Faking It. Dorie Graham

between them. She stood for a moment, not breathing as the turmoil inside her subsided and a feeling of well-being wrapped around her. She fisted her hands, fighting the outrageous urge to touch him.

      Then she glanced away. Whoever he was, the feelings he stirred in her were anything but normal. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

      “Why not?” He stepped even closer to her.

      For an instant she thought he might grab her. A thrill shot through her and she chastised herself for the unwanted reaction. “My schedule is full. I’m not currently accepting new clients.”

      “Maybe if you saw my place, you’d feel inspired. It’s a great condo.”

      “No doubt.”

      “And if I wanted to hire you for some regular interior-design work, would you be available?”

      She stared at him a long moment, a strange sense of longing filling her. But he’d come from the Emperor’s Attic. He was interested in feng shui. He knew a little about her family.

      And she was attracted to him.

      “I’ve already told you that my schedule is full,” she finally said.

      Disappointment flashed in his eyes. “Very well, Erin.” He handed her one of his business cards. “In case you change your mind.”

      She took his card and extended her hand. “Thank you for stopping by.” His hand was warm and firm. The odd sense of well-being blanketed her. Her chest tightened with regret. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

      “Are you?”

      She let go of his hand, but the connection stretched between them. “Yes, Jack, I am.”

      He nodded toward the card in her hand. “You know how to reach me.”

      She refrained from comment as he turned and walked away.

      Several hours later, Erin rubbed her eyes, then focused again on the numbers in the spreadsheet. Damn, she hadn’t realized she was cutting things so close this month.

      And she’d turned away a paying customer.

      Thoughts of Jack Langston assailed her, as they had numerous times since he’d left. It would be best to stay away from that one. The man was anything but conventional. Her life had already been one unconventional mess after another.

      While Erin was growing up, her mother had dragged her and her sisters from lover to lover, home to home. The rootless existence had taken its toll on Erin. In her teens, she had delved into feng shui in an attempt to bring some order to the standard chaos of their temporary living arrangements, but no sooner would she make a place livable then they’d be off to Maggie’s next lover.

      When Erin had been old enough, she’d escaped to live with her sisters. They had stayed in one place, but with Nikki’s night creepers and Tess’s minions, though, Erin had traded one circus for another. More than anything now she needed normal, and Jack did not fit that bill.

      The bell on her door jingled and she jumped, her heart speeding the way it had when Jack Langston had appeared beside her desk earlier.

      She groaned inwardly as Tess headed toward her, their oldest sister, Nikki, in tow. Both bore looks of determination. Erin braced herself as they stopped, arms crossed, before her.

      “Okay, miss, it’s quitting time. You’re coming with us.” Tess glanced at Nikki for confirmation.

      “That’s right, Erin. We’re stealing you away. No arguments,” Nikki said. “We haven’t seen enough of you lately and Mason and Dylan are both tied up, so Tess and I are on our own for the night. The timing couldn’t be better.”

      Erin eyed them warily. “Better for what?”

      “Ladies’ night.” Tess grabbed Erin’s purse from the back of her chair. “Let’s go. If we hurry, we can make happy hour.”

      “Wait a minute. Since when are the two of you so anxious to hit happy hour? Nikki, you hate clubbing. And Tess, you’d be asking for trouble by setting foot in a bar. What is this really about?”

      “We want to spend some time with you. Why does it have to be about anything more than that?” Nikki’s eyes filled with censure.

      “I don’t feel like going to a bar. Why don’t we go to a nice restaurant instead? Someplace we can actually hear each other.” Erin said.

      “Okay.” Tess slung Erin’s purse over her own shoulder and headed for the door. “Let’s go to that little place in South Beach.”

      “Wait, come back with my purse.” Erin hurried after her. “What place in South Beach?”

      “That place that Josh discovered that he likes so well.”

      “What place? You are talking about a restaurant, right?”

      “Come on. We’ll have fun. When was the last time we had a girls’ night out?” Nikki asked.

      Unease rippled along Erin’s spine. Something was fishy about this whole thing. She dug in her heels, but Tess pushed through the door. Groaning, Erin followed.

      3

      TWENTY MINUTES LATER Erin stared up at the neon sign in disbelief. “B.E.D? What kind of place is this?”

      “It’s the hottest club in Miami. You really should get out more.” Tess moved around the long line outside the club and waved three VIP passes at the doorman, who motioned her through the large double doors.

      “I thought we were going to a nice restaurant.” Erin raised her voice over the music pounding from inside.

      Nikki shrugged. “Tess set her mind on this, and you know how she is. There was no talking her out of it. You’re right about one thing. Mason will blow a gasket when he hears she came here. Look, they’re already starting to flock.”

      Indeed, Tess had already drawn a small group of male admirers as she stopped to wait for her sisters. Erin folded her arms. “I’m not doing this.”

      “Yes, you are.” Tess turned to Erin and looped her arm through hers. “Here she is, boys, my sister Erin. Who’s going to buy her a drink?”

      “Tess.” Erin glared first at the men, who dropped back, then at her sister as Tess dragged her through another set of doors.

      Green and pink lights flashed throughout a cavernous area swarming with hopeful singles. Erin blinked through the smoky haze. “Good God, are those beds?”

      “Complete with plush pillows.” One of the men from Tess’s flock smiled at her, his teeth unnaturally white—or was that the fluorescent lighting? “Shall we?”

      “Shall we what?” Erin asked.

      He gestured toward the nearest bed, where several people lay sprawled in various positions, some propped on what indeed appeared to be plush pillows. One couple’s limbs were so entwined, she couldn’t tell where one ended and the other started.

      Gritting her teeth, she turned to Tess. “What the hell are we doing here?”

      “Don’t get upset.” Nikki stepped between the two. “Let’s sit and see if we can’t have some fun. It isn’t like we’ve never been clubbing before. What’s everyone drinking?”

      Erin gestured around her. “This isn’t a club. It’s a meat market.”

      “You want to know what tonight is?” Tess asked, her eyes wide. “This is an intervention.”

      Erin blinked. “What?”

      “You’ve been moping around too much lately.” Nikki shooed a man over and made room for the three of them on the bed. “Come on, sit beside me. Look at all the lovely men.”

      “Pick one,” Tess said.