Perfect for You (9 page)

He left the guy sputtering on the stoop and headed to Jezebel, parked across the street, to make sure nothing went awry.

Sure enough, the guy stood there staring at Freya's door for all of ten seconds before turning tail and scurrying away. Satisfaction warred with guilt, and he told himself again he did Freya a favor by getting rid of khaki guy.

He pulled out his cell phone and called Jade.

"Talk. You have precisely ten minutes," she said as soon as she answered.

"Are you still at work?"

She sighed. "Of course. I hate that I'm a workaholic, but apparently not enough to change. So what's up?"

"I just did something bad."

"Did it involve chocolate and handcuffs?"

"No."

"Then it couldn't have been that bad."

He shook his head. "You don't know what I did."

"No, but I can probably guess who this is about."

He raked a hand through his hair. "She had a date tonight and her sister convinced me to head the guy off at the pass. Plus, honestly, I couldn't take the thought of another man even holding her hand."

Silence stretched. Then Jade said, "As a lawyer, I have to advise you that murder isn't legal in this state."

"I didn't kill him. I told him Freya's sister was a prostitute and a junkie."

Jade barked a laugh. "Nice."

"It's not funny. I feel like shit."

"Greg, you did what you had to do. As long as she doesn't find out you're meddling with her life, you should be okay."

He stared at the light illuminating her window. "That's what I'm worried about."

"I got stood up." Her sister sighed on the other end of the line. "
Again
."

Anna grinned wide. "That's awful," she said sympathetically into the phone.

"Maybe he got hit by a bus on his way over."

And that bus was the Godwin express. Greg may have stepped up and taken care of the first guy, but he'd made it totally clear that he wasn't doing that again. So she'd picked up that slack. "You don't sound too upset over it."

Freya paused. "I worked instead."

"That sucks."

"No, it was actually really productive. I had a breakthrough this week," she said, sounding confused by it.

"Aren't breakthroughs a good thing?"

"It depends on what inspires them. How are your classes going?"

"Good." Boring. Her art classes didn't challenge her. The only one she was really into was a history of law class she took, but she couldn't tell her sister about that.

She hated keeping things from Freya. The sooner she and Greg hooked up, the better. "Weren't you going out with a couple other guys?"

"Yes, but they've been weird."

"How?"

"Well, one took me bowling because somehow he had the impression I love to bowl. The other one wanted to take me to a Star Trek festival."

Anna grinned at the shudder in her sister's voice. Freya hated Star Trek, which made it the perfect suggestion when she'd headed that guy off on Freya's porch. "That's too bad. Do you have any other dates set up?"

"Yes, actually. With a guy who owns a restaurant in Napa."

Anna silently gagged but brightly said, "When are you going out with him?"

"Tomorrow night."

Check. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"We're going to Bix."

"Good to know."

"What?"

"Nothing," she said quickly.

"Are you good on money? Do you have food?"

Anna pictured Max, with his shaggy hair and sexy hands, and sighed. "I'm doing good with food."

"You'll tell me if you need anything?"

The only thing she needed was Max to lay her out on his kitchen counter and feast on her, but her sister probably didn't need to know that. "Of course. Or I'll just raid your fridge."

Freya laughed. "Okay. Talk to you later."

Anna hung up and immediately called Greg.

He answered on the second ring. "Last night was a one time thing. I will not do that again. I'll win Freya over on my own merit."

"She has another date set up for tomorrow. At Bix."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

She smiled. "Isn't that where you're going to dinner?"

More silence. Then he said, "You're a menace, you know that?"

"I just have my sister's best interests at heart." Well, and her own. She winced at the pang of guilt.

"I've never been so happy to be an only child."

"Does that mean you'll take care of Freya's date?"

"No."

She wilted. "Really? I thought you wanted her."

"I do, but I'm not going to deceive her." He paused. "But I do need to show her that I don't have a girlfriend, because that's one of the reasons she won't go out with me. Bix is as good a place to do that as anywhere."

"Awesome." She sighed in relief.

"You know, if you just told her how much law school means to you, she'd accept it."

No, Freya would be disappointed in her, and that would hurt more than anything. "You don't know how stubborn she is."

He laughed. "I think I have a good idea."

She smiled ruefully. "I guess you do."

"Just tell her." There was a pause, and then he added, "And stay out of her love life. She won't thank you for interfering with it. I'll win her over on my own."

Anna made a noncommittal sound, but she couldn't agree to that. Not when the stakes were so high.

"I only have one goal tonight," Marcus said as he opened the menu. "To treat you like a queen."

Freya would rather have been treated like a courtesan, truth be told. Only one glance at Dan and she'd known he wasn't going to be her muse. He wasn't tall enough, and his eyes weren't blue.

But she'd committed to dinner, so she smiled mildly at him and looked at the entrŽe choices.

At least it'd be an evening to remember. As a restaurateur, Marcus was treated like visiting royalty. They'd been seated in a cushy booth upstairs, with an excellent view of the entire restaurant. It was romantic—the type of place that was a prelude to a night of sexual debauchery. Too bad her companion wasn't as inspiring.

"What do you think?" he asked, setting his menu aside.

"The lamb." She put her menu on his.

"Excellent choice. So."

"So?"

Marcus put his chin in his hand and stared at her.

She waited for him to continue his thought, but the silence stretched out awkwardly. She raised her eyebrows and took a sip of wine, but he just gazed at her.

How long would he sit there like that? She began to count in her head.

She reached twenty-two before the waiter came and interrupted the stare-fest. Marcus ordered for them both and then he went back to looking at her after the waiter left.

"So," she said brightly, "tell me—"

"Freya, what a surprise to see you."

She looked up to find Cavanaugh smiling down at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Having dinner, of course." He turned to Marcus and held his hand out. "Greg Cavanaugh, Freya's neighbor."

Marcus introduced himself, she guessed, though she missed it because she was distracted by the petite blonde with the fascinated look standing next to Cavanaugh. Freya recognized the woman—it was his girlfriend.

The blonde held out her perfectly manicured hand. Her low neckline revealed black lace under the silky dress. "Jade Martin. I'm a colleague of Greg's."

"Nice to meet you," Freya lied. Excellent—she was Lawyer Barbie.

"Would you like to join us for a drink?" Marcus asked insincerely.

"We'd love to, wouldn't we, Jade?" Greg elbowed his girlfriend.

"Of course we would." She elbowed him back and scooted in next to Marcus.

Which meant Greg had to sit on her side of the booth. She narrowed her eyes at him as he slid in next to her.

He smiled and put his arm on the back of the booth.

She might have believed he was stretching out, except his finger found one of her loose curls to play with. Trying to act casually, she batted his hand away.

"So Marcus," Greg said as the waiter poured two additional glasses of wine, "how long have you known Freya?"

Marcus looked at his watch. "About half an hour."

They laughed, except Freya who waited for the other shoe to drop.

"How about you and Jade?" Marcus asked.

"Oh, Greg and I grew up together. We used to play doctor together." Jade grinned wickedly at her. "I only hope his technique has improved over the years."

"Jade, remember that I'm doing you a favor." Greg glared retribution from across the table.

"And here I thought
I
was helping
you
out." His girlfriend raised her glass to her lacquered lips.

He turned to Freya. "Jade's date cancelled on her tonight and I'm being the good friend, taking her out so she doesn't wallow in self pity at home."

She realized that he enunciated
date
carefully to make sure she caught it.

"It's true," Jade said, "except for the self pity part. For the record, I don't wallow."

Freya faced him. He didn't have a girlfriend?

He shook his head, as if he could read her thoughts.

She blinked, picking up her wine. It was like the world shifted. He was still a lawyer, and not to be trusted, but he didn't have a girlfriend.

Greg's fingers brushed the nape of her neck. "Marcus, do you live in the city?"

Freya stiffened as a shock of goose bumps rose up her back. Worse, her nipples tightened. She was torn between savoring the delicious sensation and pushing him away.

Conversation flowed around her, but she couldn't focus on anything other than Greg's electric touch. She almost sobbed when he took his hand away.

But then he put it on her leg.

She pretended to listen to whatever story Jade was telling, laughing faintly when everyone else was, but she was struck stony by his touch.

He slipped his fingers under her hem.

She put her hand over his to keep him from going higher, but she was tempted to see how high he'd venture.

It was so wrong. She was on a date with a man who sat unsuspectingly across from her, and she was getting turned on by someone else. She was practically drooling.

Greg's finger draw small circles on the bare skin of her inner thigh, and her face flushed.

"Are you okay, Freya?" Marcus asked.

She waved herself with her hand. "The wine must be going to my head. I'll be fine once I eat. I'm looking forward to the lamb."

"I know Greg's looking forward to dessert," Jade said with a sly look.

Greg shot is friend a look but it only made the woman grin more devilishly.

Marcus looked back and forth between Jade and Greg. "I like chocolate mousse."

Jade batted her eyes. "Do you like chocolate mousse, Freya?"

"I'm not one for chocolate." She smiled apologetically at Marcus, feeling like she was being disloyal.

Greg squeezed her leg.

She gasped, startled by the pressure. Glancing down, she flushed at the sight of his hand disappearing between her thighs. It seemed especially erotic.

"What is it?" Marcus asked.

"Just a sudden idea for a design at work." She looked down again, picturing a dark red background, pale crossed legs, and a man's hand sliding illicitly between them. "Don't mind me. It happens."

Only it hadn't in a long time, not like this, except for that other time, and Greg had inspired that too.

She frowned at him. He couldn't be her muse. No way.

"Mr. Cavanaugh?" The host stopped at their table and refilled their glasses. "We're ready for you."

The slide of Greg's hand from her leg felt reluctant, though maybe she was projecting. His gaze lingered on hers and she flushed anew.

"Marcus, it was a pleasure meeting you." Jade winked at her. "I'm sure I'll see more of you, Freya."

Greg shook Marcus's hand. "Have a good dinner."

"You too." Marcus smiled tightly.

"See you at home, Freya." Greg smiled at her and escorted Jade to their table.

She rolled her eyes. The way he said it made it sound like she was going to climb into his bed later.

The thought of that made her warm.

But it wasn't going to happen, not even if her body had a thing for him. Her mind still knew he was a lawyer, and her mind was still in control.

"It seems like you and Greg are close."

She turned her attention to Marcus, who sat in the corner pouting. "He lives in the flat above mine. I see him around."

"You two seem closer than that."

She glanced over his shoulder at Greg, who sat at a table across the room facing her. He looked up at the same moment and their eyes met.

He didn't have a girlfriend. Somehow that was significant even though she wished it wasn't.

Freya had to force herself to look back at her date. "No, I don't know him very well. What were we talking about before they interrupted? Tell me about your restaurant."

That topic kept Marcus talking the rest of the evening, which was thankfully short. As he helped her into her coat after dinner, she was conscious of Greg staring.

She tried not to look, but in the end she couldn't help herself. His gaze promised dark pleasure.

She shivered.

Marcus cleared his throat. "Are you sure there's nothing between you and Greg? It seems like you have chemistry."

"Not at all. He's just my neighbor."

"Hmm," he said, not sounding convinced. He waved her ahead of him. "Can I give you a ride home?"

"I'll get a cab." When they were on the sidewalk, she kissed his cheek. "Thank you for a lovely dinner."

He nodded. "I'll call you."

She smiled, knowing that wasn't going to happen. Not that she cared—not when she could still feel the tingle of Greg's touch on her thigh.

"Knock, knock."

Freya waved Eve into her office without looking up from her computer screen. She changed the background image to a deeper red. It needed a little texture.