Todd gripped her arm. “You’re not going anywhere. That woman scares me.”
She laughed. “Oh, please. Is the big, bad millionaire frightened by the little girl in the tux shop? Poor Todd.”
He narrowed his gaze. “You think this is funny.”
“It kind of is.”
It would be different if she were in a relationship with him. Then Roxanne’s act would be a little disconcerting. But as it was, she could just have lots and lots of fun at his expense.
There was a tiny twinge of something buried inside her stomach, but she wasn’t going to worry about whatever stray feeling she might have. It wasn’t jealousy. It couldn’t be. This was Todd. Someone she could never in a million years care about.
He pulled her into the dressing area with him. “Who’s laughing now?” he asked as he jerked open a slatted door leading to a big dressing area, complete with a wooden chair. “Have a seat.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Excuse me? I can’t sit here and watch you undress.” Her cheeks got hot just from her thinking about it. She lowered her voice. “I barely know you.”
“I’m wearing briefs,” he said. “What’s the problem? Pretend we’re at the beach. I’m not going to be left alone with that woman.”
He was serious. She wasn’t sure if she was shocked or about to break out in hysterical laughter. “You expect me to protect you?”
“Damned straight.”
She felt her lips begin to twitch, but she managed to hold in her grin. “All right. If it’s that important to you. I’ll sit here and watch you try on clothes. But I have to tell you, I’m a little disappointed. I thought you’d be better with women than this. It’s another hope dashed. Any more disappointments like this and I’ll need therapy.”
He glared at her. “I know her type. She’s not going to take no for an answer.”
“And the big, bad millionaire doesn’t want to hurt her feelings,” Marina said, mocking him with a baby voice.
His eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Roxanne appeared with several tuxedos. She came to a stop when she saw Marina in the dressing area.
“You’re helping?” she asked in a voice that indicated such a thing could not be possible.
“Absolutely,” Todd told her. “Marina has perfect taste.”
“He’s pretty helpless without me,” Marina said with a smile. “Practically unstable.”
Todd’s gaze lasered in on her face and she had a feeling she might have to pay for that later, but who cared? This was a side of him she could never have imagined and she planned to enjoy every minute of it.
Not only seeing him as someone with flaws and weakness, she thought as Roxanne hung the tuxes on a hook and flounced out of the room, but as someone who was a lot more interesting than she’d first realized.
It wasn’t until he pulled off his tie and began to unbutton his shirt that she realized the small detail she’d overlooked. The dressing room was oversized, but still relatively close quarters considering she and Todd hadn’t known each other very long and he was about to take his clothes off in front of her.
He’d said to pretend they were at the beach. In theory, briefs wouldn’t show any more than swim trunks, but they weren’t at the beach and a really good-looking guy was undressing. Where was she supposed to look? Or not look?
He shrugged out of the shirt. His broad chest was well muscled and defined. She liked the faint dusting of hair that trailed down to his waistband. But when he reached for that waistband, she found herself suddenly staring at the floor.
“Ryan had better appreciate this,” Todd muttered.
“You’ll figure out a way to make him pay,” she said, noting his socks were dark and looked new.
There was a rustle of movement, then he pulled on the pants from the first tux. Safety at last.
She decided to distract herself from the process by being busy. After handing him his shirt, she slipped the jacket off the hanger and studied the weave of the fabric, then fingered the lapel.
Roxanne appeared in the doorway. “Vest or cummerbund?” she asked, holding out one of each.
“Vest,” Marina said, taking it from her and handing it to Todd. “You said you’d try.”
He grunted, then slipped it on. Marina admired the way the cut emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the narrowness of his hips. A faint tingle quivered to life somewhere behind her belly button.
He took a tie from Roxanne and eased it under his collar. After securing the knot, he put on the jacket.
“There’s a three-way mirror out here,” Roxanne said.
He followed her into the large center area of the dressing rooms. He stepped onto the platform in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“Magnificent,” Roxanne purred as she stepped up behind him and began smoothing down the shoulders and pulling at the hem of the jacket.
Marina agreed with the sentiment, even as the other woman’s need to touch every inch of Todd got on her nerves. This was a business, not a petting zoo.
Determined to be mature and let Todd handle the situation, she ignored Roxanne and her roving hands.
“I like the vest,” she said.
Todd nodded. “Me, too. I see what you’re going for. It’s less traditional than the cummerbund, but it looks great. We can’t order anything until Julie and Ryan pick colors, but we can give them a few ideas.”
“We have a Web site,” Roxanne said, leaning toward his ear and pressing her breasts into his back. “I’ll write down the item number so your friend can go online and see which tux you’re talking about. If he looks half as good as you in this, it’s going to be some wedding.”
Marina held in a groan as Todd sidestepped Roxanne. “Great. Why don’t you go get that information now?”
She reluctantly stepped back. When she’d left the dressing room, he turned to Marina.
“You’re supposed to be protecting me.”
“You’re big enough to protect yourself.”
“We’re supposed to be a team. I’d rush to your rescue.”
She couldn’t figure out what he wanted from her. Did he want her to act like she was jealous? Was this his ego talking? Did he need every woman on the planet panting for him so that he could sleep at night? Or was it something else? Was he seriously uncomfortable?
While she wanted to believe the best of him, his reputation made it impossible. So he was playing her.
Fine. She could play, too. She could make him sorry he’d ever pulled her into his game.
She walked to the edge of the platform and grabbed a handful of his jacket, then tugged until he stepped down onto the carpeted floor. Then she raised herself up on tiptoe, wrapped one arm around his neck and pressed her mouth to his.
She was determined this should be a whole lot more than that brief kiss they’d shared before. She wanted to teach him a lesson. So she kept her lips slightly parted and pressed against him as if she meant it.
After a brief second of shocked stillness, Todd put both his arms around her, hauled her closer and kissed her back. He brushed her lips with his, then took advantage of her invitation and swept inside.
He moved purposefully, a man on a mission. He tasted faintly of coffee and mint—and he knew how to kiss.
The second his tongue touched hers, passion exploded. The feeling was so intense, she half expected the building to shake. There was so much heat and need and pleasure in the way he explored her mouth, teasing, flicking, retreating, returning.
Wanting blindsided her. She couldn’t think, so she reacted instead. She tilted her head and kissed him back. When he moved his hands up and down her back, she explored his shoulders, then his arms. He was all honed muscle and warmth. One of his hands got tangled in her long hair. He tugged slightly, pulling her head back. She let him have his way and was rewarded when he kissed his way down her neck.
The soft, hungry, openmouthed kisses made he
r want to whimper. Her entire body clenched as her breasts swelled in anticipation. She wanted to be on her back, on any flat surface. She wanted him between her legs, taking her hard and fast and damn the consequences.
That thought—one she’d never had before in her life—stunned her. She pulled back just as she heard the sound of a very irritated person clearing her throat. She turned and saw Roxanne standing in the entrance to the dressing room.
“You two should get a room,” the saleswoman said, her voice icy.
“Interesting thought,” Todd drawled.
Roxanne turned and left.
Marina stood there, not sure what to think let alone what she should say. Talk about unexpected passion. And awkward.
Several comments floated to the surface of her brain, but they all sounded stupid. Even if they didn’t, she wasn’t sure she could speak. Her throat was dry and tight and she had a bad feeling her voice would sound breathless.
“Marina,” Todd began.
She held up a hand to stop him, then swallowed and forced herself to look at him.
Big mistake, she thought when she saw the hunger in his dark eyes. Her gaze zeroed in on his mouth…a mouth that could obviously drive a woman wild wherever it kissed her.
“I was teaching you a lesson,” she said, her voice shaking a little. “At least I was supposed to.”
“You’re not what I expected, either.”
Was that good or bad?
“You’re not my type,” she continued. “I want to plan my sister’s wedding. Nothing else.”
She met his gaze. Some of the hunger had faded, but there was just enough there to make her want to throw herself at him and do it all again.
“I agree,” he said.
It took her a second to realize he was responding to what she said, not what she’d thought.
“So this never happened,” she told him. “Nothing happened.”
“Something happened. But we can ignore it—if you prefer.”
Which was as close to a good answer as she was going to get, she thought. She left him alone to change back into his street clothes and walked out to wait by the car.
It wasn’t the fact that she’d enjoyed the kiss that bothered her. It was that she’d been willing to give herself to him without knowing him. Without deep feelings. Her level of passion scared her.
Todd was a lot more interesting than she’d ever imagined. Liking him was a surprise. Wanting him, equally startling but there it was. But the two together? No way. They made the situation more than dangerous—they made it deadly.
She couldn’t afford to fall for someone like him. If she did, she would be destroyed. She’d seen it happen. She knew what it cost.
To [email protected]
From [email protected]
What do you mean you kissed Todd! You can’t just e-mail “oh by the way, I kissed Todd today” and then hit send. It’s wrong on so many levels. You kissed him? On the mouth?
Why? That’s so not like you. It’s not about the million dollars is it? Please say it isn’t. That’s not like you, either. Todd? Seriously? How was it? Wait. I’m not sure I want to know.
He’s nothing like your type. You always fall for sweet, nerdy guys who are going to save the world. Not powerhouse alpha males with attitude. He dated models. You remember that, right? Are you okay?
On a completely different topic, we love the sage/rose combination for our colors. Go with that, but nothing too matchy-matchy, please.
To [email protected]
From [email protected]
I’m fine. Totally fine. The kiss just kind of happened. It’s a long story and I thought he was playing me, so I kissed him. It doesn’t mean anything. I wouldn’t have mentioned it except I thought maybe he’d say something to Ryan and then Ryan would say something to you and then you’d be mad because I didn’t tell you myself. That’s all. Although now that I think about it, Todd isn’t the type to brag.
As to the kiss, it was just a kiss, you know? Nice. I know he’s not my type. You have nothing to worry about.
I’m glad you picked colors. That will help with the planning. I love the rose/green combo, too. And I swear, nothing that matches in a cute way. We’ll go for shades and variations on a theme. It’s going to be fabulous.
To [email protected]
From [email protected]
OHMYGOD!! You already know what type Todd is? What else do you know that you’re not telling me? What else is happening there? You’d better not fall for him, Julie. I mean it. I’m thousands of miles away and I’d miss everything.
To [email protected]
From [email protected]
LOL. Don’t sweat it. I’m not falling for Todd in any way. You have nothing to worry about.
Five
Todd drove slowly through the traffic around UCLA, then pulled over to the curb. He scanned the crowd of students, then saw Marina talking to a young woman.
Not talking, he reminded himself. Signing.
The two women faced each other, their hands moving in a graceful dance he couldn’t decipher. Marina nodded, then glanced over her shoulder. She saw him and waved, then pointed at the car and signed something to her friend. The friend nodded, they hugged, then Marina started toward him.
He watched her walk. In her jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt, she fit in with the other students around her. He let his gaze linger on her swaying hips, then moved his attention to the way her long golden hair fluttered. She looked like a commercial for some sexy product. Buy whatever it was and get a girl like this.
She opened the passenger side door and slid inside. “Hey,” she said. “Going to let me drive again?”
“No. Too much power will go to your head.”
“So typical,” she muttered as she fastened her seat belt. “Why do men feel they have to hold out on women? Don’t give the poor females too much responsibility or power. They won’t be able to handle it.”
“Women control the majority of wealth in this country.”
“A fact that makes me smile every time I hear it. I know you don’t want me driving because my skill level threatens your masculinity.”
“Not for long. I’m in therapy.”
She laughed and he joined in. Their last meeting had been at the tux shop, where she’d kissed the hell out of him and had left him wanting more. He hadn’t yet decided what, if anything, he was going to do about that wanting. For now it was enough to simply enjoy Marina’s company.
As he pulled back into the traffic, he tried to remember the last time he’d wanted to just be with a woman. To hang out and talk and tease without counting the minutes until he could get her into bed.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sleep with Marina—he did. But he also liked her.
When was the last time that had happened? Liking. He’d almost forgotten how that felt. Not that he trusted her. He trusted no woman. But he’d been looking forward to being with her today ever since the last time he’d seen her.
“How did you get interested in sign language?” he asked.
She glanced at him. “I’m embarrassed to admit I first learned because one of my girlfriends had a hunky older brother who was deaf. I was about fourteen at the time. He was older and brooding and I knew that inside he was really deep and fascinating and that he would fall madly in love with me if only we could communicate. I took a beginning sign language class and really enjoyed it, so I kept going.”
“What happened with the guy?”
“He turned out to be a total jerk who just happened to be deaf. Still, I’m grateful he put me on this path. I became a certified interpreter. It was a great part-time job for me through college.”
She glanced at her watch. “I’m sorry I have to split up our day.”
“No problem.”
“It’s an important class. So I appreciate you being flexible.”
“Far be it from me to stand in the way of someone’s ed
ucation.”
“Spoken like a true member of the elite.”
They were heading over to a different caterer to sample food, then meeting up later at his place to interview a florist.
“Now that Ryan and Julie have picked their colors, we can make some firm decisions,” he said. “I let the florist know what the colors were and she’ll bring appropriate samples.”
“Good. I think the rose-green combo gives us lots of room and areas of compromise. The boy stuff can be green, the girl stuff pink.”
“Then everyone’s happy.”
“Exactly.” She smiled at him.
He braked for the stoplight and smiled back. While they were looking at each other he said, “That was some kiss the other day.”
Instantly her eyes widened and color stained her cheeks. She jerked her gaze away from him and stared out the windshield. “Yes, well, you said you needed protecting.”
He’d wondered what she’d thought about their kiss. Had it been as powerfully erotic for her as it had been for him? Now he knew the answer to that was yes. He also knew she was a little embarrassed and wondered why.
“Not that I thought you really needed protecting,” she said, still not looking at him. “You can handle women like that in your sleep.”
“I’m more interesting when I’m awake.” He drove through the intersection. “I wasn’t expecting the passion.”
“Just because I’m smart and into science doesn’t meant I’m not like other people.”
“You’re not like other people, but that’s a good thing. I’m not complaining, Marina. I like who you are.”
“Oh. Good. Not that your opinion matters.”
“Of course not.”
She glanced at him. “It was a pretty hot kiss.”
“I agree. I might need to be rescued later.”
“I don’t think so. You can save yourself without help from me.”
“That’s kind of cold.”
“Live with it.”
He chuckled and she smiled. Then she started talking about what Julie had said about the place settings. But most of his attention was on another, more interesting topic. Namely the idea of getting Marina into his bed.
The Million Dollar Catch Bundle Page 31
