The Playboy s Proposition Page 3

  Her eyes—a startling shade of violet—regarded him with a combination of reticence and hope bordering on desperation.

  Michael could assuage that desperation. He could make her wish come true, but Charlotte and Bella would have to do things his way. Michael had learned long ago that one of the primary reasons businesses failed was because the owners were unwilling to give up their ideas in exchange for success.

  “Have a seat,” he said, and leaned against his desk.

  She sank on to the edge of the leather chair and lifted her chin in false bravado. He liked her all the more for that. She might very well hate him by the end of their meeting.

  “There might be a way this can work, but it will cost both you and your aunt. We do it my way, or I’m out.”

  She bit the inside of her upper lip. He resisted the urge to tell her not to do that. Her lips were too beautiful. The pink-purple color of her bee-stung mouth provided a sensual contrast to her ivory skin. Her mouth was pure sex to him, and when she licked her lips…

  “What is your way?” she asked.

  “We start with one spa and do it right,” he said.

  “But Charlotte had three—”

  “And is still recovering from chemotherapy,” he said.

  She took a breath and pursed her lips, her gaze sliding away from his. “Go on,” she said.

  “In this economy, people want luxury at a discount.”

  “But you have to pay for good service—”

  “Yes, but people need to feel as if they aren’t spending too much on splurging.” He opened the file folder. “I researched the business plans of successful spas. You need to focus on what they call miniservices and discounts for volume purchases. A minifacial. Packages of massages. A package of ten pedicures at a discount. In turn, you provide a quality service, but limit the time.”

  “Sounds like fast food,” she said, curling her beautiful lip.

  “Exactly,” he said. “People can justify fast food more easily than lobster and filet mignon. Filet mignon is a commitment.”

  She paused and threaded her fingers through her dark hair. “I don’t know if Charlotte will go for this.”

  “The deal is nonnegotiable,” he said and felt not one qualm. Michael knew how to split the wheat from the chaff. “I’m bending my rules by offering this plan to you.”

  She blinked in surprise. “How are you bending your rules?”

  “If someone loses their business, then they’re not a good enough bet for me to give them a second try,” he said in a blunt tone.

  Bella’s eyes widened. “Even though she got sick?”

  “For whatever reason,” he said. “When you’re in trouble or you can’t cover your responsibilities, you always make sure you have someone to cover for you. If you’re not a superhero, you have to have a backup.”

  She met his gaze. “What about you? Who’s your backup? Or are you a superhero?”

  He chuckled at her audacity. “If anything unforeseen should happen to me, my attorney will step in.”

  “I’m sure you pay him very well,” she said.

  “I do.”

  “Not everyone has that luxury,” she said.

  “It’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity,” he said. “And I’ll require it as part of the business plan.”

  “I’m her backup,” she said, lifting her chin again. “That’s settled.”

  “In this case, I will need an additional backup,” he said.

  “Why?” she asked. “I’m trained and dependable and completely committed.”

  “I have another job for you,” he said, watching her carefully. He thought about Bella far too often. The images of the night they shared together burned through his mind like a red-hot iron. Plus there was something in her eyes that clicked with him. Her effect on him was a mystery. Once he solved that mystery, he would be free.

  “What?” she demanded. “I need to help my aunt. There’s nothing more important.”

  “You’ll be able to help her. I won’t demand all your time,” he said. “But as part of the deal, you and I will continue the affair we started a month ago.”

  Her jaw dropped in shock. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”

  “I told you there would be a cost to both you and your aunt. Can you honestly tell me that you didn’t enjoy that night we shared?”

  Her cheeks turned pink with the color that damned her protest. She looked away.

  “You and I have a lot in common,” he said. “And it translates physically. I can give you something you need and you give me something I want.” He wouldn’t use the word need. He would never be that vulnerable.

  “I would feel like a prostitute,” she whispered.

  “The drama isn’t necessary,” he said in a dry voice. “I want you. If you’ll admit it, you want me, too. I can give you things you need. I can help take care of your aunt, but I want something in return. What’s wrong with that?”

  She closed her eyes, her dark eyelashes providing a fan of mystery. One. Two. Three seconds later, she opened her eyes and stared at him. “What’s wrong with that? Everything.”

  Three

  “T hink it over,” Bella muttered, repeating Michael’s parting words. She was so frustrated she could scream. In fact, she had done just that in the privacy of her Volkswagen Beetle.

  Spotting her favorite coffee shop, she squeezed her vehicle into a small space alongside the curb and scooted inside the shop. The scent of fresh coffee and baked goods wafted over her, making her mouth water. A half second later, she was hit with a double shot of nostalgia and pain. She and Stephen, her ex-fiancé, had spent many hours here. She glanced in the direction of their favorite booth in the corner next to the window, perfect for the times they’d spent talking about the future they would share.

  The hurt she’d tried to escape slid past her defenses. During her time in Europe, Bella had not only missed out on helping her Aunt Charlotte when she’d needed her most, she’d also lost the only man she’d ever loved.

  Pushing past the feeling of loss that never seemed to go away, Bella decided this was a perfect occasion for a cupcake and vanilla latte. She slid into a seat next to the window and took a bite off the top of the cupcake.

  Michael had made an impossible offer. Although she had known it would be a longshot for him to give her aunt another chance with the spa business, she’d been certain he wouldn’t solicit her again. Reason number one was that she’d turned him down after the night they’d shared. Reason number two was she couldn’t believe he would still be that interested in her. A man like Michael could have just about any woman he wanted. So why would he want her?

  She would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about the hot night they’d shared. It was branded in her memory, but she’d known it was a mistake the next morning. Her body may have responded to Michael, but she knew her heart still belonged to Stephen. Her heart would always belong to Stephen.

  The stress the distance had created had just been too much. Stephen had been unbearably lonely and losing his job had been too much. She remembered the day he’d called her to tell her he hadn’t intended to fall in love with someone else. His voice had broken and she could hear his remorse even from all those miles away. He’d fought it, but he’d told her he’d realized he’d needed someone who needed him as much as he needed her.

  So, Bella had not only let her aunt down, she’d also let down the love of her life. A bitter taste filled her mouth. Bella had spent her lifetime determined not to be anything like her undependable mother, a woman who’d dumped her on Charlotte. Her mother had been known for disappearing during difficult times. Bella refused to be that person who couldn’t be counted on, yet in one year, she’d failed to be there for the people she loved most.

  Overwhelmed by the disappointment she felt in herself, she closed her eyes for a long moment and took a deep breath. There had to be a way she could still help Aunt Charlotte. Some other way….

  “Bella,” a familiar ma
le voice said, and she opened her eyes. Her stomach clenched at the sight of Stephen and a lovely blond woman.

  “Stephen,” she said, thinking that he and the woman with him looked like a matched pair. Both had blonde hair, blue eyes. And they glowed with love. A knot of loss tightened in her throat. “It’s good to see you.”

  He nodded then glanced at the woman beside him. “Bella, this is Britney Kensington. She is—” He seemed to falter.

  The awkwardness seemed to suck the very breath from her lungs, but she was determined not to let it show. “It’s nice to meet you, Britney,” she said.

  Britney smiled brightly, and based on her expression, Bella concluded that the woman hadn’t a clue that she and Stephen had been romantically involved. “My pleasure. What Stephen was trying to say was I am his fiancée.” She lifted her left hand to flash a diamond ring.

  Bella felt the knife twist inside her. She’d known Stephen had fallen in love, but she hadn’t known he was officially engaged. Somewhere in her heart, a door shut. Although she’d mentally accepted that she’d lost Stephen, there must have been some small part of her that had hoped there was still a chance. This was solid proof that there was no chance for her and Stephen. No chance at all.

  Bella cleared her throat. “Your ring is beautiful. Congratulations to both of you.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh my goodness, I’ve lost track of the time. I need to run. It was good seeing you,” she said and pulled on her coat. Grabbing her latte and scooping up the half-eaten cupcake, she dumped them into the trash. She wouldn’t be able to choke down one more bite.

  “Bella,” Stephen said, his handsome face creased in concern. “How is your aunt?”

  “Growing stronger every day,” she said. “She’s completed her treatment and everything looks good.”

  “Please tell her I send my best,” he said.

  “Thank you. I’ll do that. Bye now,” she said, and forced her lips into a pleasant smile before she walked out of the coffee shop.

  Bella spent the afternoon waitressing at the restaurant. Despite the popularity of the place, the lunch crowd had been light, giving her too much of an opportunity to brood over her aunt’s situation.

  After work, she picked up a take-out meal of chicken soup and a club sandwich to take to Charlotte, in hopes of boosting her aunt’s energy level. Walking into the small, cozy home, Bella found Charlotte propped on the sofa with her eyes closed while a game show played on the television.

  Charlotte still wore the dark shoes and black clothing from her current job as a stylist at a salon. Her hair, previously her shining glory as she changed styles and colors with each season, now covered her head with a short brown and gray fuzz.

  Despite cosmetic concealer, violet smudges of weariness showed beneath her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered and she glanced up at Bella, her lips lifting in a smile. “Look at you. You brought me food again. You’re trying to make me fat,” she complained as she sat up and patted the sofa for Bella to join her.

  “This way you don’t have to fix it. You can just eat it. Would you like to eat here or in the kitchen?”

  “Here is fine,” Charlotte said and Bella pulled out a TV tray.

  “What would you like to drink?” Bella asked.

  “I can get it myself,” Charlotte said and started to rise.

  “I’m already up,” Bella argued. “Water, soda, tea?”

  “Hot tea,” Charlotte said and shook her head. “You fuss over me too much.”

  “Not at all,” Bella said as she put the tea kettle on in the adjoining kitchen. “If I’d known what you were going through, I would have come back to help you with your treatments.”

  “You needed that trip. You’d earned it. I can take care of myself,” Charlotte insisted as Bella brought her the cup of tea.

  “I would have made it easier for you,” Bella said, sitting next to the woman who had raised her. “I could have helped with the business.”

  Charlotte sighed. “Well, I overestimated my stamina, and losing the spas has been a hard pill to swallow. But I did the best I could. You have to stop taking responsibility for things that you can’t control.”

  “But—”

  “Really,” Charlotte said sharply then her face softened. “You can’t spend your life trying to be the polar opposite of your mother. You’ve worked hard, earned your degree in college, did rescue work overseas. Now it’s time for you to enjoy your life, do what you want to do. You’ve got to stop worrying about me.”

  Bella bit her tongue, but nothing her aunt said made her feel one bit less responsible. How was it fair that Bella had lived her dream when her aunt had lost hers? It just wasn’t right. If there was a way to make it up to Charlotte, she should do it.

  Unable to sleep, Bella racked her brain for any possibilities. She’d already approached several banks and been turned down flat. Her only hope was Michael Medici.

  The mere thought of him gave her shivers. That didn’t stop her, however, from calling his assistant to make an appointment to meet him at his office. Luckily, or not, she was told Michael would meet her that afternoon. It would be tight since she was scheduled to work the evening shift at the restaurant, but she knew she needed to do this as soon as possible before she talked herself out of it.

  Shoring up her courage, she strode into his office when his assistant gave her the go-ahead. He stood as she entered and with her heart pounding in her ears, she met his gaze. “I’ll take the deal.”

  He raised his eyebrow and nodded.

  “With conditions,” she added.

  His dark gaze turned inscrutable. “What conditions?” he asked in a velvet voice.

  “That we set a time limit for our—” She floundered for the right word. “Involvement.”

  “Agreed. One year,” he said. “After that time, you and I can determine if we want to continue.”

  She gave a quick nod. “And my aunt is never ever to know that I agreed to this in order for her to get her business.”

  “You have my word,” he said.

  She wanted more than his word. She wanted a document signed in blood, preferably his.

  Her expression must have revealed her doubt because he gave a cynical chuckle. “You’ll know you can count on my word soon enough.”

  “There are other things we need to work out. Is this going to be totally secret? Are we supposed to pretend that we’re just acquaintances?”

  “We can negotiate that later. I’ll expect you to be exclusive.”

  “And what about you?” she asked.

  He lifted his eyebrows again then allowed his gaze to fall over her. “Based on our experience in bed, I think you’ll be able to take care of my appetite.”

  Bella felt a surprising rush of heat race through her. How did the man generate so much excitement without even touching her? She glanced at her watch and cleared her throat. “Okay, I think we’ve covered the basics. I need to get to work.”

  “You can quit the restaurant,” he said without batting an eye.

  “No, I can’t. I need the extra money to help my aunt,” she said.

  “Now, now,” he said. “You’ll be busy helping her at the spa. Your nights belong to me.”

  Three days later, Michael was working late as usual when his cell phone rang. Bella, he saw from the caller ID and picked up. “This is a surprise.”

  “I got off a little early. I’ve worked the last few nights.” She hesitated a half beat. “I gave my notice.”

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “In the parking lot of your office,” she said breathlessly.

  Michael felt an immediate surge of arousal. During every spare minute he’d thought about Bella, her body, her response, the sound of her voice, her violet eyes filled with passion. “I’ll be down in a couple minutes,” he said.

  Wrapping up his work and turning off his laptop, he strode downstairs, a sense of eagerness running through him like white lightning. He didn’t know why this woman affected him so much,
but he’d decided not to question it and enjoy her. Every inch of her.

  He walked outside and saw the lights from her Volkswagen flicker, guiding him to her vehicle. He opened the door and allowed himself the luxury of looking at her from head to toe. After all, for the next year, she was his.

  Still dressed in her white shirt and black skirt from work, she gazed at him with trepidation, her white teeth biting the side of her upper lip. Her hands clasped the steering wheel in a white-knuckle grip.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi,” she said and seemed to hold her breath. “I wasn’t sure when I was supposed to start.”

  He couldn’t quite swallow a chuckle at her tension. She glanced at him in consternation.

  “Why don’t we just start with dinner at my place?” he asked.

  “Now?”

  He nodded. “What do you want?”

  She blinked and paused a long moment. “A hot fudge sundae and sparkling wine.”

  “That can be arranged,” he said. “Would you like to ride in my car or follow—”

  “Follow,” she said, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. “I’ll follow you.”

  On the way home, he called his housekeeper and ordered filet mignon for two, baked potatoes, a hot fudge sundae and a bottle of Cristal champagne. Driving through the guarded entrance to his subdivision, he glanced at his rearview mirror to make sure Bella made it through.

  He pulled his Viper into his garage, got out and motioned for her to pull into the space on the other side of his SUV.

  He watched her step out of her Volkswagen. Despite the wariness on her face, he remembered how she’d felt in his arms that night. She was a lot more trouble than any of his other lovers had been, but she was worth it. He took her arm and guided her up the stairs into the house.

  She glanced around as if she were taking in every detail. Michael was usually so intent on a project or task that he barely noticed his surroundings.

  “It’s beautiful. Sophisticated, but comfortable,” she said as they approached the large den with a cathedral ceiling and gas fireplace already lit. She glanced at him. “Do you have it on a timer?”