A Limited Engagement

by Bethany Michaels

  “I can’t.”

  He looked shocked. Baffled. Of course he did. The guy was used to getting his own way and probably hadn’t heard the word “no” since he was a toddler…especially from a woman.

  “I need you,” he said. “You’re the only one I trust.”

  “Except you don’t trust me enough to share why you want this deal so badly.”

  “Shit.” He took a long breath. “I’ll tell you.” He looked away, then back at her, his expression determined. “You know I couldn’t have gotten into racing without my dad.”

  “Sure. Everybody knows that.”

  “Most teams won’t even talk to a new driver unless he brings a sponsor with him. Dad bought into the team and then squeezed his business contacts to nail down sponsorship for my car. My seat in the cockpit was bought and paid for by dear old Dad.”

  She wasn’t used to hearing the venom in his voice. It wasn’t like him at all. “So he helped you get started.” She shrugged.

  His eyes narrowed. “I make the day-to-day decisions for the team, but Dad still owns a piece of me. And as long as he does, I’ll be beholden to him. When I sign this deal with Thomas, I won’t have to worry about keeping Dad and his sponsors happy. I’ll be able to fund the team without them. And I can pour my personal assets into buying out his share of the team.”

  “What if he refuses to sell?”

  “He won’t. If he does, I’ll walk, and his team won’t be worth shit without a good driver.”

  She got that owning the team would definitely appeal to a man who liked to control things, like Derek. But even the most powerful men in the world needed to play nice with others. “You’ll still have a partner, though. And sponsors to keep happy, even if your dad isn’t involved anymore.”

  He pursed his lips. “Thomas didn’t break apart our family. Thomas didn’t wreck my mom’s heart.”

  The raw emotion in his voice hit her hard. “Derek—”

  He waved his hands. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s moved on. She’s moved on. I’ve moved on. At least I will once this is done.”

  She had never seen Derek so angry or so hurt. His usual life-of-the-party demeanor covered a depth of feeling she wouldn’t have guessed at, given his freewheeling lifestyle. This meant something to him. He’d always been the big brother she never had. Of course she was going to help him, though she wasn’t at all sure cutting his father completely out of his life was going to get him the closure he craved.

  And maybe partnering up with Derek could help her get back on her feet, too.

  “I’ll help you.”

  He relaxed into the seat, clearly relieved. “I’ll make it up to you. How about a month at my villa in Tuscany? I have a masseuse on staff.”

  “Right, I want some sultry Italian bombshell with legs up to her armpits putting her hands on me, wishing I was you.”

  His grin was back. “Seems pretty good to me.”

  “What I need is a new job. Maybe you could put the word out with some of your sponsors or other race teams who might be looking for a slightly tarnished former account manager?”

  He nodded, clearly relieved. “Whatever you want.”

  “Oh, I’m not done.” She narrowed her eyes. “I want an obscenely large diamond and a promise that no one back home will ever know about this. And I’m keeping my own name, if anyone asks.”

  “We’ll stop by Tiffany’s on the way to the airport and pick something out.” He moved back into his own space, but he didn’t let go of her hand right away. “And there’s no way my wife is going to have a different name than me. Think of the children.”

  “Caveman.”

  “Absolutely. Seriously, though—thanks, Lil. I owe you one. A big one.”

  She smiled at him sweetly. “Just remember that when you’re negotiating my new salary.”

  …

  “This one.” Derek pointed to the largest diamond ring in the case. “Is this one obscene enough for you?”

  The jeweler’s ears perked up at Derek’s insistence on dropping fifty grand on the three-carat sparkler, but Lilly shook her head.

  “It’s obscene all right, but it just doesn’t feel right.” She pointed to a ring set with a small square diamond encircled by smaller diamonds. “Could I see that one, please?” she asked the salesperson.

  He opened his mouth to again insist she get something bigger and far more expensive, but then he saw the way her eyes lit up when she slipped the petite ring on the third finger of her left hand. It fit her perfectly.

  He just hoped some guy worthy of her would wise up someday and present her with a real engagement ring that made her eyes shine as brightly as they did right now. She deserved to have that kind of happiness. She was made for it.

  “You’re sure you don’t want to go up another carat?” he asked, reaching for his wallet.

  “No. This is definitely the one,” she said, holding her hand out in front of her, admiring the ring.

  “Don’t stare at that rock too long. You’ll go blind,” he teased, handing the cashier his black American Express card.

  She swatted him on the shoulder. “I’m allowed to stare at it as long it’s on my finger.”

  He signed the receipt and put his hand at the small of her back to usher her out of the store. They had to get going if they were going to get to Thomas’s ranch in time to dress for dinner.

  On the sidewalk, he signed a few autographs, posed for a picture with a young fan, then helped Lilly into the waiting car. There were more fans than usual, and even some photographers, but that was a good thing, as far as the sponsors were concerned. Hopefully the deal with Thomas Oil hadn’t leaked. He needed to keep that a secret from his father until it was finalized.

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” she asked as the car pulled away from the curb.

  “Absolutely.” He stretched his arm across the back of the car seat. He was so close to being free from his father’s tethers he could smell it. He could hardly wait to cast off the man who had been so focused on his own career that he’d destroyed his family.

  If they were going to do this, they were going to have to go all in. Thomas, and more importantly, Serena had to believe that Derek and Lilly were a couple so madly in love that Derek was far beyond the temptation of hopping into Serena’s bed.

  “So how did all this happen? The engagement, I mean. I think we should get our story straight.”

  “I asked, you said yes.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You crooked your little finger and I came running? I don’t think so. Every girl needs a great engagement story. Something to tell her grandkids.”

  She had a point. “We should probably stick as close to the truth as possible.”

  “Agreed. How about if we start with last spring when we were both home?”

  He nodded. “We reconnected and kept in touch while I traveled.”

  “But then how do you explain all the other women you were photographed with since then?” She gave a mock gasp. “Were you cheating on me?”

  “If there’s one thing I’m not, it’s a cheat. I hate it when guys try to make up for lack of driving skill by exploiting all the gray areas in the rule book.” He shifted a little closer to her on the seat. “Okay, so maybe we were just friends all that time. We always had feelings for each other, but we resisted what was right in front of us. Until now.”

  “Until now. What changed?”

  “I was in Chicago meeting with a sponsor in September. We could have met up then and had a wild weekend together. Hot nightclub, expensive champagne, luxury hotel suite.” He grinned. “Room service in the morning.”

  She tossed him a dirty look. “Or a romantic weekend. Walks along the lake, a couple’s massage. Wine. Roses. A champagne brunch. Long conversations.”

  “But not too much talking. I resisted you for years, but once I knew I wanted you, I couldn’t keep my hands off you.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t just you who held back all that time.” She le
aned forward. “Maybe I was the one set on trying to seduce you.”

  He swallowed, trying very hard not to imagine her all tricked out as a sex kitten determined to have her way with him. He crashed and burned before he even got out of the pits.

  Would she wear blush-pink lingerie or just the G-string and the fuck-me heels she’d mentioned in the restaurant? He’d bet on the pink. Maybe one of those tank-top-and-shorts deals made of satin so sheer he could see the dusky shadow of her nipples beneath. Oh yeah. Sexy and sweet at the same time, just like her. And then she’d lean over him, that naughty little grin on her face, and whisper…

  “Hey!” She smacked his thigh.

  He blinked. “What was that for?” His dick was still caught up in the dream. What the hell was wrong with him? This was a business deal. Nothing more.

  “Did you hear a word I said?”

  “Absolutely. Every word.” Because that was better than admitting he’d been fantasizing about her lips coming close to his, her mouth lowering, and—

  “Good,” she said. “We’re straight with the story then.”

  “Sure.” He hoped no one asked about it later, because he had no idea what he’d just agreed to.

  “One other thing. I think we should request separate rooms at the Thomases’.”

  He glanced at her and saw her face had turned pink again. This was never going to work if she blushed every time the topic of sex was even hinted at. Teasing her out of her embarrassment seemed the best way.

  “Don’t trust yourself to keep your hands off me, huh? It’s okay. You wouldn’t be the first to have that problem.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Right, with all the beer and Skynyrd jamming in the background, how could any woman keep her panties on for more than five minutes?”

  “Hmm. You’re probably right. Two rooms would be best. I need my sleep.” He loved baiting her. Loved how she got that wild look in her eye and then said something that completely put him in his place. She treated him like a normal guy, not a celebrity, not a guy with a seven-figure bank account, not a championship race car driver. Just a guy.

  Any other woman and he’d have dropped the pretense and made his move. But she was Lilly. And she deserved better than a man who would only offer her at most a week before he went back out to the next race, the next woman, the next big thrill.

  His gaze dropped to her lips.

  He was an idiot.

  The one time he needed his dick to shut up, it wouldn’t leave him alone. That was his fault. He’d never fought the urge follow wherever his libido took him. How was he supposed to know Lilly would show up looking so irresistible?

  Maybe if he just went ahead and kissed her, he’d be able to get the thought of doing it out of his head. He’d satisfy his curiosity and move on. One kiss. He had to do it—had to take one for the team.

  “If we’re not sharing a bedroom, we will probably at least have to act like we’re attracted to each other.”

  Her eyes narrowed, suspicious. “What were you thinking?”

  He was thinking of all sorts of things that would turn her pink. “Well, I should probably hold your hand,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers and resting both their hands on his thigh. Her new diamond pressed against his hand in a way that was surprisingly satisfying.

  She gave him a wicked side eye. “Oh. I suppose. Sure.”

  “And you’re going to have to get closer to me, get comfortable with touching me.”

  “I don’t know if that’s possible,” she said almost under her breath.

  He slipped an arm around her shoulder and brought her closer. The way she fit against him was damn near perfect.

  She froze for a second, and he was afraid he’d pushed her too far. But then she twisted toward him and rested her hand on his chest. Could she feel how hard his heart was pumping? She looked up at him and wet her lips.

  “What else?” she asked, the barest waver in her voice.

  He shifted a little, drawing her even closer. He dipped his head and stared into her eyes, hoping to hell he was doing the right thing. But it was too late to turn back, and he wasn’t the U-turn kind of guy anyway. Once he decided he wanted something, he went after it with everything he had. And he definitely wanted a taste of Lilly.

  He shifted, focusing on her lips. “There might be a time when it would be right, expected even, that we would—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, she stretched up to capture his lips with her own. If he hadn’t been so surprised, he would have chuckled at her eagerness. Instead he wrapped the other arm around her and let his eyes drift shut so he could enjoy the one taste of her he was allowing himself this weekend. The one taste ever.

  Her mouth opened the tiniest bit in invitation. Well, hell. If this was going to be their only kiss, damn if he wasn’t going to make it a good one.

  She was sweeter than he’d anticipated, but not nearly as shy. He’d thought she would be tentative and kind of awkward. She wasn’t. She kissed like she meant it, involving her tongue, her lips, and even her teeth, nipping him playfully. He shoved a hand through her hair and turned her head for better access, blood rushing straight to his dick. If this was their one kiss ever, screw it.

  Her hands were on his chest, rubbing over his pecs like she was trying to learn all his bumps and ridges by touch alone. If they hadn’t been in a car and heading for the airport, he’d seriously consider stripping off his shirt just so he could feel her bare flesh against his.

  With a growl, he pulled her on top of him so that she was straddling his thighs, her breasts pressed against his chest. Her hands went to the back of his head, as if she never intended to stop kissing him. It was pure torture knowing any minute now it would be over. So he held her to him while he could, ran his tongue over her lips—

  “We’ve arrived, Mr. Sawyer,” the driver said over the intercom.

  He opened his eyes and broke the kiss. She gave a long exhale. Was that part of the performance, or was she as reluctant to end the kiss as he was? She opened her eyes and blinked at him as if she didn’t know how she’d gotten there in his lap—like she’d gone to sleep in her bed and woken up on Mars or something.

  “Wow,” she said, scrambling back to her own seat and scooting as far away as possible from him. “I…I guess I’m a better actress than I realized.”

  His head felt light. He’d never ever expected kissing little Lilly Harmon to knock him for a loop like that. If it was all an act on her part, she should be up for an Oscar.

  “Well, Lil, I think you and I just proved that pulling off a convincing kiss won’t be a problem.”

  “Yeah.” She gave him a tight smile, then turned away to stare out the window.

  She’d tasted so good. What might have happened if they’d gotten stuck in a nice long traffic jam on the way to O’Hare?

  Nothing good. Even if this whole thing wasn’t fake, he couldn’t offer her the kind of relationship she needed—a guy who would be there for her more than a few times a year when he wasn’t on a racetrack somewhere or in the conference room dealing with the million other details involved with running the team. Racing was the number one priority in his life. It wasn’t fair to let someone care for you and then make it clear they would always come in second. Hadn’t his dad proved that?

  The heat of passion and something new was all he had to offer. He’d be damned if he got so caught up in how unexpectedly attracted he was to Lilly that he broke her heart.

  Sex with her wasn’t going to happen. Couldn’t happen, even if he had to take cold showers every day for a month.

  Thank God this whole thing was only going to last the weekend.

  Chapter Four

  “Are you out of your damn mind?”

  It was amazing the way Derek’s jaw instantly clenched and his blood pressure spiked at the sound of his father’s voice. Why was the old man calling now? Did he suspect what Derek was up to? He hadn’t told anyone but Lilly about the trip to Texas. He’d fantasized a th
ousand times about giving Dad the news in person and seeing the impotent rage in the features that were so similar to Derek’s own.

  He pulled two ties out of his suitcase, debating which to wear down to dinner. He and Lilly had arrived at the ranch and been shown to their two rooms by the household staff. They’d been informed dinner was at eight. That would be their first big test playing an engaged couple, and it had to go well. The last thing Derek needed was his father distracting him.

  “What the hell are you thinking?” his dad shouted.

  “Right now? I’m thinking ‘blue tie or red?’”

  “Your mother just called me all worked up about you giving a ring to the Harmon girl.” Ah, so it was about the engagement. How had his mother found out so quickly?

  “Her name is Lilly, and she spent half her childhood at our house with Shana. But you wouldn’t know that, would you?”

  His father ignored that little truth. As usual. “Your mother is in a state. A reporter called the house to ask her to comment on your wedding plans. It damn near killed her to tell them she didn’t know anything about it. And then she turned on the television and recognized your wife-to-be. Damn near killed her a second time to find out you’re marrying the girl next door and didn’t say a word.”

  Shit. How had the press gotten the story so quickly? He grabbed his phone and navigated to his social media page. Hundreds of people had commented on pictures a fan had posted of them outside the jewelry store, Lilly wearing his ring.

  She was not going to be happy when she found out people at home thought they were engaged. Not happy at all. He put his phone away. The cat was out of the bag now, and he didn’t have time to wrangle felines. He had a deal to sign. He’d smooth things over with Lilly later.

  “That’s funny. Mom’s feelings never bothered you before.” He could practically see his father, pacing around his office where he controlled everyone and everything in his circle. Well, he wouldn’t control Derek anymore. Not for much longer, anyway.

  “Did you consider how this little stunt might affect my team and all the people who write checks for good money to see you race?”