Susan Mallery - Under Her Skin

Once inside the house, he took a moment to admire the architecture of the structure. It had been built in the 1940s, when land was cheap and a man was judged by the power of his horses, the beauty of his women and the size of his house.

Twin staircases curved up to a second-story landing the size of an airport runway. The entry glittered with light that reflected on the black and white tiles. A grand piano hugged one of the curved walls because what was an entryway without a grand piano?

Although he’d never been to Glory’s Gate before, he knew that the twenty-foot-high ceilings were hand carved. He noticed that the seemingly impenetrable walls of the two living rooms and parlor actually rolled away, creating a massive space that easily held five hundred. Now he walked into an elegant room mostly done in gold and sage green, with touches of red. The center parlor had been set up with rows of armless chairs for the auction that was to follow the cocktail hour.

He’d come to be seen, to rub elbows with the Texas elite. To find a way in to their high-class society. A charity auction would allow him to announce his presence with subtlety and class. If he spent money here, he would be invited to other charity events. Over time, he would be accepted. At least that was the plan.

He went deeper into the room, ordered a Scotch, neat, from the bar, then looked at the people he knew by reputation alone. He knew the exact moment Lexi entered the room, was aware of her chatting with the guests. As he watched her move toward her sister, he wondered how she was going to react when she saw him. Lexi Titan could give him everything he wanted. There was only one problem-ten years might have passed, but he was sure that when she saw him she would be far more interested in killing him than offering help.

LEXI HUNG BACK until the senator had kissed Skye’s forehead and moved on. While she appreciated his great oratory skills, he was a known womanizer and she wasn’t in the mood to have some old guy patting her ass.

“Tell me why you do this,” she said by way of greeting. “Don’t you have enough money to do whatever it is you need to do with your foundation?”

Skye Titan, Lexi’s middle sister, took a sip of her champagne. “Do you want to know how many children go to bed hungry in America every night?”

“I’m having a bad day. Don’t make me feel small and worthless on top of that, please.”

“Sorry.”

The sisters hugged.

Lexi stepped back and studied Skye’s green gown. “You look fabulous. I resent the cleavage.” She glanced down at her own relatively flat chest. “I never got breasts.”

“They’re less exciting than you’d think,” Skye told her. “I didn’t think you’d come. You hate my charity events.”

“I don’t hate them. I support the cause. I’m not into all the small talk with the rich and powerful.”

Skye grinned. “I know it’s boring. But I need to raise the money. Just sending out a request for a check never works as well as throwing a party. How are you?”

Lexi thought about her desperate need for two million dollars, forced herself to smile and say, “I’m fine.” She didn’t, as a rule, lie to her sister, but this was different. There was too much on the line to risk telling the truth.

“You said you were having a bad day.”

“Just work stuff. Did Izzy come?” Izzy, Isadora, was their baby sister.

“Of course not,” Skye said. “Izzy hates these things more than you. She’s due back any day but for now she’s still on that oil rig off Louisiana.”

Working as an underwater welder, Lexi thought, wondering how it was possible all three of them were sisters. They couldn’t be more different.

“So who’s new on the party circuit?” Lexi asked. “Anyone flashing a lot of money they can’t explain?”

“Not really. Who are you looking for?”

Whoever was trying to shut down her business. The more Lexi thought about how she’d been offered the financing and then had it pulled out from under her, the more she felt set up. Had someone done it on purpose? Was she being played, and if so, by whom?

“I’m not sure,” she admitted, turning so she could scan the crowd. “Someone with a reason to-”

Her gaze slipped over well-dressed couples, groups in conversation, a man in a dark suit. The president of the second largest oil company was in the room, along with his wife.

Her attention returned to the man in the suit. There was something about him…something familiar.

He turned. If she’d been holding a drink, she would have dropped it. As it was, her heart probably stopped. Years had passed. If she’d had a calendar, she could have counted the time to the day. Maybe the hour.

She’d spent the first six months hoping to run into him. Literally. She’d been prepared to take him out with her car. The second six months she’d been more rational. More willing to be objective. She wouldn’t actually kill him-she would just wing him and call it even. Since then she’d managed to nearly forget about him. He was a mistake. She’d assumed their night together had meant something-it hadn’t. Their time together was a blunder women had been making since Ug had beckoned Ugette into his cave back in the Stone Age.

“Who are you looking at?” Skye asked, then followed her gaze. “Oh, yeah. Him. That car guy. Cruz something. He’s very wealthy. Car dealerships, a chain of auto parts stores and a race team. NASCAR and something else. I can’t remember. He offered us a huge donation. Do you know him?”

Not a question Lexi was going to answer, she thought as she looked around for an escape. But there was nowhere to go.

She wouldn’t react, she told herself. For all she knew, he wouldn’t remember her. What had been a significant event in her life had probably been nothing to him. She was merely cheap date number 157.

It had been ten years and they’d both changed. The guy she remembered had worn jeans and a T-shirt, not a custom suit and imported shoes. Not that his face was different. He still had the kind of smoldering dark eyes that made a woman want to lose herself forever. Well, other women. Not her.

She would act like he was a stranger, then she would excuse herself. He would never know how hot the humiliation from that night…and morning…still burned.

“Good evening,” he said as he approached, smiling at Skye. “I’m Cruz Rodriguez. Thank you so much for inviting me, Ms. Titan.”

Skye smiled. “You’re more than welcome. Call me Skye. I hope you brought your checkbook. I’ll be shamelessly begging for extravagant auction bids later. But first I have to thank you for your generous donation.” She looked at Lexi. “Cruz is offering a weekend in Daytona in a private house with two days of racing lessons with his top driver.”

“Very impressive,” Lexi murmured, doing her best not to look at the man standing so close to her. She could practically taste him. Not that she remembered what he tasted like. It had been years. An eon, practically. He’d been an inconsequential blip in her life. Nothing more.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I should do introductions. Lexi, this is Cruz Rodriguez. Cruz, my sister Lexi Titan.”

His look was one of polite interest. Like she was the great aunt or something. As if they’d never met.

Great. He didn’t remember. She had spent days of her life, possibly weeks, planning revenge and even death and he didn’t remember. Wasn’t that just perfect?

He reached out to shake hands. Lexi desperately wanted to avoid physical contact, but there was no way to do that and still be polite. Damn her upbringing. She sucked in a breath, and allowed him to engulf her hand with his.

For a moment in time, she didn’t react. He was the stranger she wanted him to be. Then she looked at his face, at the strong line of his jaw, the firm, sensuous shape of his mouth and remembered what it had been like to be kissed by him.

Heat overwhelmed her. If she’d been twenty years older, she would have claimed a hot flash. Instead she had to ignore the tingling that nearly made her knees knock together and smile at him as if she didn’t feel a thing.

“Mr. Rodriguez,” she said coolly. “Nice to meet you.” She pulled back.

“Cruz, please.”

Interesting. That’s exactly what she remembered screaming around two in the morning.

“I’m Lexi,” she said, weighing his reaction. He didn’t even blink.

A woman in a dark suit approached. Skye saw her. “Excuse me, that’s my catering manager. Let’s hope there isn’t a crisis.”

Then she was gone and Lexi was alone with her past. She turned back to Cruz, only to discover he’d moved on. She was left standing by herself in the middle of the party.

CRUZ WATCHED LEXI circulate through the crowd. She was careful to keep an eye on him, while trying to seem as if she was unaware of him. He was doing the same, but he was better at the game. He’d seen her confusion, followed by annoyance that he apparently hadn’t remembered her. He’d also felt the fiery chemistry he’d enjoyed ten years ago. Knowing it still existed made his job easier.

She was exactly what he needed-a way into the closed society of the Texas elite. It was the next logical step in his success, and he would use Lexi to make sure it happened. All he needed was time to observe so he could calculate the best plan of action.

Opportunity came sooner than he expected. Cruz watched as Lexi greeted a middle-aged man with thinning hair and a widening midsection. They spoke as if they knew each other. Cruz moved closer, staying behind a column so they couldn’t see him.

“Your sister has already pointed out several things I should bid on,” the man was saying. “Skye is ruthless.”

“And determined. Just remind yourself this is for a good cause, John. Give in, because if you don’t, she’ll make you feel so guilty, you’ll never sleep again. It’s why I come to these events. It’s easier than fighting her.”

John laughed. “You’re probably right.” Then he turned serious, lowering his voice. “I hate to bring business to the party, but are you going to ask her for the money? Doesn’t Skye have plenty of her own from her mother and her late husband?”

Lexi stiffened. Cruz saw her shoulders tighten and her hands clutch her glass. “I don’t want to talk about that here.”

John glanced around, as if making sure they weren’t overheard. Cruz was careful to stay hidden in the shadows.

“Lexi, you’ve been my customer from the first day you decided to open your day spa. I’m the one who talked you into the loan you’re having trouble with. I don’t want you to lose your business. But you have to do something to get the money and fast.”

“I know that,” she whispered. “And I will. Going to Skye isn’t an option.”

“Two million dollars-that kind of money won’t appear out of nowhere.”

“Thanks for the update. If you’ll excuse me, I need to freshen my drink.”

She slipped away. John watched her go, as did Cruz. But while the older man looked troubled, Cruz was only pleased.

Life was all about timing. The right deal at the right time. The right conditions for the race. He believed in being prepared and then ready to attack when the moment was right.

Like now.

LEXI STOOD ALONE on the balcony at Glory’s Gate. She’d wanted to escape the crush of the crowd and find a private place to feel sorry for herself. Something that had lasted all of three minutes. She heard footsteps behind her and held in a sigh. So much for a little peace and quiet.

“You are looking especially beautiful tonight, querida.”

The man’s voice was low and sexy with the slightest hint of an accent. She recognized it, and him. Cruz.

She turned to face him, then wished she hadn’t. He stood closer than she’d expected, all tall and broad-shouldered, backlit by the light spilling through the large windows. The railing prevented her from retreating, and moving to the side seemed too much like admitting she was rattled.

“Mr. Rodriguez,” she murmured, then sipped her drink. She would play it cool. He didn’t have to know she wasn’t very good at the game.

He smiled, his teeth flashing in the shadows. “Now, Lexi. We both know we’re very much on a first-name basis.”

Her eyes widened. “What? Are you saying you remember?” She blurted the words before she could stop herself, then wanted desperately to claw them back.

He moved closer, which she hadn’t thought was possible, bent down and kissed the side of her neck. He barely touched her, but she had the impression of firm lips and warm breath. Heat and shivers raced through her, making her toes curl and certain parts of her want to beg.

“How could I forget?” he asked, his voice low and sexy.