Touch me if you dare: Alpha Billionaire Romance (The Secret Matchmaker Book 2)

Touch me if you dare

The Secret Matchmaker Series Book 2

L.N. Pearl

Copyright © 2015 by L.N. Pearl. All rights reserved worldwide.

No part of this publication may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form without the prior written consent of the author/publisher or the terms relayed to you herein.

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

***

Book description:

He was supposed to be a one night stand and out of my life.

Instead, Asher is now my client. This man is dangerous, in the most sensual and masculine way possible.

I’m on a slippery slope, but I can’t help it. I can’t resist the growing attraction between us. The way he looks at me makes me weak in the knees. The way he touches me makes me melt. I feel so beautiful in his arms. So desirable.

He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man.

And it’s my job to find him the right one. His perfect wife.

Note
: this is the second book out of five in the series. Contains explicit language for a mature audience only.

1 - Lila

2 - Asher

3 - Lila

4 - Asher

5 - Lila

6 - Asher

7 - Lila

8 - Asher

Asher's request shocked me into silence as I sat in his car. We were supposed to be discussing my matchmaking abilities and whether I would be able to help him find a wife. The fact that we had accidentally bumped into each other the night before at the club and had incredible, mind-blowing sex was beyond the point.

His voice played through my head.
"Long hot nights of fabulous sex when I want them. Anytime I want them. Slow passionate hours in the shower and you on your knees under my desk when I need to let off some steam."

He wanted more. Obviously. Damn... so did I.

I forced an ugly expression onto my face, trying hard to appear more appalled by his request than I actually was. The tingles in the center of my stomach wouldn't be discovered by him anytime soon. Sex led to feelings and feelings led to love. Not interested.

He was too dangerous, with his sandy blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. A man with the body of a god and a cock befitting a large animal was not at all what I needed in my life right now. Or ever.

Why can't you just keep it casual? Just do it and enjoy yourself.

"No comment?" He smirked and let his foot off the brake, jerking us forward through the stop light that had shifted to yellow. The angry sound of car horns behind us were lost on me as I struggled to breathe normally while keeping my composure.

"You're looking for a wife, Mr. Harrington." I was going to try reasoning with the handsome billionaire. That seemed appropriate, since I was more than willing to take him up on his offer and had no morals of my own.

"It's Asher, Lila. Don't push me into a box and label me as a client. You and I had an incredible night last night. I know I wasn't the only one left wanting more." He glanced over at me and I turned to look out the passenger side window as my nipples reacted, hardening painfully.

"It was great," I mumbled and tried to figure out how the hell I was going to get out of my current dilemma. My mind tried, but my hormones kicked every possibility I came up with just beyond my reach.

"It was well beyond great, but maybe it was just me." His voice softened a little and I glanced back over at him.

"Ok, it was incredible. The best I've ever had." I shrugged. No denying the truth. He knew how to please a woman and he was generous with his efforts.

"So. You'll do it?" He glanced toward me before reaching over and taking my hand.

I followed his movements and waited for the worry of losing him someday to stab at me. It didn't. Maybe I was maturing a little.

"Just sex?"

"Yes, and the occasional event. Nothing more than two new friends going out to schmooze the world." He chuckled and wrapped his strong fingers around mine, resting our hands on his thigh. "You'll have to work with me on finding a wife and I'll be working with you on finding a great location, but other than those things... just really hot sex, and a lot of it."

I stifled a groan and sucked my lip into my mouth as my body grew wet in all the right places. It would be ignorant to turn down the opportunity to have someone so successful and business-minded help me build my dreams on solid ground.

"Alright." I tugged my hand from his and pulled the mirror down in front of me, checking my lips. "I'm in, but I have rules."

"Lay ‘em on me." He turned the corner and pulled up in front of my building.

"Not now," I said, unbuckling my seat belt. "I'll see you at your office in the morning. I need to assess you in your natural environments, in order to come to a better understanding of what you like and what you don't. My rules are irrelevant for now."

"Sounds reasonable.” His smirk tugged at something inside of me.

“Explain to me again how this arrangement is okay for you. As I said moments ago and you casually ignored, you're looking for a wife. Men looking for a wife aren’t usually playing the field."

I stiffened as he moved across the car toward me. His fingers brushed by my cheek and I couldn't help but lean in as he tugged at the back of my head gently.

"Looking implies that I've not found her yet." He kissed me softly, the smell of peppermint strong on his breath.

"But things will get complicated if we're not careful. No one is immune to the emotions that accompany sex, Asher." I slid my fingers along the side of his neck and pulled him in for a longer kiss, wanting to taste the minty freshness for myself.

We groaned in tandem as his pressed his tongue deep into my mouth and held me tightly in place. The kiss was hard and so good that I couldn't help but pant a little as he broke it.

"Damn, I want you. Come with me now and let's not let this fire between us go out. My bed is big and made just for long afternoons." He smiled and licked at his thick bottom lip.

"I can't today, but soon. I'll see you in the morning. You start thinking of what you want in a woman. Make me a list, and spare me the bullshit answers I'm sure you gave Gisele. I need the nitty gritty if we're really going to find her." I smiled, unable to help myself. He made me feel beautiful and a little naughty, all in the same moment.

"Right. You work on putting the skeleton of a business plan together. I need to understand your target market, your business model and where you've looked so far." He reached over and squeezed my thigh as I opened the door and moved to get out.

"Okay. I've done most of that, but I'll spend my evening working out the details while moaning your name." I let my eyes flutter closed and gave my best ecstasy face before letting out a short laugh and getting out of the car.

"You wicked bitch." He laughed, and I closed the door, walking slowly to the door with my head held high.

I could do this. I could play the game and use the man until I turned him over to his keeper for life.

"For life?" I grumbled and smiled at the handsome guy who opened the door for me. The sound of Asher's voice gave me pause, and I stopped in the doorway to turn to look back at him.

"Lila... no panties tomorrow. Okay? I don't like roadblocks." He winked and rolled up his window.

"Right..." I glanced toward the poor guy who stood with his hand pressed to the door, and I gave him a shrug. "No panties. Sounds like—um…"

I couldn't finish the thought. There was no way to dig myself out of the embarrassing hole I stood in.

"...fun?" The guy laughed and turned down the first hall we came to as I slipped into the elevator and banged my head against the wall behind me.

What the fuck have you agreed to?

***

"There you are." Jessie was waiting for me at the entrance to my office when I returned, her eyebrow raised and a smile on her lips. "Was that the new client Gisele was talking about?"

"Asher Harrington?" I asked, and moved past her to walk into my small, but quaint office.

"Yeah. He's like big shit, Lila. Haven't you seen him on CNN or Fox News? The man has more money than God." She laughed and sat down in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

Her red hair was a hot mess, which was nothing new. Small copper curls poked out of various parts of her ponytail, but I let her be for the moment. No one was scheduled to come in for the afternoon, which meant my heels were soon to be off and her hair could remain wild.

"I know nothing of the man. I need to learn a few things I suppose, but I'm scheduled to go over to his office in the morning." I shrugged and moved my computer mouse around a little.

"Well, just be careful. I hear he's a huge playboy." She laughed, sliding her hands on the sleek finish of my desk.

I was struggling with whether to tell her about the arrangement or not, but there wasn't really any question to it. She was my best friend, hell, my only friend, really. I got up and walked to my door, closing it and turning to face her as I let out a long sigh.

"Alright. Truth time." I walked back to my desk and flopped down in my chair. "Asher is the guy from the club last night."

"What? No! The one you… in the car?"

"Yes." Heat had risen up my neck and worked its way to my cheeks. "He swears he didn't know I worked here, and that this is just some insanely fucked up coincidence."

"Oh my God." Jessie pressed her hands to her mouth and shook her head, loosening a few more curls. "You can't make this shit up, right?"

"Exactly. It's beyond messed up, and honestly, you haven't heard the rest of it." I reached up and pulled the clip from my hair, allowing my long chestnut locks to spill down over my shoulders.

"Oh, please tell me it gets better." She giggled, and I thought about chunking the hair clip at her.

"Not sure better is the right word, but it gets... something." I shook my head. "He wants me to be available to him sexually until
we
find his perfect match."

Her smile faded and she dropped her hands. "Lila. That's not cool. You're not a warm body for hire. That's... disturbing."

"And hot, unfortunately." There was no reason to display any sort of shock. I was over it already and locked into an agreement with the hottest man I'd met in years, or maybe ever. Yes, it was bad, but oh was it ever a really good bad.

"Yeah, I guess it is. It's so freaking naughty, though." Her cheeks colored and I chuckled.

"He was the best sex I've ever had. Sleeping with him in exchange for him helping me with the Spa is perfect. Odd and unconventional, sure, but when have you known me to take the road most traveled?" My phone buzzed and I ignored it.

"You're crazy. This is wild and uncouth."

"Don't be a hater." I laughed.

"Hater? No hate here, but I am completely jealous." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "However... as your best friend I am totally obligated to remind you that you need to be careful. Asher is rich, good looking and obviously a firecracker in bed. You play with fire, you get burned."

“I know, mess with the bull, you get the horn, and all.” We looked at each other and erupted in a fit of giggles. But she was right. She was always right.

"Look Jess, I know. It's going to be hard to keep my feelings in check, but I think I can do it. I'm confident that I can keep it just about the sex and nothing else. James ripped my heart from my chest. I'll never let anyone close enough to hurt like that again. Ever."

"I believe you, but I don't know... I have a bad feeling about this." Jessie brushed her fingers over her lips as her worried hazel-colored eyes watched me with intensity.

"I'll keep you in the loop and I promise I'll be smart about this. He wanted my number last night at the club and I refused. I got out of the car, walked back into the club and waited until he was safely gone, then got a cab home. He wanted me to come spend the night with him and I refused him that, too." I smiled, quite proud of myself all of the sudden.

"Yeah, but if your part of the deal is to find him his perfect match, how are you going to feel comfortable doing that, when he's obviously not at all serious about marriage? We're about compatibility and commitment here. The last part is the biggie in this case. Clearly, he is not committed to finding his future wife."

"Judge not and be not judged. I can't speak for his actions, Jess. He's single for now and what he does with his life is his to deal with. I can only do what I'm comfortable doing."

"And you're comfortable doing this? Trading sex for business advice?"

"Jealousy is an ugly color on you."

She laughed and stood up. "Don't you let him take advantage of you, Lila. I'll have to kill him if he hurts you."

"Thanks, but don't worry. If he starts to, I'll just return the favor."

"By taking advantage of him or breaking his heart?"

"Both."