Seduced by Sin: Sean (Rugged Riders #3) Page 2

  “Oh, well,” Vivian exclaimed. “How do you two know him?”

  “He was…actually he still is a sponsor for my former stock racing team.”

  Vivian’s hand went to her mouth. “You’re a NASCAR driver?”

  Her declaration must have been loud enough to broadcast to the table next to ours because the people sitting there started eyeballing Sean.

  He nodded. “Was. I’m now retired.”

  “Oh, man, really?” André, Vivian’s fiancé’s, eyes widened. “I’m a big NASCAR fan. Wait a minute? You said your name was Sean, right?”

  Sean nodded uncomfortably.

  “Oh, God, baby. He’s a legend.” André’s excitement escalated. He pulled a small business card out of his pocket, flipped out a pen, and thrust it toward Sean. “This is kind of unexpected, but I really want your autograph. I wish I had known. I hardly recognized you.”

  “Sure,” Sean said, reluctantly.

  “Baby, keep it down,” Vivian told André. “I don’t think he wants people to know who he is.”

  “Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.” André pretended to zip his lips closed.

  “Thank you,” Sean said. “I keep a low profile now. And the night belongs to Mr. Donaldson.”

  A hush fell over the room as someone took the stage and walked behind the podium. When the woman began talking, I tuned out.

  My gaze dropped to the table first before I slowly lifted it again to take another glance at Sean. Like mine, his attention had fallen elsewhere. I could tell he was glad that both Vivian and her fiancé hadn’t called him out somehow. Any worse than they already had, anyway. Apparently, he didn’t like being in the limelight.

  He commanded my attention even when he wasn’t trying, and I couldn’t help but admire him. He looked up unexpectedly and caught me staring. We shared a brief private moment, completely oblivious to the speech and everyone else.

  Catching me by surprise, he reached for my hand under the table and held it. His hands were strong and comforting as he laced his fingers with mine.

  I breathed in and out unevenly as heat raced up my spine.

  Pretend girlfriend…

  Whatever.

  Why did this feel real and so right?

  For the next hour, the food was served, which kept conversation to a minimum since most everything on the plate was appealing to everyone. The country club was located next to a five-star restaurant, so top-notch quality was expected. We ate with the other couple, exchanging light banter when appropriate.

  After our table had been cleared, Sean got up and took my hand. “Karlina and I are going to mingle for a bit. It was nice meeting you two.”

  As we headed away from the table and Sean led me through the crowds, I heard more than a few folks pointing and mumbling about Sean’s identity and him being a former NASCAR driver.

  “I think someone has already let the cat out of the bag with the scoop on you,” I informed Sean as we reached the opposite side of the dining hall.

  “I know. It happens all the time. That’s why we’re leaving,” he said. “I’ve shown my face long enough. My work here is done.”

  I wasn’t about to protest, but couldn’t believe how easy this job had been. Actually, it was the easiest, shortest, and best paying job I’d ever had in my life.

  It didn’t take long for our driver to spot us and pull up in front of the door.

  Once we were alone in the back of the car, Sean turned to me and asked, “What’s your story?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you honestly think I believe that you escort all the time?” he asked.

  “You’ve apparently come to some type of conclusion about me, but how…when you barely know me?”

  “For one, you look too innocent to be a career escort. And two, you don’t come off as a gold digger,” he replied.

  “Well, you’re right. This is my first gig. And digging for gold that belongs to someone else comes with a price, doesn’t it?”

  “Well, that’s an oxymoron. So, are you going to tell me how you ended up working with this agency?”

  I nibbled at my bottom lip nervously. “I know someone who works there.”

  Sean looked at me questioningly.

  “If you think I’m going to give you a name, you’re mistaken,” I said.

  “All right, then. Do you have money issues?”

  “Mr. Sean Brooks, the rules about this arrangement were simple. We’re both supposed to follow them. I won’t ask you personal questions and you should do the same.”

  “Fair enough. But I don’t believe for a moment that you don’t want to know something personal about me now that we’re alone.”

  “I do, but I signed a confidentiality agreement, so I’d rather not know anything. That makes it easier.”

  “This agreement makes it easier for you to hide your curiosity about me.”

  “Wow, your ego is big,” I told him.

  “My ego isn’t the only thing that’s big.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You like big things?”

  “This is off topic. Besides, you don’t look like the type of man who gets declined very often. I don’t see any reason why you’d need to consult with an escort agency to get a date.”

  “I wanted something discreet; a one-time deal.” He paused, and his gaze ran up and down my body. “And a woman who wouldn’t have outrageous feelings about who I am.”

  “Sounds like you’ve had problems in the past.”

  “And these types of arrangements keeps those kinds of problems at bay.”

  “Let me guess: girlfriend issues.”

  “Bingo,” he said.

  I was shocked by his candid honesty. Yet, he couldn’t have been all that honest if he was living a lie, pretending that he had a nice, respectable girlfriend when he really did not.

  I gave him a challenging stare. “Then you’re promiscuous.”

  He chuckled softly. “Your accusation is condescending.”

  “Well, if you’re not promiscuous that implies that you do have a girlfriend.”

  I got a bad taste in my mouth just saying that, but why did I care one way or the other? This was a business arrangement. Wasn’t it?

  “Your implication is false,” he said. “Both of them.”

  He found this amusing. But for me, I found the situation enlightening.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “My stop is up ahead.”

  The driver had just veered off the interstate and would be at the hotel in only a matter of minutes. I grabbed my handbag and pretended to shuffle around for my keys.

  “Will you be staying here tonight?”

  “Absolutely not,” I told him. “You and I both know the hotel is there as a location for escorts to meet the clients and then go on about their business when everything is said and done.”

  “Is it now?” he asked.

  Did he know something that I didn’t? I’d done a good job so far of heeding the agency contact’s advice about not asking the client too many questions, but Sean’s appeal and my curiosity was making it difficult to stick to that advice.

  “I had an interesting night, Sean. I hope I lived up to your expectations of an escort,” I said.

  “I had a good night, too. May I walk you to your car?”

  I nodded.

  The driver came to a stop directly in front of the hotel and let us out.

  “You know, it feels kind of nice to get out and do normal things once in a while. I just arrived back home from a month-long stay in California, so this was my first outing since I got back. The event was kind of impromptu, but Mr. Donaldson and I go way back. He gives a lot of advice…and sometimes, I listen,” Sean said as he walked me to my car.

  “What else do you do? I mean, you are retired, right?”

  “I invest…mostly in real estate and sometimes in cars. I have a dozen other things going on, as well, so I barely find time to enjoy anything else.”

  “Is th
at part of the reason you have girlfriend issues?” I couldn’t help myself.

  I came to a halt in front of the driver’s side door of my car.

  “The truth is, the reason I stay so busy is so I don’t have girlfriend issues,” he said.

  “Well, then…mission accomplished. I was your girlfriend for one night, and now my work here is done.”

  “But…I never expected to run into a beautiful woman like you—not once, but twice. For some reason, I don’t think us meeting again was an accident.”

  He was so close that his warmth projected straight into me as we stood there.

  “Of course it wasn’t an accident. You requested an escort and you got me.”

  I stepped back and bumped into my car.

  I unlocked my car door, and he pulled it open for me. He held out his hand as if he would touch me again, but I slid inside before his fingers had a chance to graze my arm. My dress rose up, showing my bare thighs, and he didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was staring.

  “Are you full-time at the agency?” he asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  “If I were to call again and request you specifically, would you accept?”

  I laughed nervously. “I don’t know what kind of woman you think I am.”

  “Well, you’re the one working for the agency.”

  Sean’s smug smile rendered me speechless. His lips were sexy as sin.

  I didn’t know whether I wanted to slap Sean across the face or kiss him.

  “Shouldn’t my involvement at the agency be your hint that I don’t do long-term relationships either,” I said.

  His eyes narrowed. “Really?”

  “I just moved here and I’m in the process of job hunting. I’ve got a lot on my plate. I don’t think I could deal with someone who plays the field.”

  “I don’t play on a field. I race cars. And win.”

  “I’m not here to challenge you,” I said. “I don’t date. It’s not what I’m interested in right now. It’s why I don’t have boyfriend issues. Good night, Sean.”

  I started the ignition.

  “Wait, Karlina.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “I want to see you again.”

  I swallowed, glanced up into his face, and contemplated his request. I wanted to see him again too.

  “I’m going to try this again,” he continued.

  He pulled a business card out of his wallet and handed it to me. Only there was no personal note this time around.

  “No agency involvement. No rules. Call me,” he added.

  When I took the card, our fingers touched. I already felt disappointed about ending our fake date, but business was business. Even if this were personal, I’d already warned him that I wasn’t after the false promises that came from career-focused, yet unstable men when it came to relationships.

  “Goodnight.” He closed my car door and backed away.

  As I drove out of the parking lot, I already knew what I’d end up doing. Sean Brooks was too irresistible to forget. And he knew it.

  4

  When I arrived at the office the next morning, there was a tremendous stack of files and paperwork in the inbox on my desk. I sighed. For this to be a part-time job, my boss was really piling on the work. I glanced through a couple of files while my laptop started up. From the Post-It marked “URGENT” on a couple of folders, I didn’t have to open them to know that the company had obtained new clients. That meant that I would be on the telephone most of the day, verifying information.

  As I was opening up my email, I reminisced about the night before. My cell phone had rung not five minutes after I arrived home. Tasha had been on the other end, wondering how the night had gone. She just couldn’t wait to tell me what I had already figured out. Working for the agency ensured easy, fast money. But, of course, I would never be happy doing that type of work all my life.

  I had been thinking about Sean since last night, but I still felt hesitant to call him. However, I’d wasted no time Googling him and reading about his high-profile NASCAR career over breakfast this morning. If he were so successful career-wise, why would he have to live a lie, especially where his dating life was concerned?

  “Karlina,” Sandra, my work partner called from the doorway of my office. “How’s it going?”

  We basically shared the same job, but unlike me, Sandra actually preferred part-time work.

  “I’m just fine, Sandra. How was the cruise in the Bahamas?” I asked her as she entered my office. Sandra and her husband had gone on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas for their fifth wedding anniversary. She’d confided in me a month ago that they were trying to have their first child.

  “It was so fun! We had a blast and the weather was fantastic,” she exclaimed. She handed me a small glass figurine, shaped like a seashell. “I brought a few souvenirs back for a couple of people in the office. I thought they were cute.”

  “Wow!” I said, holding it up to the light. “Thank you. I’ll make space for it over here on my end table. We need some more decor in this place. I’m glad you enjoyed your vacation.”

  “If you ever need a good recommendation for a vacation away from this place, let me know; my travel agent made the whole process so smooth and easy. All we did was show up at the airport and board the cruise ship.” She clapped her hands together.

  “I’ll let you know,” I told her, knowing full well I didn’t have time or money for extravagant vacations.

  “Well, have to get back to work. I see you received a shitload of files as well this morning.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it…” I rolled my eyes.

  After she’d left, I finally got started on my work.

  * * *

  Later that evening, after my dinner and a long, hot bath, I settled down with my laptop to see what new job postings had popped up. I told myself that I wouldn’t do another search on Sean again, but I was only lying to myself. The man was a legend, and I had gone on just one pretend date with him. Plus, he had asked to see me again. What could he possibly want with me?

  I picked up Sean’s business card again. It was a plain, beige-colored card with only a name and phone number on it. I suspected the vague information had been done on purpose. I ran my finger across the raised lettering, contemplating what the consequences would be when I actually called him. I was clear in my thinking that I wasn’t looking for a relationship, but there was something about Sean that implied more than just a normal relationship. I dialed.

  The phone rang three times before Sean’s voice came on the other end. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Sean, it’s Karlina.”

  “Of course, it is.”

  I imagined his smug smile on the other end.

  “How was your day?” he asked.

  “Pretty good. It was a busy day at my job.”

  “So, you do have a job outside of the agency?”

  “My arrangement with the agency was just a one-time thing, if you must know. I was surprised they even called me back with your gig. I needed money, so I took the opportunity. ”

  There was silence on the other end.

  “What are your plans for this weekend?” he asked.

  “None, at the moment.”

  “I’ll pick you up at six on Saturday night. What’s your address?”

  “Um…wait a minute. Did you just ask me on a date? Because that didn’t sound like a question.”

  “You said you didn’t date,” he replied.

  “I was implying how you just incorrectly propositioned me,” I said.

  “I didn’t know you preferred a certain way. How would you like me to position you?”

  His dark, sexy tone affected my sanity, even over the phone.

  “I said proposition,” I repeated.

  “I heard you. Let’s make a deal. I’ll take you out—on a date or whatever you want to call it—and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

  “You want to spill the beans on yourself? What’s the catch?”


  “There are two actually. I get to see you again. You ask me what you want.”

  “I can’t do six on Saturday. Make it seven.”

  “Where should I pick you up?”

  I reluctantly gave him the address to my apartment.

  5

  I stepped out of the shower and immediately checked the time. 5 PM. I had about two hours to get ready before Sean arrived. I was trying hard to call it anything but a date, and I was also doing my best to keep the news from Tasha. There was an unspoken rule in the agency: never date a former client.

  I glanced in the mirror, checking to see if I had been careful enough to not mess up the curlers in my hair. I couldn’t remember the last time that I had made so much fuss over a man. I had just enough time to trim and retouch my manicure with shiny, clear polish. Only, I couldn’t decide what to wear tonight. There was the strapless number that I had worn to a party once, and then there was the little black halter-top dress that was more modest.

  After trying on both dresses and prancing around in front of the mirror, I decided to go with the strapless. I wasn’t sure where Sean was taking me, so I decided to mirror the classy, chic look from the other night. After applying my makeup, I pulled out my curlers and waited anxiously downstairs.

  * * *

  When the doorbell rang, it was about ten minutes before seven. I closed up my laptop, took one last glance in the mirror in my foyer, straightened my dress, and opened the door.

  Sean looked very handsome in nice, casual slacks and a collared shirt. All black. His wristwatch was all ice, though, with diamonds that were probably worth more than my car. The sleeves of his shirt were short, just like they had been the day at the coffee shop, showing off most of the tattoos on his arms.

  His dark gaze swept across my figure and he grinned. “Beautiful.”