Captivate her: Laws of Seduction Book 1, page 11
James is no longer beside me, but I can smell coffee brewing. Dragging myself up, I use the bathroom and brush my teeth before heading out to the kitchen to find James. He is not in the kitchen, so I pour myself a cup of coffee and walk out to check out the view of the ocean. I find James sitting on the deck under a shade umbrella, scrolling on his smart phone. When he hears me, he glances up and looks me over thoroughly. Seemingly satisfied, he gives me a crooked smile. “Good morning, sleepy head.”
I feel myself flushing. “How late is it?”
James laughs at my worried tone. “Just before ten.”
“Oh no, I didn’t mean to sleep the morning away.”
“Come here.” I walk over to James, and he pulls me down onto his lap. “I was just teasing. We’re not on a schedule. This is supposed to be relaxing. You know – a day off.”
“Have you been up for long?”
“No, not long. Do you feel like a swim?”
I give him an excited smile. “Absolutely.”
James laughs. “Why do I get the feeling that you were born part mermaid?”
My mind flashes briefly to the years when I wouldn’t go near any kind of water. Pushing away my dark thoughts, I tilt my head to the side and shrug my shoulders. “What can I say? I’ve always loved the water.” I try to wiggle off his lap, but James holds me tight. “Where are you going?”
“I need to go get ready.”
“What do you mean? You are ready.” James says while stripping off my t-shirt. Lifting me into his arms, James carries me over to the edge of the pool. “I thought you understood that the dress code around here is no swimsuit allowed.” With that pronouncement he tosses me into the pool. I let out a shriek as the cold water hits me. I am so going to get him back for this. Sputtering, I swim to the edge of the pool. “Of all the underhanded, dirty tricks,” I toss up at him. He has the audacity to stand with his hands on his hips grinning down at me.
“You are so cute when you are riled.”
I scowl back at him before smoothing out my expression. Holding my hand up out of the water, I smile sweetly. “Could you give me a hand getting out?”
He laughs even harder. “I’m not falling for that one.”
“Oh, whatever,” I huff, scowling back at him again. My annoyance soon dissipates as I turn to look at the ocean view and breathe in the fresh sea air. I hear a splash behind me as James dives in. He swims up behind me and wraps his arms around me. “Am I forgiven?”
“I would feel better if you had let me pull you in.”
“I’ll remember that for next time.” I have no response to that. All I can think of is that James said there would be a next time. There is nothing I would like more than a repeat of this weekend with James – minus the drowning trauma, of course.
After we swim for a while, we get out and shower. We pack up our stuff, and James tells me that he has a surprise for me before we drive back to the city. He only tells me to wear a swimsuit. I put on my light green bikini again and a pair it with a pair of white shorts. It is a gorgeous summer day in the Hamptons, and I am in a surprisingly lighthearted mood after the drama of last night. James drives us to a marina. We park and walk past a pool and tennis court before reaching the boat slips, where yachts are lined up. Most are medium-sized yachts, but there are some smaller ones too as well as a couple mega-yachts. James leads me to a sporty looking boat and gestures me aboard. I look at him questioningly. “We’re going out on a boat?”
“A thirty-four-foot Atlantis to be exact,” he says with a grin.
The boat is sleek and beautiful. It also looks like it was made for speed. I turn to James with a wide grin. “Can I steer it?”
He looks taken aback. “Have you ever piloted a boat before?”
“My brothers have taken me out a few times, but not on anything as big as this.” I look around curiously.
“Come on. Let me show you around.” James guides me to the pointed bow of the boat, which is made for sunbathing. There is also a large seating and dining space in the aft area. James shows me how the seating area converts into a sun pad. Below that is another large V-shaped seating area in cream with muted beige accents. This space can be converted into sleeping quarters, James says.
“Is this Rex’s boat?” I ask, turning around in a circle to admire all the amenities that adorn the compact space.
“Nope, this baby is all mine.”
I snap my eyes back to James. “You own this?”
He just gives me a dimpled smile and a little shrug of his shoulders. “What can I say – you know I like toys.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “Trains, cars, and now boats.” Looking at the sofas thatpull out to make beds, I ask, “Have you ever slept here?” I blush when I realize what I have just said. It sounded like I was asking about his past girlfriends.
James just smiles at me knowingly. “No, I mainly use her for day trips.”
We hear a voice from the deck and walk up to find a woman dressed in chef’s whites holding a basket. “Ah, there you are,” she says, giving us a smile. “Here is the brunch you ordered. Please drop the basket back at the restaurant when you are done.” She hands the heavy-looking basket to James and steps back off the boat.
James sets down the basket. “Let’s get going.” Bending down, he unties the line holding the boat to the slip and throws it back towards the pier. I follow him as he moves to the pilot’s seat and starts the engine. We maneuver past the boat slips and are soon gliding out on the open water. The sunlight dances on the water, and I am glad that I have my sunglasses. James seems to be in his element as he opens up the throttle, and we speed up to a breakneck pace.
I hold on tightly to the rail and look up at James, who is more devastatingly handsome than usual with his windswept hair and boyish grin. “How fast will she go?”
“She can get up to 32 knots.” James eyes me challengingly. “You still want to give it a try?”
I nod back with enthusiasm. James slows down as he gives me directions on the controls. Under James’s tutelage I am soon piloting the boat. A feeling of exhilaration washes over me at being in control of such a large, powerful vessel, and I whoop with excitement. James laughs at my exuberance and practically has to wrest the controls back from me. “Come on, daredevil. I’m starving and want to eat what’s in that basket.” I show him a pouty face, letting him know that I am not cool with him stopping all the fun, but he just laughs harder.
I find that I am also starving, and we both attack the contents of the picnic basket with relish. There is fresh fruit and freshly baked bread with several spreads, meats, and cheeses. The highlight is the mini quiches with the lightest, flakiest crust I have ever eaten. James makes mimosas light on the champagne since we are piloting the boat. Once again James insists that I slather on sunscreen. Even so, I know that I am looking more sun kissed than at the beginning of the weekend. We lounge on the boat, talking sporadically as the waves rock us back and forth.
“You know the first time I saw you wasn’t on the LIR train.”
James looks at me with surprise. “It wasn’t?”
“Nope.”
“Are you going to enlighten me?”
I give him a lazy smile. “I was one of the law symposium participants and listened to your talk on Negotiating.”
I can’t make out his expression under his shades, but I can tell I have surprised him. “Why didn’t you say anything on the train?”
I laugh. “I was going to, but then I heard you talking on the phone calling the law symposium guests idiots. At least that is what I think I heard.”
James scrunches his head in concentration. “I can’t remember much about the symposium except for the fact that I was there under duress. Oh, and Lawrence Tucker was there. I hate that guy.”
“Oh my God. Lecherous Larry. I spent the entire symposium avoiding him. I feel sorry for the women working in his firm. I’ve never met a man like that. I swear he had the arms of an octopus.”
James raises his eyebrows in silent question. “An octopus?”
“Yea, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. It amazes me that he hasn’t had some kind of sexual harassment case brought against him.”
James bristles. “Did he touch you?”
I shrug. “Just enough for me to know to stay out of his way. I was sitting at the back of the auditorium during your talk so that I could avoid him.”
“The next time I run into Tucker he’s going to wish he had kept his hands to himself.” I can’t help smiling at his disgruntled tone.In the late afternoon, we head back to the marina. Monday morning is approaching quickly. I try to push back the Sunday night blues which are trying to spoil my good mood.
All too soon we are sitting in James’s car on our way back to Manhattan. James hands me his iPod and asks me to pick out some music. I am looking for something upbeat when my cell phone rings. Pulling it out of the bag, I see that it is my brother Jett, who lives in Taiwan. “Hi.”
“Hey, counselor. How’s it shakin’?”
I roll my eyes. My brothers, Jarod and Jett, constantly tease me about becoming a lawyer like the both of them. “Everything’s good. What time is it there? Isn’t it kind of early to be so cheerful?”
“It’s about 7 am. I just got up, so I’ll probably hit the gym before heading out to work. I guess it’s evening there.”
“Yes, I’m just coming back from the Hamptons.”
“With Mark?”
Although it is a simple question, the way he enunciates the k at the end of Mark’s name makes it sound like an insult. “No.”
“With someone new then?”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “Yes.” Brothers can be such pains I think while waiting for the teasing to begin. There is a beat of silence, but then, luckily, he changes gears.
“Oh well, I don’t want to interrupt your romantic getaway. I just called to let you know that it looks like I will be in New York for work for a couple of weeks in September.”
“Really? That’s great. I would love to see you. Do you need a place to stay?”
“Thanks for the offer, but they are putting me up in a hotel. It should be pretty swanky.”
“That sounds nice.”
“So, how are they treating you over there at Houghton Mills?”
“It’s good.” I give James a sidelong look. I don’t want to talk about work with him sitting there. “I can let you know all the gory details when you get here.”
He laughs. “I remember my first job. It can be pretty intense with the workload. Don’t let them give you any shit, and my advice is to push back when you feel like it is too much. They should be able to work with you, and besides, they will be lucky to keep an asset like you.”
I didn’t know what to say to this uncharacteristic compliment. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“You’re in the big leagues now, baby. My little sister the lawyer.”
“You sound a bit incredulous,” I say affronted.
“Not a bit. Just proud.”
I harrumph into the phone and Jett laughs. “No need to be so sensitive. Listen, I’ve got to get going if I’m going to make it to the gym. I will just e-mail the dates and details of where I will be staying. Maybe we can get Jarod to drag his ass to the city one weekend, and we can have a little family reunion.”
I smile. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll look for your e-mail. Bye.”
We hang up and I glance over at James, who seems tense. Looking through the windshield, I note that although there is a lot of traffic moving back to the city, it is moving steadily. He’s not mad because I took a call, is he? “I hope you don’t mind that I took that call. It was my brother, and he doesn’t call often, so I wanted to be sure there wasn’t some kind of emergency.”
I watch as James’s jaw relaxes, and he turns his head briefly to flash a smile at me. “Do you have many siblings?”
“I have two older brothers who are both lawyers and one younger brother.”
“That’s a lot of brothers.”
“Well, my family is not that typical. My older brothers were a result of my father’s first marriage, and they are ten years older than me. My little brother is with my father’s current wife.”
“Which wife was your mother?”
“She was wife number two. He’s on wife number four now. How about you? Do you have any siblings?”
“Nope. I’m an only child.”
I nod my head in understanding. “I was like an only child in many ways, since my brothers were older. They also spent more time with my father, since their mother was pretty much out of the picture. During my father’s third marriage, they preferred living with my mom and me. Wife number three wasn’t that well liked. She also didn’t last all that long.” I pause and take a deep breath. “I’m sorry; I don’t mean to ramble on and on. It’s all very dysfunctional, and I could spend hours explaining it all.”
“So your brother’s visiting you?”
“Yea, Jett works for CB&G in their Taiwan office. They are sending him here for a few weeks in September.”
“Your brother’s name is Jett Hart?”
“Yes, I am the only one not stuck with a J name. My brothers are Jarod, Jett, and Jake.” Looking over at James, I am startled to see his jaw tensed again. I am surprised at his moodiness, since he appeared so relaxed the whole weekend. Maybe it is the stress of having to start work again in the morning.
I realize that we haven’t made any plans to see each other again, and my spirits sink. If we are keeping our relationship quiet at work, we probably won’t be seeing much of each other. To dispel my gloomy thoughts, I pick up James’s iPod and choose some music for the rest of the trip back to Manhattan.
The miles speed by. Before I am ready for the weekend to end, we are pulling up in front of my building. As soon as we stop, James hops out of the car to retrieve my luggage. Since it is getting late, I decline his offer to carry my bag up, but once inside my apartment I wish that I had taken him up on his offer. I am feeling oddly deflated after our rather impersonal goodbyes.
CHAPTER 18
The next morning comes too soon. Although I am excited that it is Friday, I can’t help but compare this Friday to last. I have my doubts that this weekend will live up to the glorious weekend I had with James. Thinking about James depresses me further, and I am determined to have a good time on my date tonight. I shower before heading into the kitchen to find Sam pouring two cups of coffee. We rush around frantically trying to get ready on time. We leave at the same time, and it is nice to have company on my commute. We hoof it to the subway and then pack ourselves into overcrowded subway cars. Luckily, I only have to ride for a couple of stops. I give Sam a wave as I get off at my stop with her advice of rebound sex ringing in my ears. She plans on spending a lot of time with Dylan this weekend, but she makes me promise to call and let her know how my date with Davis goes.
The morning goes well. I even manage to get a fair amount of work done. I am thinking about going down to the deli to grab a sandwich for lunch when I feel a presence at my desk. I glance up to find James standing there. Looking around furtively, I see that there is no one else around. “What are you doing here?” I hiss at him ungraciously.
He ignores my outrage and places both hands on my desk, leaning in more closely with his body. “Lainey, I need to talk to you.”
I am speechless, flabbergasted really. Who does he think he is? He ignores me the entire week, flirts with other women, and then comes over to my desk and demands that we talk. He must have sensed my fury, because he straightens away from my desk.
I take a deep calming breath and pin him with a furious glare before hissing, “This is not a good time.”
James looks around the office before grabbing my arm and pulling me up out of my chair and down the hall into his office. I am relieved that there is no one around to witness this spectacle. James lets go of me to turn back and close the door. I fold my arms over my chest and glare at him. He stands in front of me eyeing me speculatively. Finally, I crack. “Well, now that you have me in here what do you have to say to me?”
“I can’t talk to you when you are like this,” he states calmly.
“What? Pissed off?” I fling at him. His cool composure in the face of my fury just makes me madder, and I tap my foot with impatience.
Before I realize what is happening, James grabs my crossed arms and twists them behind my back before slamming his mouth onto mine. I shake my head back and forth to dislodge him. He tightens one of his hands around my wrists and brings his other hand up to hold my head still. I open my mouth to try and say something, and he takes full advantage, thrusting his tongue into my mouth. I struggle at first, but then my body betrays me. His kiss feels so right, and I have missed his mouth on mine. I find myself responding with a wildness that shocks me. He releases my hands to touch me everywhere his hands can reach, and I arch my back into him. Finally, he pulls back from the kiss, although his arms stay wrapped around me. “Jesus, Lainey.”
I take a deep shuddering breath at the tenderness I hear in his voice. “Why did you do that?”
“I wanted to calm you down.” He reaches down and grasps my hand. His beautiful blue eyes search mine, but I refuse to buckle under his sexual magnetism and charisma.
I step back shrugging out of his arms. My body is telling me to jump back into them and make love to him like never before, but I firmly squelch the impulse. I close my eyes briefly to regain my equilibrium then look back up at him. “What is it you would like to talk about?” I ask him as calmly as I can manage.
James shoves his hand through his hair and looks pained. “Us.”
I scoff. “There is no us, and I certainly don’t want to discuss anything with you in the office.”
“I know.”
I swear my heart skips a beat. Is he referring to there being no us or that we shouldn’t discuss things in the office? I am afraid to ask. “I’m going back to my desk now.”
At first I think he is going to object. After a slight hesitation, James acquiesces. “Alright.” He opens the door and I walk out passing Dennis Belinsky, who steps past me into the office. James closes the door behind me. I cannot help myself from standing there as I hear Dennis’s loud voice through the door. “That girl is fucking hot. I wouldn’t mind tapping that. Did you see her ass?”
