by Nina Croft
“Do you want to tell me a little bit about this guy? I gather that he’s an old boyfriend, and if so, why is he still in your life?”
“I take it you don’t stay in contact with your old flames.” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I told you, Danny was never really a boyfriend. He’s just a friend.”
“Maybe he doesn’t know that.”
“He does.”
“And his girlfriend thinks there was more. Why would she think that, if you were just friends? Or was it friends with benefits?”
“None of your business.” She had an idea that wasn’t going to work.
“Hey, friends talk about these things.” He took a sip of beer. “Relationships and stuff. Come on, you can confide in me.” He placed his beer on the table, sat back in his chair, put his hands behind his head, and stretched, a lazy smile on his face. God, he was gorgeous. And he knew it. “Besides, I am your boyfriend, sweetheart. I think that gives me the right to know.”
Why the hell had she ever gotten into this? It had seemed like a good idea at the time. And she hadn’t really believed he would go along with it. But he had, and now he was asking questions and she supposed he deserved answers. He was helping her out of a sticky situation.
But what was she supposed to tell Nik? That she had lost her virginity to Danny when they were both sixteen. That they had slept with each other on and off in the years after that. They’d both wanted their relationship to be more, but while it had been fun, there had always been something missing.
Passion.
She had a flashback to that night with Nik. That was what had been missing. But she’d found it with Nik. Best not examine that too closely.
“You’re not my boyfriend, but you are doing me a favor, so I’ll tell you. I’ve known Danny since I was fourteen.” She stared into space for a moment as she remembered that first meeting at the foster home. For a shy, introverted teenager like Summer, the place had been hell. A lot like prison, really. It had been her first night, and she’d still been dazed by the speed at which her world had fallen apart, as well as worried for her mother, who they didn’t think would ever walk again. Not that anyone had told her that, but she’d overheard a conversation between the doctor and the nurse.
She’d been going through life in a haze of misery, when she’d been cornered by three older girls and told she had to pay a fee if she expected to be left alone. None of it had made sense. Then Danny had come to the rescue. “It was a difficult time for me. He was a stranger, but he put himself out to make me feel better, and I’ll always be grateful. I’m not sure what would have happened to me without him. He’s like a brother, and the best friend I ever had. And yes, at one point, we thought there might be more—hoped there could be more—but it didn’t work out. And there hasn’t been anything like that between us for long time.”
“How long?”
“Mind your own business.”
He opened his mouth, no doubt to say it was a “boyfriend’s” business, but at that moment, she caught sight of Danny and Sherry crossing the room toward them. She got to her feet and waved in their direction. Danny waved back, put a hand on Sherry’s waist, and guided her toward the table.
As they got closer, it became clear they’d been arguing. Sherry’s cheeks were flushed, and Danny’s lips were clamped in a tight line.
“Oh dear, trouble in paradise,” Nik murmured.
She had an idea that this was going to be an awkward evening, and that she had made a huge mistake, but it was too late to back out now. She was just going to have to make the best of the situation. As they halted by the table, she moved around, leaned across, pressed a hand on Danny’s shoulders, and kissed his cheek. She repeated the process with Sherry, who stood stiff as a board under the kiss. Then she sat down again and took a gulp of beer.
Time for some introductions. She hoped Sherry was suitably impressed with her trophy boyfriend. “This is Nik,” she said, forcing her lips into a smile. “And this is Danny and Sherry.”
Nik rose to his feet and held out his hand toward Danny. They shook, both eyeing each other more like potential enemies than prospective dinner partners. Nik shook hands with Sherry next, who was looking him up and down as though she liked what she saw. Some of the tension went out of Summer. Presumably Nik made a passable boyfriend and a believable alternative to Danny. That was the whole purpose of the evening, after all. But they still had to get through dinner. Fun, fun, fun.
They all sat down. Summer was seated opposite Danny. He caught her gaze and lifted one eyebrow. She ignored him, and he turned his attention to Nik, but Sherry beat him to it.
“So, Nik, where and when did you and Summer meet?”
Nothing like being direct.
Nik didn’t appear fazed by the question. “I first met Summer nearly three years ago. She was working in the accounts department at my company.”
Crap. She really hadn’t wanted Danny to know that. He was bound to make the connection. She could almost see the cogs turning in his brain and no doubt, he was coming up with the right answers. He’d helped her set up that job, created Sarah Daniels. Now he would know that Nik knew all about her alter egos.
“You’re Nik Masterton,” he said.
Nik raised an eyebrow. “I am.”
Sherry leaned across the table, her eyes wide. “Of Masterton Industries? That Nik Masterton?”
“The one and only,” Summer muttered. At least Sherry appeared impressed. It was a good thing Danny wasn’t the jealous type. Or at least, she thought he wasn’t. He gave her a look that asked what she was playing at.
“I’ve been working with your company on my mentor program,” Sherry said. “We haven’t actually met, but we have spoken on the phone.”
He smiled. “You’re Sherry Brooks? The Give Something Back program? How’s it going?”
“Fabulous. We haven’t started yet, but we plan to move forward with the first trials any day now. Your company has been so supportive.”
“I hope it works. It’s a great idea.”
Sherry glanced at Summer. “You know it was Summer’s idea?”
He looked at her. “No. She didn’t mention it.”
Duh. Well, why would I?
“She came up with it while she was inside.” Sherry frowned. “Hey, you do know about Summer’s little…” She waggled her eyebrows. What was that supposed to infer? If he didn’t know, he was going to be sure to want to find out.
“I know,” he said, his tone ironic.
“Whew. Anyway, she wrote to Danny setting out the idea, and Danny came to me, and the rest is history.”
The waiter arrived at that moment, and they ordered food and more beers.
“So, you met three years ago,” Sherry said. “Did you go out with each other back then?”
“No, we didn’t go out, but we did become friends, and when I found out she needed a job, I insisted she let me help. And it all started from there.” He reached across the table and took Summer’s hand, squeezed. “Now we’re inseparable.”
“Aw, isn’t that sweet?” Danny didn’t sound impressed.
“Well, you did land on your feet.” Sherry appeared to have taken Summer’s boyfriend at face value. And even if she seemed a little incredulous, she hadn’t actually come out and asked what a gorgeous billionaire was doing with a girl like her.
Summer gave her a smile back. “Nik’s been so kind to me since I got out.”
“It’s good he knows about your little…time away.”
“We have no secrets,” Nik said.
“Somehow, I doubt that,” Sherry said.
It occurred to Summer that there might be more to Sherry’s dislike of her than mere jealousy. Maybe she was worried Summer was going to get Danny involved in her illegal activities. Danny had told her Sherry knew about their work together. He’d been straight since she went away; Summer’s being caught had knocked some sense into him.
She made a mental note to reassure the other woman, but now was
not the time. She didn’t want to give Nik any inkling that Danny had been involved in her criminal activities. While she hated to lie, that wasn’t her secret to tell, and she’d never betray her friend.
“Nik has really looked after me.” Across the table, Danny raised an eyebrow. Ignoring him, she shuffled her chair closer to Nik. He still had hold of her hand; now he pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her lips. As she made to move back, his hands slid into the hair at her nape, and he held her firmly while he deepened the kiss. His mouth plundered hers, his tongue pushing inside. The room, the company, everything faded from her consciousness. The kiss only stopped when she ran out of air. She sat back, gulping oxygen, her gaze fixed firmly on his face. His eyes were sleepy, darkened with desire. Across the table somebody coughed, and she forced herself to look away and straight into Danny’s shocked eyes. Next to him, Sherry was fanning herself.
“Wow.”
She couldn’t have put it better herself. “Hot and bothered” didn’t begin to describe how she felt right now. Luckily, the waiter brought their food at that moment, so they were saved from having to give any more demonstrations of devotion.
After that, things went a little smoother. Sherry relaxed and appeared to enjoy herself. She even smiled at Danny, so at least the plan had worked. Danny didn’t look quite so happy and kept throwing Summer suspicious glances. But she returned them with a bland smile, then nearly jumped out of her skin as Nik’s hand slid up her bare thigh under the table.
He leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. “Just trying to be convincing.”
His hand slid up a little higher, and heat flooded her core. She took a sip of cold beer, trying to cool herself down. His fingers fluttered against the lace of her panties, and she closed her legs as tight as she could to stop any further movement. A glance at his face showed nothing.
Sherry asked her something, and she shook her head, having no clue what the question was. “Gotta visit the ladies’,” she said, jumping to her feet and dislodging his hand.
When she returned, she made sure she stayed out of reach, studiously ignoring everyone while she ate her food. Which was delicious.
Finally, the evening was over. They said good-bye to Danny and Sherry at the door. Danny had ordered them a taxi.
“I’ll walk you home,” Nik said.
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Besides, it’s what a boyfriend would do.”
Chapter Twelve
“What happened when you were fourteen?” Nik asked.
They’d been walking in almost companionable silence, not touching. She’d been thinking about the evening. Okay, she’d been thinking about the kiss. He’d been trying to convince Danny and Sherry, that was all. He wanted to be friends. He’d told her so.
Now she cast him a sideways glance. “Sorry?” she said to give herself time to think how much to reveal. She didn’t want to lie. But she also didn’t want him to think she was looking for sympathy.
“You said you met Danny when you were fourteen, and he helped you through a rough time. What happened?”
She could say it was none of his business, but instead she shrugged. “I was put into foster care.”
“Why?”
“My mother was involved in an accident at work. She was in the hospital for a long time and wasn’t able to look after me.”
“What about your father?”
She shrugged again. “He was never part of my life. He and my mom weren’t married. They had an affair when she worked for him—he was a big company CEO, rich, good-looking. She was bowled over. But he wasn’t interested in anything more.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s no big deal. I never even met him, and he’s dead now. He had a heart attack when I was little more than a baby.”
Her mother had never gotten over it, though. She’d been bitter even before the accident. And she’d tried to pass that bitterness on to Summer. She’d grown up to warnings of never letting a man get close enough to betray you. Certainly not rich men who thought they could buy anything and anyone they wanted. Men like Summer had believed Nik to be. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“Anyway, I was put into foster care and I just didn’t fit in. They were all so…hard—the system will do that to you. And I was shy and didn’t make friends easily. Plus, I was plump and self-conscious and—”
He came to a halt and turned to stare at her. “I don’t believe you.”
“Hah, believe it.” They started walking again. “Danny had been in the system for a while. He knew his way around, and for some reason he befriended me. I wouldn’t have gotten through that time without him. We found we had a lot in common.”
“I’m glad you had a friend.”
They walked on in silence. Five minutes later, she was home. Only she didn’t want the night to end. And she didn’t want to think about that too much.
It was after eleven and the gym was all locked up and in darkness. Above, the lights were on in the apartment. Either Darcy or Regan was home. Summer led the way into the alley that ran alongside the building and came to a halt at the door. “This is me.”
He stood opposite her, his hands shoved in his pockets, head cocked to one side. “I had a good time. I kind of liked being your boyfriend,” he murmured. “Perhaps we can do it again sometime. I’d hate for you to have to tell Sherry we’d broken up. She might think it’s because of Danny.”
“She might.”
He pulled his hands out of his pockets, took a step closer so they were almost touching. He leaned in so his breath feathered her cheek and whispered in her ear, “I should kiss you good-night. In case anyone is watching.”
She glanced around the empty alley. All was quiet. But his nearness was making her head swim. This time, she couldn’t blame it on alcohol. She’d only had a couple of beers all night, wanting to keep her wits about her.
One big hand came up and curled around the back of her neck. He tipped her head so she stared up into his dark eyes. Then his mouth came down on hers, soft at first, then, when she didn’t pull back, he deepened the kiss, slanting his lips over hers. His tongue pushed inside her mouth while his other hand slid down her back, to settle on her waist and urge her closer.
Where the hell had that come from?
He was already hard, the bulge of his groin pressing against the softness of her belly, and he groaned into the kiss. Heat washed through her, settling at her breasts, between her thighs.
She was panting as he raised his head. Looking around him, he wrapped a hand around her wrist and dragged her deeper into the shadows at the back of the alley, gently pushed her back against the brick wall, lowered his head, and kissed her again.
And she did absolutely nothing to stop him. In fact, her lips parted beneath his and her tongue slipped inside, tasting the heat of him.
His hand cupped her breast through the thin cotton of her dress. Her nipples were already hard little peaks, so sensitive that her back arched, pushing her against his palm. Needing more.
He broke the kiss, lowered his head, and bit down on her nipple. Pleasure shot through her, starting an insistent pulse between her thighs. Her hips pushed against him, her sex hot and swollen and needy.
His mouth was at her throat now, taking little bites, then soothing with kisses. Both his hands slid down her sides, over her hips, her thighs. He grabbed the hem of her dress and hauled it up so he could push one hand between her legs. She almost swooned as he palmed her sex, the heel of his hand pushing upward, forcing a groan from her lips as he rotated it against her.
She groaned again as he stopped. She needed this, could feel the pleasure coalescing in her belly, building. “Come back,” she whispered.
“I’m not going anywhere.” And his fingers slid inside the lace of her panties, between the folds of her sex.
“Christ,” he muttered as one finger sank into her. Her head fell back, and she closed her eyes and just gave herself up to the sensations as he pus
hed another finger inside her. She wriggled, trying to force him where she needed him the most, and finally, he drew his fingers out, glided along the slippery length of her sex, and circled her clit, so she whimpered in need.
He stopped.
She opened her eyes and found him staring down at her, a wicked glint in his eyes. “You want to come, Summer?”
Oh, yeah. She managed a jerky nod.
“Then say—Nik, you’re the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”
“You’re an asshole,” she managed to get out.
He laughed and trailed the tip of one finger over her swollen clit so she almost jumped out of her skin.
“Let me in, Summer. Let me do this for you. All you have to do is say best boyfriend.”
Hah. Never going to happen. “Best fake boyfriend.”
He sighed, circling her clit with the tip of one finger. Fire shot along her nerves, and her hips pushed against his hand. Never had she wanted anything so much. She could feel herself yearning toward him.
“Come on, Summer, they’re only words.” He kissed the side of her neck, bit down on her earlobe, while that torturous finger grazed lightly over the sensitive bundle of nerves. Teasing her. Driving her wild.
He was right. It was only words. “Best boyfriend,” she muttered.
“Good girl.”
“Patronizing dick.”
He laughed, then took her lips in a kiss, pushing his tongue inside while his fingers entered her slick heat and the pad of his thumb massaged her clit. Once, twice, was all it needed, and she came apart. He drank down her moans, then pinched her between his thumb and finger and she exploded, waves of pleasure dragging her under, so she sagged against him and he pushed her back against the wall to keep her upright.
Only the sound of voices passing the entrance to the alley brought her back to herself. She stared at him with wide eyes. She’d expected smug superiority, but he just looked serious. She swallowed, then tested her legs. Deciding they would hold her up, she slowly unlocked her fingers from the deathlike grip on his shoulders. As she steadied herself, ripples of pleasure shivered through her. She cleared her throat, trying to think of something to say. “Thank you” seemed appropriate, but she couldn’t get the words out.
