The Bachelor's Bed. Jill Shalvis

and worked her lips in what Lani was certain was a colorful Spanish oath.

      “Sorry,” she muttered and, ignoring her wet shirt, kept moving, her gaze back on the fabulous house. She knew that Colin never used the fireplaces. He hadn’t placed a swing on the deck either. His work was his life, and while Lani appreciated and understood his dedication, she wondered if he didn’t sometimes yearn for more, the way she did.

      As she came to the back door, she felt a strange thrill in her belly.

      Would she see him? Would she catch a glimpse of his deep mysterious eyes? Would she hear his low, mesmerizing voice, the one that turned her inside out?

      She hoped so because he was the highlight of her week. He was incredible. Okay, maybe a little dark and moody, but positively magnificent. Maybe he’d be wearing those soft, faded jeans again, the ones that fit him like a glove, emphasizing…

      Carmen tsked deep in her throat and Lani jumped guiltily, knowing her thoughts had been plastered across her face. “Oh, like you don’t think it, too.”

      Carmen made the equivalent of a grumpy old woman’s laugh and wagged her little finger at Lani. Then she wiggled her ample hips suggestively, pausing in her dance to shake her head. Lastly, she gestured to the cleaning supplies.

      “Yes, yes, I know.” Lani rolled her eyes. “We’re here to clean. Clean, clean, clean. No hanky-panky. You know, it’s amazing how well you can communicate when you want to. Maybe while you’re in the mood, you can explain to me how you have the energy to make fun of me, but the minute we get inside you’ll suddenly tire and let me do all the hard work.”

      Angelic now, Carmen smiled with a lift of one shoulder and a vague shake of her head. No comprende.

      Right. Lani shook her head in disgust at the both of them. Every woman, young and old, within thirty miles sighed over the thought of Colin. He was rich, amazingly intelligent, gorgeous and, most importantly, he was single. That he kept his distance from people only fueled the constant rumors about his love life. It was said that he went through a different woman every day of the week—but that only made Lani all the more morbidly curious.

      He invented things, for lack of a better term—electronic robotics. She knew nothing about that.

      It didn’t matter. She didn’t need to understand to appreciate him. Colin worked hard, a good quality in anyone. He was driven and successful. His dark, dangerous fallen-angel looks didn’t hurt, either.

      Too bad he was so involved in his work. But unlike some of her other clients, who preferred to pretend that their maid was invisible, Colin West always nodded politely to her, spoke easily, and never made her feel less than the woman she was. They’d had many pleasant conversations over the months, and she could remember every one of them.

      Enough, she told herself firmly. Ignoring the overwhelming heat, she headed quickly up the steep walk to the kitchen entrance, leaving Carmen huffing far behind.

      Just as she reached the door, it whipped open, sending blessedly cool air into her damp face. Standing there before her in all his somber glory was Colin, looking unexpectedly wild, rumpled and just a little desperate.

      “Thank God it’s you.”

      “Instead of?” she asked in surprise.

      “One of your non-English-speaking employees or, God forbid, the older woman who can’t speak at all, the one who always sticks her tongue out at me.”

      “Well…” She thought of Carmen making her way up the walk right this very moment.

      “Come in,” he said a bit impatiently, his voice deep and rumbling. His dark, wavy, collar-length hair was more disheveled than usual and standing on end as if he’d been plowing his fingers through it. His eyes, so deep blue they looked black and fathomless, shimmered with what she might have suspected was nerves, if she didn’t know better.

      From what she’d seen, Colin West never suffered from nerves.

      So why was his tall, well-built frame—which she couldn’t help but notice was beautifully packed into a well-worn T-shirt and those snug old Levi’s she loved—so taut with tension?

      Lani opened her mouth to speak, but it fell shut again when his huge, warm hand closed over the heavy bucket she held. He set it aside as though it weighed no more than a penny.

      His mouth was grim.

      “What’s the matter—” Lani squeaked in surprise when he pulled her the rest of the way into his kitchen, slammed the door and, with a gentle but inexorable force, pressed her back against it.

      She should have spared a thankful thought for the deliciously cool house. She should have thought about Carmen, who was going to wonder why Lani hadn’t waited for her, but her attitude-ridden helper was the last thing on her mind at the moment.

      “Mr. West!” she gasped, even as she closed her eyes to fully enjoy the sensation of his incredibly hard body against hers. After all, if this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up. “Did I forget my money again?”

      “No.”

      Lord, she felt good against him. He felt good. “So…this is to thank me for the job I did last time?”

      “No.” For a brief moment he pressed closer, and the almost-embrace spoke of a desperately needed comfort. She lifted her hands to his waist and squeezed reassuringly, trying to remember that he was a client.

      “She’s not going to let up,” he said gruffly. “And I can’t take it, not now, not in the middle of this project. It’s too damn important.”

      Reluctantly, Lani opened her eyes because a she definitely ruined the fantasy. “Who won’t let up?”

      “It’s enough to drive me insane.” His voice was low, edgy and spine-tinglingly rough. “Only one way to stop her and—damn, you’re wet!” His dark brows came together in a sharp line as he jerked back, staring down at his T-shirt, now clinging damply to his broad chest.

      “I spilled. I’m…sorry.”

      “It doesn’t matter,” he said, still staring down at himself.

      Lani stared too, because wow, with his wet shirt pasted to that fabulous chest, the blood rushed right out of her head, which made thinking a tad dangerous to her health.

      “It’s the project that’s so important.”

      She concentrated on his words with effort. “Project?”

      “I’m designing a laser-surgery process,” he said, pulling at his shirt. “It’s so close.”

      “Laser surgery. They already have that.”

      “This is different—better.” His voice told her how important this was to him. “Less cutting,” he said earnestly. “Less time under anesthesia. It’ll revolutionize the way surgeries are performed.”

      And would help countless numbers of people. Lani’s save-the-world heart squeezed.

      Her crush on him tripled.

      “You’ll save so many lives,” she marveled. A modern day hero, she thought.

      “The surgeons will save the lives.” He moved close again, his eyes flashing with passion, and though she knew it wasn’t directed at her, it made her dizzy anyway. Capturing her head in his big, warm hands, he tipped it up to stare down into her eyes. “But I can’t finish, they won’t leave me alone. No one will leave me alone. They want me out socializing, dating, spending the money I don’t care about. I need help.”

      “You do?” With his long, powerfully built body against hers it was hard to imagine him needing help from someone like her.

      “I need a fictional fiancée.” His gaze held hers captive. “I know how this sounds, Lani, but will you marry me? For pretend?”

      The situation finally overcame Lani’s