by Nita Wick
Michael accepted her invitation with an unhurried exploration. His tongue danced with hers. Her breath caught, and a soft moan escaped her throat. He answered with a growl and sucked the tip of her tongue into his mouth. Hunger spread through her as he nibbled her bottom lip before delving in again.
Haley’s breasts ached, and she pushed them against his chest. The action sent a tremor to her core, triggering heat and moisture between her thighs. An image of the two of them in her bed flashed through her mind. The thought brought her to her senses. She stiffened, tore her lips away, and rested her forehead on his shoulder.
Once she’d caught her breath, she whispered an apology. “I’m sorry. I’m not ready for this. Not yet.”
He pressed a kiss against her hair. “Damn.” He stepped back and cupped her cheek. “I’m not used to waiting, Haley, but I understand why you need to go slow. I’ll try to remember. If I forget, don’t run away. Just tell me to slow down. Okay?”
Oh, hell. What was she getting herself into? This man knew all the right things to say, and damned if he didn’t say them in the sexiest voice she’d ever heard. Even if the thought of a relationship didn’t scare her witless, how could she consider the prospect? She didn’t even feel comfortable telling him who she really was. Hiding her past was so much easier than facing it.
Michael appeared to be waiting for an answer. With a deep breath, she nodded. “Okay. Thanks for understanding.”
“I had a great time tonight. I’ll see you at the gym Monday.”
Before she could talk herself out of it, she opened her purse, retrieved a pen and slip of paper, scribbled on it, and handed it to him.
His brows lifted in surprise. “What’s this?”
“My cell number.” She spun around and swiped the card to open the gate. Stepping inside, she closed the gate and met his gaze between the wrought iron bars. “Goodnight.”
He lifted the paper to his lips and winked at her.
Haley fled into the building before she did something really stupid like asking him to stay. She let herself into her apartment, locked the door, and leaned against it. Her purse vibrated, and her cell phone played a jingle. Digging it out, she pressed the button to answer. “Hello?”
“I have the phone number of the woman with the sweetest kiss I’ve ever tasted.”
Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. “Yeah, well, she can’t talk right now. She’s still breathless from that kiss.” Why had she said that? She shouldn’t encourage him.
If it were possible, she would have sworn she heard him smile.
“Sweet dreams, Haley.”
Monday’s workout included a good bit of flirting. It was obvious to Haley that Michael knew just how attracted she was to him. It made her appreciate his patience all the more but intensified her trepidation. She really shouldn’t get involved with him.
They sat at the juice bar enjoying a tropical mango juice. Haley shoved her doubts away and searched his face. “Same time tomorrow?”
His smile slipped. “I wish I could. My boss set up a dinner meeting with a client tomorrow. And Wednesday night is out, too. I’m going—”
“Stop. You don’t have to explain.” She offered a smile. “Are we still on for Saturday’s game?”
He nodded. “Come hell or high water.”
“Well, let’s hope for sunshine anyway. If I don’t see you before then, you can pick me up at ten Saturday morning.”
“Okay.” He finished his juice and stood. “You know, it occurred to me earlier that you never told me your last name.”
“You never told me yours either.”
“It’s Flannery.”
“I should have known it would be Irish.” She took a drink of her juice.
“Come on, Haley. You’re killing me.”
Letting out a deep breath, she whispered, “It’s Preston.”
“Haley Preston.” His brows lifted. “There’s a famous interior designer with that name.”
Hiding her shaking hands in her lap, she smiled at him. “Yeah, I know. I’ve heard of her.”
He searched her eyes but let the subject drop. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead as usual. Then he dipped his head and brushed his lips across hers. “I’ll see soon.”
Haley let out another shaky breath and watched him leave. She should have told him. He’d been so patient, so understanding. And he’d been honest with her, hadn’t he? Didn’t she owe him the same consideration? She sighed and grabbed her towel. She’d tell him Saturday at the game.
Haley toured the shell of her new home on Tuesday morning and spent the remainder of the day at the salon. She pampered herself with a facial, a manicure, and a pedicure. Then she endured the torture of a leg and Brazilian wax. She finished with a full body massage.
Wednesday, she visited the furniture shop downtown, placing her order for a custom-made sofa and chairs. She chose end tables and a bookcase, too. Until recently, she still had no idea how she planned to decorate her new home. Haley Preston, one of the most sought-after interior designers in the world, had been unable to come up with a design for her own living room. Until now.
The night before, while eating microwave popcorn, watching a movie on the classic movie channel, and thinking of Michael, the vision had come to her. For the first time in months, she pulled her art tablet and colored pencils from her closet and worked. It was well after midnight when she’d finished, pleased with her work and anxious to place the order for the furniture.
Hunger pains drew her to the closest place for food. The mocha latte she’d had for breakfast was a distant memory, and she’d spent the whole afternoon at the furniture store. A soda and some crackers from the vending machines had stopped the growling for a while, but it was almost six o’clock.
O’Malley’s Pub offered a menu in the front window. The stuffed potato sounded heavenly. A little bell tinkled above her head as she entered. She chose a two-seater booth in the front corner away from the bar and door. Grabbing the menu from its holder at the table, she scanned it one more time.
A middle-aged waitress came to the table. “What can I get you, sweetie?”
“I’ll have a stuffed potato with everything.”
The woman scribbled down her order. “Anything to drink?”
“Do you have sweet tea?”
She looked up from her pad. “Of course we have sweet tea. Who doesn’t?”
Haley smiled. “They don’t drink sweet tea in New York. It’s good to be home.”
“Yankees. No taste at all.” She winked. “You want lemon?”
“No thanks.”
“This’ll only take a few minutes, sweetie. Be right back.”
Haley was shocked at the size of the potato loaded with ham, cheese, sour cream, and fresh bacon bits. But she was even more surprised when she’d polished off everything but the skin. She was contemplating a slice of pecan pie when the front door opened. A pair of young women in their mid-twenties waved to the bartender and headed to the back.
Returning her attention to the dessert menu, she wondered how long she’d have to spend on the Stairmaster for a slice of cheesecake. The front door swung open again. This time it was a young couple. The bartender called a greeting, but they, too, went toward the rear of the pub. At nearly seven o’clock, business was apparently starting to pick up.
Haley looked over the desserts one last time and searched the room to find the waitress. Through the big mirror behind the bar, she saw her taking an order from the couple and two girls. They were sitting at a big table in the back. They must be expecting more to join them. On cue, the bell on the front door jingled again.
A big guy in a leather jacket sat down at the bar, calling out to the bartender, “Hey, Jimmy. How ’bout a beer?”
The door hadn’t even closed when the next couple entered. Haley sucked in a startled breath. Michael had his arm around the shoulders of pretty redhead. She was tall for a woman, probably about five foot ten. He laughed at something sh
e said and guided her to the back of the pub.
Haley watched them pass, her heart contracting. Why was she upset? It wasn’t like he was her boyfriend. He wasn’t cheating on her. Not really.
How could she have let this happen? In the span of less than two weeks, she’d let herself fall for a guy she hardly knew. He was good-looking and sexy as hell. Of course he’d have other girlfriends. He probably had a whole harem. And with his confident, but attentive, caring personality, he would have women falling all over themselves for a chance to go out with him.
Through the mirror, she watched them join the group in the back. He held out the chair for the redhead. Then he leaned down and kissed her temple before sitting. Haley’s head fell back against the wall of the booth, and she closed her eyes. Did he do that out of habit? Or did he just know how much a woman loved that? Was it part of his game plan to do tender little things like that?
Haley fished a twenty out of her wallet and tossed it on the table. It had to be twice the amount of her bill. She stood and walked to the door. It opened again before she could grab the handle.
“Excuse me,” the guy said before his eyes widened. He stopped, blocking her exit. “Hey, Haley. I’m Brad, Michael’s friend.”
Haley nodded. “I remember you from the gym.”
“Where you goin’? Aren’t you stayin’?”
“No, I…I can’t stay.”
“That’s a shame. Maybe next time.”
She couldn’t wait for him to get out of her way. She tried to go around him. “Yeah, maybe next time.” He stepped aside and held the door for her while she made her escape.
The drive home included a self-inflicted lecture on her own stupidity. She shouldn’t be angry with Michael. It wasn’t as if he’d promised her anything. The man was nice to her, listening while she divulged her darkest secrets. He’d never taken advantage of her and had even asked permission to kiss her. He’d been the perfect gentleman. He’d called her friend.
And that made it all worse. She’d poured her heart out to him. She was vulnerable, and he was probably just biding his time, waiting for the chance to add her to his harem.
Fool that she was, she’d fallen for him, never once considering that he probably treated every woman he met the same way. Making them feel special was part of his charm. Her initial plan to swear off men entirely had been the right one. Even if she ever found a nice one, she’d be too stupid to keep her heart out of the mix. What was left of it anyway.
Chapter Four
“Leave a message at the beep.”
“Hi, Haley. It’s Michael. I just wanted to say hello. I’ve missed you.” God, he hated voicemail. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at the gym tonight. Bye.”
He closed his phone and shoved it back into his pocket. Resting his elbows on his drafting table, he stared at the plans for the office building. Jackson Maynor had commissioned a new building for his law office. He’d asked for a spacious entrance and waiting area with two floors of offices for himself and his underlings. He wanted bold, different. Michael had given him that and more.
Since he’d met Haley, his work had been to the extremes. Either he was too preoccupied to concentrate and he got nothing accomplished at all, or he was an architectural genius. Since their date on Friday night and that kiss…Holy cow, what a kiss. He’d never been so turned on like that with just a kiss. At least not since high school when even the thought of kiss turned him on.
Since that date, he’d been a genius. Maynor’s office design was one of Michael’s best ever. The minor additions and changes he’d made since meeting Haley had enhanced his latest masterpiece beyond anyone’s expectations. With construction already underway, he just needed to double-check a few structural stability details for the building inspectors. But today, anxiety plagued him. His brain could only focus on one subject.
Haley.
The woman was so…perfect for him. She liked Tennessee football and pizza. She was intelligent, easy to talk to. And man, was she beautiful. When she looked at him with those blue eyes of hers, he forgot where he was. Her hair was blonde, but it wasn’t out of a bottle. There were no telltale roots to be seen. Though she was a little shorter than his usual choice, only about five foot six, she had a body any model would envy. And every man who saw her drooled on himself. What he didn’t understand was how she could be oblivious to all of them.
His friends were jealous because Haley had chosen him. And at the pizza place, every male in the room from teenager to senior citizen had stared at her. She hadn’t even noticed. How could she be so unaware of her own appeal?
He’d learned quite a bit about her, but she was still a mystery in many respects. And she was hiding something. Hiding might be the wrong word. Maybe she was just withholding a few personal secrets until she felt she could trust him. Lord, he hoped she’d learn to trust him. He couldn’t blame her for being wary of men. Or anybody for that matter. The betrayal she’d suffered was enough to shake anyone’s faith in mankind.
His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He yanked it out and checked the number. Not Haley. He sighed and flipped it open. “Hello.”
“I got the job!”
Michael smiled. “That’s great, Meg. So you’ll be moving back soon then?”
“I’m going back to L.A. to turn in my resignation, but I’ll work a notice. It’ll give me time to get things packed up.”
He toyed with his pen. “You leave on Sunday. Right?”
“Right. Will I see you tonight?”
“Not tonight. I’m going to the gym.”
A groan echoed in the receiver. “I guess I’ll have to join when I get settled. Maybe we can work out together sometime.”
“Sure. That’ll be fun.” He stared at the plans on his table.
“Thanks again for last night. I had a great time.”
“Me, too. Just like old times.” Michael stretched his neck, trying to release the building tension. “Listen, Meg. I need to get back to work. Talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay. Later.”
“Bye.” He folded the phone and put it back in his pocket. Something felt wrong, but he was at a loss to figure what it was. Why hadn’t Haley answered her phone? He hadn’t heard from her since Monday. Maybe he was just missing her. His gaze wandered to the clock on his office wall. Three thirty. He could leave soon, but Haley probably wouldn’t be at the fitness center until after six. Forcing himself to focus on the work at hand, he pushed thoughts of the blue-eyed blonde from his mind.
* * * *
After throwing together a ham sandwich, Michael watched the afternoon news program while he ate. He switched off the television, dumped his plate in the sink, and headed to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth and combed his hair. The nagging feeling that something was wrong wouldn’t go away. Haley hadn’t returned his call, but that shouldn’t bother him. The message he’d left hadn’t asked her to call. She would only have called if she didn’t intend to see him at the gym. Somehow that knowledge didn’t calm his worries. He leaned his head to one side, stretching his neck and staring at himself in the mirror. He was probably just imagining things.
Twenty minutes later, Michael pushed opened the heavy glass doors and searched the gym. No Haley. Brad and Jack were at the bench press, and he strode across the room to meet them. “You guys seen Haley?”
Brad was in the middle of a lift, but Jack answered. “No. Haven’t seen her tonight. How’s it going with her?”
“Good. I think. But I haven’t seen her since Monday. I thought—”
Brad cut in. “You saw her last night at O’Malley’s.” He started another rep.
“No, I didn’t. She wasn’t there.” Confusion assailed him.
Brad finished his set and let out a long breath before sitting up. “Yes, she was. She was going out as I came in. I spoke to her.”
Michael shook his head in denial. “But Meg and I got there before you did. I didn’t see her.”
Brad stood up. “Yeah, well,
she was there. I asked if she was stayin’. She said she couldn’t.”
Realization struck him. “Did she seem upset?”
Brad shrugged. “I don’t know. She hardly said anything, but she sure was in a hurry to get out of there.”
Michael wiped a hand across his face. “Shit.”
“What?” Jack and Brad questioned in stereo.
Shaking his head, he waved them off. “I’ll explain later. I gotta go.”
Michael changed back into his jeans in record time and hurried to his car. He flipped open his phone and hit the call button.
“Hello?”
Thank God. “Meg, where are you?”
“I’m at home, but I’m going out in just a few minutes.”
He slammed the car door and jammed the key in the ignition. “No, you’re not. Stay right where you are. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“What’s going on, Michael?”
“I’ll explain when I get there.” He pressed the phone against his chin to close it and grimaced at the sound of his squealing tires.
After making a quick stop to pick up Meg, Michael pulled up in front of Haley’s apartment building. “Come on.” He climbed out of his SUV, waited for Meg to join him, and moved toward the front gate. He stared at the call box. What number had she said? Pushing the one for apartment 214, he held his breath and waited. Haley’s voice sounded just as he was about to press it again.
“Yes?”
“Haley, it’s Michael.” Silence met his statement for longer than he would have liked. “Can I come in? I won’t stay long if you’re busy.”
She didn’t answer, but a buzzing sound and the click of the lock on the gate gave him his answer. He grabbed Meg’s hand and dragged her behind him through the entrance and up the stairs.
“Slow down, Michael. I don’t hang out at the gym like you do, remember?” Meg was out of breath by the time they reached the top of the stairs.
Michael shook his head, tempted to laugh at her. Ordinarily he would have, but the tension gnawing at his gut all day wouldn’t allow it. He checked the number on a couple of doors to figure out which way to go. At the end of the hall, he knocked on the door labeled 214. It opened after only a brief wait.
