Lacey sat in the hotel restaurant the next morning with Cara, trying to focus on what her friend was saying.
Cara was telling her, very loudly and animated, about how Sam Hamilton had drunk too much and hit on Beverly Hill, one of their favourite romance authors.Beverly was also a very strong modern woman who wouldn’t put up with that behaviour and had indeed put him in his place.
Lacey smiled but couldn’t get the enjoyment she usually would have from the story. Her thoughts were still on Brent, on the look in his eyes as he had tried to explain the reasons he acted like he did.
It was just an excuse he used. She knew he told himself he had a right to act that way, but she had to disagree. No matter what he’d done in the past to shame himself, he had no reason to treat others like he did.
“You have it that bad, huh?” Cara’s words broke until her thoughts.
“What?” Lacey’s head snapped up, and she rested her gaze on her friend.
Cara smiled and laughed. “I saw Brent follow you out after your dance. And I can tell you’ve been crying.” There was obvious sympathy in the other woman’s eyes.
“I…I don’t…” Lacey trailed off. “Yeah, well, it didn’t work out.” Cara laughed again but didn’t say anything as the waitress refilled their coffees. After she walked away, Cara reached over a laid her hand over Lacey’s. “Want to talk about it?’
Lacey shrugged, not sure that she could keep the tears she’d been holding in.
“Oh my! You’re in love with him,” Cara said softly.
Lacey gave a shaky laugh. “Afraid so.”
“Oh, honey.” Her friend patted her hand. “We’ll fix it. Whatever happened, we will fix it.” Lacey shook her head. “Not this time,” she said sadly.
Cara sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “So you’re just going to give up on him?” Lacey took a drink of her coffee, feeling the hot liquid burn her tongue. The pain made her feel a little better. At the moment, she was almost numb.
“When I first met Brent, I knew he wasn’t like any of the other authors. There was just something so real about him.”
Cara nodded for her to continue.
“We talked online, through emails, and short phone calls for months and I thought I really knew him.” Lacey went on to explain. “I dreamt about him every night, fantasised really what it would be like for him to hold me.”
Realising what she was sharing, Lacey snapped her mouth shut and looked over at Cara. Cara was only smiling at her.
“It’s okay, I understand. I’ll have to tell you how I was seduced by the neighbour at one time.” Lacey tried to smile back, but she couldn’t. She needed to get the story out. Without looking at Cara, she told her about the seduction three months ago and what happened the night before.
Cara was shaking her head when Lacey finished talking. “Oh, I am so going to call Amber,” she mumbled.
Lacey frowned at the mention of another woman. Did Brent have a girlfriend? The thought made her nauseated. “Who’s Amber?” she forced herself to ask.
Cara looked up at her and then clamped her hand over her mouth. “Oh god! It’s not a girlfriend! I’m sorry!”
Lacey blew out a breath.
“Amber is Brent’s sister. You’d like her. She also owns a bookstore, although she enjoys the café part more than the books. She and Brent have always been close.” Lacey remembered Brent saying something about a sister.
“I think I might have a plan. Come on!” Cara scooted out of the booth, pulling Lacey’s hand while she went. “Let’s go to your room. I have a phone call to make.”
Lacey looked around the hotel suite and shook her head. She couldn’t believe she was going along with Cara and Amber’s plan.
Cara had her switched to a different room and helped set up candles on every surface of the room. Then the two of them had gone shopping, and at the moment, Lacey was wearing a very revealing black lace dress.
Brent’s sister Amber had sighed into the phone when Cara had called her and explained what was going on. After a few minutes of drilling Lacey with very personal questions, Amber had giggled and told them exactly how to get her brother.
Cara had gone into action, which was why instead of being downstairs in one of the conference rooms, Lacey was up in a suite, waiting on Matt to deliver Brent.
She was back where she started. Trying to seduce Brent. Putting her heart once again on her sleeve and offering him everything.
She glanced at the clock. Four minutes until seven. Brent would be there anytime now.
The knock on the door had Lacey jumping, even though she had been expecting it.
Lacey rubbed her hands together and tried to calm herself before reaching for the doorknob. She pulled the door open and met Brent’s wide surprised eyes.
He looked her over, licking his lips, and she knew he at least appreciated the way she was dressed.
Then he looked to his side at Matt.
“What’s going on?” he asked quietly.
Matt shrugged and took a step back. “Hey, man, I’m only the delivery person.” Then he turned and hurried down the hall.
Brent looked back at her, and she offered him a smile. “Would you please come in?” He nodded and Lacey opened the door wider. She let him pass before closing and locking the door.
“What is this, Lacey?” Brent asked, still facing away from her.
“I want to talk to you. I want to settle this between us before this weekend is over,” she told him, wishing he would turn around and look at her.
“Dressed like that?” Brent’s voice remained low.
“I figured it would get your attention” she answered honestly.
“It did.” He did turn towards her then, and the noticeable bulge against the fly of his jeans told her that he still was interested in her, her body at least.
“Would you sit please?” She needed to talk to him first. Before she offered him what she planned, she had to get a few things off her chest. To make him understand that she wanted more than just a roll in the bed.
He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.
Lacey paced a few times before stopping in front of him. “I fell in love with you months ago.” Brent stared at the beautiful woman in front of him and tried to give her his full attention. She took a deep breath, which raised her breasts, and his cock jumped.
“I feel in love with you months ago,” she told him.
Brent looked up at her eyes and saw the sincerity in them. His breath caught. Could she love him like he loved her? “Lacey…I…”
She held up a hand and he stopped. “Please let me get this out.” Brent didn’t want to let her talk. He wanted to take her into his arms. She was in love with him. He was
almost afraid to believe it.
“I knew that you could have any woman you wanted, and I could never beat them in the looks department,” she continued.
Brent opened his mouth to argue with her, but she shook her head. “Please, Brent. I thought my only chance to make you see me as more than a friend would be to seduce you.” Brent couldn’t believe what she was telling him. He had acted like a complete ass, and it sounded like she was apologising.
“I’m sorry about the way that I went about it. Instead of just being honest with you, I…” Brent couldn’t listen anymore and stood, causing Lacey to take a step back.
“Stop,” he ordered. He wasn’t going to listen to her blame herself.
Lacey looked away, but not before he saw tears filling her eyes. Brent walked closer until she was backed into the dresser. Once she was trapped between him and the furniture, he cupped her face with his hands.