words to describe them. Although he had a rough exterior, with his beard and shabby clothes, he was sexy. If it had been another time she would have flirted with him, although she was terribly out of practice and doubted he'd be interested. Maybe it was good she'd met him only briefly. She might have made an idiot of herself otherwise. He was the kind of man who could walk into a room, choose a corner, and with just one look, catch the eye of a woman and make her come to him.
He had that cool, sophisticated energy of a seducer who with a look could cast a spell. A man like that would be dangerous to her. Besides, she didn't want to go from one man who'd blinded her to another who made her heart race, no matter how attracted she was to him. Keeping a man like that interested would take a lot of work anyway. He likely had plenty of women eager to keep his attention. Marshall had shown her how a wedding band didn't matter. But even though she'd never be with a man like the stranger, Stacy couldn't help imagining being with someone like him. What would it be like? What would it be like to have his steady gaze locked with hers. To be his?
The vibration of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She answered. "Hello?"
"Sis, you've got to help me," her younger brother Franklin said.
The tone of his voice sent shivers through her. She gripped the phone and her heart raced, but she kept her voice calm. "Why?"
"It's all gone."
"What's all gone?"
"The money. The investments. It's gone," he said, then told her about a project he'd invested their parent's money in. "What am I going to do? They'll lose everything."
"I told you to be careful and conservative when it came to investing their money."
"I know, I just thought I had a sure thing."
"What do you expect me to do?"
"Help me. Help us. I know you have money."
"Not as much as I used to, especially after the divorce."
"Stacy please."
"I'll call you back tomorrow."
"You can't let them know about this."
"Don't worry, I'll think of something." She hung up. How could this have happened? He was supposed to look after their parents and now they could lose all the things they'd struggled to build since coming to this country from Jamaica.
Stacy quickly rushed into the bathroom and lost her meal. It didn't take long since she hadn't eaten much. Unfortunately, she still couldn't write. What could she do? She'd have to sell things. She'd already planned to sell the grand house and the cars, she'd keep her condo, but the money wouldn't last long. Her life was swirling down the drain. She left the bathroom stall and met the startled brown gaze she'd been dreaming about.
Chapter Four
"What are you doing in the ladies' room?" Stacy demanded.
Chance folded his arms and smiled amused. "Actually, it's the men's room."
Stacy turned and saw the urinals and two men who were putting them to good use.
Her face burned. She wished she could crumble into a ball and disappear. "I'm so sorry," she said in a rush then raced out. She quickly settled her bill then stumbled out of the restaurant onto the busy sidewalk, surprised her legs could still hold her up. The day was going from bad to worse. All she needed now was lightning to strike her down. She thought of the stock market crash and men jumping from buildings. She knew how they felt.
She walked aimlessly against the wave of people pushing past her. She stepped into the road. A strong hand violently yanked her back and she felt the breeze from a car speeding past her. It chilled the sweat on her skin.
"Do you have a death wish or something?"
Stacy spun around and looked up into the familiar brown eyes again. "Oh no, not you. Please, leave me alone." She tried to push him away, but his grip tightened.
"Come on, you need to sit down." He didn't give her a chance to argue. He led her to an outside table.
"You look pale," he said, handing her a glass of water. She didn't even remember it arriving. "Do you need a doctor?"
"No," Stacy
He had that cool, sophisticated energy of a seducer who with a look could cast a spell. A man like that would be dangerous to her. Besides, she didn't want to go from one man who'd blinded her to another who made her heart race, no matter how attracted she was to him. Keeping a man like that interested would take a lot of work anyway. He likely had plenty of women eager to keep his attention. Marshall had shown her how a wedding band didn't matter. But even though she'd never be with a man like the stranger, Stacy couldn't help imagining being with someone like him. What would it be like? What would it be like to have his steady gaze locked with hers. To be his?
The vibration of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She answered. "Hello?"
"Sis, you've got to help me," her younger brother Franklin said.
The tone of his voice sent shivers through her. She gripped the phone and her heart raced, but she kept her voice calm. "Why?"
"It's all gone."
"What's all gone?"
"The money. The investments. It's gone," he said, then told her about a project he'd invested their parent's money in. "What am I going to do? They'll lose everything."
"I told you to be careful and conservative when it came to investing their money."
"I know, I just thought I had a sure thing."
"What do you expect me to do?"
"Help me. Help us. I know you have money."
"Not as much as I used to, especially after the divorce."
"Stacy please."
"I'll call you back tomorrow."
"You can't let them know about this."
"Don't worry, I'll think of something." She hung up. How could this have happened? He was supposed to look after their parents and now they could lose all the things they'd struggled to build since coming to this country from Jamaica.
Stacy quickly rushed into the bathroom and lost her meal. It didn't take long since she hadn't eaten much. Unfortunately, she still couldn't write. What could she do? She'd have to sell things. She'd already planned to sell the grand house and the cars, she'd keep her condo, but the money wouldn't last long. Her life was swirling down the drain. She left the bathroom stall and met the startled brown gaze she'd been dreaming about.
Chapter Four
"What are you doing in the ladies' room?" Stacy demanded.
Chance folded his arms and smiled amused. "Actually, it's the men's room."
Stacy turned and saw the urinals and two men who were putting them to good use.
Her face burned. She wished she could crumble into a ball and disappear. "I'm so sorry," she said in a rush then raced out. She quickly settled her bill then stumbled out of the restaurant onto the busy sidewalk, surprised her legs could still hold her up. The day was going from bad to worse. All she needed now was lightning to strike her down. She thought of the stock market crash and men jumping from buildings. She knew how they felt.
She walked aimlessly against the wave of people pushing past her. She stepped into the road. A strong hand violently yanked her back and she felt the breeze from a car speeding past her. It chilled the sweat on her skin.
"Do you have a death wish or something?"
Stacy spun around and looked up into the familiar brown eyes again. "Oh no, not you. Please, leave me alone." She tried to push him away, but his grip tightened.
"Come on, you need to sit down." He didn't give her a chance to argue. He led her to an outside table.
"You look pale," he said, handing her a glass of water. She didn't even remember it arriving. "Do you need a doctor?"
"No," Stacy
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