Slow Hands

come aboard?”
    “You don’t have to. Permission is granted.”
    Then he was there, beside her, all tan and masculine, wearing a loose-fitting T-shirt, swim trunks and leather flip-flops. He even had beautiful legs and feet for a man.
    She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing, waiting for some sign from him. Was he angry? Curious? Optimistic?
    When he finally did speak, she realized she hadn’t even come close to guessing his mood.
    “I’m glad you called,” he murmured, tenderly scraping his lips across her temple. “Really glad.”
    And just like that, with his sweet touch and his sweeter words, she knew she couldn’t trick him, couldn’t get him out so far that he’d have no choice but to listen to her offer. Nor could she just seduce him into agreement by stripping off her shorts and top and laying herself out like a curvy appetizer.
    She had to come clean.
    “Jake, I think you already know me enough to realize how difficult this is for me.”
    “Mmm, hmm.” And he wasn’t making it any easier, simply waiting for her to continue.
    “The thing is,” she murmured, smoothing her hands nervously over her white sailor shorts, telling herself she was not leaving sweaty palm prints there. “I really would like to spend more time with you.”
    “Ditto. I’d like to spend more time with you, too.”
    She smiled, but didn’t relax yet. “Only, I don’t want you spending time with…anyone else.”
    He tilted a head, confusion evident on his face. “What do you mean?”
    Well, in for a penny, as they said. Taking a deep breath, Maddy rushed into it, prepared to lay out her well-thought-out reasons for her outrageous suggestion. “This is probably going to sound strange and demanding, but the truth is, I’d like to hire you, full-time. I know you’re a professional, and you’re very good at what you do.” Oh, so very good. “And judging by the number of women fighting over you at the auction, you probably stay just as busy as you want and never lack for…clients.”
    His eyes widened. That was all. So she hurried on, logically explaining her needs, her inhibitions, her conditions, her desires. She spoke quickly, not looking at him, keeping her attention somewhere over his right shoulder, at the horizon, her voice almost tripping over itself as she rushed to get it all out before she lost her nerve.
    “So you see,” she said, finally reaching the conclusion of what she hoped was a persuasive, reasonable speech. “It really makes sense for both of us. You’ll make your usual fee—whatever that is, I’m sure I can afford it. And I’ll have a companion without any messy, silly feelings or jealousies coming into play. We’ll enjoy each other for a month and walk away satisfied.”
    Or…maybe not. Maybe neither one of them would want to walk away. Maybe they’d actually decide they liked one another enough to continue seeing one another—sleeping together—without her having to buy more time. And with him choosing not to see anyone else.
    Not falling in love, never that, but at least falling into a relationship built on mutual attraction and genuine desire. Rather than mutual attraction and genuine greed.
    But she didn’t say that, not wanting to scare the man off before he’d even had a chance to consider her offer.
    He was obviously thinking about it now. Thinking carefully. Jake’s brown eyes were narrowed in concentration, his mouth grimly set, his jaw tight, but not flexing with anger. That was something at least. He merely appeared intense, as if looking at this situation from every angle, the way she had.
    “Let me make sure I understand,” he said, his voice gravelly and thick. “You would like to pay me a large sum of money to have sex with you for the next thirty days.”
    “With only me,” she clarified.
    “Right. Sex with only you. A lot of sex. All kinds of crazy sex.”
    She couldn’t be blushing. She hadn’t blushed since she was a twelve-year-old whose budding figure had attracted the very verbal notice of the boys in her class. It was merely the heat of the summer day hitting her cheeks. God, please let her not be blushing, not now that she’d come this far.
    “Well, not just sex.” But mostly sex . She thought quickly, scrambling for other duties he could fulfill, to make the whole thing worth his while and to convince him that she wasn’t just asking out of the selfish, helpless want that had filled her from the moment they’d met.
    She lit