a hearty laugh, Sam shook his head. “You’re outrageous, Liss.”
He might not be aroused by her behavior, but her body was turned on by the idea of him watching her finger herself. Part of her wanted to slide her shorts and panties down her legs and continue masturbating until she climaxed. A bigger part was aware of how soon Thad would be over. If she was really going to give this nice guy thing a try, she ought to practice being a good girl in return.
Lissa pulled her finger free of her panties and shorts, and grabbed the tank top from the dresser. She grinned at Sam’s reflection. “I’m crazy and you love me for it.” Sobering, she turned around and pulled on the tank top. “Thanks for offering to stay, but I’ll be fine alone with him.”
“Just promise me you will be careful. Even nice guys have their naughty days.”
Really? Now there was a tidbit of info she hadn’t planned on but was damned glad to hear. Maybe she wouldn’t have to practice at being a good girl. Not if Thad was feeling naughty enough to put out on the first date.
As if they were even having a first date.
He was coming over to check out her ceiling and roof, while she spent the time confirming he was single and then casually convinced him they should see each other when business wasn’t an issue. “He’s coming over to look at the roof, not to get it on.”
“So says you.” Sam eyed the tank top’s V-neck, and she looked down to discover her cleavage nearly busting out; either the shirt had shrunk with the last washing or she’d gained weight. “So says me if, after he sees you in that top, he’s still focused on the roof, you’d best be sending him my direct—” The doorbell rang, cutting him off and, in the next instant, curving his mouth in a sly smile. “I’ll get it.”
Lissa’s heart sped up. Thad was five minutes early. Punctuality was probably a trait common to nice guys, but it pleased her all the same. Grabbing a brush off the dresser, she moved back in front of the mirrored door and gave Sam’s reflection a warning look. “Don’t screw this up for me.”
He placed a hand over his chest and sniffed. “I’m hurt.”
“What you are is a drama queen. I mean it, Sammy. For all I know, this guy could be the one.” Or he might be married with six kids. But, damn, she hoped not. “I don’t want him running away because you pinch his ass as soon as he clears the door.”
He dropped the offended act to flash an intrigued grin. “I only do that to the gorgeous ones, so I’ll take that to mean we’re talking some serious eye candy.”
She nodded at the open bedroom door. “Let him in and see for yourself. Just don’t get any nibbling ideas.”
Typically Thad wasn’t one for sizing another man up. But then, typically he wasn’t greeted at a potential pleasure client’s door by said client’s husband. Or boyfriend. Or whatever the hell the admittedly good-looking, clean-shaven, brown-haired guy in the tailored black pants, matching tie, and mint green dress shirt was to Lissa. “You must be Sam.”
With a nod, Sam slid his gaze the length of Thad, lingering a little too long for comfort in the area of his groin. Sam returned his attention to Thad’s face to reveal an amused smile. “You must be Mr. Nice Guy.”
“Sam was just leaving,” a low, throaty feminine voice said from behind Sam.
Sam stepped back from the doorway, and the owner of that sexy voice came into view and had Thad hoping to hell she was Lissa and her interest in him was purely physical.
Pleasure clients rarely greeted him in casual clothes, preferring lingerie, tight dresses, or nothing at all. This woman’s clothes were casual. The way she filled them out was anything but. From her generous breasts to her curvy hips and thighs, she was the type of woman the term hourglass figure was coined for.
She was also remotely familiar.
A warm smile curved her lipstick-free lips. She swept a hank of loose copper, shoulder-length hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear before extending her hand to him. “Lissa Malone.”
Despite the fact he was no saint and the hell-bent rebel years of his youth, Thad had always believed in God. Moments like this with natural beauties like her conveyed his existence that much more.
“Thad Davies.” Her hand was warm in his, her skin soft. The scent of vanilla drifted to him. Not strong or perfumey, like so many of his clients wore, but the subtle scent of lotion or body wash. “So you’re worried about getting wet?”
Sam gave a deep chuckle, reminding Thad of his presence. Moving next to Lissa, Sam pulled her into his arms and whispered something in her ear that had her laughing as well. He released her to give Thad a look that could mean “hands off” as easily as “treat her right,” then nodded a good-bye and took off down the covered porch to the sidewalk.
Lissa looked back at Thad. “Should I be worried?”
Between the sensual interest in her jade green eyes now and the sultry sound of her laughter moments ago, he suddenly remembered where he’d seen her before.
In his favorite wet dream. Had to be.
Sam left them alone, but his parting look didn’t guarantee it was with permission to fuck. Since Thad still wasn’t 100 percent sure that was the reason he was here, he played it safe. “Possibly. I can only tell so much from what you said over the phone.”
Barefooted, she turned and started walking away. He closed the door and followed, because what in the hell else was he going to do?
Lissa led him through a small, open living room that branched off in two directions. She veered to the right and headed down a short hallway to a closed door at the end of it. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she said in that ultra-hot voice, “The worst of the problems are in here.”
She pushed in the door to reveal “here” was a bedroom. On the trip over, he’d assured his cock it wouldn’t be getting any action, but that didn’t stop it from rising to attention with the prospect. Not even the nearly overwhelming African safari theme was enough to halt the hardening effect, especially when he looked a little closer.
Mating elephants adorned the wall tapestry hanging over the bed and a trio of bronze monkeys were seeing, hearing, and doing each other on a bamboo table near the headboard. The comforter featured an entire aborigine tribe fornicating in every way imaginable. It wasn’t his style, but the erotic décor suggested she was his kind of woman. Rather, his kind of client. “Nice bedroom.”
“I’ll tell Sam you approve of his taste.”
Sam slept here? Somehow the room didn’t quite gel as being entirely masculine. Neither had the way Sam’s attention lingered on his crotch. Was the guy gay? Or bi? More important, did Lissa sleep somewhere else?
“As you can see, the damage is getting pretty bad.”
Thad followed her gaze to the ceiling to discover there truly was water damage. Well, hell, could he be lucky enough to have this be a two-in-one call?
“Sam said he felt the ceiling last night and it’s really soft.”
“I don’t doubt it. If you look close, you can tell it’s starting to bulge.” Realizing what a play on words
