The Bachelor Pact (54 page)

Determined to put the ridiculous dream out of his mind, he collapsed against the pillows. But sleep eluded him again, and this time he realized that he was afraid to doze off for fear of being turned into a female or being suffocated by a pair of mammoth breasts and a dildo the size of a baseball bat....

Chapter 9

Unable to sleep again, Lance had finally crawled from his bed, booted up his computer, and researched insomnia. Various articles on its causes and treatments had been written, although none of them seemed to offer any concrete solutions.

Keep the same routine. Go to bed at the same time every night. Drink hot herbal tea. Avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evenings. Exercise regularly.

Hell, the night before he'd gotten up and exercised—a hundred sit-ups, a hundred pull-ups on his bar; then he'd jogged in place for thirty minutes. He'd literally run himself until he'd dropped but he still hadn't been able to fall asleep. Not after that crazy dream.

If stressed, consider ways to alleviate that stress.

Okay, all he had to do was alleviate Sophie from his life and he would sleep like a baby. But that was impossible. At least until he finished the job.

Or let someone take over.

But he wouldn't relinquish his responsibilities—he wanted to refinish that house, make certain every detail was handled properly. Besides, Sophie was Maddie's best friend; he was bound to run into her.

The name of a sleep clinic flashed onto his screen, and he considered a visit, but envisioned himself being strapped down like a lab rat, and delegated that idea to the back burner. Surely he could conquer this condition on his own. It had to be temporary, didn't it?

Just like his infatuation with Sophie Lane...

Irritable and worried because he hadn't heard from McDaniels on the deal yet, he phoned the man, but his secretary informed him that McDaniels would call him back.
Great.
Lance would give him twenty-four hours.

He showered, then hurried over to Sophie's. Maybe she'd be gone and he could avoid seeing her.

He was out of luck.

Sophie had given him a key, so when no one answered the doorbell he let himself in and nearly plowed over her trying to reach the door. The first thing he noticed was that she'd recently crawled from bed. She looked sleepy and tousled and so scrumptious he had to fold his hands into fists to keep from grabbing her.

The next thing he noticed was that she was wearing his shirt. And she had been sleeping in it.

Heaven help him. Early-morning sunlight painted a golden halo across her ivory skin, while shadows from the doorway framed her face. He swallowed to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth while the rest of his body exploded in heat. She looked a whole sight better in his clothes than he did. She was so petite, the shirt nearly engulfed her. The top two buttons had come unfastened, exposing the creamy white curves of her breasts, and below the hem, sexy bare legs stretched down to toes painted in bright red polish. His breath caught.

Then she moved and sunlight played through the threadbare fabric.

Holy hell, she was naked beneath his shirt.

"I..." She flicked her fingers through her hair, spiking it even more and making his body thrum with desire. Suddenly realizing that he had noticed she was wearing his shirt, she drew the top together defensively, her face scalding. "Lance, what are you doing here so early?"

"I couldn't sleep." Damn, he hadn't meant to reveal that. "I mean, I wanted to get started early."

She backed away, looking wary. "I was getting ready to shower. I... I just grabbed this off the floor when I heard the doorbell."

Right.
Now images of her naked and covered in hot, steamy water and soap bubbles would haunt him all day.

He reached out to pluck a feather from her hair. "From your pillow?"

She nodded, biting down on her lip. "I... they're the softest."

Now he would imagine her lying naked on those feather pillows.... "We... uh, need to discuss a few things around here," Lance said, struggling to sound coherent as he lowered his hand. The damn thing betrayed him, though, and slid along her cheek, brushing skin so soft it felt like silk.

"I made a list," Sophie said in a strained voice. "And I'm planning to meet Maddie to pick out colors. The material I ordered for the new kitchen countertops should arrive this morning...."

A heartbeat of silence stretched between them. She leaned into his hand and a groan built in his throat.

"Why don't we have dinner tonight?" Lance suggested. "To review your plans."

"I can't." Sophie wet her lips, drawing him to the delicate pink skin. Her mouth tasted like sweetness and spice. He wanted to taste it again. And one flick and the third button on his shirt would pop open; then the cotton would glide down her slender arms and puddle at her feet.

"Soph." Lucy's voice cut into his consciousness with the force of a machete breaking glass.

Sophie stepped away from his touch. He dropped his hands to his sides.

Either oblivious to what she'd interrupted or choosing to ignore the tension hanging in the air, Lucy bobbed into the room. "What time are we going to the station?"

"A half hour." Sophie wrapped her arms around her waist. "We'll grab a bagel and coffee from around the corner so Lance can get to work."

"Great."

"About tonight?" Lance asked when he sensed Sophie was on the verge of running.

"She can't," Lucy interjected.

So she had been listening to their conversation?

"You have a date, don't you, Soph?" Lucy said.

Sophie's eyes widened like those of a deer caught in headlights. "Uh, right, I'm sorry, Lance. Maybe we can talk after work, before I go out."

Lance's jaw snapped tight. "Sure."

Sophie disappeared into her bedroom, and Lucy beamed him a smile. He forced a reciprocal one, although his gut had begun to churn. Who was Sophie seeing this time? Dalton again, or another man?

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. What difference did it make? Hadn't he decided to check out that singles service this evening?

And he would, as soon as he finished here. Then he'd finally be able to put Sophie Lane and
her
date out of his mind forever.

* * *

"Why did you have to say that?" Sophie asked Lucy as they rushed into Starbucks for coffee.

Lucy's innocent expression had to be fake. "Why did I have to say what?"

"That I had a date," Sophie said in a hiss, joining the mile-long line in front of the coffee counter.

"Because making a guy jealous is the best way to get his attention. Isn't that one of Maddie's seven rules for trapping a man?"

"No." Sophie strained her brain to remember them. "Well, maybe, sort of."

"It definitely should be."

Sophie released an exasperated sigh.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Soph, sometimes I don't think you understand men at all."

"And you're an expert?"

"No, but everyone knows that a man only gets jealous if he really cares."

"Lance doesn't care." Miserable and confused, Sophie moved up in the line, eyeing a double-chocolate muffin. To heck with staying slim. She needed comfort food in a bad way.

"Then you've lost nothing by going out with another man."

"But that's just it, Lucy—I don't have another date." Although when Rory got back from his trip, she could call and give him another chance.

Lucy planted her hands on her hips. Several men in line straightened their ties, coughed, and gave her the eye. "Aren't you interviewing several singles services on the show today?"

Sophie winced. "I hate to resort to those. They're for desperate women."

Lucy arched a brow.

"I'm not desperate." Although the clock was counting down until the big three-oh.

"Two beautiful women should go first." A handsome blond man wearing Ralph Lauren gestured for Lucy to step in front of him, and she batted her long eyelashes at him like a vixen.

"Thanks so much." Lucy winked at Sophie, then whispered, "See, Soph, go with the flow. Men are everywhere. We could get you a date right here if we wanted."

Sophie glanced around the crowd in horror. "You wouldn't."

Mischief gleamed in Lucy's eyes as she pivoted toward the man. "Hi, my name's Lucy."

Sophie hissed a warning, but she was too late.

Lucy swung an arm around Sophie's shoulders. "This is my sister, Sophie. She needs a date tonight; are you busy?"

* * *

Lance worked all morning tearing out the faded and cracked countertops, cabinets, and the old stovetop. By lunchtime he'd started installing the new painted cabinetry, which was enhanced with decorative millwork, open glass fronts, and vertical plate racks. Later he'd add a kitchen island in the center, as Sophie had requested. She had ordered granite countertops in a Wedgwood blue with pewter hardware and a backsplash in a fruit motif. Even the Victoria faucet, dubbed the English Teakettle faucet, gave the feel of the rustic Victorian era. The combination of all the elements she'd chosen fit the time period, added color and charm, and, while giving the home an air of sophistication with the upgraded materials, still felt homey.

Reid had brought a crew to replace the rotten flooring on the back porch, which Sophie planned to enclose into a sunroom. Lance had to admit he admired her intentions. Realizing it was time for Sophie's show he flipped on the small TV in the corner, telling himself it would keep him awake while he worked. He really wasn't interested.

Reid strode in, wiping his forehead, and poured himself a glass of sweet iced tea Sophie had left for them. The music zinged for the lead-in, and Sophie pranced onstage wearing a dark blue suit that hugged her curves and showcased her dynamite knees.

He had it bad if he was noticing knees.

"Welcome to the
Sophie Knows
show," she said, smiling at the audience. "Today we're continuing our singles series by talking with two different matchmaking services in Savannah. Welcome our guests...."

Lance hauled the broken countertop pieces outside, surprised when he returned and discovered Reid glued to the set. "Hey, man, isn't that the same service you won a membership to?"

Lance nodded.

"Have you filled out your resume and checked to find your match?"

"No, but apparently Sophie put my name in, and I've already gotten some calls. I can't believe the women didn't wait until I'd filled out my profile or sent in a picture."

"Must be desperate or hungry for a man." Reid pulled out the chair to Sophie's computer and booted it up, then brought up the Web site. "Let's do it now, maybe narrow down the field and weed out any losers." Reid grunted as he studied the site. "Okay, answer these questions."

Lance pushed his hair from his face. "I don't have time—"

"It only takes five minutes."

"I'm not in the mood, Reid."

Okay, I'll fill in what I know. "Description. Likes, dislikes. Job. Salary?" Reid cut his eyes toward Lance. "Can you believe they ask about money?"

"Women want rich men."

Reid grunted. "What kind of woman are you looking for?"

Lance hesitated. One who looked like Sophie but didn't want commitment. "Dark hair, petite. Good looking."

"Stacked. That's a given." Reid filled in the information. "Job preferences? Or do you want Suzy Homemaker, bro?"

Lance laughed. "I don't know. You answer for me."

Reid grinned. "All right." He typed in some information, then began to recite Lance's qualifications. "Attractive, professional, likes outdoor activities, enjoys dining out, wants to have fun..."

A few minutes later, the printer spit out several pages of potential matches.

Reid waved him over. "Take a look at these."

Single female seeking sexy male who makes $100,000 plus.

Lance tossed the printout in the trash.

Single female seeking single or married man who makes $100,000 plus.

Another toss.

Single female, forty-seven, seeking younger man who makes $100,000 plus.

Trash. "Geez, what is it with these women?" Lance asked.

"Hey, this one sounds great." Reid skimmed it. "Sexy, female, 40DD, professionally employed, athletic, likes all sports, especially sailing, looking for fun relationship—"

"Sounds good so far."

Reid read on. "Will meet anywhere, anytime, do anything." He choked, then handed it to Lance. "You have to read all the way to the last line."

Lance finished, "Recovering from recent sex change operation." Lance wadded it into a ball. "This is a waste of time."

"No, wait." Reid offered him another one. "This one sounds perfect. Single female, twenty-nine, dark hair, green eyes, employed, likes water sports—"

"She doesn't mention salary requirements?"

"Nope."

"And she's not a transvestite or a cross-dresser or a female serial killer?"

"Nope."

Lance accepted the listing. Maybe he would give her a try. At least she had the physical attributes right: dark hair, green eyes....