"Uh-huh," she said.
She brought her cake to an abandoned table in the corner. After she took a seat, she ate a bite of the dessert. The icing was thick and rich, the chocolate mousse light and fluffy. Oh. My. Gosh. She squeezed her eyes shut, certain she was going to levitate above the table.
"Mmmm." She squirmed in her seat, sucking every last available bit of chocolate from the fork.
"That sure looks good," a deep, sexy voice said.
Stiffening, she looked straight into a pair of caramel colored eyes. Oh no, it was the sexy Adonis, aka Mr. Trouble. The bite of cake went down the wrong tube and she coughed. As her eyes watered in pain, the man sat in the chair across from hers. When her vision finally cleared, she was dazed. How could any man have legs that long or muscles so toned?
But then the allure faded. She was much more concerned about all of the glares she was receiving from the girls who'd been sitting with the caramel-eyed man before. Even the gorgeous blonde was watching her with narrowed eyes. She looked down at her slice of cake and groaned. Why did this have to happen? The guy was gorgeous, yeah, but that was a problem. Gorgeous people made her nervous. How could she enjoy eating this delicacy when she could hardly hold her fork because her hand trembled so much?
Frustrated, she tried hard not to look at the man as she speared a bite of frosting and licked it. To her surprise, the guy watched her eat. His hot, intense gaze made her instantly uncomfortable. She put down her fork, wishing he'd look somewhere else. After all, it wasn't fair that someone could smolder like that. It was a wonder that the fudge icing on her piece of cake didn't melt from being so close to him.
"Can I have a bite?" the guy asked.
He wanted a bite of her cake? Her delicious, better-than-falling-in-love cake? She was pretty great at sharing most things, but never chocolate cake.
"Heck no." She drew her dessert closer to her, holding her fork like a sword. If he tried to steal the plate, she'd stab him…maybe.
The man's caramel eyes darkened.
Then it occurred to her—he wasn't after her cake. He was trying to hit on her. No way, she thought, stealing a glance at the far prettier women who'd been at his side at the bar. She wasn't bad looking, but she could stand to lose ten pounds and had bad skin. Compared to the model-like beauties who were throwing themselves at this guy's feet, she couldn't compare. I must be wrong. He can't be trying to make a move on me. Frowning, she scrutinized the gorgeous guy, wondering what he could possibly want from her.
"You don't like to share." The man's smile returned.
"Oh, I don't mind sharing most things." She was impressed she managed to keep her voice from trembling. "Just not cake. Or anything else with chocolate."
"You like chocolate?" The guy cocked his head.
"Doesn't everyone?" She frowned.
"I don't mind it, but I find other indulgences to be more…pleasurable." He licked his lips.
"Um, okay." Good going, Captain Witty!
"By the way, I'm Gideon Greyson." He held out his hand.
"I'm Nora Williams." She shook his hand, painfully aware of how sweaty her palm was.
"Nora." Gideon flashed a perfect smile that left her breathless. "That's a lovely name. Why did your parents choose it?"
Thinking about her parents was like a kick to the chest. She could still remember the day her mom had dragged her kicking and screaming into an orphanage. From that moment on, she'd been passed from foster home to foster home like an unwanted hand-me-down. It was the last thing she wanted to think about.
"I don't know." She shrugged.
"I see." Gideon leaned closer, breathing his sweet breath all over her.
Fire burned in her belly. She fanned herself with her hand as she glanced nervously around the bar.
"Geez, is it hot in here?" It felt like somebody had turned up the heater.
"I think the temperature is just right." He grinned roguishly.
"Oh, really?" Why couldn't she actually make conversation?
It's his face, she finally realized. His gorgeous face is turning me into a complete idiot.
"Yeah." He nodded and then glanced at the bar. "So do you want a drink?"
"Umm…" Well, eating chocolate cake dry was hard. "Milk would be nice."
Gideon looked at her as if she'd announced she wanted to drink battery acid.
"Milk?" He raised an eyebrow. "You want milk?"
"What's wrong with milk?" She raised an eyebrow.
She was starting to feel insulted now. Nothing was wrong with her drink choice. So what if she didn't drink alcohol? Her mom had been drunk the night she'd become pregnant with her. Yeah, the woman had been in a relationship with her biological father at the time, but the drunkenness was what had made her lose her inhibitions.
"You don't have to buy me a drink." She crossed her arms. "You asked if I wanted something and that's my choice."
Finally, the shock disappeared from Gideon's eyes.
"Forgive me." Gideon bowed his head apologetically. "You just didn't say what I expected."
"And what did you expect me to say?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Hmmm. You seem like a wine drinking kind of woman if you ask me." Gideon eyeballed her. "You look free-spirited but intelligent. Bookish. I could see somebody like you drinking red wine by the fireplace with a novel in hand. Am I wrong?"
He was right. Well, if one replaced the glass of red wine with a cup of steaming hot cocoa or diet soda. Still his ability to judge her was unnerving. Probably I shouldn't let him know that, she thought, wincing. She didn't like the idea of a stranger being able to read her so well.
"You're wrong," she said. "And I don't drink red wine."
Because she didn't drink. Period.
"Interesting." Gideon's grin widened. "Well, you're the first person who's surprised me in many years."
"Is that a compliment?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know." Gideon shrugged.
Geez. This guy was bizarre.
"Has anybody ever told you that you're a strange person?" She guessed he could get away with having oddities, what with him being gorgeous enough to make girls faint at his feet and all.
"Is that a compliment?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said, mimicking him.
Gideon snorted and shook his head.
"Well, Nora, if it's milk you want, then it's milk you're going to get," Gideon said. "Don't you dare move a muscle while I'm gone."
After the man flashed her another dazzling grin, a stampede of tingles rushed through her. For a moment she was so lightheaded she thought she might pass out. Once Gideon glided over to the bar to order her milk, she finally snapped out of her daze enough to check to make sure she wasn't drooling. When she noticed no spittle oozing from her lips, she let out a sigh of relief. So far, so good.
As she waited for Gideon, she scratched the back of her neck and cast a glance at Robert. She expected him to be chatting with Meg, but to her surprise, he was staring at her. Just as she was about to look away, Robert started mouthing words. What in heaven's name is he trying to say? She squinted as if that could help her see. Finally, after many embarrassing hand motions on her part, she understood. Robert was mouthing the words, "Get his phone number!" She waved her arms wildly and shook her head. Her friend just smirked, looking annoyingly smug.
"That idiot," she muttered.
"Idiot?" Gideon sounded amused.
She yelped in surprise. Gideon had been standing beside her and she hadn't even noticed. Boy, he was stealthy.
"How long have you been standing there?" she said.
"Long enough to see you waving your arms around." Grinning, he took his place at the table with a glass of milk and a shot of golden alcohol. "If we somehow end up playing a game of charades, remind me to never be your partner. You're terrible."
"Hey…" Her cheeks burned.
"What on earth is this supposed to mean?" Gideon waved his arm wildly to one side. "It was ridiculous."
"Nothing," she sputtered, embarrassed.
"Oh, really? I think you meant something by it. The massive amounts of head shaking you were doing suggested as much." He passed her the glass of milk. "Tell me, why are you so violently against getting my phone number?"
Her stomach sunk. Gideon had been watching her for longer than she thought. That meant the man had seen everything, including Robert mouthing "Get his phone number!" and her frantic hand gestures that would make an onlooker assume she was having a seizure.
As she flushed, she realized the gorgeous man was still watching her, waiting for a response.
"I just wouldn't see the point of getting your phone number," she said.
"Why not?" He looked genuinely curious.
"Even if you gave me your number, I wouldn't want to go on a date with you." She shrugged and took a sip of her milk.
The man froze, his caramel eyes wide. It took her a moment to realize that he felt insulted.
"You wouldn't want to go on a date with me?" He wrinkled his nose. "Why not?"
"You don't seem like a bad guy," she said quickly. "I'm just not interested in you."
Dig yourself a deeper hole, Nora! She definitely sounded like she was insulting him now.
"You aren't interested in me?" he said with unflattering disbelief.
Geez, he made her sound like an ugly leper who was turning down a dazzling prince. Maybe she wasn't sorry she'd made it sound like she didn't like him.
"Nope," she said without hesitation.
"May I ask why not?" Gideon still stared at her as though she'd grown a second head.
For a moment she debated lying her butt off, but then she decided against it. After all, she wasn't an untruthful person.
"You look like trouble to me." She hesitated before licking chocolate from her finger. "I don't do trouble."
"I look like trouble, huh?" A roguish grin re-appeared on his face.
"Yeah." She nodded. "You and I seem like different people. I work at a tea store and spend my free time relaxing at home. You look like you live for parties and women. We aren't compatible."
"But you find me attractive, don't you?" he asked.
"Naturally." For some people, beauty was a fact and not an opinion. "But I don't care about that. I want to date somebody who is loyal and supportive."
Somebody who won't abandon a daughter who desperately needs him.
"Well, it's a good thing I don't want to date you either." Gideon's eyes twinkled.
She was horrified. All of that ranting for nothing. Abject humiliation, anyone?
"Oh, well…" She shrugged. "That's good, then."
"Yeah, but I do want something else," he said.
"R-really?" Why did she suddenly feel faint?
Gideon inched his chair closer to hers. Stunned, she stared straight into his beautiful eyes. Every time she peered into them, she was reminded of caramel sauce drizzled over ice cream. His eyes were delicious. On top of that, she wanted to run her fingers over his skin. No, wait. What's going on in my head? I never think like this. Never! She was not the sort of woman who was tempted by men. Yeah, she found them attractive, but she was rarely overwhelmed by inappropriate thoughts. Now things were different. As Gideon leaned closer, she felt as if the world was going still. Everything about him was perfect from his sweet breath to his toned muscles. Heck, even his eyelashes—so thick they should have been feminine but weren't—tantalized her, making her want to draw nearer.
She let out a shaky exhale as Gideon seized her hand and ran his fingers along the inside of her wrist, tracing the light blue veins. The single touch was enough to make her feel as though a fire was burning within her core.
A dangerous, all-encompassing fire. One that had the potential to destroy her.
"Even though I don't date, I find you very attractive." He smoldered at her. "I noticed you the moment I walked into the bar. I love your curves, your button nose, your full lips. You were right about me—I'm trouble. But trouble can be fun. Do you want to have some fun with me, Nora?"
His words enticed her. No, worse yet, they tempted her. Like a magic spell, his voice confused her brain, making her want the troublesome fun that she'd always avoided.
"I can make tonight the night of your life." He ran his fingers further up her arm. "One night of pleasure—no strings attached, no phone numbers exchanged. It'll just be you and me."
She licked her lips. Just when she was about to open her mouth to respond, a bell clanged in her head. Trouble…fun…Wait, what? Snap out of it, girl! Even though she burned for the man before her, something was wrong. She would never be the woman who had one-night stands. She'd promised herself that. Even if this man was the most gorgeous person she'd ever laid eyes on, she couldn't do it. Besides, she should have been disgusted, not intrigued. This guy didn't even know her and yet he wanted to be intimate. What a pervert!
"What do you say, Nora?" Gideon traced her elbow, unaware that his spell was broken.
Anger burned through her. She ripped her arm out of his grip and flew to her feet.
"No," she said.
Gideon looked as if she'd slapped him.
"No?" He gaped.
"No." She didn't care if everybody in the room heard her. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You don't even know me."
Hushed silence overcame the bar. She seized her purse and turned to leave, but Gideon grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Why?" he asked.
"Why?" She ripped her arm away a second time. "None of your business, that's why."
"This isn't happening." He shook his head in disbelief.
"What, you've never been turned down before?" She scowled at him.
At first Gideon appeared winded, but then he nodded. "Never."
"Well, there's a first for everything," she snapped.
Then with her head held high, she marched out of the bar.
Chapter Two
The next morning, Nora was still fuming. As she shampooed her hair, she cringed at the memory of last night. The nerve of Gideon, thinking he could coerce her into sleeping with him even though they'd just met! Plus, she couldn't stand the way he'd acted so disbelieving when she turned him down. Just because he was gorgeous didn't mean that she'd kiss the ground he walked on. Men like that were so irritating. To make matters worse, she hadn't even had the opportunity to eat her cake.
What a waste, she thought, stepping out of the shower.
As she wrapped a towel around her body, she heard Mr. Fleas barking maniacally. That's odd. Is somebody at the door? After she pulled on her work uniform—a boring turquoise t-shirt and a beige pair of slacks—she left the bathroom and headed over to the door. Mr. Fleas stood at attention, prepared to attack. Like always, he was oblivious to the fact he weighed only three pounds.
At first she thought the dog was yapping at nothing, but then she noticed the deranged canine was standing on an envelope. Somebody must have stuck it under her door. She scooped up both Mr. Fleas and the envelope, frowning.
"That's weird," she said.
The dog started licking her face with enthusiasm.
Perturbed, she sat down on the sofa and placed Mr. Fleas beside her. As the dog scratched himself so hard he fell over, she tore open the envelope and pulled out a note.
Gideon is more dangerous than you think. Be wary of him.
Her heart leapt wildly. What on earth? She'd expected a card from a friend or a note from the landlord, not this. Her hands shook. Robert was the only one she could think of who would play a prank on her, but she didn't recall telling him Gideon's name. Unnerved, she rushed into her bedroom with the Chihuahua at her heels. She pulled her phone off of the charger and called her best friend. He answered on the fourth ring.
"I'm going to kill you for calling me this early," Robert said.
"Did you stick a note under my door?" she asked, ignoring his bitterness.
"Note?" Robert grunted. "What the heck are you talking about?"
"
I just got a note warning me about the guy I met at the bar last night," she said. "You must have stuck it under my door."
"Ugh, what?" Robert said, sounding confused.
"You didn't stick the note under my door?"
"Of course not," Robert said.
That wasn't good. Had somebody followed her home from the bar last night?
"Oh no," she said.
"Are you okay?" Robert asked.
"I don't know." She clutched the note. "Who would do something like this?"
"Beats me." Robert sighed.
"Robert!" She was looking for comfort but wasn't receiving it.
"Okay, fine." He sighed. "I can tell you're freaked out. What exactly does the note say?"
Who wouldn't be freaked out? Somebody might be stalking her. Still she had to remain strong. The note had issued a warning, not a theat. It wasn't like the person had written, 'I want to chop off your head and eat your brain for breakfast.' This thought soothed her as she looked at the crumbled paper in her hand.
"It says, 'Gideon is more dangerous than you think. Be wary of him.'" She wrinkled her nose.
"Was Gideon the name of the guy who was hitting on you last night?" Robert asked.
"Yep." The handsome jerk.
"Is the writing feminine by chance?" Robert asked.
The writing did look feminine.
"Yeah." She nodded, though he couldn't see her. "I'm guessing a woman wrote it, even though I can't say for sure."
"Then I have a pretty good idea of what's going on," Robert said. "You don't live far from the bar, so a jealous woman probably followed you home. She likely wants you to stay away from Gideon because she wants him for herself."
"Do you think so?" Her shoulders slumped with relief.
"Yeah. I don't know for sure, but that would be my best bet as to why somebody would give you that kind of note," Robert said. "Even if it isn't the reason, the message isn't malicious. At least, not toward you."
"That's true." She nodded. "So I don't have to worry?"
"Probably not," Robert said. "Just in case, though, you should probably carry pepper spray. You have some, right?
She lived in a dangerous area of Chicago and was a single female. Of course she carried pepper spray.
Tempting Nora Page 2
