Skin Deep

by Burke, Dez

  It’s not my business to ponder on such matters, Angela thought, finally lifting the pen to sign the next few weeks of her life away. I’ll keep to my job description and come what may, walk away from this unscathed and untouched by any of Shane Davis’s ‘issues’, she vowed. Lord knows she had plenty enough of her own problems to deal with.

  And much as she could feel a side of her getting emotionally invested in Shane’s life, this couldn’t be anything but a job. They came from two different worlds. He had his hang-ups, she had hers. All they could ever be was client-boss and Angela just couldn’t see it working out any other way in the end.

  To think of it any other way would end badly for her, she knew.

  Chapter Six

  There was a big relief knowing that her bank account was well out of the red, thought Angela the following day. With one signature, her life was turning right around. Shane had already deposited a fraction of the payment and it was more than enough to keep Angela in high spirits after being on the edge of flat broke for so many months. Also, a transfer was already in the works to move her father to a more exclusive facility. Sasha had already called to let Angela know she’d been invited for an interview at a top IT firm that Sasha had only ever dreamed of working in. Sasha’s elated voice had been enough to put a smile on Angela’s face and keep it there.

  It felt good that in some way she was responsible for fending for her family and she hadn’t had to do anything self-debasing to achieve it. Angela held tight to that satisfaction and wouldn’t let anything faze her mood. Even when she was instructed to move into Shane’s home, she took it in her stride. But when she was summoned into the living room to find every inch of the floor and furniture almost covered with shopping bags from designer stores, she turned to Shane with raised brows.

  “What in heaven’s name is all this?”

  “Your new wardrobe,” he said with calm at her lippy tone. “I had things acquired from the best shops to ensure that having the right outfit for whatever the occasion wouldn’t be a problem for you.”

  “My own clothes would have done just fine,” Angela said, cheeks and neck flushing with emotion. Was it his intention to doll her up like his well-kept paramour? She wouldn’t go out with him dressed wearing stuff people would know she couldn’t well afford herself.

  Looking into a few bags she could see there was enough finery to send even the most ardent fashionista to style heaven. There were clothes, shoes, jewelry and perfumes…goodness. And they all seemed to be in her perfect size. How on earth had he managed that?

  “Consider this as ‘dressing for the part’,” was Shane’s laconic reply.

  “I see. And I thought the ‘part’ was girlfriend and not high-priced bimbo,” Angela said sharply, fists on her hips.

  Shane pinched at the bridge of his nose for a moment in a universal gesture of masculine exasperation. But his voice was patient as he replied, “Do me a favor, and simply humor me. I wanted to buy all this for you. You’re my woman now; it’s expected that you look the part. I like my women glamorous and put together. If I want to see you dressed in expensive silks, diamonds or designer heels, then that’s what I get.”

  Angela could not mistake the edge of steel in his tone. He wasn’t asking. This was an order. She really had to go along with this and anything within reason he arranged. But even as she fumed inwardly she found herself glancing into a couple of shopping bags with the insignia of a high-end lingerie shop. A fresh rush of heat washed over her face.

  “Racy underwear, Shane? And how does that follow your requirement, since you certainly won’t be seeing me in any of these?”

  A slow, wicked smile crossed his face, making him look more diabolical than usual.

  “A man can only hope and pray,” he murmured, and this had Angela’s heart rate tripping too fast for her liking. Damn the man! He knew just how to get under her skin. Well at least he was putting it out there, which was more than ample warning for her. All that sexual innuendo wasn’t going to influence her; he’d find she wasn’t susceptible to his trademark charm which he seemed able to switch on and off at will.

  Shane said nothing more on that topic as he went on briskly, “The maid will bring everything up to your room and you can try them on at your leisure. If there’s a problem with anything, let me know and I’ll have it replaced or sent back. But I’ll doubt there’ll be an issue since I took care to know your exact statistics. And I took the time to personally pick the clothes out myself.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him the burning question of how he’d got hold of that information, but decided against it. Maybe she wouldn’t want to know. And anyway it couldn’t be that hard to find out, since he already knew everything else about her, thought Angela.

  “That’s fine and dandy,” she said with deep irony, “But rest assured you’ll be getting all this stuff back once the contract is concluded. I’ve already been paid in full for the job; I don’t require any more of your handouts.”

  He simply shrugged. “Whatever you want to do later is fine with me. I have a couple of appearances to make this week and obviously you’re going to accompany me. I will instruct you on what I expect you to wear and so forth. I trust you’ll be agreeable.”

  “Of course,” she said quickly, feeling silly now. She hadn’t meant to be an ungrateful ass or difficult. This was all so new. He was doing so much for her as she’d pointed out and she had no cause taking anything personal. The clothes, the jewelry were all part of the game and she’d better play it if she wanted things to go smoothly. He didn’t need to spell it out for her.

  “There’s some other matters that need to be taken care of. My chauffeur will be happy to drive you wherever you need to go so long as it has to do with preparing for the upcoming outings. And while you’re in the house, I don’t mind you exploring but it’s a really big place and it’s easy to get lost. If you want to look around, let Bess know. The kitchen is also open anytime so grab whatever you want. The chef has a lot of pre-cooked meals in the fridge that simply need to be heated up or if you prefer, he can be asked to prepare something to your liking for dinner.”

  “I’m sure I’ll manage,” she said, in a more subdued manner than earlier. “Everything sounds great. Thank you.”

  He nodded approvingly. “I’m busy most of the day and won’t be around a whole lot. Now that I’m not racing, I spend my time on various business investments. I work from home which means I will be here – but I won’t be available. Once again, ask Bess if you need something to entertain yourself or you’re looking for things to do.”

  By the time he’d finished giving her all the lowdown she’d possibly need, a uniformed maid appeared to help Angela with the mountain of bags. There was a part of her that she knew would love trying on all those beautiful clothes and things. For aesthetic reasons, of course. It wasn’t their fault they looked so good and fine. Every item screamed taste, elegance and affluence. She’d always secretly envied women who could look like this every day. And now, for the next few weeks she’d know what it feels like. Maybe it was time she stopped looking for problems in every aspect and simply enjoy it all while it lasted. Her very own Cinderella moment though instead of Prince Charming, she got the Beast.

  Angela felt an instant prick of remorse for thinking of Shane that way. He was far from that: a beast. There was kindness in him beneath his shell. He made her pulses race with the way his eyes always seemed to peel off her clothes, but she knew she had no cause for alarm with him. He’d never do anything she didn’t expressly allow.

  She might constantly indulge in those disconcerting fantasies of him having his wicked way with her all night long, but she was sure nothing would come of it. Yes, he flirted with her on the sly, and he seemed constantly on the lookout for any slip-up on her part to get her to fall for his seduction, but…he was overall a nice guy. She had a really good feeling about him and that was the main reason she’d signed the contract. Shane Davis was a man to be trusted. H
e had plenty of that soundness of character she’d have wanted in a brother, if she had one.

  Angela could rely on him to keep his end of the bargain, though she’d never completely let her guard down with him. She was sure he dreaded any complications as much as she did. He obviously cherished his privacy and like her, wanted the whole thing to reach its logical conclusion: which entailed them merrily going their separate ways.

  ****

  The next several days were a flurry of activity for Angela. The life of a millionaire’s girlfriend was an eye-opener for a simple girl like her. One had the choice of sitting at home with nothing to do, or going out and spending his money. He’d approved an allowance on a credit card for her to go on a beauty salon and spa hop: from her hair to her nails and skin, she was buffed within an inch of her life.

  Angela normally kept herself in good condition but the difference was clear when she was done from the boutique spa. She passed herself in the mirror and had to a double take to make sure it was her. Wow. She cleaned up pretty damn good, she thought as she patted a beautifully manicured hand over her newly done hair. It was a simple, elegant and flattering style parted down the middle and left in tumbling waves down her back. Very chic and horrendously expensive; every single strand of it. Angela felt glad this was a temporary position she had to play. She couldn’t imagine having to maintain herself in this kind of lifestyle for any amount of time. Even if she became as rich as she dreamed, she’d never blow this much cash on her appearance the way Shane insisted she did.

  She’d been hoping to show off her new look when she returned to the mansion. She prepared for dinner and then came down only to be informed by the ever-present Bess that Mr. Davis had things he needed to take care of before he would break for dinner and would simply eat in his study.

  She enjoyed a quiet dinner and convinced herself she didn’t mind being deprived of Shane’s stimulating though unsettling presence. She never seemed to be perfectly at ease around him; perhaps because of all that sexual tension. But she couldn’t deny she found his company pleasant. Anything would be better than having to eat all by herself the delicious food Bess presented in a smaller dining room than the one they’d used for the dinner party.

  There was a large entertainment room, complete with a flat screen TV that took up a whole wall, but Angela settled for spending the rest of her evening checking out the extensive library on the ground floor. During her internet searches of Shane, she’d come across the interesting though rarely mentioned fact that he held an MBA from a prestigious college in the Northeast. The vast library spoke of his refined tastes in books. Again not something she would’ve expected from a racecar driver. Especially Nascar, a sport usually going hand-in-hand with white collar rednecks.

  When she looked around the shelves she saw pictures of the family; several of a distinguished, grey-haired man who looked much like Shane, standing with a woman who had to be Shane’s mother. She looked harmless enough; her smiling face made her look far younger than her years in what had to be a fairly recent photo. Probably taken not long before the car wreck, Angela mused. Try as she might she didn’t come across any photos of Shane as a grown-up. He was an only child and there were the usual medals and trophies you’d expect to see in a usual family room. He’d been on his college baseball team which had to explain his fine, trim physique which went with his height which was above six feet.

  She would have liked to know more about him. And not just what the gossip columns had said. Bess, though courteous wasn’t the chatty type. She certainly couldn’t be expected to discuss her boss with anyone, least of all Angela.

  The following day she had to prepare for the upcoming dinner at the residence of another one of his racing team’s corporate sponsors. It was some sort of fundraising gala and attendees were to bid on invites to help support named charities.

  Although Shane informed her it would be a small and exclusive affair of less than twenty guests, the foundation which organized the dinner was expected to draw publicity to garner more donations to the said causes.

  Angela assumed ‘publicity’ to mean that photos would be taken, perhaps for an article coming out in the papers? As she dressed, she wondered what kind of attention Shane’s looks would draw in such an esteemed gathering and also, what it would look like when he showed up with her.

  At least she’d appear looking her very best, Angela decided as she cast one more look at her reflection in the floor-length mirror. Not a hair out of place. She’d slipped a pair of strappy heels on her freshly pedicured feet, and in her ears were dangling, sparkling diamonds. Her make-up was in nude tones except for her eyes which she chose to highlight in smoky edges. Her lips were plumped to perfection in the barely-there lipstick and her dress was understated luxury and glamour. Her shoes gave her toned legs that endless look and her jewelry, both at her lobes and neck helped elongate her throat.

  Her eyes brightened as she took in her appearance. She looked perfect for her role tonight, even if she did say so herself. She may not be the female lead in the blockbuster movie of her dreams, but she was sure as hell going to work it for all it was worth tonight.

  Shane would be proud of her, she would make sure of it.

  ****

  It was a black tie occasion and Shane was duly dressed for it. He barely glanced at his reflection as he finished getting ready. If he caught one more glimpse of his disfigured features, he might just change his mind about going.

  Angela had said he seemed far from ill at ease with his scars. If only she knew. All this time, he’d had to keep himself from turning his ravaged face from her to stop her from having to look at him. For some reason though, she never seemed bothered about his face. Maybe she really was that good at acting. Or maybe she really had seen worse and wasn’t so easily sickened.

  Well, Shane felt physically sickened right then himself, just thinking about reentering society. The dinner wasn’t that big a deal, and he knew the ambassador and his wife personally, but still, Shane’s instincts were begging him to stay; forget about the dinner.

  But Angela was waiting. He’d dallied long enough. The last thing he needed was Angela to suspect his reluctance. He wouldn’t think about how much people were going to be staring at the side where he was all scar tissue. He’d rather focus on the fact that he was going to be arriving with the prettiest woman in the room.

  Fuck pretty, thought Shane when he finally caught sight of Angela. More like smoking hot, fine as hell, she’s too sexy to leave the house bombshell! Damn it all to hell! How was he ever going to get through this night?

  He wanted to lick her. Everywhere. Like a life-sized chocolate éclair – that’s what she reminded him of as she glided down the stairs to meet him.

  “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long,” she said demurely.

  She couldn’t know what raged within him, thought Shane as he fought for control. He hadn’t seen her all day, except for a brief chat in the morning after she’d had breakfast, alone. It was the one more meal he’d avoided sharing with her. Yes, he’d been busy but he could easily have made time for an hour or two during the day for mealtimes. And yet...no. Being around Angela was getting harder to bear especially with him being tempted to touch all the time. And he was fed up and frustrated wanting something he could never claim.

  If I had one wish…

  Shane had heard those words somewhere in a song or something, but never understood it until now. If he did have one wish that could come true, then it would be to have one night; with Angela. One night would be all he needed. It would be more than enough…more than a man like him deserved.

  “Not at all,” he finally managed as she reached the bottom step. Instinctively he took her hand and lifted it to his lips. She seemed surprised but pleased when he kissed it gallantly. “You look…breath-taking.”

  She laughed nervously, slipping her hand from his. “Amazing what a few hair extensions and a manicure can do.”

  But Shane knew it was more tha
n that. Angela was far from plastic or superficial. He saw beyond the stylish clothes, hair and jewelry. All he saw was a woman comfortable in her own skin and aware of her femininity and its effects on those around her, especially her male counterparts.

  She certainly had the craziest effect on him. He’d never seen skin so smooth and vibrant, the glow mirroring on every inch of her bare flesh. Her curves simply begged to be traced from top to bottom by a lover’s reverent hands. Her eyes were windows of true beauty; brown and melting, thickly lashed and inviting. She had no clue…not even an inkling how close she was to being flung over his shoulder and taken back upstairs to the nearest bed where he’d fuck the living daylights out of her. If only…

  But sanity returned. She’d warned him not to be a jerk. She’d asked to be treated with respect. No matter how he wanted to plunge and then bury himself inside her so deep she’d be conformed to the shape and size of his cock, he strove for control. This was business. A contractual agreement. Absolutely nothing could stand in the way of that, even his over-active libido. If it got too bad as time wore on, then he’d find a way to take the edge off. Even if he had to do the detestable and get some call girl like the last time, he’d fucking do it. He’d been months without a woman and being around Angela; smelling and watching her was like constantly being inside a porn flick and being unable to take out your sexual frustrations on anyone.

  Forcing his brain to keep sex in the back burner for the rest of the evening, he took her arm and laced it through his. She smiled warmly up at him and suddenly, impossibly, Shane couldn’t wait to leave the house.