The Love Laws (11 page)

She
narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh. Low blow. I’m single because I’m focused on my
career. Not because I haven’t had opportunities.”

“Hmmm…Sounds
like I’m not the only one with commitment issues.” He teased.

“Kevin.
You asked me why I’m not interested and I told you. It’s nothing personal. You
can sleep with every available woman with low self-esteem in the Lower Mainland.
It’s really none of my business.”

“It
matters because I don’t like being stereotyped. Not all guys with a little
extra experience are misogynistic assholes.”

“I
don’t see why you’re getting so worked up. Why do you care if I think you’re ‘extra
experience’ makes you a tad slutty? It almost seems like I’ve hit a nerve or
something.” She gave him a speculative look.

 He
paused and looked away for a second before returning his attention to her. When
he spoke his words were slow and careful. “I care because I’m not the pig you
think I am. Not even close.”

When
he looked at her with that direct, steady gaze it was almost impossible not to
believe him. “And how exactly are you going to convince me of your non-pig
status?”

He
grinned triumphantly. “Only one way. You need to spend some quality time with
me. I’ll prove that I don’t actually oink.”

She
held up her hands and waved them at him in dismay. “Oh no. That’s not
happening. Our deal is off. I’ll find someone else to flirt with Cathy.”

He
leaned down until he was looming over her again. His sweet, warm breath puffed
over her lips as he spoke softly in a coaxing, soothing tone. “Jamie. What are
you scared of? I’m not talking about an evening chained to my bed. Just dinner
and a movie, like regular people getting to know each other. You said I should
try relating to women outside the bedroom. You could help me with that.”

She
leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “A date, in other words.”         

“Well,
yes. Unless you think the chaining you to my bed idea has merit. Because I’m
good with that scenario as well. Incarceration does have a tendency to bring
unlikely people together. Ask any prison inmate.”

“Sicko.”

“Maybe
so, but you never told me why your friend needs help in the self-confidence
department. You owe me that much at least.” He paused, grinning to acknowledge
that he hadn’t used the term ‘boosting’ as requested earlier. “And I’d still like
to know what I’m getting into here. Is she hideous?”

“No.
She`s not hideous at all. She’s cute. Just lacks the ability to relate to men.”

He
rubbed his hands over his face. “Oh Jeez. She has a lot of cats, doesn’t she? I
can just see it. And wears granny panties I’ll bet. Lady, you’re asking a lot.”

“Fine.
Forget about it then.” Jamie said with an indignant sniff.

“I
didn’t say that. But I think we need to even out the playing field here a bit.”

“No.
We really don’t. You don’t need to make restitution for being all hands and
pelvis earlier and I really don’t need to spend an evening fending you off. I
worked at the Kitty Kat, remember? I’m used to drunken louts thinking they can
paw me. I am not, in anyway, traumatized or offended by what happened earlier. So,
don’t give it another thought. Okay?” She  said as she tried to duck under his very
attractive arm.

Kevin
blocked her again, placing his body directly in her path. “Are you seriously
comparing my hand on your thigh for two seconds and a little personal space
invasion among friends to being pawed by the sex offenders in pervert’s row at
a strip club? C’mon. That’s not right.”

“Obviously
your exotic dance experience involves a greasy pole and a crotch full of
glitter. The Kitty Kat isn’t like that. It has an exclusive clientele and every
one of the girls is a trained dancer. No touching allowed. The drunks I had to shut
down usually approached me after the show.”

“I
know exactly what kind of place you worked at.”

She
narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “How?”

“I
went there after Duncan mentioned it.”

“You
came to see me dance?” She asked, disbelief dripping from every syllable. Why
would he do that? For cheap thrills? Or was he genuinely curious about her? And
why hadn’t he thrown her former stripper status into their earlier discussion?
He could have easily mentioned that people had a tendency to think exotic
dancers were all crack whores with daddy issues, but he hadn’t grouped her into
that stereotype. Interesting.

He
wrapped one of her long tendrils of hair around his finger and gave it a gentle
tug to gain her attention. “Yup. About two years ago. Back when Duncan and
Jessie first met.”

“I’m
not sure if I should be creeped out or flattered.”

“I
vote for flattered. It’s not like I lurked around your dressing room sniffing
your costumes. I wanted to check out the infamously ‘wild’ sister after I met
Jessica. I somehow couldn’t picture her dancing in front of a crowd, so I was
curious to see how different you really were.”

“And?”

“And
what?” He teased.

“What
did you think?” She asked impatiently.

He
gave her a heated look. “Well, I thought you were incredible. Beautiful, sexy
and totally talented.”

Jamie
quickly turned her face aside to hide her delighted blush. If he was spouting
lines then he was a truly gifted actor. He sounded completely sincere and she
felt herself thawing towards him just a little. To distract herself she pushed her
palm against his well-muscled arm. “Please. You are such a liar. You probably
didn’t even go there.”

“Jamie,”
he said seriously. “I spent a whole night there, riveted to my chair when I
should have been working. I spotted you right away. There was something
different about you. Even though you were dressed identical to the other girls,
you stood out. At the end of your number, when you threw off the short blonde
wig and all that gorgeous red hair came tumbling down I was finally able to
confirm that you were Jess’s sister. I remember thinking I’d never seen anyone
take such joy in performing. You were completely comfortable with people
looking at you, wanting you, and I knew right then that I needed to get to know
you better. I was hooked.”

Hooked?
What did he mean by that? Her heart did a little rhumba at the thought of him
in the audience, watching her and falling instantly in love. She knew he was
probably just talking about animal attraction, but that didn’t stop her from
remembering how she’d always danced thinking that the man of her dreams was out
in the audience, watching and falling hard for her. This little fantasy had
always made her dance just a little more energetically than the other girls.
But Kevin was not that man. She had to keep reminding herself of that small
fact.

“And
your interest had nothing to do with the fact that I was wearing next to
nothing?” She asked in a deceptively cool tone. He didn’t need to know how much
his approval thrilled her.

“Well,”
he said with a mischievous grin. “Your wardrobe certainly didn’t hurt. I do
like a girl who’s comfortable wearing just a sparkly G-string and a smile.”

Jamie
rolled her eyes. “So, if you were so hooked then why didn’t you come and talk
to me later?”

“And
say what? ‘Hi. I’m Duncan’s buddy, and I’d like to take you out for a cheeseburger?’
I’d sound like a total hard-on with ears. Besides, you had two sharp-dressed guys
hanging around you after the show.”

Inwardly,
Jamie sighed. That must have been one of the nights Clay was waiting for her.
Back then, before Hidden Treasures, she’d often gone clubbing with him and his
boyfriend du jour after the show. She was usually too wired after performing to
go home to bed and Clay always enjoyed hanging around the Kitty Kat. He claimed
to enjoy the costumes, but Jamie suspected he liked to discreetly ogle the
dancers as well.

“Don’t
tell me that you were intimidated,” she said, widening her eyes to indicate her
shock.

“Ummm.
No. Of course not.” He said quickly but with a self-deprecating smile.

“Fine.
Then how about later? Or why didn’t you ask Jess to arrange a meeting?”

Kevin’s
face clouded, his teasing expression gone in an instant. “One of my brothers
got into trouble. Had to get him into rehab, back East. I was gone for a few
months.”

Jamie
had to fight her impulse to reach out a comforting hand to him. He looked
genuinely concerned about his sibling. Not exactly the care-free playboy after
all. “I’m sorry about your brother. That must have been tough.”

“Forget
about it. He’s okay now.” He waved away her concern with one large hand. “Went
back to the club to see you when I got back, but you were gone.”

“Well,
weren’t you just a Stalker-in-Training?”

“Guilty.
I heard you started your own business. Underwear, right?”

Jamie
gritted her teeth. “Lingerie is the preferred term.”

“What’s
the difference?” He needled as his eyes travelled over her body, focusing
intently on where the lace of her bra was visible through her thin silk blouse.

Jamie
crossed her arms over her chest, blocking his stare. “I am not going to show
you the difference, so don’t even try it.”

He
shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for trying. Now, do you agree to my terms?”

“What
terms?”

“I
will inundate your romantically-challenged friend with my awesomely
irresistible male attention and charm. In exchange, you will go out on one
measly date with me.”

“And
what, exactly, will this ‘measly’ date entail?”

“Full
frontal nudity, a French Maid costume and some butterscotch?” He asked,
hopefully.

“Forget
it,” she said, trying to duck under his arm.

“Kidding.
Just dinner and a movie. No expectations. Just some polite conversation. I
swear.” He placed his hand over his heart to emphasize his sincerity. “But I
get to pick the restaurant and show. No vegan bullshit and no chick flicks,” he
added sternly.

“Fine.
And you’ll come to my store tomorrow and seem interested in her? Just for a few
minutes?”

He
waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “You bet. I’ll give her the ego boosting of
a lifetime.”

“Just
convince her she’s attractive. Don’t hump her leg or any other blatant acts of
perversion, okay?”

“Fine.
I promise. No leg humping. What time do you want me there?”

“You
know where it is?”

“Of
course. Stalker-in-Training, remember?”

“How
could I forget? Okay. Be there by eleven. And you don’t know me, okay?”

Kevin
gave her an exasperated look. “And how am I going to explain hanging around a
lady’s underwear store unless I know you? Do you want me to come across as a
complete degenerate?”

“We
do sell male undergarments too, you know.”

“Seriously?
Do I look like I would shop for underginch in a lingerie store?” He asked,
clearly affronted at the suggestion.

She
sighed. “Now that you mention it, you actually look like the type of guy who
doesn’t bother with underwear at all.”

“Angel.
That is just unsanitary.” He shook his head in disapproval. “Of course I wear
underwear. I can prove it if you’d like.” He started to untuck his shirt, but Jamie
put a hand out to grasp his wrist before he could reach for his belt.

“Kevin.
Please do not drop trou in here,” she said, her voice sounding shrill to her
own ears. As much as she would love to see Kevin in his boxer briefs, the last
thing she needed was that image in her head. She was having enough trouble
resisting him without knowing what he looked like nearly naked.

“Relax.
I was just going to show you the waistband,” he said with a chuckle. He brushed
his fingertips over the knuckles of the hand still had wrapped around his
wrist. She jerked away to avoid his touch and his smile widened even further.
“You thought I was going to bare my ass? Shit. Woman. You really do think I’m a
class act, don’t you?”

“Never
mind what I think. Just say you’re looking for something for a friend when you
come to the store tomorrow.”

“No
one will believe that. She’ll think I’m a cross dresser.”

She
eyed his big frame. “No one is going to take you for a transvestite.”

“I’ll
take that as a compliment. So my awesome masculinity is that obvious?” He
flexed his shoulders like a body builder and gave her a wink.

“No,
I just meant your feet are a dead giveaway. They’re massive. No one would
believe you’re a woman.”

He
wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. “You noticed the size of my feet, eh?
And why would you notice that exactly?” He teased. “Are you curious about how
their size may translate to certain other body parts? Because I’d be glad to
share that information with you. Or I could just show you.” He pretended to reach
for his belt this time.

Jamie
felt her cheeks heating up again as she involuntarily felt her gaze drawn to
his zipper. Yup, there was a sizeable bulge there. She jerked her eyes away and
waved one hand towards his feet. “You wish. I noticed your feet because they’re
like flippers. Not for any other reason. Besides, that’s an urban myth anyway.”