by Nana Malone
Chapter Seven
Alec watched with bemusement as Jaya’s delicately arched brows shot up. Her eyes darted to his crotch and he bit back a string of curses. “Maybe not the best choice of words.” He leaned forward, marveling at the way his body hummed when she swayed toward him.
Before he could talk himself out of being cautious, he cupped her face with his hand, and drew her to him. He knew there were a million reasons why he shouldn't kiss her, shouldn't take her to bed. Too bad he couldn't think of a single one.
His lips slid over hers and he breathed in her scent. The remnants of her perfume made his blood simmer. All he wanted to do was bury himself inside her and shut out the world. When her tongue met his, he felt the jolts of electricity straight to his cock. Groaning against her lips, he pulled her closer to him. She sighed and wound her arms around his neck. As her whole body relaxed, she molded her body against his. Moving his hands to her waist, his thumbs traced a path at the hem of her tank top. She hitched in a breath.
A niggling voice in his head said to wait. His body wanted to shoot that voice. Groaning against her lips, he tried to bring his libido under control. He felt her draw back and lifted his head to look down at her. What the hell was wrong with him? This was not part of the plan.
Jaya squeezed her eyes shut. When they opened again, fatigue had chased off the lust. The words tumbled out of her full lips in a steady flow. “Look, Alec, I’m sorry. I can’t. Why did you really come here? What do you want from me? You can’t just show up on my doorstep and kiss me and make me forget what I need to do.”
He shook his head as he forced his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“It’s been a long night and neither one of us got any sleep. I need to start making some calls this morning if I’m going to find a date, and all I want are a couple of hours so I can be coherent. If your ego is bruised because I left this morning, then I’m sorry. It really was the best sex I have ever had in my life. And god-damn, you can kiss. But, it’s not you, it’s me. I just didn’t want to do the awkward thing. Thank you again for bringing back my card and license. I just can’t do this.”
He crossed his arms as he watched her begin to lose steam. “You all done now?”
She didn’t look pleased about the interruption but she closed her mouth.
“What I was saying was, I have a solution to your problems.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah? Somehow I doubt another round of curl-my-toes sex is going to solve my current problems. Now if you’ll excuse—”
Alec stepped over the threshold before she could unceremoniously shut the door in his face. “Okay, relax. Maybe I did come here because my ego was a little bruised, but that’s not the only reason. I like you and I really do want to help.”
Almond-shaped hazel eyes narrowed at him. “You know anyone who wants to sit through the torture of wedding festivities with my family? I promise you it’ll resemble something like ancient torture tests.”
“Yeah. Me.”
She blinked up at him. Blinked again. The deep breath she choked in drew his attention to her pert breasts. He schooled his brain before the runaway train could go into the memory bank for how sweet they tasted and how her whole body melted every time he licked the dark tips. She opened her mouth to speak then shut it again.
“Wow, cat got your tongue? I’m impressed. Somehow I thought it would take more.”
Again, the narrowed eyes, but this time she accompanied them by tossing a tiny stuffed Batman figurine his way. Not bad aim, she almost got him in the head.
“Why would you agree to do something like that? Last night was a one-off. And I know I asked you to be my date, but that was just a sex game. I didn’t think you would actually say yes.”
Which is really a shame. “Yeah, you said that already. Bottom line is I need something from you too.”
She backed up a step. “Is this where you tell me you need a kidney or my beating heart for some whacked ritual?”
He snickered. “You really need to lay off the Law and Order SVU. It’s simpler than that. I need an event planner.”
“What?”
“Event planner. That is what you do right? I called you the other day. At Trudeaux, they said you didn’t work there anymore, which I might mention is not cool, as that’s where you wanted me to bill the dry-cleaning. Anyway, I figure you have some time on your hands.”
He watched as her shoulders relaxed by degrees. “What kind of event? Something small? At the bar, maybe?”
He shook his head. “Try a thousand—person gala for Adele Westhorpe for the end of the year.”
He watched as her mouth did the open-closed guppy thing again, all the while taking in the detail of her place. Everything was hyper-neat and organized. The only thing incongruous was the figurine, and he had a feeling the mini Bruce Wayne didn’t spend much time out of place. It was the crack of dawn and her place looked like the maid had just been through it.
“Oh, right, like you know Adele Westhorpe. This sounds like a scam.”
That stung. But then, what was she supposed to think? He had been a bartender when he met her. “Yeah, well, my brother isn’t the only one who works for the Westhorpes, though my title is a little more ambiguous. I’m sort of the resident Mr. Fix-It. Anything needs dealing with, and I’m the one they call. Last night, they needed bar staff and a general manager for the opening of the club.” There. That was almost the truth.
“Why would you give me a job of that magnitude? You don’t even know me. I could be a crazy person. Or worse, suck at the event thing.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he knew every inch of her—from what made her smile, to the fact that she talked in her sleep, to what she looked like when she came—but then she probably wouldn’t take that well. “I’m not doing you a favor. All I’m getting you is an audition. Adele Westhorpe needs an event planner and she’s tasked me with finding her one. It won’t be a walk in the park. She’s a tyrant. In exchange, I go to this wedding with you.”
She swiped a hand across her forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m floored. People don’t do this kind of thing for total strangers. I could be a total flake. You’re putting your job on the line to help me.”
“My mother always did call me impetuous. So is that a yes? Can we go get breakfast now?” His stomach rumbled a second to his request.
“I—wait. I need to be sure. Can we have some kind of contract or something? You know, saying you don’t expect sex in return?”
His grin was instant. She drove a hard bargain. “Do you want to tell me why sex isn’t on the agenda?”
“You mean, besides muddy waters and I need my total focus on the job at hand? Contrary to my behavior last night, I don’t just sleep with random guys. I’m the get-attached girl and clearly you’re not a get-attached guy, so it’s just easier.”
And it won’t allow you to have control. But he knew better than to goad her with that tidbit of truth. “Okay, fine. What I will say is this. When you decide you want to sleep with me, it’ll have nothing to do with our deal. Can you live with that?”
“You’re so sure of yourself.”
Why was he pushing so hard? So what if she said no? So what if he never saw her again? He gritted through the pang of loss. It was worse than he thought. Which was why he had to get her out of his system. She wasn’t the first woman he wanted or who threatened to become a major distraction for him. He just needed some time to work through it. The added bonus was he could also make Adele happy.
“You’d be surprised, but I’ve heard that before.” He cocked his head. “So, what do you say? Am I date material?”
She eyed him as she worked her bottom lip. It was all he could do to tell her to forget the deal and coax her back to bed.
She let out a long sigh. “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret this?”
“I don’t know. Why do you?”
“You’re too
charming for your own good. I’m sure you’ve heard that before. The way I see it, the charm can either work against me or for me.” Jaya pressed a hand to her chest like it was her panacea. “You know I need the job. I just don’t know why you’re being so nice to me. You don’t know me.”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say, I saw you rock out to old-school Jackson Five, Rihanna and Jason Mrahz. Your musical taste is eclectic and you blow my mind in bed.”
She blushed.
“So even if you say it was a one-time thing, and you aren’t going to let that happen again, I'm inclined to help you. And you’ll be saving my ass. Adele Westhorpe isn’t a woman who takes disappointment well. All you have to do is come to breakfast. Then we’ll head up to LA.”
“LA? That’s a two-hour drive. I’m not just going to drop everything I'm doing and go somewhere with you. You could still be an axe-murderer.”
“Well, if I were, wouldn’t you already be dead by now? And if you worry I'm going to strand you in LA, you can drive.”
“Look, this just feels really impulsive and rushed. You don’t know me, but I do not do impulsive and rushed. I’m a planner. I’m not heading to Los Angeles on a moment’s notice. Besides, what’s up there?”
“Adele’s in LA. She’s interviewing other event planners at the Westhorpe up there. And let me point out that you've planned out every inch of your life and see where you are now. Maybe it's good to be a little impulsive.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and Alec temporarily lost focus. When she sighed, he knew he had her. “Okay. But first I need to send some emails in case this Westhorpe thing doesn’t work out. I’ve got some feelers out there. This condo won’t pay for itself.”
He grinned. “Now that we’re in agreement that I make a wonderful date, can we go eat?”
“Is that all you can think about?”
“You took sex off the table.” He shrugged.
Rolling her eyes, she hitched up her shorts again, hiding the strip of flesh under the cotton fabric. “Okay. Fine. I figure we need to—” The jangling of keys in the lock had her head whipping around. Using her whole body to barricade the door, she whispered, “This will sound crazy, but—”
“You need me to hide in the bathroom, closet, or bedroom?”
Her eyes bugged. “How did you know?”
He shook his head. “I’ve had enough encounters that ended this way while someone had to explain to a boyfriend, or husband or lesbian lover.”
She giggled as she slapped a hand over her eyes. “Incorrigible. But somehow I believe it.”
He grinned. “I'll just make myself comfy in your bedroom.”
“Thank you.” She nodded in the direction of the hallway and he reluctantly complied.
“Okay, but I will ask some questions later.”
She shoved her full weight behind the door again. Whoever was on the other side couldn’t have been much bigger than she was, as he or she couldn’t budge her from the door frame. “I promise you, it’s not a husband or anything. Just something too awkward to explain and deal with. Please.” she whispered.
He sauntered down the hallway, straining to hear. He opted to stop in the bathroom. It was closer and would probably afford a better eavesdropping spot. And to think, he almost walked away from all this intrigue.