonde who turned my first night in the city into a memorable one distracted me. Knowing there were more shots of her, I clicked through to get to the one picture I took of Cassie when she wasn’t paying attention.

  Finally finding it, I gave myself a moment to truly study her. Telling Cassie the angles of her face were gorgeous was the truth. After a while, models all looked the same. Yes, they were pretty, but they knew it, or they wouldn’t be in that line of work. But the unassuming school teacher’s beauty was as rare as was her attitude about it.

  Cassie’s effortless smile lit up the computer screen. Guilt hit me for putting a scowl on that beautiful face a few nights ago. But in my defense, she’d been infuriating as well… and the fact she was sent a swell of desire straight to my libido.

  Even now, the combination of her anger and sweetness had the nylon of my basketball shorts tenting with my growing erection. I clicked to the next picture, and Cassie was watching the other couples around her. Focusing solely on her eyes, I noticed a longing in them. Letting my own drift lower on the picture, her body filled out that ridiculously patterned dress as if it was made for her. Maybe it was, but I was suddenly envious of the cotton that got to touch every inch of her body.

  Having a mind of its own, my hand slid beneath the elastic waistband of my shorts, finding my stiff shaft. The moment I made contact with my throbbing crown, an electrical charge rushed through me. My head lolled back, my eyes closed, and a carnal groan crept its way up my chest and out my mouth.

  With each stroke, different sides of Cassie flashed in my head—from pissed off to smiling at her friends. But a few minutes in, the daydream became a poor substitute for the reality.

  Dammit. I pulled my hand from my shorts and closed my laptop. I needed to calm down. Rubbing one out in my living room to a picture of a woman I barely knew screwed with my head. My days were spent staring at half-naked women, and sometimes they were completely bare of clothes. Yet a fully dressed school teacher managed to rile me up more than I’d been in years.

  Caught between confusion and excitement, I gingerly rose from my chair with a slight limp and decided to work off whatever the hell this was by going on a run… a long one.

  Earl’s Grill was the perfect place to take Cassie to dinner. It was closer to her apartment than mine, a tip Luca gave me. It wasn’t so loud one needed to shout to converse with their dinner companion, and the tables weren’t on top of one another.

  Positioning myself on the side of the table facing the door, I watched as people came and went while waiting for Cassie. When I texted her the time we would be meeting, she didn’t hesitate to say, “Ok.” Yet, glancing at my phone, she was already fifteen minutes late.

  The waitress stopped by, asking me if I wanted to wait for the other person in my party before ordering a drink, but I didn’t. After telling her what I wanted, she scurried away. My nerves spiked thinking something, God forbid, could have happened to Cassie… or she stood me up. Either of those scenarios didn’t calm my nerves.

  My beer was placed in front of me. I glanced once more at the door before calling Cassie, and then she walked in. Her pretty eyes scanned the room, and when she spotted me, she smiled.

  I stood for two reasons… one, it was the polite thing to do, and two, it gave me a better sightline to admire her. Rather than a dress, Cassie had on a pair of light denim jeans, a white sleeveless button-up blouse that hugged the curve of her breasts, and a pair of nude-colored stilettos that were meant to be worn while her legs were wrapped around my neck.

  Fuck me.

  “Hi,” she said as she slung her purse on the back of the chair. “I’m so sorry I’m late. My neighbor, who’s reaching eighty years old, couldn’t find her cat. So I spent an hour scouring the building and lost track of time.” Cassie sat with a thud in the chair across from me.

  “Did you find it?”

  The waitress walked up to us and greeted Cassie. “Can I get you anything?”

  Cassie tucked her silky hair behind her ear. “Yes, please. I’ll have a cosmo.” When we were alone again, she resumed, “We did find the cat… in her apartment… sleeping under a throw pillow on the couch.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. It dawned on me that Cassie seemed to be a magnet for mishaps. “Well, I’m glad you found it.” She rambled on about her elderly neighbor for a few minutes. And the more she shared about her neighborly ways, the more I wanted to get to know her.

  “Anyway,” she said, a bit out of breath. “Usually, I’m quite punctual.” My eyebrows arched. “You know… when I’m not in an accident or searching for a feline.”

  “That’s what I thought.” I winked, and a light pink hue tinged her porcelain complexion. “Thank you for meeting me tonight.”

  She nodded, picking up her cocktail, which had been set down in front of her. Beating me to the punch, she lifted her glass. “To do-overs.”

  Hearing her toast to the reason I wanted to meet her tonight relaxed me. “To do-overs,” I repeated before gently tapping my bottle against her glass. “How was the rest of your day?”

  Cassie sipped her drink, set it down, and grinned. “Good, thank you. The insurance adjuster called, and apparently the passenger in the other driver’s car made a statement. And in addition to Andre’s other accidents, it tipped the tables in my favor.”

  “Sounds like that passenger is a great guy.”

  She quickly shrugged one shoulder. “It would appear so.” Cassie leaned forward, causing the opening in her blouse to give my eyes a direct line to her cleavage… which I averted. Her soft warm eyes met mine, and along with a radiant smile, made my body go hard like it had earlier in my apartment. “Thank you for giving your statement. I would never want you to lie for me, but you saved me a lot of aggravation by doing so.”

  The cool bottle against my lips did little to extinguish the heat running through my body. “It wasn’t a lie.” What she didn’t know, and what I didn’t understand, was I would lie for her if it meant she would be happy.

  Cassie

  Conversation was surprisingly easy with Dante. Truth be told, when Oscar the kitty was loose, part of me wondered if it was a sign that I shouldn’t meet him tonight. But now that we were sharing a meal together, I almost felt guilty for feeling that way.

  “I’ve been by this restaurant so often yet have never walked inside.”

  Dante grinned. “A couple of years ago when I was in New York, a client introduced me to this place.” He glanced around the room. “I like it here.”

  “Me too. This is much different than José Ponchos. When the girls and I go there, we can hardly hear ourselves think over the music and crowd noise.”

  “Then why go?”

  Such a simple question deserved an equally simple answer. “Because they have the best margaritas.”

  “So you don’t like loud music?”

  “Not really. I’m not a fan of my ears ringing when I wake up in the morning.”

  “That’s a shame.” His deep-brown eyes darkened, sending my pulse into overdrive. When I remained silent, he added, “There’s somewhere I thought we could go after dinner.”

  “Where?”

  “You’ll see.” A shot of excitement coursed through me
at the thought that our night wouldn’t end after dinner.

  Throughout the meal, it took every ounce of self-control not to stare at his corded muscles that flexed each time he cut his steak. My mind drifted often, wondering what it would be like watching those arms support his body as he hovered over mine, how his slender hips would fit between my legs, and those lips… soft, full, and kissable.

  “Cassie? Did you hear me?”

  Shit. Was he talking? “Sorry, what? Did you say something?”

  “Alessandro’s. It’s a hidden gem.” He put a few bills in the vinyl wallet containing our restaurant tab and stood. “Come on, I’ll take you there.”

  I repeated the name, Alessandro’s, in my head over and over to try to spark a recollection, but none came. How was it that I’ve lived here my entire adult life and never heard of it, yet this guy visits a few times a year at best and knows the hot spots? Rationally, I should decline, but I didn’t want my night with Dante to end no matter how much my brain told me this was a bad idea. He made me feel things I never had, so why not go with him?

  “Okay.”

  Dante grinned, pulled out my chair, and with a firm hand on the center of my back led me toward the door. The thin fabric of my shirt did nothing to lessen the heat of his skin branding into mine. Even in a crowded restaurant, even though I barely knew this man, his possessive hold had me feeling like I did indeed belong to him. I felt every fingertip, the flat surface of his large palm, and the strong yet gentle pressure as his hand pressed into my back.

  The part that shocked me speechless—the zing that traveled through me from his touch.

  It could have been because of the unexpected contact. At least I tried to convince myself of that. Or my recent state of restlessness decided to mess with me a bit, not unlike the man who continued to hold me as we walked out of the restaurant. Whatever it was that caused the reaction from my body had my mind reeling with confusion.

  Distracted, I wordlessly folded my body into the cab that he called to the curb with a raised arm. Before I knew it, we were sitting side by side heading toward Midtown. When our driver turned down a street that didn’t look like there was a bar in sight, my nerves spiked to new heights. Then the car stopped, and Dante swiped his card in the reader and got out.