Skin on Skin Read Online Free PDF Page A

her father pinned Tony with an assessing stare. It was the age-old way fathers had of intimidating anyone who tried to get into their daughter’s pants. To his credit, Tony maintained his pleasant smile and said, “You have a lovely home, sir.”
    That’s right, she thought, lay on that Eddie Haskell act, the one that no doubt fooled dozens of fathers over the years.
    Mark ignored the compliment. “So you and Lauren work together.”
    “Yes sir, for about the past seven months.”
    “And how long have you been seeing each other?”
    “Four months,” he said at the exact same moment Lauren said, “Two months.”
    “Well, which is it?”
    Tony smiled conspiratorially at Mark and said, “For a couple of months there, what she considered hanging, I considered dates.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders and she allowed herself the luxury of leaning into his solid warmth.
    Mark chuckled, his face relaxing as he was convinced of Tony’s affection. “Sounds like Lauren. She always had guy friends, but never realized they wanted to do more than watch football, if you know what I mean.”
    She shook her head as they shared a knowing laugh. If only what her dad said was true. She’d never told her parents about that humiliating incident with Brandon, the one time she’d been stupid enough to try to push the boundaries of friendship.
    “Hey, don’t pout,” Tony leaned in and stole a quick peck. The brief contact was enough to startle her from her musings. But almost immediately, grim thoughts intruded. Once again, she lusted after her best friend. Only this time she had the added bonus of being tormented by touches and kisses that would lead absolutely nowhere.
    “I’m not pouting,” she said, pulling away slightly. “I’m just tired from the drive.”
    “Just one drink, sweetie, and then we’ll let you go.” Carly’s heels clacked across the terra-cotta stone terrace and she thrust icy glasses into their hands. “I hope you like mojitos, Tony,” Carly said with a wink. “That’s the official drink of the evening.”
    Tony took a tentative sip and nodded in satisfaction. Damn, he’s good, Lauren thought as she took a hefty sip of her own drink. She knew for a fact that Tony hated hard liquor in any form, and was strictly a beer and wine guy. But as he politely sipped his drink and made small talk with Lauren’s parents, his face showed no evidence of his distaste. Unless, like Lauren, one had spent several hours a day for over six months watching and studying every gorgeous line of his face. Even then it was hard to spot, but Lauren could see the faint twist of his lips with every sip, the slight flare of his nostrils as the bite of the liquor hit his throat.
    And they say women fake it.
    Lauren quickly polished off her drink, eager to escape her parents’ inspection and the pleasure-pain of Tony’s delicious loverlike touches that meant absolutely nothing.
    She stretched her jaw in an exaggerated yawn. “I’m beat. Mom, should we put our stuff in my room?”
    “Oh, no, dear,” Carly said with her tinkling, charming little laugh. “I booked you a room at the Balboa Bay Club.” She winked conspiratorially at Tony. “I wouldn’t want you to feel inhibited by sleeping in the same house as your parents.”
    “Carly,” Mark said warningly.
    “Oh Mark, don’t be such an old stiffie.” Even the usually cool Tony couldn’t smother a laugh at Carly’s interesting choice of words. Mark just rolled his eyes in exaggerated affection.
    “Now, you two go on, and we’ll see you tomorrow.” Wild curls and the scent of gardenia enveloped Lauren as her mother pulled her close. “But not too early,” she whispered, loud enough for Tony to hear.

3
    N ot too early turned out to be about six-thirty AM for Tony. Even that was a test of his endurance. For a man not big on self-restraint, spending even one platonic night in the same bed as Lauren was enough to send him over the edge. Now, as the