Accidental Sex Goddess (11 page)

After they left the spa, they’d gone shopping. Halie’s “style expert” had given her a chance to pick out her own clothes, but it became quickly evident that Reese was a lost cause. She always avoided fitted clothes because she thought they were only for svelte women, but Halie’s stylist had shown her how much better the right fit flattered her curves.

“Thank you,” Reese said. She knew she was standing taller this morning—and it wasn’t just the heels. “I know you’ve spent a lot of money on me and I’d like to pay you back. I don’t have it all now, but—”

“Stop right there,” Halie said, holding up a hand. “First, I won’t hear of it. I lost the two most important men in my life, and it sucked, but now I have more money than God. I console myself by using that money in ways that make me happy—that means treating women like you. Second, the fact that you want to pay me back shows you’re coming around.” She shrugged as if she was picking up the tab for drinks and not a whole new top-of-the-line wardrobe. “That’s payment enough.”

The phone on Reese’s desk buzzed. She flashed Halie an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. We should talk more later, but I need to get that. I have half a dozen phone calls I’m expecting this morning.”

As she backed out of the room, Halie called, “Don’t apologize. That’s why I hired you.”

Reese snatched up the phone. “Reese Regan, SGI.”

“SGI? Is that what you’re calling yourselves now?” The crackly voice bespoke a woman with a 60-year-old pack-a-day habit. “What? Ashamed to use the real name?”

“Mrs. Wisenowitz,” Reese said into her receiver, “so good to hear from you.” Mrs. Wisenowitz was the director of a senior center near Ben’s parents. The woman had no filter and an opinion about everything.

“You always say that, but if you miss me so damn much, you should come visit. You know where I work.”

“You’re right, Mrs. W. I should visit more often, but I’m not calling about me. I’m calling because my boss wants to start a Sex Goddess for Seniors class and I wanted your thoughts on it.”

“I’m not so old that I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve, Miss Regan. Sex Goddess classes for seniors,” she huffed. “Like we don’t know how to shake it.”

Reese bit her lip. The woman had to be creeping near ninety. “Call me Reese, Mrs. Wisenowitz.”

“Bah! I’d like to call you Mrs. Rich Man, but I can’t do that, now can I? When are you going to find yourself a man and settle down?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I will someday. I just haven’t found my Prince Charming yet.”

“You don’t need Prince Charming, you need Prince Wealthy, I’m telling you!”

Reese laughed but didn’t dare comment. Mrs. Wisenowitz was a wealthy widow who would go on and on about how she married Mr. Wisenowitz for his money but would bite off the head of the first person who dared to suggest the same thing.

“Well, think about it, and let me know if you’ll be joining us for our masquerade ball.” Pulling up her seating chart, she studied the VIP seats. She wanted every one of those top dollar seats to be full. “You could bring a date.”

“You know what my problem is, Miss Regan?”

Reese bit her tongue before saying, “I can’t imagine.”

“The men my age don’t interest me.”

“Well, why not?”

“They’re
old
!” she cracked.

Reese laughed. “Well, we’ll be doing a bachelor and bachelorette auction, so you could always pick your date up once you arrive.”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard since my beautician said I wasn’t too young to be a platinum blonde. Is that beau of yours going to be up for auction?”

“I’m not with Lance anymore, Mrs. W.”

“I’m not talking about that idiot. I’m talking about that boy you spend so much time with—Caroline’s boy. He’s no bum, that one. Real hard worker, good family too.”

“Ben? Ben and I are just friends, and no I don’t think he’s going to participate in the auction.” But it couldn’t hurt to
ask
, and Reese added a note to her list.

“Want to keep him for yourself, huh?”

Reese shook her head. “There will be plenty of handsome bachelors for you to bid on.”

Reese just needed to find them.

CHAPTER TEN

Reese needed male escorts, and she knew just where to find them.

“Hey, beautiful,” Luke called as she walked in the door. “What’s the special occasion? I haven’t seen you two nights in a row since you took that job.”

“It’s been busy, but it will slow down after the masquerade ball.” She hoped, but she was beginning to get the impression that all of Halie’s staff—Halie included—worked long hours and wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Ben’s in the back on a business call.”

She crossed her arms. She was friends with all of them, so why did Luke assume she was here for Ben?

“Beer?” Luke grabbed a pint glass from a wall and filled it without waiting for a response.

“Oh, thanks,” she said as she took the beer. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Wiping his hands on a towel, he turned to give her his full attention. “Sure. What’s up?”

“You know me and Ben really well. Do you think he and I give people the impression that we’re dating?”

“Or that you wish you were?” a deep voice said behind her.

Reese turned to see Mark Hawk.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said, running his gaze over her. “I like the way you wear those jeans.”

She’d changed into a new pair before leaving the office, but she’d left on her strappy black heels, bright pink dress shirt, and dangly silver earrings. Her cheeks warmed but she made herself say, “Thanks.” Then, “People think Ben and I want to be dating?”

Mark shrugged. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

Reese shook her head. “We don’t. Want to date, I mean. It’s not like that.”

Luke grunted and Mark said, “Good to know.”

“What’s good to know?”

Reese jumped at the sound of Ben’s voice.

“Reese was telling me how much she likes her new job,” Mark said, winking at Reese.

She shot him a grateful look. “I do. It’s nice being challenged. Actually—” She rolled her shoulders back and pasted on her best smile. “I was hoping you three might consider helping me out by volunteering for my bachelor and bachelorette auction.”

Ben and Luke groaned, but Mark said, “Whatever you need.”

Reese crossed her arms and looked at Ben and Luke. “Are you going to let him show you up like that?”

“Yes,” they chorused.

“Well, think about it at least.”

“You staying for a beer?” Ben asked, waving toward his table at the back of the room.

“Sure,” Reese said. She looked to Mark and Luke. “You guys joining us?”

Luke shook his head. “Sorry, I’m doing inventory while I have Mark here to watch the front.”

“Next time,” Reese said, but Ben was already pulling her toward the back, a grin nearly splitting his face.

“I owe you one,” he said as they settled at the table.

“One what?”

“A favor. When you got here, I was on the phone with Halie. She was calling to set up a meeting to discuss my quote.”

“I didn’t do anything but tell her the truth. She’d be lucky to have you.”

Her phone buzzed, interrupting her.

“Mind if I check that?” She pulled her phone from her purse, but one look at the screen had her groaning.

Step Five: Ben tells me you’re at the bar. You’re a young, modern woman. Don’t wait for a guy to pick you up, pick one up yourself. End your night with a kiss and Sleeping Beauty may fully awaken
.

“What?” Ben asked.

“It’s Halie with my next step.”

“What’s next?” Ben grabbed her phone.

“Don’t!”

But it was too late. He was scowling at the screen. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean fake it, just like we planned. Tell her you did it.”

“You mean
lie
.”

He handed back her phone. “Is there a difference?”

“You don’t have to look so unconvinced. I can pick up a guy as well as the next girl.” She frowned. “I just need someone to tell me
how
.”

Toby Keith crooned from the juke box.

“Try standing on the table and asking for a volunteer.”

Reese snorted. On Monday’s Luke’s wasn’t exactly at maximum capacity. Those who were here, lingering over their dinners and watching football, were like Ben, blue collar guys in work boots and ball caps who weren’t too politically correct to whistle at a beautiful woman or listen to Mark Hawk’s radio show. Reese could just imagine their reaction if she did what Ben suggested.

“You’re not seriously considering—” His grin vanished. “Reese?”

She met his eyes. He lifted her chin with one finger, and the intensity in his gaze sent a lick of pleasure up her spine.

This was Ben. Her friend.
Friend. Buddy. Pal
, she reminded her girlie parts. Apparently, Sex Goddess 101 gave those parts a mind of their own. “Yeah?”

He swallowed. Time tripped on repeat as their gazes tangled.

No. This was Ben. Ben was…Ben. They were friends. They laughed and joked. There was no
tangling
of gazes. Sure, he’d made sexually suggestive comments to her before. He was a guy.
Once
she’d made the mistake of thinking there was more between them.

It was an embarrassment she didn’t intend to repeat.

But this was different. She could have sworn his eyes dropped to her mouth for the briefest moment before he pulled his hand away. “I’m beginning to hate this program.”

Reese released her breath. “Why?”

“First of all, you don’t need it.”

Well, that was…sweet. A big fat lie, but sweet.

“You still want my help?”

She crossed her arms. “How do you intend to help me with
this
? Aside from your brilliant standing-on-tables advice.”

He lifted a shoulder. “What? You’re not afraid to show me your moves, are you?”

She straightened and smirked. “You forget I’m a slut in training.”

“Prove it.”

Crap
.
He just called my bluff
.

Ben pushed away from the table and winked at Reese as he backed away.

At the pool table, he racked a set of balls.

She was toast. Broad shoulders, narrow hips, beautiful green eyes, and a killer smile. Ben didn’t fade out next to his brother, who was taller, darker, broader, and louder. He should have but he never did.

The only thing Mark had going for him that Ben didn’t was that Mark had never broken her heart.

She exhaled sharply, pushing away the thought, and headed for the bar. If ever a situation called for liquid courage, this was it. Had she
ever
made out with a random guy? Despite all her bluster, even if Ben could show her how to pick one up, she wasn’t sure she was the kind of girl who could stick her tongue down the throat of a perfect stranger.

Mark had moved behind the bar and was pouring a middle-aged man a drink. She waved to him.

“I’m going to need something stronger,” she said.

Mark raised a brow. “Really?” He looked at his watch. “Isn’t it Monday?”

Reese glanced over her shoulder to the table where Ben was lining up a shot. As if he sensed her looking, Ben lifted his attention from the line-up to her and mouthed, “Chicken?”

“Tequila,” she said, turning back to Mark. “Make it a double.”

Mark shook his head but poured the amber liquid in the glass.

She shot it back before she could over think it and winced as the liquid burned down her throat. “Wow.”

Mark chuckled. “Rough day?”

Reese looked at Ben again. He’d pushed his sleeves up, exposing toned forearms. God bless manual labor. That man had really nice forearms.

And this wasn’t the first time she’d noticed. Not even the first time this week.

Damn. No wonder people got the wrong idea about them.

“Things are about to get interesting,” she said, shifting her gaze back to Ben who winked at her as he made another shot. “Another?”

Mark coughed. “Reese, I don’t think—”

She turned to him and set her jaw. “How many times have I seen you serve pretty girls far past their tolerance?”

“None of them were as pretty as you.”

“Liar.”

He put a hand to his chest. “You wound me.”

She tapped her glass, waiting.

He shook his head. “Fine. But, hey, don’t complain to me when you want to die in the morning.”

She smiled at him as he poured another shot. Why was she thinking about Ben when she could be thinking about Mark? Dark, messy curls, those intense dark eyes. She watched him as she took sipped the shot.

“Just promise me you won’t drive home,” he said.

A slow smile curled her lips as a plan hatched. “You offering to give me a ride?”

He leaned forward on the bar. “Any time and you know it.”

“I’m not sure I do know,” she said softly. Her mind spun and landed on her memories of the summer she’d met the Hawk brothers. The best and worst summer of her life.

“Reese, I’ve only kept my distance because you asked me to.”

“We both know I’m not your type, Mark.”

He lifted a brow. “What do you know about my type?” His voice was soft and it catapulted her back in time. The sun pouring in the window and the hot body next to her, her head pounding from too much tequila the night before, the panic that set in the moment she realized what she’d done.

“You never told him,” she said.

His dark eyes looked sad as he exhaled heavily. “I promised I wouldn’t.”

“I just might take you up on that ride,” she said. “I’m supposed to kiss someone tonight…step five.” She lifted her glass and he snagged it away from her. “Hey!”

“If I get to kiss you again, I’m going to make sure you remember it this time.”

She glanced over her shoulder and caught Ben watching them. She was warm and climbing up a buzz, but that didn’t change the fact that Ben was her best friend and deserved fair warning if she was going to mess around with his brother. She couldn’t take another secret.

She pulled her wallet from her purse and Mark waved it away. “It’s on me.”

She shook her head. “Let me pay.”