His Sugar Baby (7 page)

Cathy gave herself over to the sheer pleasure of shopping. She had forgotten what it was like to buy clothes. It was a relief not to have to look at price tags. She could just choose those things that she liked and that Michael approved for her. She had already gathered that he did not care what anything cost, so it became a pleasure simply to indulge herself in her new persona. She felt an actual physical sensation of something inside of her that had been withered slowly unfurl and come to life again. It was probably her inner shopping diva
. No wonder Chloe loves hats. Being a fashionista is in her genes.
Somehow the shopping spree made the role-play easier. Putting aside her real self, Cathy stepped into her new life and became Winter.

They had a late lunch together at the food court.

“Would you like to walk around?”

“Sure,” Winter agreed with a smile. It sounded like fun. So they leisurely window shopped, conversing about things they saw and exchanged ideas and opinions, in the process learning something about each other’s tastes. She had become very comfortable in his company. As they passed a toy store, she suddenly saw a teddy bear dressed in a lacy mob cap and a red velvet pinafore lavishly trimmed with white lace. “Oh, Chloe would love that!”

Her hand flew to her mouth. She turned her head sharply, hoping that he hadn’t heard her exclamation.

Michael stopped. He looked down at her contemplatively. For a long, agonizing moment, he said nothing. Then he suggested quietly, “Why don’t you buy it for her? I’ll wait for you here.”

Without a word, she went into the toy store. While she purchased the teddy bear, she gnawed on her stupidity. It worried her that her daughter’s name had escaped her. She didn’t want Michael to know anything about Chloe. She would have preferred that he not even know of her existence. It was safer that way. But she had let the cat out of the bag, big time.

When she returned with the bulging shopping bag dangling from her hand, she asked tersely, “Aren’t you going to ask?”

“We have an agreement, Winter. Your private life and those in it are no concern of mine.” Michael draped his arm loosely over her tense shoulders. “Come on. We haven’t seen everything yet.”

She almost went limp with relief. He was not going to demand an explanation, one which she would have refused to give him. Perhaps he intuitively understood that, and that was why he didn’t press her. No, it was more likely that he didn’t want to do any probing, she thought shrewdly. He didn’t want the drama. Her mood buoyed up. She brightened even more when she rationalized that Michael could as easily have guessed that she had been referring to a niece or a friend’s daughter, instead of to a child of her own.

She felt the light stroke of his fingers on the point of her shoulder.

Winter had noticed that Michael made a habit of putting an arm around her shoulders or casually around her waist. Sometimes, he had laced his fingers with hers as they had walked and talked. There was no suggestiveness about the physical contact. It was just nice. She was glad of the easy camaraderie that had developed and they had shared, especially that it had not been spoiled by her slip. Actually, if she was going to be perfectly honest with herself, she was amazed by how much fun she was having. It was extraordinary. She felt…carefree.

Michael steered her toward another shop. As they entered, she tilted her head back so that she could see the pink-lettered name embossed above the door.
Victoria
’s Secret. Oh, God.

Winter’s heart rate kicked up. She had a vision of herself prancing out of the dressing room to model a sexy corset, garter and stockings. His arm was around her waist so that he must have felt her sudden tension. He leaned in close, his lips near her ear. His warm breath tickled her skin as he said quietly, “Your bra and panties are serviceable, but I’d like to see you in something else.”

She had a swift, embarrassing memory of her bra and panties lying so neatly on the chair beside his bed. Winter felt the betraying heat rise in her face. Sometimes she really hated that she had a redhead’s pale skin.

His muscular arm loosened and fell from around her when they came up on a table display of wispy underwear. “Here we go.”

“I don’t think that—”

Michael picked up a white lace thong and dangled the scrap from his index finger. There was a teasing gleam in his eyes when he looked at her. “I prefer that you don’t wear anything when we’re together, but a thong is okay.” He laughed when her cheeks blazed.

A salesgirl approached, and Michael turned away to address her. Winter pulled in a calming breath. She had only a moment to compose herself before the salesgirl took her in hand to help her choose the right sizes in several styles of lingerie that Michael said he wanted for her. The salesgirl made several trips back and forth from the silver-accented dressing rooms for Winter before Michael was satisfied that she had acquired a suitable lingerie wardrobe. She soon had thongs with matching bras, some silky teddies and, at Michael’s specific request, a black garter belt and black thigh-high hosiery.

“Very naughty,” he whispered in her ear, before his teeth nipped at her sensitive lobe.

While the lingerie was rung up, Michael touched her. The seemingly random touches of her lower back, the lingering of his fingers at her nape, teased her and made her heart race. By the time all of her purchases were made, Winter was trembling. She was certain that she knew how he meant for the afternoon to be culminated. She realized that she was not as reluctant for that as she had thought she would be.

Outside the store, Michael guided her to a slatted wooden bench and pulled her down beside him to the seat. He took out his wallet and flipped it open to extract a folded bill. He pressed it into her palm, gently closing her fingers over it. Michael raised her fist to his lips and kissed it, then let her go. There was no discernible expression in his ice-blue eyes. “I’m due at a friend’s barbeque. I’ll see you on Wednesday, Winter.”

He stood up and walked away, disappearing swiftly into the slowly moving crowd. As she gazed after him, her emotions warred and clashed inside her. Her heart still thudded, and her breathing was shallow. She had screwed up her courage, anticipating his suggestion that they return to his house. Instead, he had left her sitting on the bench. Just sitting there. She couldn’t believe it.

Winter became aware that she was still tightly clutching the bill in her hand. Without looking at it, she knew what it was. She put the hundred dollar bill into her purse and then gathered up all of the bags at her feet. She drew in her breath and let it out slowly.
Well, that was an experience. Time to go home.

When Cathy got back to her apartment, she took all of the shopping bags into her bedroom and dumped them onto the bed. Opening the closet, she scooted all of her clothing to one side. Then she hung the fern-green jersey on a padded hanger in the empty space. She looked at the gown for a long time, a smile tugging at her lips. It was nice to have a beautiful dress again.

She turned her attention to her other purchases. The stuffed teddy bear she tucked carefully away for one of her visits to see Chloe. Though she saw her daughter every day, sometimes twice, she made it a point to space out presents. It gave both of them something of a boost when she surprised Chloe. The soft wrap, the shoes, and the jewelry that went with the jersey gown she added to the closet, making sure that they were separate from her other possessions. The new lingerie she folded and put away into the dresser drawers that she had emptied for the purpose.

At last satisfied, Cathy left the bedroom. The new clothing, Winter’s clothing, was completely segregated from her own wardrobe. Just like the money deposited into the separate bank account.

Chapter Six

At the sharp rap on his office door, Michael looked up. The door swung open. When his business partner walked in, he grinned and laid down the thick file that he had been studying. “Darryl! I didn’t know that you were back already.” He stood up and walked around the desk to offer his hand.

“Hey, bro. I got in just an hour ago.” Darryl Harriman grasped Michael’s hand and slapped him on the shoulder with his other. He stood half a head taller than Michael and had the taut, muscular build of a quarterback.

Michael grinned. As always during business hours, Darryl was attired in a well-fitted suit, shirt and tie. Heavy gold cufflinks adorned his shirt cuffs, and his shoes were polished to a mirror finish. His own style usually ran to business casual. “You look like a pimp.”

“You look like a houseboat refugee,” countered Darryl affably. It had been an old running joke between them since their college days. They were opposites in so many ways, except for their common drive to succeed. Darryl’s sartorial elegance really stood out in a city that prized a laid-back lifestyle, but it played well with clients on the East Coast and in
Europe
. “I just wanted to let you know that we’re on target for next month. You want to grab a beer after work?”

Michael shook his head. He couldn’t stop the flash of smile that crossed his face. He leaned against the front of the desk, his hands curling around the edge on each side. “I’ve made plans but thanks.”

Darryl raised a heavy black brow, clear interest sparking in his dark-brown eyes. “Plans as in a female type of plans?”

Michael laughed. “Exactly.”

“Is she why you were late to the barbeque?”

“I’ve been seeing someone, yeah.”

He had not seen or contacted Winter since their shopping trip on Saturday four days ago, so he was feeling keen anticipation about seeing her again that evening. He was not an aficionado of the ballet, but having Winter as his companion would more than compensate. She would be wearing that incredible dress that molded to her delectable body like a glove. He felt himself stirring pleasantly at the thought. Not wanting to give away the direction of his thoughts, he straightened and walked back behind his desk to drop into the chair.

“This is beginning to sound serious.” Darryl sat down in an armchair across from the desk. The leather squeaked as he shifted to cross one ankle over the opposite knee. He twitched the sharp knife-pleat in the pant leg to his satisfaction before he asked with mild curiosity, “Well, who is she? Anyone I know?”

“No, you don’t know her. She’s a single mother, very attractive. I enjoy her company.” Michael kept his explanation deliberately brief and vague. He had no intention of explaining to anyone, including his best friend, anything about his relationship with Winter. Some things were best kept to himself. Especially since he had no plans to ever introduce her to his social circle.

Darryl snorted in derision. “A single mother? I can’t see you spending quality time with a rug rat.”

“I don’t. I’ve never met the kid. Or kids.” Michael leaned back in his office chair.
She has a daughter named Chloe. Young enough to like stuffed teddy bears.
He shook off the stray thought.

“Kid or kids? You don’t even know?”

“I don’t care about that part of her life.” That wasn’t quite the truth, he thought, vaguely troubled. In actuality, when she had inadvertently revealed that she had at least the one child, he had almost asked her about her home life. But he had bitten back the impulse. As long as their mutually beneficial arrangement was unimpaired, he wasn’t going to take an interest in her personal affairs.

“You don’t care.” Darryl shook his head. Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he settled deeper into the armchair. “That’s cold, Mike. Even for you.”

Michael deliberately narrowed his eyes and formed the cold half smile that he had cultivated over the years for business negotiations. “What are you saying? That I’m a heartless bastard?”

Darryl flashed a grin that was dazzling against his mahogany skin. With a frankness that would have been insulting except for the fact that they had known each other for a long time, he said, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He nodded and pointed his finger. “
Cold bastard.
But that’s what makes you so good at what you do.”

Michael laughed, letting go of his narrow-eyed expression. “When you’re right, you’re right.”

Darryl chuckled, but then he slowly sobered. “Now that you’re seeing this woman, what about Morgan?”

Michael’s good humor vanished like smoke. Stiffening, he stared across the wide desk at his friend. It was an old discussion, one that he had forcefully made plain he did not want to revisit. It surprised and, yes, irritated the hell out of him that Darryl had brought it up. With deliberate finality, he said, “Morgan and I drifted apart a long time ago.”

“I know that. I also know you’re going to have to deal with the fallout some day.”

Michael just looked at him, and his lips tightened. Anger simmered in his gut.

“Damn, man, you could have been a gunslinger with that icy stare.” After a beat or two, Darryl threw up his hand in mute acknowledgement that he had crossed the line. “I’m just saying. So are you set to go to
Singapore
?”

Michael welcomed the change of subject. But he couldn’t contain his annoyed thoughts
. What is it with Darryl, anyway?
He pushed aside the maelstrom of strong emotions that always rose up inside of him with reminders of the past. “Yeah. I’m flying out day after tomorrow.”