Blissful Awakenings Read online

  The rest of the week was a blur of shopping, fittings, and appointments for hair, make-up, and nails. While she didn’t do anything too drastic with her nails, she did end up getting her hair cut, dyed, and styled to be a little more on trend. She now sported honey-blond hair that was much richer in color than her original strawberry blond tresses had ever been. Not to mention the salon had worked their magic to make it look much shinier and healthier. Every time she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, she couldn’t help but smile. Each appointment left her feeling more confident in her looks and she didn’t care if that made her seem conceited. However, all of the pampering was more attention than Courtney was used to getting, and she was glad that Olivia was there to help her stand her ground when she didn’t agree with a fashion suggestion.

  She had to remind herself often that Olivia wasn’t a friend but was being paid to be there. Having a personal assistant was a weird experience. Especially someone as easy-going and fun as Olivia. Courtney didn’t want to feel like she was asking Olivia for anything outside the scope of her job responsibilities.

  On Thursday, Courtney found herself deciding to purchase several little black dresses that were a little more daring than she was used to, but only after a prompt from Olivia. Only then did she finally force herself to ask Olivia something she’d been thinking about for most of the week.

  “Olivia, does it bother you that you’re here with me rather than doing stuff for Bo? I mean, you worked really hard for your position, and now you’re here with some nobody, walking me through how to politely tell somebody no seven times.”

  “Eight if you count that damn lime green dress.”

  “Ugh, true,” Courtney laughed then sobered. “You’re changing the subject.”

  “I mean, honestly, Courtney, this week has been kinda fun. I don’t do this stuff with Bo. He has fittings occasionally, but I only set them up. I don’t go with him. I was a little surprised at first that Bo assigned me to you, but I’m truly glad he did.” She leaned in and mock whispered, “You should hear how Bo’s other assistant has complained about not getting this assignment. Trust me when I say you would not enjoy Diana’s company.”

  Olivia’s phone buzzed then, distracting her. When she checked the message, her eyebrows climbed her forehead. “Oh! Looks like we need to get another outfit.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You’ve just been invited for dinner tonight with Bo. Shit.” She put a hand to her chin, thinking, “None of your dresses will be ready before tomorrow. Agh, Bo. Why are you always throwing wrenches in my plans?”

  Courtney was puzzled and a little panicked. “Why would he want to have dinner with me? Doesn’t he have more important people to meet with?” Her voice rose as she spoke until it was little more than a squeak.

  “Whoa, calm down. He just wants dinner. He’s not proposing or wanting you to hop in his bed. He might run the biggest sex industry in the world, but he’s not really a fast mover. I’m sure he just wants to meet you.”

  Courtney nodded but Olivia wasn’t watching as she was furiously texting someone. Courtney wasn’t so sure about Bo. The man had remembered her cat's name after one call. Who did that? “What will we talk about?”

  “You, most likely,” Olivia said, not looking up, which meant she missed the mortification on Courtney’s face. “He’s not big on talking about himself.”

  “What does he like? What are his interests? I need something to talk about with him, Olivia. I’m not that exciting that I can talk about myself for a whole dinner!”

  Courtney’s rising panic finally got Olivia’s attention. “Whoa, easy there. It’s going to be fine. He likes fast cars and boating and has a weird thing for horror movies.”

  “What? Horror movies? Really?”

  “Yes, really.” She pointed a finger at Courtney. “And if you tell him I told you that, you’ll end up wearing that awful lime green dress tonight. Now let me work for a minute to find you something suitable to wear.” She took another five minutes and finally said, “Got it.”

  She turned the phone to Courtney, a devilish twinkle in her eyes. “You’re gonna look hot as hell in this. Maybe he will want to take you to bed tonight.”

  Several hours and a hair and nail appointment later, Courtney emerged from a black SUV that she’d finally let Olivia call for her. Courtney was trying not to spend all her money in the week leading up to her trip, but she caved on the SUV after Olivia explained that it was easier to get out of a tall vehicle than from a regular taxi that was low to the ground when wearing such a revealing dress.

  She halted on the sidewalk when she spotted her date.

  THE Bo Ryans was waiting for her outside the restaurant. He was speaking with the host at the outdoor podium and had his back to Courtney.

  “You can do this,” she whispered, then forced herself to keep walking in the high heels that Olivia had insisted she wear. The host looked up and gave Courtney a onceover in her tight-fitting maroon dress. It had cap sleaves that were basically off the shoulder and a sweetheart neckline that was a little more daring than Courtney was used to. At least the little ruffle of extra material that cut diagonally across the tight skirt of the dress had given her something to nervously play with on the ride over.

  “Mr. Ryans?” Courtney said, glad her voice didn’t waver or break as she spoke.

  He turned and gave her that million-dollar smile that had been in the tabloids for most of her adult life. Though Bo was only three years older than Courtney, he’d developed a reputation as appearing and acting older than he was. His sideburns showed a tiny hint of grey, and his clean-shaven face looked soft to the touch with a few smile wrinkles that somehow made him more alluring and approachable. He wore a black suit jacket that probably cost more than three months of rent on Courtney’s old apartment.

  And, hot damn, it looked good on him and hugged all the right spots.

  “You must be Courtney.” He took her hand and dropped a light kiss on the back of it. Still slightly bent over her hand, he looked up into her eyes with his hazel ones. “It’s so nice to meet you in person.”

  “Yes,” Courtney said a little breathlessly, then kicked herself. “I mean, it’s nice to meet you, too.”

  He smiled again, though she wasn't sure if it was at her nervousness or just because it was the polite thing to do. “Let’s go inside. I sat through meetings at lunch and now I’m starving.”

  The host led them to a table at the back of the restaurant—which meant all eyes were on them as they passed the other diners. Each table fell silent momentarily as they passed, then hushed whispers started up the moment they had moved on. It was like leaving a weird, whispering wake in an ocean of gossip.

  It made Courtney want to abort the dinner, but truth be told, she was more curious about Bo Ryans than she was nervous of those whispers. Instead, she focused on not tripping over her own feet in the ridiculous heels she wore. At least they were sexy, she told herself.

  When they’d sat down, Bo turned to Courtney. “Do you like figs?”

  It was such a random question that Courtney paused before answering in a puzzled tone, “I do, actually.”

  “Perfect.” He turned to the waiter. “We’ll have an order of the figs wrapped in bacon, please, and a whiskey on the rocks for me.” He turned to Courtney.

  Since she hadn’t had a chance to look at the drink menu yet, she ordered off the top of her head, “A whiskey sour for me, please.”

  When the waiter left, Bo turned to Courtney. “Yeah? A whiskey woman, huh?”

  “Not straight on the rocks, but I like it with a little something sweet.”

  “Something sweet with something rough.” He smiled again to turn his sentence into a joke rather than a creepy leer, but it still made Courtney arch an eyebrow at him.

  “I'm sorry?”

  His mouth opened, and he froze for a second. Courtney could almost see him playing back the line he’d just said.

  “Shit. Sorry.” He rub
bed his face with one hand. “I’m so used to being at the Temple all the time. Such innuendos are commonplace. They aren’t polite for general conversation during dinner with an acquaintance though. Please, forgive me and let me start again?”

  Courtney thought it over. As much as saying she’d been on a “date” with Bo Ryans would have been fun, the idea of said date was overwhelming. She could get on board with dinner as an acquaintance though. It was a lot less intimidating.

  “Sure,” she finally said.

  “How has your week been so far after winning the contest?”

  Courtney wasn’t sure if he expected her to thank him or what, but she decided to keep things honest. “It’s been...interesting so far. I guess I’m kind of lucky that I lost my job when they found out about the contest because Olivia has kept me busy with fittings all week.”

  He frowned. “I’m sorry that happened with your job. Some people are just not open to the idea of pleasure for fun.” He paused, “Was it a job you really liked? I ask because we could help you get it back if you want.”

  “Oh no, no. It was just a temporary job that somehow turned into three years of office work with no real options for growth.” Courtney stopped herself from saying more. Bo was strangely really easy to talk to. And, bonus: he actually seemed to be listening.

  She decided to take the conversation in a different direction. “Honestly, I’ve been having a great time shopping with Olivia this week. She’s done a really great job of keeping things organized. I have no idea how I’ll ever get through shopping again without her,” she joked.

  “I’m glad she took the assignment,” Bo said. “Olivia is the best assistant I’ve ever had, but between you and me, she was starting to look as burned out as I felt with all the new meetings. We’ve been working on starting another Temple-like site here, in New York.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “It’s not official yet, so please don’t tell anyone, but we hope to open sometime in the spring maybe. It’s a little trickier to get things passed here than it was in Vegas. They really don’t like the idea of having one of our towers here. I believe one of the descriptions used in my last meeting was “tower of smut.”

  Courtney stifled a laugh but not quickly enough that Bo didn’t catch it. “That’s a terrible description,” she quickly said to recover. When he smiled with her, it made her feel more at ease, so she added, “They could really do better than that. My first thought would be Sin Spire or something like that. I mean, alliteration, people.” She realized what she’d said and started to blush.

  Bo ignored the blush and continued the conversation so as not to draw attention to her embarrassment. “I like that. We’ll have to add that to the list.”

  “Do you have a real name for it yet?”

  He dropped his head back. “Ah, not yet. That’s the other snag.” When he looked at her once more, those hazel eyes seemed to pierce right through her. He started to speak but was interrupted by their drinks.

  “What would you like for dinner, sir?” The waiter asked.

  Courtney suddenly realized that she hadn’t even glanced at the menu yet. Flustered, she quickly flipped it open and was glad to find that it was the type of restaurant where you just picked between two full courses rather than one individual meal.

  “I’ll have the farmer’s menu. That’s the one with the steak, right?” Bo said, turning his one-hundred-watt smile on the waiter.

  “Yes, sir. That’s the one.” The waiter turned to Courtney. “And for you, miss?”

  “Actually, I’d like that as well.” She almost breathed a sigh of relief as the waiter disappeared again. Why was she so nervous?

  There was a beat of silence while they both sipped their drinks. When she looked up, she caught him glancing away from her cleavage which was on full display in the dress Olivia had chosen. She blushed again but decided to ignore it.

  “So, you were saying about the name of the new tower?”

  “Oh, yes. We’re stuck in limbo right now on that. The other names were easy and matched their region. Fantasy Island is on an island. Pleasure Temple is in Vegas where there are plenty of other fake temples. But what could we use for New York? My clients don’t tend to be fans of the gritty New York scene. We have some ideas of word play on the whole Broadway theme, but it’s not quite what I’m looking for.” He looked up suddenly. “I’m sorry, here I am complaining about work. Let’s talk about you. Are you excited to head to the Temple?”

  “Um, yeah. I’m excited.” Courtney took a drink to cover up her nervousness.

  “You sound excited,” he said with a note of sarcasm tempered by a smile.

  That smile was starting to make her feel a little warm every time it was directed her way. She wondered fleetingly what he would look like under that suit and then pushed the thought away.

  Down girl! You just broke up with your boyfriend!

  “Sorry. I really am excited. Winning was just really unexpected. I mean, I entered the contest, but I’ve never been the type of person to win anything, you know?”

  “Well, now you are.” Happily, he switched subjects after taking a sip of his whiskey. “What are your hobbies, Courtney? What do you like to do?”

  The sound of her name on his lips sent a little thrill up her spine. What the hell?

  “Um, I’m not too terribly exciting, really. I read a lot,” here she paused before deciding to play her one ace in the hole, “and I have a weird interest in old horror movies.”

  “Really? I’m kind of a geek when it comes to old scary movies. What’s your favorite?”

  “Oh man, do I have to pick just one?”

  Much to Courtney’s relief, they were able to keep the conversation going well after they’d finished their meals. When it was time to leave, Bo walked them out, ignoring the stares and whispers of the other patrons.

  “Do you mind if we take the same car back? I’m staying at the same hotel as you. Would that be weird?”

  “I think it might be weirder to get in separate cars to go to the same destination.”

  “Touché.”

  As if it had been waiting for them, a black SUV pulled up. Bo offered his hand to help Courtney step up into the tall vehicle and she took it. Though she would have done it herself if she was with Daniel, she enjoyed the feel of Bo’s strong hand on hers. He wasn’t overly handsy about it, which was nice.

  When he got in, his knee lightly touched hers. She tried not to notice.

  “Does it ever bother you?” She asked.

  “What?” He turned to her, and she suddenly had the crazy image of him leaning in for a kiss. She shoved the thought away and focused on keeping her breathing steady. What was her deal tonight?

  “People staring. The whispering. Doesn’t it ever get to you?”

  “I honestly don’t even notice it anymore. I think it went in stages though. First, I liked it, then after a while, it bothered me—which is actually why I built Pleasure Temple—it let me get away from the staring while still having people around me.” He paused, looking a little concerned as his eyes found hers. “Does it bother you?”

  “A little.” She admitted, breaking his gaze with a small self-deprecating laugh. “I guess I’m just not used to it.”

  “Anonymity has its perks, but from what I understand about the interest in your story, you’ll soon have more notoriety. You might have to get used to it.”

  “Nah. I’m sure they’ll forget about me in less than it takes for the news to go through its two-week cycle.”

  “Maybe.” They pulled up to the hotel, but Courtney didn’t move to get out. Bo had caught her eyes again, and this time it made her breath hitch in her chest. As her breasts rose a little with her breath, she thought she caught a flicker of more than interest in the depths of Bo’s eyes. Was he going to lean in and kiss her? The idea sent a tingle of warmth through her.

  Instead of a kiss, though, he only gave her a tight smile. She was surprised at the amount of disappointme
nt she felt.

  What is wrong with you? Acquaintances, remember? She thought furiously to herself.

  “Dinner was really nice. Thank you for joining me.” He popped the door open on his side then turned to help her down.

  She’d been doing so well in her high heels all night that in that moment of scrambling to escape her unexpected interest in Bo, she plainly forgot about them. When her foot hit the ground, she stumbled and pitched forward. Bo immediately caught her, his body pressed to hers in her form-fitting dress leaving nothing to the imagination. She could feel his arousal as she pressed against him. Surprised at his interest in her, she looked up into his eyes.

  She had that feeling again that he was going to press her against the side of the SUV and kiss her, but the moment was broken when he roughly said, “Not here.” He kept a hand on her arm as he stepped away from her to make sure she was back on balance. The sudden loss of his hard body against hers made her feel anything but balanced though.

  “You wouldn’t want to be a headline tomorrow as the woman who was picked to be Bo Ryans’ personal sex toy.” His smile didn’t take the sting out of his words, but Courtney understood what he meant.

  She gave a small nod and dropped her eyes for a moment, mentally scrambling to figure out what to say. She finally settled on, “Dinner was nice. Um, thanks.” She turned and hurried into the hotel to avoid any lingering looks from the staff.

  That night, as she lay in bed thinking back through that moment, she thought how close she’d come to kissing Bo Ryans and how disappointed she was that it hadn’t happened. She fell asleep thinking about what could have happened with Bo in the back of that SUV. She imagined him squeezing her breast. Sliding his hands down her thighs and then hiking up her tight dress.

  All the while she could feel those penetrating hazel eyes…

  It was a simple fantasy, but it was one of the first times she’d thought about being with anyone other than Daniel in a long time.

  Maybe she’d take Claire’s advice and step outside her comfort zone to partake in more of what Pleasure Temple offered than just the room’s view.