Seven Books for Seven Lovers

by Molly Harper, Stephanie Haefner, Liora Blake, Gabra Zackman, Andrea Laurence, Colette Auclair

  The bartender set the drinks in front of him and he paid, leaving a generous tip. He handed her the wineglass and she drank. No, she guzzled.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he sat back in his seat.

  She set her glass down and dabbed her lips with a bar napkin. “Just a bit nervous.”

  “Let’s get rid of that right now. Tell me more about you. Where’d you grow up? Where’d you go to school?”

  “Kenville. Go Knights!” She pumped her fist like a perky cheerleader.

  He knew of the small urban area a few towns away. A whole different world compared to his wealthy Newford upbringing. “Were you on the cheer squad?”

  “Oh, God no! But my best friend was. I still wonder how we became so close. While she was practicing her basket toss, I was studying for the SATs.”

  “So, you’re the brains of the operation then?”

  Laughter. Man, she had a great laugh. And it meant she was relaxing.

  “Bryn is smart, but I’m the one with the business sense. She’s more the girly one with the creative genius. She always knew she wanted to own her own boutique and I kinda tagged along for the ride. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but when I applied to college for business I never thought I’d be peddling bras and panties.”

  Oliver nodded. What did a women’s lingerie shop need male models for? He shook off the question and got back to her, whoever she was. He now knew the BFF was Bryn, but he wished he knew her name instead.

  “How did you come up with the name of the shop? Why didn’t you use your own names in it, like Victoria’s Secret?”

  “We had a bunch of ideas in the planning stages. Originally she had wanted to use our names, but I didn’t like what she came up with. They sounded corny to me.”

  “Like what?”

  She took another sip of wine and her cheeks appeared to redden. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this. It’s so embarrassing. She wanted to name the shop Bryn’s Baubles or Mia’s Mentionables.”

  Mia. Nice. “Yeah, those are pretty bad.”

  “We came up with the official name together. I told her we needed something that represented both the classy things we would sell and the sexier stuff, too. And it hit us—Classy ’n’ Sassy. And it fits. I’m the laid-back, modest, classy one, and she’s the outgoing, show-it-off, sassy one.”

  “Sounds like the perfect shop name.”

  Laid back, modest Mia. A much-welcomed change from what he was accustomed to.

  She finished her drink and set the glass back on the table. “Ready to go? I walked here, so you can either walk to my apartment with me and leave your car here, or drive over. But I have to warn you, the parking situation near my building is really bad.”

  They’re going back to her place? What kind of job was this interview for? This was not right. He really should tell her about the mistaken identity and end this. Regardless of how beautiful she was, and funny and sweet. Regardless of the fact that his day—hell, his life—was boring and planned and miserable until he sat at her table and started chatting with her. He’d never done an impulsive thing in his thirty-two years of existence.

  Maybe it was time he started making decisions based on what he wanted instead of catering to everyone else. He was sick of being Mr. Responsible. For one night he could be someone else. He deserved a few moments of happiness, right?

  “I’ll walk with you.”

  COULD MIA have been more dorky? Babbling like that? But it didn’t matter. She didn’t care what this guy thought of her.

  They walked toward the exit and Ryan opened the door for her, a gentlemanly behavior that wasn’t necessary, but was appreciated. Guess she could take back the strike she’d given him for being late. So many times she’d had doors slam in her face on dates. But this wasn’t a date. It was a job interview, and like any other job interview, the interviewee had to prove his capabilities. That’s all this sexcapade was. The only way to find out if his stuff worked the way she needed it to was to test it out. She’d be completely ignoring that sexy smile and the way his behind looked in suit pants. Wonder what it looked like without the pants? She didn’t have a photo of that part of his anatomy.

  Focus! Back to business.

  So far Ryan had aced the interview. He was pleasant and kind and would be great for the in-store meet and greets. She could see him posing and flirting with young women, but also being sweet to the older women. He seemed like the ideal spokesman.

  “It must be nice living in such a trendy part of the city,” Ryan said as they walked down the sidewalk.

  “Yeah. It’s the new it place to live. So glad I moved in years ago and locked into a cheap lease.”

  “These old buildings must be gorgeous inside.”

  “That’s what really attracted me to the area. I’d always wanted to leave Kenville, and when I started looking for my own place, I wanted something close to the shop. Bryn stayed in Kenville. It was easier for her to be close to her family with the kids and all, and her husband in Iraq.”

  Mia stopped talking. Why was she yakking away with this guy like she’d known him forever? Should she be telling a virtual stranger all about her life and her best friend’s?

  “Um, anyway. At the time they were just starting to renovate these buildings and I lucked out. Mine was the first done and it was all updated and newly painted and everything.”

  “Lucky you. These buildings have so much character. Far more interesting than where I live.”

  “Oh? Where do you live?” Mia wondered about this guy. He seemed wealthy. The proof was in the Armani label inside his suit jacket when he’d hung it on the back of his chair. But if the price they’d be paying him was his usual for a modeling gig, he obviously hadn’t made his fortune doing that.

  “North side of Newford. Pearl and Main.”

  Well, he definitely didn’t pay for that with modeling money. The people living there made at least mid–six digits.

  “Is that where you grew up?”

  “Yes.”

  Hmm. A one-word answer, no elaboration. What did that mean? Mia didn’t get the chance to find out.

  “Here’s my building.”

  The fear and anxiety that had momentarily left her body was back. It wasn’t too late. She could still end it.

  Mia opened the door and led him up to the third floor. No turning back once she took him inside. To her bed. To test out his penis.

  Even now, after all the planning, the idea still sounded ridiculous. She shook away the jitters and put her robot face back on. Do it and get it over with. The first interview would be hardest, right?

  Deep breath. Mia turned the key and stepped into apartment 3A, Ryan at her heels.

  He walked into the living room, scanning the walls and ceiling. “The architecture is amazing.”

  He was pulling her out of robot mode again.

  “Um, yeah. Thanks.”

  Looking around some more, he pointed to the wall. “That photo is beautiful.”

  The thirty-by-forty-inch black-and-white print of downtown Newford at night hung over her couch.

  “I got it last summer. I love black-and-white prints.”

  “Yeah. Me, too.”

  She broke away from his gaze. “Want a bottle of water? So we can get started?”

  “Sure.”

  She grabbed two and handed one over. He took it from her, chugging half.

  Was that sweat on his forehead? It wasn’t hot in the apartment. In fact, it was kind of chilly. One drawback to living in an old building: bad heating system. Was he nervous? Having second thoughts? They couldn’t have two nervous people in this thing. Guess she’d be the one to suck up the fear and get on with it.

  “Let’s go into the bedroom.”

  He followed her to the room she’d spent hours cleaning. Even if this was a onetime thing, for business purposes, she still didn’t want the guy thinking she was a slob. Mia flipped on her overhead lighting and illuminated the room. Too bright. She hadn’t given any
thought to lights on or off. Would she need to see during this thing?

  She quickly turned the bright light off and went for her softer bedside lamp. Much better.

  “Okay. You can put your jacket, pants, and underwear on that chair. Your choice if you wanna leave your socks and shirt on.”

  Mia turned away from Ryan and pulled her hoodie over her head. She’d preplanned and wore just a bra and ribbed tank. She dropped her jeans to the floor and stepped out before turning to him. Ho-ly crap.

  Standing there completely naked, the test subject already halfway to its full glory, the live Ryan was way better than his eight-by-ten glossies. Mia yelled at her inner butterflies and told them to cut the fluttering. “I guess we’re ready then.”

  He stepped to her, silent, and reached for her hand. Damn butterflies were back and on ecstasy or something. No, no, no! Mia blinked out of her hunky haze. This was business.

  “I think it will be best if we start with you on the bed.” She and Bryn had already discussed the best ways to test the specimens. She needed the feel of him from all angles.

  But instead of doing as he’d been asked, he put his free hand to the nape of her neck, entangling his fingers in her hair and pulling her to his lips. For a brief moment, Mia closed her eyes and let him kiss her, the warmth of his mouth, his tongue twisting with hers. His lips were so amazingly soft and plump. Was it normal for a guy to feel so luscious? God, it’s been too long since I’ve had a kiss like this.

  But it wasn’t hers to have. This was a job interview, not a one-night fling. Her eyes shot open and she pulled away.

  “No.” Her fingertips went to her still tingling lips. “None of that.”

  His eyes widened. “I’m . . . sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s fine. Just lay on the bed and I’ll do what I need to do.”

  His brow furrowed but he obeyed, lying with one hand tucked behind his head. “Like this?”

  Mia scanned his body, sparkling blue eyes to mounded pectorals, flat stomach to the fully erect prototype. She focused on a birthmark on his hip. Never had one been more sexy. “Um. Yeah. That’s fine.”

  Her mouth had gone completely dry. She grabbed her water bottle and drank. Deep breath. This was it.

  She climbed onto the bed and after a minute of awkward maneuvers, finally got her legs on both sides of him, ready to get started.

  “Um, Mia?”

  “Huh?”

  “Wouldn’t this work better if you took your underwear off?”

  She looked down. Yep. Underwear still in place. She hopped off the bed, and overcome with modesty wanted to turn the light off, not let him see such a private part of her anatomy. Maybe she should have filled her water bottle with vodka. That would’ve made the whole process far easier. But she’d be far less likely to get the information she needed.

  Mia’s hands shook as she shoved her blue and white floral panties to the floor and stepped out. I’m a sex robot and I’m doing this to help my friend. He’s not a sexy man, just a penis. A business venture. Just do it and get it over with. She got back into position, straddling his muscular thighs.

  “Okay, so, I’ll need you to just kinda lay there and let me do what I need to, um . . . do. Okay?”

  “Sure, but shouldn’t I get a condom?”

  “Wasn’t this already explained to you? I need to see how you feel without any barriers. We did the screenings and we’re both healthy and disease-free, so it’s all good. I thought Bryn made sure all the models knew this.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot. But what about pregnancy?”

  “I’ve got one of those implanted thingies.” She tapped her right arm. Did this guy not read any of the paperwork given to him? “You should have known this. Ready, then?”

  “Guess so.”

  Mia rose on her knees and positioned herself, deciding not to look at Ryan’s face. She tried lowering herself onto him but couldn’t quite make the connection.

  “Want some help?” he asked and laughed, low and sexy.

  “No.” She couldn’t help but giggle, too. “I got it.”

  She took him with her hand, the pulse of his heartbeat racing beneath her palm, and guided it to her. It slid right in.

  “Oh. Wow.” The words escaped her lips before she could stop them.

  “Are you okay?”

  Still avoiding his eyes, she answered. “Um. Yeah. It’s just . . . been awhile.”

  Knowing that, she had prepared for the night by purchasing a tube of lubricant. She had no idea how it would go. This was a business proposition. There wasn’t supposed to be any excitement on her part. But for this to work, there needed to be some kind of moisture down there.

  And fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, there was no need for the synthetic stuff.

  Mia began to move, griping her headboard for support. Damn, this is nice. Was this how good sex felt? She had a hard time remembering. She clearly remembered how bad it had been the last time she’d been with someone. Backseat flings were never any good, especially in a Jeep Wrangler. And before that? The string of month-long relationships were a blur. There’d always been something wrong with the guy, some character flaw or bad habit, that got under her skin and irked her until she couldn’t take it anymore and kicked the guy to the curb. Though there were a couple where the sex stood out in a good way.

  But this. This was nice. Mia found a rhythmic pattern and closed her eyes, letting her head roll back. The sizzle of Ryan’s hands on her hips jolted her back to reality.

  “Um, no. You gotta move your hands.” She kept her gaze on the painting above her bed.

  Back to work. This wasn’t a booty call. She needed to evaluate him. Mia moved a little more. Length: A-plus. Thickness: A-plus-plus. Ability to reach her G spot? She needed to adjust her position to test that. Ding-ding! That worked. After hitting it a couple of times she forced herself to stop, fighting to control her fast-beating heart.

  “Are you done?” he asked.

  “I’d like to try it missionary, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Yeah. Whatever you need.”

  He sat up, her legs encircling his body. Instead of her moving off of him and switching places, he wrapped his arm around her body and in one swift move had her on her back, his body between her spayed thighs, not even a moment of disconnection. His face was merely inches from hers, warm breath on her cheek. His eyes stared into hers, locked together.

  “Well, that was easy,” she said, breaking the trance.

  He laughed, and as much as her brain screamed at her to tell him to move back, her body enjoyed the weight of him on her, the scent of him surrounding her.

  “You can, um, start now. Just go slow so I can get a good feel for you in this position.”

  He moved in and out a few times, his eyes still on hers. “How’s this?”

  “Good.”

  He put his hand to her thigh, his palm scorching her skin, and brought it toward her chest. He hit her spot again and she sucked in a breath.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. That was good. I think I have all I need, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We’ve done enough. I’ve gotten a good feel for you. We don’t have to keep going.”

  “But do you want to?” he asked and kept moving, kept hitting her spot, mini jolts of pleasure radiating through her body.

  “We should probably stop,” she managed to say, holding her euphoric moans inside.

  “Probably. But you didn’t say you wanted to.”

  Mia just stared at him. He was right. Her body had completely overtaken her brain and would not allow her to say what she should say.

  “Maybe a little longer.”

  That small confirmation gave Ryan the green light to yank Mia’s sweat-soaked tank over her head. Before she could protest, even if she’d wanted to, he’d opened her front-clasp bra and smothered her breast with the heat of his mouth.

  There was no turning back now.

&nbs
p; Mia wrapped her arms and legs around him tight, meeting his powerful thrusts. She ran her fingers down his back to grab hold of the pure muscle she’d admired when his backside had been turned to her at the bar. Rock hard, just as expected.

  And when he moved his beautiful lips to hers, she didn’t protest. He moaned against her mouth. He had to be close. Pulling her leg up where it had been moments earlier, where Ryan had put it for her, he put his hand to it and pushed it even further, driving her toward the edge. With one more thrust, he’d thrown her over, free-falling right after.

  Ryan lay atop her, breath labored, head buried in the pillow next to hers. Mia’s arms were still around his neck, her fingers rubbing the tiny freshly trimmed hairs at the nape of his neck. He was completely sweaty, but she didn’t mind.

  “Damn, that was good.”

  “Yeah, it was.” She couldn’t help but agree, and that made it hard to shake away the euphoria. Back to business. “But I still have four more models to interview.”

  He pulled up on his elbows and met her gaze, eyes having lost all sparkle. “Oh.”

  “You’re the first I’ve interviewed and, um . . . tested. I’ll write my report and once I’ve finished with the other models, I’ll talk with Bryn and we’ll select the person we want to represent the boutique.”

  Ryan crawled away from her body, the coolness of the apartment now surrounding Mia and her sweaty body, sending a chill through her.

  “I guess I should go then.”

  “Yep. I’ll call you by the end of the month if we choose you.”

  “You have my number?”

  “It’s on your résumé.”

  “Oh, well, I just got a new cell number, so let me give you that.” He spied a notepad on the nightstand, and taking a pen from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, scribbled down the number.

  Mia just sat there, staring at this godlike creature, still naked, like it was nothing. Models had to be pretty comfortable with their bodies, right? She’d already yanked the comforter to her chin to hide hers.

  He set the notepad and pen on the nightstand. “Um, thanks for the opportunity to impress you,” he said with a goofy grin.