by Zara Chase
“We’re business associates of Sorrel’s,” Vasco replied easily.
“Business, but you…I mean.” He glowered at Sorrel. “We need to talk.”
“We are talking, Jordi.”
“I mean properly.”
“We’re kinda busy right now,” Ty said. “And our food’s getting cold. You’ll have to excuse us.”
Sorrel let out a nervous giggle when Jordi strode away, his back rigid with disapproval. “I wouldn’t want to be in his kitchen right now,” she said. “I know what he’s like when he gets mad. Someone’s in for it.” She turned toward Vasco. “Why did you tell him we were business partners?”
“Well, it’s not exactly a lie.”
She sighed. “I wish you’d tell me what you two are up to. I think I’ve handled things pretty well up until now. Don’t treat me like a child. I’m a big girl and don’t need protecting.”
“You have handled things superbly,” Ty agreed. Vasco noticed his buddy’s hand seeking out Sorrel’s other thigh. Sorrel was either too preoccupied to notice, or she didn’t mind them feeling her up. “We asked you to leave your cell behind because we figured the moment Jordi saw you with us, he would feel threatened and call your brother. Your brother will try to call you, but—”
“But can’t reach me.” She nodded. “That’s clever, but I don’t see what it has to do with my stolen slogans.”
“It has to do with you not being ripped off by your family,” Vasco said, more forcefully than he’d intended. “We want to help you stand up to them. You won’t get any peace until you do.” He cut her a seriously intent grin—one that had always gotten him his way in the past. “No extra charge.”
“Ten bucks says your brother will appear here within half an hour,” Ty said, leaning back on the banquette, still with his hand massaging Sorrel’s thigh.
Ty was wrong. Pete burst through the doors just twenty minutes later and homed in on their table.
“Not exactly subtle, is he?” Vasco remarked. “I assume that’s your brother.”
“That’s him,” she responded, pinching the bridge of her nose as though she had a headache threatening.
“Hey, Sorrel,” Pete said, standing in front of their table. “Jordi rang me to say you were here.”
“No shit.”
“Sorrel, since when did you start swearing?”
“Oh, give me a break, Pete. I am an adult, in case it escaped your notice.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Er, eating dinner.”
“Who are these guys?”
“Where are your manners?” Sorrel shot back. “These are my friends, this is a private dinner and you’re intruding.”
“You didn’t mention you were planning on coming here.”
She raised one brow in an arrogantly disdainful gesture. “Any reason why I should?”
“I could have joined you.”
“You could have invited me here yourself, seeing as how you appear to be so at home with Jordi.”
Vasco wanted to applaud. She was getting mad, holding her own like she probably wouldn’t have if she’d known what they had planned for her. He figured it felt good. His mind flashed back to a previous life and he knew it did.
“I’ve lost my appetite,” Vasco said. “Shall we skip dessert, babe, and carry on our discussion somewhere more private?”
“Fine by me.”
“I’ll call you later, make sure you got home okay,” Pete said before walking away.
Vasco caught their server’s attention. “Check, please,” he said.
“That’s the best fun I’ve had in years,” Sorrel said, linking an arm through each of theirs as they left the restaurant, conscious of Pete and Jordi’s death glares boring into their backs. “Thank you.”
“Our pleasure,” Ty assured her.
“You okay?” Vasco asked. “You’re kinda quiet.”
Sorrel threw her head back and closed her eyes. “How did you know they’d do that?”
“What, come and check us out?” Ty grinned. “Educated guess.”
“Hmm.”
She said nothing more and they drove the short distance back to Sorrel’s apartment in silence. When they got there, Marley greeted them as though he’d been deserted for days. Ty tugged his ears and volunteered to take him around the block.
“Thanks,” Sorrel said. “I’ll make us some coffee. You’ll need a caffeine hit, I expect, before the drive back.”
Ty clipped on Marley’s leash and slipped out the door.
“About that,” Vasco said, leaning against the kitchen surface, watching as she ground beans for the coffee. “We were thinking a little vacation would work for you.”
“Come again?”
Oh baby, if only! “Your family is gonna hound you night and day, now that they’ve seen us together and think we’re after your money, just like they are.”
“I handled them okay tonight. Well, I handled Pete, anyway. I don’t see why they should drive me from my home.” She filled the kettle and flipped it on. “Anyway, where were you planning on sending me?”
“Back to Body Language, with us.”
“What!” She turned to face him, looking truly horrified. “You want me to go to a gym?” Her face crumpled. “Do I look as bad as all that?”
Chapter Six
Sorrel, at first horrified when she realized where they were to dine, had actually enjoyed kicking ass. Seeing Jordi and then Pete slack-jawed with shock had made her feel empowered. Of course, Vasco and Ty made that possible. They had her back—or rather, her thighs—and gave her the courage to tell her brother and ex to take a hike.
Damn, it had felt good!
She’d enjoyed dining with two such head-turning hunks even more. They ignored all the speculative glances and not so subtle come-ons they got from various women in the restaurant, including the hostess. Sorrel was sure she saw her try to slip her phone number to Vasco. But Vasco and Ty only had eyes for her, which was nothing short of miraculous. She relaxed in their company, reveling in the admiration she thought she saw in their eyes, starting with when she opened the door to them in her cerise dress. She’d bought it new that day with dinner in mind, blinking at the astronomical cost of it, even though she could well afford it. It would be a long time before Sorrel remembered she didn’t have to count every cent anymore.
But now Vasco was not so subtly reminding her that she needed to drop a few pounds. Well, more than a few—like she wasn’t well aware. They were no different than anyone else after all, and had only been trying to make her feel good about herself because she’d hired them to do a job. But not that job. She had known all along they were just being kind, of course she had, but still…
“Aw, honey, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the way you look.”
“Save it, Vasco,” she said, turning her back on him and fiddling with the coffee-maker. “And thanks for the offer, but no thanks. If I ever decide to go to a gym, there are plenty to choose from in Seattle. Your job is done. Show me how to use that camera, I’ll discover who’s stealing from me, and deal with it myself. Send me your bill and I’ll settle up by return.”
His hands landed on her shoulders, sending warmth searing through the fabric of her dress directly into her skin, replacing her hurt and anger with shock. She felt his large body pressing against her back, hot and hard, causing her breath to hitch and making her wonder what it was he wanted from her.
“We invited you to Body Language because it’s where we live, and because you need a break from your family, is all. You don’t need to step foot in the gym.”
“You live over the shop?” She hadn’t stopped to consider their living arrangements.
“Yeah.”
Her body appeared to have relaxed into his without her permission. God, it felt good to lean against that rock-hard physique. A girl could get used to it—but not this girl. She quickly pulled away again, aware she couldn’t afford to let her guard down with a calculating sophisticate who could s
o easily steal her heart. She had his measure now. He definitely wanted something from her, just like everyone else in her life appeared to. He was just more subtle in the way he went about it, to say nothing of his persuasive methods, which certainly bucked the regular trend.
He wrapped one strong arm around her waist and forced her to lean back again whether she wanted to or not. Oh, she wanted to! Sorrel couldn’t remember the last time she had wanted something more, but she was damned if she would wilt beneath his skilful hands, as she was sure just about every female he laid them on tended to.
“What do you want from me?” she asked in a stricken tone, horrified when tears welled and threatened to fall. “Why not just come right out and say it? It would save a lot of time that way.”
“Oh, baby!”
He turned her in his arms and she fought against him every step of the way, knowing it would be dangerous to look into his face. But he was too strong for her puny efforts to make any difference and before she knew it her tits were squashed against his granite chest as one large finger gently trapped a tear as it slid down her cheek.
“You don’t have any idea, do you?” he asked softly, his breath peppering her face as she looked up at him with a combination of anguish and uncertainty.
“About what?”
“About how much you have going for you. About how sensational you looked tonight. About how damned stoked Ty and I were to be seen with you.”
“You…seen with me.” She shook her head, wondering what they must be on. “I don’t think—”
“You think too much, that’s your problem.” He ran the pad of his thumb across her lips, sending a glorious shudder ricocheting through her. “You think about everything and everyone except yourself.”
“There’s nothing to think about.”
“I disagree. Every head in that restaurant turned to look at you tonight when you walked through. I was so damned jealous—”
“Me!” She widened her eyes. “You’ve got that all wrong. They were looking at you and Ty.”
“The women might have been, but didn’t you see the men checking you out?”
“They were not!”
But now that she came to think about it, she had seen a few male heads turn her way.
“Yeah, that’s right.” Vasco looked impossibly smug. “Now you’re getting it.”
“They were looking to see what their women were looking at.”
Vasco shook his head, his expression exasperated. “What am I going to do with you, darlin’?”
“I know you’re only trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate it, really I do, but I know what I look like.”
“Is that right?”
His voice was so smooth, so sexy and provocative, that it wrapped itself around her like a comfort blanket—reassuring, addictive.
“Hmm,” she murmured.
Damn it, what was his question? She was sure there had been one, but it was so hard to think with her body pressed against his, his lips so temptingly close. Her monosyllabic responses probably made him think she was moronic as well as fat.
“Not being a stick insect isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
She harrumphed. “Tell that to the fashion magazines.”
“Don’t read ’em.”
“I don’t, but it’s hard to escape the fact that the world thinks skinny is best. It’s everywhere you look.”
“Ask any man for his opinion. Ask all those men who checked you out in the restaurant tonight.” He paused, tightening the arm that held her captive against his body as though he thought she might try and make a break for it. As if! “Ask Ty and me. I think you’ll find all men prefer a woman with a few curves.”
“A few, and in the right places.”
“See, you’re doing it again.” He wagged a finger at her. “Keep contradicting me and you’ll earn yourself a spanking.”
Holy moly, was he serious about that? She glanced up at him and his taunting sure as hell made him look it. She’d heard about men like him, but never thought to meet one. Better not to ask him what he meant. She could tell he wanted her to, and Sorrel never was good at doing the right thing.
“You probably haven’t noticed the size of my ass,” she said, some death wish making her determined to draw her imperfections to his attention.
He chuckled. “Darlin’, women are getting buttock implants nowadays.”
“Yeah, and I’ve never been able to understand that.” She frowned. “Why would anyone choose to have a butt that looks like a shelf?”
Vasco shrugged. “You’ve got me there. I guess we all want what we haven’t got. I see it every day at the gym.”
“If it’s true what you say about me, why haven’t the men been beating a path to my door?”
“You were dating the jerk, up until the time your dad passed. I don’t have you pegged as the type who would cheat.”
“No, I’ve always been loyal.”
“Then, I’m guessing here, you turned yourself into a bit of a recluse after that, so you could grieve in private. But I figure you were asked on lots of dates before you and Jordi got hot and heavy.”
“Well, yes, I suppose, but—”
“I rest my case,” he said smugly.
“Oh, for goodness sake!” She thumped his chest. It was like hitting a brick wall, and he didn’t even seem to feel it. “You are impossibly arrogant.”
“I get that a lot.” He sent her a wicked smile, the significance of which failed to hit home until it was too late for her to take evasive action. Yeah, like that was gonna happen. “But right now you are in dire need of a kiss.”
He lowered his head to close the distance between them and slanted his lips over hers with an assurance that made it obvious he didn’t expect any objections. A devilish part of Sorrel wanted to reject him, just to put him in his place. The moment his lips firmed against hers, she forgot all about objecting, and kissed him right back. Her arms slid around his neck, playing with the hair at his nape, pressing her tits more firmly against his chest because however close she got to him, it didn’t seem close enough. He drew on her lower lip, clearly wanting her to open for him. Again, thoughts of playing hard to get filtered through her muzzy brain, but evaporated as soon as his tongue slid past her guard and cut a path through her mouth, velvety and sensuous, promising so much.
She blamed his damned hands for distracting her, for sending spirals of desire shooting through her in dizzying waves that made coherent thought next to impossible. The hands in question had somehow splayed themselves against her ass, as though to prove a point following on from their recent discussion. He massaged the embarrassingly large globes, pressing her more tightly against an impressive erection. The fact that she could arouse him to such heights gave her confidence a timely boost. Then again, an erection was an erection. If he was well-endowed—and he obviously was—then of course it would be of eye-watering proportions. Pity she’d never get better acquainted with it.
Vasco’s tongue maneuvered with limber skill as the kiss became unashamedly carnal. Geez, this guy knew how to turn on a girl’s lights! Vasco was right. Sometimes she thought too much. She emptied her mind and concentrated upon returning his kiss, her pulse skittering in her veins as her body coursed with readiness and her turbulent emotions went off the scale. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so aroused, or if she ever had. She really needed to get laid, and this time her vibrator probably wouldn’t be up to the job.
She tried to suppress a little squeal of protest when he broke the kiss, but it slipped out anyway. Vasco chuckled and ran a finger gently down the curve of her face.
“I guess we both needed that,” he said.
“Hardly professional behavior, Mr. Blaine,” she replied, trying to treat the incident as casually as he obviously could, but ruining the effect by sounding breathless and probably having a flushed face. He, on the other hand, looked totally cool. Insufferable man!
“I’m off the clock.”
“Ah, that makes it all right then.”
She wriggled free of his arms, and this time he let her go. She moved slightly out of range, aware she would never be able to formulate a coherent sentence if he touched her again. Her body was still on fire, her mind in turmoil, her pussy throbbing with need. Damn, she was a mess, and no longer knew what to think about his interest in her. What she did know was that it would be impossible to fake the type of passion he put into that kiss. Well, impossible for her, but he probably did that sort of thing all the time.
“What’s going on, Vasco?” she asked, leaning against the counter, coffee forgotten, arms folded beneath her breasts.
“Okay, here’s the thing. I figured your ex would see us in his restaurant, and wondered if he’d call your brother. He did, which implies a financial interest in you.” His slow, sexy smile caused her pussy to leak and her annoyance at his arbitrary actions to fade away. “I didn’t like the jerk, but I rather hoped he wouldn’t call Pete, meaning his interest in you was personal.”
“So, we’ve established they want to rip me off, but I already knew that.”
“So do your mother and sister.” He fixed her with a smoldering look. “And I don’t mean to put you down, babe, but if you stay here where they can get at you, how long will it be before one or the other of them wears you down? As you said yourself, they know all the right buttons to push.”
“And you think that by showing up with you guys, it will make them think I have immoral support?”
“Good choice of words.” He grinned at her. “They know now you’re not the pushover they were hoping you were.”
“Thank you for that, but I still don’t see why I need to come back to your place.”
His eyes shimmered with hot intentions. “Oh, I can think of several pressing reasons.”
“Vasco!”
“Sorry,” he replied, not looking the least bit repentant. “But you did ask. And seriously, you do need a break, and to have some fun. To put yourself first for a change. Besides, if they can’t get to you, they’ll wonder where you are and the slogan thief will almost certainly strike while you’re away. We’ll pop back at the weekend and check the camera then.”
