Real Men: Rugged Rebels: Watch and Learn / Under His Skin / Her Perfect Hero

“You’d think they could turn up the air,” came a woman’s voice from behind her.

Gemma looked up to see a woman with short jet-black hair with a pink streak wearing an outfit similar to her own. “Yes, it’s … warm,” Gemma murmured.

The woman lifted her mask, revealing sharp cheekbones and violet-colored eyes. “I’m Lillian,” she said with a friendly smile.

“Gemma.”

“Nice to know you, Gemma.” Lillian adjusted the collar of her low-cut blouse. She was a fortyish petite woman with lush curves and trim, shapely legs. “How do you like working here?”

“It’s interesting,” Gemma said cautiously. It would be unseemly to say that she actually enjoyed the job, enjoyed injecting herself into the naughty museum exhibit.

“Are you married?” Lillian asked, fluffing her hair with well-manicured hands.

Gemma averted her glance. Eventually she would get used to saying the word “divorced,” but for now, it stuck in her throat.

“I just wondered what your husband thought of you taking this job,” Lillian said into the pause.

“I’m not married.”

“Oh, well, your boyfriend, then.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend … at the moment.”

The woman looked dubious. “Really? Well, if you want one, this is the right job to find one.”

Gemma shook her head. “I’d never date someone I met here.”

“Smart girl.” Lillian checked her lipstick. “It’s probably just as well you don’t have a boyfriend. My Joey is furious that I’m doing this—he doesn’t like other men looking at me. And,” she added lightly, “he doesn’t understand why I’d want them to look.”

Gemma met the woman’s knowing gaze in the mirror and swallowed hard. Was her fixation so obvious that the woman could pick up on a kindred spirit? But then again, anyone guiding this particular tour had to enjoy being in the spotlight to some degree. Lillian blinked and whatever Gemma had sensed was gone.

“So, can you believe how popular this exhibit is?”

“It seems to have caught on in a big way.”

Lillian laughed. “Guess someone underestimated just how starved people are for a little excitement in their lives.”

Gemma tried to laugh in agreement, but she felt exposed, as if the woman was talking about her, and her life. Telling her that she was starved for something too, else why would she have taken this job? And why was she consumed, even now, with the thought of undressing for Chev Martinez? It was simple—she was a tease. She found more satisfaction in performing than in making love. Self-condemnation rolled through her chest. What would everyone think of her if they really knew what dark impulses drove her?

From the outside, she looked so normal, but on the inside, she was burning with her sordid secret.

“By the way,” Lillian offered, “I heard that, since the museum denied the requests of local TV networks to tape the tour, it’s possible a reporter might infiltrate one of the groups.”

“Thanks for the heads-up. What are we supposed to do if we suspect someone is a reporter?”

“Watch for cameras and let the director know afterward.” Lillian glanced at her watch, then lowered her mask into place. “We’re up in two minutes. Ready?”

Nodding, Gemma settled her own mask in place and exited the bathroom, thinking she should have taken the time to adjust her underwear before the next group arrived, yet knowing why she hadn’t—the chafing garment rubbing all the right places was keeping her in a heightened sense of arousal. It promised to be a long, stimulating day.

And—if Chev’s window was still unshuttered when she arrived home—a long, stimulating night.

Her face burned with shame. What was wrong with her?

WHEN GEMMA PULLED onto her street, she steeled herself, ready to face either the cocky peacock or her hunky neighbor—or both. But all was quiet when she arrived home with dusk already setting on a blistering day. A few lights blazed in the Spanish house next door, so she assumed Chev would be once again burning the midnight oil. The fact that his bedroom window remained unshuttered sent a tremor through her womb. He still wanted to see her. Had he heard her arrive home? Was he waiting for her even now to appear at her window?

She sat in her car in the garage for a few minutes to postpone her decision, loath to go into the stifling house. When she cashed her first paycheck, she’d get the air conditioner repaired. But meanwhile, what was she going to do about the internal heat raging through her body?

Gemma dragged herself inside the house and listened to three messages—one from her mother to call her back, please, one from her credit card company to call them back, please, and one from the newspaper reporter, Lewis Wilcox, to call him back, please. Ignoring them all, she prepared a quick salad from bagged lettuce. All the while, she felt the pull to go upstairs and undress … and be seen. She fought the impulse, and when her attention landed upon the letter that she’d written of her sexual fantasies, she picked up the sheath of folded sheets. What better reminder of how her carnal compulsions had nearly led her to ruin before?

Her heartbeat picked up even as she skimmed the pages to find where she’d left off reading. Performing for the man on the bus in her schoolgirl costume … and loving it.

I was hooked. I learned from Dr. Alexander’s lecture this week that I have a fetish called exhibitionism—I enjoy putting my body on exhibit. Which is very strange considering my personality. Most people would say that I’m a good girl, someone happy to remain anonymous and on the fringes of a group. My mother has pounded the idea of what a girl should be into my head: polite, quiet and accommodating. I was always taught that drawing attention to oneself was vulgar and conceited—better to blend in rather than risk ridicule.

But during twenty-two years of being good, nothing has felt as good as my one day of putting myself on display. I already wanted to do it again, couldn’t sleep for thinking about it—what I’d wear, where I’d go, who I would entertain.

I kept my roommate’s brown wig, and lied when she asked me if I’d seen it. An exhibitionist and a liar—I was getting good at being bad. I dressed in tight, sexy workout clothes underneath my regular clothes, then packed the wig in a gym bag. I took the train across town to a gym that I’d seen advertise free workouts, then pulled on the wig. I filled out the paperwork using a fake name and address, then went into the locker room and removed my street clothes. After adjusting my black short shorts (with no underwear, they felt very naughty) and white jogging bra, I grabbed a towel and walked out into the exercise area. I scanned the men working out for a potential target, and immediately found one in a twenty-something dark-haired guy in a gray sweat-stained T-shirt and blue running shorts.

The way he looked at me made me warm and moist. I walked past him close enough to smell the male scent of him, then got on the treadmill to run and work up a sweat of my own. The wig was hot, but its heaviness made me feel safe. In the mirror I could see the guy watching me while he made his way around the free weight circuit, adding iron plates to the barbells, then pushing his muscles to the limit. We made frequent eye contact in the mirror—his eyes were so sexy it was like he was devouring me. My shorts rode up from the friction, cutting into my privates and rubbing me in the most wonderful way. He couldn’t take his eyes off me.

An older woman in sweats walked up to him and I realized that he was a trainer, and that she was his client. He pretended to be all business with the woman, but as soon as he got her situated on the stair climber, his eyes found me again. The tip of his tongue came out and curled upward. I knew exactly where he wanted to put that tongue. Tingling all over, I reached for my towel draped over the front of the treadmill, then purposely dropped it on the floor. He said something to the woman, then casually walked over to my treadmill. My heart raced even faster as he approached, his eyes smoldering.

When he crouched to pick up my towel, he lingered, at eye level with my crotch. My running shorts were more like a thong by this time, and my thighs were slick from sweat and my own personal lubrication. At his angle, I was sure he could see the lips of my sex squeezed out of my disappearing shorts. With every step I tightened my core muscles, and with the constant massage of chafing and his full attention on me, I could feel an orgasm rushing to the surface.

When I climaxed, the strain of not breaking stride only made it more powerful. My hip muscles contracted, and my breath gushed out in heaving pants. Only he and I knew what was happening. A shudder went through my body, but I managed to stay upright and moving. As I recovered, I slowed the treadmill to catch my breath. He straightened and slowly extended my towel. When I took it from him, I noticed the erection straining against his shorts. I used the towel to wipe my neck and chest. My white jogging bra had grown nearly transparent from my sweat, and my nipples were outlined clearly for him to see. His mouth opened slightly, but before he could initiate a conversation, I stopped the treadmill and stepped off.

“Thanks,” I said, then turned and walked as quickly as I could toward the locker room. He started to follow me, but his client waved to get his attention. He hesitated, then went to her. I dressed hurriedly without showering and left without seeing him again. For days I fantasized about his reaction to me, wondering if he’d tried to find me and was disappointed or intrigued that the personal information I’d listed had led to a dead end. The thought that he might still be thinking about me, the mystery woman, made me feel so sexy and so powerful.

Gemma squeezed her eyes closed against the deluge of memories pouring over her. She had been young and flush with the excitement and newness of her own sex appeal. The world itself had seemed so … alive. And accessible. Even now, her heart beat faster at the memory of her thrilling adventure of experiencing a public orgasm with a private audience.

Her breath quickened and she felt the pull of the upstairs window like a magnet drawing her, a frame for her performance. And Chev wanted to watch … what better situation could she ask for? After all, the man would be there only temporarily. They could … play … and then he’d be gone. No harm done. She pushed to her feet and slowly walked upstairs, her muscles growing more languid with every step.

The upper floor was suffocating. She shed the cropped jacket and tossed it on the bed, then flipped on a ceiling fan to get some air moving. After a few seconds’ hesitation, she walked over to slide open the picture window, allowing it to bang against the casing. The light was on in the opposite window, and a few seconds later, Chev appeared in jeans, shirtless.

His hair looked damp, as if he’d just emerged from the shower. His powerful shoulders and arms were outlined perfectly in the round window. She recalled how they had felt around her—dominant and insistent. A shudder went through her and she was glad for the distance. He leaned forward on the sill using both hands, as if to say that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he wanted her to know he was watching this time.

A sweet haze of raw desire descended over Gemma. She acknowledged that she was sliding into a trancelike state. She wet her lips, then lifted her fingers to the front hooks of her black corset, and slowly began undoing them.

CHEV GRIPPED the windowsill harder as Gemma removed the corset, exposing inch after inch of luminous skin. Frustration and fascination warred within him as lust surged through his body. The little tease. She’d made it clear that she didn’t want any hands-on interaction with him, but watching her through her window wasn’t going to satisfy him.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to look away—he’d been wound tight ever since the heated kiss they’d shared. He hadn’t imagined her reaction … she’d enjoyed it as much as he had. But something was holding her back. Was she afraid of him? Considering his bulk and that she knew next to nothing about him, he wouldn’t blame her if she was. But somehow, he didn’t think that was the case. If she was afraid of him, she wouldn’t tantalize him like this. Because if he wanted to be in her house, in her bed, he wouldn’t let a few locked doors get in the way.

Chev gave himself a mental shake—he wasn’t an animal, or a criminal. But this woman unleashed something primal in him. When the corset fell open to reveal the heavy globes of her breasts and budded pink nipples, he could actually feel his blood warming as it pumped through his body, thickening his cock.

Still wearing the gaping corset, she unzipped the black short shorts and shimmied them down her hips. At the sight of a tiny triangle of red panties, he groaned and leaned into the windowsill harder. The woman was killing him. His cock surged, the head pushing above the low waistline of his briefs. He could feel the sticky pre-cum oozing out, his balls tingling with the itch to relieve the tension that had been building for days. Damn, this little game of hers—look but don’t touch—made him feel young again, back to the days when sex had been new and fun and taboo.

The best thing about maturing had been mastering control of his body, to make sure that his partner was as satisfied as he was. But growing up had also dimmed the sheer thrill of sex. For men and women alike, the erotic recklessness of youth seemed to give way to using sex to emotionally manipulate others. So while Gemma’s actions were confounding, he had to admit that the woman had put a zing into his already healthy libido that had him distracted every waking hour and most sleeping hours, too.

He found himself smiling during the day for no good reason. Something akin to giddiness arose in him when he heard her car, signaling her arrival home. As Gemma’s hand slid beneath the scrap of shiny red fabric, Chev studied her face as that strange sensation once again curled through his chest. The beautiful lines of her features softened as she began to sink into the rhythm of her fingers strumming her soft center. Her mouth opened slightly, her shoulders rolled languidly; her eyes fluttered and closed. Her cheeks were flushed with pure abandon, and a smile played on her lips. She was happy putting on this private show, and he felt flattered that she had singled him out.

Frustrated, he conceded as he smoothed a hand over his rigid erection—a tiny scratch applied to a raging itch—but flattered. And intrigued.

As Gemma’s body convulsed in orgasm, Chev hardened his jaw against the urge to stroke himself to climax. Not yet. There was something going on with this woman, something that compelled her to experience such intimacy with such detachment. He was determined to find out what made her tick.

Face-to-face … hand-to-hand … and sex-to-sex.

10

GEMMA LOVED to make love in the morning … when the sounds of the day were awakening: the soft tickle of tree branches brushing the roof … the vibrating hum of insects drinking from dewy grass … the rattling screech of something that sounded like a cross between a wet cat and a woman screaming “Help!”

Her eyes popped open. The inhuman noise seemed to be coming from her front yard. So much for a few extra z’s on her day off.

She pulled on a robe and walked to the picture window, but didn’t see anything from that vantage point. She did glance at the window opposite hers, but it was empty. Chev had probably been awake for hours, she decided, remembering the way he’d looked in the window last night, watching her … a zing went through her stomach and traveled down her thighs just thinking about it. How lucky to find a sexy man living next door—temporarily—who enjoyed watching her as much as she enjoyed performing.

The screeching noise sounded again, and she had a feeling she knew the source. She walked downstairs and into the living room for a view of the front yard. Then she gasped. Piles of new mulch and several clumps of flowers—roots and all—were scattered over the recently cut lawn. And the culprit stood in the middle of the mess holding a healthy marigold plant in his beak.

“Not my flowers!” Gemma shouted. As if the bird, or anyone else, could hear her. She nearly ran outside, then remembered her robe and pounded back upstairs for a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and sandals. Her mind whirled for some sort of weapon as she rushed downstairs. Desperate, she grabbed an umbrella on the way out the front door.

“Shoo!” she yelled, jogging down the front steps and into the yard, waving the umbrella at the peacock. It flinched, then squawked at her, dropping the mangled plant it had been holding.

“Go away!” she shouted.

The bird took a few steps backward, then shuddered and unfurled his tail in its magnificent fan in an apparent attempt to intimidate her.

Undeterred, Gemma opened the rainbow-colored umbrella and waved it at the destructive beast for a little intimidation of her own.

Low, rumbling laughter sounded. Her stomach tightened before she even turned around to see Chev standing at the edge of their property lines, leaning on a Weed Eater, his T-shirt already sweat-stained although the sun had barely begun its climb. His lopsided grin did funny things to her vital signs. She straightened and pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, realizing how ridiculous she must look. Then she lifted her chin. “This isn’t funny. This … fowl destroyed my flower beds!”

He held up his hand in an obvious attempt to stop laughing. “I’m sorry. But you’re only making things worse.”

Gemma frowned. “How?”

He walked closer and gestured to the colorful umbrella she held. “Now he probably thinks you’re a potential mate.”

Gemma squinted at the bird, who did indeed seem to be strutting his stuff versus scrambling to get away. She sighed. “Do you have any better ideas for getting rid of him?”

Chev pursed his mouth. “We males can be difficult to get rid of once we see something we like.”

Her cheeks warmed as his meaning set in. A tickle of concern curled in her stomach. It was a good thing that Chev’s days here were numbered. Otherwise, he might begin to expect more than she was willing to offer.

He lunged at the peacock, waving his arms, and succeeded in driving it into the air. Flying low, the large bird disappeared into a copse of trees several yards away.

“Thank you,” Gemma said. “Again.”

Chev’s eyes twinkled. “You’re welcome, but I don’t think you’ve seen the last of him.”

Gemma pushed one hand into her hair as she surveyed the damage to her flower beds. To her horror, tears filled her eyes. “I so don’t need this hassle.”

“Hey, hey,” he said, sounding alarmed. He moved closer, touching her arm. “It’s nothing that can’t be fixed. I can give you a hand.”

“That’s not necessary,” she said, wiping her cheeks hurriedly and pulling away from his disturbing touch. “I’m just feeling sorry for myself. Besides, you have your hands full with your own property.”

“Actually, I was hoping I might negotiate some kind of trade.”

Gemma swallowed hard. “What did you have in mind?”

A small smile played on his lips for a few seconds, as if he were considering all the pleasurable possibilities.“Your expertise in return for any handyman work you have around here.”

“My expertise in what?”

“My house,” he said, jerking his thumb toward the Spanish structure. I want to stay as true to authentic Mission detail as possible, but I’m afraid I’m in over my head. I thought with your background in art history, you might be able to steer me in the right direction.”

Gemma crossed her arms and considered his proposal. “For example?”

He shrugged. “Some guidance on the fireplace in the living room, the light fixtures in the bedrooms and things that I haven’t even encountered yet.”

“I have some reference books on the Mission style,” Gemma said, her mind already sifting through options. She recognized a flowering sensation in her chest as pleasure. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had asked for her opinion on anything. Jason had been the resident expert on everything that mattered, she had simply been the attentive sidekick. “Would you like to come inside while I look for them?” she asked.

He nodded, and followed her. Her heart raced as they climbed the steps and crossed the porch. She turned the knob on the door and swung it open. As soon as he crossed the threshold, she regretted asking him inside. She felt guilty and skittish, as if someone might catch them, and found herself practicing explanations in her head. He’s the neighbor … a carpenter … temporary.

“Nice place,” he said, turning his head from side to side.

She saw the house as he might … clean, but dark and cluttered with little piles of Jason’s stuff everywhere—the overflowing basket of mail, the milk crate of shoes and belts and crushed ball caps, the laundry basket of office equipment and thick volumes of books on Florida law. “I apologize for the mess—these are my husband’s things.” She put a hand to her head and gave a little laugh. “I mean my ex-husband. We recently divorced.”

He nodded. “So I gathered.”

She was embarrassed. She should’ve gotten rid of everything after her last phone conversation with Jason. The air seemed especially stifling.

“Sorry it’s so stuffy in here. My air conditioner is on the blink. I’ve been keeping all the windows open, but it hasn’t helped much.”

“It’s helped me a great deal,” he said, his voice low and amused.

His candor shocked her—and pleased her. It was refreshing to speak honestly about a sexual experience instead of flirting around the edges. “I’m glad you think so,” she murmured, and the air between them fairly crackled with static electricity. His dark eyes seemed to pierce her, and behind the blatant physical appreciation, she could sense his mind was racing, trying to figure out why a nice girl like her would be compelled to exhibit herself in such an intimate way. Gemma broke eye contact as a wave of anxiety washed over her. Honesty came with its own price.

“I could take a look at your air conditioner unit if you like,” he offered, changing the subject easily.

“I couldn’t bother you—”

“I might not even be able to fix it,” he interrupted. “But I’d like to do something for you in exchange for your help with the details of the house.”

There it was again, the look that said he wanted—needed—her help.

“Okay,” she relented, then proceeded up the stairs. “The unit is up here in the hall closet if you want to take a look. I’ll try to locate my reference books.”

He strode to the closet with a casual authority that she admired, a man comfortable with houses and the things in them. Unlike Jason, she mused, who saw the yard work as a chore, the smallest repair around the house an inconvenient waste of time. He would often grumble that he had two college degrees, yet he was expected to know carpentry, too. He was too busy to be bothered, she’d always reasoned, hating to see him spend his precious few hours of free time on tedious tasks. Rather than bringing things to his attention, she would attempt the repair herself or call a repair service, with Jason none the wiser.

On the other hand, her mind whispered, Chev Martinez wasn’t the most powerful attorney in Florida, with the ear of the governor, making decisions every day that affected the lives of everyone who lived in the state. If Jason knew what Gemma had been doing, exhibiting her body to a relative stranger, he’d be shocked and disgusted. He’d tell her that she’d gone slumming … that he was glad he had divorced her before he realized the extent of her perversions and perhaps ruined his career. A stone settled in her stomach. The men were too different to compare, she told herself. Besides, she’d had a ten-year relationship with Jason, and had known Chev barely ten days.