I'm No Angel by Patti Berg Page A

into the gala, “do you have twenty thousand to spare?”
    Tom twisted around to face her. His eyebrow rose. “I have far more than that.”
    â€œDo you have twenty-five?”
    â€œYou’re getting greedy.” He raised his glass as if to salute her bravery. “But tell you what. Have dinner with me tonight and let me dance at least every other dance with you at the gala, and we have a deal.”
    â€œYour offer is tempting, Mr. Donovan. But you haven’t been invited to the gala and even if you were, my dance card is pretty full. On top of that…I’m working tonight.”
    â€œWhat? A stakeout?”
    â€œPossibly.”
    His lips tilted into a smile. “Then I’ll give your charity twenty-five thousand if you’ll let me spend the night with you.” He walked toward her and extended a hand. “Do we have a deal?”
    Angel studied his hand, then concentrated on his devilish brown eyes. “You’re still not getting an invitation to the gala.”
    â€œI didn’t mention the gala in my last proposal.”
    â€œTwenty-five thousand is a lot of money,” Angel said, wondering what sinister plot was being hatched behind his wicked grin.
    â€œYou’re worth it, aren’t you?”
    â€œI’m worth a hell of a lot more than twenty-five grand, Mr. Donovan.”
    â€œI’ll give you my opinion on that after I’ve gotten my twenty-five thousand worth.”
    Tom winked. His comment was so damn smug that Angel considered striking him with a hard right hook. Instead, Tom captured her hand and shook it as if they’d just made a corporate business deal. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
    Angel shook her head. No way was she going to let him be in control. “Meet me at Jazzzzz at eight. If you’re one minute late, I’ll leave without you and you can send a check to my office.”
    â€œI’m never late.” He winked again. “Especially when I get to spend the night with a pretty girl.”
    Angel’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s get one thing cleared up right this very minute, Mr. Donovan. You paid for me to take you on a stakeout, not to spend the night with you.”
    â€œObviously you weren’t listening or you heard what you wanted to hear.” Tom’s insufferable grin widened. “Our deal was for you to let me spend the night with you, and let me tell you, sweetheart, that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
    Â 
    â€œI thought you said Tom Donovan was lascivious and irritating, not to mention arrogant and cocky.” Emma plopped onto the sofa as Angel stalked back and forth across the dressing room. “And if I’m not mistaken, after he ran out on you at Jazzzzz last night, you heartily disagreed with me when I told you the man was a divine dancer, had fabulous hair, a to-die-for body, and thecutest dimple ever to dent the face of a devilishly handsome male. But now you tell me you’re going to sleep with him?”
    Angel stopped dead in her tracks, the feathery red dress continuing to swirl about her. “I never once mentioned anything about sleeping with him. What I said is that I’m spending the night with him.”
    â€œAnd we all know where that can lead.”
    â€œIt’s going to lead to him giving me twenty-five thousand, which is what he’s paying for the privilege of going on a stakeout with me, nothing more. However, and this is a really big however, in making the deal I must have had little more than dollar signs operating my brain because apparently I told him that for twenty-five thousand he could spend the night with me, not just go on a stakeout. But let me tell you this, Emma, that sure as hell doesn’t mean I’m hopping into his bed or taking off my clothes or even kissing the man. As far as I’m concerned, he can sit on one side of the car all night long and get cramps in his legs. But I am not, I