Bachelor Unleashed

He didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him since, typically, he wasn’t the brooding type. He’d certainly never given a woman any lasting thoughts once things between them had ended. So why was he doing so now?

He walked over to the window and glanced out again. If the forecaster’s predictions held true, a snowstorm would be hitting the city by Sunday, and Xavier wished he could return to Charlotte before that happened. He could kiss that wish goodbye since he was due to remain in New York for another week or so.

He heard the door opening behind him and then an ultra sexy feminine voice said, “Here are the reports, Mr. Kane. Will there be anything else?”

He slowly turned around at the same time Vicki was smoothing her short skirt down her thighs, at least as much of them that could be covered. He was convinced if she were to bend over he would find out what color her panties were.

He had to admit her outfit looked fine on her, but did nothing for him, other than reminding him how inappropriate it was for the workplace. But then the same thing held true for the outfit she’d worn yesterday. One of his godbrothers, York, who lived in New York, had dropped by the office to take him to lunch and had mentioned a number of times during their meal how good he thought Vicki had looked. Apparently he was impressed with her attire.

“Yes, there will be something else,” Xavier replied to Vicki. As he spoke he watched lust flare in her eyes.

“Yes?” she asked, with anticipation flowing in her voice.

“Please have a seat.”

She lifted a brow. “A seat?”

“Yes.”

“In the chair?”

He inwardly smiled. Evidently she’d been hoping he meant spread-eagle on the desk. “Yes, Vicki, please sit in the chair.”

When she did so, the hem of her skirt barely covered her thighs. “Yes, Mr. Kane?”

“How old are you, Vicki?”

After probably trying to figure out why he was asking, she said, “I’m twenty.”

He nodded as he leaned against his desk. “And I understand you’re attending classes at the university at night and working for a temp agency part-time.”

She shifted in her seat to deliberately show more of a bare thigh. “Yes, that’s right. I’m hoping to get hired here full-time during the summer so I can qualify for an internship next fall.”

He wasn’t surprised to hear that. Cody Enterprises had several internship programs available. Going to college had been a financial hardship for Cameron, so he was a firm believer in assisting college students whatever way he could. The internship program he had in place was just one way of doing so.

“I see no reason why that can’t happen for you, other than for one.”

She looked surprised. “And what reason is that?”

“You need to improve your attire in the workplace.”

She actually looked offended. “I was told there wasn’t a dress code here.”

“There isn’t one per se. However, a person trying to move up in a company needs to care about the image she projects.”

She lifted her chin. “And just what kind of image am I projecting?”

“An image of someone who enjoys getting a lot of attention. You’ve become a distraction. Deliberately so. Every man in this building finds some excuse to come to this floor every day and your work is suffering because you’re spending more time entertaining than taking care of business matters. I’ve yet to get that report that was due yesterday.”

“It’s not my fault those guys drop by and take up my time.”

Xavier’s gaze roamed up and down her outfit. “Isn’t it?”

He didn’t say anything, wanting to give her time to consider everything he’d said. “That will be all for now, Vicki,” he finally said. “I hope we don’t have to discuss this issue again and I hope to have that report on my desk before I leave today.”

He took his seat behind his desk and watched her quickly leave the room. Moments later, while sitting staring into space, the truth hit him right between the eyes as to why he wasn’t attracted to other women. He hadn’t gotten Farrah out of his system.

Considering everything they’d shared for close to a year, that was understandable. Usually his affairs with women rarely lasted a couple of months. That was when the women began to get possessive, and Xavier had no interest in being tied down to one woman.

With Farrah things had been quite different. She’d never stamped a claim to any kind of ownership on him. He’d liked that. He’d liked her. And dammit, he missed her. He still wasn’t sure why she had ended things between them, but he did have a hunch.

They had started getting too comfortable with each other, had fallen into one of those relationship routines where they just couldn’t get enough of each other. That sort of addiction between two people was kind of scary since there was no telling where it could lead. Straight to their hearts was out of the question since falling in love was in neither of their plans. Still, the thought of doing something as drastic as ending things between them hadn’t crossed his mind.

He’d been perfectly satisfied with how things had been going. She didn’t ask for anything but gave everything. Hell, no woman could compare to her in the bedroom. And she had never questioned his activities when they weren’t together. But then in his mind she’d had exclusive rights as his bed partner, although he’d never given them to her verbally. It had been something understood between them. He’d known she hadn’t dated anyone else during the time he’d been her lover, and neither had he.

He reached for the report Vicki had delivered to him and, after flipping through a few pages, decided his concentration level wasn’t where it needed to be today. This was New York. There was no reason he couldn’t get back in the groove and begin enjoying life again. He had the phone number of a few ladies living here who were laid back and easy. The latter was the key word. He should give one a call, invite her to meet him somewhere for a drink. And then afterward, they could go to her place for a roll between the sheets. Hell, skip the drink, he would just go for the roll between the sheets. He hadn’t had sex with a woman since Farrah. What was he waiting on? Christmas?

He glanced over at his calendar. And speaking of Christmas … it was only three weeks away, so if he was waiting on Christmas, he didn’t have long, but he doubted his testosterone could last until then.

Xavier shrugged off the feeling that something was missing in his life. Instead, he thought about the woman he would pay a visit later tonight. Beth Logan was a flight attendant he’d met a couple of years ago and was a sure bet if she was in town. It wouldn’t bother her in the least that they hadn’t connected in over a year. She was known to be hot and ready whenever they got together in one of their uninhibited passionate romps.

He smiled. Yes, making a booty call tonight was definitely in order. All he needed was to stop somewhere to grab a bottle of wine, and he would be all set.

“So there you have it, Farrah,” Frank McGraw said, handing the file to her. “The judge recommended the women seek mediation before officially going to court.”

Farrah nodded as she scanned the file. She’d reviewed it already while on the plane from Charlotte since Frank’s secretary had faxed a copy to her that morning before her flight. The case was interesting. Two best friends from high school, Kerrie Shaw and Lori Byers, had started a line of cosmetics right after college, investing equally in the start-up. Lori had eventually lost interest when she married and became a mother. Kerrie, still single, had continued to make the business prosper and, with Lori’s blessings, had even moved things in another direction when she created an antiaging cream. Though Lori hadn’t been actively involved in the company in over ten years, her new husband wanted Kerrie to buy out Lori’s share at a percentage Kerrie felt was unreasonable, considering she was the one who’d made CL cosmetics into the mega-company it was today.

“So what do you think?” Frank broke into Farrah’s concentration to ask.

She glanced up. “Like all the others, I find this case interesting.”

“Well, you’re the best damn mediator this firm has. I’m just glad you were able to change your schedule to accommodate us.”

Farrah smiled. “What woman would turn down a chance to come to New York, especially in December? I plan to do some major holiday shopping while I’m here.”

Frank chuckled. “Good luck. Forecasters predict a snowstorm by Sunday. Personally, I think it might be before then. If that happens, you won’t get much shopping done.”

Farrah stood, stuffing the file into her messenger case. “Hey, no problem. If that happens, then I’ll stay in my hotel room with a bottle of wine and a good mystery novel and be just as happy. Then I’ll fly out as planned and return next week to wrap up things when the weather is more cooperative. When I return I’ll just tack on a few additional days for shopping and a Broadway show.”

Frank smiled. “That sounds nice.” He leaned back in his chair. The look in his eyes shifted from professional to predatory. “How about dinner tonight, Farrah?”

Farrah shook her head. She should have known the moment she mouthed the word bed that Frank wouldn’t waste time trying to get her into one. He’d been trying for a few years now and hadn’t given up yet. The man just didn’t get it, although she’d tried explaining it to him several times—and not even mincing her words while doing so. She thought her ex-husband had been scum, but Frank—who’d divorced his wife for the younger woman hired to nurse his wife after a near-fatal car accident—was no bargain either. Professionally, he was a skilled negotiator who deserved every penny of the six figures he made. As a man, he was as low on the totem pole as you could get. The only satisfaction she took was in knowing that eventually Frank’s second wife had dumped him for a younger man, but not before cleaning out his bank account.

“Thanks, Frank, but I don’t think so.”

“Not this time?”

“Not ever.”

“I won’t give up.”

“I wish you would,” she threw over her shoulder as she moved toward the door. She was determined to prove she was just as stubborn as he was persistent.

“Will you continue to hate all men because of what your ex-husband did to you, Farrah?”

She continued walking, thinking his question didn’t even deserve a response. She didn’t hate all men because of Dustin. She just knew what she did or didn’t want out of a relationship these days. Where she had once been the happily-ever-after kind of girl, the one who believed in white picket fences and everything that went along with it, she now knew that nothing was forever, especially a man’s love. She refused to look at things through rose-colored glasses ever again.

A few moments later Farrah caught the elevator down to the lobby and exited the Stillwell Building to step out onto the busy sidewalk. She loved New York and thought there was no place quite like it. She tilted her head back to look up at all the tall buildings. Being here was always so invigorating.

Times Square. This was the heart of Manhattan. She could pick up the scent of fresh baked breads, see all the digital billboards flashing bright lights and watch people move so fast that if you didn’t keep pace they would practically knock you over. For the few times a year she had to come here on business, she not only put up with it, she loved it.

Deciding not to take a cab since she wasn’t too far from the hotel, she looked forward to a brisk walk. One of her coworkers had taken her out for a prime rib lunch. It was so scrumptious she’d even loaded the baked potato with butter and sour cream. She pushed guilt aside because this was December, the one month she ate whatever she wanted. She’d jump on the weight loss train like everyone else the first of the year. This was the season to be merry, so what were some extra calories now?

She thought about the case she would be working this week. She loved her job as a mediator at Holland and Bradford and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. And as long as there were disputes to be ironed out, she would always be employed.

The reason her profession would remain in demand was because mediation was definitely less expensive than litigation, and in addition to the financial advantage, there was also the time saved. You didn’t have to wait on court time, the worry of witnesses disappearing on you, or people not remembering facts occurring years before. Also, the sooner you could resolve a dispute, the sooner people’s lives could get back to normal.

Lives getting back to normal …

A lot could be said for that, including hers. It had been six months since she and Xavier had ended things, and she was still trying to work him out of her system. It was as if she’d become addicted to the man. No matter how many times she’d washed her sheets, she couldn’t get his scent out of them. After a while, she’d stopped trying and just went to bed each night breathing him in.

But that wasn’t good because his scent reminded her of what they’d done between those sheets. She often dreamed about him, and in her dreams he did every single thing to her that he’d done while they’d been together and then some. More than once she had awakened the next morning with the covers tossed haphazardly on her bed and feeling like someone had ridden her all night. But that had only made her crave the real thing even more.

Breaking things off had been the right thing to do. She had begun anticipating his visits, wondering what he was up to during those days and nights he wasn’t with her, getting antsy when he didn’t call or acting like a bubbly sixteen-year-old when he did. Bottom line was that she had begun getting attached, and she’d sworn after Dustin that she would never get attached to another man again.

She tightened her coat around her, glad she’d worn boots because her toes were beginning to freeze. Seeing a wine shop ahead, she decided to stop in and make a purchase. There was nothing like a glass of wine to take the chill off. Besides, if it got too cold to venture out tomorrow, she would make good on what she’d told Frank. She’d stay in bed and enjoy the wine and the book she’d already purchased from a bookstore at the airport.

Farrah quickly opened the door to the wine shop and bumped into the person who was walking out. “Excuse me.”

“No problem.”

She snatched her head up. The sound of his voice and the scent of his cologne sent shock waves through her body. She gazed up into the man’s dark eyes, recognizing them immediately. “Xavier!”

Chapter 2

It was quite obvious to Farrah that Xavier was as surprised to see her as she was to see him. Had it been six months since they’d last communicated? Six months since she’d had the best sex of her life?

She could remember, just as if it had been yesterday, the last time he had taken her—hard. And how the mouth she was staring at now had inflamed every single inch between her legs while she’d held on to his wide shoulders and cried out her pleasure.

She forced that thought from her mind, not wanting to go there, although her body was defying her and doing so anyway. As if on cue, the tips of her nipples felt sensitive against her blouse and a telltale ache was making itself known between her legs.

“What are you doing in New York?” she asked, and then felt silly for doing so when she quickly recalled that Cody Enterprises had one of their offices here. Damn, he looked good, and seeing him again unnerved her, had her remembering just how he looked naked. He was wearing a full-length coat, but he didn’t have to remove the coat for her to know the suit he wore looked as if it had been tailored just for him, and probably had been.

And there was his masculine physique—tall, well-built with a broad chest, massive shoulders and tapered thighs. Yes, she especially remembered those thighs. He worked out regularly at the gym which accounted for him being in such great shape. He was a man who took care of himself. He certainly had taken care of her.

“I’m here working. What about you?” he asked, as a smile touched his lips.

She wished he wouldn’t smile. Seeing his mouth stretched wide was doing things to her. Making her remember other times he’d smiled at her and the reasons he’d done so. Like right after she’d licked him all over before taking him into her mouth.

“I’m working as a mediator for a case I’ve been assigned.” She glanced down at the wine bottle in the bag he was carrying in his hand, and immediately knew what it meant. He was on his way to make a booty call. Whenever he’d done so with her, he’d always showed up with a bottle of wine. She remembered that oh, so well.

“How have you been?” she heard herself asking, glancing back up at him while fighting off anger at the thought he had probably reverted back to his old ways fairly easily, when she’d found it difficult to get back to hers. She hadn’t slept with another man since him. The thought of doing so had turned her body off for some reason.

“I’ve been doing fine,” he replied. “What about you?”

“Great. Just busy.”

“Same here. How long will you be in New York?” he asked.

She wondered why he wanted to know. Did he not think this city was big enough for the both of them? That thought annoyed her. In fact, if she were to be honest with herself, she would admit to being annoyed with the whole split, although it had been her idea. A part of her hadn’t expected him to agree to it so easily. When he’d left that night, not once had he looked back. She knew that for certain because she had watched him from her bedroom window until he’d gotten into his car and driven off.

According to her best friend, Natalie, who was married to Xavier’s good friend Donovan, Xavier hadn’t asked about her once. He could have, even if for no other reason than to inquire how she was doing. For all he’d known, she could have fallen off the face of the planet.

“I’m scheduled to fly out on Friday, but if the parties involved in the case don’t reach a resolution by then, I’ll be returning to New York sometime next week. At least I hope to return, but that will depend on the weather. A snowstorm is supposed to be headed this way on Sunday,” she said.

“So I heard, but I’ll be here for another week, so if it does come, I’ll be here with it.”

Farrah nodded. “Well, I guess I’d better let you go. I wouldn’t want you late for your date.”

Too late she wished she could bite off her tongue. Had she just sounded like a jealous ex? She hoped not because it shouldn’t matter one way or the other if he was on his way to see another woman.

“Who said I had a date?”

He asked the question in a deep, husky voice, which stirred something within her. She found the tone just as mesmerizing as his scent, which was all male. His signature cologne certainly knew how to make a woman hot and bothered. And then there was the way he was looking at her, with those gorgeous dark eyes of his, as if he knew he was making her panties wet.

She shrugged as she glanced back down at the wine bottle in the bag he was holding. “I just assumed you had one.”

“I will if you’ll have dinner with me.”

She lifted a brow. “Dinner?”

“Yes. There are several restaurants around here. We can get caught up. I’d like to know how you’ve been doing since the last time I saw you.”

He really didn’t want to know, Farrah thought. He didn’t need to know. It was best if they didn’t go there. But, heaven help her, she would like to know what he’d been doing since the last time she saw him. “You sure you want to do that?”

“Why not? I see no reason why we shouldn’t. I’d like to think, although we’re no longer lovers, we’re still friends.”

Friends? Could two people go from being lovers to friends? After all, they’d shared a bed off and on for close to a year, longer than some people remained married.

She met his gaze, and the eyes looking deep into hers were robbing her of the ability to think straight. Instead she was overcome with memories of a satisfied woman, stretched out naked on a bed. And that woman was her. At least it had been her when they’d been together.

“So, since we’re here in New York together, the least we can do is share dinner,” he added in that resonant voice that could make her want to toss her panties to the wind any time and any place.

But then she knew that wasn’t all he could make her toss to the wind. Her ability to resist his potent male charm topped the list. He already had the wine, so all he needed was a willing woman to share his bed … or for him to share hers.

Farrah drew in a deep breath as she thought about his invitation. Didn’t she turn down Frank’s invitation to dinner less than an hour ago? Why shouldn’t she turn down this one as well? She really should, but for some reason, she couldn’t fix her mouth to do that.

Going to dinner with him wouldn’t be a big deal unless she made it one. And she wouldn’t. She could handle it. And there was no reason why she couldn’t handle him. He was just a man who’d been a past lover. And it was only dinner, and it didn’t necessarily mean she would do anything foolish like sleep with him again. No way. No how.

“I’d love to join you for dinner, Xavier, but I’d like to go back to the hotel and change first.”

“All right. What’s the name of your hotel? I’ll swing by and pick you up later. Let’s say within the hour.”

“I’m staying at the Waldorf Astoria.”

She tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach when he smiled and said, “It’s right up the street. Why don’t I walk you there now and hang in the lobby while you change.”

Farrah shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that. I’m sure you—”

“I don’t mind waiting. I have some work I need to look over anyway,” he said, lifting up his briefcase. “That would be easier than for me to go all the way to my home on Long Island and then come back,” he added.

She knew in addition to the home he owned in Charlotte, he also had residences here in New York, Los Angeles and Florida. “You sure?” she asked.

“Positive.”

“Okay, then, give me a minute to buy my wine.”

“Sure.”

At least he hadn’t said anything about her sharing his, which meant after dinner there was still that possibility he would make one of his infamous booty calls to some woman. Why did she care? And why did the thought irk her?

She figured he would wait to the side for her to make her purchase. She hadn’t counted on him following her when she walked up to the counter. And when he stood directly behind her, she could actually feel heat emanating from his body to hers. She was sure she’d felt it … or was she just imagining things?

She shook off the thought. Just the very idea that she had run into him—in New York of all places—was enough to torment her in one way and make her giddy in another. It wouldn’t be so bad if she hadn’t thought of him often. She had missed him, and although she would never admit such a thing to him, she would and could admit it to herself.

After making her purchase, she turned around to Xavier and smiled. “Thanks for waiting.”

“No problem.”

As they left the wine shop to head over to her hotel, she silently kept reminding herself that her days of lusting after Xavier had ended six months ago. Still, every time she felt his gaze on her she couldn’t help but wonder if accepting his invitation to dinner had been a smart move after all.

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