chapter FIVE
After their run-in with Cooper, Nick had little to say for the next hour. They walked the open deck hand in hand in total silence. In truth he was more irritated with Laney. Her obvious fancy with Cooper was the least of his problems. He was beginning to question her ability to pose as a credible spouse. Sure, Cooper knew she wasn"t really married to him, but their encounter had been a frosty one. When he"d put his hand on her hip, she went completely stiff. Her body language screamed she was single and interested in Cooper"s attention. The reality of the situation was he couldn"t care less if Cooper screwed Laney.
Hell, he could have at her every night of this blasted cruise so long as Nick got what he came for--the Zelman account. Being the resourceful person he knew himself to be, he tried to consider Cooper and Laney"s attraction as an advantage. If Cooper focused on Laney, Nick could take full advantage of William Zelman. Yet, the probabilities of things going wrong were extremely high. If Laney let her attraction to Cooper become obvious, Nick would look like an idiot to Zelman. Zelman wouldn"t see him as a reliable marketing consultant but as a moron who couldn"t control his wife. Nick would have to talk to her.
They retreated back to the room to rest. Deciding frankness was the best method of attack, Nick waited until Laney finished washing her face before addressing her.
“We need to talk.”
Laney did not like the sound of that. Nick had barely said a word since the Cooper incident. She"d already figured out that Cooper was the competitor Nick had mentioned earlier. Cooper obviously knew she and Nick weren"t really married. Nick was upset with something and she was struggling to convince herself that she wasn"t to blame.
“This is business, Laney, so I"m going to be blunt.”
“Okay.”
“This situation is very important to Sinclair Corp, which makes it important to me. When we are in the presence of the Zelmans your job is to be my wife. Nothing else.”
“You"ve already covered this with me earlier.” She could feel her irritation rising.
“After seeing you and Cooper together I feel the need to reiterate my position. Stick to the script, Laney.”
“I will,” she snapped.
“I"m serious. This isn"t just fun and games. I"m here for business purposes only. Whatever plans you and Coop have in mind needs to be handled with discretion.”
She folded her arms across her chest. She barely knew Mr. Sinclair and he had already categorized her as a slut. “Exactly what are you trying to say?”
He clenched his jaw. A muscle ticked in his cheek. “You know exactly what I"m saying but let me spell it out for you. Don"t make it so obvious that you want to sleep with Cooper.”
She gasped. He might as well have slapped her. Tears sprung to her eyes. Her feelings were hurt but right now anger was the apex of her emotions. Unfortunately she had a habit of crying when she was really upset. Not very mature, but it was a fact. She quickly brushed her tears away and turned her back on him. The last thing she wanted him to see was her vulnerability. She straightened her back. “I"ll see you at dinner.”
With that, she marched into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Nick cursed. Things just kept getting better. He had a knack for dealing with irrational women lately. Perhaps he was a little out of line with her, but he did not regret his words. She needed to hear them. She needed to understand that this was strictly business. There was no margin for error.
Not feeling up to dealing with Laney, Nick decided to seek out the fitness center. He was tense with anticipation for tonight"s dinner. He needed to work off the apprehension and putting distance between him and Laney would be for the best. Since she was determined to live in the bathroom, he felt safe to change into a pair of gym shorts without scaring her to death.
The journey to the fitness center was a workout in itself. Once there, Nick made for the treadmill. He ran a vigorous four miles, did ten sets of reps with free weights and joined a ninety-minute cycling class. He was exhausted when he finished, but he had managed to pass three hours. Not yet ready to deal with Laney, Nick again got on the treadmill, setting it at a slow trot to slow his heartbeat. He linked his fingers together and placed them behind his head. That cycling class was a killer. He could feel a dull ache in his stomach muscles he hadn"t felt since he ran track in college. So focused was he on his workout that he hadn"t immediately noticed the coy eyes of the women in the room. He had removed his shirt during the cycle class and tucked it in the back of his waistband. Bare-chested and sweaty, he was on full exhibit to the women in the room. It was strange to see the women gawk at him.
Nick worked hard to keep himself in shape, but he rarely displayed himself. He employed a personal trainer so the only people who got to see his efforts were the casual bed partners he chose. He checked his watch.
Shit. An hour longer and he would be late for dinner. To the disappointment of the women, he pulled his shirt back on. As he crossed the gym he heard one woman whisper loudly to another, “His wife is one lucky girl.” Nick looked down at his wedding band and gave an empty laugh. They had no idea how wrong they were.
* * * *
When Nick entered the stateroom, Laney was sitting on the bed. She was wearing a white silk robe that clung to her body, parading the fact that she was only wearing a thin slip underneath. Her hair was pulled up into a delicate twist on the top of her head. She wore diamond earrings that framed her face, giving her an elegant look. For a second Nick was floored by her lovely image. Laney walked toward him, her hips making a delicate sway with every step.
“When you didn"t come back I thought you had changed your mind.”
She waved her hand toward the bed. “I had the housekeeper steam your tuxedo just in case.”
He forced himself to pull his gaze away from her and look toward the bed. His suit was laid out perfectly. That was definitely a wifely act on her part. He was impressed.
“I"m finished with the bathroom,” she mumbled. “It"s all yours. If we hurry we can still make it in time.”
He nodded and went to his bags to pull out his shaving kit. He showered and shaved. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he left the bathroom to retrieve his clothes. Laney avoided making eye contact with him. When he finally emerged fully dressed, he noticed Laney was dressed and waiting for him, wearing a form-fitting black gown. A shawl draped across her shoulders prevented him from seeing her neckline. He looped his tie in the mirror, adjusting it as he backed away.
“Ready?” he asked.
She shook her head. She walked up to him and tugged on the ends of his tie. As she worked the tie into perfection, Nick breathed in her clean scent. Her fragrance was a gentle blend of floral perfume and sweet smelling soap. Her hands worked quickly yet were light in touch. She was so close he had only to lean an inch forward to brush his chest against hers.
“There.” Her long lashes fluttered up to him. “That looks better.”
He smiled lightly. “How do you know how to do that?”
She shrugged. “I"ve had a lot of practice.” She picked up her purse.
“Now I"m ready.”
* * * *
Nick and Laney entered the huge ballroom just as people were finding their seats. An orchestra played a soothing Caribbean melody that brought smiles to the faces of everyone in the room. Nick spotted William Zelman and his wife, Vivian, across the room. With Laney"s hand tucked securely on his arm, he guided her to their table where Cooper Wright and his wife were already seated. Both William and Cooper stood out of respect to Laney and Nick smiled as he made introductions.
“Mr. Zelman, it"s great to see you again. Cooper.” The men shook hands.
“Please allow me to introduce my wife, Mrs. Laney Sinclair. Laney, sweetheart, this is William Zelman and his wife, Mrs. Zelman.”
Zelman clasped Laney"s hand and squeezed it. “So you are the famous Mrs. Sinclair? It's a pleasure to meet you.”
“Please call me Laney.”
Zelman grinned down at her. “Then I insist you call me Will. And this is my lovely wife Vivian.”
Nick was surprised to see Laney bend down and openly hug the older woman, before brushing her lips against her cheek.
“It"s an honor to meet you, Vivian. I rarely get to meet any of Nick"s business associates so this is a double treat for me.” She looked up at Cooper.
“And you are?”
Cooper picked up her hint immediately. “I"m Cooper Wright, with Wright Industries, Mrs. Sinclair. This is my wife Heidi.”
Laney hugged Heidi and shook Cooper"s hand. Nick inwardly commended her for not offering a hint of recognition that she"d met Cooper earlier. She was definitely sticking to the script. He guided her to her seat.
She offered her shoulders to Nick and he wordlessly slipped her shawl off, dropping a light kiss on her shoulder as he whispered words of encouragement.
Vivian Zelman gasped. “Oh, I remember when Will used to treat me like that.”
She patted her husband"s knee. “We were silly kids then but deeply in love.” William Zelman lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Vivian smiled.
“Enjoy every minute of it, Laney. Oh, my! What an interesting dress.”
Nick turned just in time to see what had caught Vivian Zelman"s attention. He hadn"t looked at Laney since removing her shawl. That was a mistake. He was nearly blinded by golden skin. Her dress was simple enough, stopping just below the knee, but her top was held up by thin spaghetti straps. Her cleavage was well covered but the dress pressed against her chest, forcing her breasts to offer a delicate swell. His eyes feasted on her flesh. How soft her skin looked. He was beginning to wonder if he could get through this script. He would have to have another talk with her. If Laney didn"t stop, she would soon have him pawing at her every time he looked at her. And that could make things very uncomfortable since they were sleeping in the same room.
“Nick?”
“Huh?”
Laney was looking at him. “Nick, Will is asking you a question.”
Nick turned to William Zelman. “I"m sorry.”
The elder man gave him a knowing look. “I understand, Nick. I was the same way when I saw Vivian.” He gave his wife a caring look. “I was asking how you two met.”
Cooper leaned forward. “I was wondering the same thing.”
Nick faked a friendly smile toward Cooper.
“Chance encounter, you could say.” Nick didn"t risk looking at Laney again.
She was too much of a distraction. “We sort of ran into each other. I pursued her until she agreed to marry me.” It wasn"t too far from the truth.
Zelman laughed. “Good for you. My life had never been complete until the day Vi agreed to marry me.”
“My sentiments, as well,” Nick lied. In truth he had no idea what Zelman meant.
Soon everyone started talking. Laney dived into discussion with Vivian Zelman, while Nick and Cooper battled for Zelman"s attention. Nick noticed that Cooper"s wife was relatively quiet. Though quite beautiful with her silky auburn hair, big breasts and pouty lips, she was a bombshell of a wife—pure eye candy. Cooper had chosen well yet her silence was a disappointment. Laney, with her bubbly personality, took center stage throughout dinner, trumping every woman at the table. And the Zelmans loved her.
Cooper, a natural showman, regaled them with a humorous story, intentionally making dramatic hand gestures to ensure the Zelmans noticed his wedding band, but Laney easily upstaged him by accounting her story of Nick losing her ring down the drain and recently having to replace it. It gave her an opportunity to show off her rings and win her a collective laugh around the table. Nick didn"t care that she made him sound like an amateur plumber who was p-ssy-whipped by his wife--Laney was working the table with great ease.
Nick struggled to concentrate on the table discussion, so captivated was he with Laney. She rarely spoke to him directly, yet she was the life of the group. She engaged the wives into a lighthearted conversation about their favorite shops and recipes while Nick and Cooper lured William Zelman into a debate regarding future trends in retail marketing. When Zelman casually hinted at his expectations and disenchantment with marketing firms, Nick mentally took note. The conversation stopped abruptly when Zelman caught the tail end of Laney"s discussion with Vivian Zelman. They were having a political debate about the U.S.
influence in global affairs. The more Vivian talked, the more Laney disagreed with her.
The men sat back quietly while the women went back and forth making their point. Cooper must have instructed his wife beforehand to be silent and look pretty, for that is exactly what she did. At this very minute it seemed like a good idea. Nick saw a disaster between Laney and Vivian Zelman unfolding before him. Though cool and reserved, Laney was not backing down. He was just about to intercede when William Zelman joined the discussion. The conversation immediately turned from the ladies discrediting each other"s views to them joining forces and disagreeing with Zelman. William talked until he was red in the face making his point, but the women, now in complete unison, challenged every point until William didn"t have a leg to stand on. Nick"s worry eased as he realized what Laney had already discovered.
Vivian Zelman liked to argue. There was no malicious intent behind her words. She simply liked a debate setting to voice her views. Nick came to his wife"s aid by agreeing with Laney. He reworded her previous point and used a personal example to justify his reasoning. Cooper quickly joined in, taking William Zelman"s side. By now, the entire table of strangers was taking turns offering their input, mostly siding with Laney and Vivian.
William eventually surrendered. He comically muttered that if he didn"t agree with his wife she would make him regret it for the rest of the trip.
Vivian beamed with satisfaction and kissed her husband"s cheek.
A collective applause went up when the ship"s captain entered the dining hall. He made a slow transition around the room, introducing himself and giving the complimentary welcome speech. By the time he made it to their table, Vivian was practically bubbling with enthusiasm.
Nick amused himself by thinking the guy looked just like the captain in the Titanic movie. Even his stark white beard was trimmed to perfection.
“Good evening. I"m Captain Hector Howle.” His bright eyes scanned the table.
“Welcome aboard. We are certainly happy to have you along for our voyage.”
Vivian squealed with glee. “How exciting! Do you really steer the boat?”
Captain Howle looked down at the excited woman and smiled. “Yes, ma"am, I do. But I have a great crew that helps me every step of the way.
You are?”
“Mrs. Vivian Zelman.” She offered her hand. “It"s a pleasure to meet you, Captain Howle.”
He gallantly kissed her hand. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“I"m William Zelman.” He shook the captain"s hand.
Captain Howle turned to Laney and held out his hand. “And you are?”
She offered her hand. “Laney Parks.”
Laney seemed to realize her blunder immediately. The Zelmans looked at her oddly while Heidi muffled a laugh.
Nick reacted quickly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Honey, it"s been an entire year. I"d think you would have gotten used to your married name by now.” He grinned up at the captain and shook his hand. “Nicolas Sinclair.
And this beautiful woman is my wife Mrs. Laney Sinclair.”
Everyone must have thought him charming because the table laughed collectively at his response while Laney blushed with embarrassment. Nick winked at the Zelmans playfully, but he was inwardly annoyed by Laney"s careless mistake. Captain Howle, however, was the complete opposite.
“Well, Mr. Sinclair, you have a lovely wife indeed. Might I ask for a dance later this evening?”
Nick agreed and the captain continued on his way around the table, introducing himself to everyone and answering questions about the ship.
Dinner flowed quite smoothly from there. As the company mellowed and the staff refilled everyone"s empty wine glasses, the couples got a little cozier. William Zelman rubbed his wife"s arm affectionately and Cooper"s wife, Heidi, leaned into his side intimately. Laney however remained rigid in her seat. Nick made no move to touch her because he feared she would run out of the ballroom.
As the staff began clearing away the dishes, the music kicked into a jazzy tune. Couples throughout the room made their way to the dance floor.
William Zelman asked Nick for permission to dance with Laney. Nick agreed only if William gave him permission to dance with Vivian. The couples joined the growing throng of dancers, but Nick kept a protective eye on Laney while he danced with Vivian. William Zelman joked with Laney and her bubbly laughter could be heard over the crowd. Nick saw Captain Howle nearly break his neck to get to Laney to cut in for a dance.
She graciously accepted his company. A line of strangers followed the captain.
Nick was not fooled. They all wanted to get close enough to Laney to look down her dress. That damn dress seemed to be the highlight of the night for the male species in attendance. Several attractive women asked to dance with Nick and he obliged them. He was amazed to find that even though they believed him to be married they boldly suggested a desire to be intimate with him. Perhaps if they were back in San Francisco and he was free to explore his options he might have considered their offers, but Laney"s presence was inescapable. He could not tear his gaze away from her. She was spellbinding. Her smile lit the entire room. It annoyed him to hear her carefree laughter with another man. They dipped her far more times than was necessary and if she released another squeal of mirth when a stranger spun her around Nick swore he would rip the man apart.
Nick clenched his jaw when he saw Cooper sweep Laney into his arms. She smiled up at him but he noticed her laughter stopped. Cooper whispered something in her ear and she nodded her reply. Were they making arrangements to hook up later tonight? Ridiculous jealousy raged inside him. Nick"s hands fell away from Heidi without explanation. He walked up to the couple and slapped a firm hand on Cooper"s shoulder.
“Coop, I"m stepping in.”
Cooper shot him a curious look but offered Laney"s hand to Nick, then grinned.
“Enjoy.”
Nick pulled Laney close to him, leaving no space between their bodies. He wanted her next to him. The feel of her curves was overwhelming. She stiffened over such intimacy. He leaned down to press his face against hers. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Sinclair?”
“About that … I"m so sorry about what happened at the table. I promise it will never happen again.”
“We made a deal,” he whispered in her ear. “You agreed to play the part of my wife for the next ten days.”
She leaned up on her toes. “I know, Nick.”
He smiled down at her. “Then I should warn you I"ve made an interesting discovery.”
“What?”
“I"m a very jealous husband.” He watched her nibble on her lower lip nervously.
“What did Cooper ask you, Laney?”
She looked straight into his chest to avoid making eye contact with him.
Nick lifted her chin with the tip of his finger and pinned her with his gaze.
“Tell me, Laney.”
“He asked me how I knew you.”
“And you said?”
“I told him to ask you.”
“Then what?”
“He asked if I lived in "Cisco.”
“And?”
“I said yes.”
“Is that all?”
She sighed. “He asked me out.”
He pressed her closer. “What did you say?”
“I said I would have to think about it.”
“I saw you nod your head when you were talking to him.”
She eyed him thoughtfully. “He asked me to think about it.” She shrugged. “I promised I would.”
Nick knew he had no right to question Laney outside of their
„marriage" but that didn"t stop him from wanting to break Cooper"s neck for asking her out, and cussing Laney for considering the offer.
“Nick, you"re holding me too tight.”
He ignored her as he maneuvered them off the dance floor to a secluded corner.
The dancing couples kept them out of eyesight from the Zelmans.
Nick pressed her up against the wall, placing a hand next to her head to discourage escape. “You"re being a complete ice queen toward me.”
“I am not.”
“Yes, you are. You freeze up every time I touch you.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I"m trying the best I can, Nick. This is just a little weird for me. You"re my boss.”
“For the remainder of this cruise I"m your husband.” He stepped closer.
“Kiss me.”
“What--no.”
“Laney, you"re going to have to show some level of affection toward me sooner or later.”
“I don"t think PDA is really necessary, Mr. Sinclair.”
“Yes, it is, and call me Nick.”
“Nick, I"m really trying to be flexible, but you need to be patient with me.”
“Fine, I"ll give you an option. You can either get it over with here or you can wait until we"re back in the room. You decide.”
“What is the point? The Zelmans aren"t even around. What would it prove to kiss you now?”
“You need to learn to be comfortable being intimate with me in public.”
“And I will … eventually.”
“That"s not good enough, Laney.”
“Nick, you just propositioned me this morning. What am I supposed to do?”
“Do your job. Do I have to remind you your promotion is riding on this?”
There it was. He"d played his trump card. “You decide, Laney. Here or in the room. Either way it"s going to happen. I"m not going to give Zelman the impression that we"re having intimacy problems. While Cooper and Heidi can"t keep their hands off each other, you haven"t welcomed any of my advances. So what"s it going to be?”
Laney did not like her options. Kissing Nick would muddle her brain for the rest of the evening. The man was so handsome it bordered on beautiful. If she allowed him to kiss her now, she would embarrass herself by being a bumbling idiot. But kissing him in the privacy of their room was a frightening thought. She wasn"t quite sure she could tolerate sleeping in the same room with him. Nick was definitely not attracted to her but that didn"t stop her from being attracted to him. It was slow torture sitting next to him during dinner and not being able to stare at him. He oozed cool confidence. He knew exactly what to say at the appropriate time and as if a mirror were stationed in front of him, he knew the exact facial expression to make to make every woman at the table melt. She absolutely did not want to kiss him. Not here or anywhere else.
“Nick, I think the easiest way to keep things professional between us is to not get too familiar.”
“It"s not your choice to decide. Here or the room?”
“I--”
“Yoo hoo, Laney Sinclair!” Vivian Zelman made a direct line toward their corner. “Laney, I need your help. Will is being ridiculous again. You must tell him I"m right.” She completely ignored Nick"s predatory position over Laney as she grabbed her hand. “I need you desperately.”
Laney welcomed Vivian"s intrusion. She had no desire to answer Nick"s challenge, he was too overwhelming for her to handle. Fleeing with Vivian was fate finally working in her favor. Vivian waved over her shoulder to Nick. “You"re such a dear, Nick. I"ll bring her back shortly.”
Nick gave a forced smile. “Not a problem. Laney, sweetie, we"ll finish this in the room.”
Laney groaned, but Vivian, who paid no attention to Nick, didn"t hear his comment. She caught Laney up-to-date on her recent debate with her husband. By the time they returned to their table, Cooper, Will and a few other men were in united disagreement with Vivian. Laney forced herself to focus on the discussion, but it was a difficult task when her mind kept running back to Nick. Her apprehension about retreating to their room together set her nerves on edge.
Forcing herself to pay attention, Laney threw herself into the conversation at hand. Vivian Zelman did enjoy arguing, but she managed it with such elegance that one could only be entertained by her. She was aggressively persuasive yet effortlessly thoughtful of others opinion. To be in her presence was to welcome conversation. Cooper"s wife, Heidi, being the quieter member of their original party had already been dismissed by Vivian. However, you would not have noticed her absence of personality because Cooper was impressive by himself.
Laney"s nervousness vanished as she became drawn into the group.
The only time her mind drifted was when she caught glimpses of Nick chatting with another woman across the room. It would seem Nick chose his timing wisely as he didn"t reappear until the debate had simmered to casual laughter. When he joined the group, Heidi Wright was hanging on his arm. It was early, but the group agreed it was time to retire for the night. Most of them had flown into Fort Lauderdale early that morning and were now feeling the effects of jet lag.
* * * *
The Sinclairs waved goodnight to the Zelmans as they entered their suite. Laney headed straight for the bathroom. Nick slipped out of his suit jacket and loosened his tie before hooking up his laptop and checking his e-mail while he waited for Laney. He was amazed to see she had strategically planned her showering process. When she finally emerged, nearly an hour later, she was wrapped in a heavy terrycloth robe that had Princess Cruise embroidered on the lapel. She smelled of fresh soap and toothpaste. She said nothing, didn"t even look at him as she unpacked her luggage. Nick was preparing to take his shower when he heard her groan.
“What?”
She rummaged through her bag. “I can"t believe this … you"ve got to be kidding me,” she said to herself.
“What is it?”
Laney"s head popped up, her face horror-stricken. “I have a problem.”
“What?” He was now getting annoyed.
“I didn"t plan on spending my vacation with you.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “Tell me something new.”
“No, you don"t understand. I planned to be on a romantic cruise with Rob … my boyfriend.”
She shook her head. “I mean my ex,” she corrected. “I packed expecting to be with him the entire time.”
Nick dragged his hand through his hair. “Is there a point to this?”
“I don"t have any … sleeping attire … suitable to be in the same room with you.”
“Oh.” Nick hadn"t considered her previous plans before meeting him.
“You can use mine. I have a set on the bed. You can wear the top.”
“Trust me. It"ll cover all the … necessary parts.”
Nick didn"t give her time to disagree. He yanked his bottoms off the bed and walked into the bathroom. Laney watched him close the door behind him and heard the hiss of the shower begin. She quickly tossed her robe aside and slipped on his shirt. It was a soft cotton button-up shirt, a light blue she imagined would complement the color of Nick"s eyes. When the last button was done she looked down to see where the bottom of the shirt stopped. The fabric ended mid-thigh. He was right. It covered up the necessary parts, barely. So much for modesty!
Her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. Any minute Nick would enter the room--and then what? He"d promised not to touch her, but his words lacked significance now she was practically nude. And the kiss he had threatened her with—had he really meant it? Would he force her to be intimate with him? What the hell had she been thinking to accept his offer? No man in his right mind would shell out ten grand and not expect a generous return. How stupid could she have been? No, she argued, stupidity had taken a backseat to desperation. She"d been so desperate to escape her miserable circumstances she had agreed to the most insane plan possible. She didn"t actually know Mr. Sinclair. He could be a secret axe murder for all she knew. He could rape women for fun and amuse himself by plotting the best way to use his wealth to make the problem disappear.
He did fit the profile of a serial killer. Weren"t they normally white males between the ages of twenty and forty? Or was it thirty and forty?
She heard the shower water stop and nearly had a heart attack. She sat there for long breathless minutes. When she heard him moving about, she drew a much-needed breath. She must have been crazy to simply take his word that he would live up to his end of their deal. If he was willing to pretend to be married to a stranger then he definitely wasn"t above lying to a peon at his company. It wasn"t like she could force him to uphold his part of the bargain. Outraged by the idea he could take advantage of her, she threw back the bed sheets. She was getting out of here. If she moved quickly, she could toss her important belongings into her smallest bag, stack it over her larger suitcase and pull it down the hall before he even left the bathroom. She wasn"t sure how far her originally assigned room was from this part of the ship but she was confident she could find someone along the way to point her in the right direction. She wouldn"t have enough time to change, but she would manage. She was running for her life, right?
Easing out of bed, she tiptoed to her carrying case and pulled it toward the door. Her swimsuit and a pair of sandals had been tossed onto the ottoman. Reaching to grab the items, she paused when she spotted more of her belongings spread out across the room. She couldn"t possibly gather them all. Grimacing, she struggled to place her bag on the sofa.
Snatching up as many things as she could, as soundlessly as possible, she zipped the bag closed and eased it onto her shoulder. It was at that moment she remembered she needed to collect her purse, which happened to be lying wide open on the floor, next to the bathroom door.
She looked at her bag and then back at the door. She was running out of time. Nudging her bag back off her shoulder, she took a deep breath.
This could get tricky. She had enough money in her purse to buy new necessities. Forget the rest, she thought, just get your purse. With agility she hadn"t known she possessed, Laney leaped across the room to scoop up her purse, but just as her fingers wrapped around the leather strap the bathroom door opened. She froze where she stood, awaiting the worst. But when it didn"t come, she looked up to see Nick had turned around to collect his things. There was no place for her to go. Panicked, Laney did the only thing she could think of. Dropping her purse, she dived into bed just in time to see Nick stroll into the room humming softly to himself.
When Nick came out of the bathroom, Laney was already in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. She watched him cross the room. Whether she was interested in looking at his bare chest or curious about where he planned to sleep, he wasn"t sure.
Based on her previous responses to him, he would guess the latter.
He began clearing his things off the couch, placing one of her bags on the shelf in the closet. “Let me know if you need anything in here,” he said, pointing at her bag.
“I"m not sure if you can reach up there.”
He continued to stow things away until the couch was clear and was surprised to discover it was really a love seat. Definitely not long enough to support a man his size. He looked around the spacious suite, sizing up the other furniture. Nothing was reasonable. Only overstuffed chairs and ottomans.
“See if the couch has a sleeper.”
He could hear the nervousness in her voice. He lifted the cushions to see if a sleeper was included, but to his frustration it was not.
“I can call the housekeeper to bring up a cot.”
He shook his head at her. “That"s not going to work. How would that look if the Zelmans saw that? I don"t want to have to explain that in the morning.”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“Hold on.” He rubbed his head wondering how he could push the furniture together to create something respectable. But even as he assessed the situation he knew it wasn"t going to work.
“Look in the closet to see if an extra cot is in there.”
He shot her an incredulous look.
“Well, at least I"m trying to think of a solution,” she snapped. “You should have thought about this when you were piecing together this plan.”
He understood she was irritated. She had a valid point, but that didn"t stop him from being pissed. “There"s no cot in there.”
“Have you looked?”
“I don"t need to.”
She huffed as she pushed the covers back. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she crossed the room and slid back the closet door. He was right. Aside from her bag, the closet was empty. She turned around and crossed her arms, clearly aggravated. Nick couldn"t care less about the cot anymore. He was too busy gawking at her legs. Her smooth caramel-colored legs were flawless. If possible, this was a better view than her khaki shorts had provided. Wearing his pajama top, standing there with her long brown hair up in a clip, she was delectable. He coughed to ease the tension he knew she felt.
“How about this,” he rationalized, “you can sleep under the covers and I"ll sleep on top. It"s a big bed, Laney. We can easily sleep without touching each other.” He placed his hand over his heart. “I swear I won"t take advantage of the situation …tonight.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“We"ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Laney was apprehensive, but what could she do? “Okay,” she huffed,
“but you have to promise to stay on your side.”
“You have my word. I won"t touch you tonight.”
She should have questioned his emphasis on the word „tonight" but she was so tired of dealing with him right now, she nodded her agreement.
“But we have one matter to resolve,” he reminded her.
“What is that?”
“Our kiss.”
She sighed. “Nick, I"m tired. I don"t feel like arguing with you about this anymore. I"ll do better tomorrow. Let"s just go to bed.”
“This isn"t negotiable.”
“Please don"t pressure me. I don"t feel comfortable doing this.”
He yawned. “Then I can"t promise I"ll sleep on my side the entire night.”
“You wouldn"t!”
“Oh, yes, I would. And I"m not so nice in the dark.”
She groaned. How did she get herself into these messes? “Only a quick one and then we go to bed. Okay?”
He nodded and advanced toward her.
“Wait. Let me come to you.”
He stopped where he stood and waited for her, but she didn"t move.
“Laney?”
“Okay.” She took small steps until she was standing in front of him.
She stood on tiptoes and hastily pecked him on the lips. Nick encircled his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest.
“That doesn"t count.” He lowered his head and touched her lips with his own. She stiffened in his arms, but he pressed harder on her mouth, pushing his tongue slowly through her lips. Finally she opened her mouth to him and his tongue swept inside, brushing against hers, inviting it to mate with his. He played with her until she welcomed his kiss and her arms slowly wrapped around his neck.
That was all the invitation he needed. He crushed her breasts to him, deepening his kiss as their breathing grew heavy. Passionately, he tasted her, surprisingly enjoying her unique flavor. He sucked on her soft full lips, seductively teasing her. Laney released a muffled sigh when his hands drew slow circles across her back. Timidly, she moved forward to taste more of him when her thigh rubbed against his groin. She gasped at the feeling of its resolute stiffness and tried to step away, but Nick was entranced. His hands slipped down to her ass, cupping her cheeks and lifting her up against him.
Gripping her firmly with one arm, the fingers of his other hand pressed against the crotch of her panties.
“N--Nick, stop.” She pushed hard against him, her hand shaking as she flicked a loose strand of hair out of her face. They were both breathing hard.
“I"m tired,” she whispered breathlessly. “I"m going to bed.”
She didn"t wait for his response and quickly jumped into bed, lifting the covers high over her shoulders. She closed her eyes and held her breath as she listened to Nick turn off the lights. The mattress groaned as he lay down on the far side of the bed. The room was abruptly filled with loud silence. Laney couldn"t hear anything over the deafening beat of her heart.
Her mind was cluttered with confusion. If she didn"t get herself together the next ten days were going to be agony. She didn"t know the man, and couldn"t even say she liked what little she did know about him, but images of him clouded her mind right now.
She struggled to understand him. He was used to getting everything he wanted, had even manipulated his way into getting William Zelman"s attention. He was undeniably big trouble. She reasoned that she should never have agreed to this. Nick was her boss. He was the „Mr. Sinclair"
everyone feared in the building, outrageously wealthy and extremely clever.
His rumored good looks did him no justice and she could only imagine how irresistible he would be when he was interested in a woman.
At any rate, she must remember that to him she was a nobody. Nick only wanted to sleep with her because she was a half-naked woman in his room. To him, she was only a convenient piece of ass. With frightening clarity, she acknowledged her situation for what it was. She was still heartbroken over Rob"s betrayal and she wanted to hurt him back, but this wasn"t the way. Yes, she felt dejected right now but allowing herself to be used by Mr. Sinclair was not the answer. When she was strong enough, she would get her revenge on Rob, but for now she would handle Nick with kid gloves and collect her ten grand. If things worked out, she would get her promotion. Who cared if she was literally sleeping her way to the top?