“While you’re doing that, I need to get some towels,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
By the time she returned, the order was placed. She turned his chair around, lowered the back part, and started shampooing his hair so she could cut it wet. Her nails lightly scratching against his scalp felt amazing . . . and the view he had looking up at her wasn’t bad, either. She was wearing a formfitting black T-shirt with the wording Beautiful You stamped across her breasts, and as she leaned over him from the side, they came precariously close to brushing against the side of his cheek.
If he could have turned his head, he would have . . . because then he’d be positioned perfectly to bury his face in her full, generous tits. Unfortunately, all he could do was ogle them, and she must have felt his heated stare because her nipples tightened against the cotton fabric of her shirt.
She quickly finished rinsing his hair, towel dried the strands, then sat him back up. When she lowered the top of the cabinet, he could see her standing behind him in the mirror’s reflection. The adorable flush on her skin and the way she was biting her lower lip told him she was trying to ignore the way her body had just reacted to him.
She combed through his wet hair and met his gaze in the mirror, hers apologetic. “I’m really sorry about what happened when you stopped by the shop earlier.”
He knew exactly what she was referring to. “Did I do or say something to make all those women uncomfortable?” he asked, because he still had no idea why they’d reacted so strangely when he’d walked into the salon.
“Not you, specifically,” she said, using her shears to cut a good inch off of the ends of his hair. “I’m pretty sure they would have reacted that way to any man who walked in, because for one thing, men aren’t allowed at the Beautiful You program, and for another, all those women you saw here today are survivors of domestic violence.”
“Shit.” He couldn’t contain his shock. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea . . .”
“Of course you didn’t know,” she rushed to assure him. “I’m pretty sure when they saw you walk in, their first thought was that you were an abusive boyfriend or husband looking for one of the women in the salon. They were staring at you because they were nervous.”
Jesus, now it all made sense. The immediate hush, the wary looks, and why Evie had alleviated the tension in the place by letting all those ladies know that he was a friend of hers. That he wasn’t a threat to any of them. He couldn’t imagine what any of those women had gone through in their personal lives, but clearly Evie was trying to do something nice for them.
“Tell me about this Beautiful You program,” he asked, genuinely interested.
“It’s my pet project and baby,” she said, her voice filled with pride. “The program is something I started about a year ago. I wanted to find a way to give back to the community, and I had a new client come in who worked at the local women’s shelter. By the time I was done with her hair, after hearing all the horrors of what those women went through, I knew I wanted to do something special for them, which led to creating the Beautiful You program.”
He watched more of his hair fall to the floor as she continued lifting the strands with a comb and snipping. “How does the program work?”
“Like I told you earlier today, it’s the last Monday of the month. So during that month, I’m in contact with the women’s shelter to set up appointments for whoever they feel needs a day of pampering, and Scarlett and Jessica and I make sure we accept new women every month to spread the love, so to speak.” She smiled as she talked and trimmed around his ears and neck, clearly able to multitask. “We don’t charge for any of the services, and everyone leaves with a gift bag filled with beauty products, because most of them don’t have much at all. My goal when I first started the program was to make sure that every woman who came into our shop on the Beautiful You day walked out feeling confident and beautiful and knowing that they deserve to be treated like a queen.”
He was truly in awe of her selfless, altruistic nature, as well as how passionate she was about the cause. “That’s really incredible.”
“I really do love doing it every month because it’s so rewarding.” Done with the cutting part of his hair, she set her comb and scissors aside and reached into a cupboard for a blow-dryer. “The program has been so successful that it caught the attention of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, and I found out last month that I’ve been nominated for this year’s Humanitarian Award. They’ll be presenting me with the award in a few weeks, but what I’m so grateful for is that it puts a spotlight on the issue of domestic violence.”
“The award is well deserved,” he said, meaning it.
“Thanks,” she murmured, a bit shy with compliments.
She turned on the blow-dryer, which made conversation difficult. Five minutes later, she shut it off and he had a great haircut in a fashionably mussed style.
“Looks great,” he said as she took off the cape and shook it out. “Thank you.”
She smiled at him. “You’re welcome.”
He got up from the chair, and she picked up a nearby broom and started sweeping up the hair she’d cut. “What do I owe you?” He reached toward his back pocket for his wallet.
She shook her head. “It’s no charge.”
“Evie, you’ve spent the entire day cutting people’s hair without getting paid. Let me at least pay for mine.”
She gave him a direct look. “I’m not taking your money,” she insisted as she swept the pile of hair into a dustpan and dumped it into the trash. “Consider it part of me hiring you for next weekend, and speaking of which, we need to discuss your fee.”
A loud knock sounded on the glass door, an interruption that Eric was grateful for because he didn’t intend to let her pay him a dime for doing something he wanted to do. “Ahhh, dinner’s here,” he said, and walked to the door with her following.
“This conversation isn’t over,” she said firmly.
He grinned at her. “It is for now, because we’re both starving, and getting food in our stomachs is a priority.”
“Fair enough,” she replied agreeably, clearly favoring pizza over monetary talk.
Since Eric had paid for their dinner and tipped the delivery guy through the app, he accepted the medium-sized pizza box and the extra item he’d also ordered, and Evie relocked the door, then led the way back to the storage room, where there was an area set up with a table and chairs for employee breaks, he assumed.
She grabbed two bottles of water from a small refrigerator. “What’s in the bag?” she asked curiously as she joined him at the table.
“Dessert.”
Her eyes lit up with delight, and he loved that she was so unabashed about enjoying sweets. “What kind of dessert?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.” He set the treat aside and opened the pizza box, and they both inhaled the savory scent of pepperoni, mushrooms, and red sauce and tons of cheese.
They both dug in, using the paper plates and napkins the delivery driver had included. Her first bite in and she was moaning, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy.
He raised a brow in amusement, even while his dirty mind wondered if she’d make those same sounds and that same look during sex. “That good, huh?”
“Oh my God. I’m in heaven,” she admitted, and smiled impishly at him when she realized how euphoric she’d just been. “It tastes even better because I’m absolutely famished.”
Between the two of them, they finished the pizza in no time at all.
Evie wiped her fingers on a napkin, took a drink of her water, then eagerly eyed the sack he’d put aside. “I’m ready for whatever is in that bag.”
He chuckled as he closed the lid on the box. “You’re so impatient. Are you one of those people who’d eat dessert first if they could?”
She grinned. “Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I have to say, the guys I’ve dated have never bought me dessert just for the heck of it, so thank you.”
“You’re welcom
e.” And those other men were idiots. If a little chocolate made a woman happy, then why not indulge her?
After opening the bag, he withdrew a see-through plastic container and set it on top of the closed pizza box between them. She laughed, her eyes sparkling with pure pleasure at seeing the half-dozen brownies he’d bought from the pizza place’s dessert menu.
“You are so bad,” she said with a shake of her head, even as she reached for one of the treats. “First my favorite pizza, now brownies.”
He picked up one of the squares, too, watching as she took a bite of hers and licked away a crumb from the corner of her mouth. “It’s all part of my plan to seduce you,” he said, winking at her.
Her gaze met his, and there was no mistaking the glimmer of desire in her pretty blue eyes. “It might be working,” she replied boldly.
He stared right back at her, making sure she knew he definitely wanted the same thing. “I fucking hope so,” he said, his tone low and husky with a hunger that had nothing to do with the dessert and was directly related to her.
The moment between them teemed with promises and expectations, and when she absently scraped her teeth along her bottom lip, it took every ounce of control Eric possessed not to taste that generous mouth for himself. Oh, he certainly intended to, and soon . . . after she enjoyed her brownie.
She finally continued to eat her treat. “These are really good,” she said, the casual comment doing nothing to cut through the thick sexual tension between them.
He ate one of them, and she had two. When they were done, he closed the lid and pushed them toward her. “Take them home so you can enjoy them later.”
“Thank you.” She leaned back in her chair, her expression turning serious. “We still have something important to discuss,” she reminded him.
He relaxed in his seat, too, knowing what that conversation was. “My fee for the weekend?”
She nodded. “Yes. I’d like to get that out of the way before we leave on Friday.”
He seriously debated telling her the whole truth, about how he’d been set up on the Boyfriend Experience app by a friend and had been dared to accept her request. That’s truly how it all started, and he’d had no intention of actually agreeing to be her boyfriend. But then he’d met her, and between the attraction and her story about her asshole ex and just genuinely liking her, Eric let the misunderstanding slide.
And now, taking monetary payment from her felt wrong, not that he’d ever considered it. However, coming clean at this point had its drawbacks, as well—most notably the possibility that she’d conclude that she’d misread the whole situation and think he was a dickhead for misleading her. He didn’t want her to think he’d agreed to be her fake boyfriend because he felt sorry for her when that was the furthest thing from the truth. This woman in front of him had so much pride, and no way did he want to do anything to damage that self-esteem.
The way Eric saw the situation, he was giving her the boyfriend treatment, which was exactly what she wanted, and in return, he was going to enjoy playing the part, so what was the harm?
“That much, huh?” she asked with a disappointed sigh.
Her soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts, making him realize he’d spent way too much time in his head trying to rationalize his actions, to the point that he had no idea how she’d come to any conclusion about his payment.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
A small smile touched the corner of her mouth. “It’s taking you forever to answer, so I’m assuming your fee for the weekend is pretty astronomical.”
She sounded completely bummed, and he decided to go forward with his idea, which would really benefit them both. Was it risky? Hell yeah, but nothing ventured was nothing gained. “Actually, my fee is pretty reasonable. I want payment for the weekend in kisses.”
She narrowed her gaze in confusion. “Excuse me?”
He allowed a sinful smile to hitch up the corners of his mouth. “I want to kiss you, Evie . . . anytime I want.”
She looked taken aback and a little wary. “Is that how you collect payment from all your clients?”
It was a fair enough question, and he understood her concern. “You’re my first client, sweetheart. The app just started beta testing, remember? So, no, I’ve never traded in a fee for unlimited amounts of kissing.”
Her face flushed, just enough to tell him she was tempted . . . but still skeptical, especially after being duped by her ex. “Why kisses over money?”
Because he didn’t need the goddamn money, and because he was dying to get his mouth on hers. It was that simple. Also, he instinctively knew that one kiss with Evie Bennett wouldn’t even come close to being enough, so that extra anytime I want clause covered the entire weekend.
“Why not kisses over money?” he countered. “Shouldn’t I be able to choose the form of payment? Unless kissing me is not what you want?”
She swallowed hard. “I think I want it too much,” she admitted, her voice a soft, vulnerable whisper between them.
“Then we’re definitely on the same page,” he said, making sure she knew how much he wanted her, as well. “Me wanting to kiss you shouldn’t come as a surprise, Evie. I already told you it was going to happen. This just gives me permission to do so anytime I want. Do we have a deal?”
Her breathing deepened as she considered his offer, but the anticipation in her eyes told him she was one hundred percent on board with the idea. “Yes, we have a deal.”
Satisfied with her answer, he scooted his chair back to make room for her and wasted no time collecting the debt. “Come here, Evie,” he cajoled seductively as he held out his hand to her. “I’d like my down payment now, please.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Evie was certainly surprised that Eric had waived his Boyfriend Experience fee for unlimited kisses, but after his persuasive argument, she’d concluded that it was his prerogative to ask for whatever payment he deemed worth his time. Wanting to kiss her meant he was attracted to her, and the thought made her body hum with pleasure. And truthfully, who was she to complain when she’d already decided during their conversation last night that if the opportunity to kiss Eric presented itself, she wasn’t going to turn him down?
Her stomach was already fluttering with excitement as she stood up and rounded the table to him. She placed her hand in his bigger, warmer one, and he drew her closer. She expected him to position her across his lap . . . but instead he guided her in front of where he was sitting. He looked up at her, meeting her gaze as he let go of her hand. His sexy smile stole her breath as he ran his palms up over the curve of her hips until his fingers gripped her waist.
“Straddle my thighs, Evie,” he said, a gentle but firm order as he deliberately nudged her legs apart with his knees.
With her heart galloping wildly in her chest, she followed his order and settled herself so she was sitting astride his lap, her thighs spread to accommodate his hips and her hands braced on his shoulders. They were face-to-face, and the heat in his eyes started a slow, melting sensation inside her.
He skimmed his palms lower, until they were cupping her ass, his fingers splayed wide. “I want you closer,” he murmured, and effortlessly guided her up the few inches separating them, until her breasts brushed against his chest and she could feel the solid ridge of flesh beneath his slacks notched right up against the inner seam of her jeans. Her clit pulsed shamelessly at the teasing pressure.
The position was so intimate and so damn arousing that she couldn’t hold back the pleasurable gasp that escaped her.
He smirked knowingly. “You good?”
She managed a jerky nod, trying not to grind herself against him like a brazen hussy. “Yeah . . . very good.”
“It’s about to get a whole lot better.” He framed her face in his hands, gently but firmly, while his thumb swept across her damp bottom lip. “I’m going to make you forget all about your idiot ex,” he promised as he brought her slowly, inexorably, toward the temptation that
beckoned.
He’d already been doing just that, but she shivered, her nipples puckering hard and tight as he deliberately drew out the anticipation of their first kiss. She stared into the rich depths of his eyes, then let her gaze drop to his full, inviting lips. Their faces were so close she could see the hint of stubble on his jaw, could feel his warm breath caress her cheek. The wanting increasing inside her made her shift restlessly on his lap.
Frustrated noises rumbled up from her throat and she slid her hands down to his chest, gathering the fabric of his shirt in her fists. “Eric . . . I’m seduced,” she told him, admitting what he’d so easily managed. “Kiss me already.”
“Not completely seduced,” he said huskily, running his tongue along her lower lip and sucking the soft, tender flesh into his mouth until she moaned. “But you will be by the time we’re done. Hang on, Evie. This is going to be one helluva wild ride.”
His mouth finally took hers, stealing her breath and senses at the same time. He slid past her parted lips, and she welcomed him eagerly, their tongues tangling erotically. His fingers slid deeper into her hair, gripping the strands and tilting her head to the side to slant his lips more completely over hers. He tasted like the best kind of sin, along with a hint of something more dangerously addictive. It was exhilarating and a bit frightening, considering she had no business letting any kind of long-term craving form with this man.
But the truth couldn’t be ignored . . . with just a kiss, she wanted more. Needed more . . . like his mouth in intimate places, his fingers touching and stroking and appeasing the ache throbbing at the crux of her thighs. And the undeniable erection making itself known between them . . . the thought of him burying his cock to the hilt inside her caused Evie to whimper against his lips.
Desire, hot and molten, spiraled down to her core, and the unexpected intensity of it made her head spin. So much passion, so quickly, defied reason because no man had ever turned her on this fast or set her body on fire with just a kiss. And the knowledge that he was equally aroused because of her was exhilarating.
The Boyfriend Experience Page 7