Susan Mallery - Under Her Skin

“He was.” Cruz hadn’t asked a question.

Lexi nodded. “Or at least playing me. He’d gone to the prep school he claimed and to Yale, but on scholarship. I’m not saying that’s bad. The problem is he implied he came from money. He lied about his parents, his background. When I found out and confronted him, he said it was because he was afraid I would think less of him.”

“Did you?”

“Not for growing up like a regular person, but I didn’t like that he lied. I started seeing more things that made me uncomfortable. The way he didn’t have any friends from before college, how he was always looking at Izzy like he wanted to sleep with her. I thought I was being paranoid. Then I overheard him talking to his friends. He had it all planned out. Once we were married, he would go to work for Jed. They’d already talked about it. He didn’t want me-he wanted the Titan fortune. I was a means to an end. If I didn’t work out, he was going after Izzy.”

She remembered her first emotion had been a sense of inevitability. Why should she be surprised?

“What happened?” Cruz asked.

“I broke up with him and warned him off my sister. Dana had a couple of really big cops pay him a visit late one night and scare the crap out of him. He left town.”

“Did he break your heart?”

“No,” she admitted. “It hurt, but I recovered. Part of me wasn’t even surprised. The Titan name and money has always changed how people act around me. You’re only here because of the name.”

Cruz didn’t like that assessment, even though it was partially true. “I’m more interested in your connections on your mother’s side,” he told her.

“You know what I mean. My sisters grew up with it, so they’re okay, and Dana and I have been friends forever, so I can trust her. But there aren’t very many other people.”

Including him. “I’m not interested in your money or your name,” he told her.

“Not in the traditional sense,” she said. “You don’t need the money, but the name helps you get what you want.”

The right wife from the right family. Acceptance into a world that bored him, but still appealed to him.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You were upfront about it. We have a deal. I know where I stand with you. But with everyone else? It gets confusing. I thought I’d learned all my lessons, but Andrew fooled me. That’s what bothered me the most. I thought I was smarter than that.”

“You are smart. You won’t make the same mistake again.”

The waitress arrived with their breakfast.

Lexi commented on the food in an obvious attempt to change the subject and he let her. But he couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d told him. It wasn’t just the sadness in her eyes that got to him. It was the way she seemed…broken. When he thought of Lexi, he always pictured her strong and tall, confident. Perfect.

But she was as messed up as everyone else.

He found himself wanting to comfort her in some way. To find Andrew and beat the shit out of him. He wanted to…What? Be the good guy? That wasn’t his strength. Never had been. Besides, while he might like Lexi more than he’d first thought, she was nothing more than a means to an end, and when it was time, he would walk away without looking back.

“I NEED TO PICK up something at the office,” Lexi said when they left the Calico Café. “Do you mind? It’ll only take a minute.”

“Not a problem,” he told her as they walked down the street and turned right. Titanville wasn’t a big town, so nothing was very far. “Want me to wait in the car?”

She smiled. “You can come inside. The waiting area is open to men and women. Unless you’re afraid being around all that girly stuff is going to make you grow breasts.”

“It crossed my mind.”

That made her laugh. He enjoyed the sound nearly as much as he liked seeing the life in her eyes. Talking about Andrew had seemed to suck the joy out of her. He was glad it was back.

“There’s a safe, hormone-free corner.” She glanced up at him, looking too smug for his comfort. “Or I could check the massage schedule. I think there’s an opening.”

“No, thanks.”

“Come on. When was the last time you had a massage?”

“Professional or personal?”

“I’m ignoring that. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

He followed her into the foyer of the spa. Shelves filled with bottles and jars lined the open area. There were plants and floral smells, a rack of candles and some weird tinkling music that wouldn’t take long to get on his nerves.

She greeted the two young women behind the counter, then went to one of the computers and typed.

“Perfect,” she said. “Val will be available in fifteen minutes. I’ll get you ready.”

Not sure what to expect, he followed her through double swinging doors that led into a dimly lit hallway. A sign pointed to the women’s dressing room around the corner. Lexi led him into the men’s.

It was big and well-appointed, with a long counter, a couple of sinks, yellow robes hanging on counters and a half dozen lockers.

“Clothes in there,” she said, pointing to the lockers. “There are slippers on the shelf. Use one of the robes.” She paused, then grinned. “By the way, she’ll want you naked.”

“They all do.”

“I’m ignoring that. I’ll be outside when you’re ready. You’ll wait in relaxation. Val will come and get you. Oh, and no sprawling.”

“What?”

“Men tend to sprawl. They sit with their legs open. No one wants the view.” She glanced down below his belt. “Okay, maybe in your case they would, but we have a firm no-sprawling policy.”

She started to leave. He grabbed her hand and tugged her to him. “You can stay.”

“I own this place. I don’t need my employees talking about me.”

He kissed her. A light brush of his mouth meant to tempt more than satisfy. She caught her breath and swayed slightly, then stepped back.

“No,” she said firmly. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“I can.”

“I didn’t mean it as a challenge. I meant it…” She bit her lower lip. “Cruz, I’m the boss. I can’t have them…”

He released her. “I know.”

They stared at each other, desire flaring between them, then she ducked out.

A couple of minutes later he stepped out of the dressing room. Lexi stood talking to a pretty, petite, dark-haired woman.

“This is Val,” she said. “She’ll take good care of you.”

But Lexi was the one he wanted.

Still, he followed Val into a small room with a massage table in the center. She told him to take off his robe and get under the covers, facedown. Then she left.

Cruz put the robe on the hook, then got on the table as instructed. Val returned. She peeled the covers back to his waist and went to work on his back.

Ten minutes later, he was a convert and thinking he needed regular massages in his life. A faint sound caught his attention, followed by a whispered conversation. Val’s hands were replaced by someone else’s. Oh, yeah. Now things were getting interesting.

“Maybe I should turn over,” he said. “You could join me.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Lexi told him. “I’ve studied massage and I have a license, but I don’t do it enough to have any real strength. This isn’t going to last long.”

“I thought only guys had that problem.”

“Very funny.”

She concentrated on his upper back and shoulders. Tension melted.

Having her touch him led to a predictable result and laying face down on a massage table in a day spa was not the place to get an erection. To distract himself he asked, “Was this place a day spa when you took it over?”

“A small one. Next door was a dance studio and a boutique. When I got the two-million-dollar loan, I bought the building and took it over, then completely renovated the place. The equipment isn’t cheap. We have a hydrotherapy tub, the tables, showers. On the other side is a full beauty salon with everything from hair to nails to spray-on tanning. I have a staff of nearly fifty people and a loyal client list.”

“Which you built from nothing.”

“Pretty much.” There was pride in her voice.

“Why a day spa?”

“I knew I had to open my own business. Who in Dallas would hire Jed Titan’s daughter? I wasn’t interested in moving to L.A. or New York. I could put together a business plan and I had a small inheritance from my maternal grandmother, but no idea what to do with it. So I started doing research. A day spa met all my criteria. I found the industry interesting, I like working with women. I’m surrounded by professionals and I get my facials for free. It’s win-win.”

“Your dad must be proud of you.”

“I guess. He doesn’t say.”

Typical Jed, Cruz thought. Don’t give anything away.

She’d come a long way from that leggy college girl who’d thought she could beat him.

He rolled over and sat up. With him on the table, they were nearly at eye level.

“We are so not having sex here,” she teased.

“I know.” He touched her cheek, then her mouth. “Lexi, why was I your first time?”

He hadn’t meant to ask the question, although he’d always wondered. Why him? Why then? Why not some college kid who’d grown up with a country club membership? Why give that to a guy from the barrio who wasn’t going to stick around?

She turned smoothly and crossed to the door. “I’ll get Val back to finish your massage. By the time you’re done, I’ll be ready to go.”

And then she was gone.

LEXI WOKE BEFORE DAWN, which was pretty easy as she hadn’t slept much the previous night. She’d been unable to forget Cruz’s question-mostly because she didn’t have an answer.

Why had he been her first time? Why hadn’t she saved herself for someone special or maybe even her wedding night? She still wasn’t sure. She had theories-that he’d been dangerous and sexy in a way she’d never encountered, so he’d swept her off her feet. Although she hated the lack of personal responsibility in that one. Maybe it was that the first time she’d kissed him, she’d realized she could easily fall in love with him. That there had been a connection she’d never felt before or since. A connection that still stretched between them…at least from her to him. She didn’t think it came back.

Cruz had confirmed that last night when he hadn’t joined her in the large bed in his room. She suspected he was concerned she might get emotional, and what guy liked that? So he’d stayed in safer territory.

She showered and dressed and was about to leave the bedroom when the door opened and Cruz strolled in. He was dressed as well, in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

“Good,” he said. “You’re up. We’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “It’s Sunday.”

“I know.”

“I might have plans.”

“You don’t. I checked your calendar. Yesterday I saw your world. Today you’re going to see mine.”

“Meaning?”

“We’re going to a race track in Louisiana. There’s a kid there I want to see drive.”

“Louisiana? Do you know how far that is?”

“Closer than you think.”

After checking on C.C., they went down to the garage. But instead of heading east, Cruz drove them to a nearby airfield where a helicopter was waiting.

“You’re cheating,” she said as they climbed into the helicopter. “No wonder you said it wasn’t that far.”

“I’m getting the job done.”

The helicopter took off as soon as they were settled.

Cruz pointed to a headset with an attached microphone. She set hers in place and flipped it on. Immediately the noise from the engine seemed to disappear and she could hear him clearly in her ear.

“Noise canceling headphones,” he said. “You okay? Some people don’t like the movement.”

She looked out the window and watched as they rose straight up. “I don’t mind it. Izzy hates it, which is pretty funny. She’s such a daredevil, but helicopters make her crazy.” She smiled. “She’s always listening to rap and rock music on her iPod, but when she flies, she has relaxation meditations to get her through. You know-close your eyes and picture an empty beach with the surf rolling in. She’s working on an oil rig right now, doing underwater welding.”

“Your sister Izzy? The one I met at the party?”

Lexi understood the question. Izzy knew how to be as sexy and girly as the next woman, but given the choice, she would rather scale a mountain or wrestle a grizzly.

“That’s her. She’s always been wild.”

“Interesting sisters,” he said.

“Do you have family other than your parents?” she asked.

“No. I was an only child. My mom has a couple of sisters in California. I don’t know about my dad’s family. They have reason not to like me very much.”