Perfect for You (19 page)

Laughing, she pirouetted, stopping abruptly when she saw someone come up the steps. Connor.

Her lip curled with distaste. She didn't know what Freya saw in him. A blind person could see Greg Cavanaugh was ten times the man Connor was, and she didn't think that just because she wanted Freya to be okay with her going to law school.

She winced. She already sent in her acceptance papers for Boalt but she hadn't told Freya. Max had said Freya would be proud, but he didn't know her sister.

But Anna knew her sister, which gave her an edge.

Pasting a pleasant smile on her face, she greeted Connor. "Hey there! Date with Freya tonight?"

"Yes." He looked questioningly at the door. "Isn't she home?"

"I'm sure she is. I'm waiting for a friend." She pointed to Max's door. "It's great that you and Freya are hitting it off."

"I like her," he said brightly.

"And she likes you," Anna said, trying not to gag. "And she's not getting any younger. If she wants to get going on the whole family thing, she needs to get going. She's just so picky about men, you know?"

He nodded though she could see he didn't know. "She wants children?"

"Totally. Do you?"

"Yes."

"You should make sure she knows. She wants a busload of children. Her own football team." How many people were on a football team anyway? Anna mentally shrugged and went with it. "She's always seen herself as an earth mother."

"Really?"

"Can't you totally see it?" she asked with wide eyes. "Anyway, she was telling me her biological clock was set to detonate."

"She's still pretty young."

"I hear it happens that way sometimes. She worries a lot too. She goes through life with a lot of
what ifs
. Like what if her hips are too narrow for childbirth?" Anna sighed dramatically and held her palms out. "What can you do?"

Connor said nothing. He had a peculiar expression on his face.

Did she go too far? She reined it back in. "Maybe I shouldn't have said all that. You won't tell Freya I gave you that insight into her, will you? She'd kill me."

"Of course I won't," he assured her.

"Thanks." She sighed with exaggerated relief, putting her hand on his arm. "I'm so relieved."

Hearing footsteps up the porch steps, she looked around Connor and smiled genuinely when she saw Max. "There you are."

He didn't look as pleased to see her. In fact, he looked kind of pissed. He glanced at Connor, at her hand on Connor's arm, and cocked his brow.

Anna rolled her eyes. "This is my sister's date, Connor."

"Nice to meet you," Max said as the men shook. Then he unlocked his door and motioned her in.

She blinked in confusion. "Aren't we going out?"

"In a moment."

Oh, he wanted to kiss her first, away from Connor's prying eyes. Grinning, she waved to Connor and went in after Max.

The second the door closed, he faced her, arms crossed. "What was that about?"

"I was just talking to Connor." She put her hand on his. "There's no reason to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous. What I want to know is why you were telling him all those ridiculous things about your sister?"

Blinking, she stepped back. "You heard?"

"Yes."

"It wasn't that big a deal."

"You were lying."

"How could you tell?"

"You get a devious look in your eyes."

"Interesting." She needed to fix that if she was going to be a lawyer—she couldn't go around showing her hand. Maybe she should practice in the mirror.

"I doubt your sister would appreciate you meddling in her life."

"I'm not—" She sighed at the eyebrow he arched. "Okay, maybe I
am
meddling, but it's for a good reason."

"There's never a good reason to meddle."

She frowned. "You're really pissed."

"I am. That was beneath you. You wouldn't like it if your sister interfered in your life. Why doesn't she deserve the same consideration?"

"She deserves everything, that's why I did that." Anna waved a hand toward the porch. "He isn't right for her."

"That's for her to decide, isn't it?" Then out of nowhere, Max said, "Did you tell her about law school?"

That clammed her up. She crossed her arms.

He shook his head. "Anna, you need to tell her."

"Now who's meddling?" She headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

Catching her arm, Max turned her around. He studied her face, and then placed a soft kiss on her unresponsive lips. "We'll talk tomorrow then."

She nodded stiffly and walked out. Fortunately, Connor wasn't on the stoop any longer. Good thing, because she might have been tempted to kick him.

Not that any of this was Connor's fault. She sighed as she headed to her car. Max was right. She paused, wondering if she should go back and tell him.

He would just want her to tell Freya, and that was something she wasn't ready to do yet. She could see the cold expression her sister would get on her face—the same expression she'd had the day their house had been taken away.

Not yet, but soon. She'd talk with Greg first and see what kind of progress he was making, and then maybe.

Her dress got caught in the car door. She pulled it out, cursing when she saw the oil stain on it. If that didn't sum up the night, she didn't know what would.

"Hello gorgeous," Connor greeted her when she opened the door.

"Hello yourself." Freya smiled, genuinely happy to see him. She was surprised to realize that she'd actually missed him in the week since she last saw him. "Come in for a moment. We can have a drink before we go to dinner."

"That'd be great."

"I can offer you a delicious red wine or the gin drink of your choice." She slanted a beguiling look over her shoulder as they went upstairs. "I make a mean martini."

"With two olives?" he flirted back at her.

"Three if you're good."

"How could I turn down an offer like that?" He took off his coat, tossing it on one of the chairs in the living room and followed her into the kitchen.

"Have a seat while I mix the drinks." She pulled down a couple martini glasses from her cabinet and got out the small shaker she kept prepared in the freezer along with some ice. "You know, it's really great seeing you."

"It's been too long since the last time. I was beginning to think you might be angry at me."

"No, I've just been busy." She felt a pang of guilt, and then a niggling of betrayal. Only she wasn't sure who she was betraying—Connor or Greg.

It wasn't like either one had a claim on her. She hadn't signed any exclusivity clause. Her personal life was her own. She could do what she damn well pleased.

The million dollar question was why she feeling bad. She hadn't lied to either one—not when she'd told Greg that she had plans tonight and not when she told Connor she'd been busy the past week.

Get a grip
. She poured the drinks into the glasses and dropped three skewered olives in each. "Your martini, sir," she drawled as she handed Connor his.

He took his glass and tapped it to hers. "To the most beautiful and accomplished woman in the city."

"I'll certainly drink to that." She took a sip of her drink and looked up, startled, when Connor took her glass away.

He set both their drinks down on the kitchen table and faced her. Placing his hands on her hips, he loosely held her. "I missed you," he said as his eyelids lowered and he pressed his lips to hers.

Closing her eyes, she let herself settle into the kiss. It was warm and comforting. She tried to make it more but, no matter what she did, it stayed at that same level of friendly comfort. There wasn't even a hint of the sizzle that just
thinking
about kissing Greg caused.

Connor deepened the kiss with a low groan, and she held on and went along for the ride. It was like eating Dreyer's lowfat vanilla ice cream when your favorite was Haagen Dazs dulce de leche. Pleasant but not nearly as satisfying.

She became conscious of stirring in his nether regions. Not wanting to go there—literally or figuratively—she broke off their kiss, discreetly putting space between them. "Let's take our drinks into the living room."

His smile held some emotion she didn't want to deal with so she ignored it, picked up her drink, and sat on one end of her large couch. After getting herself settled into the corner with her legs tucked under her, she took another sip and asked, "So what were you up to this last week? Did you go on any trips?"

He shook his head. Sitting down at the other end of the couch, thankfully not any closer to her, he replied, "No trips this week, oddly enough. I don't feel quite right if I don't have to run off somewhere. I did spend some time with my nieces and nephews though. My sisters dropped them off at my place so they could have a girls' day out."

"That was nice of you. How many are there?"

"I have three nieces and two nephews ranging from ten down to two years old."

"A handful."

"And then some. But I love them." He looked at her peculiarly. "Do you like kids?"

"Love them. Unfortunately, I can't indulge in them like you can. My sister is still is college, and Eve, my best friend, hasn't gotten with the program yet. I keep hassling her to make me an aunt."

"Don't you want any for yourself?"

"Sure," she said with a wave of her hand, "but I'm a firm believer in doing things the natural way, and you need to have a partner in order to get any results."

"I think you'd make a great mother."

"Uh, thanks."

"You're the type of woman who should have at least half a dozen."

"Really." She shifted uncomfortably. Okay, was the conversation getting weird or was it just her? Kids were great, and, yes, she wanted them—some day—but half a dozen?

"Yes." Connor nodded earnestly. "You have an earth mother look about you."

What did
that
mean? Didn't he know women would rather be told they looked like supermodels, not earth mothers? He had two sisters, for God's sake. Didn't they educate him?

When she didn't say anything—what was there to say?—he continued. "I'd like to have kids too. The sooner the better." He pierced her with a gaze she refused to interpret. "I guess I feel my biological clock ticking."

She looked around. Where did the real Connor go? This man sitting across from her was
not
the same man she had gotten to know. Earth mothers and biological clocks? Was she in an episode of the Twilight Zone? Was it invasion of the body snatchers?

Apparently her silence gave him no clue that he was on the wrong track, because he kept going. "You would look so beautiful pregnant."

She gaped at him. Was she mistaken or was he suddenly sounding like he was looking for a broodmare? "Look, Connor—"

"You have ideal birthing hips too. You'll have an easy time, um, having them," he added with almost a grimace.

"That's it." She whirled off the couch and stood up, her hands clenched on her hips. She couldn't help scowling at him in anger. After all, didn't he just tell her she had wide hips that were perfect for popping babies? "What the hell is all this crap about?"

He looked bewildered. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"This, this"—she waved her hands—"
nonsense
about my hips and me being an earth mother. I thought you liked me for who I am."

If anything, Connor looked even more confused. "I do!"

"It doesn't sound that way." She set down her drink before she was tempted to throw it in his face. "It sounds like all you were after was a faceless body to hatch children for you."

"
No
." He jumped to his feet and reached out to her with open hands. "No, of course not. You're so much more than that. I just thought you should know that I want a family too. The timing isn't an issue. In fact, I would prefer sooner as opposed to later."

"Well, maybe you should—"

"And I'm okay with a big one," he interrupted her. "I was thinking more in terms of three children, but I'm open to negotiation."

She couldn't believe her ears. "Who are you negotiating with?"

"You." He blinked like an owl.

"Did I say I wanted to go into negotiation?" she asked shrilly. "Because I don't remember ever saying that my biological clock was set to self destruct."

"Um, well..." His eyes refused to meet hers. "I can explain all of this."

"You have two minutes."

He exhaled loudly. "I like you, Freya, more than anyone I've met in a long time. I suppose that I'm guilty of wanting our relationship to work. I thought if I could show you that I care by taking you to restaurants that you love, by wanting the same things that you want, that it would help us get closer, and maybe lead us to more."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying you said all that bullshit because you thought
I
wanted to hear it?"

He nodded. "I thought if you knew that I was on the same page, then maybe—"

"Maybe I'd like you more?" she finished for him incredulously.

"I guess that could be it," he agreed reluctantly.

"But what would give you the idea that I wanted children so badly? I've never brought up the subject."

"I can't say where I heard that," he said carefully.

She studied him, wondering what that meant. It sounded like he was saying he got it from a source. But what source? They didn't know the same people.

Besides, who'd want to sabotage Connor?

A dark suspicion began to form in the back of her mind. There was only person with a huge vested interest in her personal life. Eyes narrowed, she looked up at the roof.
He wouldn't
.

"I'm really sorry, Freya."

She returned her attention to Connor, who looked miserable standing before her. He never stood a chance against Greg's conniving. Greg was devious by nature—he was a lawyer, after all. Once Greg wrapped Connor in his web, Connor was pretty much toast. "I understand, but under the circumstances we should postpone our date."

"Postpone?" Hope lit his face. "Does that mean you're still willing to see me?"