For His Eyes Only Page 7

  Kim had never heard the man so angry and possessive, and it frightened her. But his fury subsided as quickly as it had come. He approached her, offering his hand. Her breath caught in her throat when she took it, rising from her seat and relishing the heady experience of their first skin-to-skin contact. He was so powerful, and so sexy. He ran his fingers through a lock of her hair, and she shivered when he touched the back of her neck.

  “Kim, darling, I know Alex never treated you right. My son doesn’t recognize quality when he sees it, which is why he will never be in charge of Insomnia. He’s only here at all because his mother insisted we include him.”

  Her heart raced. Her emotions flipped between shock at William’s cold manner toward Alex, confusion as to why he was involving her in his personal business, and raw lust.

  “Why are you telling me this?” she managed to ask.

  “Because, my dear, you have a desire to ensure that Jacey Cass fails to win that competition. And in order to take care of my…complications here at the company, I need you to continue on that path.”

  She opened her mouth to object, because it seemed like the right thing to do. But William held up his hand.

  “Don’t ask me questions. We’ll talk more about this later. Just promise you will do everything you can to keep her from winning that contest.”

  She promised. It wouldn’t be too hard, considering her sour feelings toward the girl. And now that the man who controlled her paycheck and made her insides quiver had requested it, she was more committed than ever to avenging her sister’s death.

  But for the moment her mind turned to mush, because William stepped closer and placed both hands on her shoulders. His lips trailed a feverish path along her neck. She reached for him, and he opened the top button of her blouse. His words were a seductive whisper.

  “I’ll make it very, very worth your while.”

  Chapter Six

  The last time Alex had this much nervous energy, he’d been sixteen and having sex for the first time. The small room packed with gorgeous women in negligee might have had something to do with the rumba taking place in his stomach. Maybe it was the fact that his future, as well as his mother’s and Jacey’s, depended on the success of this night.

  Or else he was trying to figure out how to keep his cool when Jacey walked onto that stage half-dressed, because he’d barely slept since the visit to her apartment at the beginning of the week. In the time since, he had sweat through restless nights while he’d pictured her lying next to him, and beneath him, and on top of him.

  Though their moments together had never lacked passion, he couldn’t stand to touch her again until they were completely naked and in a bed. Sex on the kitchen counter had a lot going for it, but it couldn’t be prolonged, what with the balancing of limbs and the sharp edges and all. He wanted her outstretched next to him, where they could move slowly and gently, or fast and hard. Preferably both. All night long.

  And then he wanted to hand her a hundred thousand dollars and send her on her merry way.

  He swept a hand through his hair, laughing at his own absurdity. Jacey deserved better, and that’s what she would get once she had enough money to leave town, or go to school, or whatever she had planned. He was pretty sure she didn’t intend to stay in that dingy apartment forever. After she was gone, he would just have to find something else to focus on.

  Which shouldn’t be too hard, considering when Insomnia crowned Jacey the winner of the contest, he would be the company’s lead man. No more pretending to revere his father, no more struggling to get his designs and ideas into production.

  He wound his way through the crowd of women. Time to put the plan into action. On top of keeping his hormones in check, he had to find an opportune moment to swap out some of the voters’ ballots with his own to ensure Jacey advanced to the second round. And he had to do it without his assistant noticing, which wouldn’t be easy since she was running the show and nothing seemed to escape her watchful eye.

  “No, no, absolutely not,” Kim barked into her cell phone. She handed one of the contestants an earring and shook her head at another girl who was wearing one shoe.

  “Can’t you ladies keep track of your own stuff? How badly do you want this?” She turned back to the phone. “No, I was talking to someone else. Listen, just get me the paperwork and—fine. Great. Gotta run.”

  She disconnected the call and released a huge sigh.

  “Need some help?” Alex offered. Maybe if he stayed busy, his mind would quit wandering to the dressing room where Jacey was changing clothes. He had too much to accomplish tonight to let himself get so easily distracted.

  Kim shoved a loose lock of hair back into her ponytail and dabbed at her face with a tissue. “God, it’s hot in here. Yes, I need help. If you would, please go find out what’s taking those last few girls so long to get dressed. We’re getting ready to start.”

  Great. He’d been trying to keep his mind off the dressing room, and now he was headed straight for it.

  Well, he had asked. “Sure. See you when the show starts.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Alex watched her retreating back. Was the show was the only thing on her mind? In all their years of working together, she had never held a conversation with him that was strictly business. Maybe she had finally gotten over the mistake of a night they’d spent together. What a refreshing change that would be.

  He turned and made his way to the dressing room door. Giggles and concerned squeals about makeup sounded from the other side.

  He cleared his throat and knocked. “Um, ladies? You about ready to go in there?”

  The door burst open, and a pretty young brunette appeared, her hair piled on her head in a jumble of curls. The pale blue of her gown matched her eyes, and for a brief moment, Alex worried he’d been too quick to assume Jacey would be the only one to enchant the audience with her beauty. Though he believed she was by far the most beautiful woman in the competition, the other girls had plenty to offer in terms of enticing customers—and votes.

  Damn his father. Fixing this contest would cause Insomnia more harm than good if the potential patrons who filled the auditorium ended up in an uproar over the winner.

  “We’re ready!” answered a chorus of soprano voices. The brown-haired girl winked at him, then she and the rest of the women filed past him and headed backstage.

  Wait a minute. Where was Jacey? Sure that he’d seen all the other contestants leave, he walked into the dressing room and closed the door behind him.

  “Jacey?”

  No answer. He peered into the shower area, walked past a dozen lighted mirrors and bits of makeup scattered on the counters, but the place was empty of people.

  How would Jacey make it to the second round if she didn’t show up to begin with? He reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around his phone before remembering he couldn’t call her. If he forgave her for this, he was going to buy her a damn phone.

  “I’m here.”

  He turned, relieved to hear the sound of her voice. She stood in a corner, clad in the white bathrobe Insomnia had provided for all the contestants. He wanted to ask her why she wasn’t dressed, but something in her eyes said now wasn’t the time for a lecture. At least her hair and makeup were done.

  “I’m glad,” he said, then noticed the anguish in her expression. He took her by the arm and led her to a chair, then pulled up one for himself and sat down beside her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m running a little behind.”

  “Bull. You look depressed as hell. What’s going on?”

  Silence. She stared into her lap and blew out a breath heavy with torment. “I got fired.”

  “What?”

  “A couple of days ago. My supervisor fired me.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  “I slapped a customer.” She said it like she was telling him what she had for breakfast that morning.

  He stared at her, t
rying to imagine those dainty hands inflicting pain on someone. “You hit a customer? What happened?”

  “He grabbed my ass and asked me to try on a bra for him.”

  That son of a bitch. Alex’s blood pressure rose. Her hands might be dainty, but Jacey was strong. Thank God. He was so proud of her, yet so overwhelmed by a fierce need to pummel this guy. “Please tell me that’s not true. And why was this your fault and not his?”

  “Oh, it was his fault. But the manager walked in just in time to see me hit him, and the guy played it like I was overreacting to an innocent question about the merchandise.”

  She moved her stare to the ceiling and dampness formed in the corners of her eyes. He wanted to hold her, but he didn’t think she would want a man’s touch at that moment.

  “Jacey, that’s bullshit. Tell me your supervisor’s name. I can—”

  “No.”

  “There are security cameras in every store. We’ll be able to prove the guy was coming on to you and you’ll get your job back. I’ll see to it personally that this half-witted manager loses his job instead.”

  “Not necessary. The last thing I need is him stalking me because he’s pissed off about being fired. I’ll find another job.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know, but it won’t be difficult. Most of the managers around here are more concerned with tits and ass than they are with qualifications.”

  She held her robe against her chest, her arms wrapped protectively around her. There was no mistaking the defeat in her posture. In that condition, there was no way she could take the stage with the confidence and sensuality the competition required.

  He didn’t know what to say and he felt like a fool. She looked pained at the thought of being a sex object for another minute, and that was exactly what he was asking her to do—in fact, it was what he was setting her up to do—in the competition.

  He envisioned her dangerous neighborhood, and now, her lack of a paycheck. A crazy idea occurred to him, one he was certain she’d shoot down in a heartbeat, but he had to try. He needed to make up for the angst his company had caused her—and protect her from hurting anymore.

  “Move in with me,” he blurted. “I mean, temporarily. Just until the contest is over. You won’t have much time to look for a job while you’re preparing for the next two shows.”

  She looked surprised, but she didn’t bite his head off. She just smiled and said, “What makes you so sure I’ll be around for the next two shows?”

  Oops.

  He hooked his finger under her chin. “Because you look amazing and you’re about to blow five thousand people away. I know you can do this.”

  Her lips curved slowly upward until that beautiful smile erased her gloom. Alex brushed the backs of his fingers over her neck. He wanted to touch her, but it was way too late to redo her face and hair, which he would definitely mess up. Jacey shivered, reached up and covered his hand with hers.

  She brought his hand down and squeezed it. “That’s nice of you, but I paid enough rent to get me through a few more days. After that, I’ll find a way to get by. I always do.”

  Alex nodded, not at all surprised by her answer. If she wanted to be on her own, he had to respect that. Plus, if everything went according to plan, she’d have the hundred thousand in hand in two weeks…still, she’d be homeless for a week while he sat alone in his big, empty condo. How senseless was that?

  It’s not your choice. He bit his tongue to keep from asking her again.

  “I guess I’m ready, then.” Jacey looked down at herself and put her hands on her knees. “My outfit’s underneath.”

  “Can I see?” He trailed a teasing finger down the center of her robe.

  She gave him a look of warning and swatted his hand away. “No peeking. I want to hear your reaction after you see the show.”

  “Go get ’em,” he whispered, and kissed her lightly on the ear. “Just think about how it felt when I touched you the other night.”

  “I look forward to not being interrupted by your pager.” With a seductive wink, she sauntered off.

  Alex grinned, but he couldn’t shake his concern. There was more to Jacey Cass than he could imagine, and the contest was only making her plight worse.

  He sighed and took his seat in the front of the auditorium, beginning to regret he had ever dreamed up this competition.

  But his regret changed to satisfaction after the curtain opened. The first contestant pranced out to center stage in a hot pink jacquard bustier. Her thick black hair bouncing around her breasts, she turned her back to the crowd and shimmied to seductive music, her small, tight ass peeking out from beneath the fabric.

  Scores of people cheered. The girl spun around and waved, then blew a kiss to the crowd as she made her exit. Alex clapped along with everyone else, approving of the whistles and shouts of excitement the performance had garnered. At this rate, the competition would be a huge success.

  Alex Vaughn, CEO had a catchy ring to it. In a couple of weeks, the title would belong to him.

  By random selection, Jacey was the twenty-second model to take a turn on stage. As the night went on and the women continued to deliver stellar performances, Alex hoped being on the last leg of the show would work in Jacey’s favor since the audience would more clearly remember the last few appearances of the evening. But when she stepped out from behind the curtain, he knew that regardless of her place in the pecking order, she was a sight the crowd wouldn’t soon forget.

  At first glance, he saw only a white robe similar to the one she’d worn in the dressing room, but made of silk. Then it dropped to the floor, unveiling a white gown with beaded straps. The material reached her knees but was sheer enough to reveal the lace bra and panties underneath. Alex was sure if he were a little closer to her, he’d be able to see what was beneath that.

  His heart skipped a beat. While the man in him fully appreciated the erotic yet virginal vision that Jacey’s clothing created, the professional in him couldn’t help wondering if the risk she had taken would harm her. None of the other girls had chosen white—it sold well during wedding season but was much less popular this late in the year--nor had they worn anything that didn’t cover what needed to be covered. Even the girl in hot pink had put some solid panties on before she’d shaken her booty for every news channel in Miami.

  The contest’s design called for the level of sensuality to rise with each show, culminating in the R-rated sexy finale. But Jacey had started so hot, Alex wondered what she’d do next time. He prayed for a positive reaction from the audience.

  She approached a lavishly decorated bed in the middle of the stage, and the approving roar of the crowd drowned out his fears. Though the silhouette of her body was visible to everyone in the room due to strategic lighting, there was nothing risqué about her act. She lounged on the bed with her silver high heels crossed, her curly hair draped over one shoulder, and her mesmerizing blue eyes gazing out into the crowd. She looked like every man’s wedding night fantasy.

  Alex could barely breathe. Tonight, he vowed, she would be his reality.

  Chapter Seven

  Jacey was horny.

  She was panicking too, while she stood behind Alex on his front stoop and listened to his keys jangle in the doorknob. Two weeks, she kept repeating to herself. Two weeks, and that was it.

  The contest ended in exactly two weeks, the same day she had decided her living arrangement with him would cease. With any luck, she would be thousands of dollars richer. But even if she lost, she’d clean tables at the nearest fast-food heap before she would depend on Alex to keep a roof over her head for any longer than that. After spending the entire evening backstage considering his offer, she had finally agreed to stay with him so she could focus on the competition without stressing over finding a job. He was not her meal ticket. He was a generous friend and nothing more.

  But they could still have really good sex.

  At least, she hoped so, because half an hour ago someone
had called Alex with the list of contestants advancing to the second round, and her name was on it. She’d yelped with joy when he told her. There had been so many gorgeous women, but she had made it. No doubt Alex’s backstage pep talk had helped her performance, and she intended to thank him—thoroughly.

  Her spirits dampened slightly when she stepped inside his condo. One look at his luxurious bachelor pad reminded her of the painful reason she’d chosen to remain anonymous at all those parties even while she allowed him inside her body. Her simple existence couldn’t add anything of value to his pampered lifestyle, and she would never settle for being his spoiled, fruitless arm candy.

  “Do you think you’ll be comfortable here?” he asked.

  He didn’t sound snide or boastful, so she resisted the urge to snap at the ridiculous question. But he had seen her apartment—anything would be more comfortable than that.

  “A million-dollar condo will probably suffice.”

  Alex let the comment slide. A flick of the light switch revealed a huge open room with hardwood floors, a flat TV hanging from the ceiling, and more of those framed paintings she didn’t recognize but assumed cost more money than she made in a year. An entire wall of windows offered a breathtaking view of downtown Miami and the ocean beyond. She watched the city lights twinkle, eager to see what it would look like when the sun came up.

  After placing her bags inside the front door, Alex took her hand and led her to a plush leather sofa. His touch, like always, made her forget—or at least ignore—that she felt like a bag lady in the face of such luxury.

  Without a doubt, her mother’s life would be different if she had lived in a place like this. Jacey squeezed Alex’s hand, savoring the warmth of his fingers. It would feel so good if he traced a slow path from the crown of her hair to her neck, across her breasts and stomach and all the way down her legs…so nice if she drowned her troubles in their physical connection the way she had so many times before.