Julie James

“I’ve licked stamps who were more excited than you by that kiss.”

“Collin seemed wholly unfazed by Cameron’s appearance. Jack kept one eye carefully trained on him, thinking things had better stay that way. Gay or not, best friend or not, no one with a dick was getting within a foot of Cameron while she wore that dress.”

“I think the first thing we need to talk about is you not running around in tight T-shirts and yoga pants.”“Fine. I’ll stop doing that as soon as you shave.”Jack ran his hand along his jaw and grinned. “You like the scruff, huh?”Did she ever.”

“He looked again. Longer this time. She may have ‘forgotten’ to put a bra on that morning. Another oops. “Are you kidding me with that?” he asked.”

“It’s also quite possible she still detests me.” Tyler dismissed this with a wave. “You’re going to let a thing like that stop you?” “I was thinking intense despisement might be an obstacle in pursuing her, yes.” “No, see, that’s what makes it all the more interesting,” Tyler said. He adopted a grandly dramatic tone. “‘Does our fair Ms. Kendall truly loathe the arrogant Mr. Jameson as she so ardently proclaims, or is it all just a charade to cover more amorous feelings for a man she reluctantly admires?’” Up front, the cabdriver snorted loudly. He appeared to be enjoying the show. “Psych 101 again?” J.D. asked. Tyler shook his head. “Lit 305: Eighteenth-Century Women’s Fiction.” He caughtJ.D.’s look and quickly defended himself. “What? I took it because of the girls in the class. Anyway, I see a bit of a P and P dynamic going on between you and Payton.” J.D. didn’t think he wanted to know. Really. But he asked anyway. “P and P?” Tyler shot him a look, appalled. “Uh, hello—Pride and Prejudice?” His tone said only a cretin wouldn’t know this. “Oh right, P and P,” J.D. said. “You know, Tyler, you might want to pick up your balls—I think they just fell right off when you said that.” Up front, the cabdriver let out a good snicker.”

“Kyle gazed down at her. “I lied when I said I followed you to the bar because you’re hot.” He touched her cheek. “I saw you laughing with your friends, and your smile sucked me right in.”

“Seriously, Jack, I think you might be the only guy in this city who hasn’t read his stuff. Collin McCann is like the Carrie Bradshaw of Chicago men.”“You mean Terry Bradshaw,” Jack corrected.“No, Carrie,” Wilkins repeated. “You know, Sarah Jessica Parker. Sex and the City.”A silence fell over the room as Collin and Jack stared at Wilkins, seriously fearing for the fate of men.”

“–¿Cómo es esa famosa “mirada”? –fuera como fuera, iba a tener que empezar a tomar precauciones extremas para protegerse de ella. Amy sonrió.–¿Te acuerda de los dibujos de Tom y Jerry, cuando Tom llevaba días sin comer e imaginaba a Jerry con aspecto de jamón? Algo así.”

“You don't touch the purse. The purse is sacrosanct.”

“He was Kyle Rhodes, and he was a tech god.”

“Oh right,P and P ,” J.D. said. “You know, Tyler, you might want to pick up your balls—I think they just fell right off when you said that.”

“Sidekick? Fuck you, porky.”

“Ever hear of a telephone, asshole?”

“If you think it means I'm asking you to move in with me, you'd be right." Her expression turned more serious. "If you also think it means that I wake up every morning wondering what I did to deserve having you back in my life, well, you'd be right about that, too."Jack just sat there for a moment, just... stunned. No one had ever said anything like that to him."Come here," he said huskily. He grabbed her chair and pulled it toward his. He kissed her, softly at first, then his hand moved to her back and pushed her close as his emotions got the better of him. He pulled back to hold her gaze. "I love you, Cameron. You know that, right?"She kissed him back, whispering the words in his ear. "I love you, too.”

“If we go now, there's no coming back. You're mine all night."Her eyes flashed. "Promise?"That was it.Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her off the dance floor, toward the main entrance of the tent.”

“Cameron looked over her shoulder just as Jack stalked into the tent. He got his first glimpse of the back of her dress. Or lack thereof.He stopped dead in his tracks."Wow."His eyes lingered on her for another moment before he turned to Amy, gesturing. "This place looks great, Amy. You did one hell of a job."Amy grinned. "Nice recovery, Jack.”

“Great. Okay. That, uh... was easier than I thought."Jack cocked his head. Wait a second... He couldn't decide if he was pissed or really impressed. He hooked a finger into the waistband of the workout pants she'd changed into and pulled her closer. "Did you fake me out with those tears, Cameron?"She peered up at him, defiantly, seemingly outraged by the suggestion. "Are you kidding? What, after the day I've had, I'm not entitled to a few tears? Sheesh."Jack waited."This wedding is very important to me--I can't believe you're even doubting me. Honestly, Jack, the tears were real."He waited some more. She would talk eventually. They always did.Cameron shifted under the weight of his stare. "Okay, fine. Some of the tears were real." She looked him over, annoyed. "You are really good at that."He grinned. "I know.”

“He didn't care whose league Jordan was in. All that mattered was that she was his.”

“At least you're learning a thing or two about wine. Good to hear you're making such an effort to improve yourself.""Does the U.S. attorney know how much you like spending your Saturday nights eavesdropping on private conversations?" Nick asked."The U.S. attorney knows exactly how I like spending my Saturday nights.”

“Well, Ma, see... there's this girl."Silence.He checked to make sure the call hadn't been dropped. "You still there, Ma?"A sniffle."You can't be crying already," he said. "I haven't told you anything about her yet.""It doesn't matter, Nick," his mother said through her tears. "Those are the three words I've been waiting thirty-four years to hear.”

“You've met Nick?""Yep, we've met, all right. He was kind enough to inform me that I have absolutely no say in whether you two date.""Well, you don't.""You know, you all could at least pretend that my opinion makes a difference.”

“With a chuckle, Jack mumbled under his breath to Nick. 'It's like watching the preppy, well-bred versions of you and me trash-talking.”

“Don't take this next undercover assignment. Stay with me instead."Nick's eyes pierced hers, refusing to let her off that easily. "Tell me why.""Because... I love you." She exhaled. No take-backs. The words were out there forever.And it felt great.”

“Frankly,the image of his father wearing bell-bottoms,smoking a joint, and calling his mother a “totallygroovy chick” was wrong on so many levels hewanted to erase the whole thing from his memory”

“I may or may nothave once tossed a guy out of her store for flirtingwith her.Total douchebag. Wore ascarf indoors.” -Nick”

“Because wine means the responsible part of the day is over.”

“I don’t mind hot and spicy. Actually find that appealing in a girl. And chicken wings.”

“I see that you’vehad the non-pleasure of meeting my sister.Jordo, this isRylann Pierce.”Jordan raised an eyebrow pointedly at Kyle.He glared.An entire dialogue seemed to pass between them”

“I told you not to take off work for this."“And miss your big finale? No way.I’m all atwitter to see how things turn out.”“That’s cute, Jordo.” Then he frowned as Nick McCall was suddenly there, in their lives, andKyle was therefore being a little…cautious beforewelcoming him into the family.“Be nice, Kyle,” Jordan warned.“What?” he asked innocently. “When have I evernot been nice to Tall, Dark, and You Can’t BeSerious About This Guy?”“I like him. Get used to it.”

“You’re right,” she acknowledged. “I don’t know you,really. We spent all of about thirty minutes togethernearly a decade ago. Still, I think the Kyle Rhodeswho walked me home and gave me the shirt off hisback would do the right thing no matter how pissedhe was at my office. So if that guy is hanging aroundthis penthouse anywhere, tell him to call me.”

“Kyle had to give her credit; it took skill—plus noheart and a serious abuse of the English language—to break up with someone in fewer than 140characters.”

“It’s not the place that matters, It’s how good you are when you get there.” -Rylann”

“Nick watched as Jordan sipped her wine and made The Face-the seductive, the hell-with-wine-you-should-see-what-I-look-like-having-sex face. At least that was how he interpreted it.Watching her with a predatory gaze, the douchebag grinned.Apparently, he had a similar interpretation of The Face.Something inside Nick snapped.That was his fake girlfriend in there. Sitting at the table where they had just shared cheese fries the night before. And if she thought she could throw scorching hot sex-looks to any pansy-ass scarf-boy who wandered into her shop, she had another think coming.He had a look of his own to show the douchebag.It was time to break out the don't-fuck-with-me-face.”

“It may have taken nine years, and a whole lot of wrong turns along the way, but their story felt complete at last.Because, finally, she was his.”

“I love you, Rylann." He cupped her face, peering down into her eyes. "And now I finally have a good answer to the one question everyone always asks me--why I hacked into Twitter. I didn't know it at the time... but I did it to find you again."She leaned into him, curling her fingers around his shirt. "That may be the best justification I've ever heard for committing a crime." She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "And I love you, too, you know.”

“I will never, ever regret stopping you from walking out of my life a second time, Kyle," she said in an emotional voice. "And I can prove it."She reached for the buttons on her trench coat and undid them, one at a time. Then she opened the coat and let it drop to the floor.And even if she didn't say a single word more, Kyle knew he would never again doubt the way Rylann felt about him.She was wearing his flannel shirt."You kept it," he said softly. "All this time."She nodded. "For nine years, I've held on to this darn shirt, literally dragging it across the country and back."Kyle touched her cheek, gently brushing away a tear with his thumb. "Why?"She paused hesitantly, and then with a tender smile, finally put it all on the line, too. "I guess I always hoped you'd come back for it someday.”

“Because nine years ago, I walked up to the most beautiful girl in the bar, and tonight she's still the only person I want to talk to.”

“Thank God she wasn’t still hanging out in her underpants.”

“See you just don’t understand women the way I do J.D. They want it all: a career apple martinis financial independence great shoes but at the same time—and this they’ll never admit—they are drawn to patriarchal men who are dominant and controlling. That’s the essence of the Darcy complex. He may be an asshole but he’s an asshole that gets the girl in the end.”

“First Pallas and now you,” the gray-haired man said, shaking his head at Nick. “It’s like I’m running a goddamn dating service around here.”

“Laney held up a hand. "I checked it out. He went there on scholarship and paid the rest with student loans. And he's good looking, too. Nate and I met him for dinner last night, and I subtly learned that he's looking to meet someone""How did you learn that?""I asked him if he was looking to meet someone""that is subtle”

“Payton and Laney watched him go.Laney shook her head. “Unbelievable.”Payton gestured. “See—I told you.”“That man has such a great butt.”“Laney!”“What? I’m conservative, Payton, not blind.”

“In the business world, what’sthe female equivalent of going golfing with a client?”Laney gave this some thought. Payton fell silent, too, contemplating. After a few moments, neither of them could come up with anything.How depressing.Payton sighed, feigning resignation. “Well, that’s it. I guess I’ll just have to sleep with them.”Laney folded her hands primly on the table. “I think I’m uncomfortable with this conversation.”

“It should've been illegal for a man to walk around like that without some sort of permit.”

“More like a chocolate molten lava cake. A dessert so sinful, so luscious, so filled with inner heat it made a girl want to lick each and every crumb right off the plate. That was Jack Pallas.”

“I’d like to know more about this undercover agent who posed as my daughter’s date. The ubiquitous Tall, Dark, and Smoldering.'Nick put on his best meet-the-parent smile. 'I generally prefer to go by Nick.”

“He gripped her shoulders determinedly. 'I should’ve told you this earlier, Jordan. Now that I’ve got my chance, you’re going to hear it whether you like it or not. You came into my life and messed the whole thing up and now I’m screwed. Because I’m in love with you. As in balls-out, head-over-heels, watching-Dancing-with-the-Stars-on-Monday-nights, wine-and-bubble-bath kind of love. Hell, I think I’d even wear a scarf indoors for you.”

“What? I took it because of the girls in the class. Anyway, I see a bit of a P and P dynamic going on between you and Payton."J.D. didn't think he wanted to know. Really. But he asked anyway. "P and P?"Tyler shot him a look, appalled. "Uh, hello--Pride and Prejudice?" His tone said only a cretin wouldn't know this."Oh right, P and P," J.D. said. "You know, Tyler, you might want to pick up your balls--I think they just fell right off when you said that.”

“It was time to break out the don't-fuck-with-me face.”

“Boyfriend huh? I didn't realize we had taken things to that level.""Oh, I'm sorry--this is my first undercover operation," Jordan said. "I'm a little unclear about the rules. Are we seeing other people in this fake relationship?”