He took her hand across the table and looked deep into her eyes as if she were the most beautiful thing he’d seen in forever, instead of his little sister’s best friend and the perpetual pain in his side growing up. “Just follow my lead. Act like we’re gearing up for a nooner and are totally into each other.”
His hands were large and warm, and the way he was looking at her, even if it was an act, made her squirm in her chair. As a lovesick teen, she’d spent hours imagining what it would be like having him look at her like this. It was everything she thought it would be, and maybe a little more. Only she wasn’t a teen any more. So pathetic. Now she knew a fantasy was just a fantasy.
“A nooner? Seriously?” She sneaked a peek at Richard and caught him staring at her, unblinking, like the giant snake he was. The woman turned to follow his gaze—and Lilly recognized her as the busty receptionist at RSG she’d always had a feeling hated her. Now she knew why.
Derek dropped her hand and scooted his chair out, about to get up. “Or I could just walk over there and punch him in his ugly, cheating face.”
“No, no. Don’t do that. You’ll end up in the news again, and everybody has already seen your right hook looped on the SportsCenter highlight reel.”
“That guy ran me into the wall in turn three on the last lap on purpose. He had it coming.” He settled back into his chair. “But you’ve got a point. Some of my sponsors get a little twitchy when my mug shot pops up on the TV.” He smirked. “Come on. Let’s have a little fun. You’ll feel better. I promise.”
She trusted Derek. He’d always had her back, even when they were kids. And she was tired of feeling like a pathetic loser. Maybe her cheating ex did deserve a little payback.
“Okay,” she breathed, pasting a sweet smile on her lips. “Let’s do it.”
…
Derek was more than happy to help her get even with the jerk who’d clearly caused her pain, but he should have just punched the guy for her and been done with it, because pretending to be her lover was going to be a lot more uncomfortable than the week he’d spent in the hospital with three broken ribs and a concussion after the crash at Phoenix last season.
But this was Lilly and she needed him, damn it. Even if she refused to help with the Thomas Oil deal, he’d be there for her, just like when they were kids.
“What do we do first?” she said.
“Just look at me like I’m Justin Timberlake,” he said, stroking her fingers with his. “You always liked him, right?”
The corners of her full mouth turned up. “I’m more of a Joe Manganiello kind of girl now. You know, a little rough around the edges. Dead sexy abs you could bounce a quarter off of.”
“Joe Manganiello? The guy who played that werewolf on TV? He’s kinda hairy, isn’t he?”
“He manscapes. I don’t think he’d shed on my sofa or anything.”
He laughed. “Try to keep your clothes on over there, okay? Just act like you can’t wait to get me home and do all sorts of kinky things to me.”
Her lips trembled a little, and she flicked her pink tongue out to wet them. “A seduction? How would that work?”
Now they were in his arena. So deep in his comfort zone, he’d have to remind himself this was just for show. But the green flag had dropped, so it was full throttle until the finish line.
“Well, we could…have a beer to start.”
“Beer? What are we doing? Tailgating?”
He laughed. She definitely wasn’t a racing groupie. The girls who launched themselves at him wanted a six-pack and tequila. Lilly was refreshingly…smooth. Clean. Different from any other woman in his life.
“Fine. Wine, then. On the couch at my place. Maybe I’d put on some music. Skynyrd.”
“How about something a little jazzy? Sexy.”
“‘Free Bird’ has always worked just fine for me. When did you get so picky about a fake date?”
“When did you get so unromantic?”
He grinned at her. “I’ve never had a problem sweeping women off their feet before.”
“I’m not other women.”
That was the damn truth.
“Well, you think of something, then.”
She scrunched up her cute little nose in thought. “I’m thinking candles. Lots of candles.”
“Too dangerous. Fire hazard.”
She rolled her eyes. “You suck at this game.”
“Fine. A few candles. I can live with that.”
“Okay, we’ve got candlelight and music. What’s your next move?”
“The rest? We’ll play it by ear.”
She swallowed. “No plan?”
Besides not getting so into this that he let on how much he really wanted to kiss her? Nope. But he couldn’t say that.
“Well…”
“What’s the matter?” She smiled. “Racing’s Casanova suddenly at a loss for words?”
“I’m just getting started.”
She leaned forward, like she was getting into the game. “On to wardrobe. What are you wearing?”
“I’m naked. Completely nude.” He looked closely to see if she quivered, the telltale sign from all women when they wanted him. Badly.
But she shook her head, totally put together. Shit. He didn’t need to actually seduce her, but nothing? Not a single tremble?
“You’re wearing black silk boxers.” She lowered her voice. “I’m wearing nothing. Except for a pair of black stilettos and a matching G-string.”
His knee twitched and he kicked the table leg, making the china and crystal clatter and water slosh over the edge of the goblets.
“Lillian?”
He blinked and forced himself to look up at the guy standing next to their table and glaring at Lilly.
“Oh. Hello, Richard.” She smiled as if seeing him were a real pleasure. But he could hear the tension in the way she spoke. Her words always became clipped when she was tense. “Having a little lunch, I see. I didn’t think you liked this place.”
“Yes. Well, I’m surprised to see you here, too.” He ignored Derek and continued to stare down at Lilly like she’d been the one caught cheating. “Who’s your friend?”
She squeezed Derek’s hand and shot him a look that would have singed his fire suit if he’d been wearing it. There was the spark he’d hoped to see moments ago. Was it just part of the performance?
“Oh, this is Derek,” she said. “He’s a very old, very close friend.”
Derek’s ability to make other men jealous always ran at a ten, but in the name of making this cheating scumbag jealous, he cranked it up to eleven. “I’ve known Lilly since she used to skinny-dip in my pool.” Totally true. She’d been a toddler.
“I see,” Richard said, glaring at Derek.
He glared right back. They were like two lions about to throw down over the last wildebeest steak on the savannah. He was not about to back down.
Derek smiled at Lilly’s ex. “I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re Dick, right?”
“It’s Richard.” He looked like he’d just sucked the lemon from the side of the water goblet. His nose was still a little misshapen, though it looked like he’d tried to cover up the bruising with his date’s makeup. Derek wished Lilly had socked him a little harder. Maybe in the eye. A good shiner was impossible to hide. Giving him one before he’d finished his entrée wasn’t completely out of the question.
Richard grunted. “Funny. She never mentioned you.”
“Maybe I was her little secret.”
Dick’s perfectly shaped brows drew together. Yeah, that thought had never occurred to him. He’d obviously taken Lilly for granted. He’d never deserved her. “Maybe.”
Derek couldn’t resist a little victory lap, so he brought Lilly’s hand to his lips for a lingering kiss and shifted his gaze to hers. She blushed prettily and continued to look at him like he was a double-fudge sundae with a cherry on top. Let the jackass stew on that over his watercress salad.
Richard cleared his throat. “Wel
l. I certainly hope you enjoy your little lunch, Lillian,” he said with more than a little sarcasm. Without another word, he turned and practically stomped back to his table like a spoiled little boy who’d lost his favorite toy.
Derek leaned closer to Lilly. “What a prissy little ass. I can’t believe you actually thought he had ‘long-term potential.’”
“Me neither.” She sneaked a glance at Jackass’s table, and then a wide smile split her luscious lips. “They’re leaving.”
Sure enough, there was a little whispered argument going on, and Richard was trying to usher his date and her implants out of the restaurant. She clearly wasn’t happy about it. No way was Dick getting any tonight. Double score.
The waiter came back to take their orders and once the food arrived, they spent a good hour eating and talking. Lilly was just as charming and animated as she’d always been. She was perfect for the role he needed her to play.
Once they’d finished lunch, Lilly reached across the table and squeezed Derek’s hand. “Thanks. Seriously. That was great…the food and the thing with Richard.” She sipped her water, the genuine grin on her face doing funny things to him. “He really thought you and I had something going on. I never knew you were an actor. You should do more commercials.”
“Shooting those things is pure torture.” An actor. Yeah, tell that to his hard-on.
She placed her hand on his. “Derek, really. Thank you. I don’t know what I can do to make it up to you.”
“Well, about that…” he said. The pace laps were over. It was time to put the rubber to the road. “There’s actually something I want to ask you. I need a favor.”
Chapter Three
A favor? That wasn’t what she’d expected to come out of his mouth. He was the guy who knew all the answers and always had everything under control. What in the world could he want from her?
“Of course I’ll do whatever I can,” she said as they collected their coats and headed out of the restaurant. “I mean, I’m a recently jilted, unemployed junior executive barreling toward her thirties, possibly facing assault charges, and I’m going home to live in my parents’ basement while I figure out how to stay out of prison and find someone to hire me. So sure, I’m perfectly qualified to help out a celebrity millionaire adored by women all over the world with his problems.”
“I agree. And you’ve just had a temporary setback, not a catastrophe. I have no doubt that a smart, talented, attractive, and driven woman like you will be back on her feet in no time.” He grinned at her. “But if you do end up needing bail money, I’m your guy.”
A black car was waiting for them at the curb, and Derek’s driver opened the door for them as they approached.
She slid into the warm car and gave him a hard look. Her whole life he’d teased her, argued with her, annoyed her, and bossed her around. She didn’t ever remember him complimenting her. She couldn’t deny it felt good, even if he was just buttering her up. He must really need this favor.
“You’re making me nervous with all the flattery,” she said. “What do you need? A kidney?”
“Not quite. I’m about to sign with a new sponsor. A big one. Thomas Oil.” His smile flickered again. “This sponsorship would change everything. It’s critical that the deal go through.”
Was the race team in trouble? “I thought you already had a lot of sponsors. And you’ve got your own money. Last I checked, you weren’t exactly clipping coupons and shopping at the Goodwill.”
“Those sponsors are people Dad strong-armed into sponsoring his race team. And you can’t finance a team with private funds, unless you want to go bankrupt inside a season. You need a business partner whose business gains something from the partnership.”
Wow, she’d hit an unexpected nerve. “Okay, so what does that have to do with me?”
“I have to fly down to Mr. Thomas’s ranch outside Dallas tonight to make the deal official and do some promos for his company. And then, assuming all goes well, he’s hosting an event to announce our partnership to the press. I’ll be there the whole weekend.” His eyes met hers, and her insides did that melty thing. “I want you to come with me.”
A fancy weekend party with people who had more money than God? There’d be wine. And cheese. And more wine. Maybe a few rich, handsome bachelors for eye candy. That was a much better offer than going home and telling her parents she’d lost her job, her fiancé, and her credibility in the span of five awful minutes. But why did he need Lilly? Something didn’t add up.
“I’m not getting involved in anything illegal.”
“Of course not.” He smiled at her. “I just need you to run interference on Thomas’s daughter.”
A woman. Of course that was the issue. “Your woman troubles never end. Have you ever thought of taking a vow of celibacy? Maybe think with the big head for a change?”
“Not my fault this time. During my last meeting with Mr. Thomas, his daughter, who’s also his VP of marketing, made it pretty clear that she was looking forward to the late nights and long weekends we’d spend together working on their promotions. She wasn’t talking about ad copy and churn rate.”
“Sounds right up your alley. Does she have warts on her face? A third arm? What?”
“No, she’s gorgeous. Runner-up in the Miss Texas pageant a couple of years ago.”
“Then what’s the problem? According to the internet, you’re more than fine with spending quality time with beautiful women.”
“This is a big deal. Potentially worth millions. There’s no way I can risk getting involved with her. You know me. I’m not a relationship guy. One week of bliss, and I’m ready to move on. Serena, on the other hand, is looking for a guy to pick out curtains with.”
It all clicked into place. “And you’re worried once your week of bliss is up, you’ll break her heart and she’ll make sure her dad never gives you a dime.”
He nodded. “Exactly.”
“So why don’t you take what she’s offering and keep her happy just until the deal’s done? Surely your lawyers can make sure it’s airtight.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No deal is airtight. Besides, call me old-fashioned, but I don’t want to lead her on just so I can get her dad’s money.”
“Wow. You do have a moral bone in your body, just not the right bone. Tell her no, Derek. It’s easy. I can show you how since you’ve probably never turned down a woman between the ages of eighteen and eighty-five before.”
“Funny.” He shoved a hand through his hair, and she could see that this was really weighing heavily on his mind. “Serena is not the type to take no for an answer. I’ve tried. She’s going to force the issue. It’s going to screw up everything. Unless…” He turned to her, his eyes wide with feigned innocence. That look always meant trouble. Usually for her, since he had somehow managed to wiggle out of any mischief he’d ever caused.
“What?” She was almost afraid to ask.
He turned to her and swallowed, that nervous gesture so uncharacteristic from a man who was never nervous. “Unless I show up with a wife.”
She laughed. “I’m sure there are a ton of women from your Facebook page who would marry you in an instant.”
“What I mean is, I need Serena to think I have a wife. I need a ringer.”
“Please—no one is going to believe you suddenly burned your bachelor card and got hitched.”
“True. A wife might be overkill. But a fiancée would be perfect.” He looked at her with those deep blue eyes and knowing grin that had always turned her into a puddle of goo. “Someone I’ve known all my life and only recently reconnected with.”
This had trouble written all over it, but a little shiver of excitement made her shift in her seat anyway. How many times had her teenage self longed for Derek to look at her this way? “How many concussions have you had?”
“Four. But think about it, Lil. It would be perfect. We could pretend to be an engaged couple, just for the weekend. All sweet and mushy like we were at lunch. Serena w
ould know I’m off the market and would stop trying to get in my shorts. We’ll spend the weekend at the ranch, seal the deal with Mr. Thomas, and I’ll have what I need. After the official announcement of the deal with Thomas Oil is public, we’ll head home with no one the wiser. Everything will go back to normal.”
“I don’t know, Derek. Pretending to be lovers for a few minutes over lunch was one thing. Pulling it off for a whole weekend? No one would ever buy that you and I are a couple.”
He scooted closer to her on the seat, draped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her against his chest. Instantly her libido flashed warning signals to her brain as the fluttery feeling in her stomach returned.
“Why not?” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear.
“Because you’re rich and famous and last year’s Sexiest Man Alive.” Did her voice sound a little breathier than normal? It was hard to concentrate on complex operations, like speech, when he was so close and smelled so good.
“And you’re smart and successful and absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.” He took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips. “Richard believed we were a couple, and so did everyone in the restaurant.” He turned her hand over and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, and she was pretty sure her body temperature increased by two degrees. “We’ve known each other forever.” He stroked her palm in small circles. “We’re good together. We could fool our own parents. Making a stranger believe we’re crazy in love and can’t keep our hands off each other will be easy.”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t know…”
“Come on. It’ll be fun. Promise.” He twined her fingers with his and flashed his million-dollar smile. “Lilly Harmon—will you make me the most grateful man alive and pretend to agree to marry me?”
She wondered if a woman anywhere in the world could resist Derek Sawyer when he turned on the charm. Money, sex, a firstborn child—any woman with a pulse would hand it all over to him in an instant if he looked at them the way he was looking at her right now.
But Lilly wasn’t anyone else. And she’d already gotten burned by taking a chance on a risky workplace romance. A risky business romance seemed just as dangerous.
A Limited Engagement Page 2
