The Risqué Contracts Series (11 page)

When the tour ended and we were back in the kitchen, I could see she was rattled. Her cheeks flushed and she avoided meeting my gaze. The little devil inside me planning her downfall right into my arms grinned.

However, I was running out of time with her and as much as I wanted to bang her over the head and drag her back to my cave, I knew that wasn’t the smartest play. I needed another option, I needed—“I’m not quite sure this is the right house, do you have any similar properties you could show me?” High five to the little devil.

Elisa’s face didn’t hide her thoughts and I saw the surprise flit across it. Maddie must have told her I was pretty set on this property. Then her eyes crinkled at the corners, pleasure peeking out. She wanted to see more of me too. Perfect, because I wasn’t going to wait long to make her mine.

***

O
ver the next few weeks, Elisa showed me several properties. At each one, I found something that wasn’t quite right, which meant another appointment. I’d even managed to sneak in a lunch with her twice. She was genuine, honest, and open; things that were rare in the women I usually met. Except when I discreetly tried to learn about her relationship status. I was pretty sure she was single, though.

I graduated from small touches to placing my hand on her lower back as I guided her through the restaurant, kissing her cheek when we parted, and toying with her incredible hair whenever possible. It was thick and perfect for wrapping around my fist, pulling it back while I fucked her from behind. Images like that had me constantly adjusting myself when we were together.

One Thursday evening, I was in the midst of one of my fantasies, involving handcuffs and all manner of treats to lick off her body, when we were disturbed by the shrill ring of her cell phone. We’d just finished touring a home, so I encouraged her to take the call. I shamelessly eavesdropped and a plan began to formulate. There went that little devil again, his crafty grin spreading wide, knowing this was the opportunity I’d been looking for.

I
knew I shouldn’t have taken my sister’s call while I was with a client, but time was tight for the favor I’d asked her for and we’d been playing phone tag for a couple days. Plus, it was Brysen. Between touring houses and business lunches, I’d come to think of him as more than just another person who might buy a house through me. I wasn’t sure how he’d managed it since I never mixed business and pleasure, but I’d reached the point where I allowed him more liberties than I let some other guys have on a first date. When he led me into a room with his hand on the small of my back, I tried to rationalize it as him being polite. Then he’d moved on to giving me a kiss on the cheek as a goodbye and I told myself he was being a gentleman. But when he started to toy with my hair on occasion? I hadn’t been able to come up with an excuse for that one yet, but I didn’t ask him to stop.

I’d lowered my guard with him and now I found myself in the mortifying position of begging my little sister to save me while he listened in. “You know I’d never ask you to skip class unless it was incredibly important, Charlotte. Please, please, please, tell me you’ll come with me this weekend.”

“And you know I’d drop almost anything to help you out, but the timing sucks hairy balls. I have a paper worth a quarter of my grade due on Tuesday in my Econ class. Skipping a couple days of class wouldn’t be a huge deal because I could tell my professors it’s a family thing and I’d even have our flight info to back it up, but the only way I’ll get this paper turned in on time is if I stayed locked up in the hotel room.”

“Crap,” I mumbled. “Which defeats the whole purpose. You wouldn’t be a good buffer between the dumbass, his Barbie doll, and me if you’re always in the room.”

“I’m so sorry, Sis. If I hadn’t put this paper off until the last minute, you know I’d be there in a heartbeat. I’d happily fly halfway around the world to give the dickless wonder a hard time.” There wasn’t the slightest hint of humor in her tone and I couldn’t help but think her idea of a hard time might have involved my ex falling off a mountain.

“It’ll be fine. Focus on getting your paper done and I’ll figure something out.” I was totally lying. I didn’t have another plan. But there wasn’t anything she could do about the situation and I didn’t want her worrying about it.

“I’m sure you will. You always do. Sorry, but I’ve gotta dash if I’m going to make it to my next class on time.” Her voice was breathless, most likely because she was literally running across campus that very second.

“Love you. Bye.” The beeping sound letting me know the call had ended was the only response. I chuckled lightly at how crazy her schedule had been since she was trying to graduate early. It wasn’t until I heard Brysen clear his throat that I remembered he was there. Double crap.

“Date fall through for this weekend?”

“Um, not exactly,” I mumbled, looking up. “It was my sister. I’d been hoping she’d come with me to a work retreat this weekend, but she can’t make it.”

The gleam in his eyes looked an awful lot like humor at my situation, but I had a funny feeling it was something entirely different. “You needed her there to run interference between you and an ex?”

I tried to figure out how to answer his question in a way that didn’t make me sound like a complete disaster. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one, so I went with the truth instead. “Yes, I called my baby sister and asked her to be my date because seeing him and the young blonde with fake boobs he replaced me with while we were still together is the last thing I want to do this weekend.”

“Fucking idiot,” he rasped. “He really is a dumbass if he had you and cheated.”

“Maybe I’m the dumbass for dating him in the first place.”

He shook his head while reaching for my hand. “He didn’t realize how lucky he was, but I’d be happy to help you demonstrate it up close and personal.”

My mind was reeling. Brysen had dated a steady stream of gorgeous women during his time in the NFL. I knew this because I’d done some internet stalking after our first appointment and was a little disappointed to see the kind of women he’d dated since there was no way I was his type. Not that I wasn’t confident in myself, but I was nothing like the models he usually had on his arm. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You get that I’m a man, right?”

My eyes swept up and down his tall frame, taking in his tousled dark hair, chocolate brown eyes, and rock hard muscles earned over years of being a professional athlete. There wasn’t a woman in the world who didn’t know Brysen Mariano was all man the minute she first laid eyes on him. “Yeah, it’s kinda hard to miss.”

“Which means I understand how guys think. It’s actually a good thing your sister couldn’t make it this weekend. You showing up with her would have been a win to a guy like that.”

It stung a little, but he was probably right. “Showing up alone is going to be even worse.”

“You aren’t going to be alone, Elisa.”

“I’m not?”

He squeezed my hand lightly. “I’m going to be your date for the weekend.”

Brysen was everything my ex wished he could be. He had the kind of money that equated to me showing him five million dollar houses for a cash purchase. Everywhere he went, women noticed him and did their best to attract his attention. And it wasn’t just because he was rich or used to be a professional football player—he was man candy material with the often photographed abs to prove it. As cliché as it sounded, he was what people were referring to when they talked about the guy all men wanted to be and women wanted to sleep with. Including me, which was why I didn’t have a choice over how I answered his offer. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

I
was prepared for Elisa’s initial rejection, and not the least bit deterred. The precarious position she was in ensured I would win this round.

“Of course this is a good idea. You want a buffer between you and the pathetic excuse for a man you call an ex. I can take that one step further. Showing up with your new, famous, rich, and adoring boyfriend will have him kicking his own ass for letting you go. As an added bonus, it will make him look pathetic to everyone else because you obviously lowered your standards to be with him.”

Elisa’s forehead wrinkled and she frowned. “It’s not like I was slumming or something,” she said defensively.

I squeezed her hand again. “Yes, baby. You were.”

She stared at me for a few moments, the frown line still visible. Then it disappeared and she shrugged. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Good. What time should I pick you up?”

“No, I meant—” she stopped and sighed. “Ten a.m. on Friday.”

Touchdown.

***

I
didn’t want to push my luck, so I’d resisted the temptation to kiss her senseless after lunch. There would be plenty of time for me to get to know every inch of her sexy body. I went through the motions of getting her address, as if I didn’t already know everything about her.

Friday morning finally arrived and my body was humming with excitement, knowing my perpetual state of arousal since I met Elisa would soon be appeased. I parked my car in the driveway of a quaint, white cottage complete with red shutters and a picket fence. I followed the flower-lined path to the red front door and rang the bell, half-expecting Mrs. Cleaver to answer.

Instead, the rush of desire that slammed into my body when I saw the sexiest snow bunny I’d ever encountered almost knocked me over. Elisa stood in front of me in a white sweater that clung to her perky tits, jeans that looked painted on, and I was sure showcased her perfect ass, and dark brown, leather riding boots. My cock swelled to epic proportions as I pictured her riding me, those tits bouncing, my hands clutching her round ass. This was going to be a very long car ride.

She smiled, almost shyly, shrugged on a white ski jacket, and then lifted her long, black hair from inside the collar. I shoved my fantasies to the back of my mind and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Hello, baby. You look incredible.” I inhaled her scent, filling my lungs with the fragrance of cherry blossoms—a smell I’d quickly become addicted to.

The apples of her cheeks became tinged with pink, but her plump lips turned down at the corners. “We aren’t there yet.”

I winked and fought a grin when her blush intensified. “Just getting into character,” I explained. I lifted her small suitcase, waited until she shut and locked the door, then placed my empty hand so low on her back, another inch and I’d be filling my palm with her ass. Guiding her out to the car, I helped her climb into her seat and leaned over to buckle her in. She gave me a confused look, but didn’t protest, and I was rewarded with another beautiful blush when my arm brushed across her tits as I pulled back and stood. After storing her bag in the back with mine, I joined her in the front of the car and got on the road.

“There’s coffee there for you,” I told her, nodding toward the center console.

“Um, thanks,” she murmured, picking up the steaming cup and taking a sip. Surprise registered on her face. “How did you know what I like?”

I glanced at her, smiling. “I pay attention, particularly to anything that touches those kissable lips.” Damn, the sweet color on her cheeks was going to be the death of me. It never failed to have my dick standing at attention. The drive to the airport took less that fifteen minutes and I parked in a private hangar at the small airstrip. When I’d informed Elisa that I would take care of our travel arrangements, she put up a little argument, but it wasn’t hard to convince her to make the trip in Maddie’s husband’s private jet. We boarded and took off for Tahoe in no time at all.

A young, male flight attendant served us drinks, then asked, “Is there anything else I can get you, Mr. Mariano?” He didn’t once glance in my direction, too busy staring at my woman’s chest. Resisting the urge to resolve the situation with a broken nose, I growled, “No, I’ll take care of her. You won’t be needed any further.”

His dopey smile drooped and he finally looked my way. A glance at my expression had him scurrying to another part of the plane, leaving us alone.

Elisa smacked my arm lightly and glared. “You didn’t have to be so rude to him, Brysen.”

I rolled my eyes, but kept my thoughts to myself. If I opened my mouth, I was sure I’d say something in Cavemanese and I didn’t want to piss her off and start our weekend on a bad note. Though Caleb was a scotch man, he’d stocked the bar with beer for me and I took a swig of the pale ale. I almost moaned. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted, though I was positive Elisa would taste better. That’s when I noticed the label marking it as a winner of the World Beer Awards. I chuckled at Caleb’s need to always have the best, but that didn’t stop me from texting my housekeeper to order some.

To my surprise, Elisa had ordered a beer too, not wine or champagne. That was fucking hot as hell. Her expression of delight while drinking it had me doubling my order. I hoped to be the one putting that look on her face for the rest of our lives, but I still enjoyed seeing it now.

I unbuckled and turned toward her in my seat. It was time to get down to business. “We need to get to know one another.”

Elisa nodded. “Okay. Tell me about your injury.”

I was used to this question, but it didn’t make it any easier to talk about. Although, telling Elisa the story seemed less uncomfortable. “The short version is I was taken down during a pass and landed wrong. The landing was bad enough by itself, but the other player came right down on top of my shoulder. I tore both ligaments in my AC joint. It took two surgeries and eight weeks of physical therapy for the doctor to tell me it wasn’t likely I would ever regain full motion. I could hope for the best and continue to play, but I knew I’d be playing backup for the rest of my contract. I’d had a true movie moment where the quarterback’s very last throw of his career wins the game. I decided to let the team buy out my contract and end on a high note.”

I had Elisa’s full attention. I loved that she was so openly interested in my life and her eyes hadn’t glazed over at the talk of football. A while back, I’d discovered she’d been raised as a New York Giants fan. Elisa was gorgeous, laid back, a beer drinker, and I could teach her all about football. So, I decided those things outweighed her choice of team. However, we’d need to correct the fault before long. Our kids would be Jets fans; I had no wiggle room on that issue.