Skin Deep (3 page)

“You don’t have to say that,” she said, suddenly wishing he was an auto mechanic, anything other than a doctor who molded and shaped bodies until he achieved perfection.

He brushed his lips over her collarbone. “I don’t say anything I don’t mean, Alana. I meant what I said earlier. I love that you’re all natural. It’s been so long since I’ve had my hands on a body that wasn’t…” He shook his head. “Forget it; I don’t want to talk about that right now.”

His point raised the question. How many women were sharing his bed? She didn’t want to be one of many, even if this was only a one-time deal. “Are you involved with anyone right now?” she asked, letting her hands fall to her sides.

Frowning, he asked, “Would I be here with you if I were?”

“You can’t blame me for asking. I don’t know what kind of man you are. Just because I’m attracted to you, that doesn’t mean…”

“There’s no one else,” he said quietly. He claimed her mouth. At first, it was soft and sweet, but it quickly escalated to urgent, hot, and out-of-control. “No one else sharing my bed,” he said, kissing her neck. “No one else I want,” he said, reaching for her belt.

She wanted to believe him, more than she wanted to draw her next breath, but she’d been burned enough to not take anything a man said at face value. She needed to keep things in perspective where this man was concerned. He said it himself. This was about sex, mutual gratification, nothing more.

His hands skimmed her back as he inched the zipper down. His hands and mouth were everywhere at once, searing every inch of her.

She wanted to beg him to hurry. She couldn’t wait to feel his hands all over her, caressing her, pleasuring her. Instead of waiting for him, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She reached for his belt and watched his eyes travel to her hands.

“It’s been a while for me,” she whispered, feeling the need to explain her haste.

He chuckled. “I can’t say I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart.”

God, this man was a sexy paradox. He had that bad-boy biker persona down, but judging by his profession, home, and car, he also appreciated the finer things in life. He was intelligent, well-educated, successful... everything she would have looked for in a man. If only she were looking.

“A long lunch? Sorry, not gonna work for me,” he said, backing her into the door, his eyes fixed on hers.

Her heart plummeted. He was having second thoughts. “If you’ve changed your mind…”

He laughed, tilting his head back. “You must be joking, right? Honey, I’ve fantasized about this.” He ran his forefinger down her cheek. “I’ve fantasized about you.”

Her head told her he was feeding her a line, but her heart wanted to believe he was telling her the truth. “Why me?”

Frowning, he asked, “Why not you? You’re gorgeous, smart, sexy, and successful.”

She sputtered at his inept description. “You think I’m successful?” She rolled her eyes. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m barely keeping my head above water most months.”

He held her face in his hands, kissing her lips gently. “Life doesn’t have to be such a struggle, Alana. Your life could be whatever you want it to be.”

If only that were true. He made it sound so simple, but for him it no doubt was. He probably didn’t have to carry the burden of his family on his shoulders. He didn’t have to cry himself to sleep at night wondering how he was going to pay the bills that month. Nor did he have to kiss up to the loans officer to get his line of credit extended at the bank. “My life is what it is, Ryan. It may not be perfect, but I’m okay with that.”

“You shouldn’t be,” he said, sliding the dress off her shoulders. “You deserve the best, and you shouldn’t settle for anything less.”

She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his tongue swirling around her neck, saturating her panties. Moaning, she clung to his shoulders. “God, I love the way that feels.”

“Take the day off,” he whispered. “It’s Saturday. Play hooky and spend the day in bed with me.”

Saturday was typically their busiest day of the week, and she had that sales meeting at 3:00. As much as she might like to, she couldn’t shirk her responsibilities, not even for a day. People counted on her. She couldn’t let them down. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

He pulled back to look at her. “When was the last time you took a day off?”

“The dealership is closed on Sundays.”

“That’s not what I asked. When was the last time you took a day off or went on vacation? Hell, when was the last time you did anything for yourself?”

She knew he was trying to help her put things in perspective, but she didn’t appreciate his interference. She was doing what she had to do for her family and her employees. This was why she refused to get involved with anyone; she knew her lack of personal time would be a point of contention in any relationship. “I don’t think that’s any of your concern.”

“You just answered my question,” he muttered. He braced his hands on the door behind her and leaned in, getting in her face. “This is crazy. You can’t keep doing this to yourself, sweetheart.”

His words were sweet, laced with concern she could almost believe, if not for the fact that he was a stranger expecting to get her into bed. Believing his motives were altruistic was naïve. “Can we get back to the matter at hand?” she said, easing his jacket over his shoulders. “I believe you were going to help me to relax, weren’t you?”

“Honey,” he said, framing her face with his hands. “I’m worried about you. I’d like to help make this easier for you, if you’ll let me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“If this is a financial issue, I can help you with that.”

Was he proposing sex for money? “Are you suggesting…”

He muttered a curse and dropped his head, chuckling. “No, shit, that didn’t come out right. I was suggesting a business loan. It would be strictly on the up and up.” He raised his hand, disarming her with that sexy grin. “Favorable interest rates and terms, I promise.”

She could definitely use an operating loan right now, but she couldn’t afford to acquire any more debt. If only she could find a buyer to take the business off her hands. That wasn’t a problem five years ago when the dealership was making bags of money, but this was a different time. Even the wealthy weren’t spending money on new cars these days. The CEOs who used to buy their cars had struggling companies now. They were laying off employees, and they couldn’t pull into the parking lot behind the wheel of a new car worth more than the houses their employees were losing. It would be bad for morale. At least, that’s the story they gave Alana when she called to make her sales pitch to their long-time customers.

“I couldn’t accept that,” she said, quietly. “But thanks for the offer.” He was the first person who’d offered to help her find a way out of this mess, even if he did have an ulterior motive. Sex.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered, stealing a kiss. “But I didn’t make this offer just because I want to get you into bed.”

She smiled as she waited to hear his reasons. This should be good. “No? Then tell me, why would you want to extend credit to a business on the verge of bankruptcy?”

He grimaced. “Is it really that bad?”

It was worse, but she still had some pride, and despite his generous offer, he was still just a handsome stranger who would undoubtedly disappear with the sunrise. “Yeah, it is. So, tell me why you’d want to do this for me.”

“My father’s best friend gave me a loan when I was starting out. Let’s just say this would be my way of paying it forward.”

She wanted to question him about it, but they were already getting in too deep. She hadn’t talked about her failing business with anyone outside her immediate family and advisors. “Look, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I just don’t think it is a good idea. It certainly isn’t a sound business decision for you.”

He smiled. “You’re something else, Alana. I’m offering to bail you out of your financial trouble, and you’re worried about how this might affect me? Maybe that’s your problem, sweetheart…” He trailed a finger down her neck then between her cleavage. “You need to develop a thicker skin if you want to succeed in business.”

She tipped her chin, glaring at him. “I’ll have you know that I have a MBA, Ryan. I know more about what it takes to succeed in business than you ever will.”

He laughed. “I don’t doubt that. I do my thing, and I do it well. But I’m smart enough to leave the rest to a capable team of professionals. Why don’t you join that team? Show me how much I don’t know.”

Frowning, she asked, “You’re offering me a job?” What was the deal with this guy? One minute he was offering her a loan, the next minute a job? He was hell-bent on being her hero. She had taken care of herself and everyone else for so long she’d forgotten having someone take care of her felt like.

“I’m opening a third office soon. I’m looking to hire a business consultant. What do you say?  Are you interested?”

“I’d say thanks, but no thanks. I’ve got my hands full with the dealership.” Truth be told, she ate, slept, and breathed the business.

“This would be flexible. You’d be an independent consultant, you could set your own hours, and the compensation package is tough to refuse.”

She had to admit, the offer was tempting. A year ago, she could have built her jewelry business while working as a part-time consultant with start-ups who had the budget to hire someone with her expertise. It would be the best of both worlds: a steady income and the freedom to build her business without the pressure of having to bring home a pay check right away. “I wish I had the time to take on something like that, but I don’t.”

“Couldn’t you hire a manager at the dealership?”

She laughed. As if the budget had money for that. “I don’t think so.”

He leaned into kiss her, stealing her breath. “I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of talking about business. Will you do something for me, please?”

When he asked like that, she would be hard-pressed to refuse him anything. The man was irresistible, and she suspected he knew it. “What would you like me to do?”

“Call Lina and tell her you’re taking the day off. Just spend the day here with me, please?”

She was never so tempted to call in sick. She needed this; hell, she’d earned this. “Okay, I’ll do it.” She reached into her purse. “Just give me a minute.”

“I’ll meet you out back. Let me fire up the hot tub.”

“But I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

He laughed. “You won’t need one, baby.”

Ryan knew he was coming on strong, but no matter how hard he tried to rein it in, he couldn’t. His feelings for this woman were clouding his judgment. He’d fallen for her beauty and poise the first night he saw her, but as he got to know her better, he was learning that he loved everything about her. She was strong and smart, but she was also compassionate and driven. She was loyal to those she loved and determined to stand on her own two feet. The women he’d dated were more than willing to coast on his dime, but Alana wouldn’t hear of it, and that fierce independence was perhaps her most appealing quality. It was also the trait standing between him and what he wanted. She wasn’t going to let him help her, but the pace she was maintaining wouldn’t allow for the kind of relationship he wanted, so he had to find a way to break down her defenses, earn her trust, and convince her to accept his help.

He’d shed his clothes and slipped into the hot tub before she made her way out to the manicured backyard. “I was afraid you’d changed your mind and bailed on me,” he said, grinning. She’d replaced her dress before walking outside. He’d have to remedy that, soon.

Her eyes traveled down his chest. “Don’t think I didn’t think about it.” She licked her lips. “But I’m glad I didn’t.”

“A bottle of white wine is chilling in the mini-fridge over there.” He pointed to a wraparound stucco and stone structure that housed a mini-kitchen and stone barbeque. “Can you grab it for me? There’s a corkscrew in the drawer beside the sink and wine glasses in the cabinet above.”

She looked around, admiring the grounds. “You’ve got quite the set-up here.”

He was suddenly embarrassed to be living in the lap of luxury while she was struggling financially. “I can’t take any of the credit. The house was like this when I bought it.” Not that he hadn’t paid for it and then some.

“Still, it’s beautiful,” she said.

He watched her standing at the counter, her back to him. Her platinum blonde hair fell down her back, brushing her waist. He couldn’t wait to feel those silky tresses blanketing his chest when she rode him later.

She returned with the requisite items in hand and proceeded to open the wine bottle like a seasoned pro. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He decided to take a risk and come clean. “I’ve waited for this a long time, having you here with me.”

She passed one of the glasses to him. “What took you so long to make your move?”

“I had a girlfriend.” He chuckled. “To tell you the truth, I had a hell of a time getting rid of her.”

She regarded him over the rim of her glass. “How so?”

“She wasn’t ready to let go, but I knew she wasn’t what I wanted.” He knew exactly what he wanted in a woman, and she stood before him, looking every bit the sexy vixen who’d claimed the starring role in his dreams.