Bachelor Unleashed (3 page)

“Thanks, Frank, but I don’t think so.”

“Not this time?”

“Not ever.”

“I won’t give up.”

“I wish you would,” she threw over her shoulder as she moved toward the door. She was determined to prove she was just as stubborn as he was persistent.

“Will you continue to hate all men because of what your ex-husband did to you, Farrah?”

She continued walking, thinking his question didn’t even deserve a response. She didn’t hate all men because of Dustin. She just knew what she did or didn’t want out of a relationship these days. Where she had once been the happily-ever-after kind of girl, the one who believed in white picket fences and everything that went along with it, she now knew that nothing was forever, especially a man’s love. She refused to look at things through rose-colored glasses ever again.

A few moments later Farrah caught the elevator down to the lobby and exited the Stillwell Building to step out onto the busy sidewalk. She loved New York and thought there was no place quite like it. She tilted her head back to look up at all the tall buildings. Being here was always so invigorating.

Times Square. This was the heart of Manhattan. She could pick up the scent of fresh baked breads, see all the digital billboards flashing bright lights and watch people move so fast that if you didn’t keep pace they would practically knock you over. For the few times a year she had to come here on business, she not only put up with it, she loved it.

Deciding not to take a cab since she wasn’t too far from the hotel, she looked forward to a brisk walk. One of her coworkers had taken her out for a prime rib lunch. It was so scrumptious she’d even loaded the baked potato with butter and sour cream. She pushed guilt aside because this was December, the one month she ate whatever she wanted. She’d jump on the weight loss train like everyone else the first of the year. This was the season to be merry, so what were some extra calories now?

She thought about the case she would be working this week. She loved her job as a mediator at Holland and Bradford and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. And as long as there were disputes to be ironed out, she would always be employed.

The reason her profession would remain in demand was because mediation was definitely less expensive than litigation, and in addition to the financial advantage, there was also the time saved. You didn’t have to wait on court time, the worry of witnesses disappearing on you, or people not remembering facts occurring years before. Also, the sooner you could resolve a dispute, the sooner people’s lives could get back to normal.

Lives getting back to normal…

A lot could be said for that, including hers. It had been six months since she and Xavier had ended things, and she was still trying to work him out of her system. It was as if she’d become addicted to the man. No matter how many times she’d washed her sheets, she couldn’t get his scent out of them. After a while, she’d stopped trying and just went to bed each night breathing him in.

But that wasn’t good because his scent reminded her of what they’d done between those sheets. She often dreamed about him, and in her dreams he did every single thing to her that he’d done while they’d been together and then some. More than once she had awakened the next morning with the covers tossed haphazardly on her bed and feeling like someone had ridden her all night. But that had only made her crave the real thing even more.

Breaking things off had been the right thing to do. She had begun anticipating his visits, wondering what he was up to during those days and nights he wasn’t with her, getting antsy when he didn’t call or acting like a bubbly sixteen-year-old when he did. Bottom line was that she had begun getting attached, and she’d sworn after Dustin that she would never get attached to another man again.

She tightened her coat around her, glad she’d worn boots because her toes were beginning to freeze. Seeing a wine shop ahead, she decided to stop in and make a purchase. There was nothing like a glass of wine to take the chill off. Besides, if it got too cold to venture out tomorrow, she would make good on what she’d told Frank. She’d stay in bed and enjoy the wine and the book she’d already purchased from a bookstore at the airport.

Farrah quickly opened the door to the wine shop and bumped into the person who was walking out. “Excuse me.”

“No problem.”

She snatched her head up. The sound of his voice and the scent of his cologne sent shock waves through her body. She gazed up into the man’s dark eyes, recognizing them immediately. “Xavier!”

Chapter 2

I
t was quite obvious to Farrah that Xavier was as surprised to see her as she was to see him. Had it been six months since they’d last communicated? Six months since she’d had the best sex of her life?

She could remember, just as if it had been yesterday, the last time he had taken her—hard. And how the mouth she was staring at now had inflamed every single inch between her legs while she’d held on to his wide shoulders and cried out her pleasure.

She forced that thought from her mind, not wanting to go there, although her body was defying her and doing so anyway. As if on cue, the tips of her nipples felt sensitive against her blouse and a telltale ache was making itself known between her legs.

“What are you doing in New York?” she asked, and then felt silly for doing so when she quickly recalled that Cody Enterprises had one of their offices here. Damn, he looked good, and seeing him again unnerved her, had her remembering just how he looked naked. He was wearing a full-length coat, but he didn’t have to remove the coat for her to know the suit he wore looked as if it had been tailored just for him, and probably had been.

And there was his masculine physique—tall, well-built with a broad chest, massive shoulders and tapered thighs. Yes, she especially remembered those thighs. He worked out regularly at the gym which accounted for him being in such great shape. He was a man who took care of himself. He certainly had taken care of her.

“I’m here working. What about you?” he asked, as a smile touched his lips.

She wished he wouldn’t smile. Seeing his mouth stretched wide was doing things to her. Making her remember other times he’d smiled at her and the reasons he’d done so. Like right after she’d licked him all over before taking him into her mouth.

“I’m working as a mediator for a case I’ve been assigned.” She glanced down at the wine bottle in the bag he was carrying in his hand, and immediately knew what it meant. He was on his way to make a booty call. Whenever he’d done so with her, he’d always showed up with a bottle of wine. She remembered that oh, so well.

“How have you been?” she heard herself asking, glancing back up at him while fighting off anger at the thought he had probably reverted back to his old ways fairly easily, when she’d found it difficult to get back to hers. She hadn’t slept with another man since him. The thought of doing so had turned her body off for some reason.

“I’ve been doing fine,” he replied. “What about you?”

“Great. Just busy.”

“Same here. How long will you be in New York?” he asked.

She wondered why he wanted to know. Did he not think this city was big enough for the both of them? That thought annoyed her. In fact, if she were to be honest with herself, she would admit to being annoyed with the whole split, although it had been her idea. A part of her hadn’t expected him to agree to it so easily. When he’d left that night, not once had he looked back. She knew that for certain because she had watched him from her bedroom window until he’d gotten into his car and driven off.

According to her best friend, Natalie, who was married to Xavier’s good friend Donovan, Xavier hadn’t asked about her once. He could have, even if for no other reason than to inquire how she was doing. For all he’d known, she could have fallen off the face of the planet.

“I’m scheduled to fly out on Friday, but if the parties involved in the case don’t reach a resolution by then, I’ll be returning to New York sometime next week. At least I hope to return, but that will depend on the weather. A snowstorm is supposed to be headed this way on Sunday,” she said.

“So I heard, but I’ll be here for another week, so if it does come, I’ll be here with it.”

Farrah nodded. “Well, I guess I’d better let you go. I wouldn’t want you late for your date.”

Too late she wished she could bite off her tongue. Had she just sounded like a jealous ex? She hoped not because it shouldn’t matter one way or the other if he was on his way to see another woman.

“Who said I had a date?”

He asked the question in a deep, husky voice, which stirred something within her. She found the tone just as mesmerizing as his scent, which was all male. His signature cologne certainly knew how to make a woman hot and bothered. And then there was the way he was looking at her, with those gorgeous dark eyes of his, as if he knew he was making her panties wet.

She shrugged as she glanced back down at the wine bottle in the bag he was holding. “I just assumed you had one.”

“I will if you’ll have dinner with me.”

She lifted a brow. “Dinner?”

“Yes. There are several restaurants around here. We can get caught up. I’d like to know how you’ve been doing since the last time I saw you.”

He really didn’t want to know, Farrah thought. He didn’t need to know. It was best if they didn’t go there. But, heaven help her, she would like to know what he’d been doing since the last time she saw him. “You sure you want to do that?”

“Why not? I see no reason why we shouldn’t. I’d like to think, although we’re no longer lovers, we’re still friends.”

Friends?
Could two people go from being lovers to friends? After all, they’d shared a bed off and on for close to a year, longer than some people remained married.

She met his gaze, and the eyes looking deep into hers were robbing her of the ability to think straight. Instead she was overcome with memories of a satisfied woman, stretched out naked on a bed. And that woman was her. At least it had been her when they’d been together.

“So, since we’re here in New York together, the least we can do is share dinner,” he added in that resonant voice that could make her want to toss her panties to the wind any time and any place.

But then she knew that wasn’t all he could make her toss to the wind. Her ability to resist his potent male charm topped the list. He already had the wine, so all he needed was a willing woman to share his bed…or for him to share hers.

Farrah drew in a deep breath as she thought about his invitation. Didn’t she turn down Frank’s invitation to dinner less than an hour ago? Why shouldn’t she turn down this one as well? She really should, but for some reason, she couldn’t fix her mouth to do that.

Going to dinner with him wouldn’t be a big deal unless she made it one. And she wouldn’t. She could handle it. And there was no reason why she couldn’t handle him. He was just a man who’d been a past lover. And it was only dinner, and it didn’t necessarily mean she would do anything foolish like sleep with him again. No way. No how.

“I’d love to join you for dinner, Xavier, but I’d like to go back to the hotel and change first.”

“All right. What’s the name of your hotel? I’ll swing by and pick you up later. Let’s say within the hour.”

“I’m staying at the Waldorf Astoria.”

She tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach when he smiled and said, “It’s right up the street. Why don’t I walk you there now and hang in the lobby while you change.”

Farrah shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that. I’m sure you—”

“I don’t mind waiting. I have some work I need to look over anyway,” he said, lifting up his briefcase. “That would be easier than for me to go all the way to my home on Long Island and then come back,” he added.

She knew in addition to the home he owned in Charlotte, he also had residences here in New York, Los Angeles and Florida. “You sure?” she asked. “Positive.”

“Okay, then, give me a minute to buy my wine.”

“Sure.”

At least he hadn’t said anything about her sharing his, which meant after dinner there was still that possibility he would make one of his infamous booty calls to some woman. Why did she care? And why did the thought irk her?

She figured he would wait to the side for her to make her purchase. She hadn’t counted on him following her when she walked up to the counter. And when he stood directly behind her, she could actually feel heat emanating from his body to hers. She was sure she’d felt it…or was she just imagining things?

She shook off the thought. Just the very idea that she had run into him—in New York of all places—was enough to torment her in one way and make her giddy in another. It wouldn’t be so bad if she hadn’t thought of him often. She had missed him, and although she would never admit such a thing to him, she would and could admit it to herself.

After making her purchase, she turned around to Xavier and smiled. “Thanks for waiting.”

“No problem.”

As they left the wine shop to head over to her hotel, she silently kept reminding herself that her days of lusting after Xavier had ended six months ago. Still, every time she felt his gaze on her she couldn’t help but wonder if accepting his invitation to dinner had been a smart move after all.

Chapter 3

“I
won’t be long,” Farrah said, giving Xavier a smile as she stepped on the elevator.

“Take your time. I’ll be waiting down here in the lobby.”

The elevator door slid shut, and it was only then that Xavier allowed himself a chance to breathe deeply. What were the odds of him running into the one woman he just couldn’t seem to forget? And in New York of all places. A place that held memories for them both. At least they weren’t back at the same hotel they’d been in for Donovan’s wedding, he thought, settling down on one of the sofas in the lobby. Had that happened, it would have been one hell of a coincidence.

Still, just the thought of her going up to her room and taking off her clothes was doing all kinds of things to his libido…as if it wasn’t out of whack already. The moment she’d bumped into him at that wine store and their bodies had touched, he had felt a frisson of heat consume him that could only be ignited by one woman. He’d known before looking into her face it was Farrah.

He settled back against the cushions of the sofa and recalled the last time they’d been in New York together, the first week in June for Donovan and Natalie’s wedding. After the wedding he’d been invited to join Donovan’s six cousins from Phoenix, his godbrothers as well as another good friend, Bronson Scott, for a night on the town. But the only night he’d wanted was in Farrah’s bed, and as soon as the wedding reception had ended, he hadn’t wasted any time going to her hotel room. And then a week later she had ended things between them.

Now they were both back in New York, and he would give anything for a repeat performance of what they’d shared the last time, although he knew doing so would be asking for trouble. And speaking of trouble, he pulled the cell phone from his pocket to call Beth to cancel his late night visit. He really didn’t consider his time with Beth a “date,” so he really hadn’t lied to Farrah when she’d asked about it. As far as his mind and body were concerned, there was only one woman who had total control of his thoughts right now.

He leaned back and glanced around. This was a nice hotel, drenched in all kinds of history and decorated to the nines in elegance. He bet a lot of romantic trysts took place within these walls. He could see himself spending the night in one of those rooms upstairs if Farrah was so inclined. They would make love all night. He would make damn sure of it.

He reached down for his briefcase, and after placing it across his lap, he opened it up and pulled out a file. He might as well try to concentrate on something other than getting into Farrah’s body and then hearing her scream after pumping her into an orgasm.

Moments later, after reading over several reports, he glanced beyond the huge glass doors and saw it had gotten dark outside already. He had a private car at his disposal twenty-four hours a day, but since the restaurant was just a block away there was no reason for them not to walk.

He closed his files, deciding to think about the eleven months he and Farrah had spent together after all, since his concentration was at an all-time low. She hadn’t wanted a big deal made about their affair, so they hadn’t made one. Although neither had announced it or flaunted it, he had been aware that his friends and hers suspected they were involved. But not at first.

Of course her best friend, Natalie, had known, which meant Donovan hadn’t been clueless. And Cameron had known he was seeing some woman on a regular basis. His friend had never inquired as to whom, and Xavier had never openly shared the information.

His godbrothers—although they’d known he was sniffing real bad behind some woman—hadn’t officially met her until Donovan’s wedding. After that, they’d grilled him about why he’d gone to such pains to keep her a secret. And then he’d had to quickly spread the word at the wedding among the single men that she was taken after one of Donovan’s cousins from Phoenix had tried hitting on her.

What he couldn’t explain to anyone, least of all to himself, was the degree of possessiveness he felt toward Farrah. He’d felt the need to keep her all to himself and not share her or her time with anyone. Whenever he’d traveled on business, he’d found himself looking forward to returning to Charlotte to spend time with her. They had developed a routine and rarely ventured out beyond the walls of her house, preferring to remain inside—namely in the bedroom. That was the way they’d both wanted it. For some reason they’d enjoyed being detached from the outside world whenever they were together.

Showing up at her place, usually after eight at night, with his bottle of wine, had become the norm whenever he was in town, and they would often joke about it. He knew the wine was the reason she’d figured he was about to make a booty call tonight, and she had been right.

But what Farrah didn’t know was that he hadn’t been sexually involved with a woman since her, and Beth would have only been a substitute for the one woman he truly wanted. The woman he was sitting in the lobby waiting for at that very moment.

As if he conjured her, the elevator door opened, and Farrah stepped out. He blinked as he stared at her. She was wearing a long coat so he couldn’t see her outfit, but just seeing her made his erection spring to life. He was grateful his briefcase was still placed across his lap, and he kept it strategically placed in front of him when he stood, trying to get control of his mind and body.

“You look nice, Farrah,” he said, reaching for his coat on the sofa beside him.

“Thanks. If you’d like, you can leave your briefcase and wine at the front desk until we return, or I can take it back up to my room,” she said sliding her hands into a pair of black leather gloves.

He preferred her taking it back up to her room so he’d have an excuse to go up there when they got back. Or he could go back up to her room with her now to leave the items. But if he were to follow her up to her hotel room, that would be asking for trouble. Seeing Farrah made him realize just how much he’d missed her. How much he still wanted her.

“I can leave them at the front desk. That’s no problem,” he heard himself saying, knowing that was the best option. “You sure?”

Yes, he was sure—if she wanted to keep her clothes on for the rest of the night. “Yes, I’m sure. Ready to go?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Together they strolled over to the front desk, and he completed a claim slip for his belongings. Moments later they were walking through the hotel’s glass door to exit the building. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and the cold air seemed to blast down on them the moment they stepped onto the sidewalk.

“Wow, it’s freezing out here,” Farrah said, tightening her leather coat around her.

Instead of responding, on instinct Xavier wrapped his arms around her waist to bring her closer to his side. The moment he touched her, a shot of something akin to hot liquid fire exploded through his veins and he nearly groaned out loud. But he kept his arms around her to share his heat, grateful for his own wool coat. However, nothing could stop his reaction to the feel of her being plastered to his body.

That made him remember how it was being skin to skin with her while they made love, sliding in and out of her body, feeling her moist heat clench him in a way that could make him moan out her name.

She didn’t look over at him. Instead she stared straight ahead. He didn’t have a problem with that; in fact, he much preferred it. If their gazes were to connect now, he would be tempted to take her mouth and to tongue her right in the middle of the sidewalk.

He decided talking would be much safer, so he asked, “Warmer now?”

She nodded. “Yes and thanks. We have cold weather back in Charlotte, but this seems to be a different kind of cold. I’m even wearing an extra layer of clothing.”

Telling him what she had on her body wasn’t helping matters, he thought, especially when he was having visions of her not wearing anything at all. He always enjoyed seeing her naked. But then her clothing was known to be sexy as well. He recalled arriving one night when she’d worked late at the office and she’d been wearing a two-piece suit. She’d looked professional as well as sensual.

Even now he couldn’t help wondering what she was wearing underneath her long coat. All he could see was a nice pair of chocolate-colored suede boots.

“Is the restaurant far?” she interrupted his thoughts to ask.

He smiled, hearing the shiver in her voice. His woman was cold. He frowned. He’d never thought of any female as “his woman” before. That had definitely been a slip of the senses.

“No, in fact it’s right on the corner. Otherwise, I would have called for a car. However, I did call ahead and make reservations while you were upstairs getting dressed.”

“Good. I could eat a horse about now.”

And he could eat her. Pushing that thought out ofhis mind, he tried dwelling on what she said. One of the things he’d always liked about Farrah was that she had no problems filling her plate with the takeout he’d bring with him to her place. How she managed to stay in such fantastic shape was beyond him. She had the kind of curves that would make any man take a second look and moan, then take another look and wish.

“Here we are,” he said, opening the door to the Chinese restaurant. He knew how much she enjoyed Asian foods and had immediately remembered this place. He had eaten here a few months ago while in New York on business and had thought of her then. But to be honest, he’d thought of her a lot since they’d ended things between them.

“Nice place,” she said, glancing around.

He followed her gaze. Like them, several couples had braved the cold temperatures to eat out this evening.

After providing the hostess their names, they followed the woman to an area in the back where a fireplace had a blaze roaring, emitting plenty of heat. He assisted Farrah in removing her coat to hang it up on a nearby rack. When he saw her outfit, his heart began pounding in his chest and his body tightened in ways only she could make it do.

She was wearing a short tan-colored wool skirt, brown tights and a multicolor V-neck cardigan sweater. The way the sweater draped over her skirt emphasized her small waist and those nice curves he’d been thinking about earlier. His gaze traveled the full length of her physique, from the curly shoulder length hair, past a well-endowed chest, down her thighs and to shapely legs encased in a pair of knee-high boots.

While removing her gloves, she seemed not to notice the way he was staring at her. A muscle jerked in his jaw as he watched her slide into her chair. He felt sort of off balance, and he realized the depth of his desires for this particular woman was…well, getting exposed. Trying to get a grip, he moved away slightly to remove his own coat and proceeded to place it on the rack next to Farrah’s before taking the chair across from her. “How did you find out about this place?” she asked, smiling, while picking up the menu a waitress placed in front of them.

He met her gaze, and a sensual shiver ran through him. He had been attracted to her from the first time they met, and over a year later he was still very much attracted to her now. “Cameron and I came here for a business meeting in September. Like you, he enjoys Chinese food, and not surprisingly, he knew about this place.”

She nodded. “And how is Mr. Cody doing these days? Natalie mentioned Vanessa’s pregnant and they’re expecting a baby in the spring.”

Since Vanessa was Donovan’s cousin, Xavier was aware Farrah had met Vanessa at a bridal shower given for Natalie last spring, but Farrah hadn’t met Cameron until the wedding.

“Cameron is fine, and yes, Vanessa is due in April, and they already know it’s going to be a little girl. He’s excited about that. I can see her wrapping her dad around her little finger.”

During one of their pillow talk sessions, he’d told her a lot about Cameron, and how their friendship began back at Harvard. He’d even shared with her how determined his friend had been to win Vanessa Steele’s love.

“It seems strange,” Farrah said, taking a sip of her water.

He arched a brow. “What does?”

“Being here with you. This is the first time we’ve ever gone out on a real date.”

She was right. By mutual consent, they hadn’t had that kind of relationship. From the beginning, they’d only wanted one thing from each other—a good time in bed.

“First time for everything,” he said, studying his own menu and dismissing her observation as nothing more than that and not a complaint.

“I know, but it just seems strange.”

He decided not to tell her what really seemed strange was them
sitting
at a table, instead of him having her naked body spread across it and eager to have her for his meal, or getting ready to thrust into her. Xavier shifted in his seat at the memories of both and felt his persistent erection press hard against his zipper.

He would be the first to admit he’d considered asking her out on a number of occasions but had changed his mind. He’d known from the get-go that she had a problem with any type of serious involvement, and although she’d never really gone into details as to what her ex-husband had done that had resulted in the breakup of her marriage, he’d gotten the lowdown anyway from Donovan, who’d gotten it from Natalie. And just thinking about what the man had done to her filled him with anger. No man should hurt a woman the way her ex had hurt her, and on that same note, no woman should intentionally use a man the way Dionne had used him.

“See anything you like?”

He glanced over at her. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that yes, he saw what he liked and she was sitting across from him. There was so much about her he’d enjoyed during the months they’d shared a relationship. Even now he would love to go back to her place or take her to his and make love to her like he used to do, all night long.

There was something about being inside of her that would often make him pound into her almost nonstop, never to cause pain, only intense pleasure for the both of them. And during those times when she’d locked her hot lips around his shaft, gently scraping her teeth across his most sensitive flesh, his pleasure had been almost unbearable.