One. Two. Three. Kick!
He crossed his legs and yawned.
She experimented with a small hula routine.
He glanced at his watch.
It was hopeless. She stopped and let the bumblebee fly on without her.
“And here I was waitin’ for you to get to the jumpin’ jacks part.”
“I don’t dance well with people watching.”
“Guess you should have spent a little more time with them training videos. Or a couple of old John Travolta movies.” He got up and walked over to lower the volume on the music. “Can I be honest with you here, Rosebud?”
“Please.”
“You’re not turnin’ me on.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Let me give you a little extra for your time.”
She could barely resist the urge to cry, despite the fact that she wasn’t a crier by nature. He was going to kick her out, and she would have lost her best chance to have the child of her dreams. Desperation made her voice husky. “Please, Mr. Bonner. You can’t dismiss me.”
“I sure can.”
“You’ll . . . You’ll get me fired. The Stars’ account is a very important one to my agency.”
“If it’s so damned important, why did they send you? Anybody can see you don’t know diddly about being a hooker.”
“There’s a—a convention in town. They were shorthanded.”
“So what you’re sayin’ is . . . I ended up with you by default.”
She nodded. “And if they find out you weren’t satisfied with my services, they’ll fire me. Please, Mr. Bonner, I need this job. If they dismiss me, I’ll lose my benefits.”
“You get benefits?”
If prostitutes didn’t get benefits, they certainly should. “They have an excellent dental plan, and I’m scheduled for a root canal. Couldn’t we . . . Couldn’t we just go into the bedroom?”
“I don’t know, Rosebud . . .”
“Please!” With a sense of desperation, she snatched up his hands. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pulled them to her breasts and held them there, palms flat.
“Rosebud?”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing?”
“Letting you . . . feel my breasts.”
“Uh-huh.” His hands remained still. “Did any of those training videos suggest you take off your clothes first?”
“The jacket’s very thin, so I’m sure it doesn’t make any difference. As I’m certain you can tell, I don’t have anything on under it.”
The heat from his palms burned through the fragile silk into her skin. She didn’t let herself imagine what those hands would feel like without the tissue-thin barrier. “You may move your hands on them if you like.”
“I appreciate the offer, but— You plannin’ on openin’ your eyes anytime soon?”
She’d forgotten they were shut, and she quickly raised her lids.
It was a mistake. He was standing so near that she had to tilt her neck to gaze at him. From such close range, his features had blurred, but not quite enough to hide the fact that his mouth looked even harder than she’d first thought. She saw a small scar on the side of his chin, another near his hairline. He was all muscle and steel. There wasn’t a playground bully on this planet who’d have the nerve to torment this man’s child.
That’s my swing, geek face! Get off it or I’ll punch you.
Brainy Janie’s got cooties . . . Brainy Janie’s got cooties . . .
“Please. Couldn’t we just go to your bedroom?”
She loosened her hands, and he slowly released her breasts. “You really want this bad, don’t you, Rosebud?”
She nodded.
He gazed at her, and his warrior’s eyes revealed none of his thoughts.
“I’m bought and paid for,” she reminded him.
“That’s right. You are.” He seemed to be mulling it over. She waited patiently, giving his sluggish brain all the time it needed to work.
“Why don’t you just go back to your employer and say we did the dirty.”
“I have a very transparent face. It would immediately be apparent that I was lying.”
“There doesn’t seem to be any other way out of this, then, does there?”
Her hopes began to soar. “I’m afraid not.”
“All right, Rosebud; you win. I guess we’d better head on upstairs.” He slipped his index finger under the pink ribbon. “You sure you didn’t bring any handcuffs with you?”
She felt her throat move against his finger as she swallowed. “I’m sure.”
“Let’s get it over with, then.”
He tugged on the ribbon as if it were a dog collar. Her heart thudded as he led her out into the foyer and up the carpeted steps without releasing her. The side of her body brushed against his. She tried to move away, but he held her captive.