Chapter 2
Crystal pulled the hem of her knee-length skirt. It was supposed to be knee-length anyway, but as she walked, it hiked up a bit. God, this was so uncomfortable. The saleswoman from the previous day had insisted she visit the place’s on-site hair salon. She politely refused it, but Lucas thought it was a great idea.
He’d actually suggested she indulge in all kinds of services before meeting him at the tarmac the next morning.
Am I really so hideous that I need round-the-clock miracle workers?She couldn’t forget the look he gave her when she put on the first dress at the store… Lucas regarded her as if she were an alien. His face had literally paled. She shouldn’t take it personally, but shit… it stung. Not that she needed him to find her attractive in any way. In fact, she was relieved—yes, relieved—he didn’t want anything to do with her. Not only would it be completely unprofessional, but highly inconvenient. She didn’t need him to toy with her like he did his dates, then get rid of her and fire her on a whim.
No way did she want to turn out like her mother. She’d lived for crazy, spontaneous romances while neglecting Crystal and her feelings. How many times had Crystal gotten attached to temporary father figures she’d never see again?
She gave her roll-on suitcase to the man greeting her in front of the small ladder leading up to the private jet. She entered the efficient, comfortable private plane. She’d flown in it before, accompanying Lucas on high-profile trips. This time though… it felt different. They were embarking to a honeymoon resort and at least during a couple of occasions expected to act like a couple.
“You made it,” he said, yanking his attention from his laptop.
With his tie undone and the first couple of buttons open, Lucas could be on an ad for an expensive watch or men’s wear. Her heart skipped a beat, to which she attributed the latest events. Not to him, she told herself.
“Yes, I had to go through endless rounds of beautification but somehow I made it to the finish line. Here I am, barely passable, but hopefully somewhat decent for your impeccable standards,” she said, incapable of being the bigger person she’d told herself she could be.
He chuckled, a hearty sound that reverberated through her. “You aren’t like any other woman I know, Crystal.”
“Well, thank you. That compliment seriously made my day,” she said acidly, plopping in a chair opposite to him. An unexpected frustration sneaked up on her. She feigned nonchalance, but why did she care if he hadn’t made one single comment about her makeover? She had to look different. Her freaking neighbor hadn’t even recognized her.
Lucas could at least acknowledge that she’d endured all kinds of treatments for this deal. Not that she’d expected him to react to her as a man, but even as a boss—and someone on a deal—he could throw her a bone. “I have to tell you, you better act like the world’s best fake boyfriend during my school reunion.” She put on her seat belt. “Because those beauty treatments were brutal.”
“That bad?”
“Bad? I agreed to a freaking Brazilian when I had no idea what I was getting into—then it was too late, because the lady waxing me like she was exorcising my crotch didn’t understand English. So she took my shouting as encouragement and kept going.”
She had never been that bare down there. The sensation was raw against her underwear, one she wasn’t quite used to. Not in a bad way, but definitely new.
He almost spewed the drink from his mouth. Bet he hadn’t expected her to make a reference to her sex. Like, ever. “Did she offer you some after care cream or something? Sounds painful.”
“She pressed an ice pack to my vagina,” she said, pretty sure she had never referred to her genitals in conversations she’d shared with Lucas. Though it wasn’t like she was talking about it to seduce him. More to complain, so it should be okay.
He chugged down the tumbler of scotch. “Did it help?”
A little.“My point is—this whole thing is a lot of work. Being a billionaire’s girlfriend involves a lot of stuff,” she said. A lot of crap she wouldn’t do for herself, let alone for a man. Besides, the men she dated weren’t into those things. She favored reliable, realistic men to guys who promised her the world and delivered zip. Then why do I end up with the latter anyway?
He frowned. “And?”
She smiled inwardly. Why not take advantage of the situation? Sure, Lucas’s dates went through all this beautifying madness. But at least at the end of the day he probably rewarded them with awesome orgasms. The idea tightened her nipples, and her breasts felt oddly heavy and tingly. “And I thought as an incentive for suffering through this unexpected Cinderella transformation, you could donate a good amount of money to a cause I hold near and dear to my heart.”
Lucas threw his shoulders back, relaxing on his chair. “Sounds fair.”
She shifted in her seat. “Thanks. Please donate twenty thousand dollars to an organization that helps single mothers going through rough patches. I’ll email you their info.”
“Consider it done,” he said, winking at her.
She should feel victorious, but apprehension lodged in her throat. She tried to swallow, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. He stared at her in silence, and specks of gold flickered in the depths of his chocolate irises. Neither of them spoke. She managed to part her lips, but hesitated, trapped in the trance of his gaze. His sexy mouth curved in a small, appreciative smile.
She sucked in a deep breath, contracting her stomach, urging her body to stop responding to him. Crap.Remember why you’re here. Remember who he is. At last, she let out her breath, slowly, then glanced away, and fumbled with the entertainment system. A tiny voice inside her laughed, hinting that besides her efforts, this trip would be a hell of a lot harder than any other she’d taken with him.
* * *
Wow.Brazil.
She’d come before, accompanying him to São Paulo. Now, the car that picked them up drove them through the highway leaving the big city of Recife behind and into a smaller, remote town where the resort was located.
This was… certainly different than São Paulo’s concrete jungle.
