Working Man (9 page)

“I'm from Georgia, originally. Grew up dirt-poor, me and my brother Paul. We got tired of picking peaches, pecans, cotton and whatever else they were paying people to pick and we went into the army. Came out in one piece and moved to Chicago and went into construction. End of story.”

Billie arched her eyebrow while she reached for another piece of cornbread from the heaping basket in the middle of the table. “I have a feeling you left a few things out. Did you always want to build things? Dakota says you're like a genius with building and remodeling and land development. She says you're a true success story and that you're a real man,” she said in a voice devoid of guile.

Nick looked over at Dakota who was wishing with all her heart that she was an only child. “Is that what Miss Lady says about me? I think she exaggerated a little. I'm just a plain working man, trying to get some bills paid, that's all.”

Dakota rolled her eyes at him and gave his hard, muscular bicep a swat. “Oh stop it. I hate false modesty,” she said with a frown.

“Billie, he really is a genius. Did you notice how gorgeous the apartment building is? He did all that himself. He gutted the whole building and restored it just the way it was when it was built. You should see some of the things his company has done. Houses, apartments, commercial buildings, you can't imagine what he can do. He has more than talent, he has skill and vision and an amazing work ethic. He's—” She stopped talking because Nick's mouth came down on hers.

When the brief kiss was over he turned to Billie with a grin. “It's the only way I can get her to shut up,” he said smugly.

“I've had it with both of you. I'm going to the ladies' room and I may or may not come back,” Dakota said and rose to leave. Nick stood and watched her walk quickly across the room. Even more men were watching her than had watched Billie and he thought that maybe she had the right idea about wearing pants in public. He was looking a little grumpy when he sat down.

Billie was staring at him intently and it was obvious that she had something on her mind so he invited her to unburden herself. “Go ahead. Get it out of your system.”

“Well, I can see that threats won't work with you, although I did learn to gut fish pretty efficiently when my daddy took us fishing. But that's a story for another day. My sister is a very special woman, Nick, and if you can't treat her the way she deserves to be treated, you need to walk away now because I won't have her hurt. The last man she was involved with treated her really badly and it's not going to happen again. If you want to play, you need to find another playmate, that's all I'm saying,” she said. All traces of the friendly, sweet Billie were gone; she was utterly serious.

Nick actually smiled when she got through. “I'm glad you love your sister. You also like her and that's real nice. Family is all we have in this world when it comes down to it. You don't have to worry about me mistreating your sister in any way. In case you haven't noticed, I think she's pretty special, too. As a matter of fact, I intend to—”

“You intend to what?” Dakota said as she took her seat again.

Nick turned his brilliant eyes on her and drank in her radiant beauty. “I intend to show you the work on your house,” he hedged. Turning back to Billie, he asked, “You want to come along?”

 

Dakota was stunned when she saw the changes that had been wrought in her brownstone. The floors were perfect, with the honey-oak stain she and Nick had picked out. All the woodwork gleamed and there was a subtle satin finish that glowed under the light. The lighting fixtures were in place, all of them the Mission-style reproduction pieces she'd originally requested. The kitchen cabinets were in place, not the shoddy ones Bernard had stuck her with, but beautifully balanced and properly hung glass-fronted cupboards that she couldn't wait to see filled with her belongings. The slate countertops and the matching backsplash behind the sink were just what she'd imagined. Billie ran all over the house inspecting while Dakota leaned against the counters and tried to collect herself.

She covered her mouth with her hand and tears gathered in her eyes as she looked around at all the work that had been done in such a short period of time.

“What's the matter, baby? Don't you like it?” Nick sounded alarmed.

Dakota went to him at once and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. She looked up at him with eyes made starry by the tears. “Nick, don't be ridiculous. It's wonderful! It looks even better than I imagined it from the beginning. You and your crew did an amazing job on this, just beautiful. Thank you so much for this,” she whispered. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, something he helped her with by leaning down to her waiting lips.

It was a long, deliberate kiss that fused them closer together than ever. Nick took his time with her, teasing her juicy lips, sucking and tantalizing them with his lips and tongue until he couldn't take any more teasing and the sensual plunder began for real. She was faintly aware that he'd picked her up and that her bottom was now on the work island in the center of the room, but it was an abstract notion. All she knew was how he was making her feel, the waves of raw passion that rocked her to her core, the urge to feel more of him, to touch him and be touched by him in the most intimate way possible. She didn't want to stop, she wanted more and more of the delicious sensations he was creating and he knew it. He knew what she wanted as she moved her hands over his big shoulders and he wanted it, too, more than anything.

“I want to take you home, baby,” he said in a husky whisper. “I want to give you the kind of loving you need, Dakota. You need me as much as I need you and I don't want to wait any more. I want you, baby.”

“Let's go, Nick. Let's go right now,” she said breathlessly.

And if Billie hadn't run down the stairs in her platform shoes they might have slipped out the door and left the poor thing standing there in an empty house. Nick gave a harsh laugh that was anything but amused, and Dakota just looked stricken when she realized that their magic moment was over for now. They pulled away from each other with great reluctance, and Nick lifted her off the counter and set her on the floor. He gave her one last squeeze and a kiss on her earlobe. “Your day is coming, Miss Lady. It's coming real soon, baby.”

Billie, bless her, tried to act as though nothing was amiss and asked Nick how he'd managed to recoup Dakota's investment. “All she told me was that you'd found the scoundrel and she was going to get her money back, but I didn't get any details.” She walked all the way into the kitchen and ran her hands over the exquisite countertop. “This is so nice, I can't get over it,” she murmured. She leaned against the counter and repeated her question. “How did you do it?”

Nick pulled Dakota in front of him and locked his arms around her waist. “There isn't much to tell. I have a friend who has a friend who knows some people. They located him in his hideout in the islands and they went and got him for me. I'd a gone myself but I had some things to attend to. They brought him here to the house and we took a little tour. I told him the lady who owned it was a personal friend of mine and I didn't appreciate the way he handled his business, so, if he didn't mind, I'd appreciate getting her money back. And I also suggested he not try to work in the state of Illinois again because it didn't seem like his heart was in his work. That's all.”

Dakota and Billie stared at each other, their eyes huge. It was obvious from Nick's studiedly casual delivery that a lot more had gone on, but he wasn't telling what had actually happened. It didn't stop Billie from asking, though.

“Did you hit him?” she asked eagerly.

He nodded over Dakota's head so she couldn't see him. “Of course not, what kind of man do you think I am?”

While Dakota turned to smile up at him, Billie held up her fingers like a gun, mouthing the words “Did you shoot him?”

As though he hadn't seen her little pantomime, Nick said smoothly, “When you're dealing with a punk you don't have to shoot, and most times you don't even have to show them a gun. You just make them an offer they can't refuse.”

When Dakota laughed in appreciation of the quote from
The Godfather,
Billie pumped her fist over her head. Nick had just confirmed what she suspected, that he'd done much more than have a quiet little chat with Bernard Jackson.
Hot damn! Now
that's
a man,
she thought.

Nick continued to hold Dakota until she turned around to face him. Looking up at him earnestly, she said, “I still think you should take more for the house, Nick. Paying for the materials and the labor doesn't amount to the same thing. I feel as though I'm taking advantage of you. You need to let me pay you the market value for this property.”

He looked deeply into her luminous eyes and it was difficult for him to keep his lips from hers. “Look, baby. When your neighbors saw that Hunter Construction sign in your yard, they knew something was up. I've already gotten seven jobs as a result of doing your house, so don't even worry about the money. This is like an investment for me that's already paid me back seven times over.”

“But Nick,” she murmured, only to have him kiss her quiet.

Billie watched them affectionately and then made a great show of yawning widely. “Wow, I had no idea it was so late! International flying really takes it out of me. I need to get to bed,” she said pointedly.

Nick drove them back to the apartment building and walked them to the door, which he unlocked and insisted on entering first. “That's just my way,” he explained to Billie. “Just in case somebody who's not supposed to be here decides to act crazy,” he said gruffly. And sure enough, Cha-Cha came barreling out and leaped into Nick's arms.

Billie broke up the love fest that was about to begin by taking the cat with her. “C'mon with me, you little trollop,” she said playfully. “You can help me unpack, I'm sure I've got some expensive things for you to sink your claws into.”

The two of them went off to the bedroom, leaving Nick and Dakota alone. She took his hand to lead him into the living room. “Come sit down with me,” she invited. “Would you like something to drink?”

Nick sat down on the big leather sofa and pulled her into his lap. “What I want right now, I can't get because your little sister is in the next room.”

Dakota ran her fingers through the hair at his temples and gave him a seductive smile. “What would you do if we were alone?” She deliberately arched her back so that her breasts were cushioned against his chest.

Nick's expression became fiercely intense and his hands tightened around her waist. “Don't play with me, woman. If I had you alone right now I'd have those clothes off you and you'd be naked in my bed. I'd be deep inside you and you'd be calling my name and clawing my back up,” he said in a deep growl.

Dakota's breath caught in her throat. “Nick, you make me sound like a cat in heat!”

His big hand slid under her dress and caressed her smooth thigh and she gasped in surprise. The warmth of his skin and the feel of his calloused palm made her tremble. He smiled at her reaction and flexed his strong fingers over her soft skin. “You're not
in
heat, you
are
heat, baby. You're gonna set me on fire, Miss Lady.” He kissed her lips, her neck and her collarbones, breathing her name softly. Suddenly he set her abruptly off his lap and stood. “Look here, woman, you're not gonna drive me crazy up in here. Come walk me to the door and we'll continue this when your company is gone.”

Dakota's mouth fell open from surprise and it was immediately filled with Nick's kiss, long and tender and sensual. She was trying to decide how she felt about what he'd just said when he said something even more surprising. He put his hands on her shoulders and stroked her arms while looking at her as though it was the first time he'd ever seen anyone so lovely. “I'll bet you look even better with nothing on. I can't wait to see that beautiful body naked,” he whispered before kissing her again.

Now Dakota knew exactly what she was feeling; it was pure panic and nothing else.

D
akota spent most of the next morning out in the field, but when she returned to the office, Toni was waiting to pounce on her. “There you are! I was about to call Missing Persons and report you gone. You can't leave a nosey woman like me dangling, I have to know things. How'd it go last night?”

She sat on the chair next to Dakota's desk and waited for her response. “And don't think you can lie to me, I already got the scoop from Billie,” she warned.

“See? Y'all are ganging up on me,” Dakota said. “Well if Billie already told you everything, you don't need to hear it from me.” When Toni looked as though she was going to explode, Dakota relented.

“It was a lot of fun. He's as nice as he is good-looking and he's very sexy. Very. And wait until you see what he's done to my place! He says I can take occupancy next week. He told us how he found the guy who'd conned me and how he got my money back, but I don't believe he told us the whole story. He gave us the PG version, there's an R-rated version of the truth out there. I have the distinct impression that Nick gave Mr. Jackson more than a stern talking-to, if you get my drift.”

Toni nodded, even as she asked another question. “Does that bother you, the thought that he might be capable of getting physical when the situation calls for it?”

Dakota thought about Nick, his kindness, his strength, his work ethic and his personality. And she thought about the people Jackson had conned in the past and the fact that they didn't have a Nick to step in for them. She gave a Toni a secretive little smile and said no. “It's not like he's a thug-for-hire, he just does what he has to do to get the results he wants. He's a very gentle person on the inside, but he's not going to put up with much,” she said dreamily.

“So it sounds like you two are a match made in heaven. He's obviously crazy about you. He can't keep his eyes off you and I'll bet he can't keep his hands off you, either. So what's the next stop on the Love Train?” Toni said with a throaty laugh.

Instead of returning the laughter, Dakota looked glum. “He wants to see me naked, Toni.
I
don't want to see me naked! There must be some way I can forestall the inevitable until I lose some weight,” she muttered.

Toni frowned. “You really need to quit, girl. You won't find any sympathy here. I had a terrible self-esteem issue when I was modeling. I was driven to bulimia before I got a grip. Everybody is not meant to be the same size. And every man isn't interested in someone who's built like your sister. Nick obviously likes what he sees and what he feels when he puts his arms around you. You have a good figure. You're what they call ‘cute in the face and small in the waist' and you need to stop trippin' before you turn Nick off. Men want a woman who's confident in herself in the bedroom and out,” she reminded Dakota. “And as smart and accomplished and brilliant as you are you haven't figured that out yet?”

Now Dakota was laughing because no one except her mother and her sister had ever talked to her like this. “No! I mean yes, of course I know it. I get it, I get the whole thing about loving yourself and feeling confident and all that. I know it all, I know all the mantras, all the buzzwords, and I know that I'm being ridiculous. And I guess I don't look that bad,” she mused. “I don't have cellulite,” she added brightly.

Toni shook her head as she watched Dakota mercilessly twisting a paper clip into pieces. “Not good enough. You've got to be able to look at yourself butt-naked in the mirror and love what you see. Not tolerate it or put up with it until you look like someone whose body structure has nothing to do with yours. You've got to
love
your body. That's going to make your man love it even more than he does. And I know just what you need to do,” she said firmly. “You're going to be in a fashion show. And once you stroll down that runway, you're going to think about yourself in a totally different way, I guarantee it.”

“I'm gonna do
what?
”

“Leave it all to me, chick, when I get through with you you'll be a new woman,” Toni said with a wink.

“Toni, I'm not going to be in any fashion show, are you nuts?”

“This one is different. It's for ladies only and it's for charity. And all the models are size fourteen and up. This is for real women with exquisite clothes modeled by real women. And you, my conflicted little friend, are going to do this and do it well. Once you've strutted your stuff out there you're going to feel like a new person. Trust me!”

And suddenly, as improbable as it seemed, Dakota did.

A loud crash in the main part of the office made both Dakota and Toni leap to their feet and then burst into laughter. Billie was strolling across the office and a minor collision had ensued when two reporters had caught sight of her in all her glory. She was wearing well-worn jeans with a couple of artistic rips here and there and a tight white tailored shirt that was tied under her midriff. Her hair was pulled back with a wide headband and with her Chanel sunglasses perched on her forehead and a huge pair of silver hoop earrings, she looked like every man's fantasy come to life. She was looking for Dakota and was totally unaware of the chaos she was leaving behind her.

She smiled when she saw her sister waving at her. “There you are! I'm hungry, can we go eat now?”

 

Billie, of course, thought the fashion show was a fabulous idea and got right on board with it. “You owe me anyway. You think I don't know that you planned to toss me at Nick to see what he would do? This is your payback for trying to use me as a sacrificial lamb,” she said haughtily.

“And don't say you didn't do it because I used to do the same thing to you when I was in college. I'd bring some boy to the house and if he started drooling over you I'd dump him. You know I used to do that, so don't try and play me.”

“Aw, baby sis, I wasn't thinking of you as a lamb. More like a
goat,
” Dakota laughed. “I admit it, that twisted idea did cross my mind. I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong. Isn't there any way I can prove how sorry I am?” she asked winsomely.

“Why, yes there is. You can let me take you shopping and then let me show you how to work a runway. Then you can take care of your business with that big gorgeous hunk of Nick. I'll consider the matter settled then,” she said mischievously.

They were having lunch at a little bistro near the office and Toni raised her glass of water in agreement. “Hear, hear! You need to get some clothes that fit your body and show it off. You're what, a size sixteen? The way you dress makes you look like a twenty sometimes,” she said frankly. “No more pantsuits for you, girl, you need to work the words
skirt
and
dress
into your fashion vocabulary.”

Dakota took another bite of her grilled chicken salad before answering. “Yeah, but a lot of times I'm in situations where I need to be wearing pants. It's cold in the morgue,” she protested. “And if I'm at the scene of a really gross murder, I can't be wearing my good shoes. Do you know what slogging through a muddy field would do to those little Ferragamos you bought me?”

“Okay,
ewww,
” Billie said. “But you can keep some workmanlike jeans or khakis in the car and at the office and still manage to look hot when you aren't covering the crime of the century,” she said with a shudder.

“Trust us,” Toni said persuasively. “We're not going to turn you into a hoochie. We're just going to show you how to show off those curves. You'll like it and Nick will love it. Look, I've got an interview in about fifteen minutes, so I've got to dash. But tonight, we
shop,
” she said, raising her glass of mineral water.

The two sisters finished their meals while Billie continued to extol Nick's virtues. “I just want to know how you've managed to keep your hands off him,” she said as she speared the fruit garnish off Dakota's plate. “That's a whole lotta man you got there, sis. He's just what you need. Somebody who's confident and strong and capable, just like he is. You did good,” she praised.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your horses, Billie, he's not my man.”
Yet,
a little voice in her head added. “We haven't known each other but a month and I'm not trying for a repeat of the Jonah episode.” Her mouth twisted wryly.

“And you won't get one, either. First of all, he's six times the man that Jonah was. Y'all dated for like a year before you got busy and see how well that turned out,” she sniffed. “Nick is down-to-earth and real, which is just what you need. Just because he doesn't have a bunch of worthless degrees doesn't mean he's not the right man for you.”

“Excuse you, he has a degree. Two, in fact. He had an associate's degree in construction management when he went into the army. And when he got out, he'd earned enough credits for a bachelor's degree. Said it was a big surprise to him because it wasn't like he was trying for it, but he has it. And thank you for making me sound like a snot, which I'm not. I'm not snobbish enough to think that a man has to have an MBA before I'll go out with him, but I think there should be a commonality of interests,” she said as she reached for her iced tea.

“Don't start making excuses before you even get serious with the man. You don't know what y'all have in common at this point. Although I think there's one thing you have going for you.
Chemistry,
” she said, leaning towards Dakota with a mischievous grin. “Y'all were giving off so much heat last night I thought you might burst into flame at some point.”

The swallow of iced tea she had just taken went down the wrong way when she heard her sister's words. It was so close to what Nick had said last night she was stunned. Luckily, Billie was still rattling on about Nick and what a favorable impression he'd made on her. “Anyway, make sure you leave the office on time tonight. I have a surprise for you,” she said mysteriously.

Billie's face suddenly looked pensive for a moment and she frowned. “I really like your friend, Toni. She seems like a really sweet person, real down-to-earth. I hate to say anything,” she said slowly. She bit her lower lip and then blurted out what was on her mind. “I'm not hatin' or anything, but that big honkin' diamond she's wearing is a fake.”

“A what?” Dakota asked breathlessly.

“It's not real. That setting is not platinum; it's either sterling silver or white gold coated with platinum. And that stone is a CZ, as in cubic zirconia, as in cheap miserable boyfriend. All that work I did for Tiffany's and Cartier was like a course in diamonds 101. I learned so much about jewelry it's like I have a loupe in my eye now, I can tell zing-zing from bling-bling across a crowded room. I don't know what you should do about it, but I'd keep an eye on that so-called fiancé of hers because something is not adding up.”

“That's horrible,” Dakota said glumly. “Now I'm going to have to start snooping and you know how I hate that.”

Billie gave her a look that said, “Child, please.”

“You know what I mean! When it's work it's fine, but when it's personal, it's awful. But I couldn't stand for her to be hurt. What am I supposed to do, sit around and wait until the other shoe drops?”

“Yes, Dakota, that is exactly what you have to do. Keep your eyes and ears open, but be ready to help pick up the pieces when this blows up and it will. These things always do. Just come home on time, tonight, okay?”

“Oh, sure,” was her absent-minded reply. She had too much on her mind to really pay attention to her younger sister. She had just taken a big bite of a new way of thinking and she was hoping it wasn't too much to swallow.

 

In a mere week, Dakota had moved into her brownstone and all her belongings were exactly where she wanted them, thanks to Billie. Her sister had spent the rest of her vacation getting her things moved in and put away, due largely to her ability to charm, wheedle, bully and entrance men into doing her bidding. Now Dakota had the home she'd imagined, laid out exactly the way she wanted down to the last detail. There were even a couple of details she hadn't expected. When she'd made her last walk-through of the house she'd had to ask Nick about some odd little shelves that were positioned by the sunniest windows in the house.

She smiled when she remembered his sheepish reply. “Umm, those are for Cha-Cha so she'll have something to lie on while she looks out the window.”

Dakota had never been so touched by anything in her life. She'd turned into his arms and laid a kiss on him that would have curled his hair if it hadn't already been in that state from birth. Smiling at the memory, she took a deep breath and made sure everything was ready for the night. She'd asked Nick to be at her house after the fashion show and she wanted to make sure that all her preparations were perfect. The living room and dining room were just right; all of her artwork was hung on the walls, her sofa and loveseat were looking plump and inviting, the cream-colored upholstery contrasting nicely with the colorful print pillows that were heaped about. There were candles on the mantel and the coffee table just waiting to be lit, the right music for seduction was cued up on the stereo and the wine was chilling in the refrigerator, along with a tray of appetizing foods to tempt the palate.