Chapter Two

Chris watched as Max twirled Cynthia around the floor. His friend had more courage than he did. A woman who appeared to have had nothing to eat, with that much champagne, would not hold on to it for very long. But Max didn’t seem to be in control of the situation, which was a little entertaining.

“I guess I shouldn’t be so amused, but I can’t help it,” Anna said with a laugh.

Chris looked down at her and smiled. Again, he was struck by just how well Anna suited Max. All through college, Max had been so controlled, and Chris could see how a woman like Anna would loosen Max up. He hadn’t seen his best friend so relaxed in all the time Chris had known him.

“You know, if she throws up, she’ll be mortified.” Anna sighed.

He returned his attention to the dance floor and laughed at the pained expression on Max’s face.

“Cynthia comes from a rich, white, Southern family. Of course, she’d be mortified.”

Her brow wrinkled and she sighed again. “Cynthia takes it to the extreme. It can’t be healthy.” She sipped her champagne. “I’ve never seen a woman who showed so little emotion. Especially a Southern woman. We take emotional outbursts to a whole new level. I consider it an unappreciated art form.”

He chuckled. “My mother sure can. Nothing like being cursed in three languages. English, Creole, and Southern. My mother uses them all.”

Anna’s expression lightened, and she shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. “You sound like you’re close to your family.”

“That’s putting it mildly. I’m sure by the time I turn my phone back on, I’ll have had at least a dozen texts from my brothers and sisters, and a few calls from my mother.”

“Max said you had a large family.”

“Yes, and just like any tight-knit Southern family, it seems like it’s twice as large as it really is.”

“I was an only child, like Max, so I have no idea what it’s like.”

His attention went back to Cynthia and Max. “What about Cynthia?”

“Youngest of two. She has an older brother, Randall, who’s a real jackass.”

“No, really?” It wasn’t hard to imagine. If what Max and Anna had implied was true, Cynthia’s father was domineering. A lot of times that brought out the worst of people, especially men.

Anna snorted. “Hard to imagine. But, yeah, he’s just like her father. Apparently, his parents did little to dissuade him from the notion that he’s king of South Georgia. Thankfully, he moved down to Jacksonville, where he is ruling as the king of Northern Florida. But he does show up every now and then to make Cynthia’s life hell.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they aren’t happy that she isn’t married—the only thing a woman can do, ya know?” Sarcasm laced her words. “He either lets her know she failed the family by not marrying Max, or he brings one of his creepy friends to fix her up with. I know the last one was in his fifties.”

The need to find her brother and beat the hell out of him almost choked Chris. He took a drink of his champagne, and the urge lessened a bit, but it still simmered under the surface. It wasn’t something he was used to. Yes, where his sisters were concerned, he would hurt any man who hurt them, but he had never been particularly possessive of women with whom he was involved. And he wasn’t involved with Cynthia. The word “yet” whispered through his mind, but he dismissed it. The woman looked to be a basket case, with too many problems. Pity.

“Oh, thank the good Lord. The song is over.” Anna grabbed his hand and tugged him along with her. “We better save the groom and his ex-fiancée. Besides, it’s about time for the bride to drag the groom off to have her way with him.”

As Max led her from the dance floor, Cynthia shook her head trying to get her bearings. Although they had stopped dancing, the room still spun. It had been fun dancing with Max, even if her mind kept drifting back to the tall drink of water standing with Anna. Of course, it would have been a lot more fun without having Max griping at her.

“And another thing—you shouldn’t go so long without eating, Cynthia. You’re too skinny by far, and then you drank at least half a bottle of champagne! I’m amazed you can walk without falling on your face.”

Irritation crawled down her spine. All her life, people told her what to do, what to think, how to live. It was getting harder and harder to just…breathe. Cynthia took a long moment, drawing in a clean breath. It was that or hit Max. She was working at trying not to care what people thought, but smacking her ex-fiancé upside the head might just cause a scandal.

It was still hard to control her temper, probably because she had barely had anything to eat, and enough champagne for half of Valdosta. Cynthia was sick of herself, of her need to fit in and make things easier for everyone else, and for once, she wasn’t going to take it.

When they reached Anna and Chris, she let loose. Turning toward Max, she shot him a dirty look. The look was more potent than she thought because Max took a step back. “You know, you have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do. If I want to strip and dance naked at your reception, I can. And besides, I’m not too skinny. Okay, a little bit on the thin side, but it’s still extremely rude to point that out, Maxwell.”

“Max.” Anna’s voice was disapproving. She stepped beside Cynthia and put her arm around her shoulders. It was still odd that she and Anna were friends, but damn it felt wonderful to have her support. The backs of her eyes burned against the surge of emotion. She furiously blinked against the tears. “Tell me you didn’t tell Cynthia she was too skinny.”

He pursed his lips. Cynthia knew he was annoyed because he always did that when he was annoyed. It was odd, knowing the groom as well as she did. This was the first wedding she’d been to where she’d slept with the groom. She giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. But she couldn’t stop the laugh that rose, and it came out as a snort.

She tried to regain her composure, but now he was frowning at both of them. Anna leaned closer. “What are you laughing at?”

Knowing Anna would completely appreciate her thoughts, she said, in what she thought was a whisper, “I was just thinking that this is the first wedding I’ve attended where I’ve seen the groom naked.”

Anna’s mouth opened and closed, reminding Cynthia of the large-mouthed bass her father had mounted in his den. Cynthia had the most fabulous feeling that this might be the first time anyone had seen Anna without a comeback.

Then Anna burst out laughing. “Oh my God, there’s hope for you yet.” She herded Cynthia around some tables. “Come on, sister, we need to powder our noses.”

“I don’t know about that, but I really have to pee.”

For some reason Anna started laughing again but had herself under control by the time they entered the bathroom. Both women took care of business, then washed their hands.

Anna was smiling. For as long as Cynthia had known her, Anna had always been big in spirit, always happy, always wanting to laugh. Cynthia knew without a doubt, Anna laughed more than Cynthia ever had. She sighed, realizing she was coming off the high of the champagne.

“What’s the matter, Cynthia?”

“Nothing.” But the moment she said it, her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would get depressed today. I thought you were over everything—”

“Oh, no, I’m not really depressed, it’s just…I had a scene with Father before I left to come here.”

Anna took her by the shoulders and turned Cynthia to face her. “What happened?”

Cynthia smiled at the worry in her friend’s voice. And that was how she viewed Anna. A year ago, who would have thought they’d become such good friends? But here they were, and Anna knew more about Cynthia than anyone in her life.

“He didn’t want me coming.”

Anna snorted. “That goes without saying. Your brother isn’t in town, is he?”

“No.” Thank God. “It wasn’t fun. Father wasn’t happy.”

She pulled away from Anna. Not because she didn’t need the comfort, but because she wasn’t good at accepting it. It was hard talking about family business. A Myers did not discuss personal problems with anyone. She had heeded that mantra for years. If she had been able to discuss her feelings with Max, they could have saved themselves a heap of trouble and never gotten engaged.

“What did he threaten you with this time?”

Studying her friend, Cynthia wondered how much Anna could see beneath Cynthia’s artificial surface. More than anyone ever had probably. Anna’s clear gaze was tinged with understanding.

“Nothing big.” Cynthia fingered the edge of her blouse. “He just kicked me out of the house.”

There was a beat of silence. “What will you do?”

She hadn’t really thought about it. With everything that had been going on, Cynthia had done her best to ignore the gnawing in her gut. Champagne on an empty stomach, especially with her ulcer, was not the best thing. Add the worry of being homeless, and she didn’t even want to think of the doctor bills.

“Not sure. I do have a trust from my grandmother on my mother’s side of the family. But then, I have to find a place to live… Oh, and furniture.”

She turned away and busied herself with rewashing her hands. She knew it wasn’t her fault, but that didn’t stop the humiliation. Heat crept up her neck and into her face.

“Tell you what. You can stay at my place. There’s a lot of Max’s old fuddy-duddy furniture in there, and I haven’t rented it yet. You were going to be house-sitting anyway, so why not just rent it?”

For a second, Cynthia concentrated on washing her hands as she tried to work through her emotions. When she finished, she dried them on a paper towel and looked at Anna. The fact that she had accepted Cynthia, had forgiven her, still amazed Cynthia. Anna treated her better than Cynthia’s own family when she truly didn’t deserve it. A lump rose in her throat and she swallowed. This…it went beyond letting bygones be bygones.

“Really?” Her voice cracked, embarrassing her.

“Really. Now, let’s go round up our men and have some fun. I have plans for Max, and I’m ready to leave.”

Cynthia laughed as she tried to put her face back to rights. “I have no man.”

“Honey, you may not think so, but Chris Dupree is definitely interested in you.”

That gave her an unexpected thrill, but the sensible Cynthia squashed it. No reason to get hot and bothered over a man who was too much for her to handle.

“No.”

Anna smiled smugly. “Yes, he is. He could barely take his eyes off you.”

“Even if he did, I couldn’t handle a man like Chris Dupree. The man is a walking wet dream.”

As soon as she said it, her face flushed. Anna grinned at her.

“I must say, that sounds like something I would say. I like it. And, although I’ll deny it if you tell Max, I agree. Now, why not go take advantage of him?”

“Anna, I couldn’t do that.”

Anna studied her for a moment. “It isn’t because he’s black, is it?”

“Oh no. It isn’t that. Although, I can imagine what my family would say about it.”

“Then what is it?”

“Other than Max, there has only been one other guy, and I didn’t like it with him, either.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “You didn’t like sex with Max?”

“I don’t like sex, period.” She shrugged with the familiar feeling of rejection and failure. “It has to be something with me.”

Anna crossed her arms beneath her breasts and frowned. “You know, maybe it has to do with the men.”

“Oh, come on. First of all, you seem pretty happy with Max.” Anna smiled at that. “But I wasn’t. And the first one, Brett Simmons—well, he let me know when we broke up that I was a cold fish.”

“What I meant was that maybe because these were men your father picked out for you, you weren’t attracted to them. Maybe you need someone your father would disapprove of.”

“But I don’t know anyone like that.”

Anna opened the door and led them out of the bathroom. At the end of the hallway, both Chris and Max stood waiting for them. Max frowned. Chris’s mouth curled into a small smile, and Cynthia’s heart flip-flopped. Her entire body warmed at the idea of seeing that smile tomorrow morning.

Anna leaned closer. “There’s someone who could really show you a good time, and I would say he’s someone your father would not suggest you date.”

“He lives in Honolulu.”

“Even better—a one-night stand.”

Cynthia tried to disapprove, but something about the idea excited her. She had never been a one-night-stand kind of woman. It just wasn’t done. As she studied Chris, his gaze slid down her body and back up again. Heat flared from her stomach and spread to her sex. She shifted her legs, trying to get rid of all the tingles. It only made it worse. Her damp panties rubbed against her sensitized skin. Her knees went weak.

Lordy.

Anna nudged her in the ribs. “Come on, Cynthia. How often do you get a chance like this?”

“I need a few drinks.”

“Tell you what,” Anna said as she pulled Cynthia along with her. “Chris needs a ride back to the hotel. Take him, along with a couple bottles of champagne.”

Anna released her and seized Max, dragging him off. She heard Max asking questions and Anna telling him to mind his own damn business.

“Anna says you need a ride.” When Chris’s smile widened, she realized what she’d said. “B-back to the hotel.”

He nodded. “Are you offering me a ride?”

The way his voice deepened over the word ride made her lose her train of thought. The idea of sitting on his lap, riding him… She swallowed.

“If you’re interested.” Dang, when did her voice go all husky like that? And when did she start using the word dang? Lord, she’d drunk too much.

His lips twitched. “You bet.”

“Let me pick up a couple of things, and I’ll meet you around front.”

He nodded again. As she walked away from him, she felt his gaze on her, sending another jolt of arousal into her blood. Her nipples tightened against the fabric of her blouse.

She grabbed a bottle of champagne and her purse, and released what was left of her sanity. For once, Miss Cynthia Myers was going to go with instinct rather than upbringing. As she rounded the corner of the club, she saw Chris leaning against one of the columns. For just a second, she panicked. What the hell was she thinking? This was completely out of character for her. She shouldn’t be doing this, or even thinking it. Being homeless, jobless—those things were important. Jumping the bones of the most delicious man she’d ever met was not.

She must have moved because he noticed her and smiled. A rush of tingles raced all the way to her toes. Pushing those reservations aside, she decided that for once she needed a little fun. Cynthia Myers needed to let loose. And she was sure Chris Dupree was just the man to help her.

Chris watched Cynthia pour the champagne into the paper cup and tried to remember if there was an open-container law in Georgia. When they had first approached her car, he’d taken the keys from her, making sure not to allow her to drive. He’d thought by the time they made it to the hotel, she would be more sober.

She topped off the cup and planted the bottle between her legs. Fortunately for him, she had to pull up her dress to accomplish it. The woman had a set of legs that he’d kill to have wrapped around his waist. His cock twitched at the thought. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he turned his attention back to the road. He’d be lucky if he didn’t pass out from loss of blood.

“You know,” she said and paused to hiccup, then leaned in closer as if to whisper. Instead, she yelled in his ear. “This is the first time I wasn’t the designated driver.”

“Really? I’d never have guessed it. You seem like an experienced drinker.”

She shot him a look out of the corner of her eye and snorted. “Little do you know, I have only been drunk once before this. And it was an accident.”

He couldn’t let that comment go by. “An accident?”

“Yes, see. I have this thing for chocolate.”

He waited for her to continue while he took the exit for his hotel. When she didn’t explain further, he asked, “What does chocolate have to do with liquor?”

She finished off her cup, making many large slurping noises that he was sure would embarrass her later when she remembered. If she remembered.

“That’s where the alcohol was, silly.”

She giggled. Damn, she was cute when she drank. He knew she would be horrified when she sobered up, but with her hair mussed and a sloppy smile curving her lips, she was irresistible. He wanted to start at her feet and nibble his way up her body. He was going to have to sober her up some way. While he did, he had to keep his hands off her. And considering the “not quite there” boner he was sporting, that was going to be difficult.

He cleared his throat as he tried to think of what they had been talking about. “So, you ate some chocolate and got drunk. When was this?”

“Christmas, my freshman year at Valdosta State before I switched over to the University of Georgia. Lord, I got so drunk, and just off of rum balls. And you know what?”

When she didn’t continue, he realized she hadn’t meant it to be rhetorical. “What?”

She looked at him, squinting with one eye. She had the look of a drunk trying to figure out if it were just him standing in front of her or a few others had joined him. “I think that’s why I lost my virginity. Brett was really cute, and we were going to some dance, and I thought, ‘no big deal’.” She grunted. “No big deal, for sure. And he blamed me. I mean, I was the virgin. You would think a senior would know what he was about.”

As she talked about sex, it was impossible not to think of what it would be like to hear her moan his name. Visions of silken sheets and warm thighs almost overwhelmed his better senses. Hell, he didn’t need much help in contemplating that. The woman might dress like a priss, but when she drank, there was a sensuality to her, from the sway of her hips to the way she smiled. Her sexy nature was restrained, making it all the more tempting to unwrap her and watch her explode.

Dangerous, Chris. She was drunk, and he never took advantage of a woman in that condition.

He pulled into the parking lot of his hotel and found a parking space not too far from the entrance. After getting out and rounding the back end of the car, he opened Cynthia’s door. He moved fast to catch her as she nearly fell on her ass.

“Well, thank you, kind sir.”

He righted her, his hands at her waist. She giggled again. “You know, I’ve been wondering what it would feel like to have your hands on me.”

Arousal did a sharp upward turn, as did his cock. She leaned against him, wiggling her backside. Her skirt was thin, and with her pressing against him the way she was, his excitement soared. His mouth went dry even as he tried to swallow. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he thought about standing behind her, sliding his cock up her tight ass.

Really not good.

He bit back an oath and reached around to close the car door. He pulled her away from him, making sure there was space between their bodies.

Looking down at her, he laughed. Her hair had passed styled about three cups earlier.

“Why don’t we have a little coffee before you go home?”

She stepped back, bumped into her car, crossed her arms beneath her breasts and frowned at him. “I don’t have a home anymore.”

He sighed, knowing this was going to be hard. Cynthia was definitely not his type, but there was something attractive about her disgruntled expression. He knew he was in trouble then. When a woman looking mean at you turned you on, you were in big trouble, or so his father claimed.

“Listen. We’ll worry about home later. Let’s drink some coffee and see how you’re feeling.”

“No.”

At first, he didn’t react. Being the oldest of five siblings, he wasn’t used to having his orders thwarted. Especially by a woman who stood about half a foot shorter than him, weighed less than a feather and was drunk because her ex-fiancé had gotten married. But, being in the restaurant business, he knew how to handle a drunk. Even one who was screwing with his ability to think with his big brain and not his little one.

“You don’t want coffee?”

She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere without my champagne. Anna gave it to me.” Her bottom lip curved out in a perfect pout.

Knowing it would be best to placate her, he shooed her aside and opened the door. After grabbing the champagne bottle, he slammed the door shut, took her by the arm and hurried her inside.

“Thank you, Chris.”

Her tone had turned patronizing, as if he were a three-year-old who needed to be soothed. A strange mixture of irritation, amusement, and lust swept through him. He wouldn’t be surprised if she patted his head.

They walked through the lobby to the elevators. His fingers curled slightly at the feel of warm, bare skin beneath them. As the two of them stepped into the elevator, another couple boarded, and she had to move closer to him. Her scent was driving him crazy. Something flowery, like gardenias. He usually hated those kinds of perfumes, but there was a hint of it on her skin, and it suited the woman. The thought of it on his sheets in the morning, as they both lingered in bed, was tempting. Too tempting.

The other couple got off on the second floor, and as soon as they reached the third floor, he took hold of her by the arm and drew her out of the elevator. She stumbled and then giggled at her clumsiness. He didn’t slow down, just dragged her down the hall to his room.

Once there, he released her to pull out his keycard. As he dug into his pocket, she stepped behind him and slipped her arm around his waist. He grabbed his key, resisting the urge to give his cock a nice long stroke through his pants. Chris figured he deserved it, especially because he could feel her breasts pressed against his back, her hard nipples through their layers of clothing. Lord knew he was going to be taking care of himself later, because he didn’t see any way of relieving the tension she’d built in him, other than finding another woman or jacking off. Her hand slid up his chest, caressing one nipple, then the other, through his shirt. His fingers fumbled on the card, almost dropping it. As he inserted it into the slot, Cynthia’s fingers danced back down his torso, past his abdomen.

He cursed because it took him three times to get the key to work. When the door finally opened, her hand was slithering down to his cock. Chris stumbled over the threshold, breaking free of her hold. Not that it had been that demanding. If he were honest with himself, he would have gladly stood there all day. And that made him madder. She was easily threatening his control, something many women had tried and failed.

Turning, he shot her a glare nasty enough to burn the hair off a hog. She leaned against the closed door, trying to reopen the bottle of champagne. When she noticed his narrowed gaze, she laughed.

“Mr. Dupree.” Her voice dripped with Southern seduction. “I do believe you’re trying to scare me.”

The lust that had simmered all evening exploded into a full boil. Damn, she was smiling at him, those dimples in full force. He didn’t need this kind of enticement. It’d been a while since he’d had a woman, or even been that attracted to one. Distance was what he required. He rested a hand on each of his hips and tried to look even nastier. She erupted into a fit of giggles, laughing so hard she lost her balance. She fell on the floor, emitting a squeak when she landed.

It took her several moments to compose herself, but when she did, she said between snorts, “Chris, you can stop trying. You’re too sweet looking to be mean.”

Exasperated, he rummaged through the dresser and the desk until he found the room-service menu. He didn’t like the look in her eyes when she said sweet , as if she were talking about more than his personality. The thought didn’t disturb him as much as the fact that he wanted to break his rule about drunk women. That, or drink a bottle of Jack Daniels to catch up with her. After ordering coffee, he removed his tie and drew in a cleansing breath. It dawned on him that the room had grown suspiciously quiet. Turning, he checked the floor to see if Cynthia had passed out and panicked when he didn’t see her.

Then he noticed the bathroom light on and walked in to see what she was up to. Lord only knew, with the amount of alcohol she had swimming in her blood. He found her sitting on the edge of the bathtub, drinking yet another glass of champagne.

He leaned against the doorjamb, watching as she precariously balanced herself and tried to drink. She had lost her jacket, as well as her shoes, somewhere along the way. “You’re going to feel like hell tomorrow.”

She stared at him, one eye closed tightly. “Well, I don’t now.”

He laughed, and she smiled, her dimples winking at him.

“Chris?” She lowered her head, but he could tell she was looking up at him through her lashes. The action dripped of coyness, something he usually disdained. But there was an air of innocence to it, as if she didn’t realize what she was doing. Again, not his style, but everything about this woman affected him. That disturbed him more than anything else.

“Cynthia?” Even to his own ears, his voice had grown huskier.

She paused, her tongue darting out, gliding along her bottom lip. He bit back the groan that rose in his throat.

Her next question demolished what little restraint Chris had left. “Do you think you’d mind if I licked you up one side and down the other?”