You can brush my hair, undress me everywheeeeere…
“You look beautiful,” he said.
So did he. Too irritatingly beautiful. Why the hell did I feel like someone had lit me on fire every time I saw him?
Stop staring. But he was staring, too. Bluntly. At my boobs.
“Mr. Zappa—”
“Fabio. Say it with me, Gabriella. Fa-b-io. Fabio.”
My fists clenched. Then I reminded myself why I was enduring this creature and this charade. The way his lips moved as he enunciated his name, though, was so… “Whatever. Can you not do that?”
“Do what?”
I cocked a brow. “Undressing me with your eyes.”
“If you prefer my hands…”
“Oh for God’s sake. No sexual innuendos of any kind please.”
“It wasn’t an innuendo.”
“Or blunt sexual comments. No sexual anything. This is a business transaction, and I’d like to compensate you for your time so you can follow my rules as I wish.”
A cocky smirk curved up the corner of his perfect mouth. “I don’t want your money, Gabriella. I want the thrill of the challenge you provide. It’s the only reason I’m here.”
“But—”
“I offered you one night,the full package, for free, and I’m not taking it back, and when you called me you knew that was only what I was signing up for. All you have to do is lay back, let me do my job without resistance and enjoy your night like you should.” He moved one arm from behind his back, and a bunch of red roses appeared. “These are for you, babe.”
“Thanks. They’re…” Repugnantly beautiful as he was and reminding me of everything I’d long forgotten to protect my heart from bursting all over again. “You really don’t have to do these things. Bring me flowers, say things you don’t mean like ‘you’re beautiful’ or ‘babe’ or anything obviously fake. I know this is a fake date, but you don’t have to make it even more unreal.”
“I thought you didn’t like it when I was blunt.”
“Sexual bluntness is rude even when it’s coming from a real attraction not a rehearsed one like yours. Honesty, on the other hand, is a relief.”
He blinked. “You want honesty? All night?”
“Please.”
“Va bene.” He bent his head as he leaned against the doorframe. The smell of his cologne filled my inhale, dizzying me. “You are a beautiful woman, Gabriella. I, personally, find you so attractive I touched myself in the shower thinking of you.”
A wave of heat rose to my neck and settled in my cheeks. “What the—”
“Don’t interrupt me. Now, that’s rude.” He lifted his index finger in warning, the bunch almost hitting my face if I didn’t move my head back. “As I was saying, I meant it when I said you looked beautiful in that dress, but…”
But? There was a but?
“As I guessed, like this morning, you’re wearing the wrong bra.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, babe.” He moved his other arm from behind his back, and a shopping bag came in view. “This, too, is for you. Be a good girl and put it on. You’ll thank me later.”
My head spun. Dazed was an understatement to how I felt. The way he spoke to me, the cockiness, how he thought he could boss me around, and thatgift… I didn’t need to open the bag to know what was inside. “You bought me a bra?”
“I bought you a bra.” He nodded, almost shoving the bag and the flowers in my face. “Now wear it. Fast. You don’t wanna be late.”
