"Lemongrass?" she asked, not used to men taking care of her.

When Connor simply nodded and took off, her first reaction was suspicion. After years of screwing each other over, she couldn't help but automatically jump to that conclusion. Her mind raced through all the things he'd done to her over the years, wondering if she was about to experience a repeat of being turned the color of a smurf, but she quickly dismissed the idea.

He wouldn't do that, not when he needed her for whatever plan he was working on. When she heard his patio door slide open from the other room another thought occurred to her, a thought that should have disgusted her, but didn't. What if he was planning on joining her in the tub? And why did the thought of Connor holding her against his na**d body make her toes curl?

Because she wanted him.

There, she admitted it to herself. She wanted Connor O'Neill in her bed and so what? She didn't see what the big deal was. For the next five months they were supposed to be in a relationship and what woman in her right mind would date Connor and not welcome him into her bed? He was handsome and had an incredible body. She was stuck working with him and trapped in this deal with him, so why shouldn't she enjoy what he had to offer?

It's not like there would be any confusion or hurt feelings if they decided to have sex. They both knew where they stood and they both knew that they hated each other, but that didn't stop them from wanting to tear each other's clothes off. The only downside that came to mind was that nasty little rumor that followed Connor around everywhere he went. According to the local female population, Connor was extremely selfish in bed.

Then again, weren't all men selfish in bed?

She couldn't think of a single man that she'd slept with that hadn't been selfish. They all wanted sex their way and only their way. Most of them didn't care if she found her moment since they only focused on their own. Some of the men she'd slept with cared if she enjoyed herself, but usually once she had a small "O" they went right back to focusing on their own enjoyment. Once they were done they couldn't leave fast enough.

Then again, she'd never heard women complain about the skills of the other men in town as much as they did about Connor. Not that she listened to gossip or anything, but she'd heard that the man did the absolute bare minimum to get a woman in bed and once he had her there the complaints tripled. He didn't make eye contact, refused to kiss any woman once he got her on her back and hated foreplay. If any woman enjoyed herself it was purely by accident, but she wasn't sure how much of that she believed since the rumors didn't seem to stop women from throwing themselves at him.

It certainly wasn't going to stop her, she thought as she shut the water off and headed for Connor's bedroom. If it was horrible then she wouldn't waste the effort again. They'd go on with this little fake relationship of theirs, but if he managed to keep her interests in bed even a little bit, well........

Then this deal of theirs would be getting a lot more interesting.......

Chapter 22

"Change your grand larceny plans?" he asked, chuckling when he spotted Rory in the hallway, heading towards his room.

"No," she murmured with a shrug as she stepped up to him and placed her injured hand on his shoulder as her good hand moved to the back of his head.

Before he could ask her what she was doing, her mouth was on his and he forgot about bath salts and coming up with an excuse so that he could sneak out in a couple of hours and go meet her father and brothers for some fishing. He had a plan that he needed to work on after all, but right now that didn't matter. Right now the only thing that mattered was the woman teasingly nipping at his bottom lip.

"What's going on?" he whispered hoarsely, groaning when she licked his lip better.

"Getting into character," she said, brushing her lips against his as she pressed tightly against him, making everything in him go still as the plastic bottle slipped out of his hand and dropped to the ground with a thud.

There was no way that he'd just heard what he thought he did. He knew Rory pretty well and knew that she would never use her sex appeal to get what she wanted. She wouldn't bother wasting the energy for all that bullshit. She would just kick his ass to get what she-

"I want sex, Connor, and as long as you make it worth my while we're going to add it to our deal," she said as she somehow managed to back him up until his back hit the wall before adding with a teasing note, "to get into character of course."

He opened his mouth to make sure that he'd heard her right when she took advantage and slid her tongue in his mouth, taking him off guard and leaving him with no other choice but to give into the stubborn woman. She wanted him. Rory James, the woman he'd been fantasizing about since he'd first noticed girls, wanted him and he wasn't going to do something stupid like question it or bitch about her methods.

It took a minute for her words to sink in and when they did, he turned the tables on her and pressed her up against the wall. As he slid his tongue against hers, enjoying the way she couldn't seem to get close enough to him, he placed his hands against the wall by her head. After allowing himself another minute of enjoying her decadent mouth he broke the kiss, but he didn't go far.

When Rory fisted his hair and yanked him back for another hungry kiss, he indulged her for another moment before he pulled back. When she let out a rather vicious growl, he chuckled and leaned in, but only allowed his lips to brush against hers. Before she could deepen the kiss, he pulled back.

"Make it worth your while?" he repeated, making sure that he'd heard her correctly.

"Mmmhmm," she said, moving her good hand down his neck, over his shoulder and down his chest, her touch light and teasing as she traced his tattoo.

"So this is my audition?" he asked, loving the way she touched him.

"Yes."

"What exactly am I auditioning for?" he asked, already having a pretty good idea, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Well, if you pass-"

"I will," he said tightly, insulted that she expected him to suck in bed.

"-then for the next five months," she continued as if he hadn't spoken all while she ran her hand down his chest, "we're going to give in and enjoy this disturbing attraction that's going on between us."

"Who says that I'm attracted to you?" he asked softly as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes.

She smiled coyly as her hand slid down between them and over the erection straining his boxers to get to her. When she gave it a light, teasing squeeze, the air in his lungs rushed out as his legs threatened to buckle and drop his ass to he floor. "This does," the tease said as she slowly stroked him through his boxers.

He'd heard several men bitch about Rory's performance in bed. Granted, he beat the shit out of those men, but not before he got an earful. Seems the men that Rory dated didn't appreciate an aggressive woman in bed. They wanted a woman that allowed the man take the lead, call the shots and decide their pleasure.

They were all f**king idiots.

There was nothing hotter than a woman who knew what she wanted and went for it. Nothing turned him off more than a woman that let him call the shots and just laid there while he took her. It was boring and only made him lose interest faster. With Rory, he knew that he'd never get bored and taking the next step with her was dangerous, but he'd worry about that later. Right now he had the woman of his dreams giving him a chance to fulfill every fantasy that he'd ever had about her.

"What are the rules?" he asked, already knowing that Rory had something in mind.

"This doesn't interfere with the project or our lives," she said, licking her lips as she worked her hand between his legs and gently massaged his balls, making him hiss in a breath.

"Fine. What else?" he asked, trying not groan as she continued to drive him out of his mind. His hands clenched into fists against the wall as he struggled not to grab her and turn her around so that he could rip off her panties and bury himself deep inside of her.

"It's just to get into character. It means nothing," she said, leaning up to brush her lips against his and for some reason that pissed him off, but not enough to turn down what she was offering.