False Pretenses (2 page)

Trinity folded her arms under her breasts. “In exchange for what?”

Alyssa smiled. “You already know. In exchange for the loan.”

“Are you serious? It’s not that big of an issue. Besides, if your business is failing, how can you afford to close it down for a week?”

“My business is not failing.” She ground her teeth. “I hired a part-time manager recently. She can do full time for the week I’m not there.”

Trinity’s doubt in her sanity radiated. “You hired a manager?”

“She has over twenty years of experience and great ideas for growth.”

Her cousin shook her head in disbelief. “You know this is crazy, right?”

Alyssa stood up, certain she had gotten what she wanted. “I have to get back to the store. Call me tonight with the details. Oh, and make it crystal clear to your boss that I am not selling my body in exchange for the loan. In fact, let’s keep that part between us. This is just pretend. Okay?”

Trinity sighed and stood as well. “Against my better judgment, you’ve got a deal. Have fun in the Cayman Islands.”

Chapter Two

Alyssa fidgeted with her seat belt, her hands shaking so much and her head spinning until she thought she would pass out. Beside her, Nathan laid a hand over hers, and she was struck, not for the first time since they started out on this trip, by the difference in their skin tones. Nathan’s tanned flesh contrasted with her coffee-with-cream brown. She had never considered dating a white man. As far as he and others of his race were concerned, she enjoyed looking, but never sampling.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked, cutting into her thoughts.

She jerked at his touch but resisted pulling away, and concern colored his expression. They hadn’t gotten off the ground in New York yet, and here she was blowing it. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ll have to do better than that,” he chided.

“I—”

He squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips. She stared at him, watching as he brushed her palm. A zing of desire rocketed through her body and straight down between her legs.

“You’ll have to learn to be more comfortable around me,” he explained. “We’ll have to look like we’re in love. If I can’t touch your hand or even kiss you without you running away from me, we’ll be found out.”

“K-Kiss me?” Of course he intended to kiss her. They had discussed it over dinner when he insisted he take her out to go over the details of what he expected and what she would not put up with. She must have been insane to do this, but Trinity had agreed to give her a check as soon as she arrived back in New York. The deal had been struck, and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her dream. “Of course, kiss. What was I thinking? You’re right. I’ll do better.”

She peered up through her lashes at him and didn’t miss the doubt marking his handsome face. Determined to prove he didn’t have the wrong woman for the job, she leaned over and touched her lips to his in a brief peck. The fleeting contact raised goose bumps along her arms and sent new pings of need to her nether regions, but Nathan appeared less than impressed.

He frowned. “That’s the kind of kiss you give to a friend.”

“You kiss your friends on the lips?”

He tipped her chin up. “You need to do it like you mean it. I don’t believe you love me, Alyssa.”

Damn, this man plays hardball. What was I thinking?

She licked her lips and swallowed, trying to get sharp control of her senses, but Nathan didn’t make it easy. Staring into those eyes threatened to rob her of equilibrium, and staying silent didn’t put him off. He waited for her response.

After an eternity, he released her and turned away. Alyssa blew out a sigh of relief.

“This is why we are arriving a day early,” he informed her. “To get you ready.”

“So you’re not having any trouble at all? You’re okay with kissing some random woman?”

He chuckled. “You’re not some random woman. You’re Trinity’s cousin, and even if you weren’t, you’re very beautiful. Why wouldn’t I enjoy kissing you?”

Her throat went dry at the offhand compliment. “Thank you. I think.”

“Mr. Corde, would you like a drink, sir?” The flight attendant, with clear interest in Nathan, leaned over his seat. Alyssa wondered if the woman always worked for Nathan or if she’d been borrowed from another airline. At least when this trip ended, Alyssa would have an incredible memory. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she’d fly on a private jet.

“I’ll have a Suburban,” Nathan said. “And you, honey?”

Alyssa just caught herself from starting at the endearment. The woman waited with a polite expression that didn’t light her eyes. Alyssa rested a hand on Nathan’s arm in a possessive move designed to piss her off. She almost laughed at the attendant’s cringe. “I’ll have a Cosmopolitan, if you don’t mind. Thanks.”

“Sure,” came the tight reply, and she turned away.

“Good girl,” Nathan whispered in her ear, sending chills racing each other down her spine. When her drink came, she took a few fortifying sips and relaxed in her seat while they hurtled toward an experience she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

* * * *

A man in a dark chauffeur’s uniform waited for them in the baggage claiming area. Alyssa was surprised the vehicle they rode in wasn’t a limo, but the town car was nice all the same. When they pulled up before a hotel that could be nothing other than five star, she turned to him. “I thought we were staying at your family home.”

He slid from the car and held out a hand to her when the driver opened the door for him. Alyssa put her hand in his, not startled this time at the tingle.

“We will tomorrow,” he explained. “While we’re getting to know each other better, I don’t want to be under the watchful eyes of the staff.”

She blinked. “Staff?”

“Yes, it’s a large home. Since my father and I are usually busy with work-related issues even while on vacation, and my mother and sister have their pursuits, someone needs to cook and clean. We hire staff to do that. We’ve had the same people come in seasonally to work for us. They’re locals.”

Alyssa thought of the apartment she rented, which Trinity had insulted. She’d spoken the truth when she said Alyssa lived in a higher crime area, but it was all she could afford. New York was an expensive city no matter where one chose to reside. She wanted to do better, and hopefully with the loan and changes made to her store, she could in time.

Nathan wrapped Alyssa’s fingers around his arm and guided her into the hotel. After checking in, she was glad to find the suite he’d booked held separate bedrooms. She counted three along with a kitchen, living room, and dining room.

“Are we expecting anyone else?” she asked, bewildered.

“No.”

“It’s a bit much for one night.” She strolled to the middle of the suite that was larger and nicer than her apartment and stood there. Behind her, Nathan thanked and tipped the bellman. The door
whooshed
shut, and the automatic lock clicked into place.

“Come here, Alyssa.”

She peered at him over her shoulder. He held out a hand, causing her heart to hammer.

“Please.”

All of sudden, she forgot how to walk as she stumbled to him. He stood in the hall, off the kitchen, and she joined him there. When his hands settled on her arms, she shivered. He stroked her skin with a featherlight touch.

“The more I touch you, the more comfortable you’ll be.”

She swallowed. “You’re not going to try to seduce me, are you? Because you’re not my type.”

His brows went up at her bald statement. Maybe he believed every woman wanted him. The way she shook and panted being this close to him, he would know the truth just looking at her. She did her best to pull it together.

“I don’t plan on it. But you’re telling me you feel nothing when I do this?” He raised her chin, leaned down, and kissed her lips, a touch that was a far cry from what she’d attempted on the plane.

When he raised his head, she thanked the heavens for her cocoa skin so he couldn’t see her flush. “It’s not bad or anything.”

He winced.

Score one for me.

“Well, I guess I will have to try harder.” He came in for another kiss, but she wriggled out of his grasp and hurried away.

“Which of these rooms is mine? I need to get cleaned up, and I would love to take a quick nap before dinnertime.”

She expected him to protest, but he let her go and pointed her in the right direction. Alyssa found her bags already settled at the base of the bed and shut her door to go through one of them. For a good ten minutes, she sorted through her clothing while her mind raced with thoughts of Nathan Corde’s lips. They’d been warm and soft, and he tasted better than any lover she’d ever had.
Wait, don’t even go there, girl. He is not now, and never will be, your lover. Period.

How would things have gone if it were Trinity? She loved Curtis, but could she pretend to love Nathan, and would she have flinched at his kisses? Alyssa sat on the bed. Maybe this entire fiasco was just that, a ruse for Nathan to get a black woman in his bed. Then again, that was absurd. The man stood several inches over six feet and had a body most men would pay good money to have, not to mention he was rich. Women of all kinds would line up to share his bed.

Still mulling it over, she climbed into the shower and washed off. After she’d lotioned her skin and folded into a thick robe provided by the hotel, she lay across the bed. Because she hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, tiredness weighed heavy on her, and soon she drifted off into dreamland.

A hand stroking her hair woke her, and she swatted at it without opening her eyes. “Never touch a black woman’s hair without permission,” she muttered.

“Is that true?” came the curious reply.

Memory of where she was and who sat on the side of her bed came flooding back, and she popped up. “Nathan!”

“I’m sorry. You didn’t answer my knock, so I came in. It’s after six, and I wanted to check to see if you were hungry. We can go out, or I can arrange for a chef to come in and cook for us. Your choice.” While he spoke, his gaze dropped from her face to her chest. Too late, she remembered she’d thrown the robe on after her shower and nothing else. The garment gaped open, exposing the beginning swell of her breasts. One move would uncover a nipple, and Nathan had noticed. Alyssa jerked the robe closed and jumped to her feet.

“Yes, thanks for waking me. I’m starving. We can go out unless you want to stay in? I want to see the island at night.”

“Your wish is my command.”

When they stepped out of the hotel, a limo waited, and Nathan dismissed the driver from holding the door for her and did it himself. She thanked him and moved past, making every effort not to brush him as she folded into the dark interior.

“Do you travel often by limo?”

He smiled. “Not always. I have a couple of cars I tool around in now and then. The limo is convenient for getting work done without the hindrance of watching the road.”

She nodded. “I balance the books on the train into work. It’s convenient.”

When he gave a polite response, she wondered if he’d ever been on public transportation.

The restaurant Nathan chose was a beautiful whitewashed building, which, as nice as it appeared outside, took Alyssa’s breath away inside. Purple, blue, and white lights illuminated walls covered in simplistic but skillful artwork. None of the paintings were in actual frames, but each looked to have been created directly on the wall, and they connected in a way that brought a sense of peace and warmth over her just gazing at them. A bar with neon blue lights beneath the counter stretched along one wall, and tables covered with pristine white tablecloths had been arranged around the floor.

A host in crisp uniform stepped up to greet them. “Mr. Corde, it’s good to see you again, sir. I hope you’re doing well this evening?”

“Jeff, good, thanks.” Nathan shook the man’s hand, and as they were led farther into the restaurant, she overheard someone else informing another host that they had reservations. When she and Nathan were seated in a private room, she studied him in curiosity.

“Did you make reservations?”

His brows went up. “I have a standing reservation here.”

“Standing?” She unfolded the cloth napkin and laid it across her lap. So much silverware framed her plate, she wondered which was proper, and then didn’t care. “Oh, you mean they will oust anyone because it’s you?”

Rather than answer, Nathan turned to the waiter who approached their table. Again the two men seemed to know each other by name. Alyssa allowed Nathan to choose what she drank for the evening, and then she perused the menu. No prices were listed.
A sign it costs an arm and a leg, I bet.

“So why are you doing this?” she questioned him when they were alone.

“You get right to the point, don’t you?”

She shrugged. “I don’t bite my tongue. Well, usually. I like to know where I stand, and I can’t help wondering if you just want a black woman in your bed. Maybe you have a thing for Trinity, but she ruined your plans by backing out at the last minute. You couldn’t very well admit the whole pretend boyfriend-girlfriend thing was a lie.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. Her fingers spasmed in his hold, and she jerked away. Nathan turned his hand over, palm up, and waited. With great effort, she placed hers back in his, and his thumb stroked her skin in gentle, slow circles.

“No, I am not interested in Trinity. I know she has a boyfriend. I do not horn in on another man’s territory. There are too many single women in the world.”

She clenched her teeth and lowered her gaze to the table.

“I have had sex with a black woman before. It was brief and enjoyable, a one-night stand. We remain acquaintances, and I imagine if I gave any indication I wanted to continue, she would be willing.”

No confidence in himself at all.
She just kept herself from rolling her eyes.

“While I’m free to come and go whenever and wherever I choose, I would not create a trip such as this just to get into a woman’s panties.”

“Okay, so my logic’s off,” she said. “And you can get whatever woman you want.”