Cash rubbed his free hand over his stubble and gazed at her with a pensive expression. “Since you blew into my life, I’ve begun to question things I never imagined I’d need to examine that closely.”
“Like what?” Her voice dropped to a whisper, and her throat tightened.
He shook his head. “You’re right. You’re not my type. Try as I might, I can’t figure out why I’m here.”
Tally winced, the pain from his words as real as if he had shoved a knife into her sternum and twisted it for good measure. He could have made the night a lot cheaper for himself by taking her to a local restaurant in London and letting her down gently. At least then she’d have been able to get home under her own steam to lick her wounds.
She sipped her wine as tears began to build. She blinked furiously. There was no way she was crying in front of him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
His phone rang, and he grimaced as he saw the caller. “Sorry, I need to get this.” He swiped at the screen. “Brad, this had better be good.”
Taking her opportunity while he was on the phone, Tally picked up her handbag and got to her feet. Her knees trembled, and she locked her spine in place.
“You okay?” Cash said, cutting his conversation as he held a hand over his phone’s microphone.
“I need the bathroom.”
Cash frowned, but he didn’t question her as he returned to his call. Tally glanced around. Unable to immediately spot the ladies’ room, she managed to stop a passing waiter. He led her to a narrow corridor where the bathroom door was skilfully hidden from view. Tally pushed it open. Empty. Thank goodness for that. She walked into the first cubicle and plonked herself on the toilet seat. She was so close to tears, to really letting go and bawling, but she was going to wait until she got home to do that.
She couldn’t understand why Cash had he brought her all this way if he was going to simply shoot her down. If he’d changed his mind about their date when he was in Australia, then he should have told her. She’d have been disappointed, but she’d have got over it.
She pulled out several sheets of toilet paper and blew her nose. She’d have to face him sooner or later. Better to go out there with her head held high and, as politely as she could manage, ask him to take her home. And if he refused, she’d get a cab to the airport and grab the first flight to the UK.
She got to her feet and flushed the toilet. After washing her hands, she touched up her make up where an unwanted tear had smudged her mascara. With a deep breath, she opened the door to the bathroom, only to find Cash propping himself up against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other as he tapped into his phone
“Natalia, what’s wrong?” he said as she walked out.
“I want to go home.”
Cash frowned. “Why?”
She went to push past him, but he bridged his arm across the space. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“As you said, Cash, I’m not your type,” She sighed heavily. “Just let me go.”
Cash paused, his frown deepening. If he was faking confusion, he could have a career as an actor when he’d finished with tennis. He uncrossed his legs and curved a warm hand around her jaw. Tilting her chin upwards, he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. His head lowered slowly, and he captured her mouth. His kiss started off soft, gentle, exploratory, almost as though he was expecting her to push him away, but when an involuntary moan rumbled through her chest, he pinned her to the wall with his hips. Burying his hands in her hair, he ravaged her mouth. Gone were the tender, sweet kisses. This Cash was the same one he’d been in the house he’d taken her to the first time they had kissed. He consumed her.
Her head began to spin. She struggled to get enough air into her lungs, and with a monumental effort, she twisted her head, breaking their kiss.
She gasped. “I can’t breathe.” Cash cupped her chin once more, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were heated at first, but then they softened, and he gently clasped her face between his palms.
“Correct, sweetness. You’re not my type. But the point you’re missing is that since I met you, you’re the only fucking woman I want.”
SIXTEEN
Tally blinked rapidly as she looked at Cash’s earnest expression. She wasn’t his type, and yet he wanted her regardless. Her skin tingled with pins and needles, and blood rushed to her head as her body released a good kick of adrenaline in response to the ferocity of his kisses. She’d jumped to conclusions, but she was so out of her depth when it came to him it was easy to think the worst.
“I don’t understand. Why me?”
He took a step back and held out his hand. “How about we have this conversation over a glass of wine and some good food rather than outside the bathroom? I don’t think the French ladies would take kindly to me being here.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she muttered, drawing an impish grin from Cash.
As they walked back to their table, the stares of several diners burned into the back of her head. Low murmurings of recognition reached her ears as she sat down.
“Looks like you’ve been spotted,” she said.
Ignoring her comment, Cash captured her hand in his. His thumb skated back and forth across her knuckles, and he focused on her, and only her. “You asked why you. Because, Natalia, unlike all those others––”
“Excuse me, Monsieur, Mademoiselle. Are you ready to order?”
Cash dropped her hand as a faint tinge of red darkened his neck. “Does it look like we’re ready?” he bit out through gritted teeth, his tone laced with sarcasm that couldn’t fail to be understood, regardless of any language barrier.
Tally cringed on behalf of the waiter, who shrivelled right before her eyes. “I’m very sorry, Monsieur.” He bowed before scurrying off.
Cash scowled at the waiter’s retreating back before picking her hand up again. “Because, Natalia,” he said, beginning where he’d left off as though the interruption hadn’t even happened. “Unlike all those others, you are unique. A one-off rather than yet another production-line blonde. The weird thing is, before I met you I wouldn’t have thought anything of ‘my type,’ as you put it. But now…” He shrugged. “Everything’s different.”
Her hands trembled. For all her faults, Cash was interested in her. Her. Not the gorgeous blond skinnies standing next to him in all the Internet images.
“Say something,” Cash said, jerking her from her daydreaming.
“My walls were covered with pictures of you when I was fifteen,” she blurted out.
Cash threw back his head and laughed. “When I said ‘say something,’ I didn’t expect that. See, Natalia, this is why I’m so crazy about you. I never know what’s going to come out of that gorgeous, kissable mouth from one minute to the next.”
“I think I still have them somewhere.”
Cash pulled a face. “Well, keep them to yourself. Last thing I need to be reminded of is my skinny, pimply youth.”
“You were never skinny or pimply. I remember watching you walk out on Centre Court at Wimbledon the year you beat Müller in the first round. You dazzled me.”
Cash lifted her hand to his and grazed her knuckles with a kiss. “And now?” His voice was low and husky, and her stomach tightened.
“You still dazzle me.” Cash pressed the tip of her index finger into his mouth and swirled his tongue around. She squirmed, desire powering through her body. He released her quickly.
“I hope you like the food here. They only do a tasting menu, but it’s spectacularly good, and you’d be hard pressed to beat the view.”
“You certainly would,” she murmured, staring across the table at him.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he waved his hand to catch the attention of a passing waiter, a different one from before. Tally imagined the other one was probably hiding in a corner with a stiff drink in his hand.
Cash hadn’t lied about the food. It was amazing. She didn’t know what half of it was, but even
so, she ate every bite.
“Ready to go?” he said when she dropped her fork after the fifth course. “Or do you want a coffee?”
Tally stifled a yawn. “No, let’s go. I have no idea how I’m going to get up for work in the morning.”
They climbed back into the limousine, which was waiting in the same place as when they’d left it a few hours earlier. She mused how he’d been allowed to park so close to the Eiffel Tower that whole time, but she guessed with Cash’s fame and wealth, normal rules didn’t apply.
“Thank you for tonight.” Tally leaned towards Cash and kissed his cheek. “I’ve had a wonderful time.”
“It’s not over yet.”
She picked up his arm and looked at his watch. “It’s midnight. That means I won’t get home until at least three. And I have to be up for work at six.”
Cash met her gaze. “Don’t get mad,” he said with a sheepish grin. “You’re not in work tomorrow.”
She blinked once, twice, a third time. “What?”
“I took the day off for you.”
“You took… sorry, what?”
“I spoke to your editor. He’s a grumpy bastard, isn’t he? Told me that if I messed you about, he’d make it his life’s work to ruin me.”
Dumbfounded, Tally didn’t know whether to kiss him or hit him. “You called Pete? You’re… unbelievable.”
“I’ve been called worse things. Are you mad?”
“I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when you spoke to him. You should know he’s been on the receiving end of your reporter-hate fest.”
“He was fucking rude. Lucky for him, I needed him to say yes, so I bit my tongue.”
She grinned. “He’s my uncle as well as my editor.”
“Shit. You’re kidding? Maybe I should have been nicer.”
“He thinks you’re going to corrupt me.”
Cash leered at her. “He’s right about that. So can we go?”
“Where?”
“Jesus, woman. I need to teach you patience.” He took the mask out of his pocket and waved it in the air. “Now, I imagined a slightly different scenario next time I had you wearing this, but if I have to…”
“All right, all right,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s go.”
The limo stopped ten minutes later in front of a large hotel, and a thrill of excitement raced through her. Normally, she’d have baulked at her date booking a hotel room the first time they went out together, but she’d given up trying to resist Cash. If he wanted her, she was going to let him have her. Time to live a little, to take a few risks, to grab opportunities when they came up even if the experiences were likely to be fleeting. At least she’d always have the memories to look back on.
He took her hand, a simple act that gave her the tingles every time, and led her inside the hotel. They ended up in a bar full of comfortable-looking worn leather chairs and sofas. The décor was cosy, and even though several people turned to stare at them––well, at Cash––it was clearly a classy place, and the customers were all far too polite to approach him.
Cash raised a hand at the bartender and settled her into a sofa next to a roaring fire. The bartender came straight over, carrying a bottle of champagne and two flutes. Tally had no idea how the he would have known to bring champagne unless Cash was a regular and plying women with bubbles was his signature move.
He poured them each a glass and clinked his against hers. “To… possibilities.”
Goosebumps sprang up on her arms as she sipped the champagne. She probably should have passed. A tequila shot before she left home, champagne on the flight over, all the wine at the restaurant coupled with the excitement of tonight and the anticipation of what might happen were all making her head spin.
She rested her head against Cash’s shoulder. “I’m drunk.”
“How drunk?”
“Drunk enough to feel reckless. Not so drunk I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Cash nuzzled her neck. “Now, that kind of drunk definitely has possibilities,” he murmured.
SEVENTEEN
When Natalia uttered those words, his mind was made up. If she knew what she was doing, her uncle—editor, whoever he was—couldn’t accuse him of taking advantage of her. Cash had dreamed about fucking her for weeks, imagined over and over what it would feel like. The longer he’d had to wait, the crazier he had become.
He pried the champagne glass from her hand and placed it on the table, which allowed him to take both her hands in his as he looked straight into her eyes. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you. When I spotted you sitting next to Ralph at the foundation ball, I found myself instantly attracted to you. Since then, I’ve tried so hard to control myself, but no more waiting, Natalia. I want to get my hands on those fabulous curves, to feel your body beneath mine. I want to be inside you more than I’ve wanted to be inside anyone. Come to bed with me?”
She kept her eyes trained on his and blinked slowly. “Yes,” she finally said after the longest pause of his life.
He sucked in a breath and immediately stood, taking her with him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and buried a hand in her hair. His fingers caressed the back of her neck, and the same feeling he’d had when he’d first touched her came racing back. Her flawless skin was pale and soft, and a delicate pulse that beat just underneath her jawline drew his eye. He wanted to put his mouth on it, but if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to stop, and they hadn’t even left the bar. And he liked staying at this hotel when he visited Paris.
He led her out of the bar, and when he headed for the bank of lifts, she glanced up at him.
“Was I so much of a sure thing?”
“Actually, I’ve never been so unsure about anything in my life.”
The lift arrived, and he ushered her inside, pissed off when another couple joined them. He pushed the button for the top floor and manoeuvred her to the back, ignoring the stares of recognition. When the couple exited on the fourth floor, they were still staring, so he turned his back, shielding Natalia with his body. As the lift doors closed, he slipped his hand around her waist and leaned forward to kiss her. The familiar rush of desire slammed into him. This time, though, it was definitely more intense, probably because, unlike the other times, it was leading somewhere. He was becoming addicted to the taste of her, the way her unique scent tickled his nostrils, how she felt beneath his hands. Though eager and anxious to get beneath the layers of clothing to the prize he knew would be waiting, instinct told him to take it slowly, to savour every moment, to make sure he didn’t leave her behind.
The lift doors opened, and he pulled back so he could look into her eyes. “Are you sure, Natalia? Because once we step outside, I’m not going to be able to hold back.”
She nodded. A slight flush crept up her neck and over her jaw, covering her normally pale complexion with a pinkish tinge. “I’m sure.”
He gently took her hand and led her down the corridor. When they reached his room, he opened the door and ushered her inside.
“Wow, look at this place,” she said, heading over towards the window to check out the view.
Cash kicked the door shut. “Look later.”
He lifted her and held her in his arms, curving her legs around his waist. His mouth cut off her squeal of surprise as he carried her to the bedroom.
His breathing quickened as he set her back on her feet. Threading his hands into her hair, he gazed into her eyes, which were looking back at him so earnestly, so innocently. He further hardened, his cock pressing tightly against his zipper.
She made a soft noise at the back of her throat. He circled his hips, and when she threw her head back, exposing the soft, creamy skin of her neck, the invitation was not to be ignored. He bent his head and flicked his tongue over the delicate skin before sucking, hard. He wanted to brand her, to let the world know she was taken, that she belonged to him.
He gently unfastened her blouse. His fingers brushed the soft skin underneath as he moved
from button to button. His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the crest of her fantastic tits peeking over the top of a pale-cream bra. His thumb brushed her nipples through the satin material. They puckered, instantly becoming hard points that screamed for his tongue to taste.
His fingers found the zipper on her skirt, and he tugged it down. The material pooled on the floor. He stepped back, his eyes grazing over her. A flood of desire rushed through him, the intensity of his need making him light-headed. He reached around her back and unhooked her bra. Taking his time, he slid the straps down her arms before discarding it on top of the rest of her stuff.
She was breathing heavily, huge gasps of air being sucked in and pushed out of her full mouth. An image spilled into his mind: Natalia on her knees, his cock moving in and out of those generous, rosy lips. He dug his fingernails into his palms. Fuck, if he carried on having those thoughts, he wouldn’t last a minute.
He shrugged out of his shirt without taking his eyes off her. She stood in front of him in the cutest set of lace boy shorts and the earrings he’d bought for her.
“You’re fucking gorgeous.”
She blushed and curled her hands around her stomach.
“Oh no you don’t,” he said, gripping her wrists and holding her arms apart. “I mean it. You’re stunning.”
Her eyes flickered to his. The uncertain expression she wore confused him.
“No, I’m not.” She glanced down.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
She slowly raised her eyes to his. He took hold of her hand and put it over his crotch. “Feel that? That’s how much I want you. I’m so hard my zipper is going to leave teeth marks.”
She chuckled at his joke, and her shoulders lowered a fraction. He stripped off his trousers and boxers. Her eyes flickered to his erection, widening as they did so.
“Touch me,” he said.
She moved a step closer and flexed her fingers before tentatively wrapping her hand around his cock. His hips jerked forward of their own accord, and a guttural growl sounded low in his throat. Fuck. He’d known it would feel good when she put her hands on him, but that good?
Winning Ace: A Winning Ace Novel (Book 1) Page 9
