“I will always appreciate our time together, and if you ever need me for anything, you know how to reach me. Don’t ever hesitate to call, all right?”

Farrah nodded. “All right. Thanks.”

He cupped her chin in his hand before leaning down and capturing her mouth in a kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. His tongue tangled with hers, eliciting all kinds of lust that began rushing through her veins in a matter of seconds.

When he finally released her mouth and stepped back, she eased back down to the edge of the bed to watch him get dressed. He slid his jeans back over his muscular thighs before readjusting his briefs. She studied the bulge in his crotch, the object that had given her so much pleasure over the past year. It was still hard, thick and so engorged it practically seemed ready to explode.

Desire thrummed through her body as she remembered how good he felt inside of her, how good he tasted, and she quickly decided there was no use letting a good opportunity go to waste.

“Xavier?”

He glanced over at her as he buttoned his jeans. “Yes?”

“How about one more for the road?”

Dear Reader,

When I first introduced Xavier Kane in Risky Pleasures (Vanessa Steele and Cameron Cody’s love story), I was already imagining the kind of love interest he would have. Then, while writing Intimate Seduction (Donovan’s story) and introducing Farrah (Natalie’s best friend), I knew I had found the woman for Xavier.

Bachelor Unleashed is Xavier and Farrah’s story. It’s a love affair started in Intimate Seduction, where hints were given as to where things were headed in Bachelor Untamed. Both have reasons for not wanting to become involved in a serious relationship, but when it comes to true love, this couple finds out that they can only follow their hearts.

And don’t worry if you haven’t read any of the previous books—this is a wonderful stand-alone story, as well.

I hope you enjoy reading Xavier and Farrah’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Happy reading!

Brenda Jackson

About the Author

BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and Gerald, her husband of thirty-eight years, live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.

A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a retiree from a major insurance company and now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write to Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA or her e-mail address, WriterBJackson@aol.com, or visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.

Bachelor
Unleashed
Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To the love of my life,

Gerald Jackson, Snr.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Sharon Beaner, who took the time to enlighten me about the job of a mediator.

This one is especially for you.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.

—Luke 6:38

Prologue

There was nothing a woman was left wanting before, during and after making love with Xavier Kane. And Farrah Langley was caught now in the throes of one of those heated, satisfying moments.

She had known she was in for a sensual treat the minute she’d opened the door to him earlier. With a bottle of wine in his hand, he’d stood there looking sexier than any man had a right to look, arriving for what had become known as one of his infamous booty calls. Now with three orgasms behind her in less than an hour and her body climbing greedily toward a fourth, she reached the conclusion that Xavier Kane was a pleasure-producing maniac.

They were in the middle of her bed, on top of the covers, naked, soaked in perspiration, their limbs entwined, their bodies connected, making out like sex-deprived addicts who couldn’t get enough of each other. It was always this endless need that drove them out of control and over the edge. Something about the feel of his hot, sweaty flesh rubbing against hers as he thrust in and out of her body made her g-spot literally weep.

The room exuded the scent of raw sex, the aroma of a virile man, and she was drenched in the fragrance of a deeply satisfied woman. A woman who was his most willing partner and was doing everything to keep up with him. The man’s sexual appetite was voracious, and he delivered just as much as he procured. She had no complaints, just compliments. Xavier definitely knew how to conduct business in the bedroom.

It was storming outside, and they were having their own monsoon inside. Only with him did she experience such a downpour of torrential sensations, such a deluge of emotions … some she knew were best kept under wraps. But he had a way of pulling them out of her anyway. He had the ability to make her want things she was better off not having. More than once with him she’d let her guard down, allowed her body’s own greedy wants and needs to betray her, which was a transgression that could cost her.

It was nearly two years since her divorce from Dustin Holloway had become final. Dustin, her college sweetheart, a man she had vowed to always love. A man who’d vowed to love her forever as well. But four years into their marriage she’d begun noticing things. Like him wearing a scent that wasn’t hers. Him moaning out a strange name during sex, and him sneaking out of bed in the wee hours of the night to make private calls on his cell phone.

She had finally confronted him, and without any remorse, he’d confessed that for the past two years he’d been living a double life. He not only had a mistress but also a child, and he wanted a divorce to marry the other woman and be a father to his daughter.

It had taken a full year for the hurt to go away, and she would admit remnants of it still lingered, making her cautious, wary and adamant even at twenty-seven years of age never to give her heart to another man again.

“Let your pleasure rip for me now, Farrah.”

Xavier’s deep, husky command struck a delicious chord, sent sensuous shivers up her spine, sank deep into her sensitive flesh and touched her everywhere, especially at the juncture of her thighs where their bodies were joined.

She forgot everything except how he was making her feel. Her body fragmented into a cascade of gratifying prisms that ran from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. She was flooded with more sensations than she could sink her teeth into … so she sank them into him, biting his shoulder as she found herself drowning in total and complete sensual abandonment.

It was then that he skillfully lifted her hips in order to thrust deeper into a spot he always reserved for last. Her legs tightened around his waist, and she released one hellacious scream as pleasure tore through her.

Farrah was convinced his ear drums were damage-proof, just as she figured the power and strength of his erection should be patented. While she let go and continued to take one merciless fall into ecstatic oblivion, she knew the moment the sexual tension that had been building inside him popped, and with it went his control. His body responded to hers, and following her lead, he went off the deep end. His thrusts became harder, stronger, went deeper, and his hold on her tightened as she locked him between her thighs. And then came the Xavier Kane growl that pierced the air and only made her want him even more.

“Xavier, please. More.”

And he continued to give her more, giving in to her shameless plea. Heat built as he stroked her while pushing her thighs apart with his knee to go even deeper. His thrusts were the strokes of rapture, and the skill with which he was delivering them was the pinnacle of pure sensual delight. They were what continued to spark that foolishness in her head that whispered what they were sharing was more than just great sex. It was about a man and woman so in tune to each other’s wants and needs, so in harmony to each other’s desires that practically anything—a touch, a lick, a breathless groan—nipped at their nerve endings and pushed them to this.

As she continued to tumble over the edge, she didn’t want to be reminded that he’d become her weakness, nor that she’d made a decision as to how she would handle it. As much as she preferred not taking such drastic actions, her decision was one that couldn’t be helped. Not if she wanted to retain her sanity and peace of mind. And she couldn’t put it off any longer.

Tonight she would end things between them.

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She didn’t want to dwell on all the pleasurable lovemaking hours she would be giving up. She would just have to learn to deal with it.

For now she wanted nothing more than to keep falling into the most sensuous waters a woman’s body could plunge.

Xavier reluctantly eased out of Farrah’s body, sighed deeply and then slid out of bed. The first thing he noticed was that it was no longer storming outside. Calm had settled over the earth.

The second thing he noticed was the absence of Farrah’s even breathing, which meant even after all those powerful orgasms she was still awake. Usually she would have fallen into an exhausted sleep.

He glanced over his shoulder and met her hazy gaze and thought he saw two things in the dark depths of her eyes—regret and resolve.

“We need to talk, Xavier,” she said softly.

For some reason he didn’t like the sound of that. Usually when a woman informed a man they needed to talk right after they’d made love it meant she had a bomb to drop. The first crazy notion that ran through his mind was that she was going to tell him that somehow, although she was on the pill and he always wore a condom, she’d gotten pregnant. The chances of that happening were probably less than one percent, but it was the one percent that had him feeling kind of nervous right now.

He studied her features and thought, as he always had, that she was an utterly beautiful woman who wore that “just made love to” look well. And just the thought that he’d given her that look, dressed her in it real good, sent primitive shivers of male pride and possessiveness down his spine. Hell, if he was a cave man, he would be beating on his damn chest about now.

“Let me take care of things in the bathroom first and then I’ll be right back,” he said. And with every step toward the bathroom he couldn’t help wondering what this discussion would be about.

If she was going to inform him that he was going to be a daddy, the thought didn’t send him into panic for some reason. He was thirty-two, closer to thirty-three if you wanted to be more specific, and he was pretty well-off, so he could handle child support payments without breaking a sweat, just as long as a woman didn’t try taking him to the cleaners. He knew, after being Farrah’s lover for almost a year, that she was not the greedy type.

Except for when they were in bed. Between the sheets, her sexual appetite could just about rival his. But he had no complaints. And he knew that, like him, she had this thing about commitments. They’d both gotten burned once, he with an ex-girlfriend and she an ex-husband, so a no-strings affair was all they’d ever wanted from each other.

They hadn’t meant for things to last as long as they had. He’d been with her longer than any other woman … except Dionne Witherspoon. However, he refused to go there tonight. He would not think about the woman he’d fallen in love with while attending law school at Harvard. Dionne had only sought out his affections so he could provide the help she needed for her law exams. Once she aced them all, she had dropped him like a hot potato.

Xavier returned from the bathroom a short while later accepting there was a strong possibility that, regardless of whether he and Farrah wanted to play the commitment game or not, they would be forced to do so if she was pregnant. After all, he much preferred being a real father to his child rather than just a child support check. He wanted to be the type of parent to his child that his father had been to him. Benjamin Kane had been a top-notch dad. He still was.

Instead of getting back in bed, Xavier picked up his jeans and slid into them, then he eased down in the wingback chair across the room from the bed. He had followed Farrah’s lead. She was no longer naked but was wearing a robe. It was short and showed a lot of thigh. He thought she had luscious thighs, the kind a man loved to hold on to and ride. Farrah Langley made any man with red hot testosterone appreciate being a man. Hell, he was getting another hard-on just looking at her.

“Tonight was it for us, Xavier.”

He pulled his gaze from her thighs to her face, not sure he had heard her correctly. He stared at her for a long, silent moment, and when he saw the regret and resolve he’d caught a glimpse of earlier, he asked, “What did you say?”

She sat down on the side of her bed to face him. “I said, tonight was it.”

He fought to keep back the shock from his face. “It?”

“Yes. We started this thing between us almost a year ago, longer than either of us intended. It was never meant to last more than a couple of months, if even that.”

He nodded, knowing that much was true. For him the practice of self-preservation was a way of life. He abhorred emotional involvements of any kind. He and Farrah had established the boundaries up front, basically on that first night.

And he could recall that first night well …

They had met at the Racetrack Café, a popular hangout here in Charlotte. He’d been there with a close friend by the name of Donovan Steele, and Farrah had been with her best friend, Natalie Ford. Before the night was over, Donovan and Natalie had paired off and so had he and Farrah. He’d thought she was ultrabeautiful, hot. There had been something about her that had immediately made his mouth water, his tongue tingle, and he’d known from the jump that he wanted some of her. And he had been able to tell from her body language that the feeling was mutual.

A few nights later he had shown up at her front door with a bottle of wine in his hand and a hard-on in his pants. She had opened the door and let him in, fully aware of the nature of his visit. And things had been that way between them since. No commitment, just great sex.

And now she wanted to end things.

Before he could fix his mouth to ask why, she said in a teasing voice that he really didn’t find amusing, “I wouldn’t want to threaten your standing as a member of that club.”

He knew exactly what club she was referring to. It was one he and his five godbrothers had formed a few years ago—the Bachelors in Demand Club. They were men who enjoyed their single lives with no plans of settling down. All six of them had their own issues with commitment and were basically guarding their hearts. Now there were only five of them left, since one of his godbrothers, Uriel Lassiter, had gotten married last year.

“Donovan and Natalie’s wedding reminded me of all the reasons why I don’t want to be seriously involved with anyone again,” she went on to add.

He drew in a deep breath. As much as he preferred things continuing between them for a little while longer, the decision to split now was hers to make, and he respected that. And then maybe she was right. Things had lasted longer than either of them had planned, and things were beginning to get too complacent between them. Hell, he could recall speeding away from Uriel’s wedding reception like a mad man trying to make it to her place. And wasn’t it just last weekend they had literally burned the sheets off the bed at the Ritz-Carlton in New York after Donovan and Natalie’s wedding reception?

He didn’t need a rocket scientist to see that things could start getting serious between them if they weren’t careful. She had the ability to unleash feelings within him he preferred staying locked away. So maybe they should make a clean break before things got messy and complicated. Those were two words he didn’t like having in his vocabulary.

He eased out of the chair and stood. “Hey, no problem. It was nice while it lasted, sweetheart.” He not only meant that from the bottom of his heart, but also from the head of his penis that was already swelling in protest with his words. He was definitely going to miss sharing all those bedroom hours with her.

“You do understand, right?”

“Of course I do,” he said, ignoring the tightening in his chest. He slowly crossed the room and reached out and pulled her into his arms. “I will always appreciate our time together and if you ever need me for anything, you know how to reach me. Don’t ever hesitate to call, all right?”

Farrah nodded. “All right. Thanks.”

He cupped her chin in his hand before leaning down and capturing her mouth in a kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. She thought being a good kisser was just another quality he possessed. His tongue tangling with hers elicited all kinds of lust that began rushing through her veins in a matter of seconds. It didn’t take much to get her wet again.

When he finally released her mouth to step back, she eased back down on the edge of the bed to watch him dress. He slid his jeans back down his tight, muscular thighs before grabbing his briefs to put them on. Her gaze studied his erection, the object that had given her so much pleasure over the past year. It was still hard, thick and so engorged its veins seemed ready to explode.

Desire thrummed through her, and she began remembering how his shaft felt inside of her, how good it tasted, and she quickly decided there was no use letting a good hard-on go to waste. Especially since it was one she wouldn’t be seeing again. “Xavier?”

He glanced over at her as he reached for his jeans. “Yes?”

“How about one more for the road?”

A slow smiled tugged at the corners of what she thought was a pair of ultrasexy lips. She watch him slide underwear back down his legs and toss them aside before walking back over to her. He then said in a deep, husky voice, “Baby, I’ll give you something better than one more for the road. Get ready because we’re about to take flight. I’m about to take you on the ride of your life on the interstate.”

And with that said, he tumbled her back onto the rumpled bedcovers.

Chapter 1

Six months later

“So, what are your plans for the holidays, X?”

Xavier leaned back in the leather chair and propped his legs up on his desk while glancing out the window at New York City’s skyline. The Empire State Building was in his direct line of vision and looked massive against the dark blue sky overhead.

He had arrived in New York a few days ago to wrap up a business deal between the Northeast Division of Cody Enterprises and Oxley Financial Services. Cameron Cody’s takeover of the investment firm was a done deal, and as the executive attorney for all Cameron’s affairs, Xavier needed to be in place to make sure everything was handled as it should be. Not only was he considered Cameron’s right-hand man, they were very close friends. That friendship had begun back at Harvard when the two had been struggling students, determined to become successful in life.

And now, just like then, they looked out for each other, so he wasn’t surprised by Cameron’s question. Cameron knew that Xavier’s parents had left for their annual six-month missionary crusade—this year to Haiti—and wouldn’t be returning back to the States until sometime in the spring. “I’m not sure yet, Cam. I have a number of invitations out there.”

Cameron’s deep chuckle sounded over the speaker-phone. “Hey, don’t brag about it. Not everyone is blessed to have five sets of godparents.”

A frown settled on Xavier’s face that was best not seen by anyone. “That could be a blessing or a curse,” he said, shaking his head pensively. “Currently it might be the latter. Now that Uriel has married, some of the godparents are eyeing the remaining five of us. I’m not sure I want to be included in any of their get-togethers for the holidays. Thanksgiving was hard enough.”

“I bet.”

Everyone had been invited to Uriel and Ellie’s place on Cavanaugh Lake. Former neighbors on the lake, the two had remodeled both their homes once married, combining them into one with an enclosed walkway. That meant plenty of space for sleepovers.

And it was nice having all six godfathers present as they retold the story of how they’d met at Morehouse and become close friends, and how on graduation day they’d promised to stay in touch by becoming godfathers to each of their children, and that the firstborn sons’ names would carry the letters of the alphabet from U to Z. And that was how Uriel Lassiter, Virgil Bougard, Winston Coltrane, Xavier Kane, York Ellis and Zion Blackstone had come into existence.

“Well, you know you can add me and Vanessa to your list,” Cam was saying. “You’re always welcome to our place. We’re doing Christmas in Jamaica this year.”

Xavier couldn’t help but smile. His friend sounded happy and contented. What man wouldn’t be once he’d finally gotten the woman of his dreams? The former Vanessa Steele had been determined not to become involved with Cameron after his attempt to take over her family’s business. Cameron, on the other hand, had been just as determined to win her over. Not surprisingly, Cam had succeeded and was a happily married man with a baby on the way.

“Thanks, Cam, but I think I’m going to use the two weeks I’ll have off during the holidays to chill and relax. I’m even thinking about going someplace quiet. I might decide to visit Zion in Rome,” he said.

Moments later after hanging up the phone with Cameron, Xavier stood to stretch, ignoring the pile of work sitting on his desk. Not only was he executive attorney to Cameron Cody, he also managed the legal affairs for several well-known Hollywood celebrities, which was the reason he had an office in Los Angeles as well.

Of all his clients, Cam kept him the busiest, which accounted for Xavier’s additional offices in London, Jamaica and Paris. And since Cameron’s newest brother-in-law, Quade Westmoreland, had a first cousin who was married to a sheikh, Cameron and Sheikh Jamal Yasir were anticipating a business venture that could now take Xavier to parts of the Middle East.

“Mr. Kane, those reports you ordered are ready.”

He glanced over at the intercom on his desk before leaning over to press a button. “Thanks, Vicki. Please bring them in.”

“With pleasure, sir.”

Xavier shook his head. Vicki Connell, the woman who’d replaced Christine James, his New York administrative assistant, while she was out on an extended maternity leave, was determined to get inside his pants one way or the other. He knew the signs and had read those hidden seductive looks in her pretty dark eyes plenty of times whenever he came to town. All of that would be fine and dandy if he was interested, but he wasn’t. And he downright hated admitting that he hadn’t been gung ho about any woman getting into his pants since splitting with Farrah almost a half a year ago.

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.

Chapter 3

“I won’t be long,” Farrah said, giving Xavier a smile as she stepped on the elevator.

“Take your time. I’ll be waiting down here in the lobby.”

The elevator door slid shut, and it was only then that Xavier allowed himself a chance to breathe deeply. What were the odds of him running into the one woman he just couldn’t seem to forget? And in New York of all places. A place that held memories for them both. At least they weren’t back at the same hotel they’d been in for Donovan’s wedding, he thought, settling down on one of the sofas in the lobby. Had that happened, it would have been one hell of a coincidence.

Still, just the thought of her going up to her room and taking off her clothes was doing all kinds of things to his libido … as if it wasn’t out of whack already. The moment she’d bumped into him at that wine store and their bodies had touched, he had felt a frisson of heat consume him that could only be ignited by one woman. He’d known before looking into her face it was Farrah.

He settled back against the cushions of the sofa and recalled the last time they’d been in New York together, the first week in June for Donovan and Natalie’s wedding. After the wedding he’d been invited to join Donovan’s six cousins from Phoenix, his godbrothers as well as another good friend, Bronson Scott, for a night on the town. But the only night he’d wanted was in Farrah’s bed, and as soon as the wedding reception had ended, he hadn’t wasted any time going to her hotel room. And then a week later she had ended things between them.

Now they were both back in New York, and he would give anything for a repeat performance of what they’d shared the last time, although he knew doing so would be asking for trouble. And speaking of trouble, he pulled the cell phone from his pocket to call Beth to cancel his late night visit. He really didn’t consider his time with Beth a “date,” so he really hadn’t lied to Farrah when she’d asked about it. As far as his mind and body were concerned, there was only one woman who had total control of his thoughts right now.

He leaned back and glanced around. This was a nice hotel, drenched in all kinds of history and decorated to the nines in elegance. He bet a lot of romantic trysts took place within these walls. He could see himself spending the night in one of those rooms upstairs if Farrah was so inclined. They would make love all night. He would make damn sure of it.

He reached down for his briefcase, and after placing it across his lap, he opened it up and pulled out a file. He might as well try to concentrate on something other than getting into Farrah’s body and then hearing her scream after pumping her into an orgasm.

Moments later, after reading over several reports, he glanced beyond the huge glass doors and saw it had gotten dark outside already. He had a private car at his disposal twenty-four hours a day, but since the restaurant was just a block away there was no reason for them not to walk.

He closed his files, deciding to think about the eleven months he and Farrah had spent together after all, since his concentration was at an all-time low. She hadn’t wanted a big deal made about their affair, so they hadn’t made one. Although neither had announced it or flaunted it, he had been aware that his friends and hers suspected they were involved. But not at first.

Of course her best friend, Natalie, had known, which meant Donovan hadn’t been clueless. And Cameron had known he was seeing some woman on a regular basis. His friend had never inquired as to whom, and Xavier had never openly shared the information.

His godbrothers—although they’d known he was sniffing real bad behind some woman—hadn’t officially met her until Donovan’s wedding. After that, they’d grilled him about why he’d gone to such pains to keep her a secret. And then he’d had to quickly spread the word at the wedding among the single men that she was taken after one of Donovan’s cousins from Phoenix had tried hitting on her.

What he couldn’t explain to anyone, least of all to himself, was the degree of possessiveness he felt toward Farrah. He’d felt the need to keep her all to himself and not share her or her time with anyone. Whenever he’d traveled on business, he’d found himself looking forward to returning to Charlotte to spend time with her. They had developed a routine and rarely ventured out beyond the walls of her house, preferring to remain inside—namely in the bedroom. That was the way they’d both wanted it. For some reason they’d enjoyed being detached from the outside world whenever they were together.

Showing up at her place, usually after eight at night, with his bottle of wine, had become the norm whenever he was in town, and they would often joke about it. He knew the wine was the reason she’d figured he was about to make a booty call tonight, and she had been right.

But what Farrah didn’t know was that he hadn’t been sexually involved with a woman since her, and Beth would have only been a substitute for the one woman he truly wanted. The woman he was sitting in the lobby waiting for at that very moment.

As if he conjured her, the elevator door opened, and Farrah stepped out. He blinked as he stared at her. She was wearing a long coat so he couldn’t see her outfit, but just seeing her made his erection spring to life. He was grateful his briefcase was still placed across his lap, and he kept it strategically placed in front of him when he stood, trying to get control of his mind and body.

“You look nice, Farrah,” he said, reaching for his coat on the sofa beside him.

“Thanks. If you’d like, you can leave your briefcase and wine at the front desk until we return, or I can take it back up to my room,” she said sliding her hands into a pair of black leather gloves.

He preferred her taking it back up to her room so he’d have an excuse to go up there when they got back. Or he could go back up to her room with her now to leave the items. But if he were to follow her up to her hotel room, that would be asking for trouble. Seeing Farrah made him realize just how much he’d missed her. How much he still wanted her.

“I can leave them at the front desk. That’s no problem,” he heard himself saying, knowing that was the best option.

“You sure?”

Yes, he was sure—if she wanted to keep her clothes on for the rest of the night. “Yes, I’m sure. Ready to go?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Together they strolled over to the front desk, and he completed a claim slip for his belongings. Moments later they were walking through the hotel’s glass door to exit the building. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and the cold air seemed to blast down on them the moment they stepped onto the sidewalk.

“Wow, it’s freezing out here,” Farrah said, tightening her leather coat around her.

Instead of responding, on instinct Xavier wrapped his arms around her waist to bring her closer to his side. The moment he touched her, a shot of something akin to hot liquid fire exploded through his veins and he nearly groaned out loud. But he kept his arms around her to share his heat, grateful for his own wool coat. However, nothing could stop his reaction to the feel of her being plastered to his body.

That made him remember how it was being skin to skin with her while they made love, sliding in and out of her body, feeling her moist heat clench him in a way that could make him moan out her name.

She didn’t look over at him. Instead she stared straight ahead. He didn’t have a problem with that; in fact, he much preferred it. If their gazes were to connect now, he would be tempted to take her mouth and to tongue her right in the middle of the sidewalk.

He decided talking would be much safer, so he asked, “Warmer now?”

She nodded. “Yes and thanks. We have cold weather back in Charlotte, but this seems to be a different kind of cold. I’m even wearing an extra layer of clothing.”

Telling him what she had on her body wasn’t helping matters, he thought, especially when he was having visions of her not wearing anything at all. He always enjoyed seeing her naked. But then her clothing was known to be sexy as well. He recalled arriving one night when she’d worked late at the office and she’d been wearing a two-piece suit. She’d looked professional as well as sensual.

Even now he couldn’t help wondering what she was wearing underneath her long coat. All he could see was a nice pair of chocolate-colored suede boots.

“Is the restaurant far?” she interrupted his thoughts to ask.

He smiled, hearing the shiver in her voice. His woman was cold. He frowned. He’d never thought of any female as “his woman” before. That had definitely been a slip of the senses.

“No, in fact it’s right on the corner. Otherwise, I would have called for a car. However, I did call ahead and make reservations while you were upstairs getting dressed.”

“Good. I could eat a horse about now.”

And he could eat her. Pushing that thought out of his mind, he tried dwelling on what she said. One of the things he’d always liked about Farrah was that she had no problems filling her plate with the takeout he’d bring with him to her place. How she managed to stay in such fantastic shape was beyond him. She had the kind of curves that would make any man take a second look and moan, then take another look and wish.

“Here we are,” he said, opening the door to the Chinese restaurant. He knew how much she enjoyed Asian foods and had immediately remembered this place. He had eaten here a few months ago while in New York on business and had thought of her then. But to be honest, he’d thought of her a lot since they’d ended things between them.

“Nice place,” she said, glancing around.

He followed her gaze. Like them, several couples had braved the cold temperatures to eat out this evening.

After providing the hostess their names, they followed the woman to an area in the back where a fireplace had a blaze roaring, emitting plenty of heat. He assisted Farrah in removing her coat to hang it up on a nearby rack. When he saw her outfit, his heart began pounding in his chest and his body tightened in ways only she could make it do.

She was wearing a short tan-colored wool skirt, brown tights and a multicolor V-neck cardigan sweater. The way the sweater draped over her skirt emphasized her small waist and those nice curves he’d been thinking about earlier. His gaze traveled the full length of her physique, from the curly shoulder length hair, past a well-endowed chest, down her thighs and to shapely legs encased in a pair of knee-high boots.

While removing her gloves, she seemed not to notice the way he was staring at her. A muscle jerked in his jaw as he watched her slide into her chair. He felt sort of off balance, and he realized the depth of his desires for this particular woman was … well, getting exposed. Trying to get a grip, he moved away slightly to remove his own coat and proceeded to place it on the rack next to Farrah’s before taking the chair across from her.

“How did you find out about this place?” she asked, smiling, while picking up the menu a waitress placed in front of them.

He met her gaze, and a sensual shiver ran through him. He had been attracted to her from the first time they met, and over a year later he was still very much attracted to her now. “Cameron and I came here for a business meeting in September. Like you, he enjoys Chinese food, and not surprisingly, he knew about this place.”

She nodded. “And how is Mr. Cody doing these days? Natalie mentioned Vanessa’s pregnant and they’re expecting a baby in the spring.”

Since Vanessa was Donovan’s cousin, Xavier was aware Farrah had met Vanessa at a bridal shower given for Natalie last spring, but Farrah hadn’t met Cameron until the wedding.

“Cameron is fine, and yes, Vanessa is due in April, and they already know it’s going to be a little girl. He’s excited about that. I can see her wrapping her dad around her little finger.”

During one of their pillow talk sessions, he’d told her a lot about Cameron, and how their friendship began back at Harvard. He’d even shared with her how determined his friend had been to win Vanessa Steele’s love.

“It seems strange,” Farrah said, taking a sip of her water.

He arched a brow. “What does?”

“Being here with you. This is the first time we’ve ever gone out on a real date.”

She was right. By mutual consent, they hadn’t had that kind of relationship. From the beginning, they’d only wanted one thing from each other—a good time in bed.

“First time for everything,” he said, studying his own menu and dismissing her observation as nothing more than that and not a complaint.

“I know, but it just seems strange.”

He decided not to tell her what really seemed strange was them sitting at a table, instead of him having her naked body spread across it and eager to have her for his meal, or getting ready to thrust into her. Xavier shifted in his seat at the memories of both and felt his persistent erection press hard against his zipper.

He would be the first to admit he’d considered asking her out on a number of occasions but had changed his mind. He’d known from the get-go that she had a problem with any type of serious involvement, and although she’d never really gone into details as to what her ex-husband had done that had resulted in the breakup of her marriage, he’d gotten the lowdown anyway from Donovan, who’d gotten it from Natalie. And just thinking about what the man had done to her filled him with anger. No man should hurt a woman the way her ex had hurt her, and on that same note, no woman should intentionally use a man the way Dionne had used him.

“See anything you like?”

He glanced over at her. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that yes, he saw what he liked and she was sitting across from him. There was so much about her he’d enjoyed during the months they’d shared a relationship. Even now he would love to go back to her place or take her to his and make love to her like he used to do, all night long.

There was something about being inside of her that would often make him pound into her almost nonstop, never to cause pain, only intense pleasure for the both of them. And during those times when she’d locked her hot lips around his shaft, gently scraping her teeth across his most sensitive flesh, his pleasure had been almost unbearable.

He picked up his cold glass of water and took a huge gulp, appreciating how good it felt flowing down his throat to cool his heated insides. But that only lasted for a little while. All it took was a glance over at her, to see the creamy brown texture of her skin, the long lashes fanning her dark brown eyes, the high cheekbones with a dimple in each and the shape of her mouth to know even after their separation, he was still very much in lust with her.

“Xavier?”

He then realized that he hadn’t answered. “Yes. I think I’m going to try the pepper steak with onions and white rice. I had it the last time I was here and thought it was good.” But not as good as you, he thought to himself. Nothing is as good as you.

“That sounds like a winner and I think I’ll have that, too.”

Moments later, after placing their order with the waitress, Farrah settled back in her chair recalling what had filled her mind when Xavier had removed his coat. His tall, muscular frame always excited her whether he was in a suit or a pair of jeans. Business or casual wear, it didn’t matter. He exuded an air of total masculinity in anything he put on his body.

And then there were his facial features—definite eye candy of the sweetest kind. His strong, sensuous jaw, full lips, sculpted nose and chocolate brown eyes. And the dimple in his left cheek, she thought, added the finishing touch.

What she’d told Xavier earlier was true. Being with him, sitting across from each other in a restaurant, felt strange mainly because they’d never actually gone out on a date before. Their relationship had been defined from the beginning. She’d told him the night they’d met at the Racetrack Café that the last thing she wanted was an involvement in a serious relationship. She’d been there and done that with her marriage and had no intentions of doing so again.

She had explained, and quite specifically, that all she wanted was an occasional bed partner, a lover who wouldn’t get underfoot and become possessive and be a nuisance. She wanted a man who would know and understand the only rights he was entitled to were the ones she gave him.

Xavier had agreed to her terms without batting an eye because his wants and desires from a relationship had been identical to hers. She didn’t know the whole story, since it hadn’t been her business to ask him. But out of curiosity she had asked Natalie, who had heard what had happened from Donovan. It seemed some chick in college, whom he’d fallen in love with, had done him in, and as a result he’d erected a stone wall around his heart. Probably similar to the stone wall she had around her own.

From the first, they’d gotten along marvelously. Since they both traveled a lot in their professions, there had been times when they hadn’t seen each other for weeks. That hadn’t bothered her since she appreciated her space and didn’t like overcrowding of any kind. He had, however, on occasion given her a call during those times to see how she was doing. She merely took those as him being thoughtful and nothing more. She had never returned the gesture, although he had given her his business card with all his contact information.

For some reason, she’d never felt inclined to hold a conversation with him outside of their pillow talk. It was only then, while her body had been recuperating from the effects of mind-blowing orgasms, that he had shared things about himself. He’d never said a whole lot, just enough to let her know he was an okay guy who didn’t have a lot of the issues that some men did. He had learned from his past mistakes the same way she had learned from hers. Emotional involvements weren’t what they were cracked up to be and were best left alone.

He had told her about his five godbrothers and the story of how their fathers had made a pact upon graduating from college. She’d met them at Donovan and Natalie’s wedding and thought they were really nice guys and admired their close friendship.

“So tell me about the case you’re here working on, Farrah.”

The sound of his sexy voice made her glance up, and immediately she wished she hadn’t. Intentional or not, he had a look in his eyes that stirred desire she hadn’t felt since the last time she’d seen him. The last time she’d shared a bed with a man. Just remembering made the area between her thighs ache like crazy.

She shifted in her seat before saying, “What I have are best friends from high school who started a cosmetics company together after college.” She filled him in on the details of the case, then explained, “The new husband wants her to sell her share at what the other partner sees as an outlandish amount since she hadn’t been involved in the day-to-day operations of the business.”

Xavier nodded. “Doesn’t matter. If she’s still listed as a partner, whether she contributed to the success of the company or not, she’s entitled to her share, usually a fifty-fifty split, unless it can be proven that such an oral agreement was made.”

Farrah couldn’t stop the smile that touched her lips. “Everything you’ve said might be true from a legal standpoint, but I’m a mediator and not an attorney. My concern is not who is right or wrong in this case. My job is to facilitate a process of resolution, to help them work through the issue and resolve it.”

“You enjoy your work?” He realized he’d never asked her that before.

“Um, I find it rewarding. The people I deal with usually can come to an amicable decision on most issues and I like helping them get there,” she said.