Alexander stood outside the historic brick building that was home to the law firm of Perkins & Wallace and thought about the woman he knew worked there. The drama of the past few weeks hadn't done much to erase the image of the black-haired beauty that haunted his dreams. Nisha's short stay at his home had warranted nothing to make him feel this way. She was argumentative and combative during the small window of time he'd spent with her.

The only time he saw a softer side of her was when she offered to make him dinner. A dinner he couldn't think about without gagging. She couldn't sing. She couldn't cook. And she cross-examined him the entire time they were together. And yet, there was something about her that he couldn't let go of. And she wasn't just any woman, he'd reminded himself. She was Anthony Bear's sister. He wasn't here to woo her. He was here to confirm in his own mind that she was a shrew who didn't deserve to be running around in his brain, her huge dark eyes haunting his nights.

He walked up the steps to the prestigious firm and asked to see her. The receptionist took in his appearance, and her eyes widened. He couldn't tell if it was fear or admiration.

After telling Nisha over the intercom about the gentleman who was in the lobby to see her, there was a short pause on the other end. "Ma'am?" the receptionist finally said into the intercom.

"Send him back," came Nisha's curt reply.

After walking down a short hall, and up a flight of stairs, Alexander found Nisha standing in her office doorway, her arms crossed. "I know this isn't about my brother. If there was a problem, you'd have called, not made a personal trip."

"I'm only here for today. I came to take you to dinner," he said, as she stood aside and waved him into her office.

Shutting the door behind him she returned to the other side of her desk and leaned over it. Resting her palms on the edge of her desk, she feigned interest in a piece of paper that was lying on her blotter. She looked up at him and said, "What are you doing in Philadelphia?"

“I had business in Pittsburgh and decided to make a side trip to take you to dinner.”

“You flew to Philly to take me to eat?” she asked, her voice full of skepticism.

“No. I didn’t fly. I drove,” came his reply.

“You drove five hours to see me?” she asked incredulously.

He nodded in response.

She glanced down at her desk and looked back at him quickly. “You should’ve called first. I’m busy tonight.”

He held back a smile. "Cancel it."

She stood up straight and crossed her arms. "No. I'm not going to cancel my plans because you happen to be in town for one day. Why don't you stay longer and I'll have dinner with you tomorrow night?" she asked.

"Because I didn't pack a bag. I took care of business in Pittsburgh first thing this morning and drove here. I made a reservation out of Philadelphia for tonight. I'm on a 2:30 a.m. flight home. What time should I pick you up?"

"I'm not having dinner with you tonight!" She would never tell him that she already had a date. A date with a man that she found attractive. A man whose company she'd enjoyed on their first and only date two weeks ago. Nicholas Weems was a smart, responsible and extremely successful senior partner in another law firm. She'd had to cancel on him twice, and her instincts told her three strikes and she'd be out—she’d likely never hear from Nicholas again.

"You have to. I drove here just to take you to dinner." He gave her a level look. Not a pleading look. Not an apologetic look. His expression was one of authority. He was a man who wasn't used to taking no for an answer.

He reminded her of Anthony.

"Why in the world would you drive all this way just to take me out?” She huffed out a breath like she'd been reprimanding an errant child and was losing patience. "And what if you'd gotten here and I was out of town?"

"When you stayed at my place and made me dinner I told you I owed you one. And if I got here and you weren't here, I would've asked where you were, and I would've booked another flight and found you."

She rolled her eyes. "Gee, you take your oaths seriously. A bit over the top if you want my opinion."

He obviously didn't want her opinion because he just stared at her.

His eyes could be unnerving, but she refused to look away. Since Alexander had no intention of taking no for an answer, her mind did some mental gymnastics while she tried to figure out a way to cancel with Nicholas and remain in his good graces. Then she reminded herself that she was an attorney and was certain that the right amount of smooth talking combined with some sensual prodding would work. She knew that Nicholas was attracted to her. She would ask him out next time, and if he refused, she would try Alexander's tactic. Bullying.

"Fine," she finally said. "Pick me up at six o’clock."

“Six thirty,” he countered as he opened the door to leave, chuckling to himself when he heard her gasp.

Alexander spent the next few hours walking the streets of Philadelphia and visiting some shops. He spent a long time perusing one in particular. It was a store that specialized in every kind of knife known to man. It didn't matter if you were a chef or a hunter. They had a knife for every profession and every occasion. He eventually settled on a sleek switchblade that was calling his name. After making his purchase, he noticed the time. He had fifteen minutes to get back to the offices of Perkins & Wallace.

Nisha hadn't been able to speak to Nicholas, so she'd left a message with his assistant telling him she was very sorry, but that something important had come up. He still hadn't returned her call by the time 6:30 p.m. rolled around. She was outside, walking down the steps when she looked up.

Alexander was already there, leaned up against his rental car across the street. Even from a distance, she could feel his piercing blue eyes as they raked over her body. She couldn't deny the way his stare made her feel. She shivered despite the warm balmy weather.

They drove in silence to a restaurant he'd picked out during his mini-tour of Philly. She agreed with his choice. It was a casual place, off the beaten path, that catered to all types of clientele. It was an old house that had been converted to a restaurant in the thirties. After entering what used to be the home's stately front door, the patrons could go to the left where there was a bar and laid-back seating area, or the right where there was a more formal dining room. But not so formal that Alexander's jeans and dress shirt would seem out of place.

They were shown to a table, and after giving their drink orders, they perused the menu. The waiter returned with their beverages and a basket of warm bread. After writing down their selections, he retrieved the menus and told them the wait wouldn't be long.

"Why so quiet on the drive over?" Alexander asked. He took a sip of his drink and set it down.

"I don't know. I guess I'm trying to figure you out." Nisha shook her head. "I can't understand why you would come all this way to take me for a meal.” There was a pause, and her eyes narrowed. "Unless that's a lie. You're here for something else, and I'm filling in some empty space because you have time to kill." Although it was never discussed, she wasn't naïve about Anthony's other business. She secretly hoped that Alexander knew her brother from the landscape office, but her gut told her otherwise. Alexander wasn't the type to ride a mower or wear gardening gloves. She'd known it from the moment she met him, but didn't want to recognize it.

"I'm here for you. Only you." His words and the way he said them caused her insides to tingle. She immediately dialed back her reaction and feelings. "But?" There was a long pause before she asked, "Why?"

He wasn't going to answer her question, so he changed the subject.

"Did you know Anthony is serious about someone?" he blurted out. Of all the subjects to try and divert her questions, why had he chosen this one? "But you can't tell him you know. He doesn't know I'm here and you know how private your brother is. When he's ready, he'll tell you about her."

That was one point Nisha wouldn't argue about. Alexander was right about Anthony being private. It wouldn't bode well for Alexander if she gave him up. Her eyes went wide as she leaned across the table.

"You're lying." She paused. "Tell me everything," she said with a devious grin.

He couldn't help but smile at her contradictory statements, and he proceeded to fill her in on everything except for the things she couldn't know. He told her it was the girl Anthony brought home that day and that her brother had fallen hard and was now referring to her as his woman.

"Wow," Nisha exclaimed, leaning back and reaching for her drink. "Falling hard doesn't sound like my brother, but calling her his woman this soon does. I don't need to tell you how territorial Anthony is and after he's made his mind up about something it's a done deal. The minute he decided he loved her, there would be no going back for him."

The pager on Alexander's belt interrupted the moment. He reached for it and squinted, not sure if he was seeing it correctly. It was displaying a number that meant there was an emergency at the camp. He couldn't do anything about it from Philadelphia, but he still needed to make a call to see what was going on.

"I have to answer this," he told Nisha.

She nodded and said, "I know there's a pay phone on the second floor by the restrooms."

"I won't be long," he said as he stood up and pushed his chair back in.