0-69 in 5 Minutes Read Free Page B

meaning before the two weeks were
through. “I would be honored to accompany you to your reunion and
spend the next two weeks getting to know you.”
    Her shoulders relaxed and her eyes lit up.
He didn’t say yes for the money, but for the sheer pleasure of
knowing her dirty little secrets. And by the twinkle in her eyes,
those secrets must be juicy.
    “ Where should we
start?” A suite? His car? Or right here,
right now?
    She waved her hand toward the bar. “How
about a drink?”
    “ Perfect.” He laced her
hand through the crook of his arm. Manicured nails on her fingers
and toes. Not over done or flashy. Classy. Sophisticated. Downright
sexy. It would be hard, but he’d have to keep his stained fingers
hidden. Otherwise, she might be disgusted with them, and he wanted
to put them on her body. Especially those legs.
    He escorted her to an out-of-the-way table
in a dim corner and pulled out a chair. A woman like her deserved
to be pampered. After all, they did have to make it look real. It
couldn’t hurt to put a smile on her face and a few stars in her
eyes.
    “ What’s your poison?”
Information he probably needed to know about his newly acquired,
long-time girlfriend.
    “ Sex on the beach.” She
rewarded him with a smile.
    So, it was like that was it? “Coming right
up.” He walked through the almost empty club to the bar and bought
her the cocktail and a beer for himself. Loud music played from a
live band and the lights burned low. A couple of guys sat at the
bar drinking and flirting with each other. It made him a bit
uneasy, but at least someone would score tonight. Maybe he’d get
lucky too.
    After he paid for the drinks, he walked back
to their table.
    “ I see you’re a beer man.”
She nodded at his mug.
    “ Yes, I am.” Information
he knew she would learn quickly. Not that he drank a lot. A beer or
two through the week after a long day in the hot garage was the
limit to his alcohol consumption. He never went for the hard stuff
or wine.
    “ As long as it’s not
brandy, I don’t care what you drink.” She rolled her eyes and took
a swig of her drink.
    Perhaps a secret loomed behind the brandy.
He only had two weeks to learn all of them so he’d better start.
“What’s wrong with brandy?”
    With a clang, she let the glass slip from
her hand to the table. “It’s what Tyler drank. Every night. Three
or four glasses before he would go to bed with me.” A sadness
emerged in her voice. “Most of the time he just passed out.”
    What kind of man would need a drink to sleep
with Val? Her body was a knock out, and she didn’t strike him as
the nagging type. What more could a man want of a woman in his bed?
“Tell me something about this Tyler. Other than being stupid.”
    Giggles emerged from her throat and a light
came back to her expression.
    “ There really isn’t much
to say. We were friends in high school, parted ways for a while
then dated for a couple of years.” As she spoke, she scrubbed the
water off the table where their drinks had sweated. “He asked me to
marry him. I was so blind and stupid, I said yes.”
    “ What makes you say that?”
Anyone who owned and operated a successful business had to be
intelligent.
    The smile dimmed again. “I
thought he was charming and on his way to the top of a film career.
Not that fame and fortune matters, but I thought he had ambition
and drive. Turns out, he had too much drive. I caught him cheating
with some bimbo. In my car.” She pointed to her chest. “All those nights he said he
was working on his career, he spent banging someone else.” Her
voice rose and cracked.
    “ I’m sorry. Men can be
jerks.”
    “ Don’t be sorry.” She
patted his hand.
    He wanted to grab her hand and hold it.
Comfort her, but she pulled it away.
    “ I’m over him. Really I
am, but I want to show him. Let him know I’m doing great without
him.”
    “ Why do you have to be
with another man to prove you’re fine?”
    Her gaze wandered around