Operation Babe-Magnet: Operation Babe-Magnet / Operation Beauty

“Harry.”

She frowned. “What?”

“You called me Dexter. I thought you wanted to refer to me as Harry from now on to avoid any confusion while we’re on the book tour.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Can I get you a glass of orange juice?” he asked, moving toward the small, open kitchen. “Or I can make you a cup of coffee?”

“Orange juice will be fine.” She picked up another doughnut out of the box, this one drizzled with chocolate glaze and covered with colorful candy sprinkles.

He poured them each a tumbler full of juice, then sat down across from her at the breakfast bar. It occurred to him that Kylie was the perfect guinea pig to test his newfound knowledge of romance. Not only did she think he was a gigolo and expect him to flirt and flatter, but it was crucial to the success of the book tour.

Taking a sip of his juice, he regarded her over the rim of his glass. According to the information he’d gleaned, small compliments made a woman feel both attractive and special. “I like your ears.”

Kylie stopped chewing and swallowed. “What?”

“They’re just right. Not too big, not too small. And they don’t stick out at all.”

“No one’s ever really mentioned that before.”

He smiled, pleased that he’d been the first. “Your teeth are great, too. Very white.”

She brushed the crumbs off of her fingers. “Thanks.”

“But do you know what my favorite part of you is?”

She stilled, then looked up into his face, her gaze wary. “What?”

“Your laugh,” he hesitated, wondering if he should go on. But something about the way she was looking at him impelled him to keep talking. “It reminds me of my first-grade teacher. Miss Ames. She had a laugh like yours. Light. Infectious. It always made me think of sunshine.”

Her gaze softened. “That is so sweet, Harry. Did you have a crush on her?”

He shrugged. “It was a long time ago.” Dexter found himself reluctant to reveal his single-minded devotion to Miss Ames, even after all these years. Despite the small gifts he’d given her, along with a sappy love poem he’d copied out of a library book, the young teacher had always preferred his brother. Sam had been a perennial teacher’s pet, enchanting all the female teachers from kindergarten through high school.

Miss Ames had just been the first in a long line of the fairer sex who had been more interested in his brother than in him. They liked Sam’s roguish charm and impulsive nature. The exact opposite of Dexter.

But he wasn’t Dexter anymore, he was Harry Hanover. And Harry made women fall at his feet.

Kylie glanced at her watch. “We don’t have much time. Are you packed?”

He hitched his thumb over his shoulder.

“My suitcase is by the door.”

“Good.” Then she hesitated, tucking a stray curl behind her perfectly curved ear. “We need to talk.”

He looked at her for a long moment, wondering if she realized she had a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her mouth. He was tempted to lean over and lick it off, just to see her reaction. He hadn’t come across such a method while doing his research, so maybe he shouldn’t improvise. Then again, spontaneity had been encouraged. His gaze fell to chocolate on her mouth again and blood pooled low in his body just thinking about it.

“So are we in agreement?”

He blinked, startled out of his fantasy. “About what?”

“That I am completely in charge from here on out. Your boss at Studs-R-Us assured me that her employees were quite adept at following orders.”

He arched a brow. “Exactly what kind of orders do you have in mind?”

Her gaze flicked to his mouth, then back up again. Which made Dexter discover something else he liked about Kylie. She blushed beautifully.

“I’ll tell you when we get to Columbus.”

6

“YOUR ROOM IS RIGHT THROUGH here, Miss Timberlake.” The bellman indicated the door adjoining Dexter’s hotel room. He opened it to set her suitcases inside, then closed it again. “Will there be anything else.”

“No, thank you,” Kylie said, digging in her purse for money to pay the tip. But Dexter beat her to it, pulling some crisp bills out of his billfold and handing them to the bellman.

“That kind of thing is my responsibility,” Kylie informed him once they were alone in the room. “So how much do I owe you?”

“Forget it,” Dexter replied, tossing his suitcase on top of the king-sized bed. “I’m not letting you pay for everything on this trip.”

She arched a brow. “Isn’t that what a gigolo does best?”

“Male escort,” he amended, unzipping the suitcase, then lifting the lid. Inside were three piles of neatly stacked clothing. “I don’t know about other male escorts, but I pay my own way.”

She folded her arms across her chest, deciding this was as good a time as any to make her point. “Remember what I said about following orders?”

He carried a stack of clothing from his suitcase to the dresser and laid it inside the top drawer. “I remember you told me to follow your orders, but I don’t remember agreeing to do so.”

She took a deep breath. “Then maybe I should get another male escort.”

Dexter straightened and looked at her. “You’d really do that?”

She licked her lips, hoping he wouldn’t call her bluff. She didn’t have time to find another fake Harry Hanover. Besides, she liked Dexter. The thought of firing him made her stomach go a little queasy. “I’ll do whatever is necessary to make this book tour a success.”

He was across the room in three strides. “So will I.”

Kylie had to tilt her chin to look up at him, and she was struck once again by the sheer presence of the man. Dexter didn’t have to worry about establishing dominance. It radiated from his powerful body.

“I mean it, Kylie,” he continued, his gray eyes dark and earnest. “This job is important to me. I can’t tell you how important.” He stopped for a moment, then took a deep breath. “I’ll even agree to follow your orders. As long as they make sense.”

She rolled her eyes. “Is that supposed to reassure me?”

He smiled, the dimple in his chin once again catching her off guard. “It’s the best I can do. I’ve never been very good at letting anyone boss me around.”

A knock at the door forestalled her reply. She looked up at Dexter. “Are you expecting someone?”

“Yes, but considering how you feel about taking charge, I’m not sure I should answer it.”