What’s a Girl to Do?:
What’s a Girl to Do?:
Aimee Duffy
HarperImpulse Erotic Romance NovellaThe first novella in a thrilling, pulse-racing new erotic romance series, Indecent Proposals. Three best friends, Shey, Eloisa and Georgia take on the most powerful and eligible men of the New York dating scene.Perfect for fans of bestselling erotic romance authors Sylvia Day and E.L. James!‘I’m not coming over.’ Shey replied confidently.‘Then maybe you could return the favor now.’Wait, he didn’t mean…‘Slide your hand beneath your panties and tell me how ready you are for me.’Oh my god, he did.Single Manhattanite Shey Lopez doesn’t do one night stands, or have relationships she can’t control. Especially if giving in to playboy Calvin Jones means losing her heart in the process.However, Mr Won’t-Take-No-For-An-Answer always gets what he wants and there’s only so many times a girl can resist such a enticing proposal…
What's a Girl to Do?
Book One in Indecent Proposals
Aimée Duffy
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers
www.harpercollins.co.uk
Contents
Copyright (#u40e0912e-8545-507d-ada8-8ce9d4424349)
Dedication (#u323eb1cf-82dc-5513-abb7-1a24037975ca)
Chapter One (#u1559208b-52b5-540b-a35f-c5a172347a31)
Chapter Two (#u271ee9cb-62e1-5ce1-9e17-bc5316825dc6)
Chapter Three (#u05d2bb7e-9f31-53b1-88cc-7354f79dd03e)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Aimée Duffy (#litres_trial_promo)
About HarperImpulse (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
HarperImpulse an imprint of
HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
77–85 Fulham Palace Road
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.harpercollins.co.uk
First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2013
Copyright © Aimée Duffy 2013
Cover Photographs © shutterstock.com
Aimée Duffy asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Ebook Edition © August 2013 ISBN: 9780007540280
Version 2014-09-24
Digital eFirst: Automatically produced by Atomik ePublisher from Easypress.
To Chelle, Amalie, Cat/Jo, Amy, Mel and the Dashing ladies. I really appreciate having you all, especially when I'm whining.
Chapter One (#u6d7d7736-cf91-5a54-8ab2-0e19b96af2d3)
Tonight’s a tequila night, screw the lime mixer.
Shey Lopez grinned at Georgia’s email to her and their other roommate, Eloisa. No doubt about it, the week had dragged and she was up for something stronger than their usual pitcher of frozen margaritas.
She hit reply to all and got typing.
I’m in.
Jude Graham chose that second to clear his throat at the door to her office. She fought back a scowl at her boss and hit CTRL & E without glancing at the screen. The high-maintenance bitch looked flustered, which was ironic since he’d barely lifted a finger all week. His whole me editor, you do what I tell you attitude got on her nerves. If Storm wasn’t the best fashion magazine in New York, she’d be out of there faster than Jude could buff his fingernails. And, going by the way that they shined, he was a pro.
‘What can I do for you, Jude?’ Surely he could tell the saccharine tone of her voice was false. Then again, being false was one of Jude’s many talents.
‘I need those proofs for the Gianni article by the end of the day.’
Shey’s smile slipped. He’d given her the paperwork less than an hour ago and it was already way past three. The guy was a nightmare, too busy wrapped up in another argument with his husband to care about his job. She couldn’t wait for the day she cranked up enough experience to leapfrog over his ass and be the editor, not the assistant.
‘There’s only two hours left and I have other work to do,’ she said, sounding calm, even though her heart rate increased with trepidation. Still, she was playing over all the insults she could think of in her mind.
He scowled, or tried to. The botox didn’t leave much room for changes in his expression. ‘There’s more than one smart-assed girl in this building who would kill for your position. If the article isn’t on my desk at five, you can kiss your job goodbye.’
With that and more flourish than a prom queen, he left. Shey was tempted to launch her stapler at the empty doorway, but resisted. Everything good in life came with a price, or so she told herself. Her dream job should have a downside, it was only the natural balance of things. That little bitch Jude was what she had to suffer to get to the top, and she would suffer him and do it with a smile.
Closing her eyes, she took a calming breath. And then another. Her yoga instructor would be proud.
With her head cleared, she got her focus back in the game. Jude would have his article on the desk by four forty-five. She could do this. And later, when her head was frazzled and her fingers ached, she’d go out with her girls and drink the well dry.
Opening a new email, she sent another message to Georgia and Eloisa.
The bitch is at it again. Make mine doubles.
After hitting send, she got to work.
***
With half an hour to spare, Shey was relieved her speedy fingers and dedication meant she’d get to see Jude’s jaw drop. Three read-throughs later and the article was as polished as she could make it, but she wasn’t kidding herself that it would be enough. Little bitch, or LB as most of the office staff called him, was pernickety and thorough. One mistake or missing word and he’d come down on her so hard that some would think she’d made an attempt on his husband’s life.
Tapping the pointed toes of her Prada stilettos, Shey waited for the article to print. When it was done she aligned the pages, stapled the top corner, and made a beeline for Jude’s office.
Storm was exactly what she had expected when she’d landed the internship over a year ago. All white plastic with brightly colored furniture and art. Bitches around every corner waiting to stab you in the back to get on their editor’s good sides. And the jackpot: free backstage passes to fashion shows, exclusive clubs, and parties. God, she loved it. She really did. But she suspected the cattiness was rubbing off on her. When she’d started the internship she’d been quiet, too scared to say boo to anyone. She learned quickly that if she didn’t stand up for herself and grow a backbone, she’d be crushed like a bug.
Rounding the corner she spied what her friends would call ‘a suit’ talking to the receptionist, Mandy. Shey slowed her steps, taking him in from side profile. That body was built, in a Brad Pitt kind of way, with much better arm definition. Dark-chestnut hair grew long enough to cling on to and he had skin as dark as her own, which meant he was either half-Latina like her or paid a few visits a week to the tanning booth.
Either way, hot as sin.
When he turned and she met his hazel gaze, her skin warmed like it was on fire. The white cotton shift dress she’d donned for work suddenly felt as thick as a quilt and she had trouble getting air into her lungs. Christ, the guy must’ve been throwing some kind of freaky pheromones her way. Either that or it had been way too long since she’d had a date.
His gaze roved over her body from her head to the scarlet Prada’s and he didn’t make any effort to hide his scrutiny. He was a ten, at least. And thank you God! There was no mistaking he liked what he saw, if his wink was anything to go by. Most guys who came for a meeting at Storm were gay. This hottie either swung both ways or he was all about the ladies. Shey didn’t really care which, as long as she was on the list of things that made him burn.
Pulling her shoulders back, she added a sashay to her hips as she approached him. There was plenty of time to get the paperwork to Jude and, if she could find out something about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Built, she didn’t mind being a little late. After all, who else would he find to put up with his bullshit? She’d been the only intern who got promoted to assistant editor last year. The others would crack within a week.
She did a little looking of her own as she approached, giving him points for the navy tailored suit, deducting a few for not wearing a tie. Ties were sexy. She could pull a guy over for a kiss with it, or slide it off then wrap it around his eyes while she led him to the bedroom. More points for rockin’ the open collar on the white silk shirt, especially since the skin underneath was smooth and bronzed.
Determined to play it cool, Shey headed to the reception instead of approaching the guy.
‘You hitting the town with us tonight?’ Shey asked. Mandy was one of the few in the office that Shey could actually stand. Her housemates liked Mandy too.
Mandy bit her cherry-glossed lip. ‘Club Zero?’ Shey nodded. ‘I can’t. Graham wants me to watch the game with him tonight. He says doing more stuff together will bring us closer.’
Shey tried not to screw up her face and failed. ‘Watching the game, seriously? Like the Yankies are going to make up for months of no dates or attention?’ She pitied poor Mandy and wished she had the balls to ditch that loser. She was gorgeous, all busty and blonde, and that guy treated her like an afterthought.
A husky laugh made her turn.
‘I suppose you agree with her idiot boyfriend?’ Shey asked the stranger.
His lips twisted up at the corners and a sultry look darkened his eyes. ‘Hell no. I can think of better ways to entertain a lady.’
Her heart rate went crazy.
Mandy gasped, but was saved by the phone ringing. Shey didn’t have the same time to compose herself. She was lost in his gaze and that fiery burn scorching through her body. For the first time since she could remember, Shey couldn’t find her tongue. Those damn eyes messed with her head and she couldn’t break free from their spell if she tried.
He stepped closer and the burn intensified. She was so hot she wanted to rip the dress off and stand in front of an open freezer to cool down. Up close she could see a dark five o’clock shadow on his sculpted jaw. His throat was thick, just like his shoulders. The slightly crooked nose suggested he’d had it broken at some point in his life, but it didn’t deter from his harsh beauty. Shey was awestruck, and so turned on she thought she might come just from looking at him.
‘What’s your name, gorgeous?’ he asked.
The disinterest on his face made it seem like he was flirting out of habit rather than because he wanted to. Even still, there seemed to be a magnetic force between them, crackling in the air and sparking. Those eyes of his had darkened, contradicting his Mr. Cool Man front. No way was Shey going to make this easy for him.
‘Seriously? That the best line you’ve got?’ She forced a laugh, but it came out husky, damn it. ‘Next you’ll call my dad a thief for stealing the stars and putting them in my eyes.’
His brows shot up, but he composed himself in a heartbeat. With a smile, he leaned forward and brushed a kiss over her cheekbone. The spicy smell of him invaded her senses and her skin sizzled with the contact. Her body went hyperactive. Hands trembling, knees weakening and oh yeah, soaked right through her lacy thong. She had to get away from him before she did something crazy, like beg for those soft lips to touch her again.
‘Sweetheart, with you I don’t need any lines.’
Anger boiled through her veins, loosening his hold on her body. She didn’t even know his name and he had her salivating, for Christ’s sake. He was a cocky bastard, so sure he had her right where he wanted her, and the worst thing? He was absolutely right. Next time those lips touched her skin she’d be putty in his long-fingered hands.
‘It’ll take more than arrogance to win me over.’ Shey left the asshole unspoken. ‘I have somewhere to be.’ Without waiting for Mandy to get off the phone or for Mr. Cool to reply, she left reception.
His voice trailed behind her. ‘I’ll see you soon, gorgeous.’
Yeah, big shot. In your dreams.
***
‘Here’s to Friday nights. Where would we be without them?’ Georgia held up her shot of tequila.
From their table on the upper level of Club Zero, they had a bird’s-eye view of the club below. Dark purple and chrome was the theme, and the whole place was surrounded by mirrored walls.
Shey clinked her shot against Georgia’s and Eloisa joined in.
She was the first to get the glass to her lips and swallow in one go. The burn in her throat was bliss after a day like today. Even though she got the article in early, Jude had acted like, well, a bitch and made her redo three paragraphs. Surprise, surprise. And she wasn’t even thinking about Mr. Cool.
It was almost nine and half the men in the club had already picked out the women they were going to dance with or take home. The rest were the ones other women had ditched for a reason. A quick glance around was all Shey and her roomies needed to find out why. Stragglers, Michelin Men, and the drooling desperados lurked in the shadows, waiting for the women to down a bit too much hard stuff.
There weren’t thick enough beer goggles in the world.
Shey turned away with a sigh. It didn’t matter who was left, she didn’t do one-night stands. She liked to have a connection with the men she got involved with. Going home with a guy or vice versa was dangerous in more ways than one.
‘We need to stop coming here after eight.’ The earlier they arrived, the better chance they had of grabbing a table downstairs the perfect distance between the dance floor and the bar. Not to mention finding a guy or two who actually wanted to talk, not drool.
‘You’d rather spend the night on EHarmony?’ Eloisa asked with distaste and flicked her auburn curls over her shoulder. ‘There are more psychos on the net. At least here you can see the ugly coming.’
‘Or the desperate,’ Georgia added.
‘I don’t think any of us will find what we’re looking for in a bar,’ Shey said.
‘Speak for yourself.’ Eloisa downed another shot. With watery eyes, she glanced at Shey. ‘You’re the only one uptight about dating.’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘I’m not uptight, just careful.’
Georgia rolled her eyes. ‘Come on, you’ve never even had a fling.’
‘That’s hardly a national disaster.’
Eloisa chimed in. ‘It could be. Maybe the world needs Shey Lopez to do one wild thing.’
Shey shook her head. ‘I’ve done wild things.’
‘Yeah right.’ Georgia picked up her glass. ‘Splurging on a pair of shoes you can’t afford is the craziest thing you’ve done.’
Being teased by her friends never usually bothered her, and it didn’t this time either. If she took the bait it was sure to get worse. But she’d come out tonight for more in the way of fun, and damn if she wasn’t going home until her feet throbbed and she’d had a good work out on the dance floor.
‘Let’s dance girls,’ she said.
They finished the last of the tequila and headed down to the main level. Club Zero was no back-street club or for the lower class. The cover price to get in was her weekly indulgence, and the drinks all had a few extra dollars added to the price. But the best bit? No trash. It was the high end of sophistication in Manhattan and they could dance without worrying about getting spills all over their new stilettos.
Finding an open area near the bar, they tucked their clutch bags under their arms and got busy. By the third song, Shey was feeling more relaxed, her body loosening and the stress of the day disappearing. It was weird that she found the atmosphere in the club calming, considering all the strobe lights and neon, but burning up a good sweat swinging her hips was her favorite form of exercise. Probably had something to do with the tequila too.
Eloisa came close and pressed her body against Shey’s. A typical move for her if there was a guy who caught her interest, so Shey went with it and grabbed her hips. Georgia was a few feet away, dancing with her eyes closed in that self-possessed way of hers, giving herself up to the beat of the music.
After a moment Shey realized Eloisa wasn’t giving anyone the eye. Instead she leaned close and shouted in Shey’s ear, ‘don’t look now, but there’s a gorgeous suit at the bar checking you out.’
Nodding to let Eloisa know she got the message, Shey changed the position of their bodies until their satin-clad rears ground together as they danced. Shey missed a grind and almost fell backward when she saw who was staring, but she got back with the program quickly. Holy hell, Mr. Cool was here—in a different suit—and he was staring at her from beneath hooded lids.
With one arm propped on the bar and a tumbler containing dark liquid in his other hand, he looked sexier than sin. Then his earlier words came back and even though the heat still sizzled between them, Shey forced herself to turn away. The guy had an ego to rival Hugh Hefner’s and could probably get a woman into his bed tonight with a click of his fingers. His bored tone, the disinterest in his expression, and his cocky remark about not needing a line meant he was not for her.
She liked a guy to make a little more effort than that before she decided whether or not she wanted to fall into bed with him.
Studiously ignoring him, she continued to shake what her mama gave her—though her mom would be horrified to see the size of Shey’s hips. Felicity Lopez was on the curvy side for a supermodel but weighed a good twenty pounds less than Shey. No way was Shey going to live on rabbit feed for the rest of her life. Food, like life, was there to enjoy.
Eloisa called a time-out and headed back to the table with Georgia since it was Shey’s round, and probably because they thought Shey was interested in Mr. Cool. She tried to act casual and crossed to the opposite end of the mahogany bar to avoid him. After placing the order for an army of shots, the bartender got to work.
‘If I said these were on me, would you think that’s another line?’ Mr. Cool was standing right next to her and she had to take a deep breath to orientate herself.
That was the wrong thing to do. He’d switched the spicy aftershave for something musky and that had an even stronger effect on her hormones. Eau de Pheromone, maybe? She hoped it was expensive so all the creeps in the city didn’t catch on.
Shey turned to him and squared her shoulders. ‘I’d say I’m perfectly capable of buying my own drinks.’ She fought the urge to thank him for the offer, especially when she saw the wry smile.
‘How about we start again? I’m Calvin.’ He extended his hand.
Placing her hand in his, she shivered at the electric contact. It woke up her insides like she’d swallowed a couple of hormone pills. His head bowed over her hand, but he never took his attention off her face. Her breath caught as his lips brushed her knuckles and she had to jerk her hand back.
The flash fire that burned over her skin was epic and worse, Shey wanted him to kiss her again. Crazy. Even though he seemed to be trying politeness on for size, he had this confidence that said he knew she’d end up naked on his bed, and though her body went wild with the idea, no thanks. Shey was the result of her mom’s stupidity. Felicity had fallen for a charmer, and all it had done was stall her mother’s career.
Quickest way to cut off his interest would be to lie through her teeth. ‘Sorry, I have—’
‘Shey, fibs are unattractive. I know you’re single.’ He stepped closer, too close, and her heart kicked off on a mamba.
‘How do you know my name?’
And why did the sound of it rolling off his tongue get her even hotter?
Calvin smiled, showing every one of those flawless white teeth, and she was dazzled. Christ. She needed to pull it together, fast.
‘Your friend Mandy and I spoke.’
Shey frowned. She was going to kill Mandy.
‘A woman like you shouldn’t be single. Unless you’re the kind of woman who likes variety.’
‘Another line?’ She tried to hold the scowl, and failed. The way he said variety had her thinking about all the different things he’d do to her body. She had a feeling he’d take her higher than any man ever had, and that was based on her own reaction to him, not to mention that arrogant confidence which pissed her off and got her hot all at the same time.
‘I told you earlier Shey, I don’t need them.’
Saved by the shots. The bartender placed down a tray and, even though she’d ordered three for each of them, it didn’t seem like enough. Hell, jumping into an ice bath didn’t seem like enough to calm her down. She paid the guy and told him to keep the change. Before she managed to scamper away with the tray, Calvin spoke.
‘I’ll see you soon, Shey.’
She frowned at him, thinking that wasn’t going to happen. ‘You know, there’s a club full of women here tonight who I’m sure would be more than happy to give you what you want.’
‘What is it you think I want?’
Those eyes, all dark and intense, scrambled her thoughts. ‘An easy lay.’ The second the words left her lips, her face heated.
Calvin raised a dark brow. ‘Where’s the fun in that?’
She sent a message to her feet to get them to move, but they ignored her. She was trapped again, her body wanting what she wouldn’t let it have and now she could see it in his expression. He was thriving on the challenge she’d presented him, instead of giving her a half-assed come-on like earlier.
But it didn’t matter. When they met he’d hit on her in under three seconds, without even knowing her name, and those kind of guys didn’t do fancy dates. They wanted women in their beds and if they had to work a little to make it happen, that was fine with them. She wasn’t going to join the notches on his bedpost.
‘You’re wasting your breath with me.’ This time when she turned to leave with the tray of much-needed tequila, her feet obeyed.
Calvin got the last word. Again. ‘I always get what I want.’
Chapter Two (#u6d7d7736-cf91-5a54-8ab2-0e19b96af2d3)
Unease twisted Shey’s empty stomach as she followed Mandy up the stairs on Monday afternoon. Why Marco, the big-dog editor and chief, would want his receptionist and an assistant editor to check out the upper floor was beyond her. She went anyway, clutching her purse tightly to her side. The sooner they got this over with and she could scoot to the deli across the street, the better. She was starved.
Mandy opened the door to the twelfth floor, and Shey’s breath caught in her throat. Mr. Cool—Calvin—stood in the entrance lobby next to a table draped with a thick white cloth. A bottle of Merlot was open, two glasses poured and two candles lit, but she didn’t notice what was on the plates. She couldn’t take her eyes off of his.
‘That will be all, Mandy.’ His voice, gentle yet commanding, shivered through her.
Mandy scurried back to the stairwell just as Shey’s shock cleared. She reached out and blocked the doorway with her arm.
‘What the hell’s going on here?’ she asked them both, though it was pretty obvious. She’d been set up. The you will not talk about me to strangers again speech she’d given Mandy earlier had clearly gone in one ear and out the other.
‘Shey, I hoped you would join me for lunch.’ There was no demand in his tone now, only charm, and she didn’t trust it one bit.
‘I think it’s romantic.’ Mandy let out a dreamy sigh and Shey rolled her eyes.
She couldn’t deny the gesture was sweet, in its own way. She wanted a guy to make the effort for her, and Calvin had brought that in spades. Didn’t mean she appreciated the sneaky way he got her there. Still, she gave him points for his smarts. There was no way she’d have come if she knew what was going on.
The effort alone deserved a gentle let-down, since her rejection on Friday night hadn’t gotten through that beautiful head of his.
‘Fine. I’ll stay, but only because I’m starving.’ And were those chocolate truffles? Yeah, she’d stay for dessert before she put her foot down.
Mandy winked, then she was off down the stairs with a clatter of heels hitting concrete. Wisely, Calvin didn’t smirk, only pulled a chair out for her. She slid in, breathing through her mouth in case he was throwing out the bottled pheromones again.
He disappeared behind her and then she heard the click of the door closing. She whirled the top half of her body around to face him, a skitter of unease dancing down her spine. ‘What are you doing?’
Part of her wondered if this was a bad idea. She was alone with a man who drove her body crazy, a man she barely knew. He could be a rapist or a murderer. But if he was either of those things, getting Mandy to bring her up here would blow his cover, wouldn’t it? Mandy would know the last person Shey was with, and there was CCTV all over the building.
Calvin left the key in the lock and sauntered back to her with a manly gait that drew her gaze down his body to take in every inch of that tailored suit. Shit, even his walk was sexy. The corner of his mouth pulled up and her heart stuttered.
‘I want to make sure no one interrupts us.’
She watched as he sat across from her at the table, wondering if what he said was true.
‘I’m not going to hurt you, Shey. You don’t need to be afraid of me,’ Calvin said seriously.
Stupidly, she believed him. But he meant physically, not emotionally, and to her the latter was all that counted. ‘Why lock the door? It’s not as if anyone will come up here.’
One eyebrow rose as he studied her expression with intent eyes, like she was exhibit A, and she stifled the urge to squirm in her seat.
‘You’re really not afraid,’ he said, a warm smile curving those lips.
‘I have pepper spray in my handbag and grew up in the Bronx.’ She tried for an angelic expression.
Calvin laughed and her smile slipped. Every time she heard that sound it felt like he was zapping her with little electric currents. His eyes worked like twin lasers, heating her from the inside.
This was just like what had happened to her mother, except now it was happening to her.
Every conversation she’d had with her mom about boys came flooding back into her mind and dulled the connection with Calvin. Being here with him was risky, even though she’d ruled out physical danger. The last thing she needed was to lose her head and her control when she was with a man. She should leave right now.
‘I didn’t mean to laugh,’ he said, sensing the tension in her. He leaned forward. ‘I’ve never met anyone like you, Shey.’
The way he focused on her was so consuming, she lost the ability to speak. Her imagination ran wild for a second as she imagined herself walking around the table, undressing him and letting him do all the dirty things those eyes promised.
But reality snapped her back to her senses. Shaking her head, she stood, and he rose too.
‘Where are you going?’
‘This can’t happen.’
Shey could tell by his incredulous expression that he couldn’t believe she was shooting him down. The reality was that they had no future beyond lunch, and staying for that long would be risky. He was a man used to getting what he wanted, and she had a feeling there were many before her that he’d taken at his will. Scores of women who, no doubt, fell at his feet.
There was no room for a player in her life, messing with her body and giving her what it desired. Accidents happened, she was living proof. But she was smart and learned from her mother’s mistakes. Passion led to carelessness and that led to the end of careers. A carefully planned romance that she was in control of would be much safer.
‘Sit down. We’re just having lunch.’
They weren’t and they both knew it. This lunch was a form of foreplay, and damned effective.
‘Just lunch?’ Shey asked, unable to move. Those truffles were calling out her name, even though she knew a moment on the lips was a lifetime on her hips. He nodded and she slid into the chair.
‘Tell me why you panicked. The truth,’ he added, like he couldn’t stand lies.
His eyes latched onto hers with an intensity she shied away from. She ignored his question. After all, she didn’t panic. It was self-preservation, which her body clearly wasn’t interested in.
‘How do you have a key for here, and why were you at Storm on Friday?’ If this was the last chance she’d get to ease her curiosity, she had to go for broke.
His grin sent a heated shiver through her, chasing away the last shred of her fear. ‘Ladies first.’
Shey stopped the frown before it happened. He was… infuriating really. She reached for her wine and took a sip to calm herself.
‘I’m not sure what you expect, but I can’t give it to you.’
He picked up his own wine, a calculating glint in his eyes that told her he was looking for another angle to persuade her. Yeah, it was flattering that he wanted her this much, but whatever was between them couldn’t go anywhere. She had to keep her focus or she’d be screwed, and not just literally.
‘Calvin—’
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. ‘Stop fighting me. Maybe I just want to have lunch with a beautiful woman, is that a crime?’
She grinned. ‘Is that a line?’
He chuckled and she couldn’t help joining in. The tension in her shoulders melted away, and she had to admit the guy was smooth. Either that or she didn’t really want to leave in the first place.
Shey glanced down at the plate. He’d bought all her go-to-lunches from her favorite deli. She thought again about the effort he must have put into this meeting. It warmed her heart, especially when she glimpsed the fairy lights above. It was almost romantic. Not to mention over-the-top, since she got the vibe he was only looking to take a dip beneath her panties.
‘How about you answer my other questions?’
The air crackled with something taboo, and Shey felt drawn to him like he was a black hole, sucking her in. She tried to fight it, but that was the hardest thing she’d ever done. She needed to keep her head.
‘I own the building. Marco wanted to renegotiate the rental agreement to expand Storm’s offices to this floor.’
Suddenly the effort she found so romantic didn’t seem that way anymore. Sure the fairy lights, the candles, and the hamper of her favorite foods, were all lovely. But that was the extent of it. Surface stuff that didn’t involve any more effort than picking up a phone and ordering someone—probably Mandy—to do it for him.
‘You look disappointed,’ he observed.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she shrugged. ‘I only agreed to lunch to tell you that you’re wasting your time. I’m not interested.’
He grabbed her wrist; his hold firm but gentle. Her skin sizzled, and she tried to keep her mind sharp, but all she felt was a stronger pull and she couldn’t stop herself from falling into the spiral of urgent desire. He traced his thumb over the veins on the underside of her arm and Shey’s breath caught in her throat. Calvin’s smile slipped, and his eyes promised things she should know better than to want.
‘I think you’re as interested as I am, though I seem to be the only one willing to admit it.’
Shey snatched her arm back, his self-assured observation giving her the strength she needed. ‘Lust is irrelevant. It’ll take more than some sandwiches and wine to get me to swoon over you.’
He picked up some parma ham and cheese with his fingers. ‘I don’t want you to swoon over me. Eat.’
Calvin popped the food into his mouth. Shey watched that sculpted jaw work as he chewed. She forgot for a second what he’d said. His thick throat bobbed and her heart raced, the pull in every cell of her body intensifying as she wondered what it would be like to lick her way from the hollow in the center of his collarbone all the way up over his Adam’s apple.
She reached for the wine and took a huge gulp. It was smooth as silk, just like him. The fruity taste was divine. Not even close to distracting her from his presence, though. He seemed to dominate the entire lobby, his impressive Armani-clad body the only focal point.
‘Then what do you want?’ she found herself asking, even though she knew.
‘You. In a bed. For a few nights, perhaps a week.’
The husky tone of his voice touched her like a caress and his words painted images in her mind of the two of them naked, rolling around sweaty and desperate. She tried to pull herself together; after all, he’d pretty much told her he wanted to fuck her and nothing else, but her body reacted like it was readying itself to welcome him inside, and her mind clouded over.
‘I want to do things with you, Shey. Things that will bring us both immense pleasure. I want to fuck you with my tongue, fingers and cock until you can’t stand. Then I want to do it all over again.’
Before she could stop herself, his deep baritone voice roused more dirty fantasies. Her clit swelled, her nipples ached and a volcanic rush of hormones vibrated through her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think of a cutting remark to throw at him to make him stop the assault on her senses.
‘Why?’ she asked, cussing the fact her voice was all breathy.
His gaze dipped down the upper half of her body, and when he returned his attention to her face, his eyes were wild. ‘You are every man’s wet dream, Shey Lopez. Curves in all the right places. Gorgeous. I can’t not want you. Believe me, I’ve tried.’
She swallowed.
‘And you want me just as much.’
Unable to speak, she stared at him.
That was when he rose, stalked around the table, and offered his hand.
God help her, she placed her hand in his and then she was off the chair and pressed against his chest. Lost in the darkness of his eyes. Lost in the crude words that made her want to spread herself out on the table in offering. He ran a finger up her spine over the silk dress, enticing a shiver and igniting a sharp need at her core.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Losing control was dangerous. It led to bad things, like the end of a career and accidental pregnancies. The thought gave her the strength to pull away. His mouth opened in disbelief, but she wasn’t giving him a chance to let him talk her around again. Shey grabbed her bag.
‘Thank you for lunch, but this is a bad idea.’
Her heels clicked urgently across the floor. Just as she was about to turn the lock, he spoke.
‘I never would have guessed you’d be uptight about sex.’
Her hand froze on the key and her teeth clenched. She wasn’t uptight, just careful.
Then Friday night’s conversation flashed into her mind. Safe and controlled relationships were all she allowed herself. Ever. But every cell inside was screaming to turn around and let him kiss her, and maybe more. And why not? She could do crazy, just once, couldn’t she? As long as she kept her head, it didn’t have to go too far.
Shey turned. Calvin’s expression was closed off, but he couldn’t hide the heat in his eyes. She dropped her bag, then walked back to him slowly, with an extra sashay in her hips.
‘I’m not uptight about anything.’
The grin was back as he rested his hip against the table. ‘I’ll believe that when you stop running from this.’
She stopped right in front of him. ‘I’m not running anywhere.’
‘What changed your mind?’ he asked, but his attention was on her lips.
‘I had to prove you wrong.’
He chuckled again, and the noise shivered through her. Grabbing her hips, he maneuvered her until her ass hit the table, and he closed in. Her heart rate spiked, her breath coming in short gasps.
His palms rested on the table either side of her. ‘I’m happy to be proven wrong in this case.’
Calvin’s head lowered slowly. She closed her eyes, totally lost in the unique scent of him, but still retaining control of herself. His body pressed so close to hers she could feel his erection prodding her stomach, his hard pectorals buffering the soft flesh of her breasts. She was sliding into the erotic moment with him; the urge to let go and enjoy was overwhelming.
His lips brushed her earlobe, soft as a whisper, and she made an incoherent sound in her throat. ‘Is this what you want, Shey?’
Shey was trembling so hard she didn’t know how to answer. She was wired to him, barely hanging on to reason. All she wanted was to be closer. To have his hands on her. For him to stop talking and fulfill the promises he made earlier with actions.
As if reading her mind, his palms made contact with her outer thighs. The charge that ran through her ignited her senses. She was aware of every one of her pulse points, especially the one aching between her legs. Knees weakening, she grabbed onto his shoulders for support. His lips brushed her collarbone, and her head rocked to the side to give him better access. That seemed to be the reaction he wanted, because slowly he slipped her dress up her hips as he nibbled her throat.
The pull towards him intensified like gravity. The closer she got, the closer she needed to be. His breath tickled her neck as one of his hands slid around to her backside. He squeezed hard and she moaned her approval. Pleasure sparked anew and gathered momentum as it crashed through her. His other hand got to work, sliding beneath her thong, and immediately a long, thick finger entered her. Instinctively, she squeezed her muscles to pull him deeper, ground her hips to get a better angle, and he rewarded her by slipping in another. Though she felt full, it wasn’t enough. Shey tried to tell him, then his lips pinched her ear sending a blast of shuddering currents through her body and all she managed was a mewl.
Thrusting his fingers, he squeezed her backside, pulling her into a rhythm that made the burning inside morph to an achy pleasure. The orgasm swelled with the force of a train going full out, and she couldn’t bite back the desperate sounds coming out of her throat. His fingers swirled, over and over, barely skimming a spot inside that made heat flash through her. She was panting so hard she couldn’t tell him where she needed him to focus, but as she looked at him with pleading eyes, she hoped he understood.
Calvin’s jaw was tense and the feral need in his eyes cranked her up higher. She gasped as he hit that spot inside again, and he grinned. Shey let out a wordless protest when his fingers swirled again.
‘The anticipation will be worth it, Shey. Trust me.’
She couldn’t form a coherent reply, not with what he was doing to her. Taking her body to the edge, then slowing. Finger-fucking her faster as she felt the monumental orgasm slip away, then using lazy strokes right before she could come. She was sweating all over, and with every ragged breath she got another shot of his amazing smell. It was hard to believe that it would be better this way. When he brought her to the edge again and stopped, Shey wanted to weep. Her emotions were as raw as her body, held at the brink, her pleasure and what felt like so much more in this man’s control.
This time Calvin slipped in a third finger and started pumping hard. With her nails digging into his shoulders to keep herself upright, she begged him with her eyes for more. Whatever wall he’d put up to restrain himself cracked. His thumb found her clit and his mouth sealed over hers with a growl.
Her control crumbled as everything doubled.
The sensations, the mounting pressure, the electric connection. He thrust his tongue into her mouth at the same tempo as his fingers, and kept that punishing rhythm on her clit until she couldn’t breathe. As he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, the pressure exploded in wild spasms, and she grabbed onto his hair to pull him closer, so his mouth could swallow her cry of relief while her body shuddered on.
Shey went limp against him. She felt too open, too raw, more vulnerable than she’d ever been, but she couldn’t let him go. Calvin’s gentle kisses eased her, reassured her that everything would be fine even though she couldn’t think straight. His free hand rubbed up and down her spine softly.
As her mind sharpened, she realized her head had slipped down to rest against his chest, and he still had his fingers inside her. Wedged between the table and him, she was held upright. Shey tested her leg muscles and decided it was better he supported her, but the thought of his hand between her thighs, fingers inside her, made her face heat. Made everything too real. Especially when she realized the pull to him was stronger than ever.
She tried to speak. Her throat was clogged so tight nothing got past except little puffs of air.
Slowly, Calvin withdrew his fingers and her inner muscles tightened on instinct. When they had slipped out all the way, she felt cold and bereft which, she told herself, was insane. Releasing her hold on the silky strands of his hair, she disentangled herself from him, but a hand on her lower back kept her stomach pressed against his straining erection. Her achy core throbbed and pulsed, her muscles clenching with the thought of him filling her up, fucking her as thoroughly with his cock as he had his fingers.
He raised his hand. Those expert fingers glistened and she followed their journey up. Calvin waited until she met his heated gaze, then slipped all three fingers into his mouth and sucked. His eyes closed and an almost feral groan rumbled from his chest. That’s all it took for her whole body to fire up again like she hadn’t just had the best, most intense orgasm of her life.
When he’d finished his taste test, he stared at her through hooded lids. His eyes burned beneath, but she sensed he had put an invisible barrier back between them again, controlled the emotions he’d let go of when she’d begged with her eyes. It didn’t lessen the pull, or the crackle sparking the air between them, but she felt like he’d pushed her away, even though he was still pressed against her.
Not to mention her own self-control was nowhere to be found. God, was she actually considering taking this further? She should have left when she had the chance.
Calvin cleared his throat. ‘I need to be inside you. Now.’
Chapter Three (#u6d7d7736-cf91-5a54-8ab2-0e19b96af2d3)
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Aimee Duffy
HarperImpulse Erotic Romance NovellaThe first novella in a thrilling, pulse-racing new erotic romance series, Indecent Proposals. Three best friends, Shey, Eloisa and Georgia take on the most powerful and eligible men of the New York dating scene.Perfect for fans of bestselling erotic romance authors Sylvia Day and E.L. James!‘I’m not coming over.’ Shey replied confidently.‘Then maybe you could return the favor now.’Wait, he didn’t mean…‘Slide your hand beneath your panties and tell me how ready you are for me.’Oh my god, he did.Single Manhattanite Shey Lopez doesn’t do one night stands, or have relationships she can’t control. Especially if giving in to playboy Calvin Jones means losing her heart in the process.However, Mr Won’t-Take-No-For-An-Answer always gets what he wants and there’s only so many times a girl can resist such a enticing proposal…
What's a Girl to Do?
Book One in Indecent Proposals
Aimée Duffy
A division of HarperCollinsPublishers
www.harpercollins.co.uk
Contents
Copyright (#u40e0912e-8545-507d-ada8-8ce9d4424349)
Dedication (#u323eb1cf-82dc-5513-abb7-1a24037975ca)
Chapter One (#u1559208b-52b5-540b-a35f-c5a172347a31)
Chapter Two (#u271ee9cb-62e1-5ce1-9e17-bc5316825dc6)
Chapter Three (#u05d2bb7e-9f31-53b1-88cc-7354f79dd03e)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Aimée Duffy (#litres_trial_promo)
About HarperImpulse (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
HarperImpulse an imprint of
HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
77–85 Fulham Palace Road
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.harpercollins.co.uk
First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2013
Copyright © Aimée Duffy 2013
Cover Photographs © shutterstock.com
Aimée Duffy asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Ebook Edition © August 2013 ISBN: 9780007540280
Version 2014-09-24
Digital eFirst: Automatically produced by Atomik ePublisher from Easypress.
To Chelle, Amalie, Cat/Jo, Amy, Mel and the Dashing ladies. I really appreciate having you all, especially when I'm whining.
Chapter One (#u6d7d7736-cf91-5a54-8ab2-0e19b96af2d3)
Tonight’s a tequila night, screw the lime mixer.
Shey Lopez grinned at Georgia’s email to her and their other roommate, Eloisa. No doubt about it, the week had dragged and she was up for something stronger than their usual pitcher of frozen margaritas.
She hit reply to all and got typing.
I’m in.
Jude Graham chose that second to clear his throat at the door to her office. She fought back a scowl at her boss and hit CTRL & E without glancing at the screen. The high-maintenance bitch looked flustered, which was ironic since he’d barely lifted a finger all week. His whole me editor, you do what I tell you attitude got on her nerves. If Storm wasn’t the best fashion magazine in New York, she’d be out of there faster than Jude could buff his fingernails. And, going by the way that they shined, he was a pro.
‘What can I do for you, Jude?’ Surely he could tell the saccharine tone of her voice was false. Then again, being false was one of Jude’s many talents.
‘I need those proofs for the Gianni article by the end of the day.’
Shey’s smile slipped. He’d given her the paperwork less than an hour ago and it was already way past three. The guy was a nightmare, too busy wrapped up in another argument with his husband to care about his job. She couldn’t wait for the day she cranked up enough experience to leapfrog over his ass and be the editor, not the assistant.
‘There’s only two hours left and I have other work to do,’ she said, sounding calm, even though her heart rate increased with trepidation. Still, she was playing over all the insults she could think of in her mind.
He scowled, or tried to. The botox didn’t leave much room for changes in his expression. ‘There’s more than one smart-assed girl in this building who would kill for your position. If the article isn’t on my desk at five, you can kiss your job goodbye.’
With that and more flourish than a prom queen, he left. Shey was tempted to launch her stapler at the empty doorway, but resisted. Everything good in life came with a price, or so she told herself. Her dream job should have a downside, it was only the natural balance of things. That little bitch Jude was what she had to suffer to get to the top, and she would suffer him and do it with a smile.
Closing her eyes, she took a calming breath. And then another. Her yoga instructor would be proud.
With her head cleared, she got her focus back in the game. Jude would have his article on the desk by four forty-five. She could do this. And later, when her head was frazzled and her fingers ached, she’d go out with her girls and drink the well dry.
Opening a new email, she sent another message to Georgia and Eloisa.
The bitch is at it again. Make mine doubles.
After hitting send, she got to work.
***
With half an hour to spare, Shey was relieved her speedy fingers and dedication meant she’d get to see Jude’s jaw drop. Three read-throughs later and the article was as polished as she could make it, but she wasn’t kidding herself that it would be enough. Little bitch, or LB as most of the office staff called him, was pernickety and thorough. One mistake or missing word and he’d come down on her so hard that some would think she’d made an attempt on his husband’s life.
Tapping the pointed toes of her Prada stilettos, Shey waited for the article to print. When it was done she aligned the pages, stapled the top corner, and made a beeline for Jude’s office.
Storm was exactly what she had expected when she’d landed the internship over a year ago. All white plastic with brightly colored furniture and art. Bitches around every corner waiting to stab you in the back to get on their editor’s good sides. And the jackpot: free backstage passes to fashion shows, exclusive clubs, and parties. God, she loved it. She really did. But she suspected the cattiness was rubbing off on her. When she’d started the internship she’d been quiet, too scared to say boo to anyone. She learned quickly that if she didn’t stand up for herself and grow a backbone, she’d be crushed like a bug.
Rounding the corner she spied what her friends would call ‘a suit’ talking to the receptionist, Mandy. Shey slowed her steps, taking him in from side profile. That body was built, in a Brad Pitt kind of way, with much better arm definition. Dark-chestnut hair grew long enough to cling on to and he had skin as dark as her own, which meant he was either half-Latina like her or paid a few visits a week to the tanning booth.
Either way, hot as sin.
When he turned and she met his hazel gaze, her skin warmed like it was on fire. The white cotton shift dress she’d donned for work suddenly felt as thick as a quilt and she had trouble getting air into her lungs. Christ, the guy must’ve been throwing some kind of freaky pheromones her way. Either that or it had been way too long since she’d had a date.
His gaze roved over her body from her head to the scarlet Prada’s and he didn’t make any effort to hide his scrutiny. He was a ten, at least. And thank you God! There was no mistaking he liked what he saw, if his wink was anything to go by. Most guys who came for a meeting at Storm were gay. This hottie either swung both ways or he was all about the ladies. Shey didn’t really care which, as long as she was on the list of things that made him burn.
Pulling her shoulders back, she added a sashay to her hips as she approached him. There was plenty of time to get the paperwork to Jude and, if she could find out something about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Built, she didn’t mind being a little late. After all, who else would he find to put up with his bullshit? She’d been the only intern who got promoted to assistant editor last year. The others would crack within a week.
She did a little looking of her own as she approached, giving him points for the navy tailored suit, deducting a few for not wearing a tie. Ties were sexy. She could pull a guy over for a kiss with it, or slide it off then wrap it around his eyes while she led him to the bedroom. More points for rockin’ the open collar on the white silk shirt, especially since the skin underneath was smooth and bronzed.
Determined to play it cool, Shey headed to the reception instead of approaching the guy.
‘You hitting the town with us tonight?’ Shey asked. Mandy was one of the few in the office that Shey could actually stand. Her housemates liked Mandy too.
Mandy bit her cherry-glossed lip. ‘Club Zero?’ Shey nodded. ‘I can’t. Graham wants me to watch the game with him tonight. He says doing more stuff together will bring us closer.’
Shey tried not to screw up her face and failed. ‘Watching the game, seriously? Like the Yankies are going to make up for months of no dates or attention?’ She pitied poor Mandy and wished she had the balls to ditch that loser. She was gorgeous, all busty and blonde, and that guy treated her like an afterthought.
A husky laugh made her turn.
‘I suppose you agree with her idiot boyfriend?’ Shey asked the stranger.
His lips twisted up at the corners and a sultry look darkened his eyes. ‘Hell no. I can think of better ways to entertain a lady.’
Her heart rate went crazy.
Mandy gasped, but was saved by the phone ringing. Shey didn’t have the same time to compose herself. She was lost in his gaze and that fiery burn scorching through her body. For the first time since she could remember, Shey couldn’t find her tongue. Those damn eyes messed with her head and she couldn’t break free from their spell if she tried.
He stepped closer and the burn intensified. She was so hot she wanted to rip the dress off and stand in front of an open freezer to cool down. Up close she could see a dark five o’clock shadow on his sculpted jaw. His throat was thick, just like his shoulders. The slightly crooked nose suggested he’d had it broken at some point in his life, but it didn’t deter from his harsh beauty. Shey was awestruck, and so turned on she thought she might come just from looking at him.
‘What’s your name, gorgeous?’ he asked.
The disinterest on his face made it seem like he was flirting out of habit rather than because he wanted to. Even still, there seemed to be a magnetic force between them, crackling in the air and sparking. Those eyes of his had darkened, contradicting his Mr. Cool Man front. No way was Shey going to make this easy for him.
‘Seriously? That the best line you’ve got?’ She forced a laugh, but it came out husky, damn it. ‘Next you’ll call my dad a thief for stealing the stars and putting them in my eyes.’
His brows shot up, but he composed himself in a heartbeat. With a smile, he leaned forward and brushed a kiss over her cheekbone. The spicy smell of him invaded her senses and her skin sizzled with the contact. Her body went hyperactive. Hands trembling, knees weakening and oh yeah, soaked right through her lacy thong. She had to get away from him before she did something crazy, like beg for those soft lips to touch her again.
‘Sweetheart, with you I don’t need any lines.’
Anger boiled through her veins, loosening his hold on her body. She didn’t even know his name and he had her salivating, for Christ’s sake. He was a cocky bastard, so sure he had her right where he wanted her, and the worst thing? He was absolutely right. Next time those lips touched her skin she’d be putty in his long-fingered hands.
‘It’ll take more than arrogance to win me over.’ Shey left the asshole unspoken. ‘I have somewhere to be.’ Without waiting for Mandy to get off the phone or for Mr. Cool to reply, she left reception.
His voice trailed behind her. ‘I’ll see you soon, gorgeous.’
Yeah, big shot. In your dreams.
***
‘Here’s to Friday nights. Where would we be without them?’ Georgia held up her shot of tequila.
From their table on the upper level of Club Zero, they had a bird’s-eye view of the club below. Dark purple and chrome was the theme, and the whole place was surrounded by mirrored walls.
Shey clinked her shot against Georgia’s and Eloisa joined in.
She was the first to get the glass to her lips and swallow in one go. The burn in her throat was bliss after a day like today. Even though she got the article in early, Jude had acted like, well, a bitch and made her redo three paragraphs. Surprise, surprise. And she wasn’t even thinking about Mr. Cool.
It was almost nine and half the men in the club had already picked out the women they were going to dance with or take home. The rest were the ones other women had ditched for a reason. A quick glance around was all Shey and her roomies needed to find out why. Stragglers, Michelin Men, and the drooling desperados lurked in the shadows, waiting for the women to down a bit too much hard stuff.
There weren’t thick enough beer goggles in the world.
Shey turned away with a sigh. It didn’t matter who was left, she didn’t do one-night stands. She liked to have a connection with the men she got involved with. Going home with a guy or vice versa was dangerous in more ways than one.
‘We need to stop coming here after eight.’ The earlier they arrived, the better chance they had of grabbing a table downstairs the perfect distance between the dance floor and the bar. Not to mention finding a guy or two who actually wanted to talk, not drool.
‘You’d rather spend the night on EHarmony?’ Eloisa asked with distaste and flicked her auburn curls over her shoulder. ‘There are more psychos on the net. At least here you can see the ugly coming.’
‘Or the desperate,’ Georgia added.
‘I don’t think any of us will find what we’re looking for in a bar,’ Shey said.
‘Speak for yourself.’ Eloisa downed another shot. With watery eyes, she glanced at Shey. ‘You’re the only one uptight about dating.’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘I’m not uptight, just careful.’
Georgia rolled her eyes. ‘Come on, you’ve never even had a fling.’
‘That’s hardly a national disaster.’
Eloisa chimed in. ‘It could be. Maybe the world needs Shey Lopez to do one wild thing.’
Shey shook her head. ‘I’ve done wild things.’
‘Yeah right.’ Georgia picked up her glass. ‘Splurging on a pair of shoes you can’t afford is the craziest thing you’ve done.’
Being teased by her friends never usually bothered her, and it didn’t this time either. If she took the bait it was sure to get worse. But she’d come out tonight for more in the way of fun, and damn if she wasn’t going home until her feet throbbed and she’d had a good work out on the dance floor.
‘Let’s dance girls,’ she said.
They finished the last of the tequila and headed down to the main level. Club Zero was no back-street club or for the lower class. The cover price to get in was her weekly indulgence, and the drinks all had a few extra dollars added to the price. But the best bit? No trash. It was the high end of sophistication in Manhattan and they could dance without worrying about getting spills all over their new stilettos.
Finding an open area near the bar, they tucked their clutch bags under their arms and got busy. By the third song, Shey was feeling more relaxed, her body loosening and the stress of the day disappearing. It was weird that she found the atmosphere in the club calming, considering all the strobe lights and neon, but burning up a good sweat swinging her hips was her favorite form of exercise. Probably had something to do with the tequila too.
Eloisa came close and pressed her body against Shey’s. A typical move for her if there was a guy who caught her interest, so Shey went with it and grabbed her hips. Georgia was a few feet away, dancing with her eyes closed in that self-possessed way of hers, giving herself up to the beat of the music.
After a moment Shey realized Eloisa wasn’t giving anyone the eye. Instead she leaned close and shouted in Shey’s ear, ‘don’t look now, but there’s a gorgeous suit at the bar checking you out.’
Nodding to let Eloisa know she got the message, Shey changed the position of their bodies until their satin-clad rears ground together as they danced. Shey missed a grind and almost fell backward when she saw who was staring, but she got back with the program quickly. Holy hell, Mr. Cool was here—in a different suit—and he was staring at her from beneath hooded lids.
With one arm propped on the bar and a tumbler containing dark liquid in his other hand, he looked sexier than sin. Then his earlier words came back and even though the heat still sizzled between them, Shey forced herself to turn away. The guy had an ego to rival Hugh Hefner’s and could probably get a woman into his bed tonight with a click of his fingers. His bored tone, the disinterest in his expression, and his cocky remark about not needing a line meant he was not for her.
She liked a guy to make a little more effort than that before she decided whether or not she wanted to fall into bed with him.
Studiously ignoring him, she continued to shake what her mama gave her—though her mom would be horrified to see the size of Shey’s hips. Felicity Lopez was on the curvy side for a supermodel but weighed a good twenty pounds less than Shey. No way was Shey going to live on rabbit feed for the rest of her life. Food, like life, was there to enjoy.
Eloisa called a time-out and headed back to the table with Georgia since it was Shey’s round, and probably because they thought Shey was interested in Mr. Cool. She tried to act casual and crossed to the opposite end of the mahogany bar to avoid him. After placing the order for an army of shots, the bartender got to work.
‘If I said these were on me, would you think that’s another line?’ Mr. Cool was standing right next to her and she had to take a deep breath to orientate herself.
That was the wrong thing to do. He’d switched the spicy aftershave for something musky and that had an even stronger effect on her hormones. Eau de Pheromone, maybe? She hoped it was expensive so all the creeps in the city didn’t catch on.
Shey turned to him and squared her shoulders. ‘I’d say I’m perfectly capable of buying my own drinks.’ She fought the urge to thank him for the offer, especially when she saw the wry smile.
‘How about we start again? I’m Calvin.’ He extended his hand.
Placing her hand in his, she shivered at the electric contact. It woke up her insides like she’d swallowed a couple of hormone pills. His head bowed over her hand, but he never took his attention off her face. Her breath caught as his lips brushed her knuckles and she had to jerk her hand back.
The flash fire that burned over her skin was epic and worse, Shey wanted him to kiss her again. Crazy. Even though he seemed to be trying politeness on for size, he had this confidence that said he knew she’d end up naked on his bed, and though her body went wild with the idea, no thanks. Shey was the result of her mom’s stupidity. Felicity had fallen for a charmer, and all it had done was stall her mother’s career.
Quickest way to cut off his interest would be to lie through her teeth. ‘Sorry, I have—’
‘Shey, fibs are unattractive. I know you’re single.’ He stepped closer, too close, and her heart kicked off on a mamba.
‘How do you know my name?’
And why did the sound of it rolling off his tongue get her even hotter?
Calvin smiled, showing every one of those flawless white teeth, and she was dazzled. Christ. She needed to pull it together, fast.
‘Your friend Mandy and I spoke.’
Shey frowned. She was going to kill Mandy.
‘A woman like you shouldn’t be single. Unless you’re the kind of woman who likes variety.’
‘Another line?’ She tried to hold the scowl, and failed. The way he said variety had her thinking about all the different things he’d do to her body. She had a feeling he’d take her higher than any man ever had, and that was based on her own reaction to him, not to mention that arrogant confidence which pissed her off and got her hot all at the same time.
‘I told you earlier Shey, I don’t need them.’
Saved by the shots. The bartender placed down a tray and, even though she’d ordered three for each of them, it didn’t seem like enough. Hell, jumping into an ice bath didn’t seem like enough to calm her down. She paid the guy and told him to keep the change. Before she managed to scamper away with the tray, Calvin spoke.
‘I’ll see you soon, Shey.’
She frowned at him, thinking that wasn’t going to happen. ‘You know, there’s a club full of women here tonight who I’m sure would be more than happy to give you what you want.’
‘What is it you think I want?’
Those eyes, all dark and intense, scrambled her thoughts. ‘An easy lay.’ The second the words left her lips, her face heated.
Calvin raised a dark brow. ‘Where’s the fun in that?’
She sent a message to her feet to get them to move, but they ignored her. She was trapped again, her body wanting what she wouldn’t let it have and now she could see it in his expression. He was thriving on the challenge she’d presented him, instead of giving her a half-assed come-on like earlier.
But it didn’t matter. When they met he’d hit on her in under three seconds, without even knowing her name, and those kind of guys didn’t do fancy dates. They wanted women in their beds and if they had to work a little to make it happen, that was fine with them. She wasn’t going to join the notches on his bedpost.
‘You’re wasting your breath with me.’ This time when she turned to leave with the tray of much-needed tequila, her feet obeyed.
Calvin got the last word. Again. ‘I always get what I want.’
Chapter Two (#u6d7d7736-cf91-5a54-8ab2-0e19b96af2d3)
Unease twisted Shey’s empty stomach as she followed Mandy up the stairs on Monday afternoon. Why Marco, the big-dog editor and chief, would want his receptionist and an assistant editor to check out the upper floor was beyond her. She went anyway, clutching her purse tightly to her side. The sooner they got this over with and she could scoot to the deli across the street, the better. She was starved.
Mandy opened the door to the twelfth floor, and Shey’s breath caught in her throat. Mr. Cool—Calvin—stood in the entrance lobby next to a table draped with a thick white cloth. A bottle of Merlot was open, two glasses poured and two candles lit, but she didn’t notice what was on the plates. She couldn’t take her eyes off of his.
‘That will be all, Mandy.’ His voice, gentle yet commanding, shivered through her.
Mandy scurried back to the stairwell just as Shey’s shock cleared. She reached out and blocked the doorway with her arm.
‘What the hell’s going on here?’ she asked them both, though it was pretty obvious. She’d been set up. The you will not talk about me to strangers again speech she’d given Mandy earlier had clearly gone in one ear and out the other.
‘Shey, I hoped you would join me for lunch.’ There was no demand in his tone now, only charm, and she didn’t trust it one bit.
‘I think it’s romantic.’ Mandy let out a dreamy sigh and Shey rolled her eyes.
She couldn’t deny the gesture was sweet, in its own way. She wanted a guy to make the effort for her, and Calvin had brought that in spades. Didn’t mean she appreciated the sneaky way he got her there. Still, she gave him points for his smarts. There was no way she’d have come if she knew what was going on.
The effort alone deserved a gentle let-down, since her rejection on Friday night hadn’t gotten through that beautiful head of his.
‘Fine. I’ll stay, but only because I’m starving.’ And were those chocolate truffles? Yeah, she’d stay for dessert before she put her foot down.
Mandy winked, then she was off down the stairs with a clatter of heels hitting concrete. Wisely, Calvin didn’t smirk, only pulled a chair out for her. She slid in, breathing through her mouth in case he was throwing out the bottled pheromones again.
He disappeared behind her and then she heard the click of the door closing. She whirled the top half of her body around to face him, a skitter of unease dancing down her spine. ‘What are you doing?’
Part of her wondered if this was a bad idea. She was alone with a man who drove her body crazy, a man she barely knew. He could be a rapist or a murderer. But if he was either of those things, getting Mandy to bring her up here would blow his cover, wouldn’t it? Mandy would know the last person Shey was with, and there was CCTV all over the building.
Calvin left the key in the lock and sauntered back to her with a manly gait that drew her gaze down his body to take in every inch of that tailored suit. Shit, even his walk was sexy. The corner of his mouth pulled up and her heart stuttered.
‘I want to make sure no one interrupts us.’
She watched as he sat across from her at the table, wondering if what he said was true.
‘I’m not going to hurt you, Shey. You don’t need to be afraid of me,’ Calvin said seriously.
Stupidly, she believed him. But he meant physically, not emotionally, and to her the latter was all that counted. ‘Why lock the door? It’s not as if anyone will come up here.’
One eyebrow rose as he studied her expression with intent eyes, like she was exhibit A, and she stifled the urge to squirm in her seat.
‘You’re really not afraid,’ he said, a warm smile curving those lips.
‘I have pepper spray in my handbag and grew up in the Bronx.’ She tried for an angelic expression.
Calvin laughed and her smile slipped. Every time she heard that sound it felt like he was zapping her with little electric currents. His eyes worked like twin lasers, heating her from the inside.
This was just like what had happened to her mother, except now it was happening to her.
Every conversation she’d had with her mom about boys came flooding back into her mind and dulled the connection with Calvin. Being here with him was risky, even though she’d ruled out physical danger. The last thing she needed was to lose her head and her control when she was with a man. She should leave right now.
‘I didn’t mean to laugh,’ he said, sensing the tension in her. He leaned forward. ‘I’ve never met anyone like you, Shey.’
The way he focused on her was so consuming, she lost the ability to speak. Her imagination ran wild for a second as she imagined herself walking around the table, undressing him and letting him do all the dirty things those eyes promised.
But reality snapped her back to her senses. Shaking her head, she stood, and he rose too.
‘Where are you going?’
‘This can’t happen.’
Shey could tell by his incredulous expression that he couldn’t believe she was shooting him down. The reality was that they had no future beyond lunch, and staying for that long would be risky. He was a man used to getting what he wanted, and she had a feeling there were many before her that he’d taken at his will. Scores of women who, no doubt, fell at his feet.
There was no room for a player in her life, messing with her body and giving her what it desired. Accidents happened, she was living proof. But she was smart and learned from her mother’s mistakes. Passion led to carelessness and that led to the end of careers. A carefully planned romance that she was in control of would be much safer.
‘Sit down. We’re just having lunch.’
They weren’t and they both knew it. This lunch was a form of foreplay, and damned effective.
‘Just lunch?’ Shey asked, unable to move. Those truffles were calling out her name, even though she knew a moment on the lips was a lifetime on her hips. He nodded and she slid into the chair.
‘Tell me why you panicked. The truth,’ he added, like he couldn’t stand lies.
His eyes latched onto hers with an intensity she shied away from. She ignored his question. After all, she didn’t panic. It was self-preservation, which her body clearly wasn’t interested in.
‘How do you have a key for here, and why were you at Storm on Friday?’ If this was the last chance she’d get to ease her curiosity, she had to go for broke.
His grin sent a heated shiver through her, chasing away the last shred of her fear. ‘Ladies first.’
Shey stopped the frown before it happened. He was… infuriating really. She reached for her wine and took a sip to calm herself.
‘I’m not sure what you expect, but I can’t give it to you.’
He picked up his own wine, a calculating glint in his eyes that told her he was looking for another angle to persuade her. Yeah, it was flattering that he wanted her this much, but whatever was between them couldn’t go anywhere. She had to keep her focus or she’d be screwed, and not just literally.
‘Calvin—’
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. ‘Stop fighting me. Maybe I just want to have lunch with a beautiful woman, is that a crime?’
She grinned. ‘Is that a line?’
He chuckled and she couldn’t help joining in. The tension in her shoulders melted away, and she had to admit the guy was smooth. Either that or she didn’t really want to leave in the first place.
Shey glanced down at the plate. He’d bought all her go-to-lunches from her favorite deli. She thought again about the effort he must have put into this meeting. It warmed her heart, especially when she glimpsed the fairy lights above. It was almost romantic. Not to mention over-the-top, since she got the vibe he was only looking to take a dip beneath her panties.
‘How about you answer my other questions?’
The air crackled with something taboo, and Shey felt drawn to him like he was a black hole, sucking her in. She tried to fight it, but that was the hardest thing she’d ever done. She needed to keep her head.
‘I own the building. Marco wanted to renegotiate the rental agreement to expand Storm’s offices to this floor.’
Suddenly the effort she found so romantic didn’t seem that way anymore. Sure the fairy lights, the candles, and the hamper of her favorite foods, were all lovely. But that was the extent of it. Surface stuff that didn’t involve any more effort than picking up a phone and ordering someone—probably Mandy—to do it for him.
‘You look disappointed,’ he observed.
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she shrugged. ‘I only agreed to lunch to tell you that you’re wasting your time. I’m not interested.’
He grabbed her wrist; his hold firm but gentle. Her skin sizzled, and she tried to keep her mind sharp, but all she felt was a stronger pull and she couldn’t stop herself from falling into the spiral of urgent desire. He traced his thumb over the veins on the underside of her arm and Shey’s breath caught in her throat. Calvin’s smile slipped, and his eyes promised things she should know better than to want.
‘I think you’re as interested as I am, though I seem to be the only one willing to admit it.’
Shey snatched her arm back, his self-assured observation giving her the strength she needed. ‘Lust is irrelevant. It’ll take more than some sandwiches and wine to get me to swoon over you.’
He picked up some parma ham and cheese with his fingers. ‘I don’t want you to swoon over me. Eat.’
Calvin popped the food into his mouth. Shey watched that sculpted jaw work as he chewed. She forgot for a second what he’d said. His thick throat bobbed and her heart raced, the pull in every cell of her body intensifying as she wondered what it would be like to lick her way from the hollow in the center of his collarbone all the way up over his Adam’s apple.
She reached for the wine and took a huge gulp. It was smooth as silk, just like him. The fruity taste was divine. Not even close to distracting her from his presence, though. He seemed to dominate the entire lobby, his impressive Armani-clad body the only focal point.
‘Then what do you want?’ she found herself asking, even though she knew.
‘You. In a bed. For a few nights, perhaps a week.’
The husky tone of his voice touched her like a caress and his words painted images in her mind of the two of them naked, rolling around sweaty and desperate. She tried to pull herself together; after all, he’d pretty much told her he wanted to fuck her and nothing else, but her body reacted like it was readying itself to welcome him inside, and her mind clouded over.
‘I want to do things with you, Shey. Things that will bring us both immense pleasure. I want to fuck you with my tongue, fingers and cock until you can’t stand. Then I want to do it all over again.’
Before she could stop herself, his deep baritone voice roused more dirty fantasies. Her clit swelled, her nipples ached and a volcanic rush of hormones vibrated through her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think of a cutting remark to throw at him to make him stop the assault on her senses.
‘Why?’ she asked, cussing the fact her voice was all breathy.
His gaze dipped down the upper half of her body, and when he returned his attention to her face, his eyes were wild. ‘You are every man’s wet dream, Shey Lopez. Curves in all the right places. Gorgeous. I can’t not want you. Believe me, I’ve tried.’
She swallowed.
‘And you want me just as much.’
Unable to speak, she stared at him.
That was when he rose, stalked around the table, and offered his hand.
God help her, she placed her hand in his and then she was off the chair and pressed against his chest. Lost in the darkness of his eyes. Lost in the crude words that made her want to spread herself out on the table in offering. He ran a finger up her spine over the silk dress, enticing a shiver and igniting a sharp need at her core.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Losing control was dangerous. It led to bad things, like the end of a career and accidental pregnancies. The thought gave her the strength to pull away. His mouth opened in disbelief, but she wasn’t giving him a chance to let him talk her around again. Shey grabbed her bag.
‘Thank you for lunch, but this is a bad idea.’
Her heels clicked urgently across the floor. Just as she was about to turn the lock, he spoke.
‘I never would have guessed you’d be uptight about sex.’
Her hand froze on the key and her teeth clenched. She wasn’t uptight, just careful.
Then Friday night’s conversation flashed into her mind. Safe and controlled relationships were all she allowed herself. Ever. But every cell inside was screaming to turn around and let him kiss her, and maybe more. And why not? She could do crazy, just once, couldn’t she? As long as she kept her head, it didn’t have to go too far.
Shey turned. Calvin’s expression was closed off, but he couldn’t hide the heat in his eyes. She dropped her bag, then walked back to him slowly, with an extra sashay in her hips.
‘I’m not uptight about anything.’
The grin was back as he rested his hip against the table. ‘I’ll believe that when you stop running from this.’
She stopped right in front of him. ‘I’m not running anywhere.’
‘What changed your mind?’ he asked, but his attention was on her lips.
‘I had to prove you wrong.’
He chuckled again, and the noise shivered through her. Grabbing her hips, he maneuvered her until her ass hit the table, and he closed in. Her heart rate spiked, her breath coming in short gasps.
His palms rested on the table either side of her. ‘I’m happy to be proven wrong in this case.’
Calvin’s head lowered slowly. She closed her eyes, totally lost in the unique scent of him, but still retaining control of herself. His body pressed so close to hers she could feel his erection prodding her stomach, his hard pectorals buffering the soft flesh of her breasts. She was sliding into the erotic moment with him; the urge to let go and enjoy was overwhelming.
His lips brushed her earlobe, soft as a whisper, and she made an incoherent sound in her throat. ‘Is this what you want, Shey?’
Shey was trembling so hard she didn’t know how to answer. She was wired to him, barely hanging on to reason. All she wanted was to be closer. To have his hands on her. For him to stop talking and fulfill the promises he made earlier with actions.
As if reading her mind, his palms made contact with her outer thighs. The charge that ran through her ignited her senses. She was aware of every one of her pulse points, especially the one aching between her legs. Knees weakening, she grabbed onto his shoulders for support. His lips brushed her collarbone, and her head rocked to the side to give him better access. That seemed to be the reaction he wanted, because slowly he slipped her dress up her hips as he nibbled her throat.
The pull towards him intensified like gravity. The closer she got, the closer she needed to be. His breath tickled her neck as one of his hands slid around to her backside. He squeezed hard and she moaned her approval. Pleasure sparked anew and gathered momentum as it crashed through her. His other hand got to work, sliding beneath her thong, and immediately a long, thick finger entered her. Instinctively, she squeezed her muscles to pull him deeper, ground her hips to get a better angle, and he rewarded her by slipping in another. Though she felt full, it wasn’t enough. Shey tried to tell him, then his lips pinched her ear sending a blast of shuddering currents through her body and all she managed was a mewl.
Thrusting his fingers, he squeezed her backside, pulling her into a rhythm that made the burning inside morph to an achy pleasure. The orgasm swelled with the force of a train going full out, and she couldn’t bite back the desperate sounds coming out of her throat. His fingers swirled, over and over, barely skimming a spot inside that made heat flash through her. She was panting so hard she couldn’t tell him where she needed him to focus, but as she looked at him with pleading eyes, she hoped he understood.
Calvin’s jaw was tense and the feral need in his eyes cranked her up higher. She gasped as he hit that spot inside again, and he grinned. Shey let out a wordless protest when his fingers swirled again.
‘The anticipation will be worth it, Shey. Trust me.’
She couldn’t form a coherent reply, not with what he was doing to her. Taking her body to the edge, then slowing. Finger-fucking her faster as she felt the monumental orgasm slip away, then using lazy strokes right before she could come. She was sweating all over, and with every ragged breath she got another shot of his amazing smell. It was hard to believe that it would be better this way. When he brought her to the edge again and stopped, Shey wanted to weep. Her emotions were as raw as her body, held at the brink, her pleasure and what felt like so much more in this man’s control.
This time Calvin slipped in a third finger and started pumping hard. With her nails digging into his shoulders to keep herself upright, she begged him with her eyes for more. Whatever wall he’d put up to restrain himself cracked. His thumb found her clit and his mouth sealed over hers with a growl.
Her control crumbled as everything doubled.
The sensations, the mounting pressure, the electric connection. He thrust his tongue into her mouth at the same tempo as his fingers, and kept that punishing rhythm on her clit until she couldn’t breathe. As he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, the pressure exploded in wild spasms, and she grabbed onto his hair to pull him closer, so his mouth could swallow her cry of relief while her body shuddered on.
Shey went limp against him. She felt too open, too raw, more vulnerable than she’d ever been, but she couldn’t let him go. Calvin’s gentle kisses eased her, reassured her that everything would be fine even though she couldn’t think straight. His free hand rubbed up and down her spine softly.
As her mind sharpened, she realized her head had slipped down to rest against his chest, and he still had his fingers inside her. Wedged between the table and him, she was held upright. Shey tested her leg muscles and decided it was better he supported her, but the thought of his hand between her thighs, fingers inside her, made her face heat. Made everything too real. Especially when she realized the pull to him was stronger than ever.
She tried to speak. Her throat was clogged so tight nothing got past except little puffs of air.
Slowly, Calvin withdrew his fingers and her inner muscles tightened on instinct. When they had slipped out all the way, she felt cold and bereft which, she told herself, was insane. Releasing her hold on the silky strands of his hair, she disentangled herself from him, but a hand on her lower back kept her stomach pressed against his straining erection. Her achy core throbbed and pulsed, her muscles clenching with the thought of him filling her up, fucking her as thoroughly with his cock as he had his fingers.
He raised his hand. Those expert fingers glistened and she followed their journey up. Calvin waited until she met his heated gaze, then slipped all three fingers into his mouth and sucked. His eyes closed and an almost feral groan rumbled from his chest. That’s all it took for her whole body to fire up again like she hadn’t just had the best, most intense orgasm of her life.
When he’d finished his taste test, he stared at her through hooded lids. His eyes burned beneath, but she sensed he had put an invisible barrier back between them again, controlled the emotions he’d let go of when she’d begged with her eyes. It didn’t lessen the pull, or the crackle sparking the air between them, but she felt like he’d pushed her away, even though he was still pressed against her.
Not to mention her own self-control was nowhere to be found. God, was she actually considering taking this further? She should have left when she had the chance.
Calvin cleared his throat. ‘I need to be inside you. Now.’
Chapter Three (#u6d7d7736-cf91-5a54-8ab2-0e19b96af2d3)
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Aimee Duffy
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Эротические романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 28.04.2024
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О книге: HarperImpulse Erotic Romance NovellaThe first novella in a thrilling, pulse-racing new erotic romance series, Indecent Proposals. Three best friends, Shey, Eloisa and Georgia take on the most powerful and eligible men of the New York dating scene.Perfect for fans of bestselling erotic romance authors Sylvia Day and E.L. James!‘I’m not coming over.’ Shey replied confidently.‘Then maybe you could return the favor now.’Wait, he didn’t mean…‘Slide your hand beneath your panties and tell me how ready you are for me.’Oh my god, he did.Single Manhattanite Shey Lopez doesn’t do one night stands, or have relationships she can’t control. Especially if giving in to playboy Calvin Jones means losing her heart in the process.However, Mr Won’t-Take-No-For-An-Answer always gets what he wants and there’s only so many times a girl can resist such a enticing proposal…