Tempting James (Mysterious

Adventures Book 1) Elizabeth Lennox

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 Tempting James
By Elizabeth Lennox

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Copyright 2022
ISBN13: 9781950451456
All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and

incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a
fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or
actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either
electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is
strictly prohibited, unless you have the direct consent of the author.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Excerpt from “Buck’s Promise”
Chapter 1

“Why are we meeting at this place again?” Buck demanded, sitting

down at the table set off in one of the darker corners of the beach-front
restaurant.
James, the oldest of the group by a year, and who had already been at
the restaurant for about an hour, ignored his friend and co-worker, pretending
to peruse the menu even though he already knew what he wanted. From the
corner of his eye, he watched as a vivacious, beautiful brunette walked from
the dining area of the busy restaurant through the double doors to the
kitchen.
The third man on their team flipped a chair around, lowering his big,
muscular body into it and snorted. “Because the food is excellent,” Diesel
declared, taking one of the other menus.
Jack, the fourth member of their illustrious team, grunted as he
straddled the last chair. “Right. It’s because of the food.” His amusement
was evident as he shot a glance at their still-silent team leader.
James ignored them, pulling his hopeful gaze away from the kitchen
doorway in order to contemplate the toppings he wanted on his burger today.
But his attention wasn’t on the menu. James knew the instant she
approached. Lifting his eyes, he watched as the gorgeous restaurant manager
pushed through the kitchen doors. He relaxed slightly as he watched the
woman weave her way through the other tables, heading towards their table
in the corner.
“Good evening gentlemen,” Jinx Bordeau greeted, smiling to each of
the other men in turn, barely glancing at him. He didn’t mind her lack of
attention. Glancing at her, he knew that she felt the zing of electricity spark
across the space between them. Although, he very much minded when Jinx
put her hand on Diesel’s shoulder. It was a casual gesture, but James felt it
all the way down to his toes, as if she were touching him. He lifted his gaze
to hers, saw the pink stain her cheeks. And although he wasn’t looking at her
hand, he knew she moved her hand away back to her side.
The tension in his shoulders eased, but he continued watching her,
observing every emotion flit over her beautiful features. Some might call
Jinx a free spirit with her dark locks curling around her jawline, teasing her
shoulders. She wore big, silver hoops in her ears tonight instead of the
chandelier earrings that she normally preferred. Her lipstick was a muted
mauve, which enhanced her creamy complexion. But it was her eyes…those
light blue eyes surrounded by long, dark lashes that captured his attention
every time. Well, and her breasts. She had amazing breasts! Granted, she
had a great ass as well, but it was her breasts…and her eyes…that he loved
the most.
“The usual tonight?” she asked.
James suddenly realized that his friends had already put in their
orders.
“Yeah,” he replied smoothly, putting the menu back in the holder.
“That’s fine.”
Another frisson of awareness zapped between them. Time seemed to
stand still, the noise of the other patrons disappeared. It was just Jinx and
himself, those crystal blue eyes staring into his soul as if she knew that he
wanted her with every fiber of his being. He could feel her pulse throbbing at
her throat, could see the soft pink staining her cheeks. He could feel the heat
from her lush body even from across the table. He watched as Jinx slowly
carefully inhaled a deep breath, staring at him and he wondered…then Jinx
jerkily nodded and walked away.
“And that would be why we are always meeting here,” Jack teased,
breaking the thick tension and pulling James’ attention away from Jinx to the
three men sitting at the table with him.
“Why don’t you just ask her out?” Buck demanded.
Once again, James pulled his eyes away from Jinx’s very enticing
retreat, looking at the three men, all of whom were staring at him. “What the
hell are you talking about?”
“Jinx?” Jack prompted, eyebrows raised. “The woman you’ve been
lusting after for several months?”
James looked at the other two men, wondering if they were going to
back him up. But they were meaningfully eyeing him, waiting for an answer
to Jack’s question.
“She’s a lady,” he said, as if that explained everything.
 Diesel snorted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over
his chest. “She’s beautiful. If you’re not going to–”
James didn’t let him finish his sentence. He had the man lifted out of
his chair and pressed up against the wall. “The hell you will!” he snarled,
menace in every syllable.
The other three chuckled softly, Buck and Jack, both of whom had
jumped up seconds after James had Diesel pinned against the wall, patting
James on the shoulder in an effort to get him to calm down.
“He’s kidding!” Jack explained softly. “We’re just trying to get a
rise out of you.”
James relaxed his hold on Diesel’s shirt, glaring at the laughing man.
James shrugged his shoulders slightly, trying to shake off the unexpected
fury. “Just keep your distance.”
Diesel lifted his hands in surrender as they settled back into their
chairs. Thankfully, the restaurant wasn’t particularly busy and the other
patrons had chosen to sit towards the front in the sunshine, closer to the beach
and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Taking a deep breath, James calmed down. “What’s going on with
the fishing trip next week?” he asked. He wasn’t asking about an actual trip
where they would go fishing. That was just their team’s code phrase for a
mission. The agency they worked for had asked James and his team to find a
terrorist that they’d code named “Jasper” because they didn’t know his real
name. The guy was extremely effective at placing a bomb and making it look
like something had gone wrong with the electrical wiring or a gas appliance.
But there was always a target, and unfortunately, other people died in the
man’s efforts. The agency had a vague picture of the person, but they
couldn’t seem to catch him.
As team leader, James had his team go through several iterations of
every mission before they even boarded the plane. They worked on
contingencies to their contingency plans, and then formulated backups to
those plans. His team used to groan about James’ constant training and
planning, but those backup plans had saved their lives plenty of times over
the years. Which was why they respected James more than any other team
lead they’d worked with, and why they each did massive research on every
mission before leaving. By the time they boarded a plane to whatever
nightmare scenario they were sent into, these men were prepared for just
about anything.

Biting her lip, Jinx peered through the small window in the kitchen
doorway at the four men, her eyes repeatedly shifting to James. Yes, she
knew their names and knew that they were discussing something super-
secret. She had no idea what they did for a living, but just looking at them,
one could safely assume it required strength and discipline. All four men
were tall, buff and…hmmm, she couldn’t say “handsome”, although James
and Jack were pretty hot. Diesel and Buck, on the other hand, were…
attractive. Yes, all four men were attractive in their own way.
Unfortunately, for her tender heart, it was James that called to her.
“Unfortunately” because James was one of the most reserved men she’d ever
met. He didn’t need a flashing sign over his head warning her away, his body
language did it for him.
“Order up,” Donny called out from the grill.
“Thanks Donny,” Jinx replied, offering a smile as she loaded up the
three platters filled with burgers and hot, spicy fries. With her free hand, she
grabbed the special salad that she’d made, carrying all four meals out to the
table.
While she carried the meals to the only occupied table inside the
restaurant, her eyes surveyed the area. Everything was set up and ready for
the evening’s rush, which would begin in about an hour. The beach goers
would wander in from the beaches, heading for the open air restaurants that
allowed patrons to drink and laugh and enjoy good food without needing to
change out of their bathing suits.
Because it was slow at the moment, Donny, her favorite head cook,
followed her out, wiping his hands on a clean dish towel.
“Shouldn’t there be a blue cheese burger with that order?” Donny
asked, tossing the white towel over his shoulder.
Jinx lifted the salad plate slightly. “He ordered something different
tonight.”
Okay, that was a lie, but…well, the guy ate too many burgers. He
was a big dude, needed his protein, and if those rock-hard muscles were any
indication, he worked out like a demon.
Jinx understood that James needed fuel, but he needed good fuel.
She’d topped the salad with grilled chicken, so he would get protein. But
she’d also loaded up the salad with lots of fresh, beautiful vegetables that
filled the plate with color.
Flicking her hair back over her shoulder, she carried the four meals to
the table.
“Here we are, gentlemen,” she announced, setting the plates in front
of each man, remembering their orders perfectly. She didn’t need to see their
faces to know that there was a bit of curiosity flying through the air. The
men had clearly noticed the green, leafy salad as soon as she’d stepped out of
the kitchen area.
There was an almost painful silence when she set the salad down in
front of James. “I’ll get ketchup and mustard. Anything else?” she asked
cheerfully, hands on her hips as she tried to concentrate, tried to think. But
James was looking at her, his dark eyes most likely shooting daggers at her.
“I didn’t order this,” he said.
Jinx smiled, not even slightly intimidated by his glare. “I know. But
you’ve had too many burgers lately. I made that salad especially for you
myself.”
With that, she patted his shoulder and walked away, forcing herself
to not look over her shoulder to find out how he was taking her defiance.
“Don’t look back,” she whispered to herself. “Don’t. Look. Back!”
She made it all the way to the swinging, double doors of the kitchen
before she couldn’t take it any more. She glanced over her shoulder at the
man. Sure enough, he was glaring at her, a knife in one hand and a fork in
the other. She smiled slightly, wondering if he was contemplating using
those utensils as weapons against her. He probably knew how, she thought as
she pushed through the doors, vanishing in the kitchen.
Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“He didn’t kill you then?” Donny teased, pouring himself a glass of
ice water. “You’re a brave woman!”
Jinx laughed as well, but she was dying to see if James was actually
eating his salad, or if he was about to storm through the doors and demand
his usual burger topped with blue cheese. He occasionally ordered something
different, but he always returned to his old favorite.
She liked that about him. He was loyal. James knew what he liked
and, although he ventured out into uncharted territory, he always came back
to his favorite.
Jinx rolled her eyes and pushed away from the wall. “You’re silly,”
she told herself, looking over the other orders that had come in. There were
only two members of the wait-staff working right now, but in about thirty
minutes, a team of ten more wait personnel and five additional cooks would
arrive. She had one bartender on duty at the moment, but four more would be
here in an hour. By five o’clock, the restaurant would be hopping and she
grinned in anticipation. She loved making people happy and food always
made people happy. In an ideal world, Jinx would have a special man to
spoil and cook for every night. Someone she could pamper as soon as he
walked through the door at night. A man who needed his broad, muscular
shoulders rubbed as he told her about his day.
Alas, James didn’t seem like the kind of man who wanted to be
spoiled. Which was such a shame, because Jinx was pretty darn good at
spoiling the people she cared about.

As the restaurant filled up with patrons, the four men finished their
meal, paid their tab, and headed out, agreeing to meet the following day at
“the office”.
James left a large tip for Jinx, and slipped his sunglasses on. It was
sunny Florida, after all. People wore sunglasses pretty much constantly.
The man in the brown jacket caught his attention, but James
continued down the sidewalk. It was close to eighty-five degrees in the
shade, so a man wearing a jacket immediately caught his eye. Turning right,
he rounded the corner and headed nonchalantly towards a street vendor,
grabbing a newspaper and, although he hated the idea, a bottle of water.
Normally, he wouldn’t buy bottled water because of the impact to the
environment, but in this case, depending on how long he’d need to watch the
guy, he might need it.
 Finding a perch, he sat down on a bench in the shade of a wide tree,
flipped open the newspaper and started “reading”. In reality, he was
watching the guy in the brown jacket. The idiot didn’t move, and as the
evening continued, the stranger started to look more and more nervous. He
argued with someone on his phone a few times, hands waving in the air.
James shook his head in disgust, wishing that the guy would at least
give him a challenge.
Finally, the guy walked away and James followed him, blending in
with the other beach goers. It wasn’t easy because he was about a head taller
than most of the crowd walking around, but he’d also had years of experience
blending in.
Thankfully, the guy in the brown jacket was too caught up in his
thoughts to notice a six foot, three inch guy following him. When the man
ducked into a shabby hotel further down the street, James made note of the
address, then turned and headed back to his condo, which was only a few
blocks away from Jinx’s restaurant.
Oh, he knew that she didn’t own the place, although she should. She
was a fantastic manager. She was friendly to the employees, knew how to
train them so that everything ran smoothly. Even better, she’d created an
environment where it was a hip place to work and the staff had to work hard
to maintain their jobs. The customers adored her, and she was excellent at
fixing issues before they blew up, which happened often when heat and
alcohol were combined with a party atmosphere.
James figured that he had about three hours before the man took his
chances and headed out again. Heading home, he changed into running
clothes and went out for an hour’s run, coming back to shower and do a little
work on his computer before he changed into dark jeans and a black tee-
shirt. He knew the type and, now that the sun had set, it was Mr. Brown
Jacket’s time to act.

“Thanks everyone!” Jinx called out, waving to the staff as they

walked out the back door of the restaurant. She watched for several minutes,
making sure that no one walked alone as they made their way to their cars.
When everyone had safely driven away, she pulled the metal security door
closed, then did a final walk-through of the kitchen and dining areas. The
food was prepped for the breakfast rush, the tables were sparkling, floors
mopped, the doors locked, and the entire place quiet except for the hum of
the refrigerators.
This was the sad part of every night. Restaurants were made to be
joyful places, filled with noise and energy. When things were quiet like this,
Jinx always thought that the place was waiting expectantly, almost angry
with her for forcing it to be quiet.
“They’ll be back, honey,” she told the sulky silence, running a hand
along the metal countertop of the prep counter as she made her way to the
office. “I promise that all of your friends will be back.”
For the next hour, Jinx worked on the administrative issues required
of her role as the general manager. She checked the work schedule for the
next day, put in online orders for food supplies, checked the alcohol
inventory, and then settled in to do the cash and count up the receipts.
By the time she was finished, Jinx was yawning and more than ready
to call it a night. She’d just finished counting out the cash for the bank drop,
which was her final task of the night. She stuffed the money into a special
security bag and tucked it into her purse, wishing for the millionth time that
her boss, the restaurant owner, would hire a security company to pick up the
cash each night. When she’d first started working here, the bank drop hadn’t
been an issue because there hadn’t been large amounts of cash coming
through the place. In fact, there were some nights, at the beginning, when
there hadn’t been enough money to do a bank deposit. But over time, and
with her careful attention, she’d grown the place into a thriving, hip place to
come after the tourists left the beach.
The downside to the restaurant’s success was that she carried a great
deal of money to the bank every night, which simply wasn’t safe.
Tomorrow, she would look into hiring a company, one of those companies
with the big, armored trucks, to collect the cash. Carrying several thousand
dollars every night was too dangerous.
Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Jinx grabbed her car keys and
the can of pepper spray. It was her normal departure routine, but the pepper
spray and extra lights in the parking lot no longer helped her feel safe. Not
with this amount of cash on her. Thankfully, most of the patrons paid by
credit card now. But enough customers paid with cash that there was a
significant risk.
She stepped through the metal door and looked around, irritated that
the floodlights that she’d had installed several months ago were flickering.
“Seriously?! What’s the point of having floodlights for security if they don’t
flood the parking lot with light?!”
Hitching her purse higher onto her shoulder, she palmed her keys and
pepper spray, then stepped out, ensuring that the metal door latched behind
her before making her way to her car. She walked quickly, with her head up,
appearing confident even though…there was something. Jinx wasn’t sure
what was making her nerves tingle, but there was an unusual tension in the
air. Everything was quiet.
Too quiet.
Where were the birds? She couldn’t even hear the ocean!
Something was wrong. Her spidey senses kicked in and she held her
pepper spray in her hand more securely.
“Just get to the car,” she whispered.
Scanning the parking lot, she saw a shadow step out from behind the
bushes. Because this was an open lot, it was easy to see the…person running
towards her! The brown hoodie hid the person’s face, but Jinx knew that she
was about to be attacked.
Bracing herself, she gauged the distance to her car and realized that
there was no way she could reach it in time. She turned to face the oncoming
predator, braced herself, and…!
A larger shadow appeared and knocked the attacker flat on his back.
The guy went down with a thud and Jinx stared for a long moment. Then
something occurred to her. The other person…he was significantly bigger
than the guy now writhing on the parking lot gravel. Taller, bigger, more
muscular, and obviously better trained!
“Are you okay?”
Through her shock, Jinx recognized the voice immediately. “James!”
she whispered, and threw herself into his big, strong, wonderful arms. She
felt his grip tighten comfortingly around her, although he shifted her off to
his side.
 “You’re trembling,” he commented, his arm tightening around her
waist. “I’ve got you, honey. You’re safe now,” he assured her. “He didn’t
hurt you, did he?”
“No!” she mumbled, hiding her face against his rock-hard shoulder.
“You stopped him before he could even touch me.”
“He’s not going anywhere, love.”
She felt his other hand stroke her hair and she almost moaned as lust
hit her hard and fast. What an awkward moment for hormones to kick in!
Then she thought of something. Pulling back, she blinked up into his
handsome face. “What are you even doing here? I thought you left hours
ago?”
He shrugged and she could feel the muscles flex underneath her
palm. “I just happened to be walking by and saw him lurking in the
shadows. So, I thought I’d see what he was up to.”
Jinx pulled back and peered down at the guy. He was starting to
squirm, so James placed his foot on the guy’s back, and it was a big enough
foot that the guy wasn’t going anywhere. Whoever he was, he was muttering
expletives and trying desperately to get out from under the heavy boot.
“Should we call the police?” she asked, luxuriating in the heat and
that almost overwhelming lust that surrounded her, since James hadn’t let go
of her waist. She liked it. She’d dreamed about being held like this and…
well, maybe not exactly like this. In her dreams, James wasn’t holding down
someone who had been about to attack her. Still, it was pretty darn nice that
he’d rescued her. She liked his strength and power and…she liked him. She
liked everything about his growly, powerful self.
“I’m sure that he was trying to rob you, but I stopped him before he
could reach you. So technically, he hasn’t broken the law.”
“Yeah but I’m gonna sue your ass, you…ass!” the guy still
struggling on the pavement announced.
James chuckled softly. “I’ll be right back,” he told her, then paused
to kiss the top of her head before he released her.
Jinx stepped away, warmed by his sweet gesture. As she watched,
James bent down and hoisted the guy to his feet by grabbing the back of his
hoodie, then pulled the hood off. James pulled out his cell phone and took a
picture of the guy. As she watched, James did something even more strange.
He took the guy’s hand and pressed his fingers to the screen of his cell phone.
The whole time, the guy kept struggling to get away, but James held
him firmly. It didn’t seem like James even broke a sweat to keep the guy
under control.
When there was a green flash on James’ cell phone, the other man’s
hand was released, but James merely grabbed the man by the scruff of his
shirt before he could make his escape. “Okay, now here’s the deal,” James
began, glancing down at his cell phone, “Mark Holder.”
The man froze, his eyes widening. “How the hell did you know my
name?”
“I just ran your fingerprints, idiot,” James explained with barely
constrained patience, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “From what I
read, you’ve only been arrested for petty crimes so far. So, what the hell
were you doing trying to steal a load of cash? That’s big time, Mark. That’s
felony burglary, not to mention assault, since you’d have to attack Ms.
Bordeau here.”
Mark’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously as his eyes moved from
James to Jinx, then returned to James, understanding that he was the bigger
threat. “I wasn’t going to rob her!” he claimed, but his voice broke on the
last word, validating his guilt.
James shook him slightly. “Why the hell were you running towards
her, then?” His voice dropped as he glared at the guy. “If there was even an
inkling in your mind to attack Jinx again, then your life isn’t worth much.”
This last was said as a low, threatening snarl.
“Never!” Mark choked out, his hands up as if they could somehow
stop James’ beating.
“Then what was the plan?” James demanded, giving the man a shake.
“I was just…I was told to snatch the bag and meet someone two
blocks over! That’s it! I wasn’t going to do anything to her! She’s not even
my type!”
“Hey!” Jinx exclaimed, glaring at the man.
 James chuckled at Jinx’s outrage, but then re-focused his attention on
the skinny man trembling in his hands. “Who hired you?”
“I don’t know his name,” he replied, shrinking away slightly. “He
said it would be an easy five hundred bucks. I grab the bag and run two
blocks. The reward would be waiting for me.”
James leaned in until he was nose to nose with the cretin. “Here’s the
deal; I don’t ever want to see you again. If I do, I’ll know that you’re up to
no good and will have you arrested on the spot. I have your confession
recorded on my phone and I’ll bring it to the police. Do I make myself
clear?”
The guy’s mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of water. James
shook him sharply. “Yes!” Mark shouted. “Yes! Never saw you! I got it!”
James nodded, then released him. He raced off without a backwards
glance and vanished into the darkness.
James turned, peering down at Jinx. “Are you okay?” he asked, his
hands on her waist as he pulled her closer.
“Yes. Thanks to you!” she replied, her eyes sparkling up at him.
“You’re my hero.”
His lips quirked slightly as he lifted the hand that was still clutching
her pepper spray. “Looks like you were prepared to handle him yourself.”
Her shoulders shifted slightly as Jinx continued to beam up at him
with increasing admiration. “Yeah, but your way had more panache,” she
teased.
He laughed, and bent down to kiss her forehead, wishing that he
could taste her lips. This moment probably wasn’t the best time to hit on her,
even though she looked adorable, sexy, and sweeter than honey as she gazed
up at him with those lush, tempting lips.
Sighing inwardly, and reminding himself to behave, he nodded in the
general direction of her car. “I’m walking you to your car, then I’m
following you to the bank so that you can make the drop. After that, I’m
following you home, just to make extra sure that guy doesn’t track you.”
“That would be really nice,” she told him, still smiling warmly up at
him.
 They stood there for a long moment, just feeling the tension sizzling
between them. The birds began to speak up again, and they could hear the
ocean in the distance, smell the salt in the air as a soft breeze wafted through.
James told himself to behave. He told himself to politely walk her to her car
and make sure that she arrived home safely.
But she looked so damn appealing! So hot and gorgeous and…!
James muttered a curse and stepped forward, pulling her abruptly into his
arms.

Jinx felt the strength of him under her fingers, her heart pounding
painfully against her ribs. She knew what she wanted and lifted her face,
needing his kiss.
When their lips finally touched, she sighed with relief. His lips were
hard and demanding as they brushed over hers. He started to pull away, but
Jinx tightened her grip on his shirt, wrinkling the material as she attempted to
hold him there. Opening her mouth, she nibbled his lower lip and felt his
arms tighten around her, his mouth moving over hers with more
determination. His fingers combed through her hair, pulling her head back as
he deepened the kiss, his mouth devouring hers and she loved every moment
of it. This…this was even better than her fantasies!
Unfortunately, that amazing, mind-drugging, earth-shaking kiss was
over too soon. He lifted his head, gazing down at her with a mystery in his
eyes. Of course, the dim lighting didn’t help, casting his face in shadows.
Jinx was fairly sure that he could see every emotion she felt, including her
hope that he might kiss her again, shimmering in her eyes since the
streetlights were shining overhead and her face was still tilted up towards
his.
“I’ll walk you to your car now,” he told her, his voice rough and
husky. His arms smoothed over her back, causing her to shiver, enjoying the
feeling of his strong, masculine hands.
Jinx wanted to argue. She wanted to demand that he kiss her again,
to keep his arms around her and hold her just like this for the rest of her life.
Since that request was completely unrealistic, Jinx stepped back,
irritated when his arms fell to his sides.
 “I’m parked right over there,” she said, pointing needlessly to the
lone sedan sitting under a streetlight towards the back of the parking lot.
“Smart woman,” he said as he peered in that direction. “Come on.
I’m still driving behind you, but I’m parked on the next street.”
She walked beside him, wondering what she had to do to get him to
kiss her again. She liked it. More than just liked it. The sharp stab of
disappointment at the knowledge that he wasn’t going to kiss her again felt
like a knife to her gut.
“This is me,” she said, peeking at him over her shoulder. She caught
herself, wondering if she looked like a puppy begging for attention, and dug
into her purse in search of her keys.
“Are these what you’re looking for?” he asked, tugging at the keys in
her hand.
She sighed, feeling foolish. “Yes. Sorry. The past half hour has
been a bit…overwhelming.”
He took the keys from her numb fingers and unlocked the door for
her, then handed them back. “Drive out that way and I’ll follow you.”
She shook her head, her curls dancing around her shoulders. “You
don’t have to do that. I can make it from here.”
He was shaking his head before she’d even finished the sentence.
“I’m following you. I suspect that you’re carrying too much cash for safety.”
“I am. It’s…” she shook her head again. “My boss refuses to get a
security team to pick up the cash after each shift. He insists that I deliver the
money late enough at night that no one is around to rob me.”
His hands fisted on his lean hips as he muttered an expletive. “That’s
one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard,” he snapped. “I’ll come by
tomorrow to install some security for the place. You don’t even have
cameras around.”
She tilted her head slightly. “How do you know we don’t have
security cameras?”
His only response was a slight quirk of his eyebrow. Jinx laughed
and moved to open her car door. “Right. I’m leaving now, before I ask any
other stupid questions.”
 She ducked into the car and started the engine, but James didn’t
move until she’d closed her door and locked it. Only then did he head
towards the street where he’d parked his big, silver pickup truck. Jinx
watched him, waiting until he started the engine and pulled in behind her.
The pickup suited him. He was a big man and the pickup was the extra big
kind. She’d bet there were some interesting bells and whistles in that thing
that weren’t factory installed.
Jinx laughed at her mental ponderings as she turned right, heading
for the bank. It was only two blocks away, so it was a quick and easy drop
off. She waved to him, letting him know that she was good now that she’d
dropped the cash bag into the secure drop box. But James merely flashed his
headlights at her. She sighed, knowing that he was going to follow her all the
way home.
Secretly, she enjoyed the idea of a big, strong man protecting her.
But Jinx knew that she still needed to keep up the pretense that she was a
competent woman and didn’t need a man’s help. Still, as she pulled into her
garage and waved to him as she locked her car and went into her house, she
admitted that she loved the idea of being protected.
Correction. She loved the idea of James protecting her. How many
times had she met a date at a restaurant because she wasn’t comfortable
having a strange man meet her at her house? Too many, she thought,
dumping her purse onto the kitchen counter.
It was well past two o’clock in the morning, but Jinx wasn’t tired. In
fact, after that kiss, she was thoroughly wound up. So instead of heading to
her bedroom, she went to the pantry and started pulling out ingredients. She
wasn’t sure what she was going to bake yet, but she had something special in
mind. Something she could give to a particularly handsome guy as a thank
you for being big, tough, and brawny enough to foil a robbery attempt.

“Where is it?” the man demanded as soon as the skinny guy rushed
up to him.
“I couldn’t get it,” Mark explained, not sure if he was more terrified
of the big guy he’d just left or this one, snarling in the alley shadows. “I was
heading towards the woman you described, running straight at her outside the
circle of the flood lights, just like you said. I came out from behind the
dumpsters where you said I should hide.” He paced a bit, wringing his hands,
then flinging them into the air for emphasis. “She came out the back door
right when you said.” Mark whimpered slightly before he continued, rubbing
his hands down over the brown fleece of his jacket. “But then some guy…!”
He paused, his eyes wide with remembered fear. “A big guy came out of
nowhere, and smacked me to the ground with one hand!”
The shadowed man grumbled, pacing back and forth but kept himself
hidden in the shadows. “You idiot!” he snapped furiously. The man beat his
hand against the rough stones of the alley wall, his other hand rubbing the
side of his head as he considered options. When nothing occurred to him, he
looked up, glaring at Mark who shrank back, terrified even though he
couldn’t see the stranger’s eyes. “You’ll try again tomorrow!”
Mark shook his head, backing up. “No way, dude. The big guy, he
took my picture and my fingerprints.” Mark backed up several more steps,
almost tripping over his feet and waving his hands in front of him frantically.
“I’ve been to jail before. No way am I going back. Not for five hundred
bucks!”
The other man hissed in disgust. “Fine. I’ll give you a thousand.
But you’d better…”
“Not worth it, man!” Mark said, and in the next instant, he turned and
sprinted off down the street, wanting to get as far away from the guy as he
could. The man smelled like alcohol and evil. Mark had no idea why the
stranger wanted to rob that particular restaurant, but Mark wasn’t going to
have any part of it. He only prayed that some other idiot didn’t try to rob the
pretty lady, because that big, scary guy would definitely come for Mark. And
then, he’d turn Mark in to the police. That wasn’t something he wanted to
deal with, especially not after having been felled with one blow, and left with
bruises from the man’s huge boot on his back.

The stranger stepped out of the shadows, watching the skinny man
race off down the road. “Idiot!” he muttered as he followed him. There
could be no witnesses or his plan wouldn’t work. He’d considered his plan
from every angle and had specifically chosen the man because of his drug
use. Tweakers were notoriously irrational when it came to finding cash that
could fuel their habit.
Chapter 2

Jinx nervously fingered the pretty bow she’d put on the box, trying to come
up with a plan. She scanned the room, glancing around the occupied tables
of the restaurant. Unfortunately, James wasn’t here, but…his friend sat at
their usual table. So, where was James? Why wasn’t he here tonight?
Granted, it wasn’t his normal day to come to the restaurant. She
knew that he wasn’t here some nights. But she’d hoped to see him.
Especially after last night. That kiss…well, maybe she’d attributed more
interest to that kiss than he had.
Jinx felt a bit silly. The cupcakes she’d baked last night were…a
little over the top. And yet, she’d thought that the decadent dessert was
perfectly reasonable as a thank you present to the man who’d saved her from
being robbed. And he’d been incredibly heroic in his efforts.
In that light, the cupcakes were actually a pretty lame offering.
Okay, if that’s the case, why was she so nervous now?
Because of that kiss. It had been…amazing!
“Are you okay?” Nina, one of the waitresses on duty tonight, asked,
putting an order up for Donny.
Jinx jumped, startled as she swung around, looking at the pretty,
blond waitress.
“I’m fine!” she gasped, moving her body so that it was in front of the
bakery box.
Nina wasn’t fooled. She caught sight of the pretty box, peering
around Jinx’s body to try and get a better look. “Oooh! Did you bake
something for us? Is that a surprise? More of your famous cupcakes?”
Jinx started to shake her head, then stopped. “Yes. No! I mean…!”
She closed her eyes, sighing as she realized that she wasn’t making any
sense. “I mean, yes, the box contains cupcakes that I made. I don’t think that
they are famous, since only you guys know about them. But yes. I baked
cupcakes last night, although they aren’t for the team.”
Nina’s features dropped into disappointment. “That’s too bad. I have
a serious sugar craving right now.” She picked up another order, balancing
everything on the large, circular tray. “And one of your cupcakes would hit
the spot just perfectly,” she ended with a hopeful look.
“Not a chance,” Jinx replied with a laugh.
Nina shrugged away her disappointment as she hefted the heavy
tray. But she stopped midway through the doors. “Hey, one of your
delicious fellas is here!” she announced in a stage whisper. Although a
moment later, her features dropped. “Unfortunately, he’s with another
woman.” Nina’s mouth pulled into a cringe, then she pushed out of the
kitchen, allowing the doors to swing closed behind her.
Jinx’s heart pounded as dread filled her stomach, making her ache.
Surely James wasn’t here with another woman! The other three hotties that
she served whenever they stopped by sometimes brought women to the
restaurant, but James never had. She always stopped by his table, personally
waiting on him and his friends. She also grasped that they seemed to be
discussing something super-secret, so she quietly kept other diners away from
their table, allowing them privacy.
“What’s that?” Jim, one of the other waiters asked, eyeing the pretty,
beribboned box hungrily.
Jinx sighed, picking up the box of cupcakes. “Not for you,” she told
him, pushing out through the swinging doors to the main dining room.
Jinx looked around, and in an instant, spotted Jack sitting at one of
the tables by the window. Hot, stinging relief surged through her when she
spotted Jack sitting at a corner table, a pretty blond practically in his lap.
This particular blond was new and Jinx glanced over at Nina, seeing the hurt
in her eyes. In that moment, Jinx’s heart went out to the younger woman.
Nina had it bad for Jack, but he was definitely a player. Jack came in often
enough with other women that Nina should know that Jack was off limits.
And yet, Nina continued to moon after a man who obviously preferred
playing the field.
Carrying the box, she wound her way through the tables until she
reached Jack’s.
“Jinx!” he called out, his handsome features widening into a
delighted grin. “I heard you had a bit of excitement last night. Everything
okay?”
 Jinx put the bakery box down, trying to hide the blush staining her
cheeks. “Everything was fine, thanks to James. He stopped some idiot from
robbing me.”
The muscles around Jack’s eyes tightened. He was more than ready
to hunt down the perpetrator of the attempted robbery and bring him to
justice.
“It’s fine,” she assured him, her feelings softening ever so slightly
towards him. “James was very…uh…succinct with the man. And he just
needed money for drugs, I think. He didn’t look all that healthy. But…” she
breathed in slowly, her hands coming to rest on top of the box. “That’s
actually why I’m here. I know that this gift isn’t in proportion to what James
did to help me last night, but it’s my way of thanking him.” She looked at
Jack, who glanced at the box, then back up to her. “I was hoping you could
give this to him? And tell him it’s a thank you from me?”
Jack leaned back in his chair, his arm loosening from around the
blond with the low cut dress. “Don’t you want to give him the box
yourself?” he asked curiously.
Surely, Jack couldn’t know how she felt about James! Surely that
was a secret! Wasn’t it?
Jinx shrugged, looking away from the man in a futile effort to hide
her feelings. “I would, but he’s not here. And I know that you will see him
before I do.”
Jack took out a pen and pulled a paper napkin closer. “Here,” he said,
scribbling something down on the napkin. “This is his address. Why don’t
you deliver the box to him in person? I know that he’d enjoy the company
right about now.” He looked around, his mischievous smile growing wider.
“And isn’t that Dan? He’s probably taking over as manager tonight?”
Jinx glanced over as one of her night managers walked in and she
muttered a silent curse, wishing that Jack wasn’t so observant. Turning back
to Jack, she tapped the box, not picking up the napkin with James’ address.
“Can’t you just…”
Jack’s grin widened as he shook his head. “Nope. I guarantee James
would prefer the personal touch. He’s weird like that.”
With a small growl of frustration, Jinx grabbed the paper napkin, and
stuffed it into her pocket. “You’re obnoxious,” she whispered.
Jack’s only reaction was a soft chuckle, those pretty, blue eyes
twinkling with humor. “That has been mentioned on several occasions.”
Understanding that Jack wasn’t going to let her play the wimp, she
grabbed the box, gave him one more fulminating glare, to which the horrid
man merely laughed again, then walked away with the box still in her hands.
“Hey Jinx,” Dan called out as he walked through the kitchen.
“Anything I need to know for tonight?”
Jinx set the stupid box of cupcakes down on the prep counter,
rubbing her forehead. She tried to focus on the job and not on…James. Or
the way James had kissed her last night. Or James’ address, which was
burning a hole in her pocket.
Dropping her hand, she looked around at the brightly lit kitchen,
trying to collect her thoughts. “We were almost robbed last night. So, be
extra careful with the cash delivery tonight.”
Dan’s mouth fell open. “Seriously?”
She nodded and shrugged slightly. “Yeah. It was handled.” She
turned and headed out of the kitchen, waving for Dan to follow her.
“Why weren’t the police involved? What did Jimmy say when you
told him?”
They walked into the restaurant office where they could discuss the
issues for the transition from day shift to night shift. “The police weren’t
called because the guy didn’t even lay a finger on me. So technically, we
weren’t actually robbed.”
Dan looked confused. “Well, that’s good. But what did Jimmy say?
We’ve been asking him to get more security in here. Now that business has
picked up, there’s too much money to be carrying it out nightly.”
Jinx nodded her agreement, leaning back against the desk with her
arms crossed over her stomach. “I agree. And Jimmy knows my opinion.
When I told him about the attempted robbery this morning, he didn’t care.
He just told me to be more careful next time.”
Dan shook his head in disgust. “He’s asking for trouble.”
Jinx silently agreed with him, but she had other issues to pass on to
him before the night crew started to arrive. She quickly went through the
handful of other issues that had come up, filled Dan in about the scheduling
changes, and warned him she was working on a new special for next week.
“Hey, are these for us?” Dan asked, reaching for the box of
cupcakes.
“Nope!” she replied, spinning around to snatch the cupcakes from
him. She collected her purse and headed out while the napkin with James’
address in her pocket continued to burn a hole in her jeans. She wished that
she hadn’t gone to Jack and asked him to play delivery boy. If she’d just left
things alone, she could have gone back to her house and dumped the
cupcakes in the trash. Or eaten them herself. Jinx was fairly certain that Jack
had already called James to let him know that she had a delivery for him.
It took her only a few minutes to drive over to James’ condo and Jinx
was surprised that he lived so close. But that made sense, since he came into
the restaurant fairly often. Which was also why she’d made him a healthy
salad last night!
“This is a terrible idea,” she muttered, sitting outside the building. It
was one of the nicer condominiums in the area, but it thankfully wasn’t a
gated property. Which was why she was still sitting outside in the hot,
steamy parking lot instead of walking into the air conditioned lobby.
“Oh, just get it over with!” she hissed to herself. Shoving the door
open, she grabbed her purse and the box of cupcakes, then stepped out and
walked the short distance across several lines of parked cars to the building
entrance.
“Can I help you ma’am?” the doorman asked as soon as she stepped
through the glass doors.
Jinx looked around nervously, sliding the box onto the granite
countertop. “I don’t need to actually see anyone. I just want to deliver this
to…”
“James King?” the guard finished for Jinx when words failed her.
“He’s waiting for you. He called ahead to let me know you were coming.”
The doorman smiled in a friendly way, but since her stomach was flipping
and tossing and doing wild summersaults, his cheerful manner felt oddly out
of place.
 She laid a trembling hand on the box. “Couldn’t I just...leave this
with you?’
The man looked down at the box, his smile mischievous. “If that box
contains something sweet and delicious, then you can absolutely leave them
here.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I cannot guarantee that Mr. King
will receive them though.”
Jinx grabbed the box, hugging her precious cargo to her chest and
adding a pointedly protective glare for emphasis. The man obviously wasn’t
intimidated since he merely laughed and pointed towards the elevator.
“Fine!” she grumbled. “Good help is so hard to find.” That only
made the man laugh harder as she savagely stabbed the elevator call button.
Less than thirty seconds later, the annoyingly efficient elevator
opened up on the tenth floor. Jinx stepped out and glanced down at the paper
napkin, confirming the unit number. Not that she needed the piece of paper.
She’d memorized the address the first time she’d seen it. Still, being here, so
close to James was…terrifying! She was in his territory, his domain!
She’d taken two steps down the hallway when a door opened at the
end. Jinx held her breath as James stepped into the hallway, smiling as he
waited for her approach. Her steps slowed as she felt the impact of his
presence. He was just so big and so…male! His testosterone levels felt like
a physical thing. And his eyes! Good grief, his eyes were normally cold as
he observed everything, usually without turning his head. But right now, his
eyes were on her, compelling her forward.
Because this was James, she obeyed. She’d been fascinated by him
for too long. Their brief chats over the past several months had been the
most precious moments of her days. She’d savored those conversations,
replayed them in her mind over and over again. And in her dreams, she’d
created a different ending to those conversations. Those endings usually
included James telling her that she was the woman of his dreams and he
couldn’t live without her.
Of course, as soon as she’d woken up, she’d scoffed at the idea of
James uttering those words. He wouldn’t ever let himself be vulnerable in
front of a woman. Or to anyone, she thought. James just wasn’t…
vulnerable! He was tough and hard and…yummy!
 “You’re slow,” he grumbled when she was finally within hearing
distance.
“The doorman called to let you know I was here?” she asked, but it
wasn’t really a question. It was pretty obvious.
“The doorman, Jack, Diesel, and Buck.”
Jinx stopped, stunned by that statement. “Four people called to let
you know that I was on my way?” She stopped, blinking up at him.

James gazed down at the beautiful brunette who was now closer than
he’d ever thought possible. And yet, she wasn’t close enough. But she was
here! Damn, she was here, almost in his home! Just a few more feet and
she’d be there.
Unfortunately, Jinx didn’t seem inclined to take those last few steps.
He watched as she nibbled at her lower lip; she was obviously nervous. Time
to take control, he thought.
Reaching out, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her
towards his door. Gently, he led her inside and closed the door. Holy hell,
he had Jinx in his home! She looked delectable! He had no idea what she did
to make her creamy, tan skin look so soft and smooth, but he wanted to touch
her, to feel her press herself against him. He wanted to explore every inch of
her amazing figure. He wanted to taste her and hear her scream as she
climaxed in his arms.
But…this was Jinx. He needed to slow down. He’d flirted with her,
in his own fashion, for too long. He knew she was interested. Hell, he could
see the pulse beating a frantic rhythm against the soft skin of her throat. He
could also see her nipples pressing against the thin material of her tee-shirt.
Yes, she wanted him. So, why was she holding back?
Slow down, he reminded himself as he moved closer, breathing in
the scent of her.
“What’s in the crushed box?”
Jinx jumped and looked down, her long lashes hiding those stunning,
blue eyes from him. “Oh!” she gasped and he almost laughed, but James
didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
 “I made you…” she looked up at him, her blue eyes wide with
anxiety, “cupcakes. As a thank you. For last night.” She tried to fix the box
by pushing at the opposite sides, but it was too badly damaged. “I’m sorry.
They looked very pretty when I’d finished them last night. I just…I didn’t
want to invade your privacy. I tried to give them to Jack, so that he could
deliver them. But he wouldn’t, and then your doorman threatened to eat them
if I left them with him, and…”
“Jeff threatened to eat my cupcakes?” James demanded, his voice
harsh. “The punishment for stealing cupcakes is death!”
She lifted those amazing blue eyes up to him, her mouth slightly
open. “You’re kidding, right?”
He laughed, delighted with her confusion. “Of course I’m kidding.
I’ll only smack him around a bit.” He took the box. “No one threatens my
cupcakes and gets away with it.”
“I’m pretty sure he was kidding,” she offered, not wanting the
doorman to be in trouble.
James brought the cupcakes over to the counter in his kitchen. “I’m
sure that he wasn’t,” he argued. Slowly, reverently, James opened the box,
peering inside. “Chocolate?” he asked, clearly awed.
She clasped her hands together, still standing by the doorway. “Dark
chocolate with peanut butter filling and…”
“Damn! These are amazing!” he groaned, licking his finger after
taking a swipe of the chocolate frosting. “You made these?”

Jinx shrugged, her heart warming at his obvious delight. “I love

baking and cooking.” And she loved making people smile with her baking,
but she didn’t say that.
“You’re an amazing baker, Jinx,” he said, lifting up one of the
formerly pretty cupcakes and taking a bite. His mouth was large and he bit
the cupcake nearly in half, closing his eyes as he savored the flavors. “This is
incredible!”
Jinx smiled, her shoulders dropping as pure joy washed over her. “I
know that it isn’t nearly as astounding as what you did for me last night,
but–”
“Are you kidding me? I can’t bake,” he told her. “I don’t like to
cook or bake, so the only time I get anything this good is when I go to a
bakery. Which is pretty much never, because I don’t have time. Even so,
this is probably the best cupcake I’ve ever had.”
She beamed, unaware of how her joy radiated from her eyes. “Thank
you. And thank you for saving me last night. I don’t know what I would
have done if you hadn’t been there.”
He walked over to her, still holding the other half of the cupcake.
She thought he was going to offer her a taste, but instead, he lowered his head
and kissed her.
Gasping, she stood there, kissing him back, unaware of the small
whimpers as she slowly lifted a hand to his chest. He deepened the kiss, a
strong arm wrapping around her waist to pull her close against his hard body.
Jinx clung to him, her mind whirling. Yes, this is what she’d
wanted. For too long, she’d wanted to feel him just like this. And after last
night’s kiss, she’d wanted more than just a kiss! So when he began to
straighten up, she shook her head, reaching up to grab his collar and pull his
mouth back down to hers. “Not this time!” she muttered as she went up on
her toes and kissed him.
For a brief, stunned moment, he didn’t react. But after a beat, his
mouth was ravenous. She felt him lift her up and her feet left the floor. She
prayed it was his bed, but he set her down on the countertop. Jinx felt his
other arm move, but she couldn’t stop kissing him in order to figure out what
he was doing. Just this once, she was in his arms and was surrounded by the
magic that was James. Just once! Oh, please don’t stop, she thought,
wrapping her legs around his waist.
He lifted his head for a moment, his eyes heated with desire. She
could feel his arousal pressing against her core and shifted slightly, wanting
to feel him more intimately than their jeans allowed.
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes,” she replied without any hesitation.
With a growl, he lifted her again and she tightened her legs around
his waist, leaning forward to kiss him, nibbling her way down his throat,
reveling in the maleness of him.
She heard him groan, felt him stumble slightly, but Jinx didn’t stop.
She didn’t care if he fell as long as he was on top of her. She’d waited so
long for this moment. He couldn’t stop! Not now when she was so close to
discovering what it would be like to be intimate with this man!
“Hold off on that until I get us to–”
She did it again and he groaned again. She felt something hard
against her back as James pressed her against the wall. That freed up his
hands and he slid them under her tee-shirt, moving upwards to cup her
breasts.
Jinx hissed as his rough, callused hands caressed her breasts, those
thumbs rubbing over her already tight nipples and she rolled her hips,
pressing against him. Her hands moved lower, grabbing his wrists. He must
have thought she was going to pull his hands away and he smoothed them
down over her waist. She squirmed and pulled his hands higher, pressing his
fingers to her breasts, moving his thumbs back to her nipples. “Don’t stop!”
she pleaded.
“No way in hell I’m stopping,” he agreed, lowering his head to
nibble at her neck. Jinx leaned her head back against the wall, wanting,
needing him to kiss her there. When he found a spot on her neck that felt
even better still, she shivered and he lingered there, grinding his hips against
her core until…!
“James!” she screamed, her body tightening as a climax rolled over
her, stronger than any she’d ever experienced! She clung to him, her nails
digging into his shoulders as she writhed against him, the pulsating pleasure
almost more than she could endure!
Finally, the waves eased and she opened her eyes, her fingers
relaxing as her body went limp.
“That was so hot!” he groaned, carrying her the rest of the way to his
bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, then stood up and stripped off his
shirt. “Want to do that again?”
Jinx blinked up at him, her mind still blank from the pleasure. She
might be smiling. She might be drooling. She wasn’t sure, nor did she care.
James unzipped her jeans, tugging them off, along with her panties,
shoes, and socks. He grabbed her hands and hoisted her to a sitting position.
With deft fingers, he’d removed her tee shirt and bra, leaving her completely
naked. He released her hands, reaching for the zipper of his own jeans.
That’s when he hesitated. He gazed down at her, his eyes burning with
desire. “Tell me that you want this, Jinx. You can tell me to stop at any
time, but please, tell me you want me. Not because of last night, but because
you want me.”
“I want you. Please, James, I’ve wanted you for–” he kissed her, his
mouth ravenous as he moved over her, pressing her knees wide so she
cradled him between her thighs.
“I’ve wanted you for so long,” he groaned, gazing down at her with
desire in his eyes. Moving lower, he nibbled along her neck, tasting every
inch of her skin as he made his way to her breast. When he took her nipple
into his mouth, Jinx gasped, arching into his mouth as her fingers dove into
his surprisingly soft hair. When he started sucking on her nipple, the
sensation bolted right through her body and she cried out, her legs tightening
around him.
Gently running her nails down his back, Jinx struggled to control the
waves of lust rolling through her. Opening her eyes, she looked around, but
her purse wasn’t in sight.
“I need my purse!” she gasped.
He looked up, his hands still caressing her breasts. “What for?”
“Condoms!” she gasped, hissing when his thumb and forefinger
gently pinched her nipple.
“I got it covered, honey,” he assured her, reaching into the bedside
table and pulling out a box. She glanced at it and, for some reason, the fact
that it was a brand new box made her feel significantly better.
“Excellent! A boy scout!” she groaned, rubbing the inside of her
thighs along his hips. She’d like to touch more of him, but in this position,
she was trapped underneath him. Since she liked it, there was no way she
was going to complain. Instead, she let her fingers slide over his arms,
shoulders, the muscles along his back.
“I’m no boy scout,” he assured her, moving even lower.
She lifted his head, knowing where he was heading. “I don’t need
that, James,” she assured him. “It’s a nice thought but–”
He moved higher, pinning her arms against the bed as he kissed her,
his tongue mating with hers, doing to her mouth what she wanted him to do
with that other part of his body.
“I want to taste you,” he rasped. “Will you let me? If you don’t like
it, tell me to stop.”
Jinx shook her head. “I just…I can’t…”
He shifted against her, rubbing that nub and making her moan. “Just
a taste, Jinx. I need to taste you. I’ve wondered what you would taste like
for so long. I bet you’re delicious.”
What could she say to that? Besides, he didn’t really give her a
chance to object. He slid lower down her body, kissing and teasing, nipping
his way down her hip he worked his way towards his goal.
Those wonderful, rough hands pressed her legs wider and Jinx felt
exposed. Again, she lifted her head, ready to tell him that there was no need.
But then, his tongue began its explorations and she just about passed out as
pleasure overwhelmed her. Between his mouth, his tongue, and those
amazing lips of his…maybe “mouth” encompassed all of those…she couldn’t
speak. In fact, her hands dove into his hair, unaware of her fingers tugging at
the tendrils.
It took less time than she would have thought possible before her
body exploded into another climax. Her body arched as he brought her right
over the edge. She screamed, quaking and shuddering as she clung to him.
When she finally opened her eyes, it was to find him hovering over
her, rolling a condom down his shaft, a light of triumph gleaming in his eyes.
“Apparently, you do like it,” he commented as he moved back between her
legs.
Jinx might have laughed. She might have whimpered or even cried a
little. She was entirely overwhelmed by what had just happened to her. And
it wasn’t over, she realized as he took her hands, lifting them over her head as
he shifted against her.

James couldn’t believe how turned on he was. Just watching Jinx

climax like that, tasting her release, had nearly made him lose control. Even
now, he was holding on by the thinnest thread. If she did that thing with her
hips one more time, he might just lose it.
“Are you okay?” he asked, lowering his head to nibble at the delicate
skin on her throat. He grinned when her only response was a sweet,
wonderful sigh of happiness. He looked at her face, wanting to chuckle at the
look of satisfaction he found there, but he was in too much pain, needing to
be in her body now!
“I’m great!” she sighed, lifting her legs to circle his waist again.
Damn, he loved it when she did that. She was like a cat, purring, sighing,
snuggling and…!
James groaned, bracing himself as he slid into her heat. “Damn, you
feel incredible, Jinx,” he muttered, pressing deeper before pulling out, then
going deeper still. He repeated that until he was buried in her tight sheath,
right up to the hilt. Only then did he open his eyes and look down at her.
The look of erotic delight on her lovely features almost caused him to lose
control. Reciting the alphabet backwards was his only savior. He made it to
Y before he lost count and pulled back, surging into her once more. She
lifted her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust. She tugged at her hands and he
released them reluctantly, but he wanted her soft fingers on him when he
climaxed the first time. Hell, every time!
Moving slowly at first, he rolled his hips, watching her eyes to see if
he might be able to give her yet another release. As much as he wanted to
just let go, enjoy the sensations of her inner muscles clenching him like a
vise, he wanted to see her come apart one more time too.
When her fingers started to tighten on his shoulders, he knew that she
was close. So damn close! Reaching down, he pressed his thumb to that
nub, rubbing in time with each of his thrusts.
The convulsive tightening of Jinx’s body as she shivered out yet
another climax practically threw him over the edge. He thrust wildly into her
until he was completely drained. Only then did he collapse against her,
hiding his face against her neck.

Jinx couldn’t believe what she’d just experienced. It wasn’t

possible! Three orgasms? She’d never climaxed with a man! The men she’d
dated in the past had never taken the time to figure out how to pleasure her.
And here comes James and his magic fingers and that devilish tongue and…
bam! She lost control. Had she ever really had control? Not around him.
Nope. Not since the first moment he’d come into the restaurant and she’d
stared into his dark, enigmatic eyes.
James. Good grief, he was the very definition of control. And yet,
he’d shattered in her arms. She smiled as she thought about how he’d
groaned as his pleasure overwhelmed him. That had been the most perfect
moment.
“Why are you smiling?”
Jinx laughed, unable to stop herself. “How did you know that I’m
smiling?” she asked, lifting her hand to run gentle fingers over the back of his
neck. His face was still buried in her neck so there was no way he could
know that she was smiling. No way!
“I could feel your smile,” he told her, then lifted himself off of her,
bracing his weight on his elbows. “Are you okay?”
“More than okay,” she replied, shifting so that she could rub her
inner thighs along his sides. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him. “Are
you?”
He laughed, turning his head so that he could kiss her arm. “Hell
yes. Now that you’re in my bed, I’m great.”
Jinx couldn’t stop her laughter. “I should go,” she said, knowing that
most men didn’t want to linger after they’d climaxed. It was just their thing,
she knew from experience.
One of his dark eyebrows lifted. “Why do you need to leave? You
just got off work. Do you have errands to do or something?”
She blinked up at him, her fingers stilling on his neck. “No. I
just…,” she looked over at the bedside table but she didn’t find any excuse
there. “I thought…”
“Will you stay with me tonight?”
She bit her lip. “You want me to stay the whole night?”
“Hell yes,” he groaned, pulling out of her body carefully as he
climbed off the bed. “I want to show you something.” A moment later, he
disappeared into the bathroom. Jinx allowed herself one last view of his tight
butt before she sighed and scooted to the edge of the bed. She grabbed her
panties and bra, intending to put them on, but he returned and snatched them
away.
“No need to put those back on when I’m just going to take them off
again.” He took her hands and led her out of his bedroom. At the doorway,
she hesitated, laughing. “James, I can’t walk around your apartment naked.”
He stopped and gazed down at her, his eyes lighting on her breasts
and a wolfish smile forming on those sexy lips. “Why not? I like it.”
She choked on a laugh, shaking her head. “No. I can’t do it. I need
clothes.”
He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “Fine. If you have to put
something on, then wear my shirt. It will cover you up but still give me easy
access to all of the delicious parts that I’ve been fantasizing about for
months.” And with that, he grabbed his enormous tee-shirt, tugging it over
her head. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on, not bothering with his
boxers which were…somewhere, she assumed.
“That’s so hot,” he groaned, pulling her into his arms and burying his
face against her neck again. “I think I’ve found a new favorite spot.”
Jinx laughed, amazed that James, who was normally so reserved and
cautious, was such a playful lover.
When he straightened up, he didn’t release her. He took her hand
and led her into the other bedroom which was actually set up with a massive
computer system including about six different monitors.
“What’s all this?” she asked, her eyes wide as she took in all of the
blinking lights and the screens with the screen saver shifting across the
various monitors.
“This is my hobby,” he told her, pressing a few buttons. A moment
later, the monitors came alive. “Sit down.”
She sat in the giant leather seat that was probably the perfect size for
him, but she felt like a toddler in it. Her feet didn’t even touch the ground.
“No, that doesn’t look right,” he commented, then scooped her up in
his arms and sat down with her in his lap. “Much better.”
Jinx laughed, feeling…sexy. And wanted. Goodness, he was a very
comfortable “chair”.
“Okay, what am I looking at?” she asked, squirming, then smiling
when his big hands went to her hips to stop her action.
“Behave,” he ordered. “This is a video game I’ve been working on
for the past couple of years. I think it’s finally getting close to being ready
for release, but I need people to test it out.”
“I love video games!” she gasped, her fingers wiggling in front of
her. “I am the video game master with my nieces and nephews!”
He chuckled again, and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling
her backwards to fit more snuggly against him. “Okay, here’s the concept.
It’s all about finding the secret message, but you don’t always know what the
secret message is. Nor do you know where it is.”
“So it’s a bit like a spy game?”
“Yes, but any random player can upload their own message and
secret hiding place. It has to go through a review process, but if their path
and message is accepted, then they earn extra points to play on other people’s
uploads. Otherwise, they pay to play. The more people who play and
upload, the more complicated the game becomes.”
“That’s awesome!” she gasped, wiggling again with excitement.
“Here’s the toggle,” he said, explaining how to use it and what the
various buttons did. “Each player also can earn additional points for each
message they retrieve. And the uploaded pathways can be videos taken of
real buildings, although I created an algorithm to encrypt specific attributes of
the buildings, so players aren’t searching out buildings and invading spaces
that are off limits.”
“Brilliant,” she nodded, already using the toggle switch to work her
way through the initial hallways. She was half listening to him, but she was
more focused on the game. It was immediately intriguing and far more life-
like than the other games on the market. “How did you get the trees to look
so real?” she asked, examining the tree with delight. But something blocked
her path so she had to climb the tree to get around it. Nice!
 “I used my camera to film this area. That’s the beauty of this game.
It can upload real images and use them for pathways.”
Jinx froze, shocked and impressed. “That’s…unheard of!”
“I’m hoping that the game will be a combination of getting people
intrigued in the game, challenging them to think like a chess player because
you need to anticipate several plays ahead and…” He chuckled when Jinx’s
avatar fell into a trap. “And not falling into traps laid out by other players.”
“Vicious,” she muttered, wiggling again. “Set me up. I want to try
one more time.”
He laughed, but set her up again. Jinx moved her player along the
same pathway, anticipating the traps and moving around them, much faster
this time. “So, you don’t even use graphics in the same way as other games.
Other companies have seriously advanced their graphics, but they still look
artificial. This looks real. It’s almost like I’m out in the world and not behind
a monitor.”
“Ideally, this would be even more interactive, like using a treadmill
to walk along the pathways. I’d prefer to get people up and moving. My
next idea is to allow players to connect a desk-treadmill to their monitors so
they could move faster in the system. It’s not a total immersion effort, but
it’s more interactive.”
And…she died again. “Do it again. I know how to avoid that trap
this time.”
James pressed the buttons and reset her player, then leaned back in
his chair to watch. But he wasn’t watching the monitor. He was watching
Jinx. She was a sexy little thing, he thought. Her round butt wiggled
enticingly on his lap, making his body come alive. He could see her breasts
swaying under his tee shirt. What was more enticing was the way she stuck
her tongue out as she concentrated, leaning forward as if trying to anticipate
whatever would come next in the game. Damn, she was it. She was the total
package.
He let her play for a while longer, but her wiggling was too
tempting. He also knew that she didn’t have anything on underneath that
shirt, which was wildly distracting. He let his hands slide up her legs,
wondering how long it would take to distract her.
 James smiled when her player died almost instantly.
“You cheated,” she grumbled, sliding off his lap. He wanted to
argue, but Jinx simply took his shirt off, revealing all of her naked loveliness
to him before she climbed back onto his lap, facing him this time.
His hands moved to cup her breasts, teasing those pink tipped, taut
nipples.
“How did I cheat?” he asked, more focused on her hands than her
words. She found his nipples, her fingernails scraping along the flat circles.
He almost laid her out on the floor beside his desk.
“You were on top last time,” she whispered, leaning forward, taking
his earlobe between her teeth. “It’s my turn now.”
He groaned, trying to control the almost primal urge to take control.
“Think so?” he growled, his fingers tightening around her waist before
sliding down to cup her bottom.
“Yeah,” she sighed, sliding lower, kissing her way even lower. Her
fingers fumbled with his zipper and he thought he’d forgotten how to breathe
when he felt her fingers on his throbbing erection. But no, that came when
she pulled back even further, sliding off his lap and kneeling in front of him
as she took his shaft into her mouth.
“Dear heaven!” he groaned, leaning back as her hot mouth covered
him, her tongue flicking along the tip and right underneath the ridge. Her
hands caressed his thighs, leaving his mind blank and needy. Normally, he
would come up with some way to maintain control, but the alphabet had
failed him the first time. This time, he couldn’t remember what the alphabet
was!
So when she started sucking, he practically sat up and grabbed her,
pulling the extra condom out of his pocket as he shifted her back onto his lap,
this time with her facing him.
“I want to do that,” she announced, licking her lips with anticipation.
“No way,” he groaned. “I don’t think I could last long enough if you
touched me again.”
With that he pulled her closer, sliding a finger into her heat. She was
so wet and ready for him, he wasn’t sure he could hold back from thrusting
into her body. With as much gentleness as he could muster, he pulled her
forward and…she placed her hands on his shoulders, kissing him as she lifted
her hips and took him into her body.
His eyes closed briefly as she rolled her hips, but they opened when
she leaned forward, kissing his chest. He wanted to watch her. Needed to
watch her! His hands cupped her breasts as she threw her head back, her
pretty white teeth biting her lip as she set the pace, shifting against him until
she found the perfect angle. Damn, she was beautiful!
Over and over, she rode him, sliding up and down against him and
James could feel her body tightening. But he was too close. He couldn’t just
watch those beautiful breasts dance like that and feel her body tighten around
him and he reached down, teasing that nub until she cried out, her head
falling back as her body convulsed. And that was all it took to push him over
the edge. He released his control and let himself climax with her, his soul
pouring into her luscious, curvy body.
When she collapsed against him, James tightened his arms around
her, feeling their pulses pounding in unison.
“Wow!” she whispered. James laughed softly, silently agreeing with
her as he let his hands trail from her butt all the way up her spine. “I agree,”
he replied softly, kissing her bare shoulder.
He ran his hands over her body, kissing the closest parts as both of
them came down from the high of the moment. When she looked at him, his
gut tightened. But James knew that she’d truly won his heart when she said,
“I’m starving. Are you hungry?”
James laughed, leaning back as he hugged her. But he stopped when
he heard her slight hiss, realizing that Jinx was probably pretty sensitive after
what they’d shared.
“You’re tender,” he realized, lifting her up as he reached for a tissue
to take care of the condom. He tossed both into the trash can, then zipped up
his jeans. “And you’re hungry.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, wiggling on his legs with an enticing groan. She
gazed wistfully towards the kitchen. “Do you have any food in your house,
other than cupcakes?”
He shrugged. “I have a bunch of frozen meals that I eat when I don’t
stop by your place.”
She blinked at him, stunned by his admission. “You eat frozen food
when you don’t grab a burger at my place?”
“Yes. I don’t really cook.”
Jinx stood up, shaking her head in concern. “Nope, that’s just not
going to work. You need real food. Not the salt laden crap in those frozen
meals.” She took his hand and led him back to the bedroom. But she paused
there for a moment, then turned and looked up at him. “I don’t mean to
intrude. I just…I just came by to say thank you. This is your private time.”
“Jinx,” he laughed. “Don’t you dare start doubting my desire for you
now.” And he lowered his head to kiss her tenderly.
When he lifted his head, she licked her lips, as if she could still taste
that kiss. “Yes but…we’ve already…done it. You don’t…?”
“You think all I want from you is sex?” he asked, taking her hand
and leading her into the bathroom. “Well, I can’t say the sex isn’t world-
rocking. But I want more than just sex. I want all of you, Jinx.”
“All of me?” she squeaked as he turned on the shower. “What do
you mean?”
He turned and kissed her lightly. “For starters, how about if I take
you to the grocery store and I’ll buy whatever groceries you need. Then we
can cook dinner and eat it on my balcony?”
Her smile widened and she inched closer. “Will you let me cook for
you? I love cooking. But I don’t do it very often for just myself.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, softly and with a
gentleness that tore at her heart. “I’d love for you to cook for me. But only if
you want to. I hate to cook so–”
“I love it,” she replied, interrupting him. “I love every aspect of
cooking. I love trying out new recipes and I love watching people enjoy my
food. That’s one of the reasons I’m always introducing new ideas to the
menu. It’s exciting when people discover a new flavor.”
He chuckled. “You’re the reason that place has become such a
success, Jinx. Never doubt that.”
They showered together and dressed before heading to the grocery
store. Jinx gathered the ingredients for tabbouleh and grilled chicken. She
wanted him to have a healthy dinner, but he was also a big guy who needed
more calories than she would. In the end, she tripled the recipe, so that he’d
have leftovers for the next day. She hated the idea of him heating up those
horrible, chemical filled, frozen meals. Her food was healthy and nutritious,
but also delicious! She used fresh herbs and spices to flavor her foods
instead of salt. But Jinx also knew that the body needed salt and, from the
muscles on James’ body, he worked out a lot. That meant that he sweated a
great deal. She knew that sweat pulled salt out of one’s body and the
chemical was needed for the heart to work properly.
So while she chopped, diced, and mixed their dinner, he sat on the
other side of the counter and asked her questions about her job and her boss,
the way she managed the restaurant, and the other employees. Later that
night, after dinner, Jinx reached for her purse to head out for the night. She
knew that he was used to being alone and most bachelors didn’t like their
privacy invaded.
“Where are you going? I’d love to spend the night with you,” he
said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her neck. “But if you need time by
yourself, I’ll understand.”
She looked up at him, warmed by his obvious sincerity. “Aren’t you
sick of having your home invaded?” she asked carefully.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Not a chance. I like having you
around,” he told her, sliding her purse off her shoulder, and leading her back
into his bedroom. Slowly, he took her clothes off, folding them onto a chair
before handing her a fresh tee-shirt to sleep in.
When they slipped into bed that night, only the sound of the air
conditioning humming, James pulled her into his arms, his big, heavy hand
slipping under the material of her tee-shirt to rest against her bare stomach.
Which was perfectly fine with Jinx!
Chapter 3

“What the hell are you going to do with all of that?” Buck demanded, eying
the shopping cart filled with surveillance equipment. “And why didn’t you
just borrow stuff from work?”
“Because this is personal,” James explained, tossing another hidden
camera into the cart before heading for the cashier. “What the hell are you
even doing here?” he demanded, wondering how Buck had known he was
coming to the security store.
Buck shrugged. “I saw you heading over and followed you in
because I’m curious,” he said, picking up the box with the cameras. “What
are you going to do with all of this stuff? Make kinky videos?”
James rolled his eyes, snatching the box out of Buck’s hands and
putting it on the cashier’s conveyor belt. “None of your business.”
“Does it have to do with that robbery attempt a few nights ago?” He
looked at the box. “We have better stuff at the lab.”
“I know we do. I am aware that DARPA didn’t build these models,”
he snapped, referring to the government agency tasked with inventing new
toys for people like him to use against enemies of the United States. “But I
don’t need military grade surveillance equipment. Not when I think I know
what’s going on.”
Buck waited beside James as they waited for the cashier to ring up
James’ purchases. “You know that we’re all in on helping you, right?” he
asked his boss.
James paused, looking at the other man. They were about the same
height, but Buck was bulkier than James by about ten pounds of muscles.
Buck and Diesel were truly built along odd proportions. Jack called the two
men “freaks of nature” because they were just so freakishly big. Which was
rich since Jack was taller than either man, although he was more lithe than
bulky.
“Didn’t you just buy a new house to work on?” James asked. Buck
spent his free time buying up old, nearly destroyed houses and fixing them
up. It was his way of relaxing after a particularly stressful mission.
 “Yep.” He looked at all of the equipment. “But something is up and
we’re going to help. Jack is over at the restaurant making sure that Jinx is
safe and Diesel is beating the streets, looking for the guy who tried to rob
her.”
James thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “I appreciate
the help.”
“Good, so what do you need me to help you with right now?”
James handed the cashier his credit card. “I don’t need bags,” he said
to the teenager who probably would have put each box into a separate plastic
bag. James would simply stack everything up and carry it out. No need to
waste the bags for that distance.
“Saving the environment?” Buck teased, taking half the stack of
boxes.
“Something like that,” James grumbled.
“She’s the one, isn’t she?”
James slid his sunglasses on as they walked out into the Florida
sunshine. He thought about denying it, wanting to keep his relationship with
Jinx private. Unfortunately, that just wasn’t possible. Not with any of the
men on his team. They knew. Hell, they’d probably known what was going
on long before he did. Which was probably why none of them had ever
asked Jinx out, even though Buck had threatened it a time or two. He
chuckled at the thought. Good that they hadn’t because he wouldn’t have
liked to kill them for even thinking about Jinx in that way.
“Yeah.” They loaded everything into the back of James’ truck, then
Buck returned to his SUV and followed James back to the restaurant. Diesel
and Jack were already there, sitting at a picnic table across the street. Buck
had texted them that James needed help at Jinx’s restaurant. Since it was
their go-to hangout spot, plus the food there was the best in town, all of them
were more than happy to help secure the place with as much security
equipment as needed. Jack and Diesel were looking over a map, debating the
pros and cons of various streets and turns on a map spread out over the table.
Or maybe it was a diagram. James ignored them as he and Buck went to
work installing the cameras.
Chapter 4

“Hey Jimmy!” Jinx called out as her boss, the owner of the restaurant,
ambled through the double doors to the kitchen. “Try this,” she said, ladling
out a portion of the “stew” she’d been working on. “I think it’s perfect now.”
Jimmy took the bowl Jinx offered him, grabbed a spoon and tasted,
nodding his head slowly. “Damn, Jinx, that’s excellent!”
Jinx’s face brightened into a smile. “Really? It’s good enough?”
“Hell yeah!” he replied with a firm nod, finishing off the rest of the
bowl. “When can we put it on the specials menu?”
“Tonight,” she announced, bouncing with excitement. “I’ll update
the specials list.”
Jimmy eyed the pot, noting the amount would barely feed a family of
four. “You’re going to make more, right? That little pot isn’t going to last
through the lunch rush.”
She laughed, nodding. “Absolutely. I’ll give the recipe to Donny
and we’ll get a bigger batch made up. It will be ready in time.”
“Good job,” Jimmy said with a nod, moving towards the office.
“What else is going on?”
Jinx trailed after her boss, updating him on the various issues that
had come up over the past few days. Jimmy was one of those “hands off”
owners, preferring to spend his time on the golf course or reading a book.
Jinx didn’t mind since she loved her job and he paid her extremely well.
She’d negotiated several raises over the past few years, relentlessly
explaining to Jimmy how her management and new recipes had brought the
recent success to his business.
They talked for about an hour, then Jimmy grinned. “Sounds like
everything is under control. Great job, Jinx!”
“There’s one more thing,” she said, understanding that he was ready
to head back to the golf course. Jimmy’s impatience with business issues was
legendary with the staff. He came in about once a week, just to remind
everyone that he was still alive and still the boss. Otherwise, he didn’t bother
them. He left the running of the place to Jinx, so that he could spent his
increased income on…whatever struck his fancy.
“What’s that?” he asked, sighing impatiently but leaning back in his
chair.
“We need more security for the night drops,” she said firmly. “Some
guy tried to rob me a few nights ago.”
Jimmy leaned forward, his eyes sharpening. “You were robbed?” he
demanded. “I look at the bank deposits every morning and the cash drops
were all accounted for.”
Jinx held up her hands, relieved that he was at least aware of the
accounting issues. At least, the income aspect of the accounting. “No, I
wasn’t robbed. The guy who tried was stopped before he could get to me.
My point is, we shouldn’t carry large amounts of cash out of the restaurant at
night anymore. It’s too dangerous. Yesterday, I bought a safe and had it
installed in the office. I’ll be making the cash deposits at various times
during the day. No more routines. We need to mix things up. Plus, we
should hire an armored truck company to collect the cash instead of handling
it ourselves.” She picked up a paper from her desk. “I’ve called several
different companies and have some prices for you to look at. It’s not all that
expensive and–”
Jimmy waved the paper aside, not even looking at the figures. “No!
Jinx, we talked about this before. I don’t want anyone else handling my
money. I don’t trust those guys and they get robbed all the time.”
Jinx blinked, trying to hide her frustration. He was worried about his
money being robbed and not his employees getting hurt? “Yes, but…!”
“No! I’m not authorizing that expense,” Jimmy snapped, then stood
up and walked out of the office. “Just…get the money to the bank. It’s your
job!” He shoved through the metal security door and stomped off towards his
car.
Jinx had stood up when Jimmy walked out, frustration welling up
inside of her as she glared at the metal door, wishing she could figure out
how to convince Jimmy that his employees, specifically her, weren’t safe
carrying so much cash. It wasn’t even safe to keep that much cash in the tiny
safe that she’d hidden away in the office closet.
Frustration gripped her throat, but she turned away as the door closed
firmly behind him. She wanted to go to James and talk to him, vent a bit.
But she couldn’t do that because…well, because she didn’t want to burden
him. He was a big, strong man and he’d listen, but James had better things to
do than listen to her complain about her job.
She wondered what it would be like to talk to him about…anything.
To run her thoughts by him and hear what he had to say.
Unfortunately, their relationship wasn’t…they were just having sex.
They talked, but mostly about superficial topics. If she loved hearing his
deep, resonant voice late at night while his arms were wrapped around her,
well, that was just…talk. It wasn’t anything deeper or more significant. If
her feelings were stronger, if she might, maybe, perhaps, be madly in love
with the man, and had been for months, then…well, that was all on her
stupid, traitorous heart. She couldn’t blame James for being one of the good
guys. Nor could she blame him for being wonderful …and a bachelor.
“Are you okay?” Donny asked. “Everything okay with Jimmy?”
Jinx looked up and forced a smile. “Oh yeah! Jimmy is great.
How’s that stew recipe coming along?”
Donny grinned excitedly. “It’s amazing! I love the different spices
that you’ve included.”
Jinx laughed, feeling the heaviness lift from her thoughts ever so
slightly. Cooking always did that for her. “I have a few secret ingredients
that I’ll add at the last moment,” she told the head cook with a wink. “So
don’t try stealing my recipe because it won’t be the same.”
Donny chuckled. “You always leave out a few secret spices. That’s
why you’re paid the big bucks.”
Jinx laughed, but agreed with him. She loved her job, and she loved
that she was so well compensated. Jimmy might grumble every time she
asked for a raise, but she only asked when the receipts increased, and she
only asked for a portion of the increase.
Great job, great food, lots of customers and a sexy, amazing lover.
The only fly in her life was the fact that James would eventually move on and
share all of his amazing wonderfulness with another woman.
Since that thought was too depressing to endure, she headed for the
dining room to make sure the staff was cleaning up after the breakfast rush.
Another random document with
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looking as we do on Christian there before us, we see that the features of
her brilliant countenance are as like as brothers and sisters may be—like,
and yet unlike, for the pressure of that great sorrow has fallen lightly on
little Mary’s buoyant spirit. She is still “little Mary,” though her head is
higher now than Christian’s, who calls her so. Those two years have added
no less to her inner growth than to her stature, and Mary Melville, with all
the mirth and joyousness of her earlier girlhood, has the cultivated mind of
a woman now. There are many bright young faces shining in this gay room,
but there is not one like little Mary’s; not one eye in this assembly can boast
such a sunny glance as hers, graver than her peers when it is called to look
on serious things, and beaming then with a youthful wisdom, which tells of
holy thoughts and pure intents within, and anon illumined with such a flash
of genuine mirthfulness and innocent gaiety, so fresh and unconscious in its
happy light, as would startle the sternest countenance into an answering
smile. She is much loved, our sprightly Mary, and is the very sun and light
of the circle she moves in; and friends who have known her from her
childhood, tell one another how like she is to Halbert, and shake their
heads, and are thankful that she can never be exposed to similar
temptations. Do they think that Mary, like her brother, would have fallen,
that she must succumb too, before the adversary’s power, if tried as hardly?
Ah, it is not well that the innocent lamb, so tender, so guileless and gentle,
should be exposed to the power of the wolf, and who can tell but that there
may be deadly danger lurking about her even now.
Christian’s smile grows brighter as it falls on Mary, “little Mary’s”
sparkling face, and her voice is happier and more musical in its modulation
as she answers her affectionate inquiries. They speak truly who say that
Christian has no thought of herself: at this hour Christian would fain be on
her knees in her solitary room, pleading for her lost brother; not lost, deaf
Christian, say not lost—is there not a lingering tone of sweet assurance in
thy mournful heart, which, if thou would’st but hear it, speaks to thee out of
the unknown secret stillness and says, Not lost, not lost, dear Christian,
though thou yet knowest not how the faithful One has answered thy
weeping prayers.
But, hush! little Mary is singing; a simple plaintive melody, as natural in
its pleasant notes, as the dropping of the withered leaves around her absent
brother, in yon far American forest. There is a charm in these old songs
which far surpasses more artistic music, for scarce is there a single ear on
which they fall that has not many remembrances and associations
awakened, or recalled, it may be joyful, it may be sorrowful, connected
with their simple measure and well-known words, and in such, and in no
other, does Mary Melville delight. There is one sitting by Mary’s side who
seems to comprehend what few of the listeners do, or care to do, the
singer’s delicate and sweet expression of the feeling of her well-chosen
song. He has never seen her before to-night, but he seems to have made
wonderfully good use of the short time he has spent beside her; and Mary
has already discovered that the gentleman-like stranger, who devoted
himself to her all through the evening, is a remarkably well-informed,
agreeable man, and quite superior to the frivolous youths who generally
buzz about in Elizabeth’s drawing-room, and form the majority of her
guests. He has brilliant conversational powers, this stranger, and the still
more remarkable art of drawing out the latent faculty in others, and Mary is
half-ashamed, as she sees herself led on to display her hoards of hidden
knowledge, adorned with her own clear perceptions of the true and
beautiful, which, unknown to herself, she has acquired. It is a strange, an
unusual thing with Mary to meet with any mind, save Christian’s, which
can at all appreciate her own, and she is rejoicing in her new companion’s
congenial temperament, and, in a little while, there is a group of listeners
collected round them, attracted by something more interesting than the
vapid conversations which are going on in this large room. Mr. Forsyth’s
accomplishments are universally acknowledged, and he shines resplendent
to night; and one after another, dazzled by his sparkling wit and still more
engaging seriousness, join the circle, of which Mary is still the centre.
“Who would have thought,” say we, with Mrs. James, as she gazes
wonderingly over the heads of her guests on the animated face of her young
sister-in-law,—“who would have thought that Mary knew so much, or could
show it so well!”
Is Christian’s care asleep to-night; what is she doing that she is not now
watching over her precious charge? No, it is not; her eyes, which have
strayed for a moment, are now resting fixed on Mary. See! how her cheek
flushes at that man’s graceful deference. Listen to the laugh that rings from
the merry circle at some sally of his polished wit. Mary looks grave and
anxious for a moment, for his jest has just touched something which she
will not laugh at, and he perceives it, and at once changes his tone, and
turns with polished ease the conversation into a new channel. Is it well that
Christian should be ignorant of one who is engrossing so much of her
sister’s attention? No, it is not; and she feels that it is not; so she calls
James, and is even now, while Mary’s joyousness is returning, anxiously
inquiring of her brother who this stranger is. James does not even know his
name. A cousin of Elizabeth’s brought him to-night, and introduced him as
a friend who had been of great service to him; then Elizabeth herself is
appealed to; Mrs. James is quite sure that Mr. Forsyth is a very respectable,
as well as a very agreeable man; he could never have found his way into her
drawing-room had he been other than that; her cousin never would have
brought him had he not been quite certain and satisfied on that point. He is
very rich, she believes, and very accomplished, she is sure, and, being
unmarried, she is extremely pleased to see him paying so much attention to
Mary. Christian shudders—why, she does not know; but she feels that this is
not well, there is a something in his look—such nonsense! But Christian has
always such strange, such peculiar notions, and is so jealous of all that
approach Mary.
The gay young people that are around Mary make room for Christian, as
she glides in to sit down by her sisters’s side. She is very grave now, as
always; but some of them have heard her story, and all the nature in their
hearts speaks for her in tones of sympathy, and their voices are quieter
always when beside her. Over most of them she has some other power
besides this of sympathetic feeling; there is hardly one there to whom she
has not done some deed of quiet kindness, which would not even bear
acknowledgment; thus they all love Christian. She sits down by Mary’s
side, and her heart grows calmer, and more assured again; for Mary bends
over her, and seeks forgiveness for her momentary forgetfulness. Pardon
from Christian is easily obtained; yet, gentle as she is, it seems not so easy
to win her favour. Mr. Forsyth’s fascinating powers, displayed and exerted
to the full, are all thrown away. See how coldly she listens to and answers
him; nay, how impatient she is of his courteous attentions. What has he
done wrong? what can ail Christian?
Mr. James Melville’s party has been a very brilliant one; but it is all over
now: the street grows suddenly sombre and silent opposite the darkened
windows, and Mrs. James is not in the sweetest of moods: the baby, now
that all the other music has ceased, is exercising his vigorous lungs for the
amusement of the tired household; his weary mamma is aggravated into
very ill-humour, and unfortunately can find no better way of relieving
herself, nor any better object, than by railing at Christian’s folly. Mrs. James
is sure, if Mr. Forsyth were to think of Mary Melville, they might all of
them be both proud and pleased, for he would be an excellent match for her.
She could not think what Christian expected for her—some unheard-of
prodigy she fancied, that nobody but herself ever dreamt of—thus did the
lady murmur on to the great annoyance of James.
But we must leave Mrs. James and her indignation to themselves, that
we may follow the sisters home. They had little conversation on the way.
Christian was silent and absorbed in her own thoughts, and Mary wondered,
but did not disturb her; for Mary, too, has thoughts unusual, which she cares
not to communicate; and soon, again, we are in the old room, no way
changed since we saw it first, three years ago; and Mr. Melville—how shall
we excuse ourselves for passing him over so lightly and so long—is here
unaltered, as much a fixture in his wide, soft chair, as any piece of furniture
in the well-filled room; and Robert, we lost him amid the belles of Mrs.
James’s party! but here he is again, distinct, full grown and manly, and still
retaining the blithe look of old. Christian alone has yet a disturbed
apprehensive expression on her usually calm and placid face, and she
wonders,
“How can James like such parties? it is so different from his wont.”
“Yes,” says Mary innocently, “I wonder that Elizabeth likes them. If
there were just two or three intelligent people like Mr. Forsyth, it would be
so much better.”
Poor Christian!
The protection of the Almighty has been implored “through the silent
watches of the night,” and Mr. Melville’s household is hushed in sleep—all
but Christian; for this quiet hour when all are at rest, is Christian’s usual
hour of thoughtful relaxation and enjoyment. But she had a clouded brow
and an uneasy look when she entered her room to-night—that room of
many memories. At length there is no mist of disquietude to be seen upon
her peaceful face; no doubt in her loving heart: she has gone to the footstool
of the Lord, and borne with her there that child of her tenderness and
affection, over whose dawning fate she has trembled, and has committed
her into the keeping of the Father of all; and she has poured forth, with
weeping earnestness, the longings of her soul for that lost brother, whom
even yet she knows not to be within the reach of prayer. Often has she
thought that Halbert may be dead, since day after day these years have
come and gone, and no tidings from, or of him, have gladdened her heart.
Her spirit has been sick with deferred hope, as month after month went by
and brought no message. But she is calmer to-night; the load is off her soul;
she has entrusted the guardianship of the twain into His hands who doeth all
things well, and with whom all things are possible; and wherefore should
she fear!
The light in her chamber is extinguished, and the moonbeams are
streaming in through the window. A few hours since she watched their
silvery radiance stealing, unheeded and unseen, into yon crowded room,
drowned in the flood of artificial light which filled it, and then she had
thought these rays an emblem of Heaven’s Viceroy—conscience—unknown
and unnoticed, perchance, by those gay people round about her, but even
then marking with silent finger upon its everlasting tablets, the hidden
things of that unseen and inner life in long detail, moment, and hour, and
day, for each one of them. But now, in the silence of her own room, these
beams have another similitude to Christian, as they pour in unconfined,
filling the quiet chamber. They tell her of peace, peace full, sweet, and
unmeasured,—not the peace of a rejoicing and triumphant spirit,—the
sunbeams are liker it,—but of one borne down with trial and sorrow, with a
sore fight of affliction, with a fear and anguish in times past, yet now at rest.
Oh, happy contradiction! distracted with cares and anxieties, yet calm amid
them all, full of the memories of bygone sorrow, of forebodings of sorrows
yet to come, but peaceful withal, how blessed the possession!
It falls upon her form, that gentle moonshine, and her features are lit up
as with a twilight ray of heaven: it lingers over her treasures as though it
loved them for her sake. It streams upon that portrait on the wall, and
illuminates its pensive and unchanging face, as with the shadow of a living
smile; and Christian’s heart grows calm and still within her beating breast,
like an infant’s, and holy scenes of old come up before her liquid eyes, like
ancient pictures, with that steadfast face upon the wall shining upon her in
every one; not so constant in its sad expression, but varying with every
varying scene, till the gathering tears hang on her cheeks like dewdrops,
and she may not look again.
And there is peace in that household this night, peace and sweet serenity,
and gentle hopefulness; for a blessing is on its prayer-hallowed roof and
humble threshold, and angels stand about its quiet doorway, guarding the
children of their King—the King of Kings.
 CHRISTIAN MELVILLE.

EPOCH IV.

There is no emblem of our lives so fit

As the brief days of April, when we sit
Folding our arms in sorrow, our sad eyes
Dimmed with long weeping; lo! a wondrous ray,
Unhoped-for sunshine bursting from the skies
To chase the shadow of our gloom away.
And lest the dazzling gladness blind us, lo!
An hour of twilight quiet followeth slow,
Moistening our eyelids with its grateful tears,
Strengthening our vision for the radiant beam
That yet shall light these unknown future years,—
Each joy, each grief, in its appointed room,
Ripening the precious fruit for heaven’s high harvest home.

CHAPTER I.

Benedict. Pray thee, sweet Mistress Margaret, deserve well

at my hands by helping me to the speech of Beatrice.
* * * * *
Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I called thee?
Much ado about Nothing.

E are half inclined to lament that the incidents of our story

confine us to one short month, nay, oftener to one little day of
every passing year, but nevertheless so it is, and we may not
murmur. Doubtless could we have sketched the glories of some
midsummer morning or autumnal night, or wandered by our heroine’s side
through the gowan-spotted braes in the verdant springtime, we should have
had pleasanter objects to describe, and a pleasanter task in describing them,
and our readers a less wearisome one in following us; but seeing that we
must, perforce, abide by “the chamber and the dusky hearth,” even so, let it
be. The hearth of our present sketch is in nowise dusky, however; there is
nothing about it that is not bright as the blazing fire itself. If you look from
the window you may see that everything without is chained down hard and
fast in the iron fetters of the frost, and covered with a mantle of dazzling
whiteness. With tenacious grasp the wintry king fixes the less obdurate
snow to the heavy housetops, decking them as with hood and mantle; with
malicious glee it rivets each drop of spilt water on the slippery pavement,
bringing sudden humiliation, downfall and woe, to the heedless passengers;
and from the southern eaves where the sun has for some short time exerted
a feeble power, hang long icicles in curious spirals, like the curls of
youthful beauty. Keen and cold, it revels in the piercing wind, which
coming from the bleak north in full gush round the chill street corner,
aggravates the wintry red and blue which battle for the mastery in the faces
of the shivering passengers, and screams out its chill laughter in the gale,
when some sturdy man who has but now chased its little glowing votaries
from their icy play is suddenly overthrown himself by one incautious step,
and with prostration lower than Eastern does homage to its power, to the
great and loudly expressed satisfaction of the urchins aforesaid, who have
resumed again their merry game with renewed zeal and vigour.
It is just the kind of morning to make dwellers at home hug themselves
on their comfortable superiority over those whom necessity calls abroad, to
dare the dangerous passage of these treacherous streets and meet the rough
encounters of the biting wind. The room we stand in is the very picture of
neatness and comfort; a beautiful infant of two years old is roaming with
unsteady step about the bright fireside and over the carpet, a wide world to
him, intently making voyages of discovery hither and thither, among the
chairs and tables, the continents and islands of his navigation; and beside a
pretty work-table, with her delicate fingers employed in still more delicate
work, sits Mrs. James Melville, her brow furrowed and curved in
deliberative wisdom, giving earnest heed to schemes which are being
poured into her attentive ear, and ever and anon responding with oracular
gravity. Who is this that seeks and has obtained the infinite benefit of Mrs.
James’s counsel, and that now with deferential courtesy lays before her the
inexpressible advantages he will derive from her advice and assistance, and
insinuates the unending gratitude of which he has already given earnest in
delicate and well-timed presents, such as delight a lady’s heart? He is
speaking of a brilliant establishment to be offered to some one whom he
seeks to win, and shall win all the more easily through his kind friend Mrs.
James’s advice and co-operation. He is speaking of wealth which hitherto
he laments,—and here the petitioner sighs and looks, or tries to look
pathetic,—he has not properly employed, wherewith that as yet nameless
third party shall be endowed, and he winds up all with an eulogium upon
the extraordinary ability, and undeserved, but not unappreciated kindness of
the lady who smiles so graciously at his well-timed compliments. Mrs.
James is completely won over, and her full assistance and co-operation
pledged, for the pleader is skilled in his craft, and wont to be successful.
Who can resist Mr. Forsyth’s eloquence and special reasonings? The work
of consultation goes on, the toils are laid for Mary, sweet Mary Melville’s
unwitting feet, and Forsyth, on the strength of his ally’s assurances, has
already brightened in anticipatory triumph, and if all things be as Mrs.
James says they are, and all Forsyth’s promises be realised, is not Mary’s lot
a bright one? Nay, but is this a man to hold in his hands the happiness of
Christian’s sister?
Mrs. James is determined to signalise herself as a match-maker, and
there are a thousand captivating circumstances which conspire to make her
eager in the furtherance of Forsyth’s suit. She reckons up some of them:
First, it will really be an excellent settlement for Mary; where among her
father’s hum-drum acquaintance could she ever have found one anything at
all like so good; secondly, Mrs. Forsyth’s wealth and style will bring even
her, Mrs. James Melville, into a more brilliant sphere; and above all, there
will be the crowning delight of overcoming, or rather being able to set at
nought, all Christian’s opposition. Mrs. James, self-confident as she is, very
bold, and even impertinent as she can be at some times, and strong in the
might of superior elegance and beauty, has always been awed in the
presence of Christian’s quiet dignity, and this had annoyed and galled her
greatly. There is something in that grave dignity which she cannot
comprehend, and still more aggravating is the fact, that do what she will,
she cannot quarrel with her gentle sister-in-law, and that all her innuendoes
fall pointless and harmless. Christian will not hear Mrs. James’s petulance,
be it ever so loud, for with one calm word she shows her its insignificance;
she smiles at her sarcasms against old maids, as she might smile at some
nick-name of childish sport; nay, sometimes, and it is the nearest approach
to mirth which Christian is ever known to make now, she will turn round in
defence of the maligned sisterhood, and chase with lightfooted raillery,
which savours of days of old, the heavy wit of her opponent off the field.
Mrs. James never saw Christian ruffled or disturbed by any speech of hers,
save on that occasion which introduced Forsyth to Mary, and she was too
watchful and too much delighted to let the opportunity of prolonging her
annoyance cease; and Mary, a frequent visitor at her brother’s house, has
since that time, nearly a year now, met her sister-in-law’s accomplished
acquaintance so often, that people begin to whisper about Forsyth’s
devotion, and to look forward to a bridal; and when he is spoken of before
Mary, they smile and look in her face, and the colour on her soft cheek
deepens, and the blood flushes on her forehead, and then when they wonder
at his versatile talents, as they often do, for he is intellectually in that
society a giant among dwarfs, Mary’s downcast eyelids grow wet with
pleasant moisture, and her heart thrills with pleasure, so that she, loving
Christian as she does, is unconsciously furthering Mrs. James in her plan of
annoyance. Our poor Mary!
But we are neglecting the conversation which is still going on between
Mrs. James and her visitor. Forsyth is preparing to go, his visit has been
already prolonged beyond all usual bounds, yet he lingers still,
endeavouring with his persuasive eloquence to bring about one other
arrangement.
“You will bring Mary here to meet me, on new year’s day morning, my
dear madam?” he says softly, and in the most insinuating tone, “will you
not?”
“New year’s morning,” interrupted Mrs. James, “that will never do. You
know I have always a party on the new year’s night, I shall not be able to
give you that morning.”
“Well,” answered Forsyth, as smoothly and persuasively as he could,
“but if you could give us your presence for a few minutes, Mary and I, I
hope, will be able to manage the rest ourselves, and you know, my dear
Mrs. Melville,” he added still more blandly, “I am anxious to come to an
understanding with Mary as soon as possible. Come, you must add this to
the many kindnesses you have done me already. You will consent, I see.”
Mrs. James could not resist. “Well then, on new year’s morning be here,
and Mary shall meet you,” she said, and her gratified friend bows over her
extended hand. “You may come, Mr. Forsyth, on new year’s morning.”
Mr. Forsyth can never sufficiently express his obligation; and having
succeeded in all things according to his wish with Mrs. James Melville, he
takes his leave at last, and rejoices as he hurries through the streets, so cold
and bitter to other passengers, but so bright and cheerful to him in his
present mood, that soon now he will be assured of Mary. He has no doubt
about it, none at all, and he is certain that all that he wants is just this
opportunity which Mrs. James is to secure him, and then Mary Melville will
be his own, plighted and pledged his own.
It is but a few days, yet new year’s morning is as tardy in approach as if,
so big with fate to that young, ingenious, and unfearful spirit, it lingered on
its way willing to prolong her state of happy unconsciousness. The elegant
Mr. Forsyth yawns through the long weary days; though it is the time of his
own appointing he is impatient and restless, and his yawning and
irksomeness is redoubled on that dull, cold, cheerless evening before its
dawn, and he gets really nervous as the time draws near. Strange that one so
practised in the world, whose heart has been so long a very superfluous
piece of matter, should have his dead affections so powerfully awakened by
the simple grace and girlish beauty of guileless Mary Melville. Strange,
indeed, and if he is successful in winning her—as who can doubt he will—
what hope is there for our sweet Mary when his sudden vehement liking
passes into indifference. Poor Mary’s constant heart should be mated only
with one as warm and as full of affection and tenderness as itself; but who
shall have the choosing of their own future—alas, who! or who, if the
choice was given them, would determine aright?—not Mary. But there is a
power, the bridegroom in anticipation wots not of, ordering the very words
which shall fall from his lips to-morrow, overruling the craftiness of his
crafty and subtle spirit, and guarding the innocent simplicity of the prayer-
protected girl, defending her from all ill.
 CHAPTER II.

York. I’ll not be by, the while; My Liege, farewell;

What will ensue hereof, there’s none can tell;
But by bad courses may be understood
That these events can never fall out good.
King Richard the Second.

EW YEAR’S day at last arrived, the time so anxiously waited for

by Forsyth; a cold clear winter morning; and Mary, invited
specially by her sister-in-law, leaves home to help—to help in
some little preparations for the evening, was the reason or plea
assigned by Mrs. James to secure Mary on that morning; and even Christian
had nothing to object to a request so reasonable, though it must be said that
Christian did not like her sister to be much among Mrs. James’s friends.
Nor had Mary herself been wont to like it either, but the Mary of a year ago
is not the Mary of to-day; she has not grown indifferent to Christian’s
wishes; very far from that, Mary was perhaps more nervously anxious to
please Christian than ever in all lesser things; she felt that a kind of
atonement, a satisfaction to her conscience, for her encouragement of the
one engrossing feeling of her heart, of which she dared not indeed seek
Christian’s approval. For the thought that in this most important particular
she was deceiving, or at least disingenuous to her dearest friend, concealing
from her what it so concerned her to know, gave Mary, acting thus contrary
to her nature, many a secret pang. But though this secret clouded her brow
and disturbed her peace at home, she hid it in her own heart. Still how
strange that Mary should be lightsome and happier with her brother’s wife,
whose character was in every respect so inferior to her own, than with her
gentle sister; yet so it was, and Mary’s heart beat quicker when she entered
James’s house, and quicker still when she saw there was some other visitor
before her. Who it was she needed not to ask, for Forsyth sprung to her side,
as she entered the cheerful room, with low-voiced salutation, and a glance
that brought the blush to her cheek, and caused her fair head to bend over
the merry little boy that came running to her knee, and hailed her as “Aunt
Mary.”
“Call me uncle, James, that’s a good little fellow, call me Uncle Walter,”
said Forsyth.
Mary’s blush grew deeper; but James the younger was said to resemble
Aunt Christian in many things, and in nothing more than in disliking
Forsyth; and he was not to be conciliated, either with sugar-plum or toy, but
remained steadfast in his childish instinct of dislike, so he said bluntly,
“No,”—a bad omen this; but Forsyth was not to be discouraged, and Mrs.
James, nettled a little by it, proceeded at once to open the campaign. Some
new music was lying on the table, and she pointed to it.
“See, Mary, here is a present from Mr. Forsyth,” she said, laughingly,
“but there is a condition attached to it which depends on you for its
fulfilment.”
Mary, glad of anything to hide her confusion, bent over the table to look
at it. “Well,” she said, “and what is the condition that depends on me.”
“Nay, ask the giver,” said Mrs. James, “he must make his agreement
with you himself, I cannot make bargains for him.”
Mary was half afraid to lift her eyes to Forsyth’s face, but she did so, and
asked by a glance what it was he required.
“The condition is not a very difficult one,” said he, in his most bland and
soothing tone, “it was merely that Mrs. Melville would get you to sing this
song for me. I was afraid I should fail did I ask myself.”
“And why this song, Mr. Forsyth,” asked Mary, “is it such a favourite?”
“I heard you sing it a year ago,” was the answer, spoken too low, Mary
thought, to reach Mrs. James’s ear, and again the blood came rushing in
torrents to her face.
Mrs. James began to move about as though about to leave the room; this
silence would not do, it was too embarrassing, and Mary resumed, though
her voice had likewise grown imperceptibly lower. “Christian is very fond
of this song, and we all of us like it because she does.”
Mrs. James heard this, however, and, elated by Mary’s coming to her
house that morning, and her own expected triumph over Christian, she
could not resist the temptation. “Oh, Christian has such strange notions,”
she said gaily, “she likes things that nobody else does. I can’t conceive why
you are all continually quoting Christian—Christian! one hears nothing else
from James and you, Mary, but Christian, Christian.”
“Christian never set her own inclination in opposition to any other
person’s wish in her life,” said Mary, warmly; “you do not know Christian,
Elizabeth, or you would not speak of her so.”
“Miss Melville’s good qualities,” chimed in Forsyth, “Miss Melville’s
rare qualities, must gain as much admiration wherever she is seen, as they
seem to have gotten love and reverence from all who are within the range of
their beneficent exercise, and who have the privilege of knowing their value
fully;” and he smiled his sweetest smile in Mary’s face, as she looked up to
him with grateful glistening eyes, and inwardly thanked him for his
appreciation of dear Christian in her heart.
How superior, thought Mary, is he to such worldly people as Elizabeth,
and her coterie, he appreciates Christian, he can estimate her properly. Yet
Mary, all the time that her heart glowed under these feelings towards
Forsyth, felt that she had thwarted Christian’s warmest wishes, and is still
farther thwarting them by the very look with which she thanked Forsyth for
his championship. Mrs. James is at the window carefully examining the
leaves of some rare winter plants—another gift of Forsyth’s giving; and
there ensues another awkward silence. At length she breaks in once more.
“Am I to have my music, Mary? will you fulfil the conditions Mr.
Forsyth has attached to this, or shall I have to send it back again?”
Forsyth is leaning over her chair, anxiously waiting for her answer. Mary
is at a loss what to do, but cannot say, No. Again Mrs. James is occupied
with the flowers.
“This is an era with me, Miss Melville,” Forsyth whispered in Mary’s
ear; “this day twelve months I first saw you.”
Mary’s fingers still hold the music, but the sheets tremble in her hands.
“Is it, indeed?” she says. “Oh, yes! I remember, it was at Elizabeth’s annual
party! It is an era to us all, also. We too have many recollections connected
with the New Year, but they are all sorrowful.”
“Not mine,” returned Forsyth. “Do you know, Miss Melville, I was much
struck then by your resemblance to a young man I once knew in Edinburgh,
a very fine gentleman-like lad of your own name too. I often wonder what
has become of him. I had some hand in inducing him to change some
ridiculously rigid opinions of his; when a fit of superstitious fear came over
him, and I believe his regard for me changed to a perfect hatred.”
Here Mr. Forsyth looked over to Mrs. James, as much as to say, it was
full time for her to go away.
The light is swimming in Mary’s eyes, everything before her has become
dim and indistinct; and she trembles, not as she trembled a moment since,
with agitated pleasure—it is horror, dread, fear that now shakes her slender
frame, and looks out from her dim and vacant eyes. There is no trace now
of the blush which wavered but a little ago so gracefully upon her cheek, it
is pale as death, as she sinks back into her chair. Forsyth and Elizabeth both
rushed to her side. What is, what can be, the matter?
“Nothing, nothing, I shall be better immediately,” she said, shuddering
as she raised herself up again, and drew away the hand which Forsyth had
taken; “I am better now, much better.”
A look of intelligence and mutual congratulation passed between her
companions. Poor thing, she is agitated, and out of sorts with the novelty of
her position; but what matters that, they are quite sure of Mary now, and
Mrs. James glides quietly out of the room.
As soon as she has gone, and they are left alone together, Forsyth with
all the eloquence of look and tone and gesture he can command, pours his
suit into Mary’s ear. How entirely will he not be devoted to her, to her
happiness. How perfectly does she reign in his affections; but it seems,
unless from a shiver, which thrills through her frame from time to time, that
he speaks to a statue, alike incapable of moving from that charmed place, or
of articulating anything in answer to his petition. Forsyth becomes alarmed,
and entreats, beseeches her to speak to him, to look at him only, to return
the pressure of his hand, if nothing more definite is to be said or done; and
suddenly Mary does look up, pale and troubled though her countenance be,
into his face, and speaks firmly:—
“Where, Mr. Forsyth,” she said, gazing at him as though she could
penetrate the veil, and read his inmost heart; “where did that young man go,
that you were speaking to me of just now; the one,” she added, with hasty
irritation, as she marked his astonished and deprecating gesture—“the one
you thought resembled me; to what place or country did he flee? Answer
me.”
 “Mary, dear Mary!” pleaded Forsyth, “why ask me such a question now?
why terrify me with such looks. That superstitious fellow can be nothing to
you; and you, dear Mary, are all in all to me.”
Mary’s voice is still trembling, notwithstanding her firmness, and the
very force of her agitation has made it clear. “Where did he go to?” she
repeats once more.
“I do not know; I believe to America, the universal refuge,” answered
Forsyth, half angrily. “But why do you torment me thus, and answer my
entreaties by such questions? What has this to do with my suit? Will you
not listen to me, Mary?”
As he spoke, she rose with sudden dignity, and repelled the proud man
who subdued and supplicating half knelt before her. “Much, Sir,” she said,
with emphasis; “it has much to do with what you have said to me. I, to
whom you address your love—I, who have been deceived into esteeming
you so long—I, am the sister of Halbert Melville; of the man whom your
seductions destroyed!”
It is too much, this struggle, the natural feeling will not be restrained,
and Mary Melville hides her face in her hands, and tries to keep in the
burning tears. Forsyth has been standing stunned, as though a thunderbolt
had broken upon his head, but now he starts forward again. She is melting,
he thinks, and again he takes her hand in his own. It is forced out of his hold
almost fiercely, and Mary, again elevated in transitory strength, bids him
begone; she will not look upon the destroyer of her brother with a
favourable eye, nor listen to a word from his lips.
A moment after, the passengers in the street are turning round in
astonishment, to look at that face so livid with rage and disappointment
which speeds past them like a flash of lightning, and Mrs. James Melville
was called up to administer restoratives to her fainting sister—sweet gentle
Mary.
 CHAPTER III.

If I may trust the flattering eye of sleep,

My dreams presage some joyful news at hand;
My bosom’s lord sits lightly in his throne;
And, all this day, an unaccustom’d spirit
Lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts.
Romeo and Juliet.

HRISTIAN MELVILLE is seated alone by her fireside, engaged

in her usual occupations, and full of her wonted thoughts; but her
present anxiety about Mary has taught her to linger less in the
past, and to look oftener forward to the future than she has been
accustomed to do heretofore, since sorrow made that once bright prospect a
blank to her. Nay, Christian, in her happier hours, has grown a dreamer of
dreams, and all her architectural fancies terminate in the one grand object,
the happiness of Mary. She sees the imminent danger she runs of having to
relinquish her one remaining treasure, and that into the keeping of one she
distrusts so much as Forsyth. Christian cannot tell how it is that she has
such an unaccountable, unconquerable aversion to him. True, his name is
the same as that of Halbert’s tempter; and association is the root, doubtless,
of all her prejudice—as prejudice everybody calls it—and Christian tries, as
she has tried a hundred times, to overcome her repugnance, and to recollect
the good traits of character that have been told her of him, and to school her
mind into willingness to receive him as Mary’s choice; and she breathes,
from the depths of her heart, the fervent petition for guidance and
deliverance so often repeated for her innocent Mary—her child, her sister—
and then her thoughts speed away, and Halbert rises up before her mental
vision. What can be his fate? Long and wearily does she ponder, and bitter
fancies often make her groan in spirit as one burdened. Is he still a living
man?—still to be hoped and prayed for; or, is Halbert now beyond all
human hope and intercession? Her heart grows sick and faint as she thinks
of the possibility of this; but she almost instantly rejects it; and again her
soul rises to her Lord in earnest ejaculations. Oh! but for this power of
prayer, but for this well-ascertained certainty, that there is One who hears
the prayers of his people, how should Christian Melville have lived
throughout these three long anxious years; how should she have endured the
unbroken monotony of every uneventful day, with such a load upon her
mind, and such fancies coming and going in her heart; how possibly
subdued the longings of her anxious love through all this time of waiting
and suspense? But her prayer has never ceased; like the smoke of the
ancient sacrifice, it has ascended continually through the distant heaven: the
voice of her supplications and intercedings have risen up without ceasing;
and surely the Hearer of prayer will not shut his ears to these.
There is some commotion going on below, the sound of which comes up
to Christian in a confused murmur, in which she can only distinguish old
Ailie’s voice. At first she takes no notice of it; then she begins to wonder
what it can be, so strange are such sounds in this quiet and methodical
house, though still she does not rise to inquire what it is. Christian is
engrossed too much with her own thoughts; and as the sounds grow more
indistinct, she bends her head again, and permits herself to be carried away
once more in the current of her musings. But the step of old Ailie is coming
up the stairs much more rapidly than that old footstep was wont to come;
and as Christian looks up again in astonishment, Ailie rushes into the room,
spins round it for a moment with uplifted hands, sobbing and laughing
mingled, in joyful confusion, and then dropping on the floor, breathless and
exhausted with her extraordinary pirouetting, throws her apron over her
head, and weeps and laughs, and utters broken ejaculations till Christian,
hastening across the room in great alarm to interrogate her, afraid that the
old woman’s brain is affected,
“What is the matter, Ailie?” Christian asks. “Tell me, what is the
matter?”
“Oh, Miss Christian!” and poor Ailie’s wail of sobbing mixed with
broken laughter sounded almost unearthly in Christian’s ear. “Oh, Miss
Christian! said I not, that the bairn of sae monie prayers suld not be lost at
last?”
“Ailie! Ailie! what do you mean? Have you heard anything of Halbert?”
and Christian trembled like a leaf, and could scarce speak her question for
emotion. “Ailie! I entreat you to speak to—to answer me.”
 And Christian wrung her hands in an agony of hope and fear, unwitting
what to think or make of all this almost hysterical emotion of the old
faithful servant, or of her enigmatical words. “Look up, dear Christian; look
up!” Ailie needs not answer. Who is this that stands on the threshold of this
well-remembered room, with a flush of joy on his cheek, and a shade of
shame and fearfulness just tempering the glow of happiness in his eyes?
“Halbert!”
“Christian!”
The brother and sister so fearfully and so long separated, and during
these years unwitting of each other’s existence even, are thus restored to
each other once more.
A long story has Halbert to tell, when Christian has recovered from her
first dream of confused joy, a three year long story, beginning with that
fearful night, the source of all his sorrows and his sufferings. Christian’s
heart is bent down in silent shuddering horror as he tells her of how he fell;
how he was seduced, as by the craftiness of an Ahithophel, into doubt, into
scoffing, into avowed unbelief, and finally led by his seducer—who all the
previous time had seemed pure and spotless as an angel of light—into the
haunts of his profligate associates, so vicious, so degrading, that the blush
mantles on Halbert’s cheek at the bare remembrance of that one night. He
tells her how among them he was led to acknowledge the change which
Forsyth had wrought upon his opinions, and how he had been welcomed as
one delivered from the bondage of priestly dreams and delusions; how he
was taken with them when they left Forsyth’s house—the host himself the
prime leader and chief of all—and saw scenes of evil which he shuddered
still to think of; and how in the terrible revulsion of his feelings which
followed his first knowledge of the habits of these men, whose no-creed he
had adopted, and whose principles he had openly confessed the night
before, sudden and awful conviction laid hold upon him—conviction of the
nature of sin; of his sin in chief—and an apprehension of the hopelessness
of pardon being extended to him; and how, turning reckless in his despair,
he had resolved to flee to some place where he was unknown, uncaring
what became of himself. He told her then of his long agony, of his fearful
struggle with despair, which engrossed his soul, and how at last he was
prompted by an inward influence to the use of the means of grace once
more; and how, when at length he dared to open his Bible again, a text of
comfort and of hopefulness looked him in the face; that he had said to
himself, over and over again, “It is impossible!” till hope had died in his
heart: but here this true word contradicted at once the terrible utterance of
his self-abandonment. “All things,” it was written, “are possible with God;”
and Halbert told her, how the first tears that had moistened his eyes since
his great fall sprang up in them that very day. He told her of the scene so
fair, where this mighty utterance of the Almighty went to his soul, and
where he found peace; in the words of the gifted American—