Читать книгу Substitute Seduction - Cat Schield - Страница 12

Three

Harrison arrived at The Front Porch ten minutes early and parked himself at the bar in easy range of the entrance to wait for London’s arrival. Since leaving her office that morning, he’d been half expecting she’d call to cancel. With each hour that passed, he’d grown increasingly confident that she wasn’t going to fight their mutual attraction. Yet now, as he counted down the minutes until she walked in, he found his stomach tying itself into anxious knots.

Her effect on him should’ve sent him running in the opposite direction. Already he suspected that they were at odds on several fundamental issues. For one thing, she wasn’t his type and it was pretty clear he wasn’t hers. She was elegant and aloof. Completely the opposite of the fun-loving ladies who hung out at the track, enjoyed drinking beer and weren’t afraid to get a little dirty.

He imagined she’d be bossy as hell in a relationship. Tonight was a good example. She’d chosen the time and place, taking control, making it clear if he wanted to play, it would be by her rules. Harrison smirked. She could make all the rules she wanted. He’d bend every one.

The restaurant’s front door opened, and before Harrison had fully focused on the woman on the threshold, his heart gave a hard jerk. For someone accustomed to facing near collisions at ridiculous speeds and regularly operating at high levels of stress for long periods of time without faltering, Harrison wasn’t sure what to make of the jolt London’s arrival had given him.

For the space of several irregular breaths as her gaze swept the restaurant in search of him, Harrison had the opportunity to take her in. She’d changed her clothes since their earlier meeting and looked stunning in a navy dress with a broad neckline that bared her delicate shoulders and the hollows above her collarbones. The material hugged her upper body, highlighting the curves of her breasts, before flaring into a full skirt that stopped at her knees. The dark color contrasted with the creamy tones of her pale skin and highlighted her blue eyes. She’d pulled her hair back into a loose knot at the base of her neck and left long strands of gold waves to frame her face. Her only jewelry was a pair of simple pearl earrings.

When she spotted him, her uncertain smile hit Harrison like lightning. His nerves buzzed in the aftermath as he made his way through the crowded bar toward her.

“You look gorgeous,” he murmured, cupping his fingers around her bare arm and leaning down to graze a kiss across her cheek.

Her body tensed at his familiarity, but her smile remained in place as he stepped back and looked down at her.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice neither breathless nor coy. She took in his jeans, light blue shirt and oatmeal-colored blazer. “You look quite dapper,” she said, reaching out to tug at the navy pocket square in his breast pocket.

“I’m glad you approve,” he said and meant it. “And I’m glad you were able to join me for dinner tonight.”

“You were kind to invite me.”

Niceties concluded, Harrison set his hand on her back and guided her toward the hostess. They were led to a table by the front windows overlooking King Street.

“Do you come here a lot?” Harrison asked after they were seated. He scanned the menu, which specialized in farm-to-table fare, and settled on the scallops with smoked yogurt, beets and pistachio.

“Actually, I’ve never been, but it’s one of Maribelle and Beau’s favorite places. They had their first date here and...it’s where he proposed.” Her eyes widened as if she realized what she’d implied. “They’re always going on and on about how good the food is. That’s why I picked it.”

“Can’t wait to see if they’re right.”

“So, you’ve never been here before?”

Harrison shook his head. “I don’t get out much.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“It’s true. I’m on the road so much of the year that when I do get home, I like to hole up and recharge.”

“You do?”

“Most of my time and attention is focused on cars and racing. Analyzing my competition, studying the track, figuring out how I can improve.”

“I did a little research on you and learned you’re a big deal in racing.” Bright spots of color appeared in her cheeks as he raised his eyebrows at her confession. “Lots of appearances and events.”

“All to promote Crosby Motorsports. I’m actually an introvert.” He could tell she wasn’t buying it.

“You can’t possibly be. You’re a fan favorite with a huge following.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I do my share of press events and meeting fans, but it isn’t what I enjoy. I’d much rather be tinkering with a car or hanging out with a few of my friends.”

She made a face. “I figured you would be out in the public, soaking up the accolades, enjoying your stardom.”

Her thorny tone made him frown. “You seem to have a very jaded view of me. Why is that?”

“It’s not you.” She moved her wineglass around in circles on the white tablecloth and seemed engrossed in the light refracted by the liquid. “I guess it’s what you do. I’ve spent a lot of time around sports stars and most of them love being celebrities. The adoring fans. The special attention they get wherever they go. It makes them act...entitled.”

Obviously her attitude had been formed during her relationship with Lincoln Thurston. As a professional baseball player, no doubt Thurston had enjoyed his share of the limelight. Harrison needed to convince her he and her ex-fiancé weren’t cut from the same cloth.

“Not all of them,” Harrison insisted.

“Most of them.”

“Was Linc that way?” He’d asked, even knowing that it was risky to probe for details about what might be painful for her.

“I don’t want to talk about him.” London’s brittle tone was a warning to Harrison that he should tread carefully.

Still, he needed to know where her head was at. “Because you’re still not over the breakup?”

How could she be? He’d done his own bit of research on her and discovered only a few months had passed since their two-year engagement ended.

“I am over it.” The bits of gold floating in London’s blue eyes flashed.

“Are you over him?”

She exhaled in exasperation. “We were together for three years.”

“So that’s a no?”

London’s expression hardened into a look that Harrison interpreted as back off. That wasn’t going to stop him. This woman was worth fighting for.

“I can’t imagine what having him break your engagement must have been like for you, but I am happy to listen if you want to dump on the guy.” He paused and then grinned. “Or the male gender as a whole.”

From her frown, he could see his offer had confused her.

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Because I think too many men suck in the way they treat women.”

“And you don’t?” Her earlier tension faded into skepticism.

“I’m sure you can find plenty of women who would complain about me.”

One corner of her lips twitched. “So what, then, makes you so different from all the other men out there?”

“Maybe nothing. Or maybe it’s the case that I don’t take advantage of people because I can. I’m not an entitled jerk like my brother can be all too often.” Harrison brought up Tristan to see how London reacted. She’d shown far too much interest in him at the party and Harrison wanted to understand why. “Tristan treats women like they’re his personal playground.”

“But until recently he’s been married. Are you insinuating he wasn’t faithful?” London’s interest intensified when Harrison shook his head. “I’ve never understood why men bother being in a relationship if they intend to cheat.”

Harrison recalled what his uncle Bennett had told him about Linc Thurston’s infidelity. London had every right to be skittish when it came to trusting any guy she perceived as having the same sort of fame and fortune as her ex-fiancé.

“It’s a social norm.”

London looked positively dumbstruck. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Harrison countered.

“What about love?”

“Not everyone believes in love. I don’t think my brother does. Tristan chose to marry a very beautiful, very young, woman who was passive and pliable. For eight years she satisfied his need for a decorative and docile companion.” Harrison recalled how Zoe’s spirit dimmed with each wedding anniversary. “Her only failure was in her inability to make my brother happy.”

“Why was that her responsibility?” London asked in surprise. “Isn’t marriage a partnership where you support each other?”

“Mine will be.” Harrison waited a beat to see how she absorbed that before continuing, “I think Zoe’s dissatisfaction with her role grew too strong to be contained. One thing about Tristan—he likes having his way and becomes a bear if events run counter to his preferences. I imagine him perceiving Zoe’s discontent as nothing he’d done wrong, but a failing on her part.”

London absorbed his assessment for several seconds before asking, “How close are you with his ex-wife?”

“I like Zoe. She’s quiet and subdued, but once you get to know her you see that she has a warm heart and a wry sense of humor.” He could go on extolling her virtues but decided to keep to his original purpose, which was to make sure London understood that Tristan wasn’t a good guy. “She deserved better than my brother.”

“I hope she appreciated having you as her champion.”

“I don’t know about that. If I’d been a better friend, I would’ve steered her away from marrying Tristan.”

“You might not have been able to do that. Sometimes we have to make our own mistakes. It’s the only way we learn.”

“Maybe, but some mistakes carry harsher consequences than others.”

London sat back and let her hands slide into her lap. She regarded him steadily with her keen blue eyes. “You aren’t what I expected.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“The jury is still out,” she said, an enigmatic smile kicking up the corners of her lips. “So, Mr. Introvert, what is it you enjoy besides cars and racing?”

“The usual guy stuff. Outdoor sports. Spending time with my friends. How about you? What do you do when you’re not working?”

She laughed. “Sleep and eat. Sometimes I get a massage or facial. I have a hard time unwinding.”

“Sounds like we’re both on the go a lot.”

“Like a shark. Swim or die.”

The phone in her purse chimed. She’d set the clutch on the table beside her plate and now made a face at it. “Sorry.” The tone repeated.

“Do you need to get that?”

“No.” She heaved a sigh. “I already know what it’s about.”

“That’s impressive,” he teased and was rewarded with a grimace.

“About this weekend...”

Something in her tone made him grin. “You’ve decided to accept my invitation to watch me race in Richmond.”

“I spoke with Maribelle,” she replied. “Both she and her fiancé are excited about your offer.”

Her carefully worded statement left room for interpretation. “What about you?”

“I’m not sure what I’m getting into, so I’m reserving judgment.”

“I guess that’s something,” he murmured, convinced he would win her over.

“We’re flying up Saturday morning,” she continued, ignoring his dry remark. “And Beau was wondering if you’d be able to get us into the pit. At least I think that’s what he wanted to know.”

“Absolutely.”

She’d been seated facing the restaurant’s entrance and suddenly her eyes went wide in surprise. Harrison drew a breath to ask what was wrong when she shifted her attention back to him and smiled brightly.

“You know...” she began, picking up her purse. “Maybe I should double-check the text to make sure nothing is amiss.” She gave a nervous half laugh. “The pitfall of being the boss is that I’m always on call. Excuse me, won’t you?”

And before Harrison could say anything, she’d fled the table, leaving him staring over his shoulder after her.

* * *

Everly Briggs strode along King Street, paying little attention to the restaurants, stores and bars clustered along the popular thoroughfare. Her entire focus was on the tall man she was following.

Linc Thurston appeared unaware of the stir he caused as he passed. Usually the professional baseball player paused to chat with fans he encountered, but tonight he seemed intent on reaching his destination.

Since Everly, London and Zoe had met at the Beautiful Women Taking Charge event, Everly had been actively pursuing whatever angle she could to take down Linc. From digging into all available gossip, Everly had gotten wind that the reason he’d broken off his engagement to London was that he’d started cheating on her with his housekeeper.

Once she’d determined that they weren’t just involved in a fling, but a full-blown, secret relationship, she determined this would be the best way to get revenge on him. At the moment she had plans in the works to expose the woman’s lies and sabotage her credibility. Linc would learn what it meant to be betrayed by someone he loved.

Of course, her plans would completely fall apart if she was wrong about the strength of his feelings for Claire Robbins, so Everly was doing a little spying to see if his cheating was a onetime event or if the man was a typical representation of his gender.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that Everly hadn’t noticed Linc had stopped walking until she drew within arm’s length. Jerking to a halt would be too obvious, so Everly was forced to sail on past. She did take note of what had captured his interest, however, and spotted London occupying a table beside the large window of The Front Porch. She was obviously having dinner with Harrison Crosby and the couple was engaged in some pretty serious flirting.

What the hell was London doing? She was supposed to be taking down Tristan Crosby, not dating his brother.

Everly’s irritation spiked as she reached the end of the block. By the time she turned the corner, she’d pulled out her phone. Pausing, she typed a text and sent it. Although the three women had agreed not to communicate to avoid their plotting being discovered, Everly simply had to confront London.

We need to meet—E

She tapped her foot as she waited for a response. Meanwhile she kept her gaze on King Street, expecting Linc to pass by at any second. She’d intended to continue her surveillance and it annoyed her that London’s behavior was forcing her to detour. When her phone didn’t immediately chime with an answer from London, Everly rapidly typed a second message.

I saw you having dinner tonight. What r u doing?

When London still didn’t answer, Everly knew she had no choice but to push the issue.

Linc had passed by while Everly had been typing her second text. Instead of following him, she doubled back to the restaurant. London sat facing the entrance and Everly made sure the woman noticed her enter. The two made brief eye contact before Everly headed toward the back, where the restrooms were located.

She entered the ladies’ room and was relieved to find the stalls empty. She approached the sinks and pulled her lipstick out. Fury made her hands shake. While she was here dealing with London, Linc was getting away.

By the time London pushed through the door, Everly was more than ready to let her have it.

“Why are you having dinner with Harrison Crosby?” she snarled, barely restraining the urge to shout in displeasure. “You’re supposed to be going after Tristan.”

“What are you doing here?” London countered, pitching her voice barely above a whisper. “We agreed the way this works is to not have any contact with each other. We can’t be seen together.”

“I came to find out why you’re going after the wrong brother,” Everly said, ignoring London’s objections.

London crossed her arms over her chest and glared back. “Did it ever occur to you that Harrison might be the best way for me to get close to Tristan?”

Everly let loose a disparaging noise. How could London possibly think she was buying that? It was obvious what was going on.

“It’s more likely that you find him attractive and plan on sleeping with him.” Based on the way London refused to meet Everly’s gaze, she’d hit it square on the head. “Do you have any idea how badly that could backfire?”

“Look,” London said, showing no sign of being convinced that her actions were flawed. “It’s none of your business how I handle my end of the bargain. You and I meeting like this could become a problem if anyone sees us together and it’s discovered that you were behind whatever happens with Linc.”

“Give me some credit,” Everly snapped. “No one’s ever going to find out I was the one behind what happens to him.”

“Regardless. We agreed this only works if we don’t have any contact with each other. So leave me alone.”

Before Everly could say another word, London flung open the bathroom door and exited.

For several long minutes Everly fumed. This situation with London and Harrison Crosby was a problem. Now she had to keep her eye on her own revenge scenario and make sure London stayed focused on their plan. And if London couldn’t do the job, then Everly would show her what happened when you turned your back on your friends.