restaurant that day?”
Her cheeks flushed with remembered heat. “Pretty much all of it. You guys weren’t
whispering.”
“Then you understand a little of what we hope Sated Pleasures can become. Let me tell you what the resort is not.” He ticked the points off his fingers. “While we are concerned about our clients’ comfort, it is not a Club Med resort. Our program is not designed to be a quick fix. Most overweight women did not reach their present weight overnight and will not lose it in that manner, either.” He waited for her nod of understanding before continuing.
“Sated Pleasures is not only about dieting. We have doctors on staff to monitor every aspect of our clients’ physical and mental wellbeing. Before being accepted in the program, we insist each client undergo extensive testing.” This time, his smile was a playful smirk.
“Only if they pass those tests are they allowed to pay us an obscene amount of money to be forced into obtaining their dearest goal.”
His smile fell away. “We guarantee the weight will come off. And we will not release
anyone from the program until the weight has remained off for one full year.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Who can afford to be away from work that long?”
“No, no, do not misunderstand. The in-house treatment lasts approximately two
months. We monitor the client after release for a full year. If, during that time, they begin to regain the pounds, we will bring them back to Sated Pleasures to undergo a second, more intense regime…at no additional cost.”
Kaila sighed. “It sounds great, but there’s no way I could afford that. Even if I could scrape up the money, I’d never be able to take that much time away from work.”
“Kaila, I did not come here to talk you into becoming a client. Well, I did come to
proposition you in a way, however, not as you imagine. May I be blunt?”
“You haven’t been…?”
His warm chuckle made things shift low in her belly. Hey, I like the other guy! Why
am I responding to this one?
“You are a beautiful black woman.” He reiterated his statement, backing it up with
others when he saw her blatant disbelief of his words. “Do not mistake me for one of your blind American males. I can see your hair is a gorgeous nimbus about your soft shoulders.
Your dark brown eyes, light brown skin, and full lips…your lush hourglass figure --” He kissed his fingertips. “Magnifique! Pavel found you very beautiful. And I…” He shrugged; that universal European shoulder movement that conveyed so much. “I find my taste
conforms to his in most things.
34 Camille Anthony
“He has taught me not to judge by appearance alone,” he continued, shushing her when
she would have interrupted. “Where it matters, Kaila, you are exquisite. Your strong
character shines from within. My sources tell me you are a hard worker, giving to your employer full loyalty and an honest day’s work.”
Kaila closed her eyes, shutting herself away from his scrutiny. Those glacier blue eyes saw too much. She remembered thinking something similar when she’d interacted with him at the restaurant.
She heard him get up and her eyes snapped open. Pulse increasing, she watched him
move until he towered over her. Licking her lips, she blinked as he slid in beside her, took her hand in one of his.
“It is also evident to me that you desire to be on the outside what you are on the inside.
You yearn to have your inner beauty expressed in the physical realm.”
His long, lean thigh pressed against her thick one, riveting her helpless attention to his muscular leg. He grabbed her full attention when he lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “I know all about you, Kaila. Don’t imagine I came here without having you thoroughly checked out.”
The buzz she had going with all the compliments came to a screeching halt. “How dare
you delve into my private life? What gives you that right?”
He grinned at her outraged gasp,
Her cheeks flushed with remembered heat. “Pretty much all of it. You guys weren’t
whispering.”
“Then you understand a little of what we hope Sated Pleasures can become. Let me tell you what the resort is not.” He ticked the points off his fingers. “While we are concerned about our clients’ comfort, it is not a Club Med resort. Our program is not designed to be a quick fix. Most overweight women did not reach their present weight overnight and will not lose it in that manner, either.” He waited for her nod of understanding before continuing.
“Sated Pleasures is not only about dieting. We have doctors on staff to monitor every aspect of our clients’ physical and mental wellbeing. Before being accepted in the program, we insist each client undergo extensive testing.” This time, his smile was a playful smirk.
“Only if they pass those tests are they allowed to pay us an obscene amount of money to be forced into obtaining their dearest goal.”
His smile fell away. “We guarantee the weight will come off. And we will not release
anyone from the program until the weight has remained off for one full year.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Who can afford to be away from work that long?”
“No, no, do not misunderstand. The in-house treatment lasts approximately two
months. We monitor the client after release for a full year. If, during that time, they begin to regain the pounds, we will bring them back to Sated Pleasures to undergo a second, more intense regime…at no additional cost.”
Kaila sighed. “It sounds great, but there’s no way I could afford that. Even if I could scrape up the money, I’d never be able to take that much time away from work.”
“Kaila, I did not come here to talk you into becoming a client. Well, I did come to
proposition you in a way, however, not as you imagine. May I be blunt?”
“You haven’t been…?”
His warm chuckle made things shift low in her belly. Hey, I like the other guy! Why
am I responding to this one?
“You are a beautiful black woman.” He reiterated his statement, backing it up with
others when he saw her blatant disbelief of his words. “Do not mistake me for one of your blind American males. I can see your hair is a gorgeous nimbus about your soft shoulders.
Your dark brown eyes, light brown skin, and full lips…your lush hourglass figure --” He kissed his fingertips. “Magnifique! Pavel found you very beautiful. And I…” He shrugged; that universal European shoulder movement that conveyed so much. “I find my taste
conforms to his in most things.
34 Camille Anthony
“He has taught me not to judge by appearance alone,” he continued, shushing her when
she would have interrupted. “Where it matters, Kaila, you are exquisite. Your strong
character shines from within. My sources tell me you are a hard worker, giving to your employer full loyalty and an honest day’s work.”
Kaila closed her eyes, shutting herself away from his scrutiny. Those glacier blue eyes saw too much. She remembered thinking something similar when she’d interacted with him at the restaurant.
She heard him get up and her eyes snapped open. Pulse increasing, she watched him
move until he towered over her. Licking her lips, she blinked as he slid in beside her, took her hand in one of his.
“It is also evident to me that you desire to be on the outside what you are on the inside.
You yearn to have your inner beauty expressed in the physical realm.”
His long, lean thigh pressed against her thick one, riveting her helpless attention to his muscular leg. He grabbed her full attention when he lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “I know all about you, Kaila. Don’t imagine I came here without having you thoroughly checked out.”
The buzz she had going with all the compliments came to a screeching halt. “How dare
you delve into my private life? What gives you that right?”
He grinned at her outraged gasp,
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