Dream Guy

by Dream Guy (lit)

  He took her hand and touched it lightly to his lips, the smoldering look in his chocolate brown eyes telling her he was at her service for anything she had in mind. Which would be nothing more than a contract to star in her video game. Annie made that decision the split second he kissed her hand.

  Either this guy was trying to prove he really could act, or he’d spent too much time watching the I-can-be-suave bachelors on reality TV. Either way, the kiss on the hand was too clichéd for Annie to take seriously.

  “Thank you for coming, Enrique,” Annie said, easing her hand out of his grip.

  “Call me Rico. Please.”

  His sexy Cuban accent reminded her how perfect he would be for Joe Video. But gorgeous as he was, he was still so not her type.

  She knew it was crazy, but the minute she met a guy, the boink factor kicked in and automatically filed him in one of three categories. Boinkable. Possibly boinkable. Not in a million years boinkable.

  Looks weren’t the only thing her quirky brain took into consideration when making this decision. It could be attitude. Hairline. Fingernails. Even something as ridiculous as hand kissing. Or—his name.

  Shallow?

  Extremely.

  But even if he hadn’t kissed her hand, Annie tried to imagine her extremely shallow self, her head thrown back in ecstasy, moaning, “Give it to me, Rico. Give it to me!” She just couldn’t do it.

  She couldn’t.

  “Rico,” Annie said, as he took his place in her never-in-a-million-years-boinkable file, “you’ve already met my associate, Collin Adair, I believe.”

  Collin stepped forward and offered his hand slightly too high for a customary handshake. He looked disappointed when Rico managed to shake it anyway.

  “And,” Annie said, motioning toward Matt. “This is our department head, Matt Abbington. Matt will also be working on the video game with us.”

  Annie noticed the muscle in Matt’s jaw jump at the “us” part. He’d have to get over it. She would never find a man more perfect for Joe Video than the one standing beside her.

  To her relief, Matt walked over to give Rico what appeared to be an amicable handshake.

  And what a sight that was.

  Two incredibly sexy men. Standing eye to eye and toe to toe. But uh-oh. From the looks of things, they were also sizing each other up. The vibes bouncing around the room weren’t exactly friendly.

  “Collin,” Annie said, alarmed at the hint of hostility already brewing between Matt and her new protégé. “Will you please check with Kathy and see if the boardroom is available? We’ll be more comfortable if we can sit down and explain to Rico exactly what we have in mind for the video game we’re developing.”

  Good. Her request had broken up the macho standoff. At least for the moment. Unfortunately, Rico was now practically undressing her with an appraising look.

  “The boardroom is free and clear,” Collin announced.

  But Matt said, “Collin, why don’t you escort Mr. Romero to the boardroom? I need a few minutes alone with Annie before we join you.”

  Are all men annoying? Annie thought. She braced herself for Matt’s outburst. It arrived the second Collin ushered her unexpected guest out of the room.

  “Why are you wasting this guy’s time?” Matt demanded. “Not to mention ours?”

  “I’m not wasting anyone’s time, Matt,” Annie said. “I admit I never expected the guy to take me seriously, but now that I’ve seen him again, I know he’s right for the part.”

  Matt shook his head. “What happened to your idea of calling that old boyfriend filmmaker of yours and seeing if he knew any struggling male actors who might be interested in playing Joe Video?”

  Annie refused to be intimidated. “There’s no reason to call Dan now. Rico has the look, Matt. That’s what it’s going to take to sell this game. I’m positive he’ll be perfect for the Joe Video role.”

  “Oh come on, Annie.” His face was beginning to turn a tad red. “Even if you do like his looks, the guy’s a fake. The hair? The hand kissing? And the fake goo-goo eyes? You can’t be serious.”

  Aw. Did the big bad hunk let some air out of your overinflated ego?

  “I thought the hand kissing was touching,” Annie lied. “And terribly romantic.”

  Matt’s face turned deep blood-red at that comment.

  Oh, what fun she was having watching Matt squirm. A mental payback for his dismissive “nothing personal” comment? Probably. But still, having a little fun at his expense was something she just couldn’t pass up.

  He ran his hand through his short dark hair and shook his head. “Whatever. Just don’t expect me not to say I told you so when this whole thing blows up in your face.”

  Annie said, “Deal,” and she stuck her hand under his nose in the perfect position to be kissed.

  “Not funny,” Matt said.

  He pushed her hand away and he definitely didn’t kiss it.

  Matt had already decided he didn’t like the guy, but he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him when they arrived in the boardroom to find Collin babbling about the only correct way to make an absolute perfect martini. His compassion evaporated, however, when Chico, or whatever the hell his name was, ignored him completely and immediately sent Annie the same kind of smile that made the women in the lobby sigh.

  Matt almost laughed at the dramatics until the bartender pulled another dirty chivalrous trick and pulled out the chair next to his, waiting dutifully for Annie to seat herself.

  Which she happily did.

  Yes, dammit, with an adoring little sigh of her own.

  Okay. He’d admit it. He didn’t run around kissing Annie’s hand and pulling out her chair. But he also hadn’t seen even the slightest spark of personal interest in Annie’s eyes when she looked at this guy. The type of spark that sometimes appeared—if only for a second—when he and Annie were in one of their usual face-off squabbles.

  Or?

  Did I just miss it?

  He pulled out a chair across the table from Annie and her new admirer, and he did so on purpose. He could scrutinize the interaction between the two of them more closely from this position. Study their body language. See if Annie’s interest in this guy was merely business, the way it needed to be with all of their careers at stake.

  But he really should give Annie more credit than that. Despite her claim that she wanted to be cherished and adored, she would never fall for a cheesy guy like this one.

  Would she?

  She needed to be focusing on the video game, not some hand-licking Romeo. This was definitely not the time for Annie to get suckered in by another worthless jerk. Not now. Not with so much at stake.

  Matt tuned in to the conversation in time to hear Annie say, “You definitely have the look we want, Rico. Unfortunately, it will be next week before I can give you the exact figure for the monetary compensation you would receive if you decide to take the position.”

  She paused for a second. “But can I be candid?”

  The guy nodded.

  “I’ll tell you up front that the sum will be a modest one. I wanted you to know that in case money is a big factor in your decision.”

  Matt expected him to sprint for the door at that remark. Instead he leaned back in his chair and sent Annie a slow, come-on smile. “The money. It is not important.”

  Yeah, sure it isn’t, Matt thought. Yup, Annie would see right through that blatant lie.

  “But the publicity?” The jerk smiled. “It is my business that will benefit. This is what I am hoping.”

  This is what I am hoping, Matt fumed—that Annie will see through your bullshit act and find someone qualified for the job!

  Unfortunately, the approving look on Annie’s face told Matt that wasn’t likely to happen.

  “Wonderful,” she said. “Then I guess we’ll get back to you the first of next week, Rico.”

  She stood up.

  So did Matt, along with Collin and Mr. Queue.

  And when sh
e held her hand out, Matt’s mind kept chanting, Kiss it, kiss it, kiss it. Annie might have thought one hand kiss was touching, but a second was bound to break the spell.

  He frowned when Mr. Marvelous only folded Annie’s hand in both of his for what he was sure Miss Isn’t-He-Romantic would think was a freaking touching squeeze. “Until next week, Annie.”

  Except his pronunciation of her name came out “Ah-nee.”

  “Let me walk you out,” Ah-nee literally bubbled, and Matt frowned again.

  “Gentlemen,” he said with a dismissive nod, first to Collin, last to Matt.

  The second the happy couple waltzed out of the boardroom, Collin sighed dramatically. “Be still my beating heart.”

  “Don’t make me puke,” Matt said.

  “What?” Collin asked innocently.

  “The guy’s as fake as his martial arts ponytail. Not interested in the money? Right. He’s a bartender, for Christ’s sake.”

  “No. He’s the bar owner,” Collin corrected. “And he’s obviously smart enough to realize how much free publicity his club will get with the game.” Collin paused. “But what’s really going on with you, Matt? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”

  “Jealous?” Matt thundered. “Of what?”

  “You tell me,” Collin said with an inquiring smirk.

  “There’s nothing to tell,” Matt said.

  But he walked out of the boardroom before his see-all, hear-all, and tell-all best friend could probe any further.

  Rico stole a sideways glance at the woman he’d come to conquer as they walked side by side down the long hallway. He was going to have his work cut out for him. Of that, he was certain. He’d known it within minutes of walking into her office.

  He was, after all, a master in the study of human behavior. His position behind his family’s bar had been invaluable in that respect. He’d spent most of his life watching people. Watching people and determining who they really were and what they were really all about.

  This Matt, he knew, would be his enemy. A past with Annie? Most likely. But to Rico it did not matter. The past was in the past. And Rico intended for Annie’s future to be all about him. At least until she introduced him to the right people.

  That will be the hard part.

  Winning Annie over.

  He’d seen the new breed of American women like Annie come and go at the Cabaña Club. All polished and successful on the outside, yet sadly jaded on the inside. Women who had given up. Women who had accepted the fact that romance was dead, that passion was fleeting, and that the best they could hope for in life was a lifetime of being ignored by a career-focused husband with a fat portfolio.

  Wasn’t Annie’s obvious desire for romance, even on a video game, not proof of this?

  He’d seen the surprise in her eyes the second he’d kissed her hand. That he’d caught her off guard with such a simple romantic gesture amused him. But when her body language told him she doubted his sincerity, Rico had known exactly what his strategy was going to be.

  He would bombard her with grand gestures. Show her romance was indeed still vibrantly alive even in such a fast-paced world. He would break down her wall of defenses by being exactly the type of man she had outlined in her video. A real-life fantasy man. A man who would fulfill each and every one of her little-girl dreams.

  With that thought in mind, Rico turned to Annie when they reached the elevator, brought her hand to his lips, and gently kissed it again. “A pity,” he said, holding her gaze, “that romantic customs such as this one are no longer common. Sí?”

  She blushed slightly and quickly pulled her hand away. “Yes. It is a pity.”

  Rico chuckled. “Forgive me, please, if I embarrass you. It is not my intention. I am just, as they say, anticuado. Old-fashioned. It is something I cannot help. Something I feel here,” he said, touching the place over his heart.

  Much better, Rico decided when his comments left her at an obvious loss for words. He took one of the Cabaña Club business cards from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to her. “I have written my cell phone number on the back. It is best if you reach me at that number.”

  She nodded. Before she had time to say anything else, the elevator doors opened and Rico quickly stepped inside the elevator car.

  He smiled inwardly, knowing she hadn’t missed the approving looks several women in the elevator were already giving him.

  She held her hand up to her ear, her pinkie and her thumb sticking out from the fingers curled into her palm, indicating she would call him.

  Rico nodded politely.

  But being the skillful master of human behavior that he was, he purposely waited until the elevator doors almost closed completely. And then Rico smiled—so that the last thing Annie would remember was the final charming smile he’d reserved only for her.

  Annie remained standing in front of the elevator for a second, trying to wrap her brain around the interaction that had just taken place.

  She couldn’t.

  Not completely.

  But the ick factor where Rico was concerned was fading. Fast. Especially after his line about lost romantic customs. Could this guy be for real? Aside from being just about the hottest guy she’d ever laid eyes on, was he really as sensitive and sincere as he pretended?

  She turned and walked back down the hallway, reminding herself that any interest she had in him had to remain business-oriented. Period. Getting involved with Rico personally wasn’t an option even if he’d had a first name that did fit into her head-thrown-back-in-ecstasy scenario.

  But her gut feeling also told her with this undeniable hunk in front of the camera, her promotion was guaranteed to be signed, sealed, and delivered. That was her goal. Getting her promotion.

  My only goal.

  She smiled. She’d seen how every woman on the elevator practically stopped breathing the second Rico stepped into the car with them. Yes, Rico’s mesmerizing hold-your-attention goo-goo eyes, as Matt had called them, were going to translate perfectly through the eyes of the camera. Unfortunately, remembering she still had to deal with Matt wiped the smile right off her face.

  Maybe she should try and appease Matt. Just this once. If for nothing else but the sake of their agreement to work together as teammates. Would it really hurt her to find a few real actors to also interview for the role? Wouldn’t that be the type of wise business decision a responsible department head would make?

  That’s what Annie was thinking when she walked back into Paragon’s reception area.

  Until Kathy said, “Talk about one hot gorgeous specimen of manhood!” She fanned her face, then looked back over her shoulder. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Collin. You know how he is. It would be all over the office that I practically wet my pants just looking at the guy.” She looked back over her shoulder again. “But seriously, Annie. If that’s the guy who’s going to play your Joe Video, I want to place my order now.”

  “That’s the guy.”

  There.

  She’d said it.

  Forget appeasing Matt.

  Her decision was final.

  CHAPTER 7

  Your bouquet del día, señorita,” Collin said as he placed a vase filled with a freshly cut flower arrangement on the corner of her desk. “Just as they have been delivered every workday for how long now? The last three weeks?”

  “Long enough that this office is starting to look like a damn funeral parlor,” Matt grumbled, being his usual wise-ass self.

  Annie sent Matt a look that said a funeral parlor could be his next stop.

  “Shall I read today’s card?” Collin plucked the card from the card holder before Annie could snatch it away from him. “Fairy tales can come true. Dine with me tonight and let me prove it. Love, Rico.”

  Collin sighed wistfully. “Now this is what I call a romantic man.”

  Annie wasn’t so enthused.

  Her bouquet of the day was becoming annoying.

 
In fact, had she known hiring Rico would make her the immediate object of his obsession, she might not have made such a hasty decision. Especially since most of the buzz Rico had been creating around Paragon for the last three weeks had nothing to do with his role as Joe Video. His ardent pursuit had her coworkers whispering behind their hands and behind her back. Not what she needed while she was trying to prove she was a smart, professional businesswoman deserving of a big promotion.

  She’d hoped to nip his daily flower delivery in the bud (pardon the pun) the day he’d returned to Paragon for a photo shoot and to sign his contract. She’d taken Rico to lunch. And she’d told him up front that business was her only interest where he was concerned.

  He’d responded by sending her a slow, playful smile and saying, “I am glad business is your only interest, Annie. Because I intend to become your business.”

  Dammit.

  How did a woman respond to an answer like that one?

  Especially considering her overall state of mind. In the short span of a few weeks, she’d been dumped, almost fired, promised a big promotion, and now she was being pursued by the same Cuban hottie she’d proclaimed herself as every woman’s frickin’ fantasy.

  Overwhelming?

  Flattering?

  Wickedly confusing?

  All of the above.

  In particular the confusing part. She’d been telling herself her entire life that all she needed to make her existence complete was an adoring man. She hadn’t even dared to hope for a sexy, too-gorgeous-to-be-true, romantic type of man like Rico. Yet Annie felt like a little kid finding out there wasn’t any Santa Claus. Her lifelong belief in if-only-he-adored-me was threatening to be shattered. Worse yet, Matt’s hateful adored and bored theory was staring her directly in the face.

  But it wasn’t so much about Matt possibly being right as it was about her possibly being so wrong. Now that this gorgeous, sexy, and adoring man had finally come along, why couldn’t she enjoy the lavish attention? Better yet, why wasn’t she jumping at the chance to see where a relationship with a hunk like Rico might really take her?

  It didn’t help matters that Collin kept chastising her on a daily basis. “What more could you ask for in a guy?” he kept insisting. “It’s obvious Rico’s crazy about you, Annie. He never even looks at another woman.”