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  Skin Deep

  Cher Carson

  Copyright © by Cher Carson

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, including photocopying, graphic, electronic, mechanical, taping, recording, sharing, or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author and / or publisher. Exceptions include brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.

  Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to [email protected].

  Skin Deep © 2012 Cher Carson

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Coming Soon

  Chapter One

  Alana Miller leaned against the tall desk in the middle of her family’s car dealership, listening to her administrative assistant, Lina, drone on about the endless parade of losers she’d entertained lately. The conversation wasn’t riveting, but since Alana put her own sex life on the back burner eight months ago so she could focus on re-building the business in her father’s absence, she had to live vicariously until she got a real flesh and blood male back in her bed, instead of the hard plastic stimulation she’d become accustomed to.

  “So I told him I wasn’t into that kinky shit,” Lina said, reaching for the nail file she kept in her pencil holder. “If he doesn’t like it, he can find someone else.”

  Alana wasn’t sure what kind of “kink” they were talking about, and knowing her friend, it was probably best if she didn’t ask. Given Lina’s sexual appetite, if she wasn’t into it, it was probably illegal.

  “So, what’d you do this weekend?” Lina asked, frowning at her chipped nail. “Any hot dates?”

  She must have been joking. Alana hadn’t had a “hot” date in a year. Hell, she hadn’t had a date, period, in eight months. “Nah, just caught up on some paperwork, went for a workout, watched a movie. You know, the usual.”

  Lina rolled her eyes. “Alana, you have to get back out there sooner or later. If you don’t, all the good guys will be taken. I hate to state the obvious, but we’re not getting any younger, girlfriend.”

  No, the fine lines sprouting out around her eyes reminded her that thirty-four years had passed, and the last ten had slipped by while she wasn’t looking. She still remembered what being young and carefree felt like. Now, she had a sick father whose medical bills were mounting, a self-entitled mother who didn’t want to sacrifice her lavish lifestyle, and a kid brother finishing medical school. When her father had his stroke last year, her life changed forever. She planned to use her MBA to build her own business, but those plans halted the day she got the call from her mother telling her that her father had suffered a stroke. She was an up and coming jewelry designer, already earning global recognition for her designs, but she abandoned her dream when she got that call. Her father needed her now, and she had to find a way to make the fledgling dealership profitable again. Her family and two dozen employees were counting on her to find a way to put their dealership back in the black.

  “Lord have mercy,” Lina muttered, staring at something over her friend’s shoulder. “Now that’s the kind of man you need to help you get back in the saddle again.”

  Alana turned to look at the man in question. He was wandering around a sleek, black Porsche. He leaned over to look inside, treating them both to a prime view of his very fine denim-clad backside.

  “Ssh,” Alana said, straightening her short black blazer. “This is a place of business, not a meat market.”

  “Oh, would you relax? He can’t hear us.”

  Just the idea that he might suspect they were ogling him alarmed her. Since the downturn in the economy, potential customers were fewer and further between. They couldn’t afford to risk alienating anyone.

  Alana strode across the showroom, intent on sweet-talking her way into their first sale of the month. She took him in, trying to read his level of interest, but as she did, she was struck by something else: the man was gorgeous. If you liked that rough around the edges look, which she usually did not. He held a black motorcycle helmet in one hand, which meant the shiny Harley parked outside belonged to him. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was a serious customer or just a tire kicker who’d come in to admire the merchandise. She prayed it was the former.

  He stood up when he saw her approach, smiling.

  He was tall, at least five inches taller than she was with heels, which would put him well over six feet. His black hair was a little too long, and the stubble on his tanned face indicated shaving hadn’t been a priority that morning. His jeans were well-worn and his motorcycle boots scuffed. If she were a betting woman, she’d say he was a tire-kicker, but since he was the sexiest man she’d laid eyes on in years, she was willing to play along.

  “This is a beauty,” he said, grinning.

  Her stomach clenched at the sound of his voice: deep, raspy, sexy. She could imagine him whispering in her ear as he… Damn it, she had to get a grip. This was a place of business and she had a job to do.

  Returning his smile, she said, “It just rolled in. Have you been waiting for it?”

  He continued his slow perusal of the car, and she couldn’t help but imagine having all of his attention fixed on her. She watched his long, strong fingers stroking his chin and imagined them thrusting inside of her as he brought her to climax. Lord, Lina was right. She needed to get out more.

  He grinned, revealing a flash of straight white teeth. “Can’t say that I have, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested.”

  His disarming smile was distracting, to say the least. Her mind struggled to formulate her usual sales pitch, but she couldn’t focus on the car’s features with those incredible hazel eyes assessing her, undressing her, and teasing and taunting her.

  She cleared her throat, trying to tear her eyes away from his sensuous lips. The things he could do to her with that mouth…

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Lina said. The telling smirk on her painted lips said that interrupting was her intent all along.

  The two women had been friends for years, and Alana knew her well enough to know that when she saw something, or someone, she wanted, she went after it, and anyone standing in her way had to step aside or risk getting trampled.

  “No problem,” Alana said. “Can I do something for you, Lina?”

  Lina’s slow perusal of their potential customer said it all. Alana couldn’t do anything for her, but tall, dark, and gorgeous could definitely meet her needs.

  A spark of unfamiliar irritation ignited in Alana. She rarely gave men a second thought in recent months, but her curvy assistant was not going to woo away the first man to warrant a third and fourth thought in… years. “Lina?”

  “Oh, sorry,” she said, winking at the man who had both of their engines in overdrive. “I guess I got distracted.” She held up a set of keys. “I thought you might want to take this baby out for a test drive?”

  At least her friend was trying to do something to secure a sale, which was more than Alana could say for herself. She was more concerned about securing a date, preferably an all-nighter. “Thanks.” She took the keys, forcing a polite smile.

  Lina held her hand out, smiling at the stranger. “Hi, I’m
Lina.”

  Instead of shaking her hand, he brought it to his lips. “Ryan Lang. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lina.”

  She giggled like a third-grader. “Aren’t you a charmer?”

  He raised an eyebrow as he let go of her hand. “I don’t know about that. I’m sure my mother would prefer to think she raised me right.”

  A man that looked like that and respected his mother? Alana might have to spend more time on the sales floor if this kind of man frequented her dealership. “Would you like to take the car for a test drive, Mr. Lang?” For the first time since he walked in, he rewarded her with his undivided attention, and it was a heady aphrodisiac indeed.

  “I’d love to. But only if you’ll join me?”

  She didn’t usually accompany customers on test drives, preferring to allow one of her commissioned salespeople to handle the transaction. “Sure, why not?” What fun was being the boss if she couldn’t break a few of her own rules once in a while? “I hope you don’t mind, but we’ll have to take a photocopy of your driver’s license and your license plate number. It’s company policy.”

  He reached into the inside pocket of his leather jacket and extracted his wallet. “I don’t mind at all.” He handed her the pertinent information, which she passed off to her assistant.

  “Would you mind photocopying that and giving it back to Mr. Lang?”

  Lina smiled, as though he’d let her in on a secret. “FYI, it’s not Mr. Lang. It’s Dr. Lang, Alana.”

  Alana waited for him to intervene, but he said nothing. “Pardon me, Dr. Lang.” She offered her hand. “Alana Miller. It’s a pleasure.”

  Instead of kissing her hand, as he had Lina’s, he simply held it between both of his. “Please, call me Ryan.”

  “Okay, Ryan.” When she tried to withdraw her hand, he took a step closer.

  “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  Was he kidding? If she’d met him, she’d have had to be falling down drunk not to remember. “No, I’m afraid you must have me confused with someone else.”

  He laughed. “Trust me, you’re the one.”

  The way he said it made it sound like a lover’s caress. “Okay, I’ll bite. Where did we meet?”

  “Is that a promise?” he asked, taking another step closer until he was invading her personal space.

  Her scrambled brain struggled to keep up with the conversation. “Excuse me?”

  “You said you’d bite.” His eyes fell to her lips. “Is that a promise?”

  She had received hundreds of flirtatious comments over the years, but the good doctor obviously preferred to bypass flirting and get straight to the foreplay. She laughed, hoping he would join in. When he didn’t, she took a step back, trying to put some distance between them.

  Instead of giving her some space, he moved closer, forcing her against the rear of a navy Boxster. “We met at a Christmas party last year. You attended with my colleague, Bruce Taylor.”

  She and Bruce had dated on and off for four months; that was almost nine months ago. He was her last relationship, if semi-regular sex could be considered a relationship. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember meeting you.”

  He laughed. “That’s because Bruce led you away from me in record time. He could tell I was interested…” His eyes traveled the length of her body. “Very interested. Obviously, he wasn’t willing to risk it.”

  He was standing so close his spicy cologne assailed her, clouding her judgement. Had they not been in the middle of her dealership, she would have reached in to sample that decadent mouth. What was wrong with her? She didn’t make the first move, ever. “Risk what?”

  “He liked you, a lot. I think he feared the feeling wasn’t mutual.” His eyes rested on her mouth a moment too long before he said, “I think he was afraid of this, Alana.”

  Her eyes drifted closed at the sound of her name on his lips. She imagined what it would sound like when he was on the verge of shooting his hot seed into her. Would it sound raspier, somewhere between a curse and a plea? She mentally shook herself. If mere moments in the presence of a handsome stranger had this kind of effect on her, she really did need to get laid, and the sooner the better.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he whispered, leaning into her, his hot breath fanning the hair covering her ear.

  She swallowed, wondering if the erotic fantasies were etched on her face. Were her eyes glossy, her cheeks flushed? She knew her breathing was erratic. Could he tell? Was the scent of her arousal as obvious to him as it was to her? “I was just thinking…” Lina saw fit to rescue her before she made an even bigger fool of herself. The poor man must think she was needy and desperate. Unfortunately, he would be right. He probably saw her as easy prey. She had to pull herself together before she lived up to that assumption.

  “I have your identification right here, Dr. Lang,” Lina said, handing the documents back to him. She looked at Alana, as though trying to send her a silent message, before turning her attention back to Ryan. “So, how do you like living in Beverly Hills?”

  Ryan shrugged, taking a step back to include Lina in their circle. “It’s okay, I guess.”

  Lina laughed. “Just okay? You must have pretty high standards, doctor.”

  Looking uncomfortable, his gaze darted to Alana. “No, not really. In fact, it’s a little too pretentious for my liking, but my office is there, so it’s convenient.”

  “What’s your specialty?” Lina asked, clearly not willing to back down. The woman was worse than a dog with a rawhide bone.

  “I’m a cosmetic surgeon.”

  “Of course you are,” Alana muttered. She didn’t realize she’d said it aloud until both of them turned to look at her. She felt the color creeping up her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

  He smiled. “It’s okay. I get that a lot.”

  At least he earned points for having a sense of humor. Most of the men she’d dated were so full of themselves; they’d be affronted if she dared to make disparaging comments.

  “Are you ready to go?” she asked, knowing if they lingered, Lina would continue to subject him to her no-holds barred inquisition.

  Of course, one important question remained: was he single? Trying to be subtle, she glanced at his left hand. No ring or tan line; a good sign, but it didn’t mean anything. Few of the married men she knew wore a wedding ring. In the land of beautiful people, one never knew when a better offer may come along. God, she was getting cynical.

  “More than ready.”

  Ignoring the thrill that shot though her as she imagined what he might be ready for, she asked, “Lina, do me a favor? Ask Jeff to bring the car around front. We’ll meet him out there.”

  “Sure thing, boss.” Lina grinned, saluting her behind Ryan’s back. “Should I reschedule that sales meeting for this afternoon?”

  Damn it, she’d forgotten all about that sales meeting. As much as she hated to, she might have to pass the test drive off to one of her salespeople after all. “You know what? Why don’t you ask Jeff to accompany Dr. Lang? I really have to prepare for this meeting.”

  Tongue in cheek, Ryan asked, “Does Dr. Lang get a vote?”

  “I’m afraid not,” she said, wishing for once she could shirk her responsibilities.

  Looking disappointed, he said, “You know what? Maybe I’ll just come back another time.”

  She couldn’t let him and his Beverly Hills check book walk out the door. She needed this sale; the dealership needed this sale. After sighing, she said, “Push the meeting back to 3:00, Lina.”

  “You got it.” She raised her hand, wiggling her fingers as she turned and walked away. She took a step back, leaned in, and whispered in Alana’s ear, “I’m letting you have this one because I know you need to get laid, but you’d better not waste this opportunity. By the way, if he has a single brother, he’s mine.”

  Ryan had waited months to get this woman alone. Ever since the first time he laid eyes on her at the Christmas party, he knew he had
to have her. But he was seeing someone else at the time, and she refused to give up on their relationship without a fight. He spent months extricating himself by setting her up with one of his friends. Now that she was out of the picture, he was free to pursue the woman he really wanted: Alana Miller.

  Gripping the steering wheel, he listened to her list the car’s impressive features. He knew everything he needed to know about the car; he’d bought a similar model two years ago, but he was willing to upgrade if it would help his cause. He decided to come clean and said, “Uh, Alana, you don’t have to give me the sales pitch. I’m already sold on the car.”

  Her cheeks colored and she dipped her head. “Sorry, the hard sell isn’t really my style. I guess you unnerved me a little back there.”

  Finally, they were getting somewhere. At least she was willing to acknowledge the proverbial elephant between them. “This attraction,” he said, carefully, “please tell me I’m not the only one feeling it.”

  She smiled, glancing out the window. “No, you’re not the only one.” She sighed.“My life is complicated right now, Ryan.”

  At least she was calling him by his first name now; he supposed that was progress. Still, it was a long way from the date he hoped to secure. He had a fundraiser to attend for the hospital, and he hadn’t invited a date simply because she was the only person who’d appealed to him in a long time. “Tell me about it. Why is your life so complicated?”

  She looked at him a long time before answering, as though she was considering whether she was ready to confide in him. “My father had a stroke a while back…”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, keeping one eye on her, the other on the road. After deciding to navigate out of the city traffic, where he couldn’t focus his attention on her, he signaled and merged onto the freeway.

  She didn’t seem to notice, or if she did, she didn’t comment on the change in direction. “He’s been running this business for thirty years, since I was just a little girl.”