Over the years he’d become wary of opportunistic women who only entered relationships to find out what was in it for them, and when the going got tough, they got going. Making women secondary in his life was the best way to eliminate the chance of a repeat heartbreak.
“So what are you going to do?” Donna asked, interrupting his thoughts.
He didn’t have a clue. One thing was certain, he owed his new neighbor an apology. “Tell Kevin to pre pare a today’s special to go and be generous with the servings.”
Chuckling, Donna nodded. “You think you’ll find her soft spot with food?”
He looked down at the box he held in his hand and inhaled the aroma of chocolate. “Wasn’t that her game plan?”
Donna gave him a long look before slowly shaking her head and closing the door behind her as she left.
Chase placed the box on his desk. The top was marked Delicious Cravings. He thought of how she’d looked Monday morning when he had first seen her and just moments ago standing in the middle of his office. The name was definitely appropriate.
He opened the box and immediately fell in love— with the sweets. Yes, he definitely owed the woman an apology and before the evening ended he would make sure she got one.
That man had a bad attitude!
Jessica took a deep breath, refusing to get any more upset than she already was. How dare he say she was inconsiderate? She was one of the most considerate people she knew. It was one of the reasons she had walked away from her high-paying job as a corporate attorney.
She had gotten fed up with having to fight for things she didn’t believe in, pushing policies that ruined people’s lives, being forced to put corporate profits before the consumers’ best interests.
And her consideration for her family’s wishes was the only thing pushing her to seek out members of the Westmoreland family to right a wrong made against her family years ago. The nerve of them thinking her grandfather had been a dishonest man! He had been one of the most honest men she knew and if it was left up to her, she would give the Westmorelands a good piece of her mind and tell them just what she thought of their accusations. But before taking her final breath her grand mother had made her promise to come to Atlanta to clear the Graham name without starting World War III, and she intended to do that. After doing research on the area, she decided Atlanta would be a good place to live and not just visit. And so she had made the decision to relocate to the area.
She sighed as her thoughts drifted back to the owner of Chase’s Place. He had reminded her of dark chocolate of the richest kind and she knew one of the reasons she had gone off on him the way she had was that she couldn’t afford to get caught up in his sheer beauty. Even with his horrible attitude she had to admit that he was handsome as sin. Taller and well-built, his features took her breath away. He had reminded her that she was a woman, something she often tried to forget.
The last thing she needed was to get attracted to a man. She refused to get so carried away that she forgot how deceitful they were. She had learned her lesson even if her mother never had. Jeff Claiborne may have been the man who had fathered her, but he was also the man who had kept her mother dangling on a string for over fifteen years with promises of marriage. When Jessica had been born he had given her his name, but her mother’s last name had remained Graham.
It had taken her grandfather’s paid investigator to deliver the news that there was no way Jeff Claiborne could ever marry Janice Graham. He was already married to another woman and had a family living in Philadelphia. The news had been a terrible blow to her mother—one that she had never recovered from. She took her own life rather that live with the heartache and pain.
At the age of fifteen Jessica had watched as her mother’s coffin was lowered into the ground and had vowed never to give her heart to any man. She wouldn’t be fooled by a man as deceitful as her father had been, one man who could take undying love and abuse it in the worst possible way.
Her grandfather, angry and hurt over what Jeff Claiborne had done, had made sure the man didn’t get away unscathed. He had paid a visit to Jeff Claiborne’s wife and had presented her with documented proof of her husband’s duplicity. Jennifer Claiborne, a good woman, hadn’t wasted any time filing for a divorce and leaving her husband of eighteen years. And Jennifer had gone one step further by welcoming Jessica into her family, making sure she got to know her sister and brother, and making sure Jeff Claiborne contributed to her support. She knew Jennifer had been instrumental in helping to set up the college fund that had been available when she had graduated from high school.
Savannah and Rico were as close to her as any brother and sister could be. And Jennifer was like a second mother to her. She’d known she could always go visit her extended family in Philadelphia.
Jessica heard a knock at the door and frowned. Dusk was settling in but she could plainly see through her display window that her unexpected visitor was the man from the restaurant.
She had a good mind to ignore him. For the last couple of weeks since moving to Atlanta she had begun thinking she had finally found peace, but now he was convincing her otherwise.
She heard his knock again and decided that she wouldn’t hide. Like everything else in life she would deal with her problems, and in this case, her problem was him. He had sought her out and she supposed she needed to make nice because she’d be seeing him a lot. This building was not only the place she would work but thanks to space above the shop, it was also her new home.
Deciding she had let him linger long enough, she made her way to the door and unlocked it. She took a deep breath before opening it. “What do you want?”
He had been standing with his back to her, looking up at the sky. The day had been beautiful but it seemed that tonight it would rain. He turned around and as soon as their gazes locked she felt the temperature go up about one hundred degrees.
He still reminded her of rich dark chocolate rum balls but now something else had been added to the mixture, she thought, as her gaze moved from the baseball cap on his head to the features in his face. A slight indention in the bridge of his nose indicated it may have been broken at one time but she didn’t even consider that a flaw. Nothing, and she meant nothing, distracted from this man’s good looks.
Jeeze. That wasn’t a good sign.
And to make matters worse, his smile was so potent that she was forced to grip the doorknob to support her suddenly wobbly knees. Forcing her eyes away from that smile, she met his gaze once more and it angered her that he had this kind of effect on her. “I repeat, what do you want?” she all but snapped.
His grin widened. He was either oblivious to her less-than-friendly mood or else he chose to ignore it. “I came to apologize and to deliver a peace offering,” he said, widening that killer smile even more and holding up a bag that smelled of delicious food.
“I was out of line earlier,” he said. “And I do understand how it is moving in. The only excuse I can give for my behavior is that this has been one hell of a week. But my problems are not your fault.”
His apology surprised her, but it didn’t captivate her as he had evidently assumed it would. Long ago she had learned to be cautious of smooth-talking men.
“Will you accept my apology?”
She jutted her chin. “Why should I?”
“Because it will prove that you’re a much nicer person than I am and someone with a forgiving spirit.”
Jessica leaned against the doorjamb, thinking that she was definitely a much nicer person than he, but she wasn’t all that sure about having a forgiving spirit. She inhaled deeply, deciding she didn’t want to accept his apology. She didn’t like the chemistry she felt flowing between them and she also decided she didn’t like him. She knew it all sounded irrational, but at the moment she didn’t care. “There are a lot of things I can overlook, but rudeness isn’t one of them.”
Chase lifted a brow and frowned. “So you aren’t going to accept my apology?”
She
glared at him. “At the moment, no.”
His frown deepened as he peered down at her. “Why?”
“Because I don’t feel like it. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to—”
He held up a hand, cutting her off. “Because you don’t feel like it?”
“That’s what I said.”
Chase felt frustration take over his body. He had dealt with many unreasonable people, but this woman gave new meaning to the word. Yes, he had been rude. But he had apologized, hadn’t he?
“Look,” he said slowly, while trying to overlook the irritation plastered on her face. “I know things got off to a bad start between us, and for that I apologize. And you’re right. I was rude, but now you’re the one who is being unreasonable.”
Jessica sighed deeply. The dark-brown eyes focused on hers were intense, sharp, and to-die-for, but still…
“But still nothing, Jessica Lynn,” she could hear her grandmother saying in the recesses of her mind. “You can’t judge every man by your father. You can’t continue to put up this brick wall against any man who gets too close.”
Sighing again, she smoothed a hand down her face. Her grandmother was right but the need to protect herself had always been elemental. For some reason she had an inkling that the man standing before her was someone she should avoid at all costs.
“Please accept my peace offering as I did yours, okay?” Chase asked, interrupting her thoughts. “By the way, everything was delicious, especially the chocolate chip cookies. They’re my favorite and I haven’t tasted chocolate chip cookies that delicious in years. They were melt-in-your-mouth delicious.” He slanted her a smile. “And I didn’t choke on any of them.”
“Too bad,” she said dryly. Their gazes held for a moment, and she knew she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. No doubt other women didn’t cause him any trouble. He probably flashed his smile and got whatever he wanted. Just like her father.
She wrapped her arms around herself knowing he didn’t intend to leave until she accepted his apology. “Okay, I accept your apology. Goodbye.”
He grabbed the door before she could slam it shut in his face. He held up the bag and smiled. “And the peace offering?”
She snorted a breath. “And the peace offering,” she said reaching for the bag.
Chase chuckled. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Instead of giving her the bag he held his hand out to her. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Chase Westmoreland. And you are?” he asked taking her hand.
Jessica knew if she had a lighter skin tone he would have seen all the blood drain from her face. “Westmoreland?”
He grinned. “Yes, does the name ring a bell? There’s a bunch of us living in Atlanta.”
Deciding she wasn’t ready to tell him just how familiar it was, she shook her head. “No, I recently moved here from California.”
He nodded and after a few moments he said smiling, “You never told me your name.”
She blinked, recalling that she hadn’t. “I’m Jessica Claiborne.”
His smile widened. “Welcome to Atlanta, Jessica. Do you have family here?”
“No,” she answered truthfully, “I have no family living here.” Her head was still spinning at the realization that he was a Westmoreland.
There was a bit of silence between them when Chase remembered the bag he was holding. “Oops, I almost forgot. Here you go,” he said handing the bag to Jessica. “It’s today’s special. I hope you enjoy it.” 8 “Thanks.”
He hesitated for a moment then said, “I guess I’d better get back. The dinner crowd is arriving. Will you be living upstairs?”
“Yes,” she said, gripping the bag in both hands. She needed to get away from him to think.
“Well, every once in a while if it’s a late night, I sleep over my place, too. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”
Don’t hold your breath, Jessica thought, closing the door on temptation.
Two
Jessica leaned back in the chair and licked her lips. That had to have been the most delicious meal she’d eaten in a very long time. The smothered pork chops had been tender, just the way she liked and the mashed potatoes had made her groan out loud. No wonder Chase’s Place was packed. The dessert, a slice of carrot cake, had been melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And she knew baked goods. Her grandmother had been the best baker she’d ever met.
She’d always enjoyed baking because of all the times she had spent with her grandparents in the kitchen growing up. She had even considered going to culinary school instead of law school. But her grandfather had talked her out of it, saying there were enough cooks in the Graham family.
As she cleaned up, Jessica glanced around her apartment. It was just the right size for her, with a large living room, a bath, a small kitchen and a bedroom. She loved the hardwood floors and the huge window in the living room.
She smiled at the thought that she actually owned this place, the entire building. Downstairs in the shop, there was a huge cooking area and a small office in the back. It had been just what she’d been looking for. According to the real estate agent, all the buildings were newly renovated and business in the area was always good. She moved over to the window and glanced out again at all the people gathered at Chase’s Place.
Her breath suddenly caught when she noticed Chase walk out of his restaurant with another man. It was plain to see the two were related since there were distinct similarities in their features. But Chase was the one holding her attention. The sun had gone down, but the faint light illuminated him. He looked good in his jeans and black pullover shirt, and even from where she was standing she could see his perfectly chiseled features.
She sighed deeply, and as if he had heard, he glanced toward her window and their eyes met. She felt it, the moment their eyes connected, a jolt in the lower part of her body, a current of electricity that spiked up her spine. Both feelings suddenly rejuvenated that part of her that had been dormant since her first year of college. The one and only time she’d ever had sex had been an awful experience she hadn’t ever wanted to repeat.
But now, looking at Chase perpetuated more than mild curiosity; for a single moment she wondered if making love with him would be different. She blinked, and stepped away from the window. How could she have forgotten just who Chase was? He was a Westmoreland, for heaven’s sake! She refused to become a lust-crazed lunatic over someone from a family of liars who had accused her grandfather of being a thief. It didn’t matter to her that Chase was the epitome of everything male. He was a Westmoreland and that meant he was definitely off-limits.
“Who is she?”
A smile caught the corner of Chase’s mouth as his attention was drawn from the window where Jessica had been standing back to his brother Storm. “Need I remind you that you’re married?” Chase replied.
Storm chuckled as he shook his head. “No. Jayla is the love of my life and all the woman I’d ever need, and the girls are the icing on the cake,” he said of his three-month-old twin daughters. “But it seems to me that she has gotten your attention.”
The smile faded from Chase’s lips. Jessica Claiborne had definitely caught his attention and from the moment they met. “Her name is Jessica Claiborne. We didn’t hit it off at first.”
Storm’s lips tilted in amused humor. “And now?”
Chase leaned against the building. “I think she still doesn’t like me.”
Storm lifted his brows. “First impressions can be changed if you work hard at it,” he said as he watched his brother’s gaze shift back to the window where the woman had been standing earlier. He glanced at his watch. “I have to go. I just wanted to make sure you knew about the christening on Sunday.”
“Yes, Mom mentioned it. I think the restaurant is perfect for the after-christening dinner.”
Storm smiled. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble.”
“No trouble for my nieces. Consider it done. Tell Jayla that I’ll call her somet
ime tomorrow to discuss the menu.”
“Ok, I’ll do that.”
Chase watched his twin brother get into his car and pull away. He hesitated for a moment not ready to go back inside and glanced at the confectionery again, wondering whether Jessica had enjoyed the meal he’d had prepared for her. There was only one way to find out.
Shoving his hands into his pockets he walked past Mrs. Morrison’s seamstress shop until he stood directly in front of Delicious Cravings. Ignoring the Closed sign on the door, he knocked a couple of times then rang the doorbell. Moments later a soft voice asked. “Who is it?”
“Chase.”
She slowly opened the door and glared at him. “What do you want now?”
The bitterness that was still in her voice surprised him. He would have thought that if his apology hadn’t done the trick, certainly a meal from Chase’s Place had smoothed her over. Evidently not. He heaved a sigh.
She had folded her arms over her chest and he wished she hadn’t done that. Although he was a leg man first, he was a breast man second and the position of her arms clearly empathized what a nice, firm, full pair she had. At that moment he actually envied her tank top.
He cleared his throat and said, “I saw you standing at the window.”
Her gaze sharpened. “So?”
He smoothed a hand across his forehead. Maybe where she came from, people were unfriendly and unpleasant, but here in the South people were warm and gracious. “Is it too much to hope that you enjoyed dinner?” he asked.
She actually seemed surprised by his question. “Of course I enjoyed dinner. Why would you think that I hadn’t?”
“Your attitude.”
Jessica clamped down her jaw down from jutting out. Okay, so once again he hadn’t seen her at her best, but there was a reason for it. He was a Westmoreland and she was a Graham.
Sighing, she dropped her hands to her side. “Look, don’t take it personally, but I don’t like you.”
Claimed for Destiny Page 16
