How to Resist Prince Charming (6 page)

For a while, Braxton was convinced she did it on purpose, thinking herself a comedian. But as the evening progressed, he realized she had no idea she freaked people out when she got right in their face—usually about six inches away—whenever they tried to start a conversation.

Somebody needed to tell her about personal room. But Braxton decided he wasn’t going to be the guy to do it.

She seemed to have a good sense of humor, though. She was a cheerful gal. Then again, she had the most God-awful nasally laugh. Braxton actually felt kind of sorry for her. She seemed nice.

It was too bad he was bothered by her quirks.

He’d glanced quickly in Greg’s direction the first moment he met her—right after she had approached him as if she wanted to inspect his nostrils for nose hairs. But Greg had cleverly kept his gaze from falling anywhere near Braxton. The lousy traitor. He’d known all along about Erica’s space problem.

“Never again,” he muttered to himself.

There was no way he was ever going on another blind date in his life.

The room was loud, so no one heard his muttered ravings. It was smoky too, and packed with a bunch of crazy college kids.

Braxton sat by himself at a tall table for four. While Greg stood at the bar, getting another round of
Pina Coladas
for the ladies, their two dates continued having a blast on the dance floor.

He slumped even further into his chair. With one foot propped on the edge of the table, he tried to balance his Heineken on his stomach as he glanced around the swarming club.

Christ, he’d been working at Farris too long because this crowd acted way too young for him.

There were guys out there slipping their hands up girls’ shirts, and the women were rubbing their bodies all over...well, everything. All the females were practically in their underwear too, not that Braxton minded that aspect. But, damn, weren’t they cold?

It was January. Hello.

His gaze fell on one stunning body. Caught, he stared, spellbound. There. As least she’d dressed for the weather and still looked amazing.

She’d covered just enough to tease. In black pants, wide around the ankles but snug and low over ripe hips, she revealed an occasional peek of flat stomach.

Her long-sleeved turtleneck was tight enough to show the goods, yet loose enough to make him curious for more. The blouse had this iridescent gleam to it, which was how it caught his attention in the first place.

She wore her white blond hair down. It curled at the ends, brushing against the tops of her shoulders. Hoping she didn’t have a butterface, Braxton lifted his attention to her eyes and was surprised to discover she was scoping him out in return. And, oh God, he knew her.

Braxton straightened from his bored and slouched sprawl and nearly spilled his beer in his lap. Fumbling, he caught the bottle and set it on the table, only to search for Lenna Davenport again. She smiled and waved when she noticed she’d caught his attention. His body automatically lifted his hand and forced him to wave back.

His throat went dry, and his pulse leapt when he realized she was making her way toward him.

He quickly took a drink and hopped out of his chair. His heart thudded painfully against his chest with every step she grew closer.

Going to her now would only lead to more forbidden thoughts. But she was already approaching and, well, he couldn’t stay away.

“Hi,” he shouted so she could hear him above the roar.

He absorbed her full smile and breathed in the enticing smell wafting off her, the same vanilla fragrance she’d worn to the Christmas party.

“Hi,” she yelled back. “What’re you doing here?”

Braxton rolled his eyes and pointed toward Erica as she flung her hands in the air while wiggling her booty. “Blind date.”

Lenna winced when she heard his answer.

She leaned closer and Braxton about drowned on his own drool. “Doesn’t look like you’re having such a great time.”

He knew she’d only moved in so she wouldn’t have to talk so loud, but Braxton took advantage of her proximity, filling his nostrils with her scent. He inhaled as much as possible, as if he could save it somehow and take the extra stored aroma home with him.

“I’ll pay you a hundred bucks to break me out of here,” he called into her ear.

Lenna laughed that sweet laugh of hers. “Oh, no you don’t.” She patted his arm. “We all must make our sacrifices to the blind date god. I’m not getting you out of this one, bud.”

The music changed to something soft and slow. Braxton could see his and Greg’s dates starting back toward their table. He groaned deep in his throat, knowing he should return to Hell. But just as Erica pulled out her chair to sit, some other guy approached, touching her elbow and causing her to turn back. She obviously—hopefully—knew him because she greeted him with an ear-to-ear smile and a full-body hug. Then she hooked her arm through his and dragged him onto the dance floor.

Too relieved to think through his next action, Braxton whirled to Lenna. “So, save me for five minutes,” he urged. “Dance with me.”

Lenna’s eyes widened. “I…I didn’t think you danced.” Nibbling on her bottom lip, she eyed the floor and then him. “You didn’t at the Christmas party.”

So, she’d noticed that, had she?

Braxton grinned. “That’s because I didn’t feel right about asking you then.”

Appearing even more stunned by his confession, her eyes zipped to his. He held a hand out to her, silently encouraging her to take his fingers.

Touching her might lead to a slow and painful death at her father’s hand, but Braxton decided right then and there, it would be worth it.

Lenna looked as indecisive as she did tempted. Even as she warily eyed him, her hand slowly came out and took his.

He gave her a warm smile and led her onto the floor. Holding her close, he stared down into her eyes as they swayed together in rhythm with one another. He wanted to tell her how good she looked, how glad he was to finally dance with her, how bad he wanted to get inside her. But he opted for light conversation.

“Come here often?”

She smiled. “My friends and I were in a dancing mood.”

“Then I’m glad to oblige the mood for you,” he answered and twirled her.

“Well, thank you, kind sir,” Lenna responded when she spun back against his chest, her eyes glittering with amusement. “I shall be forever grateful for your bold and courageous act.”

She was only teasing. She lifted her chin and sent him a lofty mistress-of-the-manner look before she broke into a grin. But her words took on a whole new meaning.

It
had
been a nervy move for him to ask her to dance. It was probably foolish too, tempting them both this way, giving each other a taste so they’d only crave more.

Lenna seemed to understand the circumstances as clearly as he did. Her eyes lost their blissful gleam.

Braxton tightened his grip as if he was desperately trying to latch onto the perfect moment they’d been having before it slipped away.

“How was your holiday?” he asked, attempting to start fresh.

A wave of
déjà vu
gripped him. Hadn’t they tried this before? He and Lenna would start talking. They’d gradually drift onto a personal topic, but as soon as they took a step over the line, they’d both back off until one of them started a new conversation with a new safe subject.

They kept tiptoeing around this attraction, and it frustrated the hell out of him. But he couldn’t make himself pull away and leave well enough alone. He just couldn’t ignore her draw.

Lenna latched onto his polite, yet superficial, question and regaled him with her holiday experience. She’d spent both Christmas and New Year’s with her family. As she mentioned her father with increasing regularity, he wondered if that was her way of warning him off. But he soon decided Lenna was just that close to him.

It made him want to howl in misery. Why, oh, why did she have to be Tom’s kid?

Their song ended. As a new one started, Braxton met Lenna’s eyes. “Want to stick it out another round?” he asked, since another love ballad filled the speakers.

“You don’t think your date will mind?” she asked, her eyes shifting toward Erica, where yet another guy stepped in and asked her to dance.

No, his date certainly didn’t appear to miss his company.

“What? You don’t think I care, do you?” Braxton shot back, looking surprised.

Lenna gave him an appalled look before she realized he wasn’t serious. Then she threw her head back and laughed. “God, you’re awful. What a terrible thing to say.”

Braxton grinned. “Just being honest.” Just for the heck of it, he dipped her and then swirled her in a circle, making her hair fly before settling back against her shoulders.

Lenna continued to laugh, holding onto him more tightly. She never did manage to shift away once she settled against him. Their bodies brushed, and Braxton floated in the heady sensation. He lowered his face to hover it over her shoulder, their cheeks accidentally grazing. Praying for the dance to last forever, he held her against him.

But the next song started only moments later. It had a fast beat, yet Braxton continued to move slowly with Lenna until she tapped him on the shoulder. “Umm, the song’s over.”

He lifted his head. “In other words, you’re sending me back to my date from hell now.” He winced and pressed a hand to his heart. “You really don’t like me at all, do you?”

Lenna gave him a pitying look. “Don’t be that way. She can’t be as bad as that.”

Braxton arched his brows. “Want to bet?”

He took her hand, their fingers automatically lacing together in such a natural way Lenna gawked at them. He gave a brief squeeze.

“I really hate to torture you this way,” he said, already ushering them toward his table, where Erica had reached his empty seat and flopped down, waving at her sweaty face with her hand. “But you leave me no choice.”

Lenna stumbled after him. “Wait. What’re we doing?”

He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “I’m introducing you to her.”

“Whoa. Braxton. I don’t need to...”

But he wasn’t about to let her go. He didn’t stop until right before they reached his table. Then he tilted his head down toward hers as he spoke in her ear. “I really should warn you, but there’s just no preparation for this.”

Lenna wrinkled her brow, sending him a half smile and half-confused frown. Man, she thought he was joking.

If only.

Then he turned toward his group. “Hey, guys,” he called, tugging her closer. “I’d like you to meet my friend Lenna.”

He went around, pointing first at Greg, who nodded in greeting and leaned over the table to shake her hand. Then he motioned toward Greg’s date, Nadine. Nadine gave her a friendly wave but stayed next to Greg. And finally, Braxton turned to his blind date.

“And this is Erica.”

Lenna jumped when Erica flew from her chair and came straight at them.

Erica hurried forward, and it didn’t look like she was going to stop. No doubt fearing she’d be trampled by the woman with the huge smile, Lenna took a quick step back, running smack into Braxton’s chest where he’d been standing partially behind her. In reaction, he caught her waist to steady her. But he didn’t give her any more leeway, no doubt making her feel as trapped as he had the first moment he met his date.

Erica came so close her breath tickled his face—and he was still on the other side of Lenna. Her eyes seemed enormous as she snagged Lenna’s hand.

“Hey, Lindsey,” she greeted perkily. “How do you know Braxton?”

“It’s Lenna,” Lenna tried to tell her.

“What?” Erica said, and—oh, dear God—she moved even closer, putting her ear against Lenna’s mouth and making Lenna lean against him even more.

Braxton’s chest shook with laughter.

“My name is Lenna,” Lenna tried again.

“Lenny?” Erica asked, lifting her face to frown.

“Len-
nah
!”

“Oh.
Linda
!” Erica cheered, laughing a nasally cackle that caused Lenna to jerk in surprise.

Braxton, who was keeping her captive by sandwiching her between him and Erica, felt the jolt and held his face tight as he tried to stop sniggering.

Erica repeated her question about knowing Braxton.

“He’s my dad’s boss,” Lenna explained. She tried to smile politely but she looked more like a cornered rabbit wanting to escape.

Erica grinned with teeth too large for her mouth. She looked at Braxton over Lenna’s shoulder. “Your dad’s Braxton’s boss, huh? That’s nice.”

Lenna tried to cut in. “No, he’s my
dad’s
—”

But Braxton’s hand tightened on her waist. He leaned forward and spoke into her ear. “Don’t even bother. Trust me, it’s not worth the effort. She won’t get it.”

Erica continued to chat about Braxton running into his boss’s daughter. “How wonderful,” she cackled. “Isn’t it lucky you guys ran into each other. I bet you have plenty to tell your boss come Monday, don’t you, Braxton?” She exhausted the subject to no end, snorting at her own jokes and drifting even closer to them.

Finally, Lenna leaned back against Braxton and muttered, “Help,” from the side of her mouth.

He chuckled and stepped back to give her space, which she gobbled up at once.

“Hey, I’m going to escort Lenna back to her friends,” he said to Erica, interrupting her in midsentence, the only way he’d discovered he could get a word in edgewise.

“Oh. Okay, then,” Erica said, smiling that huge-toothed smile. “It’s was nice to meet you, Jenna.”

“It’s Len—”

Braxton tugged her away.

“That was cruel and unusual punishment,” Lenna grumbled and testily jerked her elbow from his hold.

Stunned by the force in which she rebuffed him, Braxton pulled to a surprised halt. He looked down at her with instant worry but was relieved to see amusement lurking in her expression. Without thinking about it, he brushed her hair off her forehead and out of her eyes to see her face more clearly.

She looked so transfixed by the move, she didn’t attempt to stop him.

“I’m sorry, but I was desperate. I needed you to see what I’ve been suffering through all night so you’d have pity and rescue me.”