“Every bite? A kiss for every bite?” She drew a deep breath. “No! That’s ridiculous!”
Though his smile dimmed, it remained on his face. “Okay. No problem.”
“You’ll do it, anyway?” she asked hopefully.
“Not a chance. I hate cabbage.” He actually moved around her to head for the dining room.
“James! I’ll pay you.”
“I told you what I wanted.”
He stood waiting for an answer.
Elise tried to think of something else to offer, but she couldn’t come up with anything. Finally, drawing a deep breath, she asked, “Just kisses? Nothing else?”
“Sweetheart, your kisses will be about all I can handle, they’re so potent.” His smile brightened as he watched her.
“Okay.” She raised her chin. “But I’m the one keeping count!”
JAMES FIGURED he earned every kiss he intended to collect that night. But after ten bites, by his count, he decided he couldn’t handle any more. Particularly since he’d used bites of meat loaf to disguise the cabbage.
The potatoes were good, but filling. With the addition of the tasty green bean casserole, James figured he’d eaten enough for a week. Then his hostess brought out a giant chocolate cake.
He tried to decline a piece, but Elise caught his eye, and he knew what she wanted. Not that he intended to charge her for the bites of cake. He’d throw those in for free.
When it came time to leave and Margaret kissed his cheek and welcomed him to the family, he felt bad. He and Sam exchanged handshakes. Sam had been remarkably understanding.
When he and Elise got in MaryBelle’s car, she muttered something.
He drove out of the driveway before he asked for a repeat.
“I said, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Ten.”
“Ten? What do you mean?”
He stopped at a red light and turned to look at her. “You know what I mean. I took ten bites.”
“You only took five. I watched.”
“Five of cabbage. And five of potatoes. That makes ten.”
“But you don’t hate potatoes!”
He grinned. “Nope, but I don’t usually eat a lot of them. Besides, you didn’t specify only cabbage. You asked me to pretend to like both of them.” He watched her struggle. It amazed him. Sylvia wouldn’t have hesitated to lie. She had not liked to lose…anything.
“Are you sure you’re not a lawyer? Specializing in contracts?”
“I’m sure. By the way, your parents are great people.”
“Yes, thank you. I regret deciding to do this…deception. I don’t like lying to them.”
“I know what you mean. But you do have a good reason,” he pointed out. Her father had agreed. He’d told James he worried about Elise.
“I guess. I think I was too much of a wimp to stand up to them. But it’s gone so far now, I don’t think I can call it off. Until after the wedding.”
He could feel her staring at him. He didn’t look at her as he made a turn.
“You do realize you’re going to disappear after the wedding, don’t you?”
“Sure. I’m going to Hollywood, right?” He tried to sound unconcerned, but somehow he was reluctant to consider the future. He was enjoying himself with Elise’s little masquerade. That was all, of course. He didn’t want anything serious.
But he did want to collect his kisses.
Anticipation rose as he pulled into a parking space by Mesa Blue. She reached for her door handle.
“Whoa, young lady. You’ve got a debt to pay.”
“Tonight?” she asked, a panicky look on her face.
“Tonight. I don’t believe in long-term debt.” Not when he’d been anticipating those kisses for several hours. She still held on to the door handle. “Of course, we can settle the debt in your apartment, if you want. There’s more room, more…privacy there.”
“No! No, I’ll pay up here.”
He was actually glad she didn’t invite him upstairs. With a bed in the vicinity, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his promise to limit their encounter only to kisses. When he touched her, every thought went out of his head.
“Okay. But you have to part company with the door, sweetheart. I don’t think my lips can find yours if you don’t.”
He gave thanks for MaryBelle’s car as he slid from under the steering wheel on the bench seat. His Mercedes had bucket seats. The leather might be softer than the plastic-covered seat of MaryBelle’s car, but necking wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.
“You promised only kisses,” she reminded him as he reached for her.
He frowned. “You mean, I can’t hold you?”
She solemnly shook her head, staring at him.
“Okay, just lips. But come closer.”
She moved an inch away from the door.
“Come on, Elise, play fair.” He watched as she scooted closer. Again he thought of Sylvia. No way would she play fair. She never had.
When Elise finally moved to within a couple of inches, he slowly, gently, touched his lips to hers. Soft lips, tender, relenting, settled against his with a sigh. Slowly he increased the pressure, teasing her lips into opening to him.
When he finally lifted his head, he muttered, “That’s one.”
He noted her green eyes were dazed when she asked, “One what?”
“Never mind,” he whispered, and set his lips on hers again.
By the fourth kiss, her arms were around his neck and he was caressing every part of her he could reach. And wishing for her bed. Her touch was magic—potent magic that made him forget any warnings he might have made to himself, any promises he’d given her.
When she finally broke away from him, he’d lost count of the kisses, but he was sure he had a few more coming. At least, he prayed he did. It would be like cutting off a man’s food source, leaving him to starve, if he didn’t.
“Elise,” he whispered as she shoved against him.
“No! No, that’s enough,” she said, her breathing rapid and shallow. “We have to stop!”
He guessed she was right. But right now, he thought stopping was the dumbest idea anyone had ever had.
“Elise—”
She wasn’t listening. Instead, she’d grabbed the door handle, opened the door and was getting out.
He hurriedly did the same, coming around the car to stop her escape. “Wait. I’ll—I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“No! Don’t call. I don’t want to talk to you.”
With a frown, he asked, “Then when will we get together next? You know, to—to make sure—”
“No more research. Do your research with Sandra,” she snapped. “I’ll call you when I have the details about the wedding. That’s all.”
She turned and ran, leaving him standing by his car, shocked and disappointed.
BY FRIDAY, Elise had recovered from her necking session with James. If she didn’t think about it.
It was two days later, and her breathing would grow labored, her heart would race and a yearning would fill her stomach if she let her mind drift to the time spent in James’s arms.
“Ridiculous!” she muttered under her breath.
“Did you say something?” Phoebe asked.
“Um, no. When will Daisy get here?”
“She called and said she’d meet us here at your place at six-thirty. She had to lock up and everything. Why? Are you hungry?”
They were all going to dinner together again.
“No. No, I’m just—impatient.”
“I thought you’d be going out with James. I was surprised when Daisy said you were available.” Phoebe cocked her head as she studied Elise. “Anything wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. It—it was a long week.” A difficult week. Time spent with James. Time spent without James. She couldn’t figure out which was worse.
“Relax. I’m sure she’ll be here soon. Has she been out with Dave? I thought they kind of connected Monday night.”
/> “They’re going out tomorrow night. But you heard her say there was no spark.”
Phoebe shrugged. “Face it, Elise. Daisy is a romantic. You and I know there’s no such thing as a ‘spark.”’
Elise started to agree, but honesty wouldn’t let her. Spark? There was more than that. With James, she felt as if she was being consumed by a fire. It didn’t mean anything, of course. Except that they were attracted to each other.
“Um, well—”
“Elise!” a female voice screamed, and they could hear someone running down the hallway.
Both women sprang to the door. Elise stepped into the hallway to discover Frannie racing toward them. But instead of the panic and fear she’d expected to see on Frannie’s face, Elise saw delight, joy.
“Frannie, what is it?”
“Heavens to Betsy,” Phoebe added, “you scared us to death. I thought someone was after you.”
“Maybe,” Frannie said, beaming.
“Come in, Frannie, and make sense. Tell us what’s going on,” Elise ordered. Anything to keep her mind off James.
Frannie rushed past Elise and Phoebe into the apartment. Frannie always dressed so as to be noticed, but tonight she’d outdone herself. She was wearing a jersey top in lemon yellow, its wraparound style exposing a large part of her impressive bosom. She’d paired the shirt with red shorts. The shorts were actually modest in length, reaching her mid-thigh, but the legs were flared, the length shifting with every step.
She wore big gold hoops in her ears, and her hair was in another of those intricate beehives. Red-and-yellow high-heel sandals adorned her feet.
“Wow, you’re dressed to kill tonight, Frannie,” Phoebe commented, obviously seeing what Elise was seeing.
Frannie beamed at Phoebe. “Oh, yes. Thank you for noticing. Do you think Bill will, too?”
Elise blinked. “Bill? You’re going out with Bill?” Frannie had longed for a date, a real date, with Bill White, Mesa Blue’s manager, for as long as Elise had known her.
But Bill was shy.
“I think he couldn’t help but notice, Frannie,” Elise said faintly.
Frannie flung her hands out and spun around, so Elise and Phoebe could see every inch of her. Then she clasped her hands over her chest in the region of her heart, and said, with great dramatic flair, “My fate is in your hands.”
Elise looked behind her, sure Frannie must be talking to someone else. But no one was there. And Frannie was staring directly at her.
She was getting a bad feeling.
“What do you mean, Frannie?” Phoebe asked.
Frannie took a step closer to Elise. “You know how I’ve longed to have a date with Bill, don’t you, Elise?”
“Yes, Frannie,” Elise said slowly.
“Well, he’s asked me out.”
Daisy walked into the room, since they’d left the door open. “Hi. Who’s asked you out?” she asked Frannie.
“Bill! My darling Bill!”
“Well, bully for you,” Daisy cheered, but Elise noted that she seemed tired.
“But it all depends on Elise!” Frannie, back in dramatic mode, added.
All three of her companions turned to stare at Elise. “What are you talking about, Frannie? I don’t know anything about Bill asking you out.”
“I know. That’s what I’m here to explain.”
“And make it fast,” Daisy said, falling to Elise’s sofa with a sigh, “because I’m tired and hungry.”
“It’s quite simple.” Frannie shook her head, jangling her big earrings. “Bill will take me out if Elise goes with us.” She smiled at Elise, as if her words settled everything.
“That sounds suspicious,” Phoebe said with a frown.
“Thank you for saying so,” Elise said. “I thought maybe I’d gone crazy. Frannie, why would Bill want me to come along?”
“Because he’s shy, of course.”
Daisy raised the objection this time. “No man is that shy. Even Bill.”
Frannie ignored Daisy. “Please say you’ll come, Elise. It’s my only chance.”
“You know that’s not true,” Elise protested. “Bill—living in the same complex with Bill gives you lots of chances.”
“They haven’t done me any good so far. Please?”
“Okay, you and Bill can join us,” Elise said. “We’re going to The Prickly Pear for dinner, as usual. We’ll enjoy having the two of you with us.”
Elise sent an apologetic look at her friends. Not that they would object to helping Frannie. She knew them better than that. But they wouldn’t be able to have a heart-to-heart the way they usually did. And she’d made the offer without consulting them.
Frannie squeezed her hands tightly together, tears filling her eyes. But instead of sounding grateful, she cried, “No! That won’t do!”
Phoebe, Daisy and Elise stared at her.
“It won’t?” Daisy asked.
“No. It can’t be a group thing. It has to be a double date. A real date.”
That foreboding Elise had had earlier came back.
Phoebe said, “I don’t understand. If it’s you, Bill and Elise, how is that like a real date?”
“Because you forgot James, of course!” Frannie exclaimed.
Chapter Ten
Elise began backing away from Frannie. “No. I’m not seeing James tonight.”
Frannie came after her. “If you don’t see James, I won’t see Bill,” she wailed.
Elise closed her eyes briefly. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t have to deal with James and the raging attraction she couldn’t seem to control until the wedding, when she’d be surrounded by family.
When she opened her eyes, she faced three pairs of pleading eyes.
“Come on, Elise,” Phoebe said. “What’s one more date with James? You’ve already been out with him several times. You said everything went well.”
“Yeah, in the name of love,” Daisy added with a grin. “You’re trying to fix me up, but you don’t even have to find the guy to fix Frannie up.”
“You don’t understand,” Elise protested. “Even if I wanted to spend the evening with James, I can’t call him on the spur of the moment and insist he cooperate. I don’t even know if he’s home.” She thought her argument was valid and should satisfy everyone.
“You don’t have to,” Frannie assured her, excitement in her voice. “He and Bill are waiting in my apartment. They’re all ready to go as soon as we get there.”
Elise stared at Frannie. “How did that happen?” she asked, suspicion in her voice.
Phoebe stepped to her side. “It doesn’t matter. However it happened, Frannie gets her chance with Bill.”
Elise got the message. If she asked too many questions, Frannie might realize Bill hadn’t initiated the date. Because there was no doubt in Elise’s mind now. James had to have set this evening up.
She didn’t know why. He was handsome enough. He could find a woman to make out with. Heck, he could make out with Sandra. From the picture she saw, Elise knew Sandra would have no objection.
But she did.
“I can’t—I’m not dressed.” She was in her beloved jeans with a knit top. Jeans that James loved.
“We’re going casual,” Frannie assured her, still smiling.
“I have to change,” Elise muttered, and ran from the room. No way was she going to walk in front of James Dillon in her jeans.
Five minutes later she reappeared in a pair of baggy khakis and an extra-long blouse. Neither revealed much of what was underneath.
Frannie looked at her dubiously. “I think the jeans looked better.”
Daisy tried to hide a chuckle. “I’d take her as she is, Frannie, unless you want her to cancel completely.”
“Oh! Oh, you look—marvelous, Elise. Beige really becomes you.”
Even Elise couldn’t hold back a smile at Frannie’s sudden reversal. “I get the message, Frannie. You’d tell the devil himself he looked cool if it got you a date with Bill.”
Frannie blushed, a rare occurrence. “I really love him, Elise. I just haven’t figured out a way to tell him. When he’ll hardly speak to me, it seems a bit forward to move to the love stage in one leap.”
“I know. Come on, let’s go claim our dates.” Elise put on a smile, all the while planning what she would say to James Dillon about his conniving behavior.
“I REALLY APPRECIATE your helping me out, Bill,” James said to the older man as they waited for Frannie’s return.
“I just hope it works, James. It’s a shame you and Elise had a fight. I think you make a wonderful couple.” Bill paused and cleared his throat. “I explained to Frannie so she wouldn’t think I was, uh, hitting on her.”
James was truly grateful Bill and Frannie were going along with his conspiracy. It not only allowed him to see the elusive Elise, it also provided great entertainment.
“Uh, maybe Frannie would like you to hit on her.”
Bill looked away. “Aw, she’s a flirt, but she’s not interested in anything permanent.”
“How do you know?”
“She dates a lot of guys. I don’t know enough about women to keep her happy. Better if I don’t even try.”
“‘Faint heart never won fair lady,”’ James quoted.
“Oh, you actors know all the right words. Say, maybe you’d give me lessons about, you know, keeping a lady happy.”
James shook his head. “You’re asking me for love lessons when I’m having to resort to trickery just to see Elise? I don’t think I’d be much help.”
“See,” Bill said, shrugging his shoulders, “it’s hopeless.” He absently stroked one of Frannie’s cats.
“Maybe we can help each other. Let’s see how the evening goes.” James had a sneaking suspicion Elise was going to be even angrier when she figured out what he’d done. He wasn’t even sure she’d agree to the evening.
Footsteps on the stairs near Frannie’s apartment caused him to tense. He’d soon know, one way or the other. He could hear Frannie’s voice. It seemed she was talking to someone. He hoped it was Elise.
After the end of their evening Wednesday, he’d been able to think of little else. The need to at least talk to Elise had occupied his mind nonstop.
Rent a Millionaire Groom Page 10
