Never Be Her Hero Read online

  Mariah chuckled. "Wow. That's true desperation. If she picks you, my fee is a wash. You don't owe me anything and neither will she. That's my contribution to what I owe you."

  "Convenient and free—that's what I call a truly perfect date," Elliston said with a grin.

  "Good to hear you think so highly of my help," Mariah said dryly, rolling her eyes. "I’d better get a referral or two from you for this miracle if I pull it off."

  "Done and done again," Elliston promised. "I know this is a blatant macho thing, but unfortunately that still applies to business between men. Can you tell me anything about her before she checks me out?"

  Mariah snorted. "She's a research doctor, turning twenty-eight, and beautiful enough to impress your client with your extreme manliness in nabbing such a woman. You'll be happy to hear though that she's currently ignoring her biological clock to focus on her work goals. Sorry, she's not an older woman, but that's the break for getting a last minute date. You'll have to take what I can get you—if I can get her for you."

  "If she says yes, I'll be the most satisfied client you've ever had. Thank you, Mariah."

  "Yeah. Yeah. Talk's cheap, son. Send me some paying clients."

  How in the world was she going to ever sell a stressed-out Della on a whole weekend date with Elliston McElroy? If her mother was right about Della being attracted to him, it could be a sticky situation. Given his satisfaction with dating older women, Elliston wasn’t going to end up settling down with someone close to his own age. However, he was a man… and a man who hadn't been dating regularly. A vulnerable Della might be safer spending time with someone she knew less and didn't lust after at all.

  Mariah would hate losing a good client if Elliston ended up sleeping with and discarding a woman she was pretty sure was going to be her future business partner.

  Chapter Two

  Della walked into Mariah’s office and headed for the chair she usually sat in for their discussions. "Wow, Mariah. When you said you wanted to meet first thing this morning, I didn't think you meant the very first thing."

  Chuckling, Mariah smiled at her tired assistant. "I felt a need for speed. We have a client coming at eleven."

  "True," Della said with an answering smile, sipping her coffee. Sighing, she pushed back her unwashed hair. She'd worked late on her dissertation the evening before and a five-minute shower had been all she could manage. "You didn't have to put all this together for me. I could have just looked the guys up in the database."

  "Where's the fun in that?" Mariah demanded. She pointed to the tablet. "You're getting the full treatment. This will help you understand the process and how hard it is to make the decision about who to choose."

  Della snickered and swiped past the opening page of the file with her name on it. Beneath it was a great looking guy. She looked up at Mariah. "I remember this guy. He's hot but very political. We redid his video a few weeks ago. It was worse than his first one. Politics are not sexy."

  "I know what you mean, but hey… think of the entertainment value he'd bring to the wedding banquet."

  That was truly funny and it made her laugh just thinking about it. "Okay. Mr. Political stays on the list."

  She swiped again and there was a client she'd always admired. "Well now, this is a pleasant surprise for a Friday morning."

  "I know," Mariah said. "He's good-looking and a nice guy by anyone's standards. I also think he must secretly like you because he was happy to be added to your group."

  Della sighed. "He's great but my family would like him too much. He'd be getting all kinds of embarrassing questions about our relationship every time we were separated. I couldn't do that to someone I genuinely liked. Think I'm going to have to go with Mr. Political. I like the idea of keeping an emotional distance between me and my so-called date."

  Mariah chuckled. "Before you talk yourself into suffering for the sake of your ego's revenge, check out the third guy in your group."

  Della's startled gaze left the tablet. "Thought you only found two?"

  "I had a late request yesterday—an emergency of sorts. The next guy has a problem similar to yours. He's willing to do a trade. Unlike the other two though, the guy doesn't know who you are yet. You know him and he knows you, but I’m letting your identities be revealed slowly."

  "A trade date?" Della asked, chuckling over the idea. "Sounds a bit kinky."

  Mariah pointed a finger. "Swipe and look at him. Then I'll explain."

  Della did and both her eyebrows shot up. "Elliston McElroy?" Her gaze flew back to Mariah. "But he's not dating at the moment… and when he does date, he dates older women. Right?"

  "All are true statements. However, he needs someone willing to go out of town to a spa resort in Tennessee this weekend. He forgot to put in a request. He was pretty desperate when he stopped by late yesterday. I've never seen him like that."

  Della was stunned. "Wow. I don't know what to think."

  Mariah held up a hand. "Hang on—it gets better. Elliston offered to toss in a couple hundred as mad money so his date can have some fun at the resort. I think you'd have to meet him for meals and hang out with him a bit to keep up the appearance of actually being his date. While I know this might feel a bit strange to you, it would be a way to have a break. You'd have to leave after work today though—that's very quick. I totally understand if you just can't react that quickly to the offer."

  "I have to make some changes before the committee will hear my defense next month. I tried doing it last night, but energy-wise I'm running on empty."

  Della stared at Elliston's handsome face. He was genuinely tempting to her as a date. That could be a problem for both of them given both their dry spells. Maybe it didn't have to be if she was smart though. Wasn’t going out with him at least worth the risk?

  Mariah reached out for the tablet. A still stunned Della handed it back.

  "The uber political guy is a piece of low hanging fruit, which makes him perfect to throw at your unsuspecting family. I only added Elliston into the mix because it might be a little bit easier to marshal up the energy for your last hoo-rah of dissertation work after you got a massage and went swimming for a couple days."

  Della sighed. "That's a very good point. I'd love to get a massage." Her eyes went dreamy over the idea, and then cleared. "I don't think I told you this, but I took a video photography class Elliston was teaching at the Cincinnati Art Museum. We sort of got to know each other a little better in a platonic friend kind of way. He was a good teacher. Sometimes I text him with questions. He’s very smart."

  Mariah nodded. "I’ve heard that about him. So you're friends then?"

  Della held up a hand and pinched two fingers nearly together. "A little bit friends. Not the wedding escort kind. I would never have asked him to go with me, even though I once did think about inviting him." She laughed when Mariah’s eyebrows raised. "I kept imagining my family's reaction to Elliston’s tribal tats and weird haircut. Now that was a fun fantasy, let me tell you, even without the sex. My mother would be appalled at the way he looks."

  Mariah smiled. "I see you have an innate evil side. I can respect that."

  Della laughed and shook her head. "Even if I was tempted to say yes to a trade with him, which I was the moment you said a massage at a spa was involved, I couldn't go out of town as his date looking like I look today. I barely got myself together enough to come here this morning. Personal maintenance has not been high on my priority list lately."

  "No worries. I can help with that. The salon has an opening this morning. If we limit you to hair, a manicure, and a pedicure, you can be done in two hours. I'll call the image consultant and ask him to drop a few dressy outfits by the salon. You can wear them to dinner at the resort. Knowing Elliston's clients, the place will be posh. We'll make the outfits a bit more conservative than your usual clothing. You'll look a little older, but also rich and successful. Then all you have to do at home is pack a bathing suit, shorts, night clothes, and a toothbrush. That
should allow you to leave on time."

  Della laughed nervously. "You've certainly got this all worked out, Dr. Bates. Were you so sure I'd pick Elliston?"

  "Not at all," Mariah said truthfully. "Courtesy of my military father’s training, I prepared for all possibilities, which is what I do with every client. Of the three dates I found for you, Elliston is the all-around best option. I know you'll make a good showing on his arm this weekend. Since I still owe him for giving me the address of John's secret lair, I've offered him this deal for no fee so long as he reciprocates with you. You get a spa weekend and a wedding escort out of the deal. Happy early graduation."

  Della snorted as she leaned back in the chair. "I feel like I'm running in front of a steamroller."

  Mariah laughed and nodded. "You are, Dr. Livingston. It's called your destiny at The Perfect Date."

  "My destiny here involves Elliston?" Della smirked and crossed her arms.

  "Your destiny involves him for this weekend and one dreaded Saturday in October. But if you want the political guy, I’ll understand. I’d just call Elliston and break the bad news to him that he's going to the resort alone. His man card will suffer but I'm sure he'll survive. Young male egos are resilient."

  Della bit her lip. Even with the tats, Elliston would stand the best chance of fooling her family in a good way because she genuinely liked him as a person. Based on what she knew so far, Elliston was a good sport too. The idea of him going with her already made attending the wedding seem like less of a chore. Was that her gut pointing her in the right decision? It had to be.

  She sighed and turned to a waiting Mariah. "Okay. I'm up for a trade. Tell Elliston yes. It will save The Perfect Date money in the long run and I'll play the adoring girlfriend when he needs me to. I may be genuinely adoring if he pays for me to get a massage."

  "Good. I'll call and tell him. I'm sure he'll be thrilled. Go do what you have to and then scoot over to the salon. I'll see you back here in the office on Tuesday. Take whatever is left of Monday off when you two get back to town."

  Saluting, Della rose to do as she was told.

  It was nearly six-thirty and they had a five-hour drive ahead of them. Elliston was running late, and normally she’d be stressed, but today Della wasn’t mad. Travel in Cincinnati was always tricky during rush hour. She wished now she’d sent Elliston a text, but there had been so much to do to get ready that she hadn’t stopped and taken the time.

  Plus, she’d finally been forced to take a call from her family. It had been her father asking her to please talk to her mother. She’d calmly asked her father to tell her mother that she was going out of town on a business trip. It had taken ten more minutes to convince him she would talk to everyone sometime next week. If she got very lucky, her father would relay the message, and then maybe she would get a weekend reprieve from the drama happening in Outback.

  Determined to be a good sport about his tardiness, Della locked up and dragged her suitcase down the steps of her rented brownstone and parked it by the bottom step. She put the handle down on her luggage and stood beside it. The short, full skirt she wore showed off her naturally tanned long legs and the wedge heels made them look even longer. A guy she hadn’t seen in months happened by on his way to the gym where he worked and stopped to talk to her legs… or at least that’s how it seemed since Brad barely glanced up at her face the whole time he was speaking.

  Della tucked her cell phone into a hidden skirt pocket and tried to pay attention. Brad had a nice body, a nice voice, and lived in her neighborhood. He was working his way up to asking her out—she could tell—which took some of the fun out of it for her. Was she interested in dating him? Certainly not at the moment. Soon, though, she’d have her life back. Dates might be possible then.

  Brad was a fitness trainer and worked at their local gym. He was attractive and fit, but even if she mentioned her advanced degree to him, she doubted Brad would be able to take it in. Her intellect didn’t rank as high on the scale as how she looked in a skirt. However, a single woman her age couldn’t write any half decent guy off. There were too many jerks out there. She knew that well because she kept finding them. A part of her hoped that finally getting her doctorate might become a catalyst for other changes as well.

  Elliston pulled the car up to the curb in front of the address Mariah had given him and scanned the sidewalk for Della. A guy and some hot, long-legged babe in a short skirt and sunglasses were standing on the sidewalk, obviously waiting for a ride. He wasn’t sure taking Mariah’s uber-serious assistant with him for the weekend was the best of ideas, but he was at least glad to not be going alone.

  He checked the traffic and wondered if he should double-park his car and go up to her apartment, or just send Della a text and ask her to meet him downstairs. Before he could make a decision, the hot babe’s skirt and legs appeared in his sports car’s passenger window. Hot babe’s fingers tapped on the glass.

  Working not to sigh in annoyance, Elliston rolled down the window to see what the woman wanted. He was stunned more than he believed possible when the sunglasses got pulled off to reveal Della’s face as she bent to look at him. “Pop the trunk if there’s room for my bag in it,” she ordered.

  Elliston stared at her while she looked back at him. His brain kept trying to short-circuit. What had she asked? Oh yeah, open the trunk for her. Like he’d never driven the car before, Elliston looked around and finally spied the trunk’s unlock button.

  “Nice car. Is this a rental?” Della asked him. Then she straightened and laughed as the hunky guy grabbed her bag and stored it away for her.

  They talked a moment more, and then a long-legged Della opened his car door and climbed into his passenger seat.

  “Hi,” she said, sliding down the expensive leather as she waved goodbye to the sidewalk hunk.

  “Hi,” Elliston said back. “I didn’t recognize you.”

  Della snorted. “Probably my new hairstyle. It’s a little shorter than usual,” she said. “I see you got yours cut too.”

  Elliston nodded, his hand going automatically to his hair. “Thought I’d go a little more conservative. This client leans that direction.”

  Della’s gaze went to the top of his head. “Yes, it’s a little short, but it works for you. Of course, you have the type of face that pretty much looks good with any cut. I think it’s your eyes. I bet that’s mostly what people notice about you first.”

  Her phone rang and Della glared at it before releasing a deep sigh of exasperation and sinking back into the soft leather of his car seat. Wondering what was wrong and who was calling, Elliston watched her face, waiting to hear what Della would say next. When she spoke, her calm words totally caught him off guard. Her vibe was way more stressed than she was showing him.

  “Okay. I’m ready when you are,” she said cheerily. “I think I might turn off my phone. My family is bugging me today.”

  “I don’t mind if you need to make phone calls. Thanks for doing this, Della. I really appreciate it,” Elliston said, pulling away from the curb and back out into traffic.

  Della shrugged. “Thanks for offering the trade. I’m still a little apprehensive about exposing you to my family next month, but I’m out of other ideas. I don’t have time to find a real date.”

  Unless you counted the guy she’d picked up just standing on the street in that skirt, Elliston thought. “How come you’re not taking the guy you were talking to back there? He seemed interested.”

  Della shrugged again, frowning over his question. “Brad’s interested in my legs.” She turned to Elliston and smiled. “My final dissertation defense is two days before my sister’s wedding. I can’t be distracted by someone like Brad when my doctorate is on the line.”

  “Right. Doctor Livingston, I presume,” Elliston answered, grinning at making a very old joke which was also the name of a Moody Blues song. What in the world had Della meant about the Brad guy being a distraction? Did that mean he wasn’t guy enough to be considered one?
He was certainly having a pretty guy reaction to her at the moment. Her incredible legs were just part of his shock. “Anyone ever tell you that you clean up nice, Dr. Livingston?”

  His stomach fluttered when Della giggled over his compliment. Wow… he was actually having trouble making conversation. It wasn’t like him to get tongue-tied, especially around someone he knew. Although looking at the woman lounging in the seat next to him, he was starting to wonder whether he’d ever really seen her before today. Maybe she wasn’t seeing him either. That was a weird thought. Was he just one of Mariah’s many clients to Della?

  Then he swerved when Della turned to him and smiled again, her feminine laughter filling up the air in his car. It had to be more than her getting a haircut. He was a smart guy. He’d eventually figure out what was different about her today.

  “I confess Mariah had to talk me into this. I figured it might be a little awkward since we sort of knew each other. You’re making this very easy for me and I appreciate that.”

  “Good,” Elliston answered hoarsely, his relief making him sag in his seat.

  Della cleared her throat. “You always look so well put together when you come to the office. I figured if I showed up with you in a dress and sandals, I’d look more like someone who might be a real girlfriend for you.”

  “You definitely get an A for effort, Dr. Livingston. You look great today.”

  Della sighed out loud at his compliment. “Thank you.” She leaned back against the comfortable leather of her seat. “Let me apologize right now for falling asleep on our drive because I can feel it’s going to happen. I had a very late night.”

  “Oh? Hot date?” Elliston asked, mentally kicking himself for baiting her so blatantly. And it was none of his business if she was dating. He wiped the mental sweat off his forehead when Della chuckled over his question.