by Faye Avalon
“Seems I’m not the only one who’s changed since college.”
“Let’s just say I grew up.”
“No longer interested in fun?”
She thought of Costas. Of her mother. And what she had to do for the former to protect the latter. “I wouldn’t say that. It doesn’t necessarily follow that a person has to choose between business interests and having a good time.”
“Some people would say having business interests is a good time.”
She smiled back as he grinned. “That would be you?”
“Guilty. But I’m always open to indulging in other interesting pursuits.”
The gleam in his eye left her in no doubt where the course of the conversation was heading. Now was her chance to seal the deal. “Like what?”
“Like what you’ve been offering since the moment you came up to me last night.”
Gina reached for her wine and took a fortifying sip. Here we go, she thought, and ignored the discomfort that rippled through her. She still wasn’t sure she could go through with it. “Are you interested in taking me up on that offer?”
“Last time I checked, all my working parts were in excellent order. So yes, I’m interested.”
“Where?” Gina asked, her stomach fluttering anxiously. “Your place or mine?”
He gave her one of those long appraising looks that set her pulse racing. “I keep searching for the hidden message here.”
She shrugged and hoped to heaven her casual manner was convincing. Especially since her stomach was now doing serious somersaults. “I find you attractive. I’d say it’s reciprocated, unless I’m no longer an expert at reading men’s signals. And we’re both adults. Neither of us are in a serious relationship. Why can’t we act on our impulses?”
“Where do you live?”
Hell, this was really going to happen. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. She pushed away her half finished meal, her throat tight. “Putney.”
“My place is nearer. Chelsea.”
With her heart beating out of her chest, she glanced away. Could she really go through with this? Could she do this to him?
Before she could question that further, he huffed out a laugh. “Seems you’re still playing the same games.”
She looked back at him. “Meaning what?”
“Coming on to me, but backing off every time I get close to taking you up on what you’re offering. The one consolation is at least this time I can read the signals.”
To hide the fact he hadn’t entirely missed the mark, she shook her head. “And still I don’t know what you mean.”
“Signals. Signs.” Raising his wine glass, he nodded toward her lap. “I’ll bet your knees are clamped so tightly together right now, I wouldn’t get between them if I tried.”
Deliberately, she relaxed her knees. “Maybe I’m worried you’re planning to get back at me for stealing your pants that time.”
His eyes sparkled, but she couldn’t be sure if it was with humor or wicked intent. “I’ve forgiven you for that. Despite the humiliation you caused me.”
“Huh. Some humiliation. I bet your friends slapped you on the back for almost getting me naked, before assuring you I wasn’t worth worrying about.”
She knew she had a reputation in college. That she led most of the guys on before unceremoniously dumping them. But despite her frivolous reputation, she never slept around.
“Most of them called me an idiot for letting you get away with it so easily, but they didn’t know what I knew.”
“What was that?”
He pursed his lips. “My theory. About you.”
“Which is?”
“I think you’re all talk. You always were.”
“And you’d know, of course. Seeing as you’re an expert on women.”
“I know my way around them.”
She bet he did. “And what did you base this astounding theory on, exactly?”
“You like the thrill of it all. The chase, if you like. You like to heat them up, then back off. Mission accomplished.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “If I were to drive you home, find a nice quiet spot somewhere, and put my hand up your skirt, you’d run a mile.”
Was he kidding? Even the thought of his big hand sliding up her legs and doing amazingly sexy things to what he found there made her pussy weep.
“You should be careful,” she warned, all but squirming in her chair. “I might just surprise you. Then you’d have to eat your words.”
His sexy grin didn’t help her comfort levels. “I’d rather eat something else.”
Her skin prickled and her nipples hardened. She glanced around to make sure nobody was privy to their conversation, then met his gaze. It was time to bring this home and he’d just given her the perfect entrée. “I have a theory too.”
“Which is?”
“I think you’re the one who’s all talk. I have a feeling that if I were to take you somewhere private, unzip your fly and push my hand inside your pants, you’d find some way to exact that payback. Despite your claims that you’ve forgiven me.”
“Looks like I should add trust issues to my theory.”
She balked at that. Probably because he was, again, too bloody perceptive for his own good. She had a mental image of Costas grinning down at her while she lay bound to his bed. Damn right she had trust issues. Who wouldn’t after what had happened to her? “I plan on protecting my own interests. It’s been a long time. I don’t know you that well.”
“You could take me to that somewhere private you mentioned. We could remedy that.”
Gina swallowed. She had to push away thoughts of how she’d gotten into this predicament and concentrate on making things right. And that meant finishing what she’d started.
She picked up her wine, sipped, and looked at him over the top of the glass. “What did you think of my studio?”
Keeping his gaze on hers, he stroked the stem of his glass. “I only saw reception.”
“All the workout rooms were in use.” Keeping her eyes on his, she touched the rim of the glass to her mouth and stroked it slowly along her lower lip. “Early evening is our busiest time.”
He followed the movement of the glass. “When’s the least busiest?”
“Right about now. Lucy will be locking up.”
“I’d like a tour sometime.”
Gina smiled, dipped her chin and looked up at him. “No time like the present.”
He called for the bill, then turned back to her with a gleam in his eyes. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Four
The evening turned muggy as they pulled up outside the studio. Inside, with the air conditioning switched off for the night, the place felt like a sauna.
Gina disabled the security alarm and then slipped the wrap from her shoulders. “Where would you like to start?”
His quick up and down perusal of her turned the temperature to boiling.
Deliberately, she backed away from him. “Let’s begin with the workout rooms.”
She led him down the long hallway, certain he was checking out her ass. His gaze burned her skin through her skirt. She reached for the handle of the first door on the left, and Mitch came up behind her. “What’s down there?”
She glanced along the hallway in the direction of his gaze. “Two more workout rooms, a couple of consulting rooms, the showers, locker rooms. At the far end around the corner is the sauna and steam room.”
“Consulting rooms?”
“We give clients nutritional advice. They can also book a session with the manicurist or beautician.”
She opened the door to the largest of the workout rooms, and switched on the lights.
“What classes take place in here?” Mitch asked, slipping his hands in his pockets and wandering the space.
“Mainly aerobics and the fast-paced stuff.”
He went over to the mini trampolines stacked in one corner. “What’s your clientele ratio? Men? Women?”
“About seventy/thirty in favor of women. We do a couple of classes specifically for men, and a few of them come to Pilates and yoga.”
He ran a finger along the edge of a trampoline. For a moment, Gina’s focus was on the slide of that finger, easy and determined, as it stroked the edge of the equipment. Shivers trickled along her spine, and her knees felt decidedly weak.
He moved across to where a series of ropes hung from the ceiling. “This looks interesting.”
“Strength training. It’s mostly for the men, but some women like to participate as well.”
With both hands on the rope, he tugged as if testing the stability. “What do they do? Climb?”
“Partly. But there’s also acrobatics involved. It’s pretty intense.”
He gave her a long, steady look. “Anything involving rope usually is.”
At any other time, she might have enjoyed his intimations, but right then she felt too strung out to play along. She really needed this to get started so it could all be over. She wondered if she should just jump him right there, move things along a pace. But something held her back and she wasn’t sure what.
“Let’s continue the tour.” She led the way to the middle sized workout room and again popped on the wall lights. Dimmer switches meant the lights here were less glaring and intense. “Pilates and yoga in here. We’ve got under-floor heating, due to the less intensive workout.”
Again Mitch wandered the room. She looked at his broad back, his wide shoulders encased in that designer suit. He’d always been stylish, regardless of what he was wearing—or not wearing—and she’d found him fascinating. She still did. Perhaps even more so now. He had an air of a predator in the way he walked, focused and resolute, as if he knew where he was going and nobody was about to stand in his way.
He walked to the rack of belts, blocks and rolled up workout mats. Silently, he perused them, but Gina knew his blue eyes took in everything. She felt decidedly nervous in the sultry atmosphere, watching Mitch stroll around the space, all big and gorgeous in the soft lighting.
When he turned and strolled over to where she stood, he glanced over her shoulder. “What do you do with these?”
She turned. “They’re stability balls. We use them for stretching.”
His scent—male and potent—flooded her nostrils as he brushed past her. “Stretching what?”
The air between them charged even more and Gina felt as tight as a drum. “Backs, usually. But they’re mostly used to build core strength.”
He went over, placed his hands on the ball and leaned down to pump it, testing it out as if he would a new mattress. Then he turned and sat, a slight grin on his face as he bounced a little. “Feels pretty solid.”
Seeing that he didn’t wobble one inch either side, Gina wanted to roll her eyes. “Most people find it difficult to balance without putting their arms out to the sides.”
He kept his hands beside him on the ball, his grin widening. “Don’t find it a problem.”
“Then you obviously have excellent core strength.” And her pussy clenched at the thought of just what he could manage to do with that particular talent.
He stopped bouncing and held out one hand to her. “Come here.”
“Why?”
“I want to test out your core strength.”
“It’s excellent.” But she went anyway. “There are other things you can do with the ball. Not just sit and bounce on it.”
“I’ll bet.” He pulled her up against him so that her knees slammed into the ball and she lost her balance. She toppled, one hand gripping her bag while the other reached for his shoulder for support. Her breasts were pressed to his chest, her ass sticking out.
He reached out to steady her, clasping his arms around her waist. The ball wobbled a little but he righted it. His hands cruised up her back, around to her ribcage before settling beneath her breasts. His thumb flicked over her nipples and she caught her breath as her blood continued to heat.
His fingers slid around to her back again, moving down to curve around her backside. He eased up her dress, the drift of silk shimmering against her legs, and she drew away from him. This was going too fast and right then she didn’t feel in control. It was imperative she stayed in control. That she lead this sexual dance. Yet somehow he’d snatched the power away, until she felt as if she were the one being seduced.
“I’m not sure the stability ball is fit for the purpose you have in mind.”
Heavy-lidded eyes met hers and, with his hands firm on her ass, he tightened his grip. “What did I have in mind?”
“To finish what we started over ten years ago?”
“I wanted to fuck you back then.” He gave her backside a gentle squeeze. “I want to fuck you now.”
“What happened to foreplay?” She had to stall for time. She needed to get her thoughts back on track. Needed to shut down all these unwarranted feelings. And hell, she had to stop her body from responding too damn readily to his touch.
“You want foreplay? Then let’s start by you showing me what else you can do on this thing. Other than bounce.” His gaze raked over her, his voice even deeper than usual. “Show me.”
Her body temperature shot up several degrees and she didn’t think she could move right then if she tried. “I can’t. Not in this dress.”
After another of those blistering up and down glances, he took her hands in his and stood. He moved right up into her personal space. She wanted to swallow, but refused to let him see how affected she was. “There’s a simple solution to that.”
Before she could offer a pithy response, he drew her closer and touched his mouth to hers. His lips were soft, coaxing and she opened to him. He tasted so good. Even better than she remembered. As their tongues brushed, teased and generally explored each other, she wondered why on earth she hadn’t taken him up on his offer all those years ago. She could have enjoyed him, let him enjoy her, and it would have meant nothing more than a college fling. She could have guarded her heart just as easily from him as she had the other boys she’d flirted with.
Except she knew it was a lie. Now, as she did back then, she knew intrinsically that a fling, an affair—damn it, even a night—with Mitch would be nothing like it was with any other man.
Her heart would need more than guarding. It would need locking in a bloody security vault.
She pulled back, but Mitch didn’t release his hold on her. “You’re still a great kisser.”
Unsteady on her four inch heels, she shuddered in a shaky breath. “You’re not too shabby in that department, either.”
“I’m not too shabby in other departments.” He pressed his mouth to hers again. This time there was no coaxing, no teasing of lips. This time it was a full out invasion.
By the time they came up for air, her head was spinning. Added to the sudden disorientation, was the realization that Mitch was tracing a finger along the dip of her neckline.
“I’m waiting.”
She blinked, trying to get her eyes to focus again. “For what?”
Still holding her, he nodded toward the ball. “That demonstration.”
Damn, but it was hot in here. She licked her lips and tried to think, to reason. This was exactly where she wanted him, wasn’t it? Exactly in the place where she’d plotted and planned to get him. She was moments away from getting what she needed—or rather, what Costas needed—and her current nightmare would be over.
A chill shivered down her spine, but she wouldn’t let these shaky feelings detract her from her goal. She had no choice. If she didn’t do this, the shit would hit the proverbial fan.
It was hard to stomach that she had actually agreed to go through with it, but there was
no alternative. Costas hadn’t been open to discussion or negotiation. She’d tried to reason with herself that she wasn’t being entirely mercenary. That sleeping with a man for gain wasn’t always sordid. And it wasn’t as if she and Mitch hadn’t always had the hots for each other. She was attracted to him—desperately so—which meant having sex with him was a normal part of that attraction. But no matter how she looked at the situation, it felt wrong. Wrong to use him, wrong to offer herself to him for gain. She was nothing more than a…
Oh God. She couldn’t bear to think of it anymore.
She wanted it over with. Wanted to get what she needed from him, and then move on. Perhaps some day he would be able to forgive her. Except this wasn’t a simple case of humiliating him by stealing his pants. This was a whole new low to which she’d never thought she could sink.
No choice, she reminded herself. No other way.
She put down her bag on a nearby bench, but not before feeling for the comforting swell of her phone tucked into the bag’s side pocket. She needed it close by. For after.
Swallowing back the self-disgust that refused to be placated, she kicked off her heels and walked over to the nearest ball. Turning to face him, she hitched up her skirt so she could kneel. Leaning back, she gently curved her spine against the ball until her shoulders made contact. The action pushed her breasts into the air and she enjoyed the way Mitch’s breath caught. With that one response from him, she felt as if she’d gained that much needed control. She was in charge again.
Determined to play the part—and not a little surprised how quickly she’d gotten back into her groove—she dropped her head back on the ball, shifting her shoulders to get comfortable. She closed her eyes and gave a soft moan indicating she was enjoying the stretched feeling along the front of her body.
Her eyes shot open as Mitch’s chest pressed against hers, his hands on the ball either side of her.
“That’s a pretty impressive move,” he murmured, bringing his mouth close. “But I think you can improve on it.”
Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers. Her whole body trembled, her nipples pushing hard and eager against the fabric of her dress.