A Convenient Arrangement (4 page)

“Hey.” His heart hammered in his chest. She was beautiful, not like the skinny model-type women he normally bedded, but sensual, with that doe-like wide-eyed look and swollen lips. She was damned good in bed too. He hadn’t expected Gwen would be so…uninhibited…but he’d been pleasantly surprised. Maybe the best he’d had. “I was going to head home.”

Disappointment flickered in her eyes, but she recovered so quickly that Leo wondered if he’d imagined the hint of sadness.

“Yeah,” he continued, “Renley’s been alone all night and he’s used to our run in the mornings, plus I really should go into the office for just a little bit to get a jump on some of the business for the new year.”

“Right. Of course.” Gwen pulled the blanket tighter around her body. “Yeah, I have tons to do today too.” Her smile was a toss-away, an attempt to make the best of an awkward situation.

Leo turned from the bed and bent forward to put on his clothes. He felt her eyes on him, just like last night when they’d been standing outside Aubrey and Justin’s bedroom. He picked up his sweater. Damn, when you were trying to subtly let a woman know that sleeping with her had been a mistake, getting a hard-on didn’t help make your case.

He wanted her. Even while he was preparing to duck out of her apartment, like a jerk, he wanted her. He wanted to crawl back under that blanket, spread those white thighs, and climb between her legs. Instead he pulled his jeans up and over his hips, tucked away his sex, and pulled up his zipper.

He turned to Gwen, all milky-white princess meets sex-goddess with lush red hair. Her blue eyes caught and looked deep into his. He dropped his gaze. Her eyes held questions. Too many questions that he didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want to see the disappointment and sadness in her eyes because he couldn’t give her what she wanted. Last night wasn’t the beginning of a relationship, at least not for him. He simply wasn’t that type of guy.

“Thank you,” he said, leaning forward to brush his lips against her forehead.

She pulled her lip beneath her top teeth and tilted her head.

Don’t ask, please don’t talk about this.
Leo wanted to pretend this sexy interlude had never happened. Chalk last night up to a New Year’s Eve mistake, a little too much champagne taking them way beyond flirting. He grabbed his jacket and turned toward her bedroom door, hopeful he could escape into the new year without having to talk over the events of last night.

“Just so you know, I hope this won’t be awkward between us.”

Leo stopped, his shoulders slumping. Conversation front and center. He glanced longingly at her front door, just down the hall from where he stood in Gwen’s bedroom. So close and yet…he turned toward Gwen. Paradoxically, at the sight of the thin blanket draping her curves, the urge to rush back to bed, take her into his arms and press his lips to her breast, burst through him again. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Aubrey is the best friend I’ve made in New York, and I really like Shelly and the rest of your family.”

“I know they all love you.”

“Right, so do you think we could keep this between us? This…mistake?” Gwen’s smile, which hadn’t wavered, took on a rueful cast.

Leo’s heart stopped. Wait? What? Gwen thought sleeping with him was a mistake? Two minutes ago that was exactly what he thought he wanted to hear. But now he stood stunned. “Uh…” His eyebrows creased. He’d braced himself for questions, and recriminations, possibly even tears about what a cad he was, how uncaring and unfeeling. Now he didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t how this conversation was meant to go.

“I was hoping maybe we didn’t have to tell anyone. When we see each other again, could we act like this never happened?”

Leo’s heart lurched in his chest. Gwen didn’t want a relationship with
him
?

Why wouldn’t she want to be with him?

“I mean,” she twisted a piece of hair between her fingers and then looked up at him through her eyelashes, “I don’t want a relationship right now, and I definitely don’t want to mess up my friendship with Aubrey. Do you think you could do that? Pretend like this didn’t happen?”

“Uh…” Wow. Was he completely off the hook with this one-night stand? This had to be the perfect solution to what he thought had been a terrible mistake. Then what was this squeezing feeling in his chest?

“I mean,” Gwen continued, blinking, “It’s not you, it’s me.” She shifted and stretched her arms up over her head, turning her head to one side.

Kazow! His entire body zinged as the outline of her fabulous body pressed against the blanket. She yawned and snuggled into her pillow.

“You’re a great guy and all, but really, I mean, I’m just not into the idea of a relationship right now.”

“Uh, sure.” Leo finally found his voice, matching his casual tone to hers. He would never have guessed last night would mean so little to Gwen. Hmm, maybe he’d completely misread the type of woman she was? She seemed like a get married and get settled type of girl, not a woman who wanted to play the field. “Yeah, no problem. I’m completely down with playing this like nothing happened.”

But he wasn’t. That was a lie. The minute Leo got what he’d wished for, a get-out-of-jail-free card, he was hurt. Discovering that this, tonight, him buried deep inside Gwen and her whispering his name, meant so little to her that she wanted to pretend for the sake of her friendship with Aubrey that it had never happened, left an empty pit in his stomach. He wasn’t happy that he’d gotten exactly what he wanted.

“Great.” A lazy, sexy smile crossed her face. “You’re the best. I knew I could count on you not to make last night into something it’s not.” She reached down and pulled the duvet up over the blanket to her chin, then fluttered her eyelashes and yawned again. So damned sexy, but also cozily adorable, like a kitten ready to purr. Again Leo fought the urge to climb back into Gwen’s bed. “You can let yourself out, right? I’m not quite ready to start my day.”

“Uh, sure,” Leo said. He pulled on his jacket. He felt somehow…discarded. He walked down the long narrow hall to the front door, glancing back over his shoulder into the bedroom brightening with morning light, but it looked as though Gwen had already fallen back to sleep.

Gwen held her breath and kept her eyes closed until she heard the slam of the front door.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and a sick feeling rolled through her stomach. Thank God Leo was gone. She should win an Academy Award for that performance. Hot giant tears filled her eyes before she even sat up. She grabbed for tissues. She didn’t blame Leo entirely—she’d wanted to spend the night with him. She’d asked him to come to her place, she was a grown woman with her own business, it wasn’t like she hadn’t had a relationship with a man before. She leaned her head back against her headboard. She’d thought…what had she thought?

She had to be honest with herself, painfully honest. She’d thought that her fantasies about Leo Travati were coming true. That he did like her, that he did want her, that she, little ol’ Gwen Fleming, not the prettiest and definitely not the brightest, might just be the one for Leo Travati.

“What an idiot,” she mumbled. Mr. Mouse, her sleek black cat, leapt onto the bed. He circled her then nestled into her lap, kneading the pink satin duvet with his paws. She stroked his fur. What had she been thinking? How could she have been that stupid? The champagne, the night, the New Year’s kiss…my God, he had kissed her, and her head had spun. Usually she was smart enough not to let her desires overwhelm her. Aubrey was her biggest client and her closest friend. There was no way that Gwen should have ever slept with Leo.

Who was she kidding? If Leo had wanted to date her, she would have completely let her personal life interfere with her work.

But he didn’t. Leo did not want to date her. If his attitude before hadn’t been enough to tell her that, he’d made it abundantly clear by trying to sneak out of her apartment before she’d even woken up. Thank God she’d thought fast on her feet—or laying in her bed—otherwise her entire life, a life that was finally starting to feel like a success, would have been shattered. She couldn’t let her best friend and all the fantastic people who were becoming her primary circle of friends disappear simply because she’d let her panties do the talking on New Year’s Eve.

Suddenly, taking all those improv classes when she first arrived in New York to help her with public speaking seemed like the smartest thing she’d ever done. Each little thing she’d learned then had come in handy this morning when she’d needed to convince Leo that she’d wanted nothing but a one-night stand. He’d agreed to never breathe a word about their night together. She didn’t want to share her humiliation with anyone. Nope, she could wallow in her own bad decision-making skills alone.

The light brightened through the window. Despite her act for Leo, she wouldn’t be falling back to sleep any time soon. She reached for her robe and tied it around her body. Damn, these sore muscles would feel satisfying if she hadn’t caught the good-looking man who caused such pleasure attempting to slip away without so much as a good-bye. She lifted Mr. Mouse into her arms, sniffling and dabbing a tissue to her nose with one hand. No. Absolutely not, she would not cry about Leo. She would not feel like a fool. She’d played this morning perfectly. Now all she had to do for the rest of her life, every time she saw Leo, was pretend that she had absolutely no interest in him at all.

But first ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream. “Come on, Mr. Mouse,” Gwen whispered, “I’ve even got a bowl for you.”

*

“Are you okay?” Concern laced Aubrey’s voice.

“Just have a little cold.” Gwen sniffed into the phone for effect. “Maybe I picked something up with all the parties from the holidays. I think I just need a day to relax.” Gwen dug her spoon deeper into her second pint of Chunky Monkey. So far her New Year’s Day accomplishments were moving from the bed to her couch and back to her bed, finishing one pint of ice cream, starting a second, and preparing to order Chinese delivery.

“Okay, you’re sure you don’t need anything? I can have Max or maybe Leo—”

“No!” Gwen nearly jumped from her bed. “I mean no,” she added more softly. “My goodness,” she covered. “Mr. Mouse nearly broke my mother’s vase.”

“Bad kitty!” Aubrey said. “No, but seriously, I hate the idea of you being all alone in your apartment without everything you need to feel better.”

“I’m fine,” Gwen continued. “I have tea and lozenges and a couple of movies. Give me today and I’m certain I’ll be one hundred percent by tomorrow.”

“Well, we’ll miss you at Shelly and Anthony’s, but I’ll let them know you’re not feeling well. There must be something going around, because Leo just texted me. He thinks he has a cold too. Said he was coughing all night after he left.”

Gwen’s chest tightened at the mention of Leo’s name. “Oh?” She pressed her lips together. “That’s too bad. I hope he feels better soon,” she crooned. No, not really, a huge part of her wanted him to die. Or at the very least, wanted him to feel like she felt today. Used, bruised, and a bit abused. “Give everyone giant kisses for me, and we’re still on for Thursday, right? Working on the baby shower and Shelly and Anthony’s wedding and now a bridal brunch. I thought Shelly said last night she wanted a bridal shower brunch?”

“Exactly right. And we can’t forget the bachelorette party, but it’ll have to be after this little baby gets out. Oh, we’re going to have an amazing year! So many parties! A baby, a wedding, and a new sister-in-law.”

“Oh my!” Gwen echoed Aubrey’s excitement, wishing she could feel the same enthusiasm her friend did. To her, right now, it looked like an endless list of events where she’d have to see Leo everywhere she went.

“Oh my, indeed. Okay. Feel better. I’ll see you soon.”

“Toodles.” Gwen pressed off on her phone.

A trickle of relief dissolved the heat of embarrassment that flooded her chest. Such bad judgment, but she seemed in the clear where Aubrey was concerned. She hadn’t commented on Gwen and Leo smooching in the hall, or mentioned them disappearing from the party at the same time. “I guess there’s one good thing, Mr. Mouse, no one knows about last night except for me and Leo.” The cat rubbed against her feet, as if to show he agreed. “Well and you.” Gwen picked up her remote and pressed the volume up on the
Real Housewives of Orange County
, still one of her favorite shows in the world. Then she lifted Mr. Chow’s menu to scrutinize her options. “What do you think, Mr. Mouse? Do we want one entree or two? I’m thinking two…that way we’ll have leftovers for tomorrow.”

*

Leo leaned back into the supple black leather of his couch. Showered and shaved, he now watched UCLA kick Michigan State’s ass. What was better on New Year’s Day than beer, college football, and Renley? He rubbed his hand across the pup’s head. Renley was a good dog. They hadn’t gotten their run this morning, but Renley didn’t seem to mind. Actually they hadn’t gotten much done, except bailing on the New Year’s Day dinner Anthony and Shelly were having at their house and ordering a pizza instead.

His phone rang and he flipped it over. Uh-oh, Aubrey, the new Travati matriarch. Checking up on him? Since his mother had passed, Leo had gotten used to the idea that he and his brothers didn’t have a woman to answer to. Mrs. Bello was awesome, but she didn’t make demands. Honestly, Aubrey was awesome too, but after Anthony’s apology for being such an ass, she had rapidly settled into the role of senior wife and Travati matriarch. In fact, she’d gotten pretty damn comfortable ordering the Travati brothers around.

He coughed into his hand and hunched forward before touching the on button. “Hello,” he whispered as though he were on the threshold of death’s door.

“My God, Leo, you sound awful!” Aubrey said. “I’m coming over there right this—”

“No!” he burst out, sitting straight up. He shook his head and recovered. “I mean no,” he wheezed. “You can’t come over. What if you got sick? Think about the baby.” He balled his hand into a fist and pressed it against his mouth to stifle a laugh. No way would Aubrey ever come over now that he’d mentioned his cold might affect the baby. Nothing could negatively impact the impending arrival of the Travati prince or princess.