Reformed Bad Girl

by Shelley Munro

  He went with instinct, a small voice at the back of his mind urging him to kiss her and disprove the family tradition of love at first sight. He’d beaten the odds with Helen, even if thoughts of her kept popping into his mind at odd moments.

  No love at first sight for him.

  “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said. “Melissa is still watching us from the doorway.” Sam didn’t give her a chance to protest, merely turned her into his arms and lowered his head to claim her lips.

  It was like coming home. The taste of her and the feel of her breasts brushing against his chest. Their lips slid together like old friends, tongues tangling lazily and breaths mingling. She didn’t fight him, letting him kiss her as he wanted. His heart thundered against his ribs and instantly, he wanted more of this intriguing woman.

  Maybe the gossip columnists had it right. He was a serial playboy, because he wanted to strip off her clothes and drag his mouth over the silky soft skin of her breasts, her belly. Sam wanted to taste her and do a lot more.

  “Ah-um!” A sharp cough from behind tore them apart, ripping through the sensual haze. “Boss, you’re meant to be working, not seducing the staff.” Easy to see Suzie’s curiosity. It sizzled through her, and he noticed the quick inquisitive glance she sent Harriet.

  “I was saving him from Melissa.” Harriet must have realized she was still touching him, because she sprang away like a startled rabbit, her breasts heaving beneath her tight blouse while she struggled for composure.

  Personally he liked her in this flustered state and resolved to make it happen again. After all, she’d disproved the love at first sight thing with a mere kiss. He was a healthy male who appreciated a pretty woman. His family was wrong and he would tell them so.

  Again.

  “I passed Melissa down in the bar a few minutes ago,” Suzie said, the sound of laughter throbbing through her voice.

  “Sam,” Harriet said in a chiding manner. “Were you flirting with me again? Wait, don’t answer that. I’ve been had. I’ll never trust a word you say again.”

  Sam lifted his shoulders in his best “hey, I’m a guy” shrug, sensing anything he said would be taken down in evidence and used against him.

  “He’s a terrible flirt,” Suzie said. “Just ignore him.” She coughed before frowning at the remaining boxes. “I thought you’d be finished by now. Some of the attendees have already checked in. We need to get rid of these boxes in the next half-hour, because they’ll be meeting here for drinks.”

  “We’re almost done,” Harriet said. “Most of the boxes are empty.”

  “She’s right. I’ll get rid of the empties. Two trips should do it.”

  “I’ll grab the rest,” Suzie said.

  Harriet turned away and bent to unpack the last of the cups, her skirt outlining her arse and leaving nothing to his imagination.

  “Hum,” Suzie said, spoiling her censure with a hacking cough. “Excuse me.”

  Sam ripped his gaze off Harriet’s bottom with difficulty and turned to Suzie with a wink. “Good,” he said. “I wanted to ask you about the party last weekend. Do you know a woman named Helen?”

  The crash of breaking crockery snapped his head around.

  “Sorry,” Harriet said, offering a wry smile. “It slipped.”

  Chapter Four

  Hayley had a steady stream of customers wanting their tea leaves read, which helped her avoid both Suzie and Sam. At least temporarily. She watched Sam saunter closer—with his powerful, well-muscled body and commanding air of self-confidence. No man had the right to look that good.

  Dropping the pile of saucers had killed the conversation between Sam and Suzie, but Hayley knew Sam would raise the topic again. And Suzie didn’t need to be a mathematician to come up with the right answer.

  “Everyone is raving about you,” Sam said, slipping into the chair opposite hers. He set down a tray containing two small teapots and cups, plus milk and sugar. “Suzie said you’d like a cup of tea, and I told her I’d bring you one. They’re about to do the welcome speeches and introductions, so things should be quiet for a while.”

  “Thanks.” Hayley ignored the mixture of emotions catapulting around inside and strove for professional. Difficult around this man. Just one look and she wanted to surrender. Add kissing to the equation and she turned into soft, gooey chocolate with not a shred of willpower. “I’m sure you’re busy. You don’t have to hang around.”

  Hayley took pride in the steadiness of her voice, but she didn’t want to risk breaking more china by drinking tea in his presence. Her control only went so far, so her hands remained clasped on her lap. He’d changed into black dress trousers and a pale blue shirt and looked more like a buttoned-up businessman now. His hair curled at the ends, still damp from his shower.

  A pity he hadn’t scrubbed away the bad-boy part of his character during his ablutions. It called to her in a seductive manner, and she craved a repeat of their earlier kiss. She clenched her hands harder and contemplated sitting on them to stop the traitorous impulse to touch.

  “You didn’t get around to reading my tea leaves earlier,” he said. “You could do it now.”

  “Ah, sure.” Typical. Why couldn’t she say something smart and flirty? It was always the way. She thought of her witty comebacks in the middle of the night, around twelve hours later, when they were no use at all.

  “You’d better tell me what I need to do. I’m a novice at this.”

  Bother. She wished the man would stop, just stop throwing off sexy pheromones and screwing with her psyche.

  Hayley took a deep breath and attempted to calm her mind. Center herself. Being in the right frame of mind was an important part of doing a reading. Flustered wasn’t a good thing. She inhaled and released the breath through her nose. Better.

  “Pour a cup of tea first. Relax while you drink your tea and think about the question you want to ask the tea leaves.”

  “What if I don’t have a specific question?” he asked, stretching out his legs beneath the table. Their limbs collided.

  Immediately warmth suffused Hayley. It was like a charge of electrical current. Frowning, she inched her legs to the side. “Consider your life in general or the week ahead. Drink your tea and leave around a teaspoon of liquid in the bottom,” she repeated patiently.

  Maybe if she treated him like a child he’d become sick of teasing her. Hayley decided he tormented her on purpose. Any court would take the glint in his eyes as evidence.

  To give herself some space, she turned her cup over and added a dash of milk. Hayley picked up one of the white china teapots and filled her cup with hot tea.

  “Are you going to read your own cup? You can do that?” He stirred, shifting his legs until they collided with hers again. Pleasure zapped her body through the cotton of her skirt, stealing her ability to breathe. She gasped, a sharp intake of air. His dark eyes gleamed, but lucky for him, he didn’t smile. In fact, his expression appeared way too innocent.

  “Yes.” Bother the man. Whenever she shifted her legs, he rearranged his. He was too close, his limbs invading every inch of space beneath the table. She drew her calves inward until they pressed against the frame of her wrought-iron chair. She’d demand that the leaves tell her what she’d done to deserve this punishment.

  “Several of the attendees have congratulated me for having you here. They’ve asked if you do private readings.”

  “I’m booked with local gala days for most of the summer,” she replied.

  “Suzie and I were talking about you.”

  Hayley swallowed and couldn’t meet his gaze. The teasing note in his voice put her on red alert. She could imagine how the conversation might have gone.

  “Yes?” The croaky note of panic did nothing to build confidence or help center her for his reading.

  “You would be great at some of the other conferences we organize. Quite a few of our customers like themes and we can work you into several of the upcoming conferences. Would you be intereste
d?”

  Interested? Yes. But only an idiot would pursue this course. “Yes!” Evidently she was that idiot. “It would depend on my schedule,” she added, evading the trap closing over her head as best she could. Earning another fat dollop of money to put toward her flat was incentive enough, but coming in close contact with Sam for any length of time…

  A dry, hacking cough interrupted their conversation. Suzie stood behind Sam, a thick green folder and clipboard under her arm.

  “Suzie, you look dreadful,” Hayley said.

  “Not feeling well. I still have a crushing headache and my cough is getting worse. I think I’m coming down with the flu. Sam, could you handle any problems that come up tonight? I should be okay tomorrow, but I wouldn’t mind heading off early.”

  “I’ll call you a cab,” Sam said.

  “No, it’s okay. There are plenty of cabs in the foyer. I shouldn’t have a problem getting home to Fulham.”

  Sam rose. “I’ll see you off.”

  “Don’t be silly. Your tea will get cold. I’ve rung my boyfriend. He’s meeting me at the flat.” Suzie handed over the folder and clipboard and, with a wave, disappeared into the crowd.

  Hayley frowned. “Do you think she’ll be all right?” She glanced at her watch. Only another hour to go. She’d be home soon and could check on Suzie then.

  “I’ll whip down and make sure she gets off safely. Keep my seat warm for me.” He disappeared, leaving Hayley staring after him. The man might be a playboy, but he had a caring side. Suzie always spoke well of him.

  Melissa Cartwright appeared in front of her and took possession of the seat. “You won’t keep him. You must have seen the gossip columns. He has a different woman on his arm every night. It’s his connections and his money. Of course, his pretty face doesn’t hurt.”

  Hayley smiled, nudging aside the feminine pique that ached to disprove Melissa’s words. “Probably not,” she said in an airy tone. “From what I’ve seen, he’s a terrible flirt.”

  “A sexy flirt,” Melissa said, the hard edge leaving her voice. “I was so sure he’d ask me on another date. We went out together over a week ago and had a good time. I had to go away for the weekend, but I was sure he’d ring me. He told me he’d met someone, and I wished him the best. It wasn’t as if we were lovers or anything. But it still hurt. Rejection always hurts like hell.” She sighed and flushed a little. “Sorry. I was bitchy to you before, because it’s obvious Sam likes you. I was jealous, plain and simple.”

  Hayley sipped her tea. Nice. “No need to apologize. Men—well, most of them—aren’t worth the trouble.”

  “I know.” Real emotion colored Melissa’s words. “I’m not usually such a bitch, but I liked Sam. I—oh, never mind. Accept my apology?”

  “No harm done.” A wave of sympathy hit Hayley. “Would you like me to do a reading for you? I have a pot of tea ready to go.”

  Melissa arched a brow, a faint smile flirting with her lips. “Isn’t this a load of showmanship? No offense, but I can’t believe this is for real.”

  “Not at all.” It was one thing for her to doubt her own skill, but Hayley had seen how happy she made people with her readings. She did the best job she could and had read extensively into the background and interpretations. “Tea leaf reading dates back thousands of years. Do you read your stars? Reading tea leaves isn’t any different. Both are accepted methods of divination.”

  “I read my horoscope sometimes.” Melissa had lost her mocking tone and looked genuinely interested.

  They chatted while Melissa drank her tea, then Hayley went through the familiar routine, having already sized up the other woman. She was no different from most. Secretly she yearned for a man to sweep her off her feet. She wanted to fall in love. “Close your eyes and concentrate on your future, the things you’d like. Now rotate the cup three times in an anticlockwise direction with your left hand.”

  Melissa completed the ritual, a faint wrinkle of concentration on her forehead.

  “Now open your eyes.” Hayley picked up the eggshell-blue cup and peered inside. “A broken heart,” she said. “The relationship is over and there is no going back. You need to mourn and look ahead to the future.”

  Melissa gasped before smiling ruefully. “You’re trying to warn me off Sam.”

  “There was someone before Sam who hurt you. If he comes back into your life, tread carefully. Don’t give him the opportunity to hurt you again.”

  Biting her bottom lip, Melissa nodded.

  Hayley couldn’t tell if she accepted her words or not. “You also have a new moon in your cup. This is a positive sign because it indicates a new relationship on the horizon.” Hayley smiled. “Take things slowly and allow yourself time. Don’t let him sweep you off your feet, no matter what your heart tells you.” Hayley noticed Sam hovering in the background. A burst of applause rang out after a man completed his welcome speech and announced the conference open.

  Melissa’s body jerked. “Oops, duty calls. Thanks very much, Madam Deveraux. That was intriguing.” Smiling, she stood and hurried toward the podium at the front of the room.

  “Very impressive,” Sam said. “What did you do with the real Melissa?”

  “The conference preparations have been stressful for her,” Hayley said diplomatically. “Did Suzie get away okay?”

  “Yes, she’s worried about letting me down. I tried to tell her it wasn’t her fault.”

  Hayley could imagine the scene. Suzie had probably cried and worried about mucking up her first conference. Hayley didn’t think her friend needed to worry and would tell her so once she arrived home.

  “What happened to my tea?”

  Hayley’s thoughts ground to a halt at his husky voice. “Melissa used it for her reading. Do you still want to do one?” Please say no, she prayed. Hayley wanted him to go away, to stop presenting her with temptation. It would be too easy to reach out to caress, and the idea of kissing him again sent spirals of delight soaring through her. She stirred, sliding about on her chair as if it had turned into a pincushion.

  “Of course I’ll have tea,” he said. “I want to see you in action.”

  The low timbre of his voice brought a rush of color to her face. He’d seen her in action the previous weekend. Hayley Jones at her impulsive bad-girl best. No way did she intend to do a replay.

  Down, hormones. Down!

  She jumped to her feet. “I’ll get it for you.” Self-preservation overrode her need to stroke him, to run her fingers over his chest. Just. It was a close-run thing and left her trembling and full of anxiety. She glanced over her shoulder and caught Sam studying her. When he detected her noticing, he winked. Gasping at his audacity, she wrenched her attention off his broad shoulders and handsome face.

  “One pot of tea, please.” she whispered to the elderly tea lady. Breathe, Hayley. Breathe.

  “Coming right up, luv.” The thin woman with precision gray curls filled the pot and handed her a tray containing the floral china pot and a matching cup and saucer. Not a masculine look, but Hayley wanted this torture to end. How did she get herself into these situations?

  She set the tray on her table, aware of Sam’s scrutiny. Although she didn’t glance at him, she could feel his gaze skimming her cleavage and features. The china cup rattled precariously before she placed it on the table next to him. Sam’s hand shot out to grasp the teapot before she could.

  “I’ve got it.” His brown eyes raked across her face again. “Do I make you nervous?”

  “Yes,” she snapped, goaded by his teasing and casual tone. Aware this meeting was spiraling out of control in parallel with her hormones, she rushed into her starting spiel. “Concentrate on either a question you’d like answered, or if you don’t have a specific question, think about your future. Pour your cup of tea, and while you’re drinking it continue to ponder your question. Leave about a teaspoon of liquid in your cup.”

  “I’ve got it,” he said, smiling.

  “If you listened and stop
ped teasing me, I wouldn’t have to repeat myself.”

  Sam didn’t rise to the bait. He merely grinned and fixed his tea. Hayley sat in tense silence while he drank the beverage.

  “What do you do when you’re not reading teacups?”

  “I work in an office.” They chatted of everyday things, but she didn’t think she’d be able to repeat anything he’d said. She was too busy trying to formulate a mental pep talk. The man ratcheted up her stress levels, and even worse, he made her mind dart to down-and-dirty sex. Especially sex. All she could focus on was how it had been loving and being loved by him. She so wanted to do it again, but that would be spur-of-the-moment and irresponsible behavior creeping back into her life.

  Not going there.

  She hated to disappoint her parents, and there was the problem of her missing charm bracelet. Her family would notice its absence, especially her grandmother, if she was well enough to visit. Her grandmother often gave her charms, and she’d expect to see the bracelet.

  “Harriet, I’ve finished. Harriet?”

  Suddenly realizing she was Harriet, along with Helen and Hayley, she bolted upright in her chair. Cripes, not the calm and relaxed manner required for reading tea leaves.

  “Concentrate on your question or your future and turn your cup anticlockwise three times. That’s it. Now turn your cup upside down in the saucer, continuing to concentrate while we wait for thirty seconds to make sure the cup drains into the saucer.”

  “Okay,” Sam said.

  Thank goodness his bad-boy grin had faded, because otherwise she wouldn’t get through the reading without making a fool of herself.

  “Could you tell me your question or give me a general idea of the topic you were thinking about?” Hayley waited breathlessly for him to answer, her stomach turning the slow flips she recognized as a side effect of being near Sam.