Convince Me (Holton Series #1) Read online

Steven laughed. “Yes. Tori is always trying to update my sedate image. She thinks I’m far too conservative. Since I refuse to let her take me shopping, she buys me these crazy ties. The worst part is I think she would really be offended if I didn’t wear them and even though she lives over a thousand miles away, she would know if I didn’t wear them.”

  “Where does she live?” Anna asked.

  “In Los Angeles,” Steven replied. “But she and Julie are best friends and no matter how far away she is, Tori always know what’s going on.”

  “So, you wear the ties,” Anna stated, intrigued by this aspect of his character. It would be interesting to see how much he would do for his sister. Anna, who had no siblings, found it charming that he could care so much.

  Steven smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Yeah, I wear the ties.”

  It was a delightful gesture. This man is too good to be true, Anna thought to herself. There had to be a flaw somewhere. He was thoughtful, charming, nice. Maybe, too nice. Yes, too nice was good. No woman wanted a man who was too nice. Anna knew she wouldn’t be attracted to a wimp. She had nothing to worry about. Steven Carson was not a threat to her. He was too nice to break through her resolve. She was so pleased with this new discovery that she gave him a dazzling smile.

  “Thanks for stopping by. Please tell Julie thank you for the coffee and banana bread. It was very kind of her.”

  Silence reigned for a moment as Steven studied her. Then, without a word he picked up Julie’s basket and headed to the door. Anna gave a sigh of relief when he opened it. She wasn’t prepared for him turning around. He leaned against the door, his hand resting on the handle, and looked out at the now busy street before looking back at her.

  “How about having lunch with me?” he asked.

  Anna shook her head, smiling politely. “No thanks. I’m much too busy setting up shop.”

  “You have to eat, Anna. I’ll be back about noon.”

  “No,” Anna said more firmly wanting to make sure he understood. “Thanks, but no.”

  He looked at her with his serious gaze. “It won’t work, you know.”

  Anna felt her heart begin to thud. The blood rushed to her head and her mouth was dry. She clenched her hands together to keep them from fiddling with the papers on her desk. She was suddenly nervous and didn’t know why.

  “What do you mean?” she asked cautiously.

  “It will take a great deal more than a simple no to make me go away. I am a very determined man when I want something.” He paused a moment then gave her that slow, tender smile. “And Anna West, I want you. See you at noon.”

  He closed the door softly and Anna slammed her fist on the desk. Nice! Well, she had that one wrong. He was arrogant, pushy and controlling. At lunch, she would tell him exactly what she thought of him. It frightened her how much she was looking forward to it.

  Burying her head in her hand, Anna whispered, “Oh, God. What am I going to do?”

  #

  Steven chuckled as he shut the door behind him. He knew his last remark had been uncalled for but Anna had refused to see him all week and he didn’t like it. He had spoken to her everyday but she refused to meet him or let him help her in any way. She had been polite but distant and Steven had feared that she truly wasn’t interested in him. But he had seen the pleasure in her eyes when he had arrived at her office. He saw the attraction. She had quickly tried to suppress it but it was there – that spark that he had felt the first time their eyes had met. He knew she felt it too and it was all the encouragement he needed.

  When he had opened the door to her office and saw her sitting there with Julie, the laughter on her face, he had been transfixed. Had he really thought she was merely pretty? With her eyes dancing and a smile on her face, she was beautiful and Steven had wanted her. He had wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman in his life. He had wanted to chase Julie from the room, pull Anna into his arms, and take her right there on her desk.

  The powerful attraction he felt for her had scared him for a moment. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before and he knew it was more than just physical. Although, the physical pull was intense. Even now, walking back to his office, his body still burned for her. Steven took several deep breaths, thankful for the cool January day.

  Thinking back to that moment, he replayed Anna’s reaction to him. Her eyes had widened, her breath quickened, and a slight blush covered her face. Yes, she was as attracted to him as he was to her.

  He had been grateful when Julie had called his name and forced him to look away from her. As soon as he did, everything fell into place. His mother had been right. This was no time to be questioning himself. He knew Anna was the woman for him. She was the one he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. Now all he had to do was convince her. It appeared it was going to be more difficult than he thought. For some reason, Anna was denying their mutual attraction.

  Steven laughed out loud as he opened the door to the building where his law office was located. Anna had not been happy about his parting shot. He had seen the anger flash in her eyes right before he closed the door. There was fire under that cool, quiet exterior and it thrilled him. There was more to Anna West that meets the eye and Steven was looking forward to discovering all her secrets.

  He walked quickly up the stairs. The offices of Carson and Moore were located on the second floor of the building. He and Andrew had rented them soon after graduating from law school and it was an ideal location. The space directly below Steven’s office was storage space for the gift shop next door, which was directly below Andrew’s office. Both offices faced the street and gave them a view of downtown Holton. The lobby area contained Julie’s desk and their file banks.

  Steven entered the lobby and was not surprised to see Julie on the phone. He knew she was still talking to his sister because Victoria never ended a phone call before she was ready. Julie flashed him a quick smile as she jotted down some instructions. Steven had already received his orders from his sister and knew she was now passing on others. Victoria was planning a surprise party for their parents’ thirty-fifth wedding anniversary was a little over five weeks away.

  Victoria’s plans were always elaborate but Steven knew it would be a perfect party and everyone would have a lot of fun. Unfortunately, he was already worrying about what crazy scheme she might be plotting. As much as he loved his sister, Steven had never understood her. She was flamboyant and outgoing and her mind never stopped. He had spent most of their youth trying to keep her out of trouble and picking up the pieces when he failed. Victoria had gone about her business never really caring if things went smoothly or not. Steven knew she thrived on chaos but he had tried to protect her if he could and it was a hard habit to break.

  He entered his office and pick up his own phone. His office was basic. It contained a large desk, which faced the street, several filing cabinets, two large bookcases and three chairs. As Andrew did most of the actual courtroom work, Steven seldom spoke directly to their clients.

  Dialing the number of the local bakery café, Steven let him mind wander back to Anna. He would have to go slowly there. She was afraid of something. Steven was not sure exactly what but he could tell she was fighting their attraction. He knew he couldn’t rush her or he might lose her altogether.

  When Mrs. Dorman answered at the bakery café, Steven quickly arranged lunch for four. He then returned to the lobby and invited Julie and Andrew to join them. Both of them were amused at his predicament but agreed to lunch. Anna would be more comfortable with others present so he ignored their teasing and returned to work.

  Just before noon, Steven went to pick up the food and then he, Andrew, and Julie made their way down to Anna’s office. When they arrived, Anna was on the phone so Steven had a chance to study her. Earlier he had been so wrapped up in his reaction to her that he hadn’t taken the time to really look at her. He took the time now.

  She was wearing a light peach sweater made of a heavy material. It enhanced her
large brown eyes and gave her face a soft, warm color. Her dark hair was curled under just touching her shoulders. She looked up at the sound of their entrance and her eyes shined. When she saw Andrew and Julie standing next to him, the polite smile that had been on her lips stretched into a genuine one. Steven tried not to be irritated at the thought of her being so glad that they were not alone. He knew she was uncomfortable which was why he had invited his friends but it was hard not to be disappointed that she didn’t want to be alone with him.

  She quickly ended her conversation. Steven watched as she gracefully rose from her seat and rounded the desk. She smiled and stepped forward.

  “Lunch delivered to your door,” he said holding up the bags of food.

  He returned Anna’s smile and then introduced her to Andrew. After they exchanged greetings, they all gathered chairs around Anna’s desk and began to eat. Steven let Julie do most of the talking. Although not nearly as outgoing as Victoria, Julie was very good at getting someone to talk about themselves. She was genuinely interested in people. She was also very curious. People relaxed around her and Anna was no exception.

  They soon learned that both of her parents were dead and that she was an only child. She had lived in Mayville, Texas, near Houston, all of her life before moving to Holton. She spoke warmly of her mother who had recently passed away but said very little about her father. Although Anna spoke easily about her college life and the years since then, she seemed reluctant to talk about her childhood.

  The lunch was pleasant. Steven was glad he had invited Andrew and Julie. They were both interesting people and the conversation flowed easily. Anna seemed more relaxed then she was when they had been alone. Soon both Andrew and Julie excused themselves to return to work and the tension suddenly returned to the room.

  “Anna,” Steven asked softly, needing to know, “why are you so afraid of me?”

  The shock on her face was unmistakable and Steven wondered briefly if he had read her wrong. He didn’t think so. Looking at her now, she was stiff and closed off. She did not answer his question and refused to look at him. He knew he wasn’t wrong so he repeated the question pushing her for an answer.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” she said quickly but without conviction.

  Steven slowly shook his head. “I find that hard to believe when you get so nervous and defensive every time we are alone.”

  “I don’t care what you believe,” she said sharply, finally looking him in the eye. He saw the flash of anger and the resolve in her face. “I’m not afraid of you. That would be ridiculous. After all, I hardly know you.”

  “You know that’s not true. We may not have known each other long but something happened between us the minute that we met. There was a spark between us and it is still there.” She was shaking her head but Steven wasn’t ready to let it go. “You know it’s true, Anna, why do you insist on denying it?”

  He saw the anger flash again in her eyes and was afraid he had pushed her too hard but he needn’t have worried. Anna was stronger than she looked. She turned on him immediately.

  “I’m not denying anything,” she said distinctly. “There is nothing between us. Just because you have an ego larger than the whole state of Texas, that doesn’t mean I am attracted to you. I don’t know where you got that crazy idea.”

  Steven grinned at her anger, enjoying the fact that she could stand up for herself. In spite of his protective nature, Steven had never been attracted to women who could not take care of themselves. Andrew’s late wife had been like that. Carolyn had been totally dependent on Andrew and Steven had never understood the attraction.

  Anna was circling the room and when she turned and saw the grin on his face her anger grew. “This isn’t funny! I don’t know what to do with you. You won’t take no for an answer.”

  Steven wiped the grin off his face. This was getting serious. He didn’t want her to think he was belittling her wishes. “I would take no for an answer if I thought you really meant it.”

  “I do mean it,” she said slowly but there was doubt in her voice.

  “Do you?” he asked, rising from his chair. “Do you really want me to walk away from here and never look back?”

  He grabbed her by the arms, praying she wouldn’t send him away. “Tell me, Anna, tell me to go and never come back and I will.”

  There was confusion on her lovely face. She stared at him, her eyes searching his. Steven waited, holding his breath.

  “I…You really…I’m just so confused,” she said as she tried to pull away but Steven held her. He reached out a hand and cupped her face. Anna went perfectly still. Leaning forward, he softly kissed her lips. Just a brief brush across her month leaving him wanting more but not willing to push her too far. He leaned back to look into her eyes and caress her face.

  The desire shining there, matching his own, was his undoing and he gathered into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. She hesitated at first and Steven forced himself to go slowly. He held her loosely in arms and nibbled at her mouth tracing her lips. Slowly, her lips parted and she began to respond. Her body relaxed into his and her arms crept around his neck. Steven pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

  He outlined the inside of her mouth with his tongue, tasting her and wanting more. The shy response of her tongue caused such a strong wave of desire to flow through him that he had to drag his mouth from hers. Breathing deeply, he buried his face in her hair as he willed his body back to normal. He could fill her own heart pounding and knew she was struggling to control her response also.

  “Now tell me that there is nothing between us,” he said softly.

  It was the wrong thing to say for Anna immediately stiffened and jerked herself out of his arms. He watched, confused, as she walked to the door.

  “Thanks for lunch,” she said in a stilted voice as she opened the door. “It was very nice.”

  Steven stared at her, unable to believe the change in her. One minute she was warm and soft in his arms and the next she was polite and distant. He gathered his things and for the second time that day he walked out her door. He turned back and reached out an arm to stop her from slamming it in his face.

  “I don’t know what just happened here but it makes no difference. There is something special between us and now we both know it.”

  On that parting note, Steven turned and walked back down the street. How he was going to make it through the rest of the afternoon he didn’t know but he had learned one important thing. Anna was as attracted to him as he was to her. It gave him hope.

  Chapter 3

  The rest of the week went by slowly. Anna tried to hang on to her anger but Steven made it very difficult. He stopped by to see her almost every day. She knew she was only angry because Steven had been right. There was something between them but Anna refused to acknowledge it because it frightened her. She was falling for Steven and she couldn’t let that happen. She would never be like her mother, so in love with a man that she lost all sense of self-worth. Anna wouldn’t let that happen.

  Her anger soon faded because Steven was at his most charming. It was hard to stay angry with him when she knew she was really angry with herself. She usually managed to remain detached but twice he broke through her carefully erected barriers.

  The first time was the day after their luncheon. Julie had stopped by for a coffee break again and once more Steven had come looking for her. Anna wasn’t sure he had a legitimate reason but she did know that he did not have to come personally.

  After Julie left, she told him, “I do have a telephone. There is no need for you to walk down here. Just call next time and I’ll send Julie right back.”

  Steven grinned. “But then, I wouldn’t get to see you.”

  “That’s the whole point,” Anna snapped. “I don’t want to see you.”

  His grin faded and Steven looked at her with his beautiful blue eyes serious and thoughtful. Anna felt her heart begin to pound and her palms became damp. Steven continued to watch
her and Anna had to resist the urge to turn and flee. Instead, she returned his gaze steadily.

  “That’s not what your kiss told me,” he said softly.

  Anna turned away from him then. She knew she had no response to that statement. The memory of their kiss had haunted her all night and Anna knew she had been a willing participant, which was why she wanted to avoid Steven now.

  She turned back and saw him standing by the door completely still waiting for her. He was waiting for something – something from her. She suddenly remembered what he had said about telling him to walk away and she knew if she asked him now he would do so. Anna took a deep breath, ready to tell him to leave but then she looked at him again. She really looked at him this time. He was tense as if waiting for her to strike out at him. For the first time, she realized he was scared too. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t send him away. She just wasn’t ready to lose him forever. Instead, she tried to explain.

  “I don’t need this kind of pressure right now. I have too much to do setting up this office and getting settled in a new town. I need to spend some time alone. I need time to think, to get comfortable with where I am and where I am going.”

  “Alright, I can understand that,” Steven said, “but there is no reason why we can’t be friends. We can put this attraction on hold for a while but, Anna, it is not just going to go away.”

  Anger boiled in her but she refused to let him see it. He was right but she didn’t need him to point it out to her. Coldly, she responded, “Fine, but I meant what I said. I need time and you need to back off.”

  She watched with satisfaction as a matching anger flashed in his eyes. She didn’t know why it pleased her to make him loose his temper but it did. However, he said nothing but simply turned and walked out.

  Anna sank slowly into her chair and noticed that her hands were shaking. How could one man make her shake with anger one minute and passion the next?

  She wasn’t proud of herself. She didn’t like the cruel way she had handled the situation. Anna knew their attraction was something she was going to have to deal with at some time but she just wasn’t strong enough now. She also didn’t like the thought that she might not see him again.