Single Gal Seeks Naughty Inspiration

Aubrey Hayes @windowUndresser

Window dressing at Le Muse lingerie = best job ever. LOVE. But must design The Ultimate Window Display Of Hot Sex before Xmas. #panic 24h

A Hot Guys Trading Card just fell from the sky. Could this beautiful piece of man be my muse? It’s raining men. #hallelujah 23h

OMFG, Detective Liam Flynn even hotter in person. May explode into a million pieces of lusty lady bits. #HandcuffMeNow 15h

It’s on. Have convinced the über-hot cop to be my naughty muse until Xmas. Two weeks of sex, here I come! *ahem* 14h

Muse Plan already working. Creative juices flowing. And Detective Liam Hotness is the best “inspiration” ever. Owe the Fates BIG time. 8h

But I only have him until Christmas. Keep it together, Aubrey—and DON’T fall for him. #SexNotLove 3m

Contemporary, sexy stories for sassy women.

Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Mills & Boon

www.millsandboon.co.uk/cosmo

To the fabulous Breetel, Yael and Debbi—you guys rock!

And to my editor Birgit Davis-Todd for always being in my corner.

Dear Reader,

Did you know trading cards aren’t just for sports anymore? There are all kinds. For movie and television shows, comic books, music…you can even collect history trading cards. What they don’t have is Trading Cards for women. One man per card, all the really important stats and preferences listed on the back. Like…is he Marry/Date/One Night Stand material?

In Definitely Naughty, the trading cards are real, but window dresser Aubrey Hayes doesn’t know about them until one literally falls into her hands. It’s serendipity at its sexy best, as Aubrey decides Detective Liam Flynn is destined to be her inspiration as she designs a sexy Christmas holiday window. The poor man doesn’t know that he’s about to embark on the craziest and best adventure of his life.

I’ve always loved twist of fate stories. And no doubt about it, I’m a romantic at heart. Writing for Cosmo’s Red-Hot Reads from Mills & Boon combined two of my favorite things and was more fun than I ever imagined. I’m wild about New York, men who serve and protect, and women who don’t need a man to be happy, but know that it helps…if he’s the right one.

I’d love to hear from you at http://www.joleigh.com, or at my tumblr blog at http://www.tumblr.com/blog/joleighwrites/.

Cheers!

Jo Leigh

Definitely Naughty

Jo Leigh

Contemporary, sexy stories for sassy women.

Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Mills & Boon

www.millsandboon.co.uk/cosmo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jo Leigh is from Los Angeles and always thought she’d end up living in Manhattan like any good Cosmo girl should. So how did she end up in Utah, in a tiny town with a terrible internet connection, being bossed around by a house full of rescued cats and dogs? What the heck, she says, predictability is boring. Jo has written more than forty-five novels for Mills & Boon. Visit her website at www.joleigh.com or contact her at joleigh@joleigh.com.

Books by Jo Leigh

MILLS & BOON BLAZE

178—HUSH

227—MINUTE BY MINUTE

265—CLOSER…

289—RELENTLESS

301—RELEASE

313—RECKONING

345—KIDNAPPED!

386—COMING SOON

398—HAVE MERCY

424—MS. MATCH

516—SEXY MS. TAKES

571—SHIVER

628—HOTSHOT

665—CHOOSE ME

671—HAVE ME

677—WANT ME

730—LYING IN BED

752—ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

All backlist available in ebook format.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter One

Even Florence killing “Shake It Out” couldn’t pull Aubrey Hayes out of her funk. She balled up her latest sketch and tossed it atop the pile of previously crumpled drawings that cascaded out of her trash can like a river of failure. She should have brought in the Dumpster from outside just to handle the night’s work. A glance at her watch told her the store had been closed for twenty minutes and that the inspiration she’d sought at the old drafting table her boss, Yvonne, had shoved in the corner of the stockroom had deserted her like a rat on a sinking ship. She might as well give it up before she imploded into a puddle of dark curls and red lipstick.

She grabbed her bag, slapped her fedora on her head, wrapped a stripy scarf around her neck and kicked her way out of the mess she’d made. At least the one on the floor. The mess she’d made of her life would take a bit more work. She’d heard about a monastery in upstate New York. Were there female monks? Was the vow of silence a deal breaker?

Aubrey slipped on her coat and made her way into the store proper, where the girl-on-girl mannequin display she’d set up last week caught her eye. The lingerie was part of the Deco collection. Two styles, both see-through bra and panty sets with detailing to die for. She’d been pleased that Yvonne had approved of her decision to position the two girls a hairsbreadth away from a steamy kiss. Equally pleased that a complementary duo had been installed in the men’s department, but with dudes, of course.

That was her boss all over. Groundbreaking, savvy and always standing at the very edge of a cliff, whether she was mounting risqué displays or building a whole new empire of lingerie stores to rival La Perla and Agent Provocateur. Yvonne’s risk-taking had gotten Aubrey her job. A quirky window display at a Brooklyn boutique had caught Yvonne’s attention last August. The fall window design for Le Muse—daring and different enough to catch the eye of anyone walking down Broadway—had been her triumphant debut.

Yvonne’s voice scared the bejesus out of her as she reached the front door. “Aubrey, my love, I meant to come see you. How are things coming along?”

Panic blossomed like a mushroom cloud. “Great,” she lied, hoping against hope that her high voice didn’t give her away. Although next to Yvonne’s elegant French accent, Aubrey always sounded like the hick she was.

“Of course it is. I know it will be fantastic, but the suspense is driving me mad.”

“Me, too,” Aubrey whispered, then called out, “Have a great night.”

“You, as well.”

It took longer to lock up because of her shaky fingers, but finally she was outside, the sounds of Manhattan soothing her more than a hot bath. She might have been raised in a flyspeck town in Utah, but the minute she’d walked off the plane at JFK, wow, four years ago, she’d found home.

God, she needed a drink or seven. It wasn’t even nine yet, so she had a good chance of getting the roomies together for cocktails. She could always count on Sanjula and Caro for support when her own life went up in flames.

Although this crisis was particularly difficult because there was a secret she had to keep from her friends. The night of the Christmas window extravaganza, the one that was giving Aubrey fits, Yvonne was hosting a celebrity cocktail party in the store. So many models and designers and movie stars would be passing through, her roommates would go insane. But Aubrey couldn’t mention a word of it to anyone until Yvonne gave her the go-ahead.

As she pulled her cell out of her bag, her gaze returned to Le Muse. The display window itself was one of the largest in the city. Yvonne had made sure it was equipped with everything a designer could hope for, including enough depth to stage a play if she wanted to. The only limitation Aubrey faced was her own creativity. Or lack thereof.

She had to admit her fall design had been a stroke of genius. A fluke, but a brilliant one. The window display had launched the store’s soft opening in October and everyone loved her flashers. Three mannequins wearing opaque plastic raincoats held wide open, their feet planted far apart, arms spread. Really flashing the hell out of the city. Though not at first glimpse.

From the front of Le Muse you could only see the girls’ backs. Luckily, a columnist from the Huffington Post had been the first to discover that the whole window was a puzzle. Using mirrors, monitors and cameras set up from different angles, there were all kinds of ways to see that the mannequins wore to-die-for sexy lingerie. A bustier and thigh-high stockings on the redhead, a nearly nude—and barely-there—push-up bra on the brunette, and the blonde dressed in a strapless bodysuit. At least, that’s what they were wearing now. Aubrey changed things up from time to time, from the outfits to the film clips playing on the monitors. It had been the talk of the town, and in a remarkably short time they’d built a solid base of repeat customers.

If only it hadn’t been the very last good idea Aubrey would ever have.

She turned, unable to look at the display for one more second. That drink was calling her very loudly. A gust of wind hit her out of the blue, almost carrying away her hat. Quick reflexes saved the day, and as she reached up to grab for her fedora, she noticed something drifting down from the darkish sky. At first she thought it was a piece of paper, then a floating leaf. She couldn’t imagine where in the world it had come from, or why it dropped straight into her up-stretched hand.

Aubrey blinked at her prize. It was a picture. Of a man. A very gorgeous man. She didn’t recognize him, and she was familiar with most of the current models working in the fashion world, but from the size of the card, she thought he might be a sports star. Although, didn’t they wear uniforms? Mr. Blue Eyes was in a leather jacket, with a white Oxford shirt underneath.

He had dark, thick hair cut with a knowing hand, a bone structure that made her wish she sculpted and lips…well, damn.

Turning the card over led to another surprise. It was a trading card, like for a baseball star or something, but she’d never seen a baseball card with so much information up front and center. His name, the very Irish sounding Liam Flynn, was accompanied by his phone number. A Manhattan area code. Huh. Submitted by Mary Whittaker.

Submitted by? That was odd.

His profession was listed as Detective. Interesting. Private? Police? Other?

Then came the jaw-dropping words…Marry, Date or One-Night Stand. He wanted to Date. It said so, right there in black and white.

“Oh,” she whispered. This must be one of the cards from that Hot Guy thingy. The one she’d read about months ago. Actually, she’d only read the first paragraph, but if she recalled correctly, there were groups all over New York that were dedicated to women setting up their girlfriends with guys they knew.

Sanjula would know all about it. Her roomie was a sponge when it came to stuff like this. She was up-to-date on every piece of celebrity gossip, and could explain the ins and outs of Manhattan nightlife in excruciating detail.

Aubrey squinted at her phone, then hit speed dial two and waited, her freezing cold nose and earlobes reminding her that if she had any sense at all, she’d go inside.

“Are you still working?” Sanjula asked when she picked up.

“No. I’m done. But I need you to tell me everything about that Hot Guys thing. The cards.”

Not missing a beat, Sanjula said, “Hot Guys Trading Cards were all over the news a while back. Someone who owns a printing company came up with the idea for her weekly lunch group. To belong you have to submit at least one guy you can vouch for, a friend, relative or someone you dated. If you choose a card, you have to check in with the person who submitted him, then you call your hot guy and make a date. I personally haven’t seen a card so I don’t know what kind of stats—”

“Fear not,” Aubrey said with a grin. “I happen to have that information at my fingertips.”

“Huh?”

“Name and phone, Submitted by, Marry, Date or One-Night Stand—”

“If you knew, why did you ask me?”

‘I didn’t know. I saw a card. A trading card from Hot Guys etcetera. It came out of nowhere. Literally. It floated into my hand.”

“Huh? What do you mean floated?”

Aubrey sang the first bar from “It’s Raining Men.” “Like that.”

“Is he hot?”

“Hold on.” She turned her phone, snapped a pic and sent it directly to Sanjula’s cell.

“Holy shit!”

“I know, right?”

Sanjula sighed. “Read me the rest of the card while I try not to hate your guts for being the luckiest woman on earth.”

“Okay. He’s a detective.”

“Ooh, how Sherlock of him.”

“He wants to date. Not marry, not have a one-night stand.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Sanjula said. “You’d want to have second helpings of that dish.”

“Maybe. The thing is, he’s awfully good-looking.”

“And that’s bad because…?”

Aubrey sighed. “The being-beautiful baggage,” she said. “Ego. Competition. Ego.”

“All right. I’ll give you that. But it’d be worth it for those blue eyes. Anyway, continue.”

“His fave restaurant is Parlor Steakhouse. His secret passion is the Mets. Ugh.”

“Hey, it could be worse.”

“I know, but come on. Baseball? I was expecting more from you, Liam.”

“No editorials please,” Sanjula said. “What else?”

“His Bottom Line is ‘To find a woman who shares my goals and values.’” Aubrey turned to face the store as another gust of wind hit. “He needs a one-night stand. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Sanjula snorted. “Yeah. Or two or three—one for each of us.”

Aubrey laughed as she looked up. There, above the doors, was the perfectly lit logo for the store. Her gaze snapped back to the card, then up again at the two bold words. Le Muse.

Sanjula was still talking, but Aubrey couldn’t focus on what she was saying.

“Yeah, right,” she mumbled. “Love you.” Aubrey hung up, and stared at his picture some more.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered, letting the breeze carry away the words. She had to admit the whole thing was a bit heavy-handed, but the Fates weren’t known for gentle nudges.

Liam Flynn had clearly been sent, special delivery, to be her own, personal muse.

A beer sounded great. Liam hung up his suit jacket, then turned on his computer terminal as he sat at his desk in the squad’s bull pen. He straightened his desk plaque, which someone had knocked sideways. Detective Liam Flynn. He’d never felt more deserving of the title than he did tonight.

“Well done, Flynn.” Detective Lieutenant Posner, the woman in charge of the detectives at the Midtown North precinct, stopped in front of his desk. “The bastards were right where you said they’d be. All of them and their computers brought in with no surprises.”

“I had some good intel,” he said. “My CI really came through.”

“I’d heard you’d made an impression on the locals when you were a beat cop. I’ve always believed that the best safety net is a community that has your back.”

“Yeah, well, I made my share of enemies, too.”

“I’d have been suspicious if you hadn’t.” She leaned in, lowered her voice. “Don’t think I’m not aware of your impact here. Most of these bums would rather chew off their own arms than do thorough reports, but in the end, seventy-five percent of convictions come from dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. Keep it up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Detective Lieutenant Posner smiled and went over to join the huddle of “bums.”

Liam heard them laughing from the other side of the bull pen, although he hadn’t caught the joke. He rarely did. But he knew that the vice team would be planning which bar they’d go to after shift. They’d choose between the White House, which had the prettier waitresses, or the closer O’Malley’s, where the drinks were less expensive.

Maybe, this time, he’d say yes when Harry came around to invite him. The bust on the money-laundering operation had gone like clockwork. It warranted a hoisted glass or two. If they decided to go to O’Malley’s. The White House was off-limits for him. The one time he’d gone, a waitress had tried to convince him to go home with her. He’d declined, but that hadn’t been enough to satisfy Detective Tony Ricci, who’d been trying to score a date with her for months. Tony still hadn’t forgiven him.

“Yo, Ridiculous.”

Liam’s jaw flexed at the nickname he hated. Especially coming from Ernie Rogers, one of the most decorated detectives in the NYPD. Rogers was nearing his twenty, and Liam had wanted to get to know him before he retired, but it had been seven months since he’d joined the team, and so far, they’d talked nothing but ongoing cases. “The name’s Flynn,” he called out, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference.

“You comin’ with? We owe you a drink for today’s bust. And then you get to tell the class how you figured out that Stevens and Isaacs were both going to be at that apartment.”

“Where?”

“The nation’s capital.”

“I’ll pass.”

Harry Bigalow, another old-timer, clapped Rogers on the shoulder as he shook his head at Liam. “Screw Ricci. You can’t help it if the ladies are all over you.”

“You know what? I’m beat. I’m gonna go on home. I’ve been up since three this morning.”

“You change your mind, you know where we’ll be,” Rogers said.

Liam nodded, then pulled up the first of several forms he’d need to fill out. He stopped listening to the chatter, the laughter. Fuck them and their juvenile humor. And fuck the complete stranger who’d taken his picture at last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade back when he was still in uniform.

He’d found out that she’d put it on the internet a couple days later. By then it was too late to do a damn thing about it.

She’d dubbed him Ridiculously Good-Looking Cop, and posted it to the massive social media site Reddit. It had already gone viral by the time one of the cops at his old precinct had sent the picture and the caption to everyone in the department. Maybe not the chief of police, but he couldn’t be sure.

He’d been Ridiculous ever since. By all rights it should have died down by now, but no. He had no idea why he’d imagined setting up today’s bust would change anything. Normally he wasn’t that optimistic. Now he was pretty damn certain the nickname would end up on his tombstone.

Most of the time, he didn’t give a rat’s ass. He did the job to the best of his ability. The more he was promoted, the more the idiots would hate him. Tough. He’d have a career he could be proud of. It had never been a popularity contest.

“Detective Flynn.” The caller ID gave no name or number. He’d just finished for the night after two hours of paperwork, and he was starving and tired.

“So, are you a police detective, a private detective or a consulting detective?”

Her voice was sultry, and if he’d been at a bar he’d have known exactly what she wanted. But as a cold call? “Do I know you?”

“Not yet.”

Huh. “Maybe we should start with why you’re calling me. If this isn’t a wrong number.”

“Definitely not a wrong number. I’m Aubrey, and I’m the lucky girl who got your Hot Guys Trading Card.”

“My Hot Guys…” That couldn’t be right. Mary had sworn that only one other person had seen the card, and that person was the printer. Even if somehow something had gone wrong, and his cousin hadn’t destroyed it as he’d asked, she would have told him. Warned him. “Aubrey…?” He clicked on his pen and turned to a fresh page in his notebook.

“I’m not going to tell you my last name. That would be silly.”

“Why?”

She huffed at him. “Some detective you are. Because then you could look me up online and find out everything about me before we met, and not only would that be no fun at all, it could be dangerous. For all I know, you could have a secret identity as a deadly villain.”

“You have my full name. And more, if you’re holding the trading card.”

“True, but I’m harmless. Mostly harmless. Occasionally harmless.”

“You’re not instilling me with a lot of confidence,” he said, only slightly surprised that he was grinning. “Besides, I thought I was supposed to get a call from Mary before we began this little adventure.”

“I guess it must have slipped her mind. Happens to me all the time. But as a show of good faith I’ll give you some details. I’m twenty-four. I’m a design graduate from Pratt. Well, not an official graduate. I didn’t finish three classes, but in my defense they were completely boring and who has time for that kind of nonsense, right? Anyway, I’ve had a lousy day at work. I was thinking you and I could get to know each other over a drink at the Session House bar. Do you know it?”

She was certainly confident for a woman who was lying her ass off. He wondered if the smidgen of information she’d given him was even in the ballpark of the truth. Although why would a liar try to justify not getting a degree? What could possibly be her game? “Yep, although I’ve never been there.”

“Well, it’s a very public bar, although surprisingly quiet for Manhattan. You can actually have a conversation there. Without shouting.”

“I don’t believe you. Bars in the city are required to reach a minimum of eighty-five decibels or we yank their liquor licenses.”

“Ah, a sense of humor. Excellent. You should’ve put that on the card. Wait, we yank their licenses? You’re a policeman. That must be exciting.”

“It can be.”

“I’d love to hear all about it.”

Nothing was kosher about this call, or her invitation. Mary had convinced him to try the dating club, sure he’d meet someone nice and steady, but that had been right before the Macy’s parade and the last thing he needed after that fiasco was to be on a Hot Guys Trading Card. Mary had taken care of things. She wouldn’t have lied to him. She was his favorite cousin.

The only thing to do was meet Aubrey at the bar. If Ms. No-Last-Name was half as enticing as she sounded, it might make for a hell of an interesting night. Mostly, though, he needed to get his hands on that card.

“Well, Detective Flynn?”

“I’ll be there in half an hour. How will I know you?”

“I’ll find you, Detective. Trust me.”

Liam smirked. Trust her? Not a chance.

Chapter Two

After the billionth time, Aubrey swore to herself she wouldn’t look at the door again. She managed to keep that promise for a whole thirty seconds. And this time it paid off. Liam Flynn in the flesh, wearing a long coat, black, stylish yet designed for real weather. Not that it mattered. He could have been wearing a bunny suit because there was nowhere to look but his face. And—plot twist—turned out he wasn’t photogenic. It was as if the picture on the trading card was of the smart twin.

All her clever opening lines were swept away on a wave of lust. Just looking at him made her nipples tighten and her tummy flutter, and there was definitely something going on lower down that she refused to think about. This wasn’t good. Not good at all. She was pretty sure a muse wasn’t supposed to make her feel this way. If anything she should have been immune to that kind of instant want. When she’d first arrived in New York, she’d worked part-time at a modeling agency and been around tons of celebs. Looks alone were definitely not enough to capture her interest. But there was something about Liam. He was hers. Or he would be if she could get her act together.

Maybe this was a test. It shouldn’t matter that he was an eleven while she was a seven. No reason to chicken out now. The truth was she was the kind of person whose looks improved up close and personal. In conversation, she was usually fearless.

She could use some of that bravura right now. A couple of deep breaths did squat so she threw back the rest of her vodka. The burn woke something up. This man was the answer to her problems and she wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip through her fingers.

Womaning up, she slipped out of the booth, squared her shoulders and began the long walk across the small bar. Three steps in, he looked at her. Just a glance at first, but his gaze returned a second later.

He couldn’t possibly know who she was. And still, the stare continued. As omens went, that seemed excellent.

“Aubrey,” he said, the moment she was in hearing range. It wasn’t even a question.

“Very good, Detective,” she said, stunned that her voice wasn’t three octaves higher because at this distance he was stupidly handsome. “How did you know?”

“The way you were looking at me, you were either Aubrey or dangerous as hell.”

“Who says I can’t be both?”

He opened his mouth to speak but seemed to change his mind. Instead, he grinned.

“So, what are you drinking?” she asked.

“Shouldn’t we find a seat?” He nodded at one of the waitresses. “I might want something to eat.”

“I’ve got us a booth, but they’re short-handed tonight, so I’ll get our drinks. It’ll give you a chance to look at the menu. I can personally recommend the sliders. And by the way, this is my treat.”

His smile had gone a bit crooked. “I’ll have a Blue Moon in the bottle, thanks. And I’ll open it at the table.”

She mirrored his expression, glad that he hadn’t objected to her buying the round. And impressed he was being careful about his drink. She’d never gone out with a policeman before, and she’d assumed he’d want to be all macho. “We’re the fourth booth down, the one with the hat and purse on the seat.”

“You walked over here without your purse?”

“It’s underneath the hat.” Turning away, she kept her shoulders straight, her head high. She waited until she was leaning against the bar to exhale a half dozen breaths at once. Paulo, her favorite bartender, showed up and she had him put Liam’s beer and her double vodka rocks on her tab. Drinks in almost-steady hands, she started back to the booth, but didn’t get far.

Lily, a friend from Pratt, body blocked her. “Who is that?”

Aubrey smirked, but in a nice way. “He’s kinda cute, isn’t he?”

“Please. I’d stab my own brother to have a night with him.”

“I happen to know you dislike your brother intensely.”

“What’s your point?”

Aubrey stepped to the left. “Too bad he’s taken,” she said, and yeah, that sounded bitchy.

No one else interrupted, thankfully, so she slid into the booth across from the heart-stopping cop.

“Thanks,” he said as she handed him his drink, but before she’d settled in, he hit her with a very different kind of stare. “Where’d you really get the card?”

She wasn’t shocked. Well, maybe at the timing, but not the question. “Did you call Mary?”

“I left a message, but it didn’t matter. I knew you were lying.”

“I kind of figured, but hey, it worked because you’re here and I’m here…. Besides, this isn’t what it looks like.”

“It looks like you somehow got hold of something that doesn’t belong to you and lied to me about it.” He unscrewed the cap on his beer and took a sip.

“Okay, it is what it looks like, but there’s more to it.”

He took another drink, but his wryly cocked left eyebrow signaled some serious doubt.

“Let me explain.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, his voice dipping into a register that made her toes curl. Sadly, his earlier amusement had left the building. She had a feeling his grip was already on his handcuffs.

Hmm. Handcuffs.

Not the point. She sipped her vodka and faced him with all the innocent earnestness she could muster. “It fell out of the sky.”

His expression changed again, this time to confusion peppered liberally with suspicion.

“The card,” she said. “It actually drifted out of the sky.”

He finally nodded. Took another drink, then said, “Um, are you off your meds, Aubrey?”

She laughed. Which didn’t illuminate the situation at all. As a cop he’d had plenty of strange encounters, everything from getting spit on by a guy in a Sponge Bob costume to talking down a hysterical woman who was about to step in front of the M train. But Aubrey, with her dark mass of unruly curls, too-wide mouth and cherubic cheeks, was something new.

Maybe it was her confidence that had drawn him in, or her smile, or the way she gleefully challenged him with her gaze. But he’d felt the pull the moment their eyes met. Weird how he’d known she was the one who had his card. Even weirder that he’d actually hoped it was her despite how obvious it was that she was nuts. But then he’d watched her walk to the bar in those towering red heels and tight black dress that was inches away from becoming a public indecency violation. He’d swallowed hard at her very womanly hips and a pair of shapely legs that he could all too easily imagine wrapped around his waist.

Admittedly, it had been a while for him, but he’d had more opportunities than most to take care of business if he’d just wanted to get laid. Sex had never been a problem. He was grateful for that, absolutely. But now that he was approaching thirty, he was trying to avoid letting his dick call the shots.

It wasn’t only his dick that found Aubrey intriguing, however.

“Look, I was at work,” she said, leaning toward him, her deep purple fingernails clicking on her shot glass. “I’m doing this Christmas window display for a lingerie store. It’s a major deal because I’m a nobody and you know what happens with Christmas windows in this city. For God’s sake, did you know that the window at Lord & Taylor is on a hydraulic lift so the whole thing can be moved to the basement? That the big players like Macy’s and Barney’s can spend over a million dollars on their displays?

“Anyway, my boss is kind of the Tina Brown of lingerie and the store was supposed to have opened ages ago, but there were all sorts of delays, so it didn’t open until October, but she needs the store to kill at Christmas, so I’m supposed to debut the window live on Christmas Eve Eve in front of reporters and bloggers from the New York Times to PopSugar…pretty much everyone who’s anyone, so you can imagine the pressure, right?”

Her hand slid across the table to land on his, which gave him a jolt that went straight to his cock. He nodded, although he’d barely understood half of what she’d said.

“I’ve done a hundred or more sketches and I’ve got nothing. Seriously, nothing. Nada. Zippo. And it’s almost three weeks until Christmas! There aren’t words to describe how freaked out I am.”

She paused, but only to knock back more of her drink. After squishing her face up into an award-winning wince, she took a deep breath and dove back in, her hand still on his.

“So tonight I walk outside, and this freaky wind almost blows my hat across the street. That’s when I see it. I had no idea what it was or where it came from until it fell, I bullshit you not, into my hand. No exaggeration. Literally into my hand.”

She held up said hand as a visual aid. He let out a surprisingly big breath as he pulled his own to his lap. “My trading card,” he said.

Pointing her finger at him as if she’d unequivocally made her case, she said, “Exactly. That doesn’t just happen.” She leaned back against the booth, her deep scarlet lips set in a firm line while her eyes danced.

Danced? He’d never had a thought like that before in his life. He grabbed his beer, somehow knowing things were only going to get worse.

“Okay, so, what I haven’t told you is the name of the store where I work.”

That was evidently his cue. “No. No you haven’t.”

She grinned, and leaned in again. “Le Muse,” she said, going full French accent on him. The way her eyebrows rose and her sly grin indicated that the name was significant. He had no idea why. “Uh-huh.”

“Le Muse, Liam. Le Muse.”

“Sorry, I don’t follow.”

Her clear frustration made him feel as if he should apologize.

“You. It’s you. You came down from God knows where and landed in my lap. Detective Flynn, you’re meant to be my personal muse.”

It took a minute to digest her completely insane idea. Then he had to go through it again, just to make sure he wasn’t hearing things. But no. She thought he was a mythical Greek goddess.

Definitely off her meds.

“Maybe I should take a look at the card,” he said. “Just to, you know, get a grasp on this.”

“Oh, sweetie. No can do. Not yet.”

“No? Why the hell—”

The waitress’s timing could not have been worse. “Sorry for the delay, but we’re short-staffed tonight.” She had her pen poised at the ready. “What can I get you guys?”

Liam had been starving when he’d gotten there, but Aubrey’d knocked the hunger straight out of him. All he could do was stare.

“I thought you wanted to eat,” she said.

He opened his mouth, but before he could respond, Aubrey said, “I’ll have the fried chicken sliders and another round, please.” She smiled his way and said, “You’re welcome to share.”

“What about you, gorgeous?” the waitress asked.

Huh. The way she looked at him, as if he were on the menu, made him realize he’d expected the same from Aubrey. But his looks didn’t seem to matter to her bewildering scheme. “That mac and cheese sounds good.”

“You got it. Aubrey, on your tab?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Uh,” he said, but it was too late. They were alone again. “You don’t have to pay for my food. Or another beer.”

“Yes, I do. I asked you here because—”

He held up a hand, not willing to be sidetracked again. “I believe you were going to tell me why you don’t want me to see the card?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, shaking her head as if the explanation wouldn’t have been necessary if only he’d been paying attention. “I’m assuming you know what a muse is.”

“Yes. How they relate to me in any way isn’t clear, however.”

“From the sky, Liam. Dropped from nowhere. Anyway, what a muse does is inspire creativity. That’s exactly what my problem’s been. Why I can’t come up with a great idea for the window. You fall into my hand like a gift, and in seconds I can feel my juices getting all stirred up.”

His reaction to that last comment wasn’t good. Not good at all.

“I knew it was destiny. The Fates, you know? There’s no law that says a muse has to be a woman. I mean, come on. That would be crazy.”

“Yeah. That part would be crazy.”

She didn’t actually say, “Obviously,” but she managed to get the point across.

“Not to put a damper on things, but I don’t think this whole muse business is up my alley. And you still haven’t answered my question.”

It was as if he’d taken away her favorite kitten. “You do realize my entire future is at stake. If I blow this window, I’ll never get another chance like it. My boss is one of the most connected people in the world. She could literally ruin me. Forever.”

“I don’t think—”

“Listen, you don’t understand. I can’t have you distracted by other dates, at least not for now. But don’t worry, this isn’t a long-term proposal. It’s just until Christmas Eve Eve. And it’s not even that hard. I mean, all I really need from you is lots and lots of sex.”

His next words vanished from his mind. As did most of his working brain cells. “What’s that you say?”

Chapter Three

She hadn’t planned out exactly how she would ask Liam for a one-night stand, but telling him she wanted “lots and lots of sex” might have been taking it a step too far. Although his rapid blinking and open mouth could also suggest a nail hit directly on the head. Or an imminent solicitation charge.

Instead of answering his question, she moved her right foot until it bumped against his shoe. Slipping off her heel, she shimmied up his pant leg until she found skin. One quick rub with her big toe made him blush. And stammer. But he didn’t move away. That took getting arrested off the table.

“Look, Aubrey…”

Feeling much more in control of the situation, she relaxed against the backrest and waited. She liked him flustered. She’d put that right at the top of her list of Fun Things to Do with Muses.

His jaw moved as if he was getting ready to speak, but it took a while for the words to form. “This is all very…weird,” he said finally. “You don’t really expect me to just jump on board with this, do you?”

“Why not? The offer’s legit. We can even go back to your place if it’ll make you feel better.”

His foot lifted, dislodging her toes. “This something you do often?”

“What, find a trading card floating from the night sky? No.”

“Asking men you’ve just met for lots of sex.”

“Not often. Only when it feels right. Haven’t you ever had a one-night stand?”

He cleared his throat, looked up and to the left. Ha, she knew what that meant, even if she wasn’t a detective. He was making up an answer right this second. “No. Okay, yes, but not usually—”

“Before snacks?” she said, interrupting. “No problem. I’ll wait until we’ve eaten to ask again.”

“That’s not—You do realize I’m with the police.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“You don’t—” He sighed. “I should have ordered something stronger.”

Aubrey contained her grin. While this part of the evening was turning out better than she’d hoped, she couldn’t wait to see how entertaining he would be once they were alone. She’d bet that blush of his went all the way down his chest. She’d also wager that he was right this second coming up with justifications for saying yes. Would it be better to help him out now, or wait a bit?

Their drinks were coming, so she’d wait. Give him time to get creative. It was clear he was hooked, even if he insisted on fighting with the lure.

“Why’d you become a policeman?”

“What?”

“Being a police detective isn’t the same as being a CPA or a math teacher. The decision can’t be a simple one. There’s a lot of political and social significance to the job, pro and con. Maybe you come from a family of cops? Or maybe a police officer had an impact on your early life?”

He closed his mouth. For a moment, he didn’t do anything but gawp at her. Then he drank from his beer, but there didn’t appear to be any left. When he put it down, it was very decisive. “Now you want small talk?”

“Small talk? I didn’t ask about the weather. A career is a big deal. The biggest, except for love.”

He sighed, and his very gorgeous jaw clenched. “Fine, now you want a deep discussion?”

She nodded. “The food’s going to take a few minutes. And I’m interested.”

Before he could respond, fresh drinks replaced the empties, and just as the waitress turned away, Liam jolted, stopping her with an urgent plea. “Wait.”

Tracy, whose nametag had somehow moved closer to her boob since her last visit, looked at him with a practiced pout. “Can I help you?”

“Whiskey. Double. Please.”

“We’ve got Bushmills, Concannon, Knappogue Castle, Clontarf, Jameson and Paddy. Any of those turn you on?”

He looked up at her, blinking again.

Aubrey reduced her tip by five percent.

“Bushmills. Thanks.”

“Welcome, honey,” Tracy said with a wink. She turned back to face the bar without giving Aubrey so much as a glance.

Ten percent.

“Sorry,” he said, his attention back where it belonged. “Why don’t you tell me about this big window display that’s got you so upset?”

“Well, all right, although you’ve already got the salient points. It’s a Christmas theme, naturally. And that makes it harder because, my God, everything’s already been done. The whole reason Yvonne hired me is because she saw what I did at this little boutique in Park Slope. That one cost virtually nothing. Just a few colored lights, and some borrowed hay.”

“You borrowed hay?”

She shrugged. “Not much. It worked, though. Because the pieces I chose for the display were all elegant as hell, a crystal chandelier, a silver tea set, clothes from the ’30s and ’40s. But good stuff, expensive stuff. I even had a legit Louis Quatorze commode that went to Christie’s afterward.”

“And the hay?”

“Oh, the backdrop was a barnyard. With real chickens and a goat. At least for a couple of days. Then it got too smelly.”

“That got you hired?”

“It worked. Completely. It was written up in the Post. I know, the Post, but still. My friends who own the boutique got a lot of business from that display.”

“Huh.” He drank some beer, stared at the saltshaker.

Holy crap, but his cheekbones were spectacular. Built to highlight his eyes, but also as a foundation for his amazing dimples and square jaw. His face could be an exhibit at MOMA and they’d sell all the tickets they could print.

Liam wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sighed again. Didn’t meet her gaze. Her cue to dial it back a few notches. He was a muse, not a toy.

Tracy arrived with his double and the food, but to Aubrey’s delight, Liam didn’t give her the time of day.

Aubrey smiled at Tracy before she left, but the gesture wasn’t returned.

“I don’t know a lot about window displays,” he said. “But I’ll take your word for it.”

“That’s okay. We’ll talk more about the design as we go along.”

He exhaled heavily, his fork hanging loosely over the mac and cheese. Then he finally met her gaze with what she imagined was his getting-the-perp-to-confess-now look. “Did someone hire you to do this?”

“No.”

“Because if the idiots I work with paid you, just tell me. I’ll make sure you get your money. I swear. Then you can just give me the card back, and I’ll let the whole issue drop. Okay?”

“No one hired me,” she said, her happy mood cut off at the knees. “I’ve been completely honest with you.”

The music got louder, the room felt colder and time stretched as he looked through her. “Chickens and a goat?”

Everything tilted back to normal, at least on her side of the table. His half smile helped.

“Yes. It was all about contrasts and anachronisms.”

He ate for a bit, and she downed a slider. It was very good.

After he finished his appetizer, he shoved the plate to the center of the table and picked up his whiskey. “Lots and lots of sex?”

The last of her worries fled. “Yes.”

“How much is lots and lots?”

“Until I get the design right. I don’t know how long that’s going to take, although it can’t be that long because I’m on a deadline.”

He sipped his drink. Narrowed his eyes. “You said one-night stand.”

“Oh, well, it could just be one night. If you’re as inspirational as I hope. But I didn’t want to pressure you or anything.”

“I don’t have a creative bone in my body. Can’t draw, can’t carry a tune. I do my best writing on reports. I don’t even have a favorite movie. How can you possibly think I’ll be in any way inspirational?”

Aubrey leaned forward, put her hand over his. “You fell from the sky, Liam Flynn. Into my hand.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Maybe not, but answer me this. Did you know that the placebo effect has been proven as effective as medication in many cases? That when sports figures find a ritual or good luck charm their stats improve compared to players who don’t believe in omens? That the concept of the muse as inspiration is as old as human history? Frankly, it doesn’t matter whether you buy it or not. I do.”

“Do you actually expect me to answer any of those questions?”

“No. Frankly, it doesn’t matter whether you buy it or not. I do.” She lowered her lashes and looked up at him. “There’s only one question that matters tonight. Will you say yes?”

Shit. He was going to say yes.

Aubrey was completely nuts. Which wasn’t the turnoff it should have been. In fact, he hadn’t been this intrigued by a date in a hell of a long time. He was confused, absolutely, but at least Aubrey wasn’t boring.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.