Judy Hubbard - Our First Embrace

Victor owned Delphine Computers and handled all the software needs for Alexander’s. At twenty-nine, he was three years younger than Alex, and the two had always been close, especially since their parents died five years ago in a plane crash.

“There you go.” Victor smiled with satisfaction a few minutes later. “She’s as good as new.”

Alex returned to his seat and tested out the computer. He heaved a sigh of relief when the blasted machine did what he wanted it to without fighting him.

“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.”

“De nada.” Victor bowed before resuming his perch on the edge of Alex’s desk. “By the way, who was the honey I saw leaving your office with Monique a few minutes ago?”

“That was our new junior associate, which means she’s off-limits to you,” Alex warned.

“She looked mad. What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything to her,” Alex denied with a frown. “She took her sweet time about getting here, and I let her know I didn’t appreciate it.”

Victor’s brows creased thoughtfully. “Is she the one from New York who had a last-minute funeral to attend?”

“A wedding,” Alex corrected around a chuckle. “Her brother’s, to be exact.”

“Well, that was a good reason for the delay.” Victor studied his brother’s sour expression. “Wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Alex reclined in his chair.

“But?”

“If she was as dedicated as she professes to be, she would have been here on time.”

“Come on Alex, it was her brother’s wedding.” He grinned. “You wouldn’t miss my wedding, would you?”

“Definitely not.” He twirled a pen in his fingers. “I’d be glad to be rid of you.”

“You know you’d be bawling like a baby at the thought,” Victor asserted.

“Yeah, go on and delude yourself.” Alex laughed. “Anyway, we’re not talking about me and what I would have done.”

“Okay, point taken. What did she miss, really? Tell me.” At his brother’s silence, he admonished, “You need to lighten up, bro.”

“I have a business to run, and I need dedicated people around me.” Alex refused to give an inch.

“Who says she’s not dedicated? She’s here, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.” She was here all right, upsetting his equilibrium.

“Give the kid a break, Alex.” Victor slapped him on the shoulder. “She’s in a new country, starting a new job, and then she has to run into your foul temper.” Victor sighed theatrically. “It’s just too much for anyone to have to bear.”

“Shouldn’t you be somewhere doing something useful?” Alex chuckled in spite of himself.

“Not until this afternoon.” Victor glanced without interest at his watch. “My morning’s free.”

“Well, I do have a lot of work to get through.” Alex pointedly glanced at his brother before picking up some sketches from his desk to review.

Victor stood. “Oh, is that your not-so-subtle way of telling me to get lost?”

“We both know subtlety doesn’t work with you.” Alex grinned as his brother walked to the door.

“Just so you know, I don’t appreciate being used and discarded,” Victor huffed.

“You should be used to it by now,” Alex good-naturedly rejoined.

“Sad, but true,” Victor lamented. “Hey, tell you what.”

“What?”

“I’ll take the babe off your hands and escort her to the fashion show at the end of April,” he magnanimously offered.

“No, I’ll take her,” Alex quickly asserted, having no idea why his brother’s offer irritated him immensely.

“Ah-ha!” Victor shouted, and Alex grimaced. “So you want to take her then?”

“No, I don’t want to take her,” Alex quickly denied.

“Then let me,” Victor offered again.

“It’s my responsibility.”

“You and your responsibility.” Victor groaned in disgust.

“One of us has to be responsible,” Alex drily asserted.

“You wound me, bro.”

“You’ll live,” Alex promised. “Now will you get out of here?”

“Okay, I’m going. I think I’ll see if I can spot...” He paused. “What’s her name?”

“Nicole,” Alex reluctantly offered. “Nicole Carter.”

“Nicole...Nicole.” Victor fit his tongue around her name with several different emphases. “Oh, I like that.”

“Goodbye, Vic.” Alex dismissed him, swiveling in his chair to stare moodily out of the window.

“See ya later, bro.” Victor left, whistling a tune that grated on his brother’s nerves.

Chapter 2

“Good morning, ladies.” Victor entered the break room, pulled up a chair and sat down at Monique and Nicole’s table. “Mind if I join you?”

Monique frowned at his actions. “Since you already have, that question is somewhat rhetorical, isn’t it?”

“Oh, Monique.” Victor chuckled and then turned his charm toward Nicole. “Hi, I’m Victor James.”

“Nicole Carter.” Nicole smiled when he brought her hand to his lips. “Nice to meet you, Mr. James.”

“Please, I’m not that old. Mr. James was my father,” Victor bemoaned. “Call me Victor or Vic.”

“I will if you’ll call me Nicole.”

“Deal,” he agreed. “Welcome to Alexander’s.”

“Thank you.”

“And how are you today, beautiful?” He touched Monique’s hand, which she quickly withdrew.

“I’m fine, Victor, and you?”

“Great now that I’m in the presence of two gorgeous ladies,” he said. “What more could a guy want?”

“I’ll pass on that one.” Monique rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee.

“Coward,” Victor softly teased before treating Nicole to another dazzling smile. “Whatever you’ve heard about me from Monique is untrue, unless you’ve been told I’m dashing, handsome and an all-around great guy.”

“And modest,” Monique sarcastically added, suppressing a smile when Victor stuck out his tongue at her.

“You can’t be Alexander’s brother.” Nicole’s stunned observation slipped from her lips before she could stop herself.

“I know.” Victor shrugged. “What can I say? I have all of the charm.”

Laughter bubbled from Nicole’s lips. She was inclined to agree with him. He was easy to be around and didn’t set her teeth on edge, and she immediately liked him.

“I didn’t say that,” Nicole reminded.

“No, I did, but don’t tell Alex.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “He’s always been jealous because I’m the youngest and the better-looking one.”

“And insecure, too,” Monique drily added.

“Made so by your cruel barbs,” Victor shot back, looking wounded.

“Just stating the facts as I see them.”

Nicole studied Victor as he teased Monique. The James men were handsome. Victor was the same height and build as Alexander, and he had the same gorgeous eyes. However, his hair was cut very short, and his face sported a neatly trimmed goatee. They both possessed the same light skin tone, but Lord knew their personalities were as different as night and day.

“You two are certainly different in temperament,” Nicole said.

“The poor guy just doesn’t have my style.” He shook his head sadly and sighed dramatically. “I worry about him so much.”

Nicole chuckled, which turned into full-blown, tinkling laughter. Victor joined her, and even Monique was unsuccessful in suppressing a chuckle. Nicole felt as if she was among old friends. This day was turning out to be better than she had anticipated after her contentious first meeting with her straitlaced boss.

“I like you, Nicole,” Victor confessed.

“I like you, too.”

“You see.” Victor grinned at Monique. “Nicole likes me.”

“Give her time,” Monique rejoined.