Single and Searching (4 page)

"Casey?" Jenna's voice penetrated the fog of fury wrapping itself around Casey.

Casey exhaled a sharp breath. "Jenna, can you keep Henry S. this morning?"

"Sure," Jenna said. "What is it? Is something wrong? You sound strange."

Casey smiled to herself and stood. That was exactly how Gabe Thornton had described her for the people of Atlanta to read while they sipped their morning coffee.

"No. Nothing's wrong," Casey said in a calm voice. She scraped the newspaper up and folded it neatly, tucking it underneath her arm. "I just figured out how I can reach Gabriel Thornton. I'm going to pay him a little visit."

"Oh, wow," Jenna said. "You're going to chew a chunk out of him, aren't you?"

Casey wrapped the phone cord around her fingers and grinned wickedly. Gabriel Thornton had had nightmares about the tattoo artist tattooing his butt.

Just wait until she got through with his behind.

Chapter 2

She looked sexy.

She felt wicked.

She intended to get revenge.

Casey adjusted the strap of her black lace bra, then dabbed a hint of her favorite perfume between her breasts. After generously applying a layer of peach-scented lotion over her legs, she pulled on sheer black stockings, snapped her garter belt into place, slid her feet into black heels, and zipped the black silk dress. Dressed to kill.

Her target: Gabe Thornton.

She glanced in the mirror and a sparkle gleamed in her eyes as her plans unfolded in her mind. She'd brushed her shoulder-length blonde hair until the natural luster glistened and left it loose around her shoulders, feathering a few wispy strands down for bangs. The style enhanced her heart shaped face and her big eyes. She added subtle make-up and accessories. A simple small ruby pendant dangled around a thin gold chain and fell into the curve of her breasts exposed by the v-cut of the dress.

"He'll never recognize me," Casey muttered. She sashayed back and forth in front of the mirror, practicing her best seductive walk and chuckled at herself. For heaven's sake, how could he recognize her? She barely recognized herself.

Normally dressed for playing with Henry S. or for researching her children's books, jeans and sweatshirts were her typical attire. She'd bought this dress specifically for Gabe Thornton and their first date. But he hadn't seen the dress last night.

Because he'd never showed.

At least not as Gabe Thornton.

She grimaced, shoulders drooping as humiliation burned through her. She'd been an assignment to him. A joke. In high school, kids had ridiculed her for being an orphan. His little undercover work had resurrected memories and insecurities she thought long buried.

Well, she'd teach him a thing or two about jokes, because she planned to have the last laugh.

* * *

Gabe accepted praise and shoulder pats for his article, amazed at the amount of attention the fluff piece had drawn. Reporting facts and chasing down crimes didn't bring out his creativity the way this article had. Maybe he'd write a few more.

A tiny flash of guilt niggled at him when he realized he'd forgotten to call Casey and deliver an excuse for standing her up. He'd been so damn tired last night he'd almost fallen asleep at the wheel on his way home. He'd typed the article and faxed it to the office to meet the morning deadline, then crawled into bed and crashed.

Now, here he sat contemplating the ABC case. When he'd first seen Casey's ad, he'd been suspicious of it and even bragged to Lieutenant Harper, his friend at the police department, that he might have a lead. But after meeting Casey, he'd told him it was a deadend.

Casey might be nuts, but she wasn't a criminal.

Chaos in the outer office drew his gaze, and he peered through the glass window of his office. The word thunderstruck came to mind. Reporters, all male, hovered around the most gorgeous woman he'd ever laid eyes on. She smiled and Gabe's gut clenched.

Pint-sized. Delicate. She couldn't be more than five feet, two inches tall, maybe five-three with those heels. Her shapely legs were sexily encased in sheer black hose, the rest of her curves accentuated by the soft lines of her silky dress. His body hardened with desire. Was she wearing a garter belt, too?

Surprise jolted through him when one of the reporters pointed to his office. The woman shook her glorious blonde hair and headed his way. Her skin reminded him of peaches and cream. Her hair looked as if it had been kissed by sunlight, streaked with gold and brown and light shades of blonde. It had to be natural. Lord help him. His search for a serious relationship might have to be put on hold for a while.

Gabe sat down, hiding himself behind his desk. Damn, his hormones were raging like a teenager's. Arousal thrummed through his lower body and would be difficult to disguise if he stood.

The woman tapped on his door and poked her slender angelic face in. It would be impolite not to stand, so he stood, but kept himself situated behind the desk.

"Mind if I come in?" Her soft southern drawl sent heat searing through his veins.

Although her voice sounded familiar, and for a minute, Gabe had the uncanny feeling he knew this woman. He took another look at her and groaned. There was no way he could have met this beauty before and not remember.

He offered his hand and tried to speak but lost himself in her luminous eyes. They were a startling shade of blue. No, not blue. Violet. To his surprise, her slender hand trembled when she placed it in his.

* * *

Casey placed her hand into Gabe's annoyed when her traitorous body shivered with desire.

Play the game, Casey. Don't let him affect you. You're supposed to drive him wild, not the other way around.

But the images in last night's dreams popped into her mind making her dizzy with the sensations they stirred. Maybe revenge wasn't such a good idea. It might backfire in her face.

In an attempt to halt her provocative thoughts, she glanced down, spotting the newspaper lying open on Gabe's desk. Several copies of the article lay in view. Reality slapped her in the face.

Forcing a smile, she prayed she wasn't going to make a fool out of herself. What if he didn't find her attractive?

"I read your article this morning. I suppose you could say that's the reason I came." Her soft, seductive voice sounded foreign to her own ears.

Gabe smiled and motioned toward a chair. "It has gotten a lot of attention. Please sit down, Ms...."

"We'll get to names later, sugar. I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed your work. You certainly have a way with words."
At least in the newspaper.
Casey gritted her teeth, forcing her smile to remain intact.
Last night, you certainly didn't.

Gabe grinned, obviously pleased at her compliment. His broad shoulders rose in a shrug, and he leaned back in his chair, offering Casey a good view of his massive frame. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and navy slacks, he looked more handsome than she remembered.

Obviously, he dresses differently for work.

Then her gaze strayed to a drawing on his desk. The cartoon was labeled
The Perfect Wife
and featured a cartoon sketch of a well-endowed woman dressed in a teddy greeting her husband at the door. Casey's hackles rose even more. No wonder he'd been so disillusioned when he'd seen her in her robe. "So, that's what you expected from your date?"

Gabe grinned sheepishly as he shoved the cartoon in his desk. "Uh, no. That was just a gag the guys passed around. One of the reporters was getting married so... well, you know." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Casey gave him a saccharine sweet smile.

"Um... about the article. It was a new kind of piece for me," he rattled, obviously trying to distract her. "I must admit I had fun with it."

Casey jerked her gaze from his chest and tried to concentrate on his words, then stroked the silky fabric of her dress and crossed her legs. Intentionally making the movement slow and provocative, Gabe received a smashing view of her upper thigh as she slid her hand over the hem and inched it up. Her plan was working perfectly. Gabe's piercing stare traveled from her face down the length of her body and rested on her leg. He seemed to lose his train of thought as his words faded into silence.

Good, she was distracting him. It was only fair. The man had her brain tied in knots.

"Yes, you're very talented," Casey said.
You have hidden talents, too, like sneaking around unsuspecting women and lying to them.
"Reading about your dates was interesting. It sounds as if you didn't have much luck."

The muscles in Gabe's throat worked as he swallowed.

"No," he said. "I found some real losers."

Something painful stabbed at Casey. She'd been called a loser before. But having this handsome man call her one caused a low, deep ache to settle inside her.

"Well, that's why I'm here." Casey forced herself to continue the plan. "I'd like to take you to lunch."

Gabe's big hand rushed through his hair, pushing back the thick strands. Suddenly looking hot, he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, then leaned forward, elbows on his desk, meeting Casey's eyes. Heat simmered in the charcoal gray depths of his. Desire scorched Casey's insides.

"Honey, you can take me anywhere you want." He reached for Casey's hand and pulled her to her feet. "I'll tell my boss I'm on assignment for the rest of the day, that you're here to give me information about an article I'm working on."

One you've already finished, Casey said silently. Her heart thundered as she watched Gabe talk to his boss, a short pudgy man who looked as if he wore a toupee. Gabe Thornton was smooth.

Sexy. Dangerous.

Whether he was a dimwitted plumber or a charismatic reporter, he definitely ranked as heart-breaker material. A man she needed to avoid. Which was exactly what she intended to do. That is, once she taught him a lesson.

"Ready to go?" Gabe extended his arm.

Casey batted her lashes and leaned into him. "I'm looking forward to it, sugar. You just can't imagine how much."

Sexual awareness simmered in the air as Casey and Gabe drove in silence to the restaurant. Casey had borrowed Brick's car, a BMW convertible, wanting to create the proper effect. It worked. After switching the radio to a station playing love songs, Gabe rewarded her with a heartstopping smile.

Casey gritted her teeth. The man was grinning like he was on his way to a harem.

Steering the small car into a parking spot, she slid out, strode to Gabe's side and smiled when he offered his hand. She let it brush over her hip as they wrapped their arms around each other's waist. She had an urge to pinch his butt and watch him jump.

"I hope you like this restaurant," she said.

"Are you kidding? Ray's on the River is one of the finest in Atlanta. I still can't believe you're treating me."

"Oh, I wanted to," Casey said. "I feel like I owe it to you."
After all, you left before I paid you for repairing my toilet.

A hostess led them to a corner table overlooking the river. The gray overcast sky outside enhanced the intimate atmosphere of the dimly lit room. Candlelight and soft pastel linens added to the ambiance. Casey's body felt like it would explode with the sexual tension racing between her and Gabe. She'd always dreamt of coming to this restaurant with a special man, but with Gabe she didn't need the ritzy atmosphere.

He could be standing in a ditch and still be sexy.

Good grief. She'd wanted to show him what he'd missed last night. Instead she was realizing how much she was missing by not
having a
real date instead of this little charade. Every time she looked at Gabe, she envisioned him naked, the way he'd been in her dreams.

The way she wanted him now.

"Would you like wine?" Gabe asked. "The chardonnay sounds good."

"Perfect," Casey said. Wine would calm her. Wine would help her get through this. Wine would make her crave him even more.

"Oh, and a diet soda, too," Casey said. She'd better counteract the alcohol or she'd be in deep trouble, and she'd have no one to blame but herself.

She was playing a game she didn't even know how to play. Writing alphabet books for children hadn't prepared her for being a seductress. And her plan hadn't included the fact that Gabe Thornton made her blood sizzle and her nipples tighten up like pearled beads. She stole a glance down and wondered if Gabe had noticed.

He had. His gray eyes turned smoky, his face tight with restraint. It should have made her feel good. Her plan was working.

Instead, it made her feel sick inside.

At first, she'd wanted to make a point. Now, she didn't know what she wanted, except for Gabe Thornton to throw her on the floor and ravage her. And that was just for starters.

Cursing silently, Casey reminded herself that Gabe had called her a loser. People were wrong when they said sticks and stones could break your bones, but words could never harm you. She'd tried desperately to overcome all the taunts she'd heard as a child. And it had been hard.

Now, she wouldn't put up with anyone calling her a loser.