“So she’s going to be calling you by some other guy’s name all weekend?” Leo shook his head. “At least with Peyton, she used my real name when she fabricated our relationship to her parents, so there wasn’t any confusion.”
“The guy’s name that she was dating was also Eric, so no chance of mixing up names.”
“See, it’s kismet,” Leo said with exaggerated humor. “The two of you were meant to be.”
“Don’t be a dumb ass,” Eric said, laughing. “This is not fate or destiny or any other romanticized version of meeting my soul mate. I’m just doing Evie a favor because I’ve got three dares from you, Dylan, and Aiden sitting on my head,” he reminded his friend, though truthfully, that challenge hadn’t played a part in his decision at all. “And honestly, she’s a nice girl who doesn’t want to deal with family drama for a weekend, and I can help provide that diversion, so why not have some fun with the situation?”
“Yeah, why not?” Leo said, nodding his head in agreement. “How long is this family reunion thing, anyway?”
“It’s next Friday through Monday. I wanted to make sure there’s nothing booked that you’ll need me for over that weekend before I confirm with Evie?” Even though they were equal partners in the business, Eric always liked to clear his personal days off with Leo, and vice versa.
“Not that I can think of, but let me double-check.” Leaning forward, Leo pulled up their schedule on his computer that listed their drivers, the fleet of cars they owned, and what was scheduled on each day. “Looks like it’s a pretty straightforward weekend since it’s a long holiday.”
“Perfect.” He stood up, needing to return a few of the calls he’d received while he’d been with Evie. “Of course, I’ll have my cell phone on me, and it’s only in Santa Barbara, so in an emergency, I could be back in four hours.”
“Just go and forget about work, okay?” Leo said, his tone serious. “You hardly ever take any time off. And that’s what we hired fleet managers for, to keep things organized and scheduled so we can have more free time to ourselves.”
There had been a time when he and Leo had been the only two drivers in their company, and it was still hard to believe how much they’d grown and how far they’d come. “Okay,” he agreed, because he knew if Leo really needed him, he’d pick up the phone and call.
He headed across the hall to his office and started his day returning phone calls. He spent a few hours making changes to a contract with their attorney that a new client wanted them to sign that included an NDA, which wasn’t an issue, but Eric wanted to make sure their ass was covered. He and Leo had lunch with business investors to discuss their plans to open other offices in different states and major cities, and the afternoon was spent signing off on maintenance inspections they’d scheduled on a few of their vehicles.
If the day wasn’t busy enough, at six p.m., he and Leo met with another wealthy client who was in town for dinner. What should have been an hour-and-a-half-max meal turned into nearly three hours of business conversation that ended with a few new promising leads both he and Leo planned to pursue over the next couple of weeks.
By the time Eric arrived home later that evening, it was almost ten and he was exhausted. The first thing he did was take a long, hot shower. The steam loosened the tension across his shoulders, and the half-dozen body jets pummeled and massaged his muscles until he felt relaxed and his mind had wound down from his packed schedule.
He hadn’t had five extra minutes to himself all day to contact Evie to let her know he was definitely free the following weekend to accompany her to her family reunion. As he settled into bed, he thought about dialing her number right now, but nixed the idea for two reasons.
One, it was late and he didn’t want to wake her if she was out for the night, although he wouldn’t have minded listening to the sleep-husky sound of her voice in his ear, he thought as he absently stroked a hand down his bare torso.
And two, he’d rather deliver the news face-to-face, because quite frankly, even though contacting her by phone or text messaging was the simplest, easiest, cut-and-dried route, he couldn’t deny the most important reason for not calling her tonight . . . because he wanted an excuse to see Evie in person again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Evie stood in front of her designated cupboard in the storeroom of Beauty and Bliss, trying to focus on updating her weekly inventory list of hair products—mainly to keep her mind off of the fact that she hadn’t heard back from Eric. Granted, it had only been twenty-four hours since she’d propositioned him at the Espresso Cup, but she’d thought, or rather hoped, that she would have heard his answer by the end of the day. Instead, she’d heard nothing but crickets.
Yesterday, she’d obsessively checked her phone between clients and after work, right up to the point that she finally forced herself to silence the device and get some sleep. But, pathetically, the first thing she’d done when she’d woken up was check for any messages . . . only to find none.
So, her day had started with a nice dose of disappointment, along with the realization that she might have only imagined the attraction between them. It was certainly a possibility that she’d read more into the way he’d looked at her, or even his flirty text about her ass. It was even a bigger likelihood that she’d misjudged the entire situation, considering how she’d completely let her most recent ex pull the wool over her eyes for four months. Hell, he obviously didn’t even want to be her fake boyfriend.
When had she become so naive when it came to trusting men? she thought in frustration. Oh, yeah, that first lesson had been taught by Graham, who’d broken up with her and was now engaged to Evie’s cousin, Raquel. It had taken Evie a long time to let her guard down with a man again, and what did she get for her efforts? Another huge kick in the heart courtesy of Eric number one.
Eric number two hadn’t seemed like a guy who’d blow her off, especially since he was on an app to service women and build a side business, and as a beta tester, she was encouraged to rate her experience with him. A review stating that he “leaves a woman hanging” wouldn’t be great for his reputation, but that’s how she was beginning to feel . . . like she’d been stood up. That maybe he hadn’t liked what he saw and changed his mind about spending four days with her. Thank you very much for that, insecurities.
She shook her head of those thoughts and refocused on her inventory. She only had a half hour before her next client arrived for highlights, and she needed to get her supplies ordered so she didn’t run out before Monday, which was the last Monday of the month and a day she, Scarlett, and Jessica opened the shop exclusively for the Beautiful You program Evie had created a year ago as a way to give back to the community.
Normally, every Sunday and Monday the shop was closed, with the exception of the once-a-month Beautiful You day, when women from the local domestic assault shelters came in for a free haircut, manicure, or facial at no charge to them. Evie saw it as a fun day of pampering, building self-confidence, and empowering those less fortunate women to embrace their beauty, inside and out. It was also a long, extremely exhausting day, with appointments booked back to back, but witnessing each woman’s transformation and being the recipient of their gratitude and radiant smiles as they walked out of the salon was the best feeling ever.
Fifteen minutes later, just as Evie finished her online purchase of inventory and was walking out of the storeroom, she nearly collided with Scarlett in the hallway, who had a gleeful look on her face.
“Oh my God, Evie,” she said in a hushed whisper that was threaded with excitement. “There is an insanely hot guy out at the front desk asking for you. I’m pretty sure it’s your fake boyfriend. And if it’s not, I call first dibs on him over Jessica.”
Evie’s stomach flipped at the thought that Eric might be here. Still, she couldn’t help but laugh, even knowing Scarlett was completely serious. When Evie had arrived at work yesterday morning after her coffee date with Eric, both of her business partners had grilled her about him
, and they’d waited just as anxiously throughout the day for her to hear back from him.
This morning, when she’d walked through the doors and had to confess that he still hadn’t contacted her, she’d been treated to those sympathetic looks she hated so much—even though she knew her best friends meant well—along with man-bashing comments meant to make her feel better that had only made the whole situation worse. She’d been glad to have getting her inventory done as a legit reason to escape to the storeroom and their attempts to soothe her bruised female ego.
But clearly, now Scarlett was singing a very different tune about men after laying eyes on a gorgeous guy. Evie didn’t want to get her hopes up that it was Eric, because the truth was, it could be a male client who had been referred to her, but she straightened her shoulders and put on a smile as she walked out into the reception area to meet Hot Guy.
Her traitorous heart did a tiny flip-flop in her chest when tall, dark-haired, extremely attractive Eric Miller came into view—definitely hot guy material in every way—and when he saw her approaching, a disarmingly sexy smile formed on his lips as he met her gaze.
“Good morning,” he said when she reached him, his low, husky voice pouring over her like warm honey, which in turn made her feel equally gooey inside. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d bring you that coffee you never have time to indulge in on your way to work.”
He offered her the large paper cup he held in his hand, imprinted with the name the Espresso Cup. “White chocolate mocha with an extra shot of espresso and whipped cream, right?”
She blinked at him, shocked and impressed that he’d remembered such a specific drink order, but he was clearly a guy who didn’t miss even the most minute details considering he’d remembered the name of her salon, too.
She accepted the latte with a smile. “Yes, that’s correct. Thank you,” she said, keenly aware that they were being watched, and very blatantly, by her two partners and their curious clients. “That was very nice of you.”
His green eyes twinkled playfully. “It was my pleasure.”
God, the way the word pleasure rolled off his tongue was so decadent and sinful.
His own gaze did a quick sweep of the shop, which was completely, awkwardly silent, as if everyone was waiting with bated breath to hear what he had to say to her.
Absently, he ran his fingers through his hair, disheveling the strands in a way that only added to his masculine appeal. “Do you mind if we take this conversation outside?”
He was obviously just as mindful of their avid audience, and she appreciated the suggestion. “Sure.”
Setting her drink down on the reception counter, she followed him out the main door to the sidewalk in front of Beauty and Bliss. The shop was framed by huge glass windows, and while their discussion was now private, the two of them were still on display and the women inside were not discreet about their staring. She was going to kill her two friends for being so damn nosey.
She crossed her arms over her chest to brace herself for a possible rejection, which was silly because if he was going to say no to her weekend proposition, wouldn’t he have just done it by phone?
His gaze dipped, sliding down to the upper swells of her breasts that she’d just inadvertently offered up for his perusal. He didn’t linger long, just enough to start a slow burn in the pit of her stomach before his eyes made their way back up to her now flushed face. It took everything in her not to shift restlessly on her feet or melt into a puddle at the approving curve to his lips. Apparently, Eric Miller was not only an ass man but a breast man, as well.
She was desperate to dispel the sexual tension vibrating inside her. “So, what brings you by, other than delivering coffee?” Somehow, she managed to keep her tone even and businesslike.
“First and foremost, I wanted to apologize for not getting in touch with you yesterday,” he said, his tone sincere. “I had every intention of calling, but I was slammed at work from the moment I walked into the office. And by the time I got home last night, it was after ten and I didn’t want to risk waking you up.”
His legitimate reason for ignoring her after their meeting softened Evie’s defenses, and her arms and shoulders relaxed a fraction.
“I thought an in-person apology was better than in impersonal text, and I was hoping the coffee would earn me some bonus points for going silent yesterday,” he said, offering her a charming smile that was completely unfair because it made her forget everything but how goddamn sexy and attractive he was. And persuasive, too.
“It did,” she admitted.
He appeared satisfied to hear his ploy had worked. “I was also curious to see where you worked and what your shop was like. I should know all that information if I’m your boyfriend, right?”
It took a few extra seconds for his insinuation to sink in, but she wasn’t going to get too excited until she had a firm confirmation from him. “Does that mean you’re available for me to hire for all of next weekend?” She couldn’t disguise the hope in her voice.
His low, husky laugh was like a caress across her skin. “Yes, that’s exactly what it means, Evie Bennett.”
“Oh my God. Thank you!” A huge wave of relief washed over her, and she reacted without thinking, closing the short distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him in gratitude.
As soon as she was pressed tight against him, with her softer feminine curves aligned to his harder masculine body and her cheek rubbing along his slightly rougher skin, that initial gesture of appreciation veered in a whole different direction as awareness slammed her senses. A hard, muscular body she shamelessly wanted to feel naked against hers and warm skin scented with an arousing combination of cologne and pure man that tempted her to bury her face against his neck and breathe deeply of that intoxicating fragrance.
He groaned into her ear, the sound tortured, and his hands gripped her waist, though not to push her away but to draw her closer. “You do realize, don’t you, that we have four women in your shop staring at us and I’m trying like hell not to do something completely ungentlemanly right now, like slid my hand over your ass and cop a feel?”
His words snapped her out of the sensual fog she’d just lost herself in, and she jumped back from him, embarrassment flooding through her. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she said in a rush, her eyes wide and her cheeks warming with chagrin. “That was incredibly inappropriate. I mean, I shouldn’t have—”
“Evie,” he said, his voice a bit gruff and desire darkening his green eyes. “Stop apologizing. I’m glad you’re comfortable with physical affection. It’ll make the whole boyfriend experience much more believable if I can touch you intimately.”
Touch her intimately? Her inner bad girl was already on board with the idea of feeling this man’s capable hands on her body. She absently licked her bottom lip at the seductive thought.
His gaze narrowed at the spot where her tongue had just skimmed. “Stop tempting me with your mouth,” he ordered on a low, frustrated growl that made her nipples peak.
Confusion swirled through her foggy mind. How was she teasing him when they were standing nearly a foot apart? “What?”
He reached out and rested his hand along her jaw and brushed the pad of his thumb along her damp lower lip, heedless of who might see. “Every time your tongue glides across your bottom lip, which you do often, all I can think about is kissing you long and deep to see if you taste like cotton candy or cinnamon red hots.”
She visibly shivered, and a slow, stomach-tumbling smile eased across his face at her telling reaction.
“I’m dying to know,” he murmured, boldly pressing his thumb against the pillowed flesh until the tip of his finger grazed her bottom teeth and she tasted the salt on his skin. “But when it happens, and trust me when I say that it will happen, I don’t want an audience. I want the luxury of taking my time and exploring every inch of your soft, sweet mouth.”
She was utterly breathless, because that’s how this man
made her feel. And those come-hither eyes . . . God, how was she going to survive four days of looking into them without falling headlong into all sorts of trouble?
“Hey,” he asked, letting his hand fall away, much to her disappointment. “You okay?”
She gave her head a small shake to snap herself out of her stupor. “Umm, yeah. You’ve very convincing.”
He arched a dark, challenging brow. “It wasn’t an act, sweetheart. Don’t make me prove it in front of your friends and everyone else driving by, or that woman entering your shop right now who’s staring at us, too.”
She glanced over her shoulder to see who he was referring to and recognized her client. “That’s my nine o’clock appointment so I need to go.”
He nodded in understanding. “I’m going to be busy this weekend, but I’ll be in touch when I can so we can discuss everything the boyfriend experience entails,” he told her with a wink as he took his car keys from his front pocket. “And don’t hesitate to text me if you have any questions.”
“Okay.”
He gave her his signature sexy grin, along with a wave, and she couldn’t help but watch him head toward his car, just long enough to admire his perfect backside before she went inside the shop. She was immediately greeted with clapping and enthusiastic woo-hoos and all the girls talking at once.
“Holy smokes, can a guy get any hotter?”
“Oh my God, we thought he was going to kiss you!”
“Is that sexy piece of man candy really yours for four whole days?”
“Everyone, stop,” Evie insisted, pressing her hands to her flaming cheeks, though she was smiling because who wouldn’t be after such a wildly flirtatious encounter with a man who was sex on two legs?
Jessica gave Evie a once-over that was direct and playful. “You, Ms. Evie Bennett, are a smitten kitten.”
The Boyfriend Experience Page 4
