To Win Her Trust

by Mackenzie Crowne

  He forgot all about his intention to walk away. “Maybe you should tell me exactly what it is you’re proposing, because I’m not following you. What do you mean you don’t plan to sleep with me?”

  “No offense, but if I ever do decide to sleep with a man, I won’t choose the type of man who disappears before the sheets have even cooled.”

  As insults went, her barb hit its mark. So he’d slept with a lot of women. Big deal. The type of woman he spent time with understood the arrangement was temporary going in. Unfortunately, being a virgin—he fought a shudder—Little Miss Sunshine wasn’t his typical type. She wouldn’t understand the finer points of dating in the new millennium. “Is that so?”

  She sighed. “I’m being honest. If Ronald had been agreeable, I’d be having this same conversation with him. I realize most men expect some physical contact with the women they date. I expect kissing and maybe some petting, but the relationship I’m after will be platonic.”

  He cocked a brow. “Sorry, sunshine, but the kissing and petting you mentioned disqualifies what you’re describing as a truly platonic relationship.”

  She cleared her throat. “Fine, semi-platonic. My point is, I don’t need to sleep with you, or any man, to test my theory.”

  He shook his head. Dating wasn’t the only place she lacked experience. She didn’t have a clue when it came to what men expected in even the briefest of relationships.

  She shrugged, obviously taking his head shake as a final refusal. “If you can’t or won’t help me, it’s no skin off my nose. There are millions of men in the city. Even if half of them are gay, I shouldn’t have trouble finding someone else.”

  Why her casual dismissal should anger him, when he’d already dismissed the idea himself, he refused to consider. He had no business involving himself with a woman who didn’t understand how the game was played. Nothing but trouble in that, but when she spun toward the door, he snagged her arm before she took two steps and dragged her to a stop.

  “Hold on a second.” He frowned. What the hell was he doing? He should get while the getting was good, but damn it, she didn’t understand the kind of trouble she was courting, laying out her proposition to the wrong kind of man. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to help you.”

  She arched a brow. “That’s how it sounded to me.”

  “Let me get this straight. You expect some kissing?”

  She nodded. “Necessary to test the theory.”

  “And petting?”

  One shoulder rose in a dismissive shrug. “I’m curious. Sue me.”

  “No need for that. Curious is good. What if I insist on a practical demonstration, just to be sure I know what I’m getting into, before I agree?”

  She cocked her head. Challenge sparkled in her eyes as she repeated his tease from earlier. “Can you give me a minute to think about it?”

  Shit. Though his mind screamed mistake, his libido was currently running the show. Permission to kiss the shit out of her with immunity? He couldn’t wait to get started. The laughter in her eyes said she expected a smile, but he couldn’t quite manage one at the moment. “I can make you swallow those words.”

  She hummed deep in her throat and damned if she didn’t tug on a tiger’s tail. “Prove it.”

  He didn’t hesitate, spinning her around by the arm. Wrapping her in his arms, he pulled her close enough to delight his body with the press of her soft curves against his hard angles. He dropped his head, swooping down to take a big taste of what he’d wanted from the moment he first laid eyes on her.

  He demanded entrance, pressing his tongue along the seam of her lips until she complied. She opened her mouth. He plunged deep and retreated, only to plunge again. Honey and vanilla, sweet as the day was long, her flavor exploded over him. Her breathing hitched, became uneven, and he didn’t care.

  No consideration was given for her inexperience or innocence. Frustration drove him as fire licked at his body. This woman had somehow claimed a place in his mind no other woman had occupied. Until he discovered the reason her scent and taste and image wouldn’t leave him alone, he had no choice but to go along with her screwy proposition. She’d made a tactical error, however, admitting to a curiosity at the physical consequences of her theory. Those consequences would no doubt burn them both. Little Miss Sunshine didn’t have the first inkling of how powerful carnal desire could be, but she was about to learn, because he’d be damned if he’d suffer alone.

  With one arm, he clamped her closer and gave her a sampling of that petting she’d mentioned. His free hand found the bounty of breasts that had haunted his dreams. Full and firm, the tight bud of a nipple stabbed his palm through the thin layers of her bra and T-shirt. The blood fled his head in a frenzied race to his hardening cock and left him lightheaded.

  She pressed closer, swelling his erection in a painful rush. The innocent roll of her hips both eased and enflamed him at once. The tentative swirl of her tongue over his brought forth an agonized groan. Damn. She might not know what she was doing, but she was a quick study.

  He bent her backward over his forearm. The move arched her body into his from knees to chest. Her answering moan seeped through his crazed mind, and he straightened slowly, bringing her up with him. With a final nibble of that sexy, full lower lip, he broke the kiss and lifted his head.

  She hung in his arms, a honey-dipped doll. Tousled, butterscotch curls framed the pale oval of her face. A soft slash of pink kissed the perfection of her cheekbones below the fringe of dark blond lashes resting against her smooth skin. Her chest rose and fell with her labored breaths. When her lashes fluttered open, languid passion, deep and true, darkened her eyes until they glistened like emeralds.

  Shit. He was in trouble, and whether she knew it or not, so was she. The limitations she’d placed on her proposition were the unschooled demands of an inexperienced woman attempting to maintain control over a situation she wasn’t completely comfortable handling. If the need in her eyes was any indication, Little Miss Sunshine was doomed.

  His chest bellowed like a thoroughbred after a trip around an oval track, making his voice husky and low. “Still need a second to think?”

  “About what?”

  Despite the fire raging in his gut, he chuckled. Although he wanted nothing more than to taste her again, he settled for a touch. Fingering a golden curl, he tucked the cool silk behind her ear. “Right answer. Any more stipulations I need to know about?”

  She dropped her forehead to his chest. When she straightened a moment later, he let her go, and she stepped back.

  Residual heat softened her eyes. “Can I get back to you on that? I can’t seem to recall any at the moment.”

  He fought a grin and crossed his arms to keep from reaching for her again. He might be making the biggest mistake of his life, but her candid honesty charmed him almost as much as her honey sweet body. “You’ve got yourself a deal, sunshine, if you agree to my conditions.”

  Some of the languidness cooled in her eyes. “You have conditions?”

  He nodded.

  “How many?”

  He held up three fingers.

  “What’s number one?”

  “Three dates won’t do. I leave for Syracuse and training camp in three weeks. Give me until then or no deal.”

  Several heartbeats passed before she nodded. “What’s the second?”

  “I decide what we do on these dates.”

  She shook her head. “I’m serious about overcoming the attacks, Tuck. That won’t happen if I don’t push myself. To do that, the dates need to be in public places.”

  “Oh, I can guarantee you’ll be pushed.” He planned to do plenty of pushing. She wasn’t the only one with a theory to test. “We’ll deal with your fear of crowds, but from the sound of things, you don’t have a lot of experience just having fun. Stick with me.” He tapped a fingertip to her nose. “I’ll give you three weeks you’ll never forget.”

  He smiled when she swallowed. Hard.

  �
�And three?”

  “I’ve agreed to your demands. I expect you to agree to mine. Unlike you, I know the pleasure a man and woman can find together when the attraction is mutual, and don’t bother trying to claim that isn’t the case here. You practically melted in my arms.”

  She lifted her chin.

  He grinned and held up a hand. “I’d never force a woman, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do my damndest to get you into my bed.” He wasn’t sure which of them was more surprised by his warning. A virgin. Damn, what was he thinking? The inner cautioning didn’t stop him from jumping in with both feet. “Knowing that up front, if you insist on finding yourself a test stud, I’m your man.”

  Chapter 7

  Crossing the street beside Tuck, CC stifled a groan. A man, a test stud, was the last thing she wanted, especially an irresistibly sexy flirt like Tuck. She scrunched her nose in a cringe. Okay, that was a big fat lie. She definitely wanted. Holy crap, did she ever. New to the experience, she nonetheless recognized the irresistible pull plucking at her girly nerve endings like teasing fingers for what it was. Longing. Hot, hungry and…completely unacceptable.

  Who knew a firm pair of lips and a satiny tongue could cause a woman’s normally logical thinking to misfire? By the time they’d finished brokering their deal, she’d been panting worse than Walter after a run.

  Three weeks. Good Lord. His timeline coincided perfectly with her birthday promise, but she couldn’t believe she’d agreed to spend the next three weeks with Kevin Tucker. Agreed? Ha! She’d practically baited him into agreeing, even after he’d warned he didn’t plan to follow her rules. Had she lost her mind? Of course she had, but who could blame her when just the thought of kissing him again made her go all mushy and hot with anticipation?

  A surreptitious glance to her side caught him watching her. Eyes full of teasing humor, he winked. The devil. She tore her gaze away. What was it about the guy? It wasn’t as if he were movie star handsome. His male appeal had definite rough edges, but the slight imperfections didn’t seem to matter compared to the twinkling humor found more often than not in his cobalt blue eyes. Gifted with more charm than any one man should be allowed, his type had brought about the downfall of women far more experienced than her. What chance did she have against all that grinning magnetism?

  God, what was wrong with her? Hadn’t she witnessed her mother’s pain and misery, thanks to her father’s womanizing? She should be immune to Tuck’s dark and mysterious allure. Yet, here she was, fighting a giddy, consuming excitement every bit as powerful as the trepidation clawing at her mind like desperate fingers. Which only proved what she’d suspected all her life. Men like Tuck were sensual demons, devilishly smooth dealers in the powerful drug of unadulterated lust.

  Perhaps she was suffering from a case of massive rationalization, but still… She had less than three weeks to fulfill her birthday promise, and freedom from her neuroses far outweighed the potential risk of falling under Tuck’s spell. She’d made her deal with the devil and would stick to their bargain, but she had no intention of ending up like her mother by following through on the tempting promises of unspeakable pleasures in his enthralling eyes.

  The trick was to keep her eye on the prize, which should be as easy as pie, considering how often reminders of Tuck’s gigolo status came up. For crying out loud, in the three blocks from her condo to the park where Walter’s lessons would be held, she’d spied six women shooting Tuck blatantly inviting smiles.

  Six! Not that she was counting.

  She shuffled to a stop as he paused at the top of a small rise overlooking the grassy lawn. At the bottom of the hill, a half dozen dogs and their owners formed a half circle. Among the group were five women and one man, along with a German shepherd, a boxer, two beagles, a sleek greyhound, and a white furball of an unrecognizable breed. Walter fidgeted at her side, anxious to join the pack.

  The Barbie doll brunette holding the greyhound’s leash turned and spotted Tuck. She lifted her hand and greeted him with a fingertip wave and a syrupy sweet smile.

  Make that seven.

  Tuck waved back and CC pressed her lips together. What the hell? Was he about to introduce her to one of his cast-off lovers? The possibility made her jittery with the need to announce an addendum to her rules. An exclusivity clause was in order. No way in hell would she be spending the next twenty-one days with Tuck and his exes. Unfortunately, having that discussion would have to wait. The park was full of strangers, six of whom were currently watching them with marked interest.

  She bit back a snarky comment, sucked in a nervous breath, and sliced a condemning glance his way. “Friend of yours?”

  The flirt didn’t even have the grace to look uncomfortable. “Not exactly.”

  “Not exactly? As in just someone you’ve seen naked?”

  He met her gaze and smirked. “Hey, what can I say? We gigolos have a reputation to maintain.”

  Ha! Keeping her eye on the prize was going to be a breeze.

  His smirk slid into a sensual smile. “Jealous?”

  “Not on your life.”

  He chuckled and tugged on her hand, leading her down the hill. “As it happens, I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Bridgette naked. She’s the class instructor. We’ve never met.”

  CC rolled her lips flat into an embarrassed line. Guilt might have sunk its claws deep if not for the predatory gleam in the tall instructor’s eyes latched onto Tuck as they approached.

  “Hey, aren’t you Tuck?” The lone male in the group, a barrel-chested man in jeans and a T-shirt, spoke before they’d come to a stop.

  Tuck smiled congenially. “That’s me.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” The big man performed an odd dance in his attempt to stay clear of the fluffy white dog running in nervous circles around his feet. A pink bow flopped in her top knot. He finally scooped the animal up, patting her head as he cradled her in his thick arms. He grinned in Walter’s direction. “Now that’s a dog. Never thought I’d ever be walking a Cockapoo, but the wife…well.” He shrugged his wide shoulders and shot Tuck a what’s-a-guy-to-do smile. “Women.”

  Bridgette opened her mouth, but before she could speak, one of the other class attendees, a forty-something blonde, carrying a few extra pounds, graced Tuck with a dimpled smile. Excitement twinkled in her blue eyes. “Wow. You’re in our class?”

  “Actually—”

  “My husband is never going to believe this.” The blonde rested a hand on the boxer’s head. “He’s your biggest fan.”

  Tuck grinned. “That’s nice to hear.”

  “Fan?” A petite Asian woman held a phone in one hand and the German Shepherd’s leash in the other.

  Poodle guy answered her question. “Tuck plays for the Marauders.”

  A bland expression settled on the woman’s brow.

  “The Manhattan Marauders. They won the Super Bowl earlier this year.”

  “Oh. Football.” She pointed the phone at Tuck and snapped a picture.

  The last two attendees, stunningly sleek, redheaded twins, moved closer with their matching beagles to join the conversation. “Hi, Tuck. Remember us? We met at a players’ meet and greet last year.”

  CC rotated her head slowly to shoot him a raised brow.

  A grimacing smile crooked his lips. He looked away, cocking his head to glance between the twins. “Lilly and Lorna, right?”

  The twin on the right pouted. “Linda and Lara.”

  He cleared his throat. “How could I have forgotten?”

  Poodle guy cupped a hand over his mouth to cover his smile.

  CC snorted disdainfully. How could he forget? More like how could he remember a mere two out of the thousands of woman he’d obviously seen naked?

  The smile Bridgette offered Tuck was more than a few degrees cooler than the one she’d worn only moments ago. “We’re honored you’ve joined us today, Mr. Tucker, but only dog owners are allowed to join in the class.” She tossed her head toward a row of benches sever
al dozen yards away. “If you wouldn’t mind watching your”—she lifted a brow at CC—“lady friend and Walter, is it, from there?”

  All eyes turned CC’s way. Heat bloomed in her cheeks, and a tightening band around her chest threatened to steal her breath. Oh, crud. This was a bad idea.

  Tuck slipped his fingers around her upper arm before she could spin around and run. His puckered brow indicated he noted her blooming distress. He dipped his head, bringing his lips to hers to speak quietly. “Breathe, sunshine. I’ll be close by if you need me.”

  The breath he suggested sawed raggedly from her compressing lungs as he brushed his lips over hers in a gentle kiss. He straightened, eyeing her intently. Despite the deepening heat of her cheeks at his public display, she clung to the confident encouragement in his deep blue orbs.

  If she needed him? She couldn’t allow that to happen, ever, but if she was going to cave at the first sign of trouble, she might as well call a halt to her test right now and admit defeat. Not going to happen.

  She nodded and dragged in a calming breath. He smiled and winked, then turned to wander off to the line of benches. She cast her gaze about. Several pairs of feminine eyes followed his departure, and she straightened her spine. She’d be demanding that exclusivity clause the moment class ended.

  Chapter 8

  “He did it again.”

  On the machine next to CC’s, Kris turned her head. “Who did what?”

  CC’s feet thudded a quick pace on the treadmill’s rolling belt. She shot her cousin a guilty grimace. “Tuck. He kissed me and killed a panic attack about to strike.”

  “What? When was this?” Kris jammed a fingertip to her control panel. The belt slowed to a stop. Eyes wide, she stared. “You sneaky dog. Why didn’t you tell me you saw him again?”

  “I thought I just did.” Which was the reason she’d agreed to meet Kris at the busy private gym instead of working out at the much quieter Y around the corner from their condo. Since Walter’s lesson in the park, CC had been swamped with doubts, and her cousin was the only person she could talk to about her arrangement with Tuck.