Chapter 1

            Bruce was helping his best friend, Alec, move the rest of his things into his fiancée’s house. Until he was married, Alec and his German Shepard, Lucky, were going to stay at Bruce’s apartment.

            Alec and Bruce had just finished carrying in the last four boxes, an elliptical trainer, and free weights. They were resting on the couch.

            Alec’s four-year-old daughter, Keisha, walked in. Lucky followed behind her. She was carrying a stuffed bear. “Are you finished?” She had dark brown hair that was up in a ponytail.

            “For now, honey,” Alec answered.

            “Good. So you’ll live with us now?” Keisha asked.

            “Just a few more days, sweetie. It won’t be long,” Alec answered. “It’ll go by before you know it.”

            “Okay, Daddy. Mommy said lunch will be ready in a few minutes,” Keisha said. “Uncle Bruce, are you staying for lunch?”

            “I wouldn’t miss it,” Bruce replied.

            “Good. I like it when you’re here, too,” she said and padded out the room. She was heading to the den.

            Lucky stayed behind to sniff Alec’s leg.

            Bruce smirked. “I see she doesn’t call you ‘New Daddy’ anymore.”

            “Yeah,” Alec replied with a grin. “She dropped it all on her own a week ago.”

            “That’s great. I noticed her eyes have turned more bluish. There’s no question. She’s definitely yours.”

            Alec chuckled. “Blue eyes are a strong Peterson trait. None of us have escaped it.” Alec had brown hair, short around the sides and back, and thick up top.

            Lucky sat down on the floor next to Alec.

            “The ladies go crazy over a man with blue eyes.”

            “Not necessarily. You’ve got dark brown eyes, and you have more concubines than King Solomon.”

            Bruce laughed. “I won’t deny it.”

            “You should start thinking about settling down, too.”

            Bruce’s nose wrinkled upward at the suggestion. “Why? I love how I live. I love being single.”

            “I know, but you can’t be a player forever. Plus, one of these days, your ways might catch up to you.”

            “What ways?”

            “Bruce, the way you string some women along isn’t right. You promise them the world, take what you want, and disappear.”

            “I don’t hurt anyone. It’s not like they don’t enjoy my company,” he said with a smirk.

            “All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

            “Lunch is–” Lana began and stopped as she entered the room. She stilled as she looked at the things they had placed in the living room. “No one is eating until that filthy glider thing and those huge dumbbells are off my carpet.” Lana was a light-skinned, urban beauty who had been Alec’s college sweetheart. They had just reunited a few months ago. Not wanting to waste any more time, Alec had proposed to her on New Year’s Eve.

            “Oh, honey, we’ve been working all morning. We’ll move them after lunch,” Alec said sweetly.

            “Alec, those things are probably dirty, and they look so heavy that they’ll probably leave a dent. We’re having our rehearsal dinner here in thirty-six hours,” Lana said with a pout.

            “Oh, come on, honey,” Bruce charmed. “Give us a break.”

            Her brown eyes zeroed in on him. “That tone might work on those poor women you con, but not me.” Then she turned to look at her fiancé. “Alec, these things need to be moved before the carpet cleaners come this afternoon.”

“You’ve got a shampooer. Why did you hire carpet cleaners?” Alec asked.

“Because it’s a special occasion, and I want the carpet professionally cleaned,” she answered with syrup in her tone.

“When are they coming?” Alec asked.

“They said between noon and five.”

“Hell, that’s not a time of arrival,” Alec said with disgust.

“That’s how these guys operate, honey. I’ll hold lunch so you and Bruce can move these

items.”

            “Okay, Bruce, let’s move this stuff upstairs.”

            “The boxes can go upstairs. Your work out equipment needs to go in the basement.”

            “The basement? Why is the majority of my stuff getting banned to the basement?”

            Alec and Lana went back and forth for fifteen minutes. In the end, Alec and Bruce got up and moved everything where Lana wanted it. Bruce didn’t mind because he had gotten his wind back during the time they were talking.

                                                                                     ****

            Margo St. John was a bridesmaid in Lana and Alec’s wedding. Lacey Smith was the matron of honor. The ceremony was held at a nondenominational church. The reception was at the Tampa Palms Country Club.

            Alec’s co-workers stood for him. A guy named Tommy was a groomsman, and Bruce Styles was the best man. Margo had met Tommy for the first time at the rehearsal, but she was familiar with Bruce. She had gone out on a blind double date as a favor to her friend and business partner, Bobbi. Bruce was pursuing Bobbi at the time, and she didn’t want to go out with him alone for the first date.

            Now, that Margo’s bridesmaid’s duties were complete, she could mingle with the guests and hang out with her plus one, Bobbi. She figured Lana paid for the shindig from the money she got from her late husband’s death, since Alex was just an FBI agent and Lana didn’t work. Before Margo could search Bobbi out, Bruce approached her.

            “Hey, beautiful, how about a dance?” he asked with a big smile. Margo had to admit he was a good-looking man. He had dark, thick hair and brown eyes. The tux fitted his large and strong frame like a glove.

            Oh God, please. The last thing I need is this jerk sniffing around me. And the nerve of him asking me to dance after he ghosted Bobbi.

            “No, thanks,” she replied. She was about to walk away, but he gently took her wrist and got into her personal space.

            “Come on. I won’t bite. Not unless you want me to,” he flirted.

            “No, thank you,” she repeated.

            “Why? You got a date here?”

            “Whether I do or not, I am not interested in dancing with you.”

            Before he could say anything else, someone behind him tapped his shoulder. Bruce turned around, and Margo saw Bobbi.

            “Hey, remember me?” Bobbi asked calmly.

            “Sure I do, honey. How ya been?”

            Bobbi punched Bruce in the nose so hard his head flung to the side.

            Margo’s mouth dropped open. So much for mingling with the guests. She grabbed Bobbi’s shoulders and started ushering her out the ballroom. Half the room was looking at them as they rushed out. They strode through the lobby and out the front door of the club.

            “Are you crazy, Bobbi?” Margo asked, awestruck.

            “He deserved it, and you know it,” Bobbi said calmly.

            “Yeah, but did you have to do it here? This is a wedding, plus you assaulted a federal agent in a room full of people,” Margo hissed in a loud whisper.

            “I admit — I forgot about the federal agent part.”

            “The last thing we want or need is the FBI focusing on us,” she whispered.

            “It was an isolated incident. They probably know what kind of man Bruce is. I’m sure they know he has been slapped by lots of women.”

            “You didn’t slap him; you hauled back and tried to punch his lights out.”

            “Potato, tomato,” Bobbi commented nonchalantly.

            Margo willed her nerves to calm down. “Okay, he ghosted you after you slept with him that one time, but don’t you think that you not telling him your . . . background before the act was revenge enough?”

            Bobbi thought for a moment. A sly grin spread across her lips. “You know, I never thought about it that way. A macho man like him would probably be bothered about it.”

            Margo smiled. “Yes, a lot. Now, don’t waste any more energy on Bruce Styles. He’s a womanizer, and he’s not worth it. Besides, you’re gorgeous. Men fall all over themselves to approach you.” Bobbi was a tall Elizabeth Taylor in the flesh. Even Margo was jealous of her looks at times.

            “You know, you’re right,” Bobbi said with a big smile, showing off her perfect pearly whites.

            Margo chuckled. “Good, now, get out here before one of his special agent friends decide to come out here and ask for your identification.”

            Bobbi laughed as she pulled her cell phone out to call a cab. She had a valid driver’s license, but she didn’t like to drive unless he had to. When Bobbi went out to a function, she liked to drink – heavily.

                                                                                          ****

            Bruce and Alec were in the men’s room of the country club. Bruce shook his head, trying to clear his vision. All the action did was give him a slight headache.

            “I’ve been hit by a woman before, but . . . not like this,” Bruce stated with awe.

            “She hit you on the side of the nose. Getting hit in that spot would ring anybody’s bell,” Alec remarked.

            Bruce looked in the mirror. A small pink bruise was starting to form on his face next to his nose. “Man, shit! I’m going to have a bruise all night.”

            “At least we got the pictures out of the way. Lana would have been pissed if you messed those up.”

“I’m sure she’s mad about a scene being caused at her wedding in front of her rich and snooty friends.”

“She was a little put out, but not as upset as I thought she would be,” Alec smirked. “Matter of fact, she believes that woman had her reasons.”

Bruce remained silent as he examined his face. How am I going to rustle up pussy at this event looking like this?

“I remember her. She’s Margo’s friend . . . Brenda, I think. You were so desperate to go out with her that you dragged me on a double date because she wouldn’t go out with you by herself. What did you do to her, Bruce?”

“Nothing. And her name is Bobbi.”

“A woman doesn’t sock someone in the face over nothing.”

“Look, we had a good time, and . . . I moved on,” Bruce said and turned away from the mirror to face his friend.

Alec exhaled with exasperation. “I know you, Bruce. Sounds like you pulled your hit-it-and-quit-it act on her. Margo told me a while back that woman really liked you, and she couldn’t bring herself to tell her that you weren’t . . . who you pretended to be. And why did you drop her? Bobbi is the prettiest woman you have ever dated. That’s how she got your attention.”

“Look, we had a good time. It’s not like she didn’t enjoy herself in the end. It was just okay for me; nothing that special, so I moved on. No reason to keep her on my visiting list. So, just drop it, okay? Go check on your bride,” Bruce grouched. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about this. Weddings were the perfect place to pick up on pretty and lonely women, and now he had a snowball’s chance in hell with them because his face looked like it had a rash on it.

“All right, all right. I see you’re having a moment. See you back out there,” Alec said and left the bathroom.