Authors: Debby Conrad
She lifted one foot and then the other, allowing him to unbuckle the straps and remove her shoes. Her legs were shapely and silky smooth, and her ankles and feet were dainty with just a hint of freckles scattered about.
“Why are you being so nice?” she asked, looking at him skeptically.
His brows shot up. “Just because I’m the black sheep of the family doesn’t mean I can’t be nice once in
a while. Just ask Travis and Livvy.” He cracked a smile. “
They
love me.”
“They love me better,” she shot back, her smile fading into a frown. “They only love you one week out of each year, Montero. The rest of the time you’re history.”
“Jealous, are we?”
“Hardly,” she said with a wave of a hand that nearly had her toppling off the bed.
Gabe’s own hand snaked out to steady her.
Her eyes grew huge. “Oh, my, that was close. Thank God, Gabe Montero was in my bedroom to help me in my hour of need.” She giggled, slapping her bare thigh, as if she’d just made the funniest comment ever. Her khaki skirt rode high on her legs, but she didn’t seem to notice, or care.
Trying to get into the spirit of things, he asked teasingly, “Do you want me to dig through your piles of lingerie to see if I can come up with something slinky for you to sleep in?”
“Very funny,” she said. “But I’d hate to disappoint you. I’m not exactly the sexy lingerie type.”
Gabe’s gaze darted to a black lacy thing near the foot of the bed. “You could have fooled me. Or does your boyfriend wear this when he stays over?” With deft fingers, he scooped it up and held it in front of her. It was a very skimpy teddy, and he tried to visualize the way it would hug her breasts and skim the highest parts of her thighs. He fantasized about all the hundreds of freckles that would be exposed, too.
Swell, he thought, running his gaze over her petite body. He was going to have a hell of a time falling asleep tonight. He’d be too busy thinking about a certain freckled minx.
Face flushed, she reached forward, snagged the teddy from him and shoved it behind a pillow. “I don’t have a boyfriend, and you know it.”
“Now, how would I know that? You and I barely converse, let alone share secrets.” He lowered himself to the bottom of her bed, sinking his weight into the balled-up chambray comforter. “Oh, that’s right, I
do
know a secret about you. You’ve never experienced the . . . What did you call it?
The big O
?”
He grinned, seeing her bloom with even more color. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” He wouldn’t mind putting a dreamy smile on her face and watching her while she climaxed, knowing that he was the one responsible.
Christ, what was he thinking? He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a noisy breath.
“For your information, I only wear black, lacy lingerie when I’m writing.” She tossed her chin up a notch. “I have a hard time with my love scenes, and I need all the help I can get.”
“Interesting.” He had to admit that he’d found her love scenes a little lacking. Maybe he could offer her a few pointers.
“It makes me feel sexy, so I can get inside my heroine’s head. It’s hard to write about two people making love unless you’re in the mood, so to speak. Or unless you have a lot of experience in that area.”
“Yes, well--”
“Want to know another secret?” she asked with a goofy grin on her sexy mouth.
“Sure.” What the hell?
“I’ve been thinking about asking you to have an affair with me.”
“Whoa!” Gabe raised both hands in front of him as he got to his feet. “What did you say?”
“You heard me. I said . . .” She stopped suddenly and brought a hand to her mouth and giggled again. “Oh, God, did I actually say that?”
“Yes. You certainly did.”
“Well, now that I’ve blurted most of it out, I may as well tell you the rest.”
Gabe wasn’t so sure he wanted to hear the rest, yet he felt powerless to stop her. Okay, so he was curious. So what? He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets, giving her his complete attention.
“As you already know,” she said, shrugging, “I’ve never had an orgasm. And I’m in the market for a man who can help me with that. Maybe you know of someone?”
Shaking his head briskly back and forth, he said, “No, I don’t.” The air conditioning must not be working, he thought, feeling himself growing uncomfortably warm. Jesus, he was talking to Sara’s little sister about orgasms.
Earlier, when he’d brought up the subject, he’d only been teasing her. He’d never in a million years expected her to expand on it.
Pulling his hands free and dropping them to his sides, he said, “Look, maybe I should go so you can get some sleep.”
“But, wait! Aren’t you the least bit interested in helping me?”
“No!”
“I should have known.” Her bottom lip puffed out and she sniffed.
“You don’t care about me and my problems. Sara was right. You’re self-centered.”
Please tell me those aren’t real tears.
Gabe hated it when women cried. “Of course, I care.”
She smiled suddenly, all signs of tears gone. “Then you’ll help me?”
Uh, oh. “Help you how?” he asked with skepticism. “If you mean finding a man to jump your bones, then hell, no, I’m not going to help you!”
“Why not?”
“Because . . . Because it’s . . . a dumb ass idea, and it’s . . . crazy. That’s why.”
“That’s what Sara said. Well, she didn’t say
dumb ass
, of course. Sara would never swear. But she did say it was crazy.”
“Well, she’s right.”
“She’s always right, and I hate it!” Jane repositioned herself against the pillows, her skirt hiking even farther up her legs. So far up, in fact, he caught a glimpse of her white panties.
Jesus.
“My sister said I was too nice a girl to jump into bed with a stranger, and even though I hate to admit it, she’s probably right. But when she mentioned you, I thought--”
“This was Sara’s idea?”
he asked, startled. “She thinks you and I should . . .” For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Well, maybe I’ve confused you. You weren’t exactly Sara’s pick. She said she wouldn’t wish you on any female.”
“Well, that certainly makes me feel a hell of a lot better.”
Jane brought a hand to her mouth, a guilty expression crossing her face. “Whoops. Maybe I didn’t say that quite right. Let me explain. I told Sara I wanted a man with a bad-boy image, someone with a sinister look. And you were the only one we could think of.”
Gabe shook his head, snorting. “Jane,” he started, but she interrupted.
“Sara said you’re the love ‘em and leave ‘em type. But that doesn’t bother me any. In fact, that’s exactly the type of man I’m looking for. Someone who will show me what I’ve been missing, so to speak, and then when his duty’s done, he’s free to leave.”
“I see. So, you’re just looking to have a quick . . . affair? Strictly to satisfy your sexual needs? And you’re not interested in any permanent attachments?”
She smiled. “Exactly! Of course, my sister thinks my lover should be ambitious, too. But, hey, a girl can’t have everything. So, now that I’ve explained it all, are you interested in helping me?”
“No!”
“But--”
“Look, I really appreciate all those wonderful compliments, but I need to get going.” Gabe turned his back on her and headed for the bedroom door.
“Wait! Did I mention you have a nice butt? That was high on my list of qualifications.”
Spinning around, he pinned her with a look. “I’m not interested in having an affair with you, okay? So, you can stop with all the flattery.”
“Okay,” she said, looking and sounding defeated. “But what am I supposed to do now?”
Go see a shrink, maybe?
“How the hell should I know?”
“This is so embarrassing, and it’s not fair. I’ve spilled my guts, and now you won’t even help me. I’m at an unfair disadvantage. The least you could do is be honorable about this.”
She had to be kidding. “Trust me, I’m being as honorable as I’ve ever been in my life.”
“Well, what if you were me? What would you do?”
“I’d buy a vibrator.”
“They don’t work.” Her eyes grew huge with alarm. “Not that I’ve ever tried one.”
“No, of course not.”
She released a long breath. “What if it’s just me? What if I’m defective?”
“You’re
not
defective. It’s just that these things take practice sometimes. You’ve had practice, haven’t you? I mean, you’re not a virgin, are you?”
“No,” she said, laughing. “And I’ve had plenty of practice, too.”
Sure you have, he thought.
“So, how will I ever know for sure if I’m defective or not, unless I follow through with my plan?”
Gabe didn’t know how much more of this talk he could take. The fly on his jeans had grown uncomfortably tight. “Did you ever hear the phrase ‘Good things come to those who wait’?”
“I’m twenty-eight! How long do you want me to wait? Till I’m old and wrinkled?”
He supposed she had a point, but he didn’t budge.
“Did I mention that I was willing to pay you? How does one hundred dollars sound?”
That did it! He crossed the room in two strides and loomed over her. “What the hell is your problem?”
Her head shifted backward a few inches. “All right, I get the hint. You’re not attracted to me. But I have a feeling you’re the perfect man for the job. Couldn’t we just do it with the lights out? That way, you wouldn’t even have to look at me? Unless you wanted to,” she added.
Gabe couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jane Callahan was begging him to have an affair with her, had offered to pay him, in fact. Moving to the bottom of the bed, he dropped down beside her feet. He placed his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands for a moment before looking at her again.
“Jane,” he said, raising his head and meeting her gaze. “It’s not that I’m not attracted to you. You’re . . .” He waved a hand along the length of her.
“What?” she asked, her expression curious.
“You’re . . . a very sexy woman,” he said, truthfully. “But we’re practically related.”
“We’re not related.”
“Okay, then.” He needed another excuse. “Alex and Sara would probably castrate me if I laid so much as a finger on you. And then they’d probably forbid me to see Travis and Livvy ever again.”
“I promise not to tell them,” she said, leaning toward him and folding her legs beneath her. “It’ll be our little secret.”
Gabe’s gaze dropped to her lap where the khaki material had practically disappeared, leaving only silky bare legs in its wake. He looked skyward.
Give me strength.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t . . . help you.”
Her expression changed quickly. “Fine. I’ll just have to get someone else.”
An angry lump formed in his throat, surprising him. Why should he care who she slept with? She didn’t mean anything to him. He forced himself to nod. “Good,” he said, knowing he didn’t mean it, but refusing to back down. “Get someone else. I have to go.”
“I understand,” she told him, leaning back against the pillows. She shrugged. “It probably would have been a disaster anyway.”
Gabe nodded. “Probably.” Then, puzzled, he narrowed his eyes and asked, “How so?”
She smiled and flushed again. “What I mean is, just because you’re every woman’s sexual fantasy . . . well, not
every
woman’s,” she corrected, “doesn’t necessarily mean you can put a smile on their faces. Right?”
“Right,” he agreed, then changed his mind. “Wait a minute. Was that a trick question?”
Laughing softly, she waved a hand. “Let’s just forget that I mentioned any of this.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“I
am
curious about one thing, though.”
He was almost afraid to ask. “What’s that?”
She smoothed her hair from her face. “Are you very good at it?”
“At what?”
“You know . . . putting smiles on women’s faces.”
Gabe couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s just say I’ve made more than a few women smile. Now, I really have to be going.”
“Before you go, could you do me just one little favor?”
“Sure,” he reluctantly agreed.
Smiling shyly, her green eyes flickered with excitement. “I know you don’t want to sleep with me, but could you kiss me, at least? I promise not to rip your clothes off or anything.”
His heart pounded an erratic rhythm as he studied her. He was strangely flattered by her interest, even though he knew he’d made the right decision not to get involved sexually with her. But now she only wanted a kiss. One kiss couldn’t hurt anything. “I’d be happy to kiss you.”
He heard her swallow as he closed the distance between them. Until his face was just inches away from hers.
And then their lips touched.