Page 37 of Tempting as Sin
“No,” Lily said. How had they gotten way out here on this…cliff? Hailey had been working for her for well over a year now. Was Lily giving off some kind of I-need-it-bad vibe that even her coworker could sense? “I mean, I’m fine.”
Hailey wasn’t done, apparently. “I know divorce is tough, and it’s hard to start over, but you know, hon, you don’t need a man to keep in shape. There are all kinds of things you can get online now. And if you need to look at pictures or read a book to get in the mood, you go on and do that, too. Nobody has to know. I’ll just say, though—books work best for most of us girls when it comes to giving your imagination a little boost. The movies they put out are terrible. I tried, but it turned me off as fast as it turned Larry on. Books are better.” She patted Lily on the arm.
Masturbation. Hailey Robinson was advising her about masturbation. Lily looked outside, because looking at Hailey wasn’t going to be happening.
Fortunately, Rafe wasn’t anywhere to be seen. It was just Bailey. Visiting the porno store.
Rafe saw the girl at the last minute. When he was pulling into the diagonal parking space between two enormous pickup trucks that had blocked his view, to be exact. He hit the brakes hard enough to feel the jolt in his shoulder harness, and behind him, there was a low“Whuff!”as Chuck presumably hit the back of his seat. And then Rafe was out of the SUV and advancing on Bailey.
“Donotsit there!” he told her. “I almost hit you! What were you thinking?”
Bailey had already jumped to her feet. She was in another striped T-shirt and the same jeans from yesterday, and behind her, Lily and an older blonde woman were coming out of a shop. A shop namedSinful Desires,the name written in script over a storefront that looked like a chocolate box, or a Swiss cottage, or something equally delectable. The wood was painted dark green with purple trim and had a sort of cottage-roof treatment going on, and there was a stained-glass fanlight over the door, featuring pink and green ribbons, that was as sensual as anything he’d ever seen. Except for the things displayed in the window. All of which were what he’d been looking at instead of where he was going.
“You didn’t almost hit me,” Bailey said. “Cars don’t hit the curb.”
“Yes, they bloody well do, if the driver isn’t paying attention. Do noteverdo that again.”
Bailey was all but flinching. “OK.”
“Oh, for…” Now he’d been an arsehole. He’d scared her, and not in the way he’d meant to. “I’m sorry I shouted. You scared me.”
“That’s OK,” Bailey said.
He thought about saying something else, then gave up. “I brought you Chuck.”
“Oh,” Bailey said. “OK.”
The older blonde was watching the two of them in evident fascination, because this event apparently passed for excitement in Sinful. He took a breath, then adjusted his accent and said, “Hi. I’m Clay.”
“Hailey,” she said. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise,” he said. That sounded suitably southern. He told Lily, “I decided to buy you another dog bed. I noticed that Chuck settles down when he’s got a spot, and if he’s going to be in your shop, he’d better be settled down.” He went to the car, opened the back door, grabbed Chuck’s harness before he could leap to the ground, and handed his leash to Bailey. “Here you go. As promised.” He’d have ruffled her hair, if she’d been a boy. Or maybe not even then. Modern life was hard. He went around to the back of the SUV instead and pulled out the dog bed and bike helmet he’d just picked up at Walmart. He tossed the helmet at Bailey, said, “Wear it,” then hefted the dog bed and told Lily, “Wherever you want it. I took a chance and guessed that cream and gray might be good. That it might go with your, ah…décor. We could put it in that back room of yours, maybe. The unexciting one.”
He wasn’t meant to be staring at her body. He knew it. He couldn’t help his peripheral vision, though, and she looked—quite a bit different. The round neckline of the peacock-blue knit dress wasn’t low-cut, the sleeves reached halfway to her elbows, and the hem hit below her knees. It was probably meant to look like a T-shirt, except that it was nowhere close, because if a dress had ever accentuated a woman’s curves, it was this one. Her hair was pulled back in that same messy knot she’d worn the first night, her semi-high heels were slim and elegant, she wasn’t wearing stockings, and if she’d been dressed like this then…
He’d have fallen even harder.
He hefted the dog bed in his arms and said, “Show me where.” And then he got to watch her turn around and walk away.
Bloody. Flamin’. Hell.
He’d spent more than a decade working with some of the most beautiful women in the world. But at this moment, all he could think about was how it had felt to cup that curvy backside in his hand and have her pressed up against the wall. While she’d had her own hand at the back of his head, pulling him closer, and he’d been lifting her practically off her feet.
Pull your head in, mate,he told himself as he followed her into the shop, then through a white-painted, unobtrusive door at the rear.
The back room. In here, the décor was limited to a few cartons against the wall, more tidy shelving, a good-sized work table, and some hanging racks. Lily walked around behind the table and said, “Put it back here for now, and we’ll hope for the best, although I imagine I’ll have to give in and put Chuck next to the register in the end. He’ll bark. I’m fairly sure of it.’” She smiled at him, showing off the absolutely kissable dimple in each cheek. “And thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He set the bed down beside her, and she didn’t move away. “You look very beautiful.”
“Better than this morning?”
“Different.” He touched one of the wisps of golden hair escaping the knot. “Or maybe…perfect.”
He watched the color creep up her chest and into her cheeks. Unfortunately, he also watched her turn at the sound of a bell. Front door, probably. She said, “Right. Thanks. Uh…I have to get to work, but you could make a cup of tea, if you like. I thought you were doing something this morning.”
He looked at his watch. “Damn. Yeah. Riding lesson. I’m going.”
He passed the older blonde—Hailey—who was with a customer. He smiled at her absently, then told Bailey, who was hovering near the door with Chuck, “See ya. Watch for cars,” and rumpled her hair. If that was wrong, so be it. And then he hit the door. He didn’t do “late,” and he didn’t do “unprofessional.” Time to go.
