Remembrance: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series Book 4) (6 page)

He gave her a sexy look then murmured, “Janie, you might know me better than most women, but there are sides to me I’ve never shown to you before.”  He waited a beat while staring at her, then his gaze bumped back and forth between her eyes and her mouth.  His tongue touched the corner of his bottom lip just before his eyes collided with hers again.  “Let’s just say I can be very determined when I want to be.  Understandably, you’ve never seen me in a business setting or,” he paused, searching for the right words, “other situations.  So consider this your warning.”  He pinned his gaze on hers.  “When I get like this you’ll realize there’s no use arguing.”

The thought struck her that although he was just into his 30’s, he’d quickly made a name for himself already.  She’d never really thought about his tenacity or ability to get things done.  She’d always just thought of him as her teenage crush, the kind boy who treated her with respect and made her feel like a somebody, the one who actually liked hearing her thoughts on things even when all of the other boys of her acquaintance made fun of her.

But as she mused, she realized this other side of him fit him perfectly.  It matched the dark and dangerous air he exuded.  How else had he gotten to be where he was at such a young age?  He’d only ever shown the ‘big brother’ part to her.  These last few months she’d begun to see how multi-faceted he really was.  And if she’d thought she’d been crushing on him before, now she knew she was head over heels for the man she was getting to know.  He was strong, passionate, obstinate, domineering and sexy as hell.

He released her hair, letting it sift through his fingers.  “Now, I’m done with this conversation.  Put the boots on.  I wan
t to see them on you.”  He tapped her nose.  “We’re leaving in two minutes.” 

God, she wanted this man.

Before he stepped away, she spoke.  “Thank you,” she said.  Geez, was that her voice?  Her words had come out breathier than she’d intended, so she cleared her throat.  “For the boots,” she said stupidly, as if her thanks needed clarification.

Maybe it did need clarification.  Because she was now mentally thanking him for the visuals he’d put into her head given this new discovery about him.

His mouth kicked up in amusement.  “It’s my pleasure, baby.  Now put them on and let’s go.”  He turned away so she could sit to put on her new boots. 

Janie Callahan was
also
known for her tenacity, like her brother and father.  Her humor, her sweetness, her creativity and her temper were also traits attributed to her. 

But she was also known to have pretty good sense. 

And that’s why it didn’t slip by her radar that for the first time since he’d begun calling her ‘baby girl’ at the age of eight, she’d noted he’d left the second word off of his pet name.

……

“Thanks, Hugh.  We’ll take the copper choker with the emeralds, the copper earrings and those two bangles there,” Luke said with authority, not even asking Janie for her opinion. 

Every piece he’d chosen was perfect even though she hated to admit it. 

“You’re welcome, Mr. Daniels.  Miss Callahan, these will look beautiful on you.  Perfect with your coloring,” the manager of
AnNo
’s said with a smile.

She grinned back at him.  “Thank you, Hugh.  I guess Mr. Daniels here knows what he’s doing, so I’m just along for the ride,” she said dryly. 

Luke gave her a look then took her arm.  “Just have them packaged up and sent to my office, Hugh.  I’ll make sure they get to Miss Callahan.”

“Yes, sir,” he said with a smile and was gone.

Luke led her to the door.

“Wait, I didn’t pay for them yet,” she sputtered, digging in her heels.

“You can pay me later.”

“Luke, let me just get my credit card out,” she said trying to stop their movement until he stopped abruptly and she collided into him.

“Janie, I said you can pay me later.”  He emphasized each word while glaring down at her then he took her hand and led her outside.  “I’m sure I’ll find some form of payment.  Like make me some chocolate chip cookies, or something,” he said seriously while pulling her along.

“I can pay, Luke.
I’ve never seen you like this before.  Why are you being so stubborn?  I always knew you were bossy, but I didn’t realize how,” she stuttered on her words, “bossy you really are.”

“That’s because you’ve never been out with me before,” he gave her a pointed look.

She blinked at his word choice.  “I’ve been out with you before.”

“Not alone.”

“Geez, is this what you’re like with your girlfriends?” she asked as they approached his limo.  Whenever they were out with the family or their group of friends, he seemed a little more relaxed.

His eyes lasered into hers, then he turned away and muttered dryly, “You have no idea.”

“Well, I’m beginning to have one,” she shot back.  She didn’t like picturing him being forceful with other women.  Picturing him being forceful with her was a whole other visual.  Her heart was beating so hard in her chest at his ‘take charge’ attitude that she cleared her head and immediately put a smile on her face when they approached Kenneth.  “Thanks for shuttling us all over the place today, Kenneth.”

“No problem at all, Miss Callahan,” he said, giving her a genuine smile and opening the door for her.

She rolled her eyes and sighed.  “Kenneth, really.  It’s been three years now.  When do you think you’ll start calling me Janie?  All this formality is so unnecessary.  If Luke told you that you had to call me Miss Callahan, then I’m giving you permission not to listen to him.”

Kenneth appeared to be biting the inside of his mouth to stop from laughing.  “I appreciate your thoughts, Miss Callahan, but I’m afraid the formality is just ingrained in me at this point.”

Janie smirked in exasperation.  “Alright.  I’m going to keep trying though,” she said before getting into the car.

She heard Luke say something to Kenneth then he crawled in after her, settling himself next to her on the bench seat.  She looked down at her boots.  They were exactly what she would’ve picked for herself; dark brown soft leather, with a high and thick lug sole and laces all the way up the front.  They didn’t even need breaking in, they were made so well.

She looked up to catch Luke staring at her, his eyes watching her intently.  “They feel okay?” he asked.

“They feel great and you know it,” she said giving him a look.  “They should, after what they cost.” 

“They look good on you.”

“Yeah?”  She looked back down at her feet.  “They do look pretty good,” she preened, then sat back in her seat and glanced over at him.  “Thanks for everything today.  Given that it’s the biggest shopping weekend of the year, I’m surprised you were able to make this even happen.”

He shrugged like it was no big deal then he looked at her pointedly.  “I wanted to be with you when you bought the dress.  I need to know what picture you’re going to present so I can be prepared for the fallout.”

She harrumphed.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He raised a sarcastic eyebrow.  “It means that if you’re on the prowl at the party and I’m walking you around, I want to know how many men I’m going to need to fight off while I’m introducing you.”

“So you’re saying if I was left to my own devices I wouldn’t have picked an appropriate looking dress?”  She glared at him in annoyance.  He knew how to push her buttons.

“Of course that’s not what I meant,” he said, rolling his eyes.  “I just meant now I know what I’m working with and I’m better prepared.”

It was time to see what was what with Mr. Luke Daniels.  “Well, I’m telling you right now, Luke.  If a man does approach me and I like the look of him, you won’t be fighting him off.  I don’t need a protector at your party.”

He snorted and crossed his arms.  “That’s what you think.  You have no idea the effect you have on men.”

She tamped down her excitement and waved away his comment.  “It’s just the big boobs.  Guys like boobs, isn’t that what you basically said before?”

“It’s not just your boobs,” he clarified.  “It’s your beauty, your confidence, your intelligence, your talent, your sense of fun and charm,” his voice hung on that last word.  “You sparkle.”

She raised an eyebrow at that and grinned.  “I sparkle?”

He smirked.  “Let’s just put it this way.  Every man who sees you will want to deflower you.  So, yes, you will definitely need a protector that night.”

She let out a gut laugh.  “Deflower me?  What is this, the 1800’s?  And there’s nothing left to deflower.”

“I swear, if you start talking about your sex life, I won’t be held accountable for what I’m going to do to you,” he glared at her.

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes.  “Seriously, Luke?  Do you really think at 28 I’m still a virgin?  I’ve told you guys before –” she began, referring to her older brother and cousin.

“Janie, I’m fucking serious,” he growled, pointing at her.  “You better not be having sex with men willy nilly.”

She giggled at his wording and facial expression.  “What are you, like 90?  Who says ‘willy nilly’?”  He looked like he was going to spank her.  That stopped the giggle almost before it started and she swallowed at the arousal that rolled warmly into her body. 

Perhaps he’d be laughing too if he’d known there’d only been two lovers in her life.  And both of the older men had been from France when she’d been there for school over two years earlier.  They were men who taught her how to relax and be herself in the bedroom…and they were very good at directing her in the art of sexuality.  She found that she liked that quality in a man.  It took the thinking out of it so she could just feel and enjoy.

“You really are funny, Luke.  What would you do if I
was
having sex with men willy nilly?”

He shifted in his seat until he was facing her.  And he looked pissed.  Calmly and quietly, he asked, “Just how many men are you sleeping with?”

Now she couldn’t stop the giggles, which then led to a loud blurt of laughter and a hand pressed to her stomach.  He really was hilarious.  She wiped at her eyes and pointed out, “You just said that if I started talking about my sex life, you couldn’t be held accountable –”

“I’m not kidding around.  Answer the fuckin’ question,” he demanded.

Her heart nearly sang at his reactions.  “Careful, now.  You’re beginning to sound like a jealous man.”

He glared at her.  “I just don’t want you to do anything stupid.”

That got her back up, and she cocked her head.  “Do I look stupid to you?” 

“You know what I mean,” he said, exasperated.

“No, I don’t know what you mean.”  She had stopped laughing, but with a smile still on her face, she crossed her arms over her chest and said, “I can ask you the same question, you know.”  When he just looked at her stupidly, she reminded him of what they’d been talking about.  “You know, you asked how many men I’m sleeping with.  How many wo –”

“Fine.  The answer is I’m not sleeping with any men.”

She made a dramatic ‘duh’ noise and shook her head at his bad joke.  “I’m serious.  I
could
ask you the same question.”

“Yes, you could.  But you wouldn’t be getting an answer.  We’re talking about you right now.”

“No.  What we’re talking about right now is a double standard, Mr. Daniels.  And for that reason alone, I don’t think I’ll be answering your question.”

He pinned her with a look, dissecting her with his glare.  “You’re not the kind of woman who would sleep around.”

“You seem to think you know me pretty well,” she said enigmatically.

“I do.  In fact, I would venture to say you talk a good game, but that you’re pretty selective about whom you choose to have sex with.”  He continued examining her with his eyes.

She raised her chin and met his eyes.  “Well, thanks for not thinking I’m a slut, I guess.”

“Please.  Even on your worst day you could never be seen in that way.  You’re too,” he began then stopped.  After a moment of not continuing, Janie picked up where he left off.

“Too
what
?  Too innocent?  Too naïve?  Too much of a ‘baby girl’?  What were you going to say?”

“Actually I was go
ing to say you’re too much of a lady.”

That caused her to stop.  His comment took her aback.

“Why do you look so surprised at that?” he asked, amused with her reaction.

She shrugged, deciding to push a little farther into the recesses of his mind.  “It’s just not what I thought you were go
ing to say.  When I picture what you think of me, I imagine you think of me as a little girl who is still in pigtails.  Not a woman with a woman’s experiences.”  She watched him and waited.

He let his gaze take a lazy stroll around her face and form until it made its way back to her eyes.  “I definitely don’t look at you as a little girl in pigtails, Janie.  I’d have to be blind.  Unless of course, a little girl in pigtails is your
thing
.”  He raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly, implying she had a fetish for little girl dress up.