He chuckled then stepped away. "I don't have a lot of time right now. Certainly not enough to make love to you properly." He sat on the sofa, patting the cushion next to him. "Sit. Talk to me."
Did Alejandro just profess a desire to make love to me? The way he spoke with such conviction was overpowering. I had to curl my hands tightly to keep from grabbing his chiseled face and lunging for him. That still didn't help, so I counted to five, slowly. Then I let a shuddering breath rumble from deep down. "Okay." A little calmer, I sat down carefully, pasting a shy smile on my face. "How was the party?"
He leaned back to look at me. "Boring. The same old crap. You really should have been there-you'd have made it much more interesting."
He had no idea how interesting it might have gotten if I'd gone to that party last night. And if I hadn't been conning him, it would also have been fun. How I wanted to scream out my guilt and stop all this. Take me to jail-I don't care. As long as I could have one night with this incredible man.
"I'm sorry, Alejandro. Part of me wants everything you're offering, and more. But another part of me is scared senseless. Maybe we should finish this guitar business first."
"I disagree. If you're willing to explore this after I buy your mother's guitar, why not do it now?"
Ugh! Did he have to be desirable and reasonable? Why couldn't he just be a sexist egomaniac? Then I'd be happy to take his money, and I wouldn't want to get naked with him. Both of which are important factors of any successful con.
"Look, I don't like the spotlight, and you're way too famous."
He grinned. "So you do know who I am."
"I've been doing some reading. Enough to realize how incredibly well known you are. I don't want any of that."
"Trust me, I understand. I'm not totally comfortable with my fame, either. Nobody treats me like a human being anymore. And it's depressing to have to hide all the time or need a bodyguard just to go out for a walk. My old friends rarely come by, and when they do, it's not the same as it used to be. Even my bandmates treat me with too much deference. Instead of seeing me as a friendly musician, I'm now their rich and famous boss." He let out a dark laugh. "The worst is my parents, who treat me like a hero-their famous son. Back in high school, they wanted me to be a lawyer. They thought music wasn't a respectable career. Now they tell everyone they meet that the 'great' Alejandro is their son."