Turn Me On

by Faye Avalon

  As he opened the door for her, she moved across. “I’ll be there.”

  He inclined his head as she passed through and as he shut the door behind her, he felt like a complete bastard.

  But no way was he entering into an affair, however brief and transitory, with a woman who wanted someone else. That didn’t do much for a man’s ego, regardless that the woman heated him up like a rocket and left him with a permanent hard-on whenever she was in spitting distance. He didn’t want any complications. He had a shit-load of those already.

  Reed sank into his leather chair. He needed a drink.

  What was it with women? They tied a man in knots whichever way they came at you. They either wanted to put a damn noose around your neck, making it impossible to shake them off, or they made you work so damn hard to get to first base your head spun.

  Picking up a small paperweight, Reed started tapping it against his desk as he contemplated his situation. There was no denying he wanted the woman. And while she might push him back every chance she got, Lissa Delaney wanted him. The way her eyes darkened, the way her cheeks heated. Hell. She all but trembled when he touched her.

  He was prepared to work his ass off to get to first base with her, even if it fucking killed him. Before long, she’d be hard pressed to remember who the hell Zutini was. He’d make sure of that. As for his own problems? Well, if Jack couldn’t sort out the fucking mess he was currently in, he’d soon be in need of a distraction.

  And Lissa Delaney might just be the woman to provide him with one.

  Chapter Three

  There was only one explanation, Lissa thought as she parked her small car in the back parking lot of Papa Niko’s. One explanation as to why Reed Fitzgerald had behaved as he did and insisted on Papa Niko’s.

  He knew.

  Maybe he’d spoken to Ethan and his cousin had told him what happened that night. Was that what gave him the impression that he could talk to her like he did? Using phrases like pitching him her wares and selling herself? He obviously thought he was onto a good thing. That she’d put out for him, because she’d… Heck. It was mortifying, and apparently true that the past always caught up with you.

  One night, she thought. One bloody night.

  Turning off the ignition, she sat back and contemplated the rear entrance to Marco’s bar. She remembered leaving that entrance as the sun had risen over the horizon, and how Marco had walked her to her car. The perfect gentleman.

  She’d gone to the bar on impulse that night. Needing to lose herself, to push away reality, to drown her sorrows along with her stupidity. It had all seemed so surreal, like a really bad nightmare she couldn’t claw her way out of.

  Once in amongst the crowd, she’d headed straight for the bar and ordered a large house white. It hadn’t taken long before she’d been propositioned, but she’d ignored the offers of drinks and other less innocuous invites in favor of her own company.

  Until…

  Not going there.

  She pulled her bag and the folder Reed had given her out of the car with her. What happened was in the past. Everyone had their skeletons, things they’d rather forget. Not that she’d ever wanted to forget that night, at least not until she’d arrived at Ethan’s wedding and the past had shoved right up against her again.

  She weaved through parked cars to the door and pushed into the bar. At seven, it was already throbbing with the after-work crowd and Lissa was glad of the heavily populated scene. It wasn’t exactly the right place for a business meeting, but then she wasn’t idiot enough to think that business was entirely what Reed had in mind when he’d invited her.

  She couldn’t deny, even to herself, that she was attracted to him. He was well over six feet, with silky dark hair and those piercing blue eyes, but beneath the civilized façade she knew there lurked a predator. And that made her wary of entering into even a business relationship with the man.

  It wasn’t easy to pretend disinterest. She had to admit he’d sussed her out in that department. Part of her wondered if she could let her hair down again and just go with the moment, like she’d done that night. It wasn’t as if she’d committed a major sin. They were consenting adults. Nobody got hurt. So why was she making such a big thing of it now?

  Because Reed was Ethan’s cousin.

  If, as she feared, he’d spoken to Ethan, the chances were Reed now saw her as an easy lay. Someone to spend the night with and then move on. Even if he hadn’t spoken to Ethan, and knew nothing at all about that night, then the likelihood was great that if she entered into a sexual relationship with Reed she’d run into Ethan again at some point. She didn’t want to think how tricky and embarrassing that could be.

  Hi, Ethan. Do you remember that night you and Marco took me to bed and both of you did the most amazing and erotic things to me? And by the way, do you know I’m now shagging your cousin?

  Damn.

  Slut. Slut. Slut.

  Lissa ignored the mental scolding as she negotiated the chattering hoards. She saw Reed alone at a table at the quieter end of the bar, speaking on his cell. His jacket was slung over the back of the chair, his tie loosened and the top button of his shirt unfastened. He’d turned up the cuffs of his sleeves. As she neared, she noted the two empty coffee cups on the table and hoped that meant that his business with Marco had concluded. If so, she might be able to avoid another awkward meeting with the bar’s owner.

  Reed looked up, saw her, and ended his call. When she reached the table, he held out his hand, all business, but his eyes told a different story as they did a slow sweep down her body and back again. She wished for a moment that she’d had time to change, but she’d come straight from a photo session with barely enough time to freshen her make up and tidy her hair.

  Thankfully, it appeared Reed had been in the same boat.

  “Glad you could make it.”

  She bristled at his slow grin, unable to resist a brusque reply. “You hardly gave me a choice.”

  “You had a choice, princess.” He gestured for her to sit and settled himself beside her. “What are you drinking?”

  “Soda with a splash of lime. And please don’t call me princess.”

  He caught a passing server, ordered two of the same, then nodded to the folder she placed on the table. “Did you take a look?”

  “Of course.” She’d managed to glance through it in the ladies’ room at her afternoon assignment. “It’s an exciting project. I hadn’t realized it actually got the go ahead.”

  “I’ll want a photographic record of the whole deal. Start to finish. Can you handle that?”

  “No problem.”

  He picked up his cell and slid his thumb over the screen. “How are you fixed for tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “For the quote. I want work to start right away. There’s already been too many delays.”

  “I’m not sure I can get a quote for you by tomorrow. I’ll need to run things by Tom and he’ll need to—”

  “I’ve got a window at four.” He tapped something onto his cell, then put it back on the table. “We can meet on site. The address is in the folder.”

  “I—”

  “Great. That’s settled.” He sat back and smiled at the pretty brunette who brought their drinks. “Could we have a couple of menus here? Thanks.”

  The waitress returned his smile and nodded, before glancing at Lissa and moving off toward the bar. Lissa watched her go, wondering if the exaggerated sway of her backside was for Reed’s benefit. But what did she care if it was? It was none of her business whose ass he chose to observe.

  “You merit personal service here?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I thought it was bar service only.”

  “Personal friend of the owner.” He picked up his drink and watched her over the rim. “I thought you’d warrant the same consideration. Under the circumstances.”

  Lissa’s stomach jumped. So he did know.

  She glanced toward the bar as she uncrossed
her arms. “There’s no reason I’d rate special service. I’ve only been here once and that was months ago.”

  Damned if she was going to give him any leeway. She had zilch to reproach herself for, and she’d bet it was nothing he hadn’t done anyway. There was no way she would make excuses for herself. Certainly not to him.

  She wouldn’t be embarrassed either. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

  Business, she thought as she tugged at the edges of her jacket. This is strictly business.

  “The best I can promise is that I’ll call Tom tonight. I can shoot him over a copy of the folder and if he can get a quotation done for you by tomorrow afternoon, he’ll likely bring it along by four.”

  He sat back in his chair and gave her a long, steady look. “Since you’re not stupid, I take it you’re deliberately being obtuse. Most likely because you realize I still want to take you to bed and, despite your determination to pretend you don’t want that, I’m figuring you know that’s where we’ll end up.”

  Her skin heated as blood pumped in her veins. It seemed he wasn’t going to get the message that she wasn’t some sort of offering unless she spelled it out in florescent letters. “Since you’re laboring under a delusion, let me make something clear right now.” She glanced toward the bar again, relieved to notice that Marco was still nowhere to be seen. “I don’t know what passes for inane conversation in the dubious world of male bonding, but let me assure you that regardless of what you’ve heard or been told, I have no intention of allowing you or anyone else to think they can talk to me in the manner you’ve been doing since I clapped eyes on you. Nor have I any intention of crawling into bed with you or any other man who thinks he’s onto a good thing.” When she’d finished, her heart was thumping and her cheeks stung like fire.

  “That’s quite a speech.” Reed raised his eyebrows. “It may take me a while to work through the fundamentals of it, but I think I get the gist.”

  “I can only be thankful for that.” She reached for her drink and swallowed past a dry throat. “Hopefully now you’ll stop the smutty innuendos.”

  He clutched his chest as if wounded to the core. “My innuendoes are rarely considered smutty.”

  Smug bastard.

  Damn and blast it to hell. If her job didn’t likely hang on getting this stupid contract, she’d tell him where he could stick it. But her three month trial was due to end shortly and she didn’t want to give Tom any more reason not to keep her on. He’d been a little cool toward her since she’d screwed up at Ethan’s wedding, so if she landed this contract it would mean some extra special brownie points in her favor. But she wasn’t prepared to keep her job at any price. Especially not one that required she open her legs.

  “I’m not going to sleep with you. If that means you take your business elsewhere, then knock yourself out. You’re not going to coerce me into having sex with you, even if you now think I’m easy game.”

  After a few moments during which he stared at her, he frowned. “Okay. This time I don’t even have the gist.” Swiveling his chair closer, he moved in. “Let me just say that you’re far from being the first beautiful woman I’ve done business with, some of whom I’ve taken to bed, but no fucking way would I ever make having sex with me a prerequisite for signing on the dotted line.”

  His eyes had darkened to indigo and Lissa unwittingly leaned back in her chair away from him.

  “And why in hell would I think you’re easy game?” Reed went on. “Because you had a thing with Marco? Shit. Half the women on the south coast have had a thing with him. If the rest of us ruled out women on that basis, there’d be a whole lot of frustrated bastards around.”

  Because she had a thing with Marco? What about Ethan?

  “It didn’t take me long to figure the reason you were playing hide and seek at the wedding was because you were trying to avoid Zutini. It’s not always easy to see an ex-lover hooked up with his current squeeze while you’re left out in the cold.”

  Unsure whether to feel relieved that he thought it was only Marco she’d slept with, or indignant that he assumed Marco had actually dumped her for Beth, Lissa hesitated. What did she do now? Let him assume he’d nailed it, or put him right? If she went for the latter she might dig herself a deeper hole. Then she’d have to explain about Ethan, too. Maybe it was better to simply let him assume he was right.

  “If you knew all that, why did you insist we meet here? Were you hoping I’d come face to face with him, blubber into my drink, and then fall into your arms for comfort?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. Can’t blame a man for trying.”

  Something shifted inside her. Beyond the anger that he’d manipulated her into this scenario, she felt a definite sense of relief that he didn’t know about the threesome she’d shared with Marco and Ethan. If he wanted her, was sexually attracted to her, then it had to be her he was interested in, didn’t it? And not just because she’d let loose for one intrepid night and he’d thought he could get in on the action by bedding a woman he’d labeled an easy lay.

  “How about we get out of here?” He reached across the table and brushed his fingers over hers. “There’s a place along the coast that does really good lobster.”

  She watched his long fingers skimming against hers and her stomach fluttered in response. “You just asked for the menu, remember?”

  As if on cue, the pretty waitress came over with two menus. “Change of plans,” Reed said with a flash of a smile as he handed her a twenty. “Keep the change.”

  The brunette smiled in return, fluttering her lashes as she assured him it wasn’t a problem, and then moved away.

  “Very smooth,” Lissa said as Reed stood. “Does that sort of charm come with practice?”

  “No practice required.” He slipped on his jacket, picked up his phone, and dropped it into his pocket. “It’s all one hundred percent natural.”

  Unable to hold back, she laughed as he came around and held out her chair as she stood. “I’ll bet.”

  She let him lead her out, stopping him as he turned toward the front entrance. “My car’s out back. I’ll meet you.”

  “No need.” Reed took her arm. “I’ll drive and bring you back later to collect your car.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  He faced her in the lobby. “If we have sex, princess, it’ll be because we both want it. I’m not into forcing myself on unwilling women.”

  She wanted to tell him they wouldn’t be having sex, but she was through lying to herself. She wanted him. Now that she knew he didn’t view her in a bad light and have a distorted view of her because he knew about that threesome, she was able to admit her attraction to him. Maybe even act on it.

  They traveled east along the highway toward the coast where building of the new marina and leisure centre would soon begin. Reed’s company was contracted to build the new nightclub and casino.

  “Wasn’t there a lot of opposition against this project?” Lissa asked as they passed signs declaring that work would soon start. “I thought a group of protesters had stymied things because of noise or something.”

  “They managed to delay us for a while, but the protests didn’t hold up.”

  Lissa shot him a sideways glance. “Money talks?”

  He returned the glance. “Do I hear a note of cynicism, princess?”

  “No. Just being a realist.” She turned her attention back to look out at the road ahead. “That’s how the world works, isn’t it? Greased palms and the best prizes available going to those who cheat and scheme?”

  “Definitely cynicism.”

  Lissa felt the familiar sting in her chest. He was probably right. She hadn’t always been a cynic and hoped to heaven she wasn’t destined to remain one forever. But it was hard not to be when she’d been cheated by the woman she’d considered her best friend. Cheated and lied to.

  To make matters worse Debbie had seemed to prosper on the rewards of her treachery. Her business currently thrived, a
nd she was often feted and courted as being one of the new entrepreneurs in the region.

  Lissa swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. It wasn’t good to dwell on the negatives. She had a job, didn’t she? And a roof over her head? Although how long either of those would last was debatable.

  Reed pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. As they entered the building there didn’t seem to be any empty tables, but when the waiter came over and shook hands with Reed, Lissa knew that a table would magically appear.

  They were led through the restaurant and up some stairs to a pretty deck area enclosed by floor to ceiling windows twinkling with fairy lights. The deck offered a fabulous vista of the sea.

  Two other couples dined in the space. The men at each table rose to shake hands with Reed.

  After brief introductions, Lissa took her seat and accepted the drinks menu handed to her by the waiter. She ordered a non-alcoholic fruit punch. After the waiter had left with their order, she eyed Reed. “Do I hear money talking again?”

  Opposite her, Reed indicated the table. “You don’t like it?”

  “It’s lovely. But I’m wondering what would happen if Mr. Regular turned up here and asked for a table. Would he be told they were fully booked, or immediately guided up here to the hallowed heights?”

  “The latter, I imagine.” Reed gave her a lopsided grin. “Hopefully he wouldn’t be dining with Ms. Cynic.”

  Lissa tried not to respond to his infectious smile as she glanced around at the half dozen tables, each a discreet distance apart from its neighbor. The crimson of the table coverings were echoed in the deep red drapes at the corner of each window. Delicious smells wafted around the space and Lissa’s stomach grumbled in response to the memory that she hadn’t eaten since that morning.

  “It really is lovely here,” she said as she looked back at Reed. “Is it your regular haunt? You seem to know a lot of people.”