High-Society Seduction

by Maxine Sullivan

  The Melbourne Town Hall was a magnificent building well over a hundred years old, and it had taken her breath away the few times she’d been here. Every inch of it was regal and majestic, from the grandeur of the main staircase, marble foyer and glorious stained-glass windows, to the soaring ceilings crowned with chandeliers. The centerpiece of the building was the richly carved wood pipe organ that was the largest in the southern hemisphere.

  The Main Hall had been decorated magnificently for the glittering event tonight, so it didn’t matter that there was a slight delay in being shown to their table. But as she and Adam were being guided to the front of the room shortly after, Jenna could have groaned when she saw where they were sitting. She hadn’t given it any thought before now.

  “You okay?” Adam murmured in her ear.

  “I didn’t expect to be sitting with the Lord Mayor of Melbourne and the Lady Mayoress,” she hissed.

  “Don’t be nervous.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not used to attending such a posh affair.”

  He gave a crooked smile. “They might look posh on the outside, but believe me, on the inside they’re just like you and me.”

  “I doubt that,” she muttered, then somehow managed a smile for the guests ahead.

  Introductions were made to the dignitaries, though there were still a couple of vacant chairs. They were probably reserved for the Prime Minister, she thought with wry cynicism. So much for keeping a low profile. She wasn’t used to quite such exalted company. For all Lewis’s connections, his family would barely reach the coattails of these people.

  As drinks were served, Adam leaned in close under cover of the conversation. “If it makes you feel better, just think of everyone here in their underwear,” he whispered for her ears only. “We’re all equal in our skin.”

  She moved her head back a little, and her gaze drifted up from his firm lips and into his blue eyes. Suddenly, equality took a dive. This man had no equal.

  “Are you picturing me in my underwear yet?” he murmured, a gleam in those eyes, his head still close to hers, his cool, clean breath floating over her.

  Her stomach quivered. “I—”

  “Hey, Adam,” a male voice interrupted. “Stop monopolizing the lady and introduce us.”

  Relieved at the interruption, Jenna glanced up to see a couple taking a seat at their table. The man was handsome and vaguely familiar, and the attractive blonde next to him was trying to hide her curiosity as she looked at Jenna. There was also something in the other woman’s eyes…

  “Hey, you have your own lady to monopolize, Todd,” Adam joked, casually slipping his arm around Jenna in a proprietary gesture. So this was Todd and Chelsea. Adam appeared to be relaxed, but Jenna could feel the sudden tension in his body, and she realized this was his way of keeping the other couple at a physical distance. No doubt he didn’t want to encourage Chelsea by kissing her hello, either.

  But Chelsea took it into her own hands. “Adam, how are you?” she said, leaning down and giving him a kiss on the cheek. His lower cheek. Nearer his mouth. Jenna felt his arm tighten against her back.

  He introduced her then, and Jenna became conscious of who these people actually were. Ordinary people? Not on your life. Todd was the son of a well-known real estate giant, and Chelsea’s father was in steel. Wealth dripped from their family trees like liquid gold.

  Good God, what had she gotten herself mixed up in? She’d known the Roths were a part of the upper classes, so she should have expected his best friends would be, as well. Now she had to pretend she was one of them. Could she do it? She glanced at Chelsea and saw that gleam in her eyes, and Jenna knew she’d give it a darn good try.

  Thankfully, she didn’t have to sit next to the other woman. Unfortunately, the round table gave them a clear view of each other and didn’t put half as much distance between Chelsea and herself as she’d like.

  After that, talk at the table was limited as a constant stream of people who came up to chat with the dignitaries. This was followed by a delicious three-course dinner, interspersed by speeches, some long, some short, some downright boring.

  And polite society was…well…polite.

  “So, Jenna,” Chelsea said, as all the fanfare died down. “Do you live here in Melbourne?”

  Jenna was just finishing the last of a dessert she didn’t know how to pronounce but that was out of this world. Her appetite lost now, she nodded and kept her face blank as the inquisition began. The band had started up in the background with soft dance music but not enough to put a stop to any conversation.

  Chelsea tilted her head. “I haven’t seen you around before. What do you do?”

  No doubt in Chelsea’s crowd, a person usually did things that didn’t involve employment. In her world, a person worked to survive. “I’m a jewelry designer.”

  “Oh?” Chelsea’s gaze flicked to the necklace, but all she said was, “How lovely. Anyone we know?”

  “I’m afraid not.” No need to tell her she worked for Conti’s. The less Chelsea knew about her, the easier things would be. Besides, it was obvious now that the other woman wasn’t about to admire her design in front of the men.

  Meoww…

  Chelsea gave a false laugh. “Silly me. I guess if we knew your designs, then I wouldn’t need to ask who you work for.”

  Todd looked on his wife with affection. “You’re not silly, darling. You’re very sweet.”

  “Oh, Todd,” she murmured, but Jenna noticed she didn’t actually look him in the eye.

  Todd winked at Adam. “Don’t you think my wife is sweet, Adam?” There was nothing in his glance that said he suspected anything amiss between his wife and his best friend.

  Adam smiled. “Very sweet, Todd.” Then he stood up and held his hand out to Jenna. “Excuse me, but I want to dance with my lady,” he said, before leading her out to the middle of the floor, where he gathered her up against him, his hard body melding her curves.

  Her pulse gave a rapid thud and she drew back, pretending to look up into his face but mainly needing to not be quite so close. “She’s got it bad for you, Adam.”

  “Thanks. Just what I didn’t need to hear.”

  “Sorry, but that woman is saccharine sweet.”

  “Yeah, and I’m definitely not into sweet things.” One corner of his mouth lifted. “It’s why I like you so much.”

  She had to smile. “You say such nice things to a girl.”

  He chuckled, his blue eyes amused. “Keep smiling, Jenna.”

  She reminded herself this was merely for their audience. “Like this?” she said, flashing him a brilliant smile.

  He looked down at her. “Not quite. Make it dreamier. Like you mean it.”

  “Ahh, playacting, you mean?”

  “Now you’re getting the hang of it.”

  They shared another smile. A warm one this time. Then without warning his gaze slid downward and trailed along the cleave of her breasts like slow-moving fingertips. She could feel herself blush as her smile dissolved.

  “Good. That’s very convincing,” he murmured. “Now you’re acting like we’re sharing an intimate moment.”

  She stiffened. “Am I?”

  “Relax. You’re spoiling it.”

  Her head went back farther. “Me? You’re the one who’s taking this to another level.”

  He pressed his hand against her upper back, guiding her head closer to his shoulder. “Shh. We look like we’re arguing. Pretend you’re whispering sweet nothings in my ear.”

  She didn’t care what they looked like right then. This wasn’t about acting for the others. This was about him taking advantage of the moment. “I’m not sweet, remember? And I don’t do sweet nothings.”

  “Chelsea’s watching us,” he said softly.

  “Tough.”

  A second ticked by before he warned silkily, “Don’t forget our deal, Ms. Branson.”

  She caught her breath. “Don’t forget Stewart” was what he was really saying. It was
on the tip of her tongue to remind him of his own brother, Liam, but tit for tat wouldn’t wash with him right now. It would be unwise of her not to take heed. She had to look at the bigger picture and not spoil all they’d accomplished this evening.

  Somehow she forced herself to relax as she looked over his shoulder at the other dancing couples.

  “That’s better,” he said, after a minute or two.

  She immediately pulled back her head to look at him, not wanting him to think she was a timid little mouse who did what he told her to do. “By the way, why didn’t you tell me who Todd and Chelsea were? I didn’t know I’d have to deal with such affluent people.”

  He looked surprised. “I didn’t think it mattered.”

  “It doesn’t,” she lied. “But it would have been nice to have been forewarned.”

  “You’re doing well. Don’t let them intimidate you.” He leaned his head back to look down at her. “Remember the underwear trick,” he said, giving a devilish smile.

  She rolled her eyes, but she was trying not to think about Adam stripped down to his underwear. She automatically knew he wouldn’t wear boxer shorts. No, this man would wear men’s briefs, unashamedly revealing to a woman how much he could want her. The thought made her feel warmish and light-headed.

  The music ended right then, and they returned to their table. She suspected her flushed cheeks would tell the others how Adam affected her, but thankfully his attention was diverted by another couple.

  Jenna grabbed her purse and headed for the powder room, needing some breathing space for herself. Her cheeks had cooled by the time she sat on a stool and tucked some loose strands of hair back into her chignon. She was refreshing her lipstick in the large mirror when Chelsea entered the room. She smothered a groan. This was just what she didn’t need.

  The woman smiled at her as she slid onto the stool next to Jenna and started to fluff up her hair. A few more seconds then, “You and Adam look like a pair of lovebirds,” she said casually, her gaze sliding across to Jenna in the mirror.

  Jenna put her lipstick away as she fought to keep her expression happy. “Do we?”

  “I must admit I was surprised to see you with him.” Chelsea tidied another strand of her hair. “He’s been going out with another woman for quite some time now.”

  Jenna managed to hide her surprise. Adam could have at least prepared her for that. “These things happen.” She picked up her purse, about to get to her feet.

  “How long have you known him?” Chelsea asked, applying some blusher now.

  Jenna stayed sitting, all at once curious how far this woman was prepared to go. “Long enough,” she said, giving a private little smile, seeing a flash of dismay in the other woman’s eyes. “And you? How long have you known Adam, Chelsea?”

  Chelsea recovered quickly. “Almost a year,” she cooed. “We’re still just getting to know each other.”

  Jenna was slightly taken aback. If she had been involved with Adam, she’d be quite upset by this woman’s intimations. “What does that mean?” she said coolly, telling herself she was only playing a part but determined not to let this woman run roughshod over her anyway.

  Chelsea blinked. “Er…nothing.” She seemed horrified, almost as if she hadn’t expected to be caught out. And that was probably more true than not. Who would challenge an heiress very often?

  Jenna watched her pick up her purse and hurry into one of the cubicles, closing the door behind her, but she had to wonder why the woman hadn’t known she was being obvious—to other people if not to her husband. Was Chelsea’s world totally without accountability?

  After that there was more socializing, with other people dropping by their table. Chelsea was quieter than before, and she avoided talking directly to Jenna, though her eyes would sneak to Adam whenever she thought no one was watching.

  The evening slowly wound down and Jenna found she was tired of being constantly on show. She wasn’t sure she’d like this life.

  “Would you like to go home now?” Adam said quite loudly during a break in conversation, and though relieved, she knew he wanted others to think they were going “home” together.

  “Oh, you can’t!” Chelsea exclaimed, before Jenna could reply. “Come back to our place for a drink, Adam. Please.”

  Todd nodded. “Yes, good idea. You both should come back to our place for a nightcap. Or we can go to the casino for a few hours, if you like.”

  Jenna swallowed a groan. No, she didn’t like. She wanted to go home to her own bed. To sleep. And to forget about these people, if only temporarily.

  Adam shook his head. “Thanks, but it’s getting late and Jenna and I have a full weekend coming up.” He smiled at Jenna like she was the be-all and end-all of his existence.

  “Oh, but—” Chelsea began.

  “Darling,” Todd said, putting his hand on his wife’s arm. “They want to be alone.”

  Chelsea’s face went blank. “Oh.”

  Todd laughed. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how that feels?” He smiled musingly at the others. “How soon they forget.”

  For the first time, Jenna had the feeling that Todd was putting on a show. She didn’t know why. His smile was as bright as before, his attitude as easygoing. There was just a hint of something…something deep in his eyes perhaps….

  They all got up from the table together, then left in separate limousines. As they drove off, Adam pressed a button and the screen slid open. “Harry, go straight to my place,” he instructed, putting his hand on Jenna’s arm to silence her when she went to speak.

  “Yes, Mr. Roth.” The screen slid shut.

  Her stomach fluttered. “I want to go home, Adam,” she said firmly. This wasn’t part of the deal.

  “Chelsea and Todd are behind us.”

  “What!” She sat up straighter and twisted around. The white limousine was behind them. “Are they following us?”

  “No. Their path home goes right past my apartment building. It’s just our bad luck that they left at the same time as we did.”

  She glanced at him suspiciously in the passing street-lights, but he didn’t seem to be hiding anything. “I’ll catch a cab home from your place then.”

  “Harry will take you after you have a nightcap.”

  “I’d prefer to go straight home as soon as we get there.” Was he up to something after all?

  His eyes fixed on her. “Are you scared of coming up to my apartment?”

  “No.”

  “Scared of me?”

  “No.” And if she was, she would never admit it.

  He studied her, then appeared to accept her answer. “Look, Chelsea and Todd are night owls. They could be driving around looking for someplace to go. I don’t want them to see you in a cab, and I don’t want to risk them seeing you inside this limo alone, either.” She opened her mouth. “Yeah, even with tinted windows. It’s best you wait at my place for a while. Give them time to get settled somewhere.”

  “Are you making this up as you go along?”

  He chuckled. “No.” Then he sobered. “I wish the hell I was. I know it all sounds unlikely, but just humor me this once.”

  She thought about that. It really was no use taking a risk, no matter how slight. And while she didn’t like to think Adam would go back on his word, he might well decide to do nothing just yet about the money for Stewart. Not until she’d “paid” her dues.

  In full.

  She inclined her head. “I suppose I could have a small nightcap with you.”

  “Good.”

  They drove awhile. It was almost midnight and being a Friday night, St. Kilda Road was still flowing with traffic and people strolling along the streets, but she and Adam may as well have been the only ones around. Jenna could feel him on the seat next to her…could see the length of his thighs beneath the dark trousers…could inhale the scent of his aftershave…. His presence disturbed her.

  She glanced at him, needing to break the silence. “Chelsea said you’ve been se
eing another woman.”

  His lips firmed into a straight line. “It was over a few weeks ago.”

  It was hard to tell if he was annoyed with her for mentioning it, with Chelsea for telling her or with the other woman. Probably all three.

  “She needs to get up-to-date then,” Jenna reflected.

  “She needs more than that,” he muttered, for a moment looking like a man who’d had more than enough. His face hardened again. “Chelsea befriended Diane, who won’t admit it’s over between us. Unfortunately, Diane—that’s the lady I was going out with—unwittingly keeps her informed. Diane has no idea Chelsea is using her for her own purposes.”

  She tilted her head back. “Boy, your life is a real mess, isn’t it?”

  He grimaced. “Yes, but not through any fault of my own.” Then he gave a shrug. “All this goes with the territory, I’m afraid.”

  “Territory? Being a Roth, you mean?”

  “Being a man,” he drawled, his sense of humor reappearing.

  She laughed, then suddenly a car horn blasted a good-night from Todd and Chelsea, making Jenna jump, and the white limousine went zooming past just as they arrived at the front of Adam’s apartment building.

  “Make yourself comfortable while I pour us that nightcap,” he said, once they stepped out of the private elevator upstairs.

  Jenna put her purse down on the couch and strolled onto the balcony. She wasn’t planning on making herself too comfortable, certainly not in the way he might mean.

  He followed her soon after, and they stood there sipping brandy and looking out on a warm autumn night that still held strong traces of summer. The building wasn’t particularly high, but it was prestigious and on the main thoroughfare. From what she could tell the last time she was here, the whole of the top floor was his penthouse, with a sweeping panoramic view of the city, the bay and the mountain range in the distance.

  Of course the last time she was here on the balcony, Adam had been standing much too close for her liking. She looked at him now and found him watching her with a flame flickering in those dark depths. Her breath caught high in her throat. He’d loosened his tie and he looked incredibly sexy.