by Joan Kilby
She checked her messages on the way and smiled with relief. Luke had texted back, asking when he could see her. Thank goodness her abrupt departure last night hadn’t put him off. She hit the keypad to reply. I’ll call you this afternoon after the boutique closes. We’ll do something fun.
The car was stuck in traffic so she used her spare few minutes to do an Internet search and found images of him as a hockey player. Bellissimo! He looked like a sexy Viking when he sported a full reddish-blond beard. She clicked through more links—so many awards and achievements—and came upon information about his disabled children’s sports foundation. Dio, he’d done so much for those kids. A press release dated only this morning spoke about the financial trouble it was in. Her eyes widened as she read on. Big trouble. Thoughtfully, she made note of his financial advisor’s name. She would give Luke a token amount that a salesclerk could afford. Then she would go through this Allan Montes to make a substantial donation—anonymously.
…
“Hey, Rosie,” Luke greeted his bartender as he strode through the bar around midday. Hockey practice had gone well. The kids were pumped about the upcoming game and maybe making the finals. He hadn’t had the heart to burst their bubble so he didn’t said anything about the possibility of losing funding. Anyway, that wasn’t going to happen. He would find the money if it was the last thing he did.
Rosie, with scarlet pig-tails and full sleeve tatts on her arms, looked up from restocking the fridge behind the bar with bottled beer. “Hey, Luke. Did you see the crowds next door?”
“Crazy, huh?” He’d glanced through the boutique’s windows hoping for a glimpse of Tina but it was hopeless given the hordes of women in there. It could be hours before she got a break.
As he passed the kitchen, he paused to watch Luis, the chef, prepping tapas for the lunch rush. “Luis, my man, is the new stove working okay?”
Luis, his dark hair tucked beneath a white cotton cap, looked up from a tray of chorizo and patatas bravas and grinned. “Fantastic, boss.”
“Excellent.” Luke went into his small office at the back of the bar and shut the door. He called his manager Roy and explained the situation, asking him to book a venue for an exhibition game as soon as possible. “All the guys are on board. Yep, both teams. The tickets are going to sell out in minutes.” Or so he hoped. “Can you do me one other favor? Get me a spot on ESPN so I can broadcast to the nation how badly these kids need support.”
“I’ll get right onto it,” Roy said. “Sure would be a shame to lose the foundation after all you’ve done to build it up.”
“Thanks, pal.” Luke hung up and leaned back in his desk chair, wondering how Allan was doing with the bank. Fundraising was all well and good, but if the bank wouldn’t extend a line of credit long enough for the money to start rolling in, then the foundation could still go under.
When he was a kid, a local charity had helped him buy ice skates and a helmet so he could join a hockey team that played on an outdoor rink. If he hadn’t been given a leg up he wouldn’t have had the career he did, or be where he was today. Now that he’d achieved success he wanted to give back. He needed to pay it forward.
Restless, Luke went out to the bar. A table of rowdy Australian tourists were watching Aussie rules football in the corner, and a handful of regulars were dotted around the place. He walked outside to check if the circus was still going on next door.
It was. Reporters milled around outside the boutique, snapping photos of the celebrities arriving for the launch as they were discretely whisked from limos past the queue and up the red carpet. The line-up to get into the boutique still stretched down Madison Avenue all the way to the other corner. Briefly he thought about going over there but he knew Tina wouldn’t have time to talk, and he didn’t want to cause her trouble with her hard-nosed boss.
A harried Allan emerged from the crowd of jostling women and slipped past Luke into the bar, straightening his tie and smoothing down his ruffled hair. “Whew! I took my life in my hands back there.”
“Never get between a woman and a sale,” Luke agreed. “By contrast to what’s out there, this is a bastion of masculinity. What can I get you?”
“Just coffee,” Allan said, sliding onto a high stool. “I’m working.”
“And I’m trying to stay awake.” Between making love to Tina and afterward wondering why she’d run off like that, he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep. Luke poured two cups of Colombian medium roast and filled Allan in on his fundraising efforts. “What happened with the bank?”
“I met with the manager this morning and asked for a line of credit. He said he’d think about it. I’m expecting a phone call with his answer any time.” Allan dumped sugar in his mug and stirred, eyeing Luke curiously. “You look different. What happened?”
“What do you mean, different? I’m just tired.”
“Not that. You’re keyed up. Like you used to look at the start of the hockey season, just before a big game. Excited, ready to go.” Allan gave him a sidelong glance. “Is it that sales assistant?”
Luke pulled up a stool next to Allen and sipped his coffee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You liked her. I could tell.”
“Yeah, I like her. So what?” He liked her a lot. And she was so hot she was flammable. Not that Allan was getting any details out of him. He blew out a sigh. It wasn’t all rosy. “Have you ever gone out with a woman who won’t tell you anything about herself? Won’t even let you take her home?”
Allan lifted his cup to his mouth. “Most of my dates in high school were like that.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve never encountered this problem before.” Luke cupped his mug in his hands, his mind back in his bedroom at midnight with Tina naked, riding him. The crazy thing was, she seemed to like him too. At least she liked having sex with him. She was playful and inventive and she’d made him come like a freight train.
“So, what are you going to do about her?” Allan asked.
What he wanted to do was fuck her brains out at every possible opportunity. Trouble was, he didn’t know when he was going to see her again. “She’s kind of elusive.”
“For a guy who’s used to being in control I can see how that would rankle.”
“I want to know where I stand.”
“Don’t question,” Allan suggested with a shrug. “Just enjoy.”
“Yeah, I guess.” One of the Aussies, a tanned and fit thirty-something dude who looked as if he spent most of his life on a beach, came up to the bar and ordered another round. Rosie started to pour pitchers of draft beer. Luke waited until she left to deliver them to add, “Thing is, I want more than sex from her.”
Allan’s eyebrows rose. “You do have it bad.”
“Oh, I don’t mean anything long term or serious, necessarily. She’s not going to be in town long. I’m okay with a fling. A little harmless fun between two consenting adults. But I wouldn’t mind a few biographical details to make me feel as if I knew her.”
“What have you got on her?”
“Her first name is Tina. I don’t know her last name.” Luke ticked additional points off on his fingers. “She’s a sales assistant next door at the boutique. She’s from Rome, Italy. She’s always talking with her hands—it’s super cute. She has an amazing body, and she knows how to use it. Her brother is a fan of the Naples soccer team and collects memorabilia. She likes pastries. She’s sweet. She was concerned about the kids’ hockey team and wanted to donate to the foundation.” He thought for a moment. “And she has suspiciously excellent taste in champagne, food, and art.”
“All good stuff but you’re right, it’s not much to go on,” Allan agreed. “Can’t you just ask her about herself?”
“I’ve tried.” They kept getting sidetracked which he wasn’t complaining about, mind you. He moved to take a tray of empty glassware from Rosie. While Luke loaded them into the washer, Allan took a phone call.
“Hit me with it,” he said when Allan hung
up.
“The good news is, the bank granted my request to extend you a short-term loan.” Allan paused. “The bad news is, it’ll barely cover the operating expenses and the interest rate is going to break you. You’ve still got to come up with a big chunk of cash, ASAP.”
“Crap.” Luke grabbed a stool and leaned on the bar. He’d been hoping for a quick fix but now the full implications of the disaster started to sink in. Sports venues were booked and paid for far in advance. A central office employed a dozen full-time coordinators and four or five people in each city. A break of even a few weeks would disrupt hundreds of lives and take many months or longer to repair.
“There’s an alternative,” Allan said. “You could shut the foundation down. No one would blame you. I can oversee the divestment of the resources, write it off on your taxes, even get someone to try to find other sporting programs for your kids.”
An easy out. That’s what Allan was offering him. He wasn’t tempted, not for a second. How would he ever face the kids when they turned to him, trusting and confused, and wanted to know why they weren’t going to be able to play anymore? “Nope, not an option,” he said firmly. “I’ll sell my left kidney before I shut down.”
Allan grunted and didn’t press. Luke ordered them something to eat, and they both fielded phone calls and made arrangements amid courses of chili prawns, Spanish tortilla, and patatas bravas.
Two hours later, a text pinged into Luke’s phone. He tapped the screen to open. He smiled when he saw Tina’s message, a ray of sunshine in a suddenly gloomy day. I’m at the boutique, and I’m finished for the day. Are you up for a little fun?
He quickly tapped a reply. You bet. What do you have in mind?
A pause and then, How do you feel about role playing?
His pulse quickened. While they’d only dabbled with the whole saloon girl/cowgirl scene, he was game for something more. Like I said, I’ll be anyone you want me to be.
A few seconds later… Hmm, so many possibilities. Who will you be tonight?
He remembered the smoldering look in her eye when she’d grabbed his tool belt that first day and smiled. I’m the handyman, at your service.
“What’s that grin about?” Allan said. “You look like the cat that ate the canary.”
“Tina. We arranged to get together. She’s letting me know she’s ready.”
Allan slid off his stool. “That sounds like my cue to leave.” He clapped a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Catch you later, dude.”
“Sure. And thanks.” After Allan left, Luke went into his office at the back of the pub to find his work gear he kept there for odd jobs. He couldn’t wait to be with her again and the fantasy element made it all the more exciting. He strapped on his tool belt, his spirits high. God knew he needed a distraction in the worst way. If anyone could take his mind off his problems it was Tina.
…
In the deserted boutique, Tina searched the lingerie rack for the sexiest corset, panty and garter set she could find and carried them into the third of the three fitting rooms. With four solid hours of sleep this afternoon she felt rested, refreshed and raring to go.
Opening day had gone off like a bomb, the crowds undiminished all day until finally they’d shut the doors. Tina made an appearance a half hour before closing, congratulated everyone, kept them enthused and smiling during clean up and then sent all the staff home.
Before Charmaine left, she reminded Tina of her dinner tonight with fashion magazine editors. That wasn’t for another three hours. Plenty of time for a sexy interlude. She clutched the bra and panty set and did a little happy dance. Luke would be her handyman. So exciting. She’d never gotten her first impression of him out of her mind. The low-slung jeans, the snug T shirt, the tool belt…
And the role-playing, it leveled the field. Allowed them both to pretend to be someone else. Granted her the freedom to just be.
She changed into the lingerie and slipped her “costume” skirt and top back on—an embroidered drawstring blouse and a peasant-style skirt in a filmy material. Then she tapped another message to Luke into her phone. The door is open. Come in and lock it behind you.
A few seconds later, her phone pinged. On my way, bossy lady.
Tina paced the plush carpet in high heels, jittery with anticipation. The luxurious fitting room contained a love seat and was lined with mirrors, including a three-way in one corner. She fluffed her hair and checked there were no flecks of mascara on her cheeks and that her lipstick hadn’t smeared. Then she tugged down her blouse to expose the plump curve of her breasts and the top of her ivory and pink satin balconette bra.
The chime above the door sounded. She paused, listening. All she could hear was her heart thumping. A second later her phone pinged.
I’m here. Where are you?
She bit back a giggle. In the fitting room. I’ve got a job I’d like you to do.
She held herself totally still, listening for his footsteps, but the carpet was so thick, again there was nothing but silence.
Until the quiet snick of the first fitting room door opening. “Tina?”
She put her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t let out a sound and typed a message. Keep looking.
Ping went her phone. I will find you…
She swore she could feel the charged air between them even though she couldn’t see or hear him. The second fitting room door clicked open. Then shut.
Getting warmer…
Are you ready for me?
He was standing right outside her door now. Her stomach was a hive of bees, all buzzing around, until she could hardly breathe. She arranged herself on the love seat in a sexy pose with her skirt rucked up between her slightly spread legs, one hand touching herself between her thighs. She was already slick and wet thinking about Luke and what he was going to do to her, and with her.
I am so ready…
Good. I brought my tool belt.
Her gaze was riveted on the door as it slowly opened. Luke filled the doorframe, his broad shoulders almost touching the sides, his tangled dark blond hair brushing the top. His sleeveless tank showed off sculpted biceps and a broad chest. His jeans were soft denim molded to long, strong thighs and an awe-inspiring package. His leather tool belt was slung around slim hips like a holster on a western lawman.
But it was his eyes that drew and held her gaze. They burned with a blue heat that sent the temperature in the fitting room skyrocketing. Tina licked her lips.
Luke took one look at her and quickly fell into her game. “I’m the handyman. What can I do for you?”
“I have a little problem,” she said. “Between my legs. Can you handle that sort of thing?”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He entered the fitting room and suddenly the spacious area seemed cramped. His boot tread made imprints on the soft carpet, and his shoulder brushed the three-way mirror, making it swing forward. Now she could see herself, wantonly splayed, and Luke’s back as he kneeled between her legs.
He gripped her thighs with both hands and gently pushed them farther apart. His thumbs slowly circled the sensitive skin on her inner leg. “Everything looks fine from here.”
“It’s farther up. Under the skirt.” Tina’s hold on the settee tightened as he slid the gauzy fabric up her leg, exposing the ivory silk of her panties. A gush of moisture flooded her. Her breath came shallower. “Can you see it now?”
One curled knuckle skimmed over her panties, down and then up, making her tingle. And again, adding a touch more pressure with each successive stroke until she was pulsing with need. He lifted his gaze to hers. Perspiration had formed on his upper lip. “Your ‘problem’ is behind this silk barrier. I’ll have to remove it before I can go further. That okay with you?”
Tina, watching in the mirror, could see his broad, tapering back, one strong leg bent at ninety degrees. With his hands, big and tanned on her pale skin, so close to her core she had to fight for breath. “Do what you need to do.”
“Hold still now
. I don’t want you to move an inch. It’s a delicate operation.”
She didn’t want delicate. She wanted rough. She wanted his hands gripping her while he plunged that big tool of his where it would do the most good. Her whole body was screaming to move against his. “But—”
“No buts. I’m the professional. I say what goes.”
Luke slid his hands up the backs of her thighs, lifting her off the settee. With his fingertips he grasped the waistline of her panties and tugged slowly. He got them off almost to the point where her neat thatch of dark hair would be revealed and stopped.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, panting. When she shifted her legs now she could feel the slippery slide of her juices against her swollen lips. The pulse had become insistent, demanding. “Why have you stopped?”
“To do a job properly the whole area has to be inspected.” Heat darkened his blue eyes as he grasped the drawstring of her blouse and released the bow. The neckline sagged open, and he tugged it further down, exposing the curve of one breast and an enticing rim of pink lace. “It’s an OHS issue.”
“Occupational Health and Safety?” Her gaze dropped to his fingertips moving over her breast, leaving a burning trail of sensitized flesh in their wake.
“Other Hot Spots. They can flare up.”
“Is that a bad thing?” she said faintly. “It doesn’t feel like a bad thing.”
“It’s a good thing. I need to make sure they’re at maximum.” He pushed her blouse down over her shoulder, exposing a plump, satin-covered breast. “Ah, now that’s what I like to see.”
Tina looked down. Her nipple was hard and peaked beneath the ivory satin, and her flesh quivered with every shallow, needy breath. She ached for him to take her into his mouth. She positively squirmed with desire. “P-please.”
His gaze shot to hers, full of heat and humor and his own controlled desire. “Remember what I said. Don’t move. Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
