First Love (Soulmates #4) Read online

  “So why are you mentioning it?”

  “Because I’m curious what you’re thinking,” she said. “Since the guy’s just about the most eligible bachelor I know.”

  “I suppose he is more eligible than most.”

  A woman walked by a nearby chair, looked at the enormous price tag dangling off the back, and kept walking.

  “I’ve tried to set him up with my friends,” she said. “But he’s very hard to please.”

  “That’s not at all intimidating.”

  “I don’t mean it like that,” she said, cocking her head. “I just mean that most women bore him.”

  “You don’t.”

  She laughed. “He has to put up with me because of Ben.”

  “How did you two meet?” I asked, desperate to turn the tables so my cards could remain firmly against my chest where they belonged.

  “He was my client,” she said. “Believe it or not.”

  “Oh dear. That must’ve been confusing.”

  “It was,” she said. “And I’d literally just started my own business so I was extra determined to follow the basic rules of good business practice.”

  “Like don’t sleep with your clients?”

  “Exactly.”

  “So how long did you hold out?”

  “It’s kind of a long story,” she said. “I’d just gotten out of a pretty bad relationship, too, so I was sort of a mess.”

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “I mean, it wouldn’t have been okay if I’d ended up with my ex, but I didn’t. And then Ben came along, and I’ve never been happier.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “Sorry,” she said. “You probably don’t even want to know.”

  “No. It’s fine.”

  She shrugged. “I just couldn’t help but notice the way Adam looks at you, and I guess I wish someone had been around when Ben and I first got together to tell me what I was too blind to see.”

  “I appreciate your concern, Carrie,” I said, dropping my head back on what was proving to be a very comfortable couch indeed. “But even if you’re right, it’s not like anything could come out of it, so it’s not worth rocking the boat.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why couldn’t anything come out of it?”

  “Because he’s my boss, and he’s from a different world.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I mean he drinks champagne regularly and probably understands the rules of cricket.”

  “So?”

  “So I drink beer by the bucket and buy my clothes at TJ Maxx.”

  “I think it’s kind of unfair for you to hold it against him that he has money.”

  I furrowed my brow. “I’m not holding it against him.”

  “Kinda sounds like you are.”

  I sighed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Actually, I do understand,” she said. “I had the same concern when I started seeing Ben.”

  “Yeah?”

  “And I’m still getting used to it,” she said. “But it wouldn’t matter if he lost it all tomorrow. What matters is that we’re a team.”

  “I’m happy for you, Carrie. Really, I am. But I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

  “All I’m saying is guys like Adam are hard to come by.”

  I pressed my lips together.

  “So don’t let his background intimidate you into overcomplicating everything,” she said, rising to her high heeled feet. “At the end of the day, we’re all just awkward teenagers looking for a bit of acceptance.”

  “I get that.”

  “And I get that it’s complicated because he’s your boss, but I feel compelled to tell you- from one woman to another- that he’s not the kind of guy that chews through women like they’re disposable. He’s one of the good guys.”

  “Thanks for the public service announcement.”

  She smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  “You done?”

  “Done,” she said, extending a hand to help me up. “Just as soon as we strike a mean deal on this couch.”

  Chapter 20: Adam

  I suspected she didn’t know what she was doing when she pulled her shirt off and danced around in her black lace bra, but I was half convinced she did it just to torture me.

  And I couldn’t get the image out of my head.

  I was shocked at how light she was when I carried her to bed, and the realization filled my mind with filth. There would be no shortage of ways I could enjoy her body, if only she’d entrust me with it.

  But she was holding strong, and it had been days since I’d even been close enough to touch her.

  Instead, I admired her from a far, watching as the customers fell in love with her and the staff bent over backwards to impress her.

  Yes, she was hot. Between her long hair and her toned ass and the way her heavy lashes hung over her brown eyes, there was no way I was the only guy that was attracted to her.

  But it was more than that. She had an obvious strength that fascinated me and drew me to her. No matter how far away I managed to get physically, my mind was constantly wondering what she was doing and who might be enjoying her wide smile.

  I couldn’t fantasize about our teenage exploits forever, though. As vivid as my memories were of pulling down her bikini bottoms and getting my first taste of her to squeezing her nipples and feeling her back arch towards me, it wasn’t enough.

  I had to have her again, had to hear the moans she only released behind closed doors, had to feel her tan legs wrapped around me as I drove deep inside her.

  And if it didn’t happen soon, I was going to go crazy.

  But breaking down her walls and making her see that I meant her no harm had proved more difficult than I anticipated, and I desperately needed to take a step back and reassess the situation.

  Because while I believed that honesty was usually the best policy, my frankness hadn’t been enough to convince her that I had nothing but good intentions for us.

  As a result, I figured it was about time I solicited a second opinion.

  The thought crossed my mind to ask Ben what he thought, but I didn’t want to risk him saying anything to Carrie, especially considering how closely she’d been working with Jolie.

  Plus, he was so loved up these days he was thinking even less clearly than I was. What’s more, he was a diplomat, and what I needed was someone who would give the truth to me straight, no matter how difficult it was to hear.

  “Well, well, well,” Christophe said when he picked up the phone. “You miss me already, huh?”

  I laughed. “Yeah. Lost without you, man. How did you know?”

  “It was inevitable,” he said. “What’s up?”

  I leaned back on the bench, watching as happy holiday goers traveled along the boardwalk on their way home from a long afternoon at the beach. “I need some advice.”

  “Legal or sexual?”

  “Neither,” I said.

  “There’s no other kind,” he said. “Except for financial, but if you’ve cocked up the hotel deal that bad already, I’m cutting ties.”

  “It’s about a woman.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You know how you’re always convincing women who are repulsed by you to spend the night?”

  “That’s not a very friendly question,” he said. “And I haven’t the slightest what you’re talking about.”

  “Sorry. Let me put it another way.” I crossed an ankle over my opposite knee. “You know how you’re the master of convincing women to change their initial perception of you?”

  “I might know what you’re alluding to.”

  “Good.”

  “But I’d rather you skip the analysis of my game and acknowledge the fact that you’re the one having difficulties.”

  I groaned.

  “You in love or something?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. “It’s too soon to tell.”<
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  “Because she hasn’t realized yet what a fantastic catch you are?”

  “I don’t appreciate the mocking tone,” I said. “But that’s not a completely inaccurate way to describe what’s happening.”

  “Let me guess, you laid all your cards on the table already?”

  I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”

  “Have you or have you not admitted to this girl that you’re lusting after her?”

  I watched as a dragonfly stopped to rest on the bench beside me. “I have.”

  “What did I tell you about that honesty crap?” he asked. “You can’t get away with that shit.”

  “Bu-”

  “Stop pretending you’re a regular guy,” he said. “You’re the only one who actually thinks you’re a regular guy.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Yes it is. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you’ve got more money than some countries, and the only reason Christopher Reeve got to play Superman in the movies is because your jawline hadn’t been born yet.”

  “Remind me to call you more often.”

  “Seriously, Adam, you’re not a regular guy. Your family home has a helicopter pad. Get a grip.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do. What’s your point?”

  “My point is that you’re intimidating, and any women with more than two brain cells to rub together is going to think you’re too good to be true if you openly proposition her.”

  “I don’t want to go for dumb women. I want to go for… one woman in particular.”

  “So cool your jets and don’t come on so strong,” he said. “Smart women are like cats. They have to suss you out for a bit, and the more you act like you can take them or leave them, the more interested they become in you.”

  “And dumb women?”

  “Dogs all the way,” he said. “They’ll run right up to you and lick you anywhere you’ll let ‘em just for showing up.”

  “Ouch.”

  “I take it you’re after a cat?” he asked.

  “Yes. Though for the record, I’m opposed to you reducing women to such disrespectful stereotypes.”

  “Then you should grow a set, Adam. Because I got laid last night, and something tells me you didn’t. So if there’s anything you should be offended by, be offended by how light my sack is today.”

  I pushed my sunglasses onto my head and pinched the bridge of my nose.

  “Have I made myself clear?”

  I dropped my hand. “I can’t suddenly act aloof. She already knows I’m into her.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” he said. “Women are only as secure as their most recent compliment.”

  I squinted, determined not to miss a word.

  “It’s never too late to let a woman chill on the back burner.”

  “And then what?”

  “Let her come to you,” he said. “Like a cat.”

  “And if she doesn’t?”

  He laughed. “Ye of little faith.”

  “Seriously.”

  “She will,” he said. “Trust me. It’s intimidating to be aggressively pursued by someone like you.”

  “If you say so.”

  “What you want is for her to be on offense.”

  I nodded. “I like the sound of that.”

  “So don’t force her into a defensive position.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “And for the love of god, don’t compliment her immediately every time you see her.”

  I turned to look at the dragonfly, but it was gone. “Why not?”

  “Because that’s like giving a dolphin a fish after it’s only done one little trick.”

  “You’ve been watching too much Animal Planet.”

  “And eating too much pussy, which is more than I can say for you.”

  I sighed. “Fair enough.”

  “Take it from me, the more you pretend not to notice all her little tricks, the more tricks she’ll be willing to perform.”

  “Is it fair to assume you wanted me to read into that?”

  He groaned.

  “By the way, do you remember the girl you hooked up with when you came down here?”

  “Mama Mia Gia,” he said. “How could I forget? That girl had swivel in her hips that’s illegal in thirty four states.”

  “Which is even more impressive than the fact that she remembers you.”

  He scoffed. “Of course she remembers me.”

  “Just thought you’d want to know.”

  “You know me so well,” he said. “Is she seeing anybody these days?”

  “Seeing, yeah,” I said. “But from what I gather, it’s not any more serious than that.”

  “How long did you say you were going to be down there?”

  “Till the end of the summer,” I said. “So if you’re looking for a relaxing weekend break-”

  “Always,” he said. “If only I had a buddy in the area with a hotel.”

  Chapter 21: Jolie

  I asked him to pick me up at my house because I didn’t have a better idea.

  I knew I’d feel like a hooker if I met him on a random corner, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to loiter around the lobby where everyone would see us leaving… even if I would’ve been a lot more comfortable on the new furniture there than I was pacing in front of my window.

  Fortunately, I knew my mom would be at a bridge tournament with her sister, so there was no risk that she’d look out the window and see me leaving with the man she’d just signed her life’s work over to.

  Which was good because the situation was stressful enough, especially because I didn’t know whether to consider the outing a date or not.

  As a result, I had no idea what to wear.

  I didn’t want to be too dressed up… or too underdressed as I’d been the previous weekend in my black bra and mini skirt. In the end, I’d had no choice but to try on every last thing in my closet and cast the rejects onto the floor.

  Finally, I went with white capris and a sheer turquoise shirt, the combination of which made me look really tan.

  To dress up the look, I wore some of my nicer jewelry, figuring that wherever he was taking me, my collection of friendship bracelets and concert wristbands would probably look out of place.

  Luckily for me, I was so panicked over what I was going to wear that I didn’t have time to obsess over all the things he said the morning after Brian’s sister’s party… all that stuff about me needing a man, his “attention to detail”, and how he liked me for things nobody noticed.

  Seriously, what did that even mean?

  When he finally pulled up in a little red convertible, my eyes rolled so hard I thought they might fall out of my head.

  By the time I reached the curb, he’d gotten out and opened the passenger side door.

  “Nice whip,” I said, getting in.

  He closed the door and walked around the front of the car.

  I took a deep breath and tried to remind myself that he was just a boy and I was just a girl and we were all just insecure teenagers inside like Carrie said.

  Most of all, though, I reminded myself to be pleasant. That was part of the deal, and since he obviously wasn’t going to go away, I needed to stop carrying on like a child who believed everything could be solved with a wall of silence.

  “Thanks for picking me up,” I said.

  “Thanks for giving me such good directions.”

  I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was in navy slacks and a crisp white shirt, looking even more tan than me, and the way his hand gripped the steering wheel sent my mind so far into the gutter I began to wonder how I was ever going to survive the night.

  “I thought we’d just grab dinner at the hotel,” he said as we pulled up to the first light. “Since seafood buffet night is my favorite.”

  I glared at him.

  He smiled, and I swear if the sun had been higher in the sky, it would’ve glinted off his teeth.

>   “Just kidding,” he said. “I’ve made special arrangements in order to respect your reasonable request.”

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded.

  “So where are we going?” I asked.

  “You’ll see,” he said. “It’s a surprise.”

  “Of course it is.”

  “What?” he asked. “You don’t like surprises?”

  “No,” I said. “Surprises are fine. I’m just used to small scale surprises like a bread basket I wasn’t expecting or a coupon for something I actually want at the grocery store.”

  “If that’s my competition, I feel pretty good.”

  When a familiar song started to flow out of the speakers, I asked if I could turn it up.

  “Of course,” he said, reaching for the volume control. “I love this song.”

  “Me too.”

  “You like Dire Straits?” he asked. “Or do you just like songs about Romeo and Juliet?”

  “Both, I guess.” I leaned back and let the wind whip my hair. “My hair is going to be a hot mess when we get wherever we’re going.”

  “Not to worry,” he said. “No one’s going to see it but me.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Is that a clue?”

  “Do you want a clue?”

  I nodded.

  “Then yeah. I suppose that is one.”

  “Is it a fancy place?” I asked. “Like with a fancy menu?”

  He pretended to think about it.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I realize that was two questions at once.”

  “The place is fancy, but the menu isn’t.”

  I squinted at him. “What will we drink with dinner at this fancy place with simple food?”

  “Wine,” he said, leaning back in his bucket seat. “Or champagne.”

  “Is there entertainment?”

  “Not unless you consider my sense of humor entertaining.”

  “That’s a no then.”

  He laughed.

  “Is there any chance I’ve been there before?”

  He pulled up at a stoplight. “Do you really want to count that as one of your questions?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  He turned to face me. “Because you should know by now that I’m not interested in taking you places you’ve been before.”