by Cindi Myers
“Yeah, sure.” He tried to inject a little more cheerfulness into his voice. “We’re barely getting started here.”
Carl stepped back, and shoved his hands in his pockets. “All right, then. You can announce the offer on the air during your show. It should pump up the excitement a little. We don’t want things to start getting too dull.”
“I’m certainly not bored,” Erica said.
“Me, neither.” He was horny, frustrated, sleep-deprived and aggravated, but he wasn’t bored.
“I’d better go freshen up before the show starts.”
Both men watched as she climbed out of bed and picked up her duffel. “I’ll be right back,” she said.
When she was gone, Carl’s scowl returned. “Don’t forget this place is full of cameras,” he said.
“I know.”
“I don’t want any trouble.”
Adam resented the implication that he was a troublemaker. “You’re the one who came up with this crazy stunt.”
“And you’re the one being paid to do a good job.”
“Don’t worry.” He threw back the covers and sat up on the side of the bed. “I know how to do my job.”
“Good. You’re on in forty-five minutes.”
Forty-five minutes. Right. Forty-five minutes before he climbed back into this bed with Ms. Irresistible. Erica better hurry up and let him have his turn in the shower. He needed it—with the water turned on cold.
Carl left and Adam grabbed the clipboard and pretended to study the morning’s play list. But the song titles scarcely registered. Why had he groped Erica in his sleep? Sure, any breathing, straight man would be attracted to her, but he’d thought he had better self-control than that. After all, he’d been in tougher spots before.
All the years he’d spent avoiding trouble ought to come in handy now. Erica was just a challenge of a different kind.
ERICA COMBED through her freshly washed hair and stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. How was she ever going to go back out there and not let on to everyone how she was feeling?
She couldn’t keep back a grin. Laughing out loud, she hugged herself and did a victory dance around the small room. Yes! Adam might treat her like his little sister in public, but last night—or rather, this morning—had proved his true feelings were anything but brotherly.
If only Carl hadn’t come along and interrupted what could have been a really amazing moment. If they’d been alone and Adam had awakened to find her in his arms, would he have been so quick to pull away?
She opened her duffel and pulled out a KROK T-shirt and a pair of baggy blue boxers. Her smile faded as she studied the outfit she’d intended to throw Naughty Nick off the track. Not exactly come-hither couture.
She slumped onto the toilet and considered her options. If she wanted to build on the attraction Adam had revealed during sleep, she needed something that would catch him off guard again.
Everybody knew that men were visual creatures, turned on by what they saw. She needed to give Adam a real eyeful. Make herself irresistible.
She frowned at the clothing wadded in her hand. Boxers and a T-shirt weren’t going to cut it.
She looked around the bathroom, hoping for inspiration, but short of fashioning a toga out of the bath towel, she didn’t have any ideas.
Time to call for reinforcements. She dug in her bag for her cell phone and punched in a number.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end of the line was groggy.
“Tanisha, this is Erica. I need your help.”
“Isn’t it a little early in the morning to sound so desperate?” Tanisha yawned. “I wouldn’t have thought laying around in bed with the Handsome Hawk would be that difficult.”
“Oh, that’s not the problem. Not really.”
“So how is it? Did the two of you get to know each other better when the lights went out?”
She blushed. As far as she was concerned, she and Adam hadn’t gotten to know each other nearly well enough yet. “That’s what I need a little help with.”
“Thanks, but I’m not into threesomes.”
“Very funny. I’m serious here. I thought I was going to be doing this gig with Nick, not Adam. I didn’t exactly come prepared.”
“You want me to bring you a box of condoms or something?”
“Tanisha!” She almost dropped the phone.
“Well, what am I supposed to think when you say you’re not prepared?”
“I meant I don’t have the right clothes. All I brought to wear was flannel pajamas, boxer shorts and T-shirts.”
“Yeah, not exactly clothes that say seduction is on the menu. Fortunately today is your lucky day.”
“Oh?”
“You look like you wear the same size as me. And I happen to have a dresser full of killer lingerie. Guaranteed to have any man worshipping at your feet.”
Heat curled through her at the image of Adam on his knees before her. “Help me out and I’ll buy you the biggest box of Godiva chocolates you ever saw,” she said.
Tanisha laughed. “It’s a deal. I’ll see you after the morning show.”
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“I want all the details later.”
“You bet.” She hung up the phone and replaced it in her bag, then turned to the mirror once more. Right now she looked like a refugee from a teen slumber party, but in a few hours she’d be dressed for battle.
Adam didn’t stand a chance.
BY THE END of the morning show, Adam was feeling better about the situation with Erica. Yes, she was an attractive young woman. Yes, he liked her personality as well as her looks. But a man had to have priorities. If he screwed up this job at KROK, his career might never recover. So he and Erica couldn’t let lust get the better of them on this gig. Adam’s employment history was spotty enough, and it wouldn’t be fair for Erica, just starting out, to be saddled with that kind of bad mark on her record.
As their final song of the morning began playing, Erica removed her headphones and grinned at him. “How much money have we raised so far?”
He checked the note Mason had handed him earlier. “Looks like twenty-one-thousand dollars and counting. That’s including Max’s ten thousand.”
“That’s fantastic. I bet this is the biggest fund-raiser the Salvation Army has had all year. The audience must love us.”
Part of him felt old and jaded next to her enthusiasm. But she definitely made this gig less of a bore. “They love you. They can hear me anytime.”
“You’re so sweet to say that. I was terrified I’d screw this up, like I did the last time.”
He winced, remembering that fiasco. After mixing up the ads for competing car dealers, she’d compounded the error by swearing like a sailor on air. Within minutes the phone banks had lit up with complaints from listeners, both car dealers and the FCC. Carl’s face had turned purple, he’d been so enraged. He’d finally locked himself in his office and refused to talk to anyone, while Erica was sent home to contemplate her sins. Fortunately, by the next day, Carl had agreed to let her stay. “You were nervous,” Adam said. “Everybody makes mistakes, especially when they’re new. You just got yours all out of the way at once.”
She laughed, and absently twirled a lock of her hair around one finger, a gesture he found incredibly alluring. He looked away. “I think we’re supposed to tape some more promo spots this morning.”
“Sure. I just want to take a break first.” She was looking over the crowd, then spotted someone and waved.
Tanisha emerged from a clot of people by the door. “I brought you some goodies,” she said, holding aloft a pink shopping bag.
“Great.” Erica turned to Adam. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He watched the two women head toward the rest room. Now that the initial shock of being thrown together in bed was over, maybe the next two days wouldn’t be so bad. He and Erica could be friends. No reason they couldn’t keep things on that level.
Carl st
rode over to him. “I just saw the latest donation totals. You’re doing great.”
“Erica’s really impressed me. She has a flair for this.”
“You two are great together. So far you’ve struck just the right tone—sexy, but not too racy. We want to tantalize, but not offend.”
“I know. I’ve read the memos from corporate, too.” To please advertisers, listeners and government regulators, stations like KROK had to dance along the edge between a little wild and too outrageous.
“Just keep that in mind. I can’t step in and save your ass every time.”
“I know. Like you said, I’m a man who learns from my mistakes.” Had he ever learned.
Carl clapped him on the back, as close as the manager ever got to a gesture of affection, then left.
Others liked to grouse about Carl’s gruff demeanor and dictatorial tendencies, but Adam owed the man too much to complain. Carl had taken a chance on him when no one else would.
Adam had been at the station less than a year when the fiasco with Bonnie happened. He’d fully expected to be back on the street, and had steeled himself for Carl’s disapproval. Instead Carl had been amazingly calm. “I don’t have to tell you how badly you screwed up,” he’d said. “I’m taking the FCC fine out of your and Bonnie’s salaries.”
Adam nodded. He’d expected this.
“Since you’re both involved, I can’t say who’s the most to blame in this, though I have my ideas,” the manager continued. “But except for this, you’ve kept your nose clean in your time here.”
He waited, wondering at Carl’s choice of words.
“Your show gets good ratings. You never cause me problems with scheduling and stuff. You’re never late and you don’t slack off. Those things count with me, so I’m giving you another chance.” Carl’s eyes met his, hard as two lumps of coal. “Don’t screw up again.”
“I won’t.”
Not even Erica could make him break that promise.
“TANISHA, this outfit is definitely killer. But I don’t know if I have the nerve to wear it in public.” Erica stood on tiptoe and studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The black satin bikini panties and bra top were overlaid with a sheer black chiffon crop top and harem pants, decorated with random sprinklings of jet beads.
“Why not? Technically everything is covered except your hands, feet and belly button.”
“Yeah, it has fabric over it, but I wouldn’t call it covered.” She did a little belly dancer shimmy. The outfit was flattering.
“That’s the whole appeal. Covered, but uncovered. Guaranteed to drive a man wild.”
She turned her back on the mirror and faced Tanisha. “Do you think Adam has a wild man in him? He’s always so calm.”
“Every man has a wild man inside. All that testosterone, you know.”
“Right.” She’d had a glimpse of that testosterone doing its stuff this morning. “If anything can bring that side of him out, this outfit should do it.”
“I almost forgot. I brought you a few other things.” Tanisha reached into the shopping bag and drew out a bottle of perfume and a box of condoms. “The perfume is called Seduction, and it smells divine.” She handed over the bottle.
“And the condoms?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
“Uh-huh.” She spritzed some of the perfume on her neck. It smelled spicy, with a hint of musk. “Nice.” She glanced at her watch. She had a few more minutes before she had to be back in bed. “How are things at the station?”
“Would you believe people are sending Nick get-well gifts? The mailroom is half full of everything from stuffed animals to bottles of booze. One woman even sent him a pair of her underwear.”
“Ew.” She made a face. “Is he supposed to wear them or sniff them?”
“I think her note said something about providing him an incentive to get well.” Tanisha shook her head. “I’m just glad I wasn’t the one who opened that envelope. Talk about gag!”
“Who’s doing Adam’s afternoon slot?”
“Audra’s doing that, and they have the overnight guy in Audra’s slot, and an intern from our sister station, KHOW, on overnights. Of course, Bonnie’s ballistic that they didn’t give her the afternoon slot.”
“Why didn’t they give it to her?” Erica asked. “She’s qualified, isn’t she?”
“They apparently offered her the overnight spot and she acted insulted.”
“I don’t imagine Carl took kindly to that.”
“I don’t think Bonnie is his favorite person, anyway.”
“She can be kind of scary,” Erica admitted. What had Adam ever seen in Bonnie? Besides the boobs and blond hair, of course. Erica couldn’t discount the fact that men, even great guys like Adam, tended to think with their gonads, sometimes. All the more reason to turn up the heat a little by appealing to his animal instincts.
“Thanks for loaning me the outfit.” She gave Tanisha a big hug.
“No problem. Let me know if it does the trick. I’ve got a guy I might like to try it out on.”
“Oooh. Anyone I know?”
Tanisha shook her head. “He lives in my building. We’ve flirted in the laundry room a little.”
“So maybe you’ll wear this to do your laundry.”
“Hey, if it works for you, I might give it a try.”
A knock on the door silenced their laughter. “Erica, Carl says to get up front, pronto,” Mason called.
“Be right there.” She gave Tanisha another quick hug. “Wish me luck.”
ADAM WAS GOING over the planned promo teasers with Mason when Erica joined them. He blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating the alarming amount of skin her new outfit displayed to an advantage. His heart pounded and he had trouble breathing. He told himself not to stare, but he couldn’t keep from it. The filmy black material hid little of her from view. If anything, the fabric made the skin beneath look even creamier. More touchable…
The production assistant regained his voice first. “Erica, you look great,” he said.
“Thanks.” She smoothed the outfit over her hips. “I was feeling downright grungy in those old T-shirts and shorts.”
“You don’t look grungy now.” Mason grinned.
Adam scowled at the man. Did he realize he was practically drooling?
“Thanks.” She gave Mason her warmest smile. “I wanted to get into the whole spirit of this bed-in stunt. Get people talking, and contributing more money.”
“You looked fine the way you were.” Adam didn’t mean to bark the words, but the control he’d spent all morning reclaiming was evaporating.
She moved a little closer, and lowered her voice so that he had to lean down to hear her. “Carl said to keep things sexy. What’s sexier than black lingerie?”
Nothing, he thought, which immediately led to the image of her wearing just that. Nothing. Get a grip, he silently commanded. He cleared his throat. “He also said not to get too racy.”
She looked down at the body-skimming chiffon. “This isn’t too racy. People wear fewer clothes at the beach.”
“We’re not at the beach.”
“No, we’re in bed. And bed’s the perfect place to wear lingerie, don’t you think?”
No, he didn’t think. He couldn’t think. At least not rationally. They were in bed. Beds were for sleep and sex.
And he definitely wasn’t feeling the least bit sleepy.
ERICA HAD COUNTED on attracting Adam’s attention, maybe even making him see her in a different light. On that score, her new, more revealing outfit was definitely doing the trick. Whenever she was occupied with something else—doing an interview for the station Web site, signing autographs for people who stopped by with donations, or posing for pictures with fans—she was aware of him watching her.
Of course, as soon as she looked his way, he averted his eyes. And how funny was it that the more skin she revealed, the less he showed? He’d taken to wearing a bathrobe over his T-shirt and pajama pants,
claiming he was getting a chill. As if he was fooling anyone. She knew now that he wanted her, and that knowledge was powerful.
Almost as powerful as the outfit’s effect on her. The skimpy, slinky costume made her feel like a sex goddess. Every man who passed by her did a double-take. The thought that she could make them all hot made her feel as if she was on fire.
When everyone left for the day and at last she and Adam were alone, she was sure they’d have a chance to do something about the definite heat between them. Maybe they could cover the security lights, or hide out in the bathroom. Or something…
As soon as the front door to the showroom was locked and the lights dimmed, Adam got out of bed.
“Where are you going?” She leaned toward him, giving him a good view of cleavage. “Come back to bed.”
He shook his head, and sat in one of the chairs that had been pulled up to a low table near the bed. “We need to talk, and I can’t do it in bed with you. Come sit down.”
Reluctantly she moved over to the chair beside him. “What did you want to talk about?” The conversation she wanted to have with him didn’t require words.
He picked up a pen and jiggled it in his hand, then set it back down. “You’re doing a great job,” he said.
“Thanks. I’m having fun.”
“That’s what concerns me a little. What I wanted to discuss with you.”
His words confused her. “You don’t think the job should be fun?”
“It can be fun, but…” For the first time all day, he looked at her directly. “But it’s serious work, too. If you don’t take it seriously, you can make mistakes. Big ones.”
She sat up straighter, not hiding her annoyance. “I take the job seriously.”
“You haven’t acted like it today.”
“Excuse me, but have you checked out what we’re doing here? A bed-in? It’s a crazy stunt that calls for us to act a little crazy. And if you asked Carl, I bet he’d agree.”
“And I’d bet he wouldn’t. Not crazy in the way you’ve been acting. Especially in light of what happened between us last night.”
She took a deep breath. Fine, if he wanted to play it that way. He wasn’t the only one who could speak frankly. “It’s exactly because of what happened last night that I’m doing this,” she said. “I’m trying to seduce you.”
