Free Instructing an Heiress by Judy Teel Page A

hiss of breath behind her at the same time she found herself blocked by the tall, broad-shouldered guy with square, chiseled features and neatly trimmed black hair.
    "Please," the man said, offering her his chair, which was next to Ryan. His striking gray eyes slid up and down her body in a cocky and disturbing way.  
    If she sat between this guy and Ryan, she might actually have a nervous breakdown before the night was over. "No, thank you. I'd rather—"
    "I insist." He gave a nod toward his chair.
    The man across from him, a pleasant-looking guy with sandy-brown hair and friendly eyes that sparkled behind steampunk-like, wire-framed glasses jumped up. "We'll get more chairs."
    He nudged a classically handsome African American man in the arm to get him moving. There were a few moments of chaos as everyone rearranged themselves. To her consternation, when all the dust settled, she found herself sitting between Ryan and Mr. Cocky.  
    She felt trapped and the polished wood of the chair back pressed coldly against her skin. Even more distracting, her bare arm tingled where it pressed up against Ryan's muscled bicep and every time she moved her knee away from Mr. Cocky's, he shifted his leg over to touch her, again. To make things worse, he stared at her chest so hard she thought her boobs might catch on fire.  
    A fine sheen of sweat broke out across her palms. Revenge was sweet, but this was too close for comfort.
    The giant African-American man on the other side of Ryan gave her an admiring once-over, humor sparkling in his dark chocolate eyes. "I can see why Ryan wanted to keep you all to himself," he said, casting his friend a mischievous grin.  
    Mr. Cocky smiled, his gaze on CK. "Dude, you have been holding out on us."
    "It isn't like that," Ryan said, an edge to his voice.  
    "I bet it's exactly like that," the other man teased.
    Ryan's mouth settled into a belligerent line. "You'd be wrong."  
    Mr. Cocky scooted closer to CK and laid his arm across the back of her chair. His eyes traveled from her bosom to her face and then anchored back on her bosom. "Would you like a drink?" he asked.
    Annoyance sliced through her nervousness. "Last time I checked, they didn't drink." Presenting her back to him, she attempted to ignore the intensifying focus of the group and gave Ryan the full force of her displeasure. "Anderson, what's going on?"
    "My friends are your new marketing team."
    Her cheeks grew hot. "You brought your friends into this?"
    "Into what, exactly?" Steampunk tossed a speculative look at Ryan.  
    "If you're going to meet the Captain's demands, you need a full campaign." Ryan glanced at her dress and a stormy heat flickered through his eyes. "Packaging. Check. Consumer need. Working on. Creating consumer interest...." He tore his gaze away and swept his hand toward his friends.  
    "I'll bite," Dark Eyes said. "What kind of advertising is she here to do?"  
    CK's irritation coiled around in her chest. There was only one kind of consumer interest she was likely promoting and the fact that these men seemed to think so, too, infuriated her.  
    The need to justify herself and tell them this was all about getting married, crawled up her throat and scratched to get out. She clamped her teeth down on the words. She was not going to spill her personal problems to a pack of strangers.
    "It's not what you think," she ground out, glaring at Ryan.
    "We're creating the illusion of desirability." His white teeth flashed in a sudden, forced smile that he aimed at each of his friends. "CK needs a husband fast and you're here to sell the concept to the public. Be charming. Be mesmerized. Give CK the best you got. She's paying."
    "Cool. I'll marry her," Moppy Hair said.
    "I can't believe you said that," she hissed at Ryan, outrage boiling through her.
    The other men focused on them, stone-faced for a moment. Steampunk turned to Dark Eyes. "He really thinks we're going to fall for that?"
    "He hasn't pranked us in a long