Kate picked up the bag and set it on the bed. “Why don’t you go sit in the living room and I’ll be out in a few minutes?”
He nodded. “Would you like a drink?”
She took a deep breath and he saw the slightest hint of nerves hit her. But then she nodded and the nerves disappeared. “Sure. Something light.”
“Champagne?”‘
“Okay.”
He forced himself to leave slowly, not run for the other room like a horny teenager. Shutting the door behind him, he stopped to take a deep breath, trying to rein in the excitement roiling through his gut. He didn’t want to rip the clothes off her the minute he saw her. But his control was pretty damn shoddy at the moment.
And that was the one thing he couldn’t lose.
Nine
Kate watched the door close behind Tyler and breathed a sigh of relief.
She couldn’t believe she was going to go through with this. Couldn’t believe she’d actually had the nerve to stuff the clothes in her bag.
It’d been a last-minute idea and she had no idea where it’d come from.
Okay, maybe she had a little bit of an idea where it came from.
She’d done a lot of thinking after her meeting with Dinah about the job in New York. Actually, all she’d been doing was thinking. So much so, she’d been fending off a headache since last night.
Now, she wanted to play so she pushed everything out of her mind except Tyler.
And the pleasure she wanted to experience with him.
Opening her overnight bag, she pulled out the pieces she’d brought.
Am I really going to do this? Dress up in these clothes and parade in front of that man?
Yes, damn it. She was.
Because she wanted to.
Stripping her T-shirt over her head, she tossed it on the bed, quickly followed by her jeans and undies. Standing there naked, she caught sight of herself in the cheval mirror in a corner.
She had her share of body issues, same as any other woman. She wished she wasn’t so flat-chested and she definitely wished she had anything in the way of hips. She knew other women would kill to look the way she did, but truthfully, she wished she could put on a few pounds. But only in the right places, of course.
And since that wasn’t going to happen, she figured she should be grateful for what she did have.
Decent legs, for one. And beautiful hair. The perfect combination of her mom’s mahogany color and her dad’s sleek shine. It set off her pale skin perfectly.
And Tyler seemed to love it. He always had his hands in it.
Now, what to wear first?
Should she start tame and work up to raunchy?
Pulling the French maid costume out, she held it up to her body. And caught back the laughter trying to break free.
How corny could she get?
She’d originally designed this for a college play. Of course, the one worn on stage had actually covered the actress’s ass. This one was made to expose the bottom half of her cheeks. And the little white lace apron that attached to the frilly black skirt with concealed Velcro left most of her breasts exposed.
She’d even remembered to toss in the feather duster.
It only took her seconds to put it on, but when she did a final check in the mirror, her lips curved in a smile.
Okay. You can do this.
The one thing she didn’t have were the right shoes. She hadn’t brought the black patent stilettos sitting in her closet gathering dust.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
And had to work hard to control her smile when Tyler turned away from the window where he was standing and his mouth dropped open for several seconds.
Yes. This was exactly the response she’d been looking for.
It gave her the courage to saunter out into the living room. The air brushed against her exposed skin, pebbling her nipples until they peaked beneath the lace.
He held a glass in his hand, though the clear liquid appeared to be water. She noticed how his fingers flexed around the glass before he set it on the closest table.
As his mouth closed, his gaze made a leisurely trip from her bare feet up to her eyes.
“Do you like this one?” She posed with her feet together and her hands clasping the feather duster just below her breasts, looking at him from beneath her lashes. “I got the idea from a costume I made for a play in college.”
As she breathed, the feathers brushed against her breasts, the sensation intensifying the lust pulsing through her body.
A flush spread across Tyler’s cheeks and his eyes glittered in the dusky light of the room. Without saying a word, he lifted his hand and drew circles in the air with his index finger.
She complied with his request—at least, she chose to think of it as a request—and did a slow spin. “So what do you think?”
He walked forward, and she thought he’d come to her. Instead, he stopped at the couch and sat down.
Sprawled would be more like it. He slung one arm on the back of the couch and let the other rest on the cushion next to him. With his dark hair tousled, as if he’d been running his fingers through it, and the casual jeans and tight T-shirt that clung to his broad chest, she wanted to go over and sit on his lap and lick him. Everywhere.
“I think I’d like to see what else you have in that bag.”
His voice had deepened to a low rasp and she was glad she’d added a thong to the ensemble. It would be soaked by the time she was finished but that was okay.
She pouted and put one hand on her cocked hip. “Don’t you like it? I would have thought this would be right up your alley, being in the hotel business and all.”
The corners of his mouth barely moved in a smile but she knew he was. “I’m all for letting you design the next round of service uniforms, sweetheart. But I think I’d have a riot on my hands.”
She sighed dramatically and turned on her heel to head back to the bedroom. But just before she closed the door behind her, she looked over her shoulder. “Then I guess we’ll just have to try something a little less . . . frilly.”
With the door closed, she practically skipped back to the bed and the pile of clothes she’d laid there.
Shimmying out of the maid’s costume, she let it drop to the floor as she picked up a leaf-green piece of chamois deliberately made to look torn and jagged. She tied that around her breasts then tied a slightly larger, dark brown chamois piece around her waist.
She didn’t bother with the headband. He’d get the general idea.
“I always did want to be Tarzan when I grew up,” he said as she stopped just in front of him this time.
“He certainly has that beauty-and-the-beast thing going for him. What do you think of this one?”
“I think it’s sexy as all hell. And I think you should come over here and let me take it off you.”
Right then she realized she wanted him to come after her. Wanted to break his rigid control and entice him off the couch and to her.
“Hmm, no. I don’t think you’re all that interested in this one. I guess we’ll just have to try another.”
When she returned the next time, she swore he turned a deeper shade of red.
She hadn’t been sure what he’d make of this one.
“I’m missing the boots but I think you get the general idea. What do you think of this one?”
He didn’t say anything right away, his gaze glued to her body. He stared so long, she wondered if she’d actually shocked him.
Finally, he stood, closing the few feet between them.
He towered over her, hands at his sides as he circled around her.
“What was your inspiration for this one?”
She actually shivered at the sound of his voice, couldn’t control it. “I had a huge crush on Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. I wanted to be Trinity.”