CHAPTER THREE
“EXCUSEME. AREYOU the person in charge?”
Velvet looked up to the handsome face of the man standing at her table. Immediately, she was caught speechless by the dark eyes staring down at her. They had to be the most captivating pair of eyes she’d ever seen. The absolutely gorgeous man wore a dark suit, looking like he’d stepped from the pages of GQ magazine, and would definitely clinch it for any hot-blooded person.
While his gaze held hers as intensely as hers held his, she suddenly realized it was for a different reason. He had asked her a question, but her brain had temporarily shut down. “I’m sorry. What did you ask?”
A sexy smile curved the corners of his lips as he repeated the question. “I asked if you’re the person in charge?”
Since the other teacher, Charlotte Madison, who had been working the booth with her at the job fair left early, that meant Velvet was it. “Yes, for now. May I help you?”
“Yes, I believe you can,” he said, extending his hand to her. “I’m Jaye Colfax and my bank is one of the sponsors of this event.”
She nodded, trying to ignore the heated sizzle that passed through her when she took his hand. What on earth was happening to her? She had never experienced an instant attraction to a man in all her twenty-five years. “Yes, Mr. Colfax.” She recalled seeing his name on the sponsor list. In fact, categorized by the amount of donations received, his company headed the list. “I’m Velvet Spencer, one of the teachers at Dunbar High School. We definitely appreciate your sponsorship. How can I help you?”
“Due to a meeting, I didn’t get to come as early as I’d planned and was wondering how things went today?”
A smile touched her lips. “Things went very well. As you can see, a lot of businesses participated. Most of the students who came through got a good idea of all the opportunities available after graduation. For those who don’t have the funds to go to college, I believe they were surprised to learn about the scholarships available to them.”
“That’s good, and please call me Jaye.”
“Okay, and I’m Velvet.” She shared some of the survey results they’d gotten from the students so far, and he was impressed so many had taken the time to provide feedback. “We were just as surprised, but then a lot of them are anxious as well as excited about finishing high school and becoming independent.”
He chuckled, glanced at his watch and then looked back at her. “It’s nearing dinnertime. Do you have plans?”
She blinked. “Plans?”
“Yes, for dinner.”
She held his gaze. “No, I don’t have plans.”
“Neither do I. Would you join me?”
Velvet hated seeming dense, but she was having a hard time keeping up with him. One minute they were discussing the job fair and another minute he was asking about her dinner plans. “You want to take me to dinner?”
“Yes.”
Velvet looked straight into Jaye’s eyes, figuring there had to be a catch somewhere. “Why?”
“Why not, Velvet Spencer? You did just say you didn’t have plans. Do you not plan to eat later?”
“Yes, I plan to eat.”
“Is there any reason you can’t do so with me?”
As far as she was concerned, there were a number of reasons, but she decided to state the main one. “I don’t know you.”
“I don’t know you, either, but I would love getting to know you. I’m especially curious about your name.”
“Most people are.”
“So what about it, Velvet? Dinner?”
Velvet hesitated briefly before glancing at her watch. Then she looked around. The job fair was officially over. All the students had left and the businesses were packing up to leave. He was the top donor to the high school as a job fair sponsor, and she had a feeling her principal wouldn’t like it if she rubbed the man the wrong way. “Okay, I’ll join you for dinner. It will take me a few minutes to break things down, though. Charlotte, my job fair team partner, had to leave early.”
“I’ll help.”
“You sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“Okay.” She thought that was considerate of him.
Silently, he helped her take down the banners and she was glad he was there. Otherwise, she would have had to stand on a chair. But he was tall, probably at least six two, and easily took down the hanging signs. He also helped pack up the streamers and stack of leftover handouts.
She tried not to look at him but found she couldn’t help herself. He had removed his jacket and tie and she thought his white dress shirt and dark gray slacks looked good on him. Some men wore the clothes and there were clothes that wore the man. Jaye Colfax definitely wore the clothes. He had looked darn good in his suit and now she couldn’t help noticing how well he looked in shirt and slacks.
He glanced up at her, and her heart started pounding. She wasn’t used to so much masculinity on display.
“What do you intend to do with this?” he asked, picking up the box like it weighed nothing, when it had taken both her and Charlotte to carry it in.
“It needs to go to my car. I can get a cart for you to roll it out.”
“No, I got this.”
She nodded, thinking he most certainly did. He lifted the box to his shoulder, and she could clearly see muscles flex beneath his shirt.
“Alright then, please follow me,” she said, grabbing her purse. She also gathered up his jacket and tie. Maybe she was imagining things, but she thought she could feel his body heat in them. She certainly picked up his masculine scent in the clothing.
Velvet led him out the building to where her SUV was parked. After unlocking the trunk, she stepped aside for him. He placed the box inside with the same ease as when he had lifted it to carry it outside. The man didn’t break a sweat.
He closed the trunk and turned to her. “So, what type of foods do you like to eat, Velvet?” he asked her.
She handed his jacket and tie to him and watched him slide into his jacket, then tuck his tie into the pocket.
“I enjoy seafood,” she answered.
He nodded. “Then Captain Scampi is the best place. Fresh seafood is flown in daily. Have you been there before?”
“Yes, once.”
He lifted a brow. “Only once?”
“Yes. I moved here from Seattle less than a year ago and went to Captain Scampi a few months back for my girlfriend’s birthday. The food was delicious.”
“It always is.” He smiled before looking at his watch. “Depending on traffic it’s twenty minutes from here. We can go in my car, and I’ll bring you back to get your car later.”
“There’s no need. I can just meet you there.”
He nodded. “I will be there waiting.”
I will be there waiting... Why did his words stir something deep within her? Something elemental. Shrugging away those thoughts, she moved to the driver’s side of her vehicle. “You think you’ll beat me there?” she asked, grinning.
He grinned as well, and she felt another stirring in the pit of her stomach. Jaye Colfax was way too handsome for his own good.
“Yes,” he said, and she knew pretending she wasn’t attracted to him would not be easy.
As she buckled her seat belt, she watched him walk to a sports car, a red Tesla Roadster. She threw her head back and laughed. Yes, he would definitely get there before her.
JAYEHADALREADYsnagged a table that had a beautiful view of the mountains when he looked out the window and saw Velvet Spencer pulling into the parking lot. The woman was hot and that’s all it had taken to kick his libido in gear.
He felt the phone in his pant pocket vibrate and figured it was his best friend, Mercury Steele, wondering where the hell he was. They were to meet up for their usual happy-hour drinks at Notorious, a popular nightclub in town. Included in their plans were their pick of women who were always eager for a quickie. But not today for him. Mercury would just have to do it alone. He would explain things to him later and there was no doubt in his mind his best friend from grade school would understand.
He watched Velvet walk from her car to the restaurant and noted several other men in the restaurant were watching her, too. The moment he’d walked into the civic center, he had noticed her. There had not been anything particularly revealing about the outfit she was wearing, a pretty print dress that hit her knees and a short-waisted jacket. But the outfit complemented a small waist and a pair of gorgeous legs. Did he mention gorgeous legs? Everybody knew he was a leg man. He liked all the other parts, too, but a pair of gorgeous legs had always been his downfall and could get his libido riled up real fast. And when his gaze had shifted from her legs to her face, it was a wonder his tongue hadn’t fallen out of his mouth. He thought the woman was stunning and sexy all rolled into one. It had taken him a minute or two to suck in a deep breath before heading in her direction with one purpose in mind. He wasn’t a man who dwelled on the there and after; he mainly concentrated on the here and now.
He would have made it over to her booth sooner had he not been stopped by several people who he knew him, either from his high school days or business dealings. That’s one of the pitfalls of living in your hometown. People not only knew you by name, but they also knew you when...
Jaye could add a lot of words after the word when. That’s how things were when you were a close friend to those Steele brothers. All of them had notorious reputations around town regarding their sexual exploits. Reputations that they’d rightly earned. What could he say? He had earned his as well.
He stood when he saw Velvet enter the restaurant and look around. The place was packed, yet it seemed to him that all eyes were on her...and then on him when he stood. He saw the knowing looks in a few pairs of eyes, especially those who knew of his womanizing reputation. For some reason, it annoyed him that they’d immediately assume she was his next conquest. But why should it bother him when she was?
Still, there was something about Velvet Spencer’s smile that got him below the belt. She’d said she’d been in town less than a year so she might not have heard about him—mainly that he liked women. He enjoyed bedding them and the one thing he wouldn’t do was get serious about one. Ever.
He figured she probably didn’t know of his reputation. Otherwise, chances were she would not have agreed to go out to dinner with him. From the moment they’d engaged in conversation, he’d known something about her was different than his usual conquests. He just wasn’t sure what that difference was. One thing he did know was that everything he saw about Velvet spelled class. Not that I-want-to-be-classy or I-am-trying-to-be-classy. She seemed to wear an invisible banner that stated I am classy.
It was there in her smile, in the way she walked and even when she talked. He could sit and listen to the sound of her voice for hours. That’s why more than anything he wanted to get to know her...before he took her to bed. That meant he didn’t have much time because he intended to achieve the latter tonight. Plus, he had that meeting in the morning with the Empire Group that he needed to prepare for. Hmm, he found it odd that for the first time he wanted to get to know a woman before bedding her.
Most people credited him with being a good judge of character and could pretty much sum up a person and their worth within the first ten minutes of meeting them. That skill definitely helped him as a banker who didn’t have time for bullshitters, scammers and fraudulent asses who thought they could pull something over on a Colfax. It wasn’t happening. That was the main reason he had a feeling there was more to Velvet Spencer than her unusual first name.
“You did beat me here, but I’m not surprised,” she said, finally reaching their table and taking the chair he pulled out for her. “I like your car, by the way.”
“Thanks. Maybe one day I’ll take you for a spin,” he said, returning to his chair.
Jaye knew the words weren’t true because tonight was one and done. At least that’s the way the ball usually bounced. He wasn’t a man who hung around a female if, for whatever reason, she thought she could get her claws into him. Nor did he particularly like an aggressive woman who targeted the man. He liked being in control and went after the woman he wanted and not the other way around.
“Thanks for the offer, but no thanks.”
No thanks?Had she just turned down a chance to ride in his car...for the second time that day? Didn’t she know there weren’t many women around town—he honestly couldn’t think of a single one—who wouldn’t want to take a spin in his car with him? If nothing else, other than to be seen.
At that moment, the waitress walked up and smiled. “Hey, Jaye.” She looked over at Velvet and didn’t smile as much. In fact, she seemed annoyed. He honestly didn’t know why. Monica had been one of his many one-and-dones from their high school days. She had gotten a divorce last year and since then had come on to him a few times. However, he’d made it pretty clear that he wasn’t interested. And just like in high school, it appeared she didn’t know how to take no for an answer.
Monica looked back at him without even acknowledging Velvet. “You want your regular, Jaye?” Then he recalled that common decency wasn’t one of her strong suits. Regardless, he would not let her disrespect any woman who was with him.
He held her gaze. “What I really want is for you to give my dinner date the same courtesy and respect you’re giving me.”
The smile vanished from her face and an innocent look appeared. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do, but since you claim you don’t, I want another server for our table and stay away from the kitchen if you want to keep your job.”
Instead of saying anything, Monica stormed off. He watched her talk to another waitress who turned and came to their table. It was Cissy. He knew and liked her. She and another classmate, Randy Corrington, had married out of high school and now had a couple of kids.
She smiled both at him and then Velvet...like Jaye thought any good waitstaff should. “How are you guys doing today?”
“I’m fine,” Velvet said, smiling back.
“So am I, Cissy,” Jaye said. “How’s Randy?”
“He’s doing fine. His electrical company is pretty busy these days. We appreciate your brother Franklin putting in a good word for him.”
Jaye shrugged. “Randy’s work speaks for itself and Franklin knows it.”
Moments later Cissy had taken their order and gotten their drinks. Jaye was glad he was sitting facing the kitchen. He had warned Monica not to go near it, and she better take heed to his warning since the owner was a good friend of the Colfax family. It didn’t take much for him to recall one other time a waitress had gotten pissed at his one-and-done policy. Although he had spelled it out for her from the beginning, she had wanted more. When he’d refused, she deliberately put maximum strength hot sauce in his chili. His tongue had burned for a week.
When he and Velvet were alone again, she looked at him and said, “You didn’t have to dismiss that first waitress. I was fine.”
He frowned. “Well, I wasn’t. Nobody disrespects my date.” And he meant it. A smile replaced his frown when he said, “Now you want to tell me the story behind the name Velvet?”
She chuckled and his breath got lodged in his throat. When did the sound of a woman’s chuckle ever do that to him? Okay, he would be the first to admit he was physically attracted to her, and it was a strong attraction. Stronger than most. But still, he wasn’t one to let a woman—no matter how beautiful, curvy or leggy—go to his head. At least not the one connected to his neck. The other one he had no problem stimulating.
She took a sip of her iced tea through her straw and, suddenly, he got hard. Damn. He shifted in his chair, grateful he was sitting or else he would have embarrassed himself. For a man, an arousal was something you couldn’t hide.
When she smiled over at him, he felt a tinge of something so foreign he grabbed his own glass of iced tea and, not bothering with the straw, took a huge gulp. It was either that or the heat consuming his midsection would get the best of him.
“My paternal grandmother named me,” she said. “She was a huge Elizabeth Taylor fan and National Velvet was her favorite movie. She gave birth to one son, my father. So she missed the opportunity of naming a daughter Velvet. My parents let her do the honor with her first and only granddaughter.”
Jaye nodded. “Do you have any brothers?”
“No. I was my parents’ only child. What about you? Any siblings?”
“Yes. My father has three sons. I’m the oldest.”
She nodded. “You mean your parents have three sons, right?”
He frowned. “No, I meant what I said.”
A moment of silence stretched between them, and he felt the need to apologize. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so abrupt. It’s just the subject of my mother is a touchy one with me.”
“Oh.”
Jaye felt he’d told Velvet all she needed to know. In fact, he’d told her more than he told most people. It wasn’t any of their business. Besides, he had only just met her that day. But still, for a reason he didn’t understand, he felt he needed to explain since he knew, unlike some women, she was too kind and considerate to ask why.
After taking another sip of tea, he said, “My mother left my father for another man when I was twelve. And she never looked back.”
“I’m sorry, Jaye,” she said softly. “I am truly sorry.”
He held her gaze, seeing sadness and not pity in her eyes. Some people didn’t know there was a difference, but there was. He could handle the sadness, but he didn’t want anyone’s pity. Jack Colfax, Sr., and his sons had survived just fine without Eartha Colfax in their lives. The woman hadn’t been mother material, anyway. She’d been the great pretender.
Although his brothers might have been too young to understand, he hadn’t. He’d known the nights when his father had been working two jobs, first as general manager at a bank during the day, and then as a professor of finance at a university two nights a week, so his wife could be a stay-at-home mom.
But she hadn’t been a stay-at-home mom. She hadn’t come close. While her husband had been working himself hard, she’d been having affairs right under his nose. He’d been too trusting and too loving. He hadn’t known anything until she’d asked him for a divorce so she could marry her lover. Jaye had seen firsthand the hurt and pain his father had suffered because of loving a woman.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he finally said. “My father, brothers and I did just fine without her.”
She still had that sad look in her eyes and he felt a tightness in his chest. He was tempted to reach out and smooth her sadness away, knowing it was there because of him. He had told her too much. More than he’d told any woman. Why? And why was he allowing Velvet Spencer to get under his skin?
Jaye was glad when Cissy returned and placed a huge delicious-looking seafood platter for two in the middle of their table.