The Naughty Nine: Where Danger and Passion Collide

by Nina Bruhns

  He tried the key she’d left behind at the scene of her crime and, to his amazement, it worked. More and more he was feeling as if Paulo was right and it had all been simply a harmless prank. As he entered the large living room and quickly closed the door behind him, he was struck by how quiet the room seemed even though it faced a relatively busy street. That was the thing about the apartments in London, they were built like fortresses and no outside street noise entered those hallowed rooms.

  He rolled his bag in next to the door, placed his computer case next to it and proceeded to check out the elegantly decorated room. From the looks of the white sofa, the dark hardwood tables, and the original artwork hanging on the walls, Margot/Jackie was not hurting for money. The furnishings alone must have cost her fifty-K easy. Then there was the artwork. He had no idea what that could have cost, but he knew the woman who lived in this apartment was all about money . . . lots of money.

  According to her profile, Jackie was a publicity consultant, and according to her living space, that was a highly lucrative profession . . . unless, of course, she really did have something else going on.

  He quickly checked out the rest of the apartment searching for his book, but didn’t find it or any books, for that matter. Which begged the question, why had she been so intrigued by his first editions? In his experience, only a true reader appreciated a first edition of a book. And a true reader always had at least one bookcase filled with books, despite owning an e-reader.

  Looking around he spotted a closed door down a short hallway. He figured it must be her bedroom, so he slipped off his coat and dropped it on the sofa, then he made his way down the hallway. He carefully opened the bedroom door and could barely make out Jackie’s bare bottom and long legs sprawled out on the bed. She lay on her tummy facing away from him. The blankets wrapped around her legs, only slightly covering her back and shoulders.

  Despite his distaste for what she’d done, he immediately went hard gazing at the long line of her magnificent back, all her luscious curves and her naked butt. She seemed much rounder and with more delicious curves in the soft glow of moonlight peeking in through the sheer curtains on the window. Her legs were longer and more muscular than he remembered, but then he didn’t remember much about that night. Plus there was something on the small of her back, right above her sweet butt, but he couldn’t make it out. Even her hair had a much deeper tone to it, although there were dark shadows over the upper part of her body and he couldn’t really see much above her shoulders.

  He closed the door behind him and stripped naked figuring he’d get the sex out of the way, then in the morning she’d return his book and he’d be out of there before breakfast.

  An easy, sensuous exchange, one they would both thoroughly enjoy.

  Within moments he slipped onto the bed and wrapped his arms around the woman who liked to play with fire.

  As soon as he nuzzled her sweet neck, taking in her musky perfume, she said, “I sleep with a gun under my pillow, and my hand is on the trigger. I’m an excellent marksman, and if you don’t leave right now I’ll put a bullet in your head.”

  Everything He Never Wanted: Chapter Two

  Antonio jumped out of bed and was out of the bedroom faster than his thoughts could catch up to his mouth. “Wait! What? Holy crap, woman! It’s me.”

  “Me who?” a voice shouted from the bedroom as Antonio stood in the middle of the living room, shaking from fear, his heart beating faster than a humming bird’s, adrenalin gushing through his veins. He felt as though he was going to pass out, but then he took a couple deep breaths and regained clarity.

  “The houseguest you invited.” He dashed behind the sofa, as if it could serve as some sort of protection from a screaming bullet.

  An unfamiliar face peeked out from the doorway, the rest of her body hiding behind the wall, then she disappeared back inside the bedroom.

  “That’s impossible.”

  “Okay. Okay. I’m confused. I don’t know who you are, or what you’ve done with Jackie, but please just throw me my clothes and I’ll get out of here.”

  His clothes flew out of the bedroom, along with his shoes, one at a time, without the girl showing her face. Antonio ran up the short hallway and quickly scooped up everything, but couldn’t seem to manage getting anything on. He was shaking too much. Instead he ran back down the hallway holding his things in a tight ball in front of him. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m a . . . friend of Jackie’s. She invited me.”

  “How do I know you’re telling me the truth? You just broke in.”

  “I didn’t break in. She gave me the key.”

  He couldn’t believe he was having a conversation with someone who had just threatened to kill him.

  After a long silence, the girl said, “What’s your name and how do you know Jackie?”

  “Antonio Milani. I met her in New York. We . . . I . . . I’m here to retrieve something that belongs to me.”

  “Shit,” he heard the girl say.

  “Everything okay in there?”

  “You’re that Antonio Milani?”

  “Is there another one?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “Good, because I thought I was special.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” He tried to placate the gun toting lunatic in the bedroom, but he really needed to know who she was. “Who are you?”

  Antonio’s potential shooter slowly came into view at the end of the hallway. She flipped on a light switch and he could see that she was wearing stretchy tights that showcased bunnies in various colors hopping down her legs, and a white tee with a huge bunny with floppy ears that seemed to outline her full round breasts. Her thick auburn hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail on the top of her head. Her empty hands were at her sides.

  No gun of any kind . . . just bunnies.

  He let out the breath he’d been holding. His shooter wore bunnies?

  “I’m Margot James, Jackie’s best friend,” she said looking all somber in her bunny outfit. He wondered if this was some kind of sick humor and she had another gun, a pink bunny gun hidden in the sofa or under the coffee table.

  Antonio clutched his ball of clothes tighter to his chest. “Are you still going to shoot me?”

  She shook her head. “Never was. That’s just something I came up with years ago in case anyone ever broke into my house.”

  “It’s very effective.”

  “You’re not a burglar.”

  “No, but if I was, I’d have left already.”

  “Then why haven’t you?”

  “I’m not fond of exposing myself in public.”

  “I gave you your clothes.”

  He realized he was still clutching them as if they could somehow protect him. He eased his grasp and let out the breath he’d been holding. “I couldn’t seem to get them on fast enough, what with you pointing a gun at me like that.”

  “I don’t actually own a gun.”

  Antonio felt his entire body drain fear. “Well, thank God for that. I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life.” He walked to the front sofa and plopped down to catch his breath.

  He let his body melt into the soft cushions, placing his clothes down next to him. He rested his head on the back of the sofa taking in a deep cleansing breath while stretching his long legs out in front of him. Every muscle ached as he closed his eyes and tried to relax. The ordeal had not only raced his heart, but clenched his muscles. What he needed was a massage, or a long hot shower to get the kinks out.

  He heard Margo clear her throat and it brought him zooming back to the present. “Did you say your name was Margo James?”

  “Yes, why, did Jackie happen to mention me?”

  He didn’t know where to begin. The whole thing seemed impossible. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. She’d been staring at his naked body and it took sheer will power not to get aroused just watching her face. “Let’s just say,
I’ve heard your name before.”

  “It’s really uncomfortable talking to you like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “Naked. Would you mind getting dressed?” She used a definitive voice, deliberately staring into his eyes.

  He hadn’t even thought about the fact that he was still naked. Clothes didn’t seem to matter when his life was being threatened. He slid off the sofa and stood, catching her satisfied smirk as he moved.

  “Of course,” he said, not really caring to.

  He caught her almond eyes giving him a quick once over before she turned to give him some privacy. Antonio had to chuckle on that one. A moment ago she was threatening his very life and now bunny lady was trying to act coy. What kind of a woman was this?

  He slipped on his briefs then his jeans, fastened them, and pulled his black sweater over his head. Still feeling woozy he plopped back down on the sofa then tipped sideways, rested his head on a tan decorative pillow, and closed his eyes . . . if only for a moment.

  “Are you sure you’re all right? Can I get you anything? Tea? Water? Wine?”

  He popped open his eyes and gazed into hers as she bent over him, a look of concern on her lovely face. He suddenly had a strong desire to kiss her full lips, unfasten her ponytail and let her fabulous hair fall around her shoulders and face, but he controlled himself. The woman had threatened to kill him only moments before and yet he wanted to kiss her. His brothers were right. He had positively no inner barometer when it came to a beautiful woman, and this woman was beyond beautiful.

  He sat up and focused on a beverage.

  None of what she’d offered sounded the least bit interesting to him. He needed something stronger, much stronger. “Is there bourbon or scotch?”

  Margot walked over to a mirrored table that seemed to store an abundance of alcohol.

  “She has both. Which would you prefer?”

  “A shot of scotch might help calm my nerves.”

  “Sure,” Margot said, reaching for the bottle and pouring him a generous amount of the amber liquid in the provided cocktail glass. She poured herself one as well.

  “So tell me,” he said when she returned with the life-saving liquid. He took a couple long gulps then looked up at this spitfire of a woman. “Where’s Jackie?”

  “She had to go to Paris for a few days. Didn’t she know you were coming?”

  “Yes, but now that I’m here, I’m thinking that’s why she left. What about you?”

  She took a seat on the white club chair across from him, then took a few sips of the scotch, made a funny face as if she didn’t like it, and placed it on the small antique table next to her, moving it as far away as possible. Apparently, scotch wasn’t her thing.

  “She had my itinerary,” Margo said, her voice sounding the effects of the scotch. “But she said she didn’t have a choice.”

  Antonio had learned enough about Jackie to make the assumption that she was playing some sort of game with them both. He didn’t exactly know what that game entailed, but he knew he’d figure it out at some point.

  “Did she happen to leave something for me?”

  “She never told me you’d be arriving, especially not in the middle of the night. If she had, I would have waited up for you.”

  He liked the vision of her sitting on the sofa, naked, waiting for him to arrive. Okay, maybe she wouldn’t have been naked, but he liked the vision anyway. Eyeing the plucky woman who sat across from him, her seductive breasts jiggling under the bunny tee with each move, he knew he might be courting danger if she was involved with Jackie in any way other than merely being her best friend. But damn it all, he couldn’t help like someone who could wear an outfit like that, and pretend to seriously threaten his life. Then turn right around and stare at him with lust in her eyes.

  A totally provocative woman.

  He’d caught the way she had selectively scanned his naked body when he was sitting on the sofa trying to recover from thinking he was going to be shot.

  It was nothing if not pure sexual lust.

  * * *

  So far it had been one hell of a day for Margot. Not only had she flown halfway across the world to visit her best friend, who, she soon discovered, had instantly deserted her taking Margot’s suitcase along with her, leaving Margot with no clothes, no pjs, no makeup, no anything. In its place? A suitcase filled mostly with old books. What was she supposed to do with that?

  She could borrow some of Jackie’s things, only nothing seemed to really fit. Even though they’d been the same size when they were growing up, having two babies had changed Margot’s body. She was all curves and bosom now, whereas Jackie still wore a size two.

  After Antonio had burst into her room, Margot had no choice but to search for something to wear and found the most god-awful stretchy bunny pants in a drawer, and an oversized matching tee that actually fit. Why Jackie owned something as ridiculous as this she didn’t know, but she was just grateful the outfit fit.

  Margot had texted Jackie about the mix-up with their suitcases. Jackie never responded.

  And now Margot had to deal with Jackie’s visiting boyfriend, a detail Jackie had somehow forgotten to mention. The weird thing about the situation Margot now found herself in was that she had a fierce attraction to this man, so much so that if Jackie wasn’t her best friend, she’d seriously consider bedding him that very night. The thought gave her goose bumps, especially since she hadn’t been attracted to a man in years, maybe decades. She’d been too busy raising her kids, and was so burnt by her ex that the thought of giving herself to a man was something she’d decided she could live without.

  Until now.

  Her moment of desire hit her when she saw him naked on the sofa. She hadn’t seen a man naked, with that much indifference to his nudity . . . well . . . ever. Even her husband had worn pjs to bed and was always dressed when they weren’t headed for the bedroom. She hadn’t even taken a shower with her ex or seen him undress, ever. She didn’t know how to react to Antonio’s complete nonchalance without giving away her desire to be absolutely ravaged by him. His body was lean and ripped with just the right amount of black chest hair that trailed down to his groin like a direct track to heaven. There was nothing about his body that she didn’t want to touch and feel lying next to her. It was almost surreal the way the sensations rippled through her just watching him move on that sofa. Her daughter had been right. Margot needed . . . wanted dirty sex, and not with just anyone. She wanted it with Antonio, Jackie’s lover.

  Now, as they sat sipping scotch, a taste she realized she abhorred, the vision of his undeniably gorgeous body kept nipping around the edges of her consciousness as if she had no control over her own thoughts. She felt like a schoolgirl after getting a glimpse of her first naked boy. It made her all tingly and disturbed, not to mention the physical reaction she couldn’t seem to control. Never in her entire life had she been so turned on without ever being touched.

  “You scared the living hell out of me,” Antonio said after he’d finished his drink. “I think I need another one of these. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all,” Margot told him. “Why don’t you finish mine? I don’t really like it. I’m more of a wine type of girl.”

  “The way Jackie talked about wine when we were in New York I bet she has a great stash.”

  He walked toward Margot and it took everything within her not to stare at his body instead of his face, which was amazing enough. The man looked as if he’d just stepped out of a dark, sleek sports car, maybe a Ferrari or a black Maserati, all muscle and sex appeal.

  He seemed deliciously dangerous, just the sort of man Jackie was attracted to, and Margot ran from.

  Yet, there she was, fantasizing about his body and what he could do to her.

  He walked past her over to the wine case, then squatted to pull out a few of the bottles.

  “I found a great pinot from France. Will that work for you?”

  Margot abruptly stood. She needed to g
et away from him. “On second thought, it’s been one hell of a day, and I’m really beat. I suppose you were planning on staying here for the night, right? Jackie made up the sofa-bed in her office for me. You can sleep in there for tonight.”

  He gazed over at Jackie’s office through the French doors off the living room. Then he gazed back at Margot. “Actually, I’m in London for the week.”

  His words were like a punch to her gut. How the heck was she going to get any sleep for an entire week with him only steps away?

  “Not to get too personal, but were you planning on staying here with Jackie for all that time?”

  “I was.”

  Margot could barely spend one night with him in the apartment, let alone an entire week. Plus, what the heck was she going to do once Jackie returned? She couldn’t bear to hear them making love all night long. Jackie had told her about Antonio right after she’d returned from New York City. They’d Skyped each other and giggled for hours over his . . . abilities.

  “You can’t. I mean, you can’t stay here while Jackie’s in Paris. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “Why not? We’re both adults.”

  “That’s just the problem.”

  He smiled and she caught the innuendo. “I mean, it might not seem right to Jackie,” she told him. She tried to sound reasonable. “You two are dating and, well, I mean, it just won’t work. You’ll have to leave.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, right now.”

  “You can’t kick me out in the middle of the night. Where am I supposed to go?”

  “To a hotel.”

  “Impossible. There’s a book fair in London. All the rooms are taken.”

  He had her all flustered. She liked it better when he was running from her imaginary gun.

  “Then you’ll have to leave in the morning. I don’t want Jackie thinking anything went on between us.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know what Jackie has told you, but we are not, in any sense of the word, dating. We have more of a business agreement than a relationship.”