Body Image (Body Heat Series Book 2)

by Madeline Parr

  “Not even a little bit. Everything was perfect.”

  I lie there awkwardly for a moment. The enormity of what I’ve done starts to wash over me and I feel a hint of panic. “Do you want to be alone? Or can I stay here for a little while with you?”

  “You’re having regrets already? Can’t we bask in the afterglow for a while?” She turns to look at me, and her clear eyes stare intently into my own. I don’t answer her. “I want you to stay the night. But if that’s not something you do, you’re free to leave at any time. You won’t be breaking my heart if you skip out, so don’t worry.” But I do worry. She’s playing tough, but I’m not buying it. Still, I need time to plan my exit strategy. There’s no way I’m getting more entangled with my former charge. Image is everything in this town, and a young socialite on my arm is not what I need. This is the most dangerous exfiltration of my career. But she doesn’t need to know that.

  “I want to stay here.” I wrap an arm around her and pull her back against my chest.

  “I’m not a fool, Bayne. You don’t want to stay here, but you need time to figure out how to get yourself out of this mess with minimal damage, right?” I feel my body tense up next to hers. “It’s okay. I’m going to use the time to figure out how to get you to stay.”

  I plant a kiss on her slender shoulder. “I admire your determination, but that might be tougher than you think. I’ve gotten used to being alone.”

  “I thought maybe it had been a while, based on your enthusiasm before. How long has it been?” She runs her hand over my forearm and it relaxes me.

  “A few years now.”

  “There’s no reason a handsome beast of a man like you would have trouble attracting a woman, so I’m guessing you’re the one who made that decision.”

  “It’s been a challenging few years. Leaving the service was an adjustment. I had some family stuff I had to take care of. Then I started security work in the private sector and threw myself into it. I wanted to learn the ropes as fast as I could. Lots of overtime, covering shifts for anyone who wanted it. When I got comfortable with the basics, I opened up my own shop.”

  “And I’m guessing your business occupies most of your extra time these days.” She rolls over so that we’re facing each other, and rests her head on my bicep.

  “You’re right on the money, beautiful. I’ve always given everything 100 percent, but it’s totally different now that I work for myself. It’s my reputation on the line. My employees depend on me to keep things running and bring in the money. I spend most of my time working, but I love what I do. It never feels like a burden.”

  “I completely understand.”

  “You do?”

  “Of course. Shopping and lunching every day can get really exhausting.” She pauses, and I realize she’s teasing me again. “That’s what you were thinking, isn’t it? That I’m just some silly rich girl you used to babysit?”

  “Guilty as charged.” I lean in and kiss her forehead. “So tell me, what do you do these days?”

  “I’m the events coordinator at the Rothschild Natural History Museum.”

  “You’re a party planner?” It’s perfect. Just the sort of thing I imagined little miss socialite would be doing.

  She slaps my chest in mock anger. “I’m not a party planner!”

  “Well, pardon me. What sort of things do you do?”

  “I set up events when we open new exhibits. I run all of our fundraising efforts and promote our collections by arranging for guest lecturers or visiting speakers.”

  I nod as she speaks and she looks at me very seriously. Then she smacks her forehead with the palm of her hand and erupts into giggles.

  “And now that I say that out loud I realize I’m basically a party planner.”

  “Right?” I say. “At least you’re a very upscale and refined one, from the sound of it.”

  “Oh, yeah. I’m a party planner for the rich. Thanks for making me feel better. I really turned the tables on all the expectations you had of me.”

  “I don’t know. You could be a fashion designer or nightclub promoter.” I circle her perfect areola with my fingertip as I talk. “Those would both be worse.”

  “Did you pay attention to me at all back then? All those classes I went to on history, paleontology, and archeology?” She props herself up on one elbow and looks down at me with amused disbelief.

  “I guess not. But it’s nice to see that $100,000 education didn’t go to waste.” I reach over to trace her other nipple, but she pulls away from me.

  “It was more like $200,000. Tell me, why do you make everything about money?”

  “I don’t make everything about money. I just think about it more than you do because I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I knew the only way I was going to college was if I could score a scholarship. So I walked the straight and narrow and busted my ass to get good grades. Getting into West Point and being the first person in my family to go to college was a life-changing experience for me.”

  She snuggles against me and nuzzles my neck with her nose. “I know you expect me to say something glib like ‘but that’s a character-building experience,’ but I’m sorry you had to worry so much and work so hard.” She lays the palm of her hand against my chest and settles her head on my shoulder. “I know I was lucky. I was handed experiences and opportunities other people would kill for. But that’s what my parents wanted. You wouldn’t expect me to turn it down, would you?”

  She’s got me there. It’s not her fault her family has money. “No, I wouldn’t.” I run my hand over her thigh, and she squirms against me. “What other stuff do you do at the museum?”

  “I actually have a nice variety of work. I try to arrange special exhibits whenever I can to draw extra traffic in. I plan fundraising benefits, rentals, tours, and handle management of the store.”

  “Do you enjoy it?”

  “I love it. I get to work with different people, and the work changes all the time, so I never get bored. It’s a great entry-level position, and I’m more than willing to work my way up.”

  “What does a career path look like there?”

  “I’d love to get into a more science-based position, where I could use more of what I learned in school. They have quite a few curators and researchers on staff. Something like that would be my dream job.” Her excitement is visible as she talks: her eyes light up and she grows more animated with every new thought. “I have a friend who works on some really cool research and curates an exhibit or two on the side. She’s mentoring me.”

  She smiles at me. “Sorry to drone on. I just get excited when I talk about it.”

  I lean in and kiss her forehead. “I can see that. You’re so beautiful when you get all passionate about something. I’m sure you’ll be a big success.” I pull her close and wrap my arms tightly around her as I whisper against her neck. “You’re smart and determined. That’s all you really need to succeed.” I slide my hands down to her hips and rub my rapidly hardening cock against her. She grinds back against me with a naughty little chuckle.

  “You forgot to mention how beautiful and sexy I am.” She licks my nipple, and I moan.

  “I didn’t mention it because there aren’t words to describe how beautiful and sexy you are.”

  “I guess you’ll just have to show me, then.” She throws a leg over my hip, and I feel the wet warmth of her sweet pussy against my erection. I sink home in one deep thrust.

  There’s no way this can turn into anything, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it while it lasts. Because I do enjoy being with her, more than I’m willing to admit to myself.

  “He hasn’t called yet?” Miriam finishes off her Diet Coke and tosses the can in the recycling. She stares at me through tortoiseshell cat-eye shaped glasses that complement her copper hair perfectly. “Texted? Anything?”

  “Total radio silence. It’s been three days and I haven’t heard anything. It’s like he dropped off the face of the earth.” I take a bite
of my sandwich and try to hide my disappointment. Miri’s pretty much my best, and only, friend at work; we hit it off right away. Most of the curators are men over 50, so there’s not really anyone in her department to hang out with. She pounced on me right after I was hired and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

  “What a bastard.” She shakes her head. “You can do better. If you want to. Personally, I have a hard time believing men are worth the trouble.”

  “If you knew how much fun we had the other night, you’d know he’s worth the trouble.” I can’t stop thinking about the delicious things we did together. I’m a little afraid of how desperate I am to do them again. But only with him.

  “I’ve never seen you blush before,” Miri teases as the heat rises up my cheeks. “You really must have had one hell of a night.”

  “What can I say? I was rather deprived in my teens and early twenties. I have a lot of lost time to make up for.” We rise from the table in the staff break room, throw out our garbage, and refill our water bottles before heading down the hallway to our offices.

  “Are you doing anything exciting this afternoon?” I ask.

  “I am. We just received the items on loan from the Smithsonian for the prehistoric giant snake exhibit. I have to go to the storage area and start inspecting and documenting everything. I’ll be knee deep in photos and condition reports for days.”

  I lean against the wall to adjust the ankle strap on my heels. “That reminds me. I was thinking we should do a special members-only preview of the exhibit. It could really jump start our fundraising efforts this season. Scoring that exhibit was such a coup; we need to capitalize on it.”

  Miri furrows her brow and rests her hand against her jaw. “That’s good. Maybe we could stretch it out over a few weeks to find a way to keep the money trickling in.”

  “Maybe a lecture series?” I flip open my planner and start frantically scribbling notes as I talk. “I could arrange for weekly speakers to present? Experts on prehistoric creatures would appeal to everyone.”

  “Perfect. I’ll go through my contacts and see if I have anyone I can send your way.” She grabs a notebook off her desk and then heads for the elevator. “Stay out of trouble this afternoon. And let me know if you hear from Mr. Sexy.“

  “Will do.” I wave and step into my office, closing the door behind me. There’s so much to do this afternoon. I have to call the caterers for the benefit next Tuesday and get the final menu. I need to contact the volunteers for event staffing, and confirm our order with the rental vendor for décor and furnishings. I need to start brainstorming ways to bring in new donors. There aren’t enough hours in the day.

  That doesn’t stop me from taking a moment to stare out the window and daydream about Bayne. And wonder where I went wrong. Can he really not bear to talk to me again? Was being with me that horrible? I set my phone on my desk top and stare at it, willing it to ring. I check the call history and my text messages to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

  Get a hold of yourself. I turn to my laptop and start searching for experts who specialize in prehistoric creatures. I start close to home, with local college professors, researchers, or authors who are within driving distance. It’s way cheaper when I don’t have to fly them out to us and pay for overnight accommodations. I know from experience that most will waive their speaking fees if it’s for a good cause. The more money we save, the more money we net.

  “Why won’t you call me?” I slap the top of my desk in frustration. I have a million things to do, but I can’t stop looking at my phone. It sits there and taunts me with its cold dark screen. I don’t know who I’m more upset with. I was a fool for expecting too much. But he’s a fool for trying so little. If he’d only ask, I’d give him everything he could ever dream of. A partner. A friend. A lover. A true equal.

  My office phone rings, and it startles me out of my reverie. I lift the receiver to my ear.

  “Hey, Caroline. This is Mark from Heartland Catering. We have to talk about your menu. I know you wanted to go with the duck breast entrée, but we’re having supplier issues, and we need an alternative.”

  “Of course, Mark. Not a big deal. Let’s get something figured out.” I hang up ten minutes later and feel like I’ve accomplished something for the first time today. One crisis averted. If only I could do the same with my personal life.

  The rest of the afternoon is equally productive. I put out feelers to my contacts in the industry regarding a rumor I’ve heard about a new traveling exhibit out of Egypt that I want to score for our patrons. I brainstorm ideas for our new membership drive and identify new market segments to target with our fundraising efforts.

  I take a breather and get a cup of hot tea. I check my phone again, knowing he won’t have called but unable to stop myself from hoping. I’m staring at the screen with drooping shoulders and a heavy heart when I hear the knock on my door. Miri pops her head inside.

  “I sure hope you haven’t been starting at that phone for the past three hours.” Her smile is so kind that I burst into tears. I’m embarrassed and a little horrified. I’ve never imagined myself as the type to cry over a man. Especially at work.

  Miri steps inside, closes the door behind her, and is by my side in a moment. She wraps me in a warm hug and pats me on the back. “It’s okay,” she says. “Let it all out and then we’ll work on a battle plan.”

  I dry my tears. “A battle plan?” It comes out as a croak. She grabs a chair and moves it closer to my desk.

  “Yes! Maybe I’m totally misreading the situation, but I’m getting the feeling you’re pretty crazy about this guy.” She settles into the office chair and rests her interlaced fingers on my desk. She looks like an admiral preparing to go to battle.

  “It’s a little humiliating to admit, but it’s true. I’ve lost my mind over someone I was with for 12 hours.” I feel the tears well up, but I blink them back.

  “So, we need a plan to get him back. Where did you run into him the other night?”

  “We were at a club downtown.” I’ve only know her for a few months. I’m not ready to spill all the juicy details of my membership at Body Heat.

  “Do you think there’s a chance he’ll be there again?”

  “Sure. He handles security for the club.” I grab a tissue from the box and dab at my nose.

  “Well, we just need to get you back in there,” she says.

  “That’s the problem. The club is a little . . . different. He wasn’t happy to see me there the other night, so I promised I’d never come back if he took me home.”

  “Now that’s the girl I need to talk to right now. The one who had a plan to get the man she wanted, come hell or high water.” She playfully bumps my arm with her elbow. “You let me talk to that girl and I bet you won’t be sleeping alone tonight.”

  I laugh in spite of myself. “I suppose I could go back there. After all, he said he would call me and never did. So it’s not like I’d be the only one breaking a promise.”

  She raises her hand for a high five and I comply. “There’s a reason they say all is fair in love and war. All bets are off when it comes to matters of the heart. If that lug-head can’t see that you’re perfect together, you need to lay it out for him until he realizes it, too.”

  My tears have dried. I sit up straight in my chair and toss my hair back over my shoulders. “Miri, as always, you’re completely right.” I stand and grab my phone and handbag. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get ready for the club tonight.”

  “Darling, you could stop traffic in that dress.” Nova takes my hands and kisses me on each cheek when I enter Body Heat. The silver dress I’m rocking has a plunging neckline and sequins for days. There’s no way he’ll miss me in this number.

  “I better. It took me long enough to get ready.”

  “Time well spent. You look spectacular.”

  “Well, I’m here on a mission. And I’m taking no prisoners.” I lead the way to the bar. I need a cocktail in my hands po
sthaste.

  “You need liquid courage? I always thought you were fearless. Bayne really got under your skin, didn’t he? I never would have guessed.”

  “He told you about us?”

  “Of course not, my dear. He would never kiss and tell. But I saw the two of you together the other night. I haven’t seen sparks like that since last Fourth of July.” I take a deep sip of my martini as she talks. “He isn’t here yet, but Nash is in the gallery,” Nova pauses for a sip of her wine and then continues. “You should go watch. I’ll make sure to let Bayne know you’re here when he arrives.” She gives me a playful wink and walks away.

  I head for the gallery with a spring in my step. Nova had told me all about Nash, and I’m curious. What kind of man shows up to a sex club to give women orgasms without taking anything for himself?

  I can tell which room he is in from the small crowd gathering. I sidle up to the floor-to-ceiling window so I can get an eyeful. A gasp escapes from my lips when I take in the scene before me.

  A striking man is sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. He’s removed his suit coat and tie, but he’s still wearing the rest of his clothes. His white shirt sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscled forearms the size of tree trunks. The collar of his shirt is unbuttoned as well, and I see thick ropes of muscle at his neck. He sits there, holding a small black control box, with his eyes trained on the woman across the room from him.

  He’s beautiful, but she’s the one who made me gasp. Because she’s in the throes of the most spectacular orgasm I’ve ever seen. She’s kneeling on the floor, tied to the saddle-shaped leather box between her legs. She’s struggling to raise herself off it, pulling against her restraints, but she can’t get free.

  “What is she sitting on?” I ask the woman next to me.

  “A Sybian,” she says. I must look as confused as I feel because she continues, explaining it to me. “There’s a motor in the leather box. It powers a rod that extends through the top of the saddle. You can put all different kinds of attachments on it. Gives you the most intense orgasms ever. I can barely take one. She’s on number seven by my count. And it’s only been half an hour.” She motions to the woman in the room, a raven-haired beauty who’s squirming on the seat as sweat courses down her amazing curves. Her body shivers and jerks, and her eyes roll back into her head.