Captivate her: Laws of Seduction Book 1 (7 page)

Over the course of the next few days I see the same pattern repeat itself every time James walks through the office. There even appears to be a sort of warning system, since the women always seem to know when he is coming a few minutes before he arrives. I mention my suspicions to Patti, and she laughs. “You noticed that, did you? The receptionist is friends with some of the admins, and as soon as he steps off the elevator, she gives them a heads up call. Word spreads quickly after that.”

I can’t disguise my shocked amazement. “You’re kidding me. Don’t they have anything better to do?”

Patti sniggers, “Sure they do, but it isn’t nearly as much fun as drooling over James McAllister. They even have a pool going as to who he will ask out first. Personally, I think they are barking up the wrong tree. I have been here almost as long as he has, and as far as I know, he has never shown the slightest bit of interest in any of the women here.”

“Maybe he has a girlfriend.” I suggest.

Patti shrugs, “I am sure we would have heard about it if he had. Some of these girls know everything about him. I swear, from the things they have found out about him, I sometimes think it borders on stalking.”

Curious, I ask, “What kind of things have they found out?”

Patti eyes me speculatively. “Hey, you are not going to turn into one of the MFC, are you?” When she sees my look of confusion, she elaborates. “The McAllister Fan Club.”

“Oh,” I say, a blush rising to my cheeks. “Well, I don’t know about that, but he is hot.”

“I know. Isn’t he?” Patti giggles. “He’s like the firm’s very own GQ model. It’s not only that, though. He has this air of untouchability that makes him an irresistible challenge. Plus, it is like a game to be the first to catch the attention of the elusive James McAllister. A game where the stakes keep getting higher. You wouldn’t believe the lengths some of the MFC go to for his attention.”

I feel a kind of morbid curiosity and can’t stop myself from asking. “Like what?”

“Like last summer – no wait, I think it was two summers ago. One of the new junior associates decided to try and seduce him by waiting for him in his office.” Patti leans over to whisper, “Without her clothes on. I heard she was stripped down bare as the day she was born.” Straightening back up, she continues. “Needless to say she lost her job.”

Unable to think of an appropriate response to this revelation, I utter an inane “Oh, wow.”

“Right?” Patti looks enormously pleased with herself for shocking me with her story. There is a rumor that he hooked up with another HM lawyer last year, but I don’t believe it.” My heart sinks inexplicably at this information, although I tell myself I shouldn’t care. A paralegal across the aisle gives us a dirty look, which I interpret to mean that we are disturbing him. Catching Patti’s eye, I nod infinitesimally in his direction. She gives me an understanding nod and mouths “Later” before returning to her work. I try to concentrate on the contract in front of me, but Patti’s revelations replay like a song that I cannot turn off. Another thought buzzes around my head like a persistent bee. My one and only one-night stand is apparently a very hot commodity at HM. The fact that I slept with James is something I am keeping to myself.

CHAPTER 9

Thursday morning arrives, and it is sweltering hot. I choose a white linen dress that has a wide, dark blue vertical panel down the front. It has matching jacket that I plan to put on once I get to the office. I also wear my hair up to combat the heat. Although it isn’t even 9 am, I am covered by a sheen of sweat when I reach the office. I am met by a blast of cool air as I walk through the revolving door of my building. Several elevators arrive at the lobby, and I step on to one of them along with a swarm of other employees. I note that my floor is already lit up and look around to see who from the firm is on the elevator. It is then that I see James standing beside me. I can’t believe that I hadn’t noticed him immediately, especially after the days and days I spent on high alert looking for him.

More people crowd onto the elevator, and we are pushed closer together. I can feel his breath wafting across my bare neck, and my skin prickles. I close my eyes as a wave of longing and pent up sexual desire rush through me. I pray for the elevator ride to end and at the same time hope it will go on forever. It seems like we are stopping at every floor to let people out. Instead of drawing away from me as the elevator clears out, James remains close, with our bodies nearly touching. I imagine him putting his lips on my neck where I can feel his breath, and my desire shoots up another notch.

Finally, everyone has exited the elevator and we are alone. I watch the floor indicator as the elevator travels up. I don’t know if it is my fanciful imagination or reality, but I can feel the lightest brush of lips behind my ear right at the point where my hairline starts. The elevator stops on our floor. James steps forward to hold his arm in front of the elevator door, indicating that I should precede him. I look up into his face as I pass by him. He is smiling politely, but I also see desire smoldering in his eyes. I know that I was not the only one affected by our close proximity. Walking alongside me, he places his hand on my lower back, and my stomach clenches. He bends his dark head down closer to me, and his gruff voice sends tingles down my spine. “I was surprised to see that you are one of our new associates.” 

My voice is surprisingly steady, considering the state of my nerves. “I was surprised to see you, too.” 

“This should be interesting.” I glance up at him, wondering what he means, but before I can question him, we arrive at my desk. I see Patti and Nora looking at us with wide eyes and decide that discretion is the better part of valor. As I slide onto my desk chair, the three of us watch as James continues on to his office. As soon as he rounds the corner, Patti, who is the more talkative of the two, lets out an excited squeal. I glance around
 
to see if anyone else has taken notice and see several pairs of eyes staring daggers at me. “Oh. My. God. I can’t believe he talked to you. What did he say?”

They both look at me with big, expectant eyes. I clear my throat uncomfortably, “It was nothing. He was just welcoming me to the firm.” I swallow hard, willing myself not to blush.

Nora, who is usually unassuming and quiet, blurts out, “He is so hot, and you are so lucky. He has never even spoken to me. All the women have a major crush on him, I mean, who wouldn’t, right? He looks like a Greek God with that beautiful dark hair and those eyes. Don’t get me started. All I will say is that it is totally unfair that a man got those gorgeous baby blues.”

Patti looks worried. “He may be handsome, but he has a terrible reputation with women. You should be careful, Lainey.”

“Really, guys,” I defend myself, “It was no big deal. We rode up on the elevator together, and he was just being polite. Besides, didn’t you tell me that he doesn’t give women from the firm the time of day?”

They regard me with twin looks of skepticism. I turn away as nonchalantly as possible and start booting up my computer with Patti’s last comment still ringing in my ears. “There is always a first, and from what I hear, he is a real player. More than one woman has been known to have been burned by James McAllister.”

I bring up the newest contract and stare blankly at it. I am in so much trouble. I contemplate the number of contracts I have to review and realize that I have to put James McAllister out of my head and focus. 

By the end of the day, the quantity of contracts left to be reviewed has shrunk considerably, but I am sure that new ones will be waiting for me tomorrow. I am fairly positive that I will be dreaming in legalese tonight. As I ride the elevator down to the lobby, I cannot help but think of James again.

I exit the revolving door to the building when I hear someone call my name. I look over to see a driver ushering me towards a town car. Curiously, I walk over to peer into the rear door that the driver opens for me. Sitting in the car is James. 

CHAPTER 10

“Can I give you a ride?” he asks in a rich baritone voice that sends delicate shivers down my spine. 

I
hesitate briefly before sliding into the back seat next to him. Looking up at him, I wait for him to speak. James lifts his hand to my mouth and rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. “I’ve been thinking of this mouth all day,” he says, before leaning his head down and gently biting my lip.

My gasp of surprise turns into a moan as I feel his soft, warm tongue on the lip he has just bitten. I cannot help parting my lips, and his tongue immediately devours me. I kiss him back with a ferocity that shocks me, and I am instantly wet. I haven’t felt this way since the last time he touched me, and it has been too long. Before I give myself over to him completely, I force myself to remember that this is the man that ditched me after our one-night stand and disappeared for months. I am not even sure what I am doing in his car right now. I draw back. “Wait – what are you doing?”

“I thought that was obvious,” James says with a chuckle.

“You cannot be serious.”

“Oh, but I am. I know you were as turned on as I was in that elevator this morning.” James smiles roguishly at me, and his dimple peeks out. 

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “That doesn’t mean I am just going to hop back into bed with you.”

“Why not? I promise you would enjoy it.”

I can only imagine the confounded look on my face as I regard him. “How about the fact that you bailed on me the last time, and I didn’t hear from you for months.”  

James sighs, “I would like to apologize for that. Whether you believe me or not, I was thinking of you. You would be much better off without me.”

“Why?”

James turns his head away and stares out the front window for a moment before turning back to me with an almost sheepish look on his face. “Look, Lainey. I know I am not good enough for you. The fact of the matter is,” he runs his fingers through his hair several times. “I am pretty fucked up, not to mention that I am too old for you.”

Too old? Is he serious, or is that some sort of excuse. I shake my head back and forth at his revelation.  “That’s ridiculous. You’re not too old for me. What are you, like six, maybe seven years older than me? And quite frankly, I’m fucked up too.” I emphasize every word of my last sentence so that he will understand how serious I am. “Everyone has baggage, James.”

James glances at his driver, who is standing outside the car waiting. “Will you come back to my apartment for dinner? I promise it will – just be to talk,” he rushes to reassure me. “I would like to talk to you somewhere private.”

I look out of the tinted windows at the driver, who has been waiting outside the car during our conversation. Although he doesn’t look uncomfortable, it must be unbearably hot in a suit. I also don’t want to have this conversation in a restaurant or bar, so going to James’s apartment seems like the best option. “Okay,” I agree. James seems surprised at my easy acquiescence, but he rewards me with another one of his intoxicating smiles. My toes curl and I wonder if it will ever be possible to be immune to his good looks and charm. 

James rolls down the window to signal his driver, and soon we are pulling into the Midtown rush-hour traffic. We are moving so slowly I wonder if it wouldn’t be faster to get out and walk. James and I remain silent, both preferring to wait until we
 
reach the privacy of his apartment before continuing our conversation. During the short ride, I can’t help second guessing my decision to go with him. He barely had to crook his finger, and I practically jump at the chance to go home with him.

I feel a sense of déjà vu as we walk into his apartment. I once again take in the view of the Hudson River and contemplate the path alongside the West Side Highway. It is my usual running route now. If I had running clothes to change into, I could run home.

I turn to see James regarding me with his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. “We can order something to be delivered. Do you have a preference?

I shrug. “Something light.” It is too hot to eat anything else.

“How about sushi?”

I give him a smile. “Sounds good.” James picks up the phone to order. I look around his living area and see not much has changed since my last visit. A white couch and two white love seats rest on a gray-hued area rug and are clustered around a glass coffee table. I thought men were into big flat-screen televisions and media systems, but I don’t see any trace of electronics. As I glance around again, it strikes me how impersonal the apartment is. There is nothing in the room to make it personal: no pictures, no memorabilia, nothing.

I look over to the kitchen, which is open and raised a few steps up from the living area, and find James watching me as I inspect his living space. I wonder what he is thinking as he finishes our order and hangs up the phone. He turns and opens the refrigerator. “Can I get you something to drink?” He pulls out a beer for himself and looks back at me expectantly.

“I’ll take one of those.” I tilt my chin towards his beer.

After pulling another off the refrigerator shelf and popping them both open, he walks over towards me. He holds the beer out to me, and tingles travel up my arm as our fingers brush. I lower my eyes so that he doesn’t see how his smallest touch affects me.

“Shall we sit down?” James asks, gesturing with the hand holding the beer towards the couch. I perch on the edge and place my beer on the coffee table in front of me. After watching me for another moment, James sits down on the other side, leaving the middle space open between us. He takes a long pull on his beer before also setting it on the coffee table. Then he sits back against the cushions and stretches out his legs in front of him. “It’s nice having you here.” He appears utterly sincere, and a bout of uncertainty washes over me. Lainey Hart, you are completely out of your league. To hide my discomfort, I pick up the beer in front of me and pretend to take a swig. I am certain that I will choke if I actually try to swallow.