Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set (60 page)

“Lingerie is more than a flashing neon light screaming easy pickings,” Natasha said calmly. “To truly entice, sexuality has to come from within. Lingerie gives a woman that soul deep belief that she’s beautiful, that she’s alluring. She doesn’t have to prove it. She simply needs to embrace it and she’ll attract others.”

Audra leaned forward, her face intent, her elbows on her knees. For the first time since she’d met the younger woman, Natasha saw her resemblance to Drew. It was that intensity in her gaze, that fervent furrow of her brow.

“Lingerie is an important tool,” Audra said. “One of many a woman should learn to use if she wants to get ahead in the game. And if she uses it right, she’ll not only attract others, but she’ll be in control when she does.”

“That isn’t a tool,” Natasha corrected. “That’s a weapon.”

“Weapon?” Ruf interjected with a nervous laugh, obviously picking up on the undercurrents. “You say that like there is a battle.”

“Well, yeah.” Audra gave him a ‘duh’ look. “It is a battle.”

“Between men and women?” Ruf asked, obviously confused.

“No,” Natasha corrected quietly. “Between women themselves.”

Audra shot her a considering look, apparently surprised at the insight.

“Oh, hoh, cat fights and all that, huh?” Ruf made an X with his index fingers.

“Hardly,” Audra said with a roll of her eyes.

“I don’t think Ruf realizes that a woman is always the harshest judge of herself—and of other women,” Natasha told Audra. She gave the guy a patient look and explained, “While men might comfort their egos by thinking a woman dressed to get their attention, the reality is women dress to impress other women. After all, few heterosexual men outside the design industry can tell the difference between Manolo’s and Massimo’s, but women stress their arches and their credit limit to have the finest.”

“What’s that, some kind of make up?” Drew asked.

Audra snickered, Natasha patted his knee and even Ruf shook his head pityingly. Before she could explain the beauty of expensive shoes, Ruf glanced out the door and clapped his hands together.

“Well, as fascinating as this insight into women’s inner workings might be, we’ve arrived.”

Natasha sucked in a breath and pulled back her shoulders. She might have no interest in checking out a strip joint, but damned if she’d be a wimp about it. Dammit, she’d prove she wasn’t repressed.

She took Drew’s hand and slid from the car. Then stopped in confusion. This didn’t look like a strip club. It looked like... well like a normal club. No flashing neon breasts, no burly tattooed guys at the door. A group of women in business suits gathered by the entrance, and the parking lot was filled with high-end cars with local plates.

“Ruf?” she asked.

He gave a hearty chuckle as he assisted Audra from the car. “Well, to be honest, Sweet Thing, I never said I was taking ya’ll to a strip joint. This is a spa. There are some exotic dancers, just to entertain the customers while they’re waiting. But this place is all about massage, facials, mud baths and things like that. Someone mentioned it in passing at the convention today and it sounded interesting. I understand there is any variety of things to do. And it’s my treat, so go for the works and have a good time.”

* * *

Any variety was right. Drew looked over the cleverly presented menu of services and entertainment with a grimace. This was not his kind of gig. Give him a sporting event, the casinos, even one of the shows on the strip and he’d be fine. This over-the-top spa was ridiculous.

He breathed in the female scent of lotions and oils, and wished like hell he were somewhere else. With Tasha, preferably. He was sure he’d be having a much better time right now.

“Oh, hey, they do couples gigs here,” Audra said, glancing at the brochure she’d picked up.

Drew gave her a sharp look, then scanned the menu again and ground his teeth. Was his sister trying to piss him off? He’d tried talking with her, hoping to get her to chill on the sex-kitten act, but she’d blown him off with a smart comment and a roll of her eyes. It would serve her right if he left her to deal with Ruf on her own. Except, he knew Ruf Randall was a walk in the park for his precocious sister.

The only real benefit to all this nonsense was getting to spend time with Natasha.

“And have you all selected your entertainment for the evening?” a heavily made up woman in a white smock asked.

“I want the body facial,” Audra told her. Ruf leaned closer to whisper something to her, but Audra just smirked and refused with a little shake of her head. “And maybe the light therapy facial? I’m not sure yet, can I add more later?”

“Of course,” the attendant murmured.

“I think I’m going to go for the full spa treatment,” Ruf said. “Since the lovely lady here has chosen to go solo, I want to add the a la carte option number five.”

Drew watched the ladies scan their menus and Natasha’s eyes shot to Audra’s face, as if she were worried Drew’s sister was hurt that her supposed date for the evening was getting his full spa treatment given by two naked women. Drew knew if Audra had cared in the slightest, she’d have made a stink. But she just snickered and tossed her menu on the counter.

“And you two?” the attendant asked.

Natasha bit her lip, looking as if she couldn’t decide between a seven layer chocolate cake and a hot fudge sundae. “Can you give me a few more minutes?” she asked. “Maybe get Audra and Ruf started. And Drew, if he’s ready?”

Drew shook his head. Oh, he knew what he wanted, but it’d be a hell of a lot easier to talk Tasha into it if they didn’t have an audience.

“What are you interested in doing,” he asked Natasha as a too-tall-and-tanned woman led the others off to their treatments.

“I can’t decide,” she admitted. Drew eyed the faint pink washing over her sharp cheekbones and grinned. Maybe she’d be easier to convince than he’d thought. Anticipation tightened in his gut at the possibility.

“What about this one,” he asked as he stepped up behind her, and wrapping one arm around her to point to a selection. She subtly leaned back into him and with half-closed eyes, Drew breathed in the rich scent of her silky hair. With his other hand, he lifted a few of the loose strands up to his nose and inhaled before holding her hair aside so he could brush an open mouthed kiss over the delicious length of her bare neck.

He felt her breath catch and smiled.

“What do you say,” he whispered in her ear, nibbling softly at the delicate lobe. “Want to go for the Couples Ecstasy Extravaganza with me?”

“I’d be smarter to get the body facial, like Audra did,” she said softly. Drew slipped his hands down to her hips and pressed her back against his growing erection. Natasha sighed. “But it’d be a lot more wild to go for the Extravaganza, wouldn’t it?”

There was something under her words, some deeper meaning that Drew didn’t get. He wasn’t going to waste time asking though. Instead he turned her to face him and brushed a soft kiss over her lips. “Wild. Exciting. Pure pleasure,” he promised.

They heard the attendant returning and Natasha pulled away. Drew had no idea what choice she’d made. With other women, he’d take the obvious arousal on her face as a guarantee he’d be enjoying the promise of the Extravaganza, but he knew Tasha didn’t put her wants first. At least not the ones he understood.

“And have you decided?” the tanned woman asked with a bat of her baby blue eyelids.

Natasha shot him a look and took a deep breath. Then she handed the menu to the woman and ordered, “We’ll have the Couples Ecstasy Extravaganza with option number two, please.”

Awesome! Drew hadn’t even let himself dream she’d go for an option. His erection, already hard from pressing against Natasha, stiffened even more at the images that flashed through his mind.

He was a lucky man. And about to get even luckier.

Chapter Seven

This was it. A surefire end to her curse. Natasha had thought sleeping with Drew the previous night was enough, but she it couldn’t be. Sex, regular sex, even as great as it was, wasn’t enough. For her to get over him, to let go and free her sexual wild child once and for all, she had to do more.

And this was more. Not only was she going to enjoy a steam, massage and whirlpool with him, but Tantra? It was so mystical sounding. Natasha felt a shiver of anticipation slide down her spine. No question about it... this was going to be one hedonistic night.

Natasha settled on the steam room bench, her towel still tucked securely around her, and leaned her head back against the wall. Inch by inch, Natasha felt her body relaxing. The warm, aromatic steam seeped its way into her bones, loosening tension, relaxing muscles.

Cool air washed over her as the steam billowed out the open door when the attendant showed Drew into the room a minute later. Natasha had to force herself to open her eyes and pay attention to the instructions. But the sight of Drew, his glorious body bare except for the white strip of terry cloth around his middle, made her catch her breath. Tension filtered through her, the kind that made her press her legs together against a dampness that had nothing to do with steam. Backlit by the lights in the hall, with steam pouring out the opened door around him, Drew looked good enough to eat. And Natasha realized she was suddenly very hungry for the taste.

“We’ll gradually reduce the steam,” the attendant was explaining. Completely focused on Drew, Natasha barely heard the woman. “We want to make sure you’re not drained when your time ends in thirty minutes. At the end of the session, the red light will flash. I’ll be here a few minutes later to escort you to the next phase of your treatment. This—” She pointed to a switch. “—will lock the door to ensure your privacy.”

With that and a smile, she left. The door closed with a soft whoosh and steam billowed around Drew as he made his way to her. Natasha’s mouth went dry and, partly out of thirst, partly to buy some time, she reached for the bottled water the attendant had provided them. Natasha gulped the partially frozen water too quickly and some streamed down the side of her mouth, off her chin and down her throat to pool between her breasts.

Seated next to her, Drew followed the water’s path with hooded eyes. It was the look in those eyes, the hungry desire in them that eased away the last of Natasha’s tension. She waited until he lifted his gaze to meet hers and, holding his eyes prisoner, she let loose the knot holding towel closed with a deft flick of her wrist. Heavy with steam, the plush fabric caught on her damp body so it clung to her breasts, but draped loose down her front where it puddled modestly over her lap.

“So what’ll we do to pass the time?” she asked. She knew what she wanted to do, but some small inhibited part of her kept her from suggesting they get naked and naughty in a place other than one of their hotel rooms.

“I have a few ideas,” Drew murmured, sliding his finger over her already-damp arm.

“Why aren’t you living someplace like Las Vegas? Wild and sexy seems right up your alley,” Natasha said quickly, glancing at the door.

“Too many people, too much drama for my taste.” Drew shrugged. “Why so you live in the big city? You’re right outside San Francisco now, that’s pretty populated. What about a smaller area, like, oh say, Auburn? There is a Starbucks there,” he added helpfully.

Drew lived in Auburn. Did he want her to visit? Was he looking to continue their fling? Make it more? Should she ask? How the hell did she answer without knowing what he was really asking?

Instead, she said, “My aunt’s boutique is in Sacramento, only about a half-hour from Auburn. So I’ve been there a few times. Any town with a Starbucks is good in my book.” She took a deep breath, and looking somewhere over his shoulder, said, “My turn. Have you ever been in a serious relationship?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Natasha wanted to grab them back and ask something safe instead. Like did he prefer boxers or briefs? Or what his fantasy car was. Anything safe. Hell, even asking about his favorite sexual fantasy would have sounded less needy.

Drew’s hesitance added to her tension. A million possible responses ran through her head and she didn’t like any of them.

“No.”

Especially not that one. Why did hearing that a thirty-year-old man had never been in a serious relationship send chills down her spine? It couldn’t be because she wanted that from him. Because she didn’t. Really.

“Never?”

“Well, not that I’d call serious, no.” Drew sucked in a deep breath and considered the question. “I mean, I’m hardly a monk, but relationships—serious ones—they take time and commitment and energy. Between running the bar, trying to dig my way out of debt and dealing with Audra, I just don’t have the time or energy to commit.”

“Debt? Did it come with the bar? Sorry, rude question. Strike that one from the game.”

“Nah, it’s not rude.” Drew shrugged. “The old man didn’t have much insurance coverage when he got sick, and the cancer meds, the treatments, they added up to a bundle. He didn’t believe in charity, so we were liable for fifty-percent of the bills. I never told him how much it was. I didn’t figure it would help his recovery, or his health if he knew.”