Falling for the player was never part of the plan…
Violet
When my mum gets sick, I volunteer to fill in for her and clean some hot jock’s penthouse. I’ve heard all the rumors about him, so the plan is get in, clean some toilet bowls, and get out. After my last experience with a “sports hero,” I’m done with that sort of guy.
But Lucas Carter is full of surprises. He wants to help me clean and is nothing like the toad the press has made him out to be. Resistance may be futile for some girls, but not me. Then he asks me to help him with the interior design of his new place. I can’t say, no. It’s going to look great on my resume.
Unfortunately, spending time with Lucas is dangerous. He’s so charming and sweet, but I can’t let myself forget––once a player, always a player.
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I did not
just ogle Lucas Carter’s hard-on.
Yes, I did. My face is still burning even though my
unforgivable slip happened about three minutes ago. And much as I want to
believe he didn’t notice, I saw the satisfied smirk on his face just before he
left the room.
A mortified groan shudders through me as I wash the
surprisingly clean workbench in the kitchen. There’s no chance I can sneak out
of here before he returns, but it doesn’t stop me fantasizing about it.
Why couldn’t
he have been a total wanker? It was way too hard being all detached and
professional when he was helping to clear up the rubbish. Even though I try and
hold his smirk against him, it’s not working.
That’s my own fault for eyeing his goods. He probably
thinks I’m just playing hard to get.
He’s a player in every sense of the word, and I need
to remember that.
By the time he strolls back into the room, I’ve
managed to compose myself. No more sneaky
peeks at his equipment. Luckily, his shorts hide everything there, and he’s
also pulled on a white short-sleeved shirt, which would be helpful if he’d
taken the time to button the damn thing up. As it is, he’s just hotter than
ever.
He folds his arms on the back of the sofa I’m working
on and leans over it, which is distracting when I’m trying to clean the white
leather.
“Hey, Violet.” Why
does he keep using my name? It sends a tingle down my spine and I so don’t need that. “Do you want a
coffee? Or cup of tea?”
I could do with a stiff whiskey. “No, thank you.” I
concentrate on the task in hand and refuse to give in to my weak desire to
glance up at him.
“Have you been working at the cleaning agency for
long?”
Why does he want to know that? It can’t be because he
wants to lodge a complaint. I’ve been super polite. Anyway, he’s not behaving
like he has a problem with the service. I give in, roll back on my knees, and
catch his warm Mediterranean blue gaze. God,
I loved his blue eyes when I was fifteen.
“For the last three years.” I hope that satisfies his
curiosity. I’m not sure if he’s aware that Mum’s cousin is his agent, and I
don’t want to accidentally say something I shouldn’t. On the other hand, I’m
not going to lie, since it wouldn’t take him a minute to find out the truth.
“Full time?” The distracting flash of dimples that
accompanies his inquisition should be illegal. If not for the way my ratbag ex,
Geoff, totally played me by cheating
with my best friend Monica, I’d be in serious danger of falling for Lucas’s
sweet talk.
He’s only
asking me about my work! Well, yep. And this just goes to show how much of a
hermit I’ve been when it comes to chatting with guys during the last year.
While the logical thing to do is to tell him I don’t
have time to gossip, there’s no way that will sound anything but rude, and I
can’t let Mum and Bec down like that.
Yes, sure, that’s the only reason why I’m going to answer him.
“No, I’m just casual. I help out when needed.”
His forehead creases, which has the effect of making
him sexier than ever. “Is this the first time you’ve been here?”
“Yes.” I decide it’s time to get the conversation on a
more professional footing. “And I’m very sorry, but I’m afraid the contracted
hours won’t cover a full clean this week.”
His lips twitch, as though he’s trying not to laugh
which isn’t exactly the response I was angling for.
Wasn’t it?
“Sure,” he says, and to give him credit, he sounds
sincere. “Just do whatever you can, no worries. I’m guessing the hours will
have to be renegotiated once I’ve moved in?”
Yes, but definitely not by me. “That’s something you’d
need to discuss with the partners.”
“Right then.” He straightens up. “Where’s the vacuum?”
Is he serious?
“We’ve already had this conversation. Why don’t you go and,” I wave my arm in
the vague direction of the kitchen, “have your breakfast or something?”
“Tell you what. Why don’t you leave the rest of this
until tomorrow, and I’ll take you out for brunch now as an apology for the
extra work?”
I clench the cleaning cloth and try not to
hyperventilate. Did Lucas Carter just ask me out?
Yes, he did. Oh, my freaking God.
Christina Phillips is an ex-pat Brit who now lives in sunny Western Australia with her high school sweetheart and their family. She enjoys writing contemporary, historical and paranormal romance where the stories sizzle and the heroine brings her hero to his knees.
She is a multiple finalist in the 2012 – 2014 ARRA Awards for Favorite Erotic Romance, Favorite Contemporary Romance and Favorite Paranormal Romance. She has been published by Entangled Publishing, Tule Publishing, Harlequin Escape, Penguin/Berkley Heat and The Wild Rose Press, and is also indie published. She is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia and helped establish the inaugural Professional Development for Authors program, and has been a member of the editorial team for the RWA’s monthly newsletter, Hearts Talk. She loves hearing from her readers!
Christina is addicted to good coffee, expensive chocolate and bad boy heroes. She is also owned by three gorgeous cats who are convinced the universe revolves around their needs. They are not wrong.
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