A difficult Man to Love

by Elizabeth Lennox

  He laughed slightly. “You don’t understand, my dear. I’ve made it my business to know about yours. Your stretch of land sits on the edge of Interstate sixty-six. I’ve already bought up all the land surrounding yours. I need your farmland in order to finalize the details on a large-scale development.” Normally, he wouldn’t tell anyone his plans. Why he was doing so now was as much of a mystery to him as his recent marriage proposal.

  “So, why won’t you simply buy my land?” she demanded.

  Good question he thought as he stared down into her confused eyes. In his mind though, it was pretty simple. “Because I want you,” he told her. That much was true. He’d wanted her from their first meeting. Hell, from the first time he’d spotted her. She’d been wearing dirty jeans and a giant sweatshirt, a straw hat that should have been tossed into the garbage fifty years ago. But she’d smiled up at him and he’d been a goner. Those blue eyes, those soft lips, and the sexy ass that he’d spied despite her best efforts to hide her figure…he’d wanted her.

  Now he’d decided that he wanted more. He wanted all of her.

  Yes, he probably should approach her in a more traditional manner, but that simply wasn’t the way he worked. Perhaps a more gentle approach would convince her of his sincerity but…

  “I need a wife. I want a family. You need freedom from crippling debts. Seems like a situation in which we can both get what we need.” He moved closer, one finger coming up to trace against her incredibly soft skin, feeling the pulse at the base of her neck and he wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her that everything would be okay. “I can make you the queen of your area, Hayden.” He wanted to protect her from everything, including her own lack of business sense. She was too kind, too compassionate. That kindness and empathy for everyone who crossed her path was the reason her business was failing. But it was also the reason he wanted her to be his wife.

  Hayden as his wife would be the crowning glory to his business empire. She was strong and compassionate, creative and enticing. A complete failure at business, but that’s where he could come in and help her. And yes, he was willing to soften his interactions with her. She would balance him as well. Hayden was perfect in every way.

  Hayden stared up at the man who towered over her by at least a foot. Staring up into his grey eyes, she saw something there that was unexpected. Five minutes ago, she was asserting her hatred for the man. But now, seeing that startling expression in his eyes, that flash of…something…made her want to pull him into her arms and comfort him. Yes, the man was packed with muscle, had more money that she could even imagine. And yes, she suspected he was mean, heartless, and possibly cruel to his competitors.

  But what she saw at this moment was…vulnerability? Yes. It was brief. Barely there. But now…she saw a gentleness. A man who called out to her. A man who needed her.

  She’d never been needed before. Not since her parents had died. Oh, Natalie needed her and was a wonderful friend. Alejandro needed her, if for nothing else but to help him learn to grow things, since his mother was a disaster in that area. Kate…there was something about Kate that was strong and yet, at the same time, a wariness surrounded her. It was almost as if Kate was looking over her shoulder. But the woman was warm and outrageously generous, always helping out anyone in need.

  No, Viktor Chenko needed her in a different way. It was strange. It was wrong. She felt foolish for even thinking it. And no, there was absolutely no way she would consider marrying this man. But seeing that look in his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to reject him. Not yet anyway.

  “Can I think about it?” she asked softly. Of course she wouldn’t accept a marriage proposal. She didn’t even know this man. Why he would even suggest something so outrageous was beyond her, but she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Silly, yes, but there it was.

  “I will expect your answer in twenty-four hours,” he told her, squeezing her hand more firmly in his. “Come, I will drive you home.”

  Hayden’s mouth fell open with shock. “Umm…I don’t…you don’t need to drive me, Mr. Chenko,” she told him, racing to keep up with his longer stride since he still had control of her hand and, if his grip was any indication, he wasn’t giving it up.

  He stopped and looked down at her, those grey eyes slicing through her rejection and making her heart ache for the need she saw in those eyes.

  “You don’t own a car, so I’m guessing you took the train and bus into the city. Am I correct?” he asked, looking down at her as he pressed the elevator call button.

  She shrank back from the hard look in his eyes, not wanting to feel anything for this man. She barely knew him! It was ridiculous to think that he needed her. And yet….

  Car. Trains. Focus! He’d asked her a question and was waiting, patiently she supposed. “Well, yes, but I can…”

  “You will call me Viktor, and I will drive you home. We are practically engaged. I don’t allow my fiancée to take public transportation.”

  The elevator doors opened up at the same time Hayden’s mouth did. But as the doors closed on the two of them, her temper flared. “Excuse me, Mr. Chenko, but I never agreed to marry you. We are not engaged and public transportation is perfectly respectable.”

  “I will drive you,” he repeated, his tone indicating that the argument was over. “And why do you look so tired?”

  The elevator was fast, faster than she would have thought possible considering the size of the building. When the doors opened, she didn’t feel comfortable discussing their personal business in the crowded lobby area.

  Before she understood what was happening, he was handing her into a long, black limousine. “I don’t…” she shook her head but the dim interior of the vehicle stopped her words. Or maybe it was the enormous man stepping in and sitting down next to her. He would have settled on top of her, but she scrambled away just in the nick of time. “Mr. Chenko, this isn’t…”

  “You will call me Viktor,” he told her again. “And we were discussing your lack of sleep.”

  Her lips pressed together angrily for a moment before she responded. “I was trying to discuss your arrogant, obnoxious attitude. But let me pause here to tell you that you are being an ass!”

  Hayden was shocked when he threw back his head and laughed. She’d just insulted the man and he was laughing? She doubted she would ever understand him.

  Hayden pressed her lips together, trying not to smile, surprised, and…dare she say it, impressed? Yes, Hayden was impressed that he hadn’t lashed out at her insult even though she knew that she should be offended. The man really was too dictatorial, but…her mind recalled that brief moment of vulnerability. Of hope. Besides, maybe if she gave a bit of his arrogance back, he would recognize it. Teach him a bit of a lesson. “I don’t think you should concern yourself with my lack of sleep, Mr. Chenko,” she advised, deliberately poking the bear. “It might come across as nice.”

  She saw his eyes change and, goodness, was that another flash of humor? “You remember the last time we met, correct?”

  Hayden’s fingers curled up into fists as the memories of their last interaction hit her hard. “That last meeting isn’t relevant to this conversation.”

  “Of course it is relevant,” he argued, his accent thickening as his eyes dropped to her lips.

  “Stop that,” she ordered, unaware of how she was holding her breath. She didn’t want to know what it was like to kiss this man. She couldn’t! It had taken her several days to come to terms with the way she’d reacted to him the last time. Hayden never lashed out in anger towards others, but Viktor Chenko had just…well, he’d pushed her buttons, and she’d been rude and insulting the last time they’d discussed the sale of her property. And now…? Now, she was wondering what it would be like to be kissed by him? The dichotomous reactions were…disconcerting and confusing. She absolutely couldn’t allow him to kiss her now!

  Thankfully, his eyes moved back up to hers and she breathed a s
igh of relief. Smoothing her hands down over her knees, she looked out the window at the passing landmarks. “You really don’t need to drive me back home. I can get there…”

  “Nonsense. It took you approximately two hours to get to my office this morning, did it not?”

  Hayden’s lips pressed together even as her eyes flicked up to his nervously. “That’s not the point. I’m just saying that…”

  “You’re saying that you are too nervous to be in my company for an extended period of time because you are afraid of what might happen.”

  Hayden glared up at the man, refusing to either confirm or deny his statement. “Your arrogance continues to astound me, Mr. Chenko. And the metro station is two miles ahead. Please inform your driver that I’m getting out.”

  Of course, he didn’t say anything to his driver!

  “What caused you to come to my office today?” he asked, taking one of her hands and uncurling her fist.

  Hayden watched in terrified fascination as the man who had invaded her dreams way too many nights lately, extended her fingers and then pressed her hand against his thigh. Not high up, she realized. But high enough! Her hand could feel the rock solid strength of him underneath her hand and it took everything inside of her to not press her fingers against those muscles.

  The outside world was whizzing past, oblivious to the building tension inside the limousine. Hayden wanted so desperately to both jump out of the vehicle and also to climb onto his lap and press her lips against the tanned skin of his neck. What was it about this man that called to her, made her want to do things that had never occurred to her before?

  “I need to…”

  “You need to follow your instincts, Hayden.”

  She tilted her head slightly, looking at him curiously. “How often do you follow your instincts?” Licking her lip slightly, she turned so that she was facing him more fully. “I would have said that you were the kind of man who gathered facts first and acted on logic.” Her eyes moved over each of his features, noting how he wasn’t a handsome man. Not at all. He was actually very harsh, almost raw looking. His lips were almost non-existent, the skin across his cheeks stretched taut, as if he were constantly ready to strike. And those grey eyes! Goodness, they were hard. Unmerciful!

  So, why did she keep thinking that there was a quiet gentleness, a tender side to this man?

  “I would have bet money that you never allowed anything other than absolute logic and facts to guide your actions.”

  He lifted her hand to his mouth, those non-existent lips teasing her palm, then his teeth nibbled at her fingertips, sending a bolt of excitement right down through her body. Woah!

  When she tried to pull her hand away, he wouldn’t let her. “I need my hand back,” she insisted, trying to imitate his arrogance.

  “You have the softest hands,” he commented, ignoring her plea. He was paying attention to her body language instead of her words. At this particular moment, her shoulders were leaning forward, her eyes stared at his mouth, and she looked like she needed to be kissed.

  Damn, he wanted to kiss her, he thought. He suspected that any sort of physical contact between them would be powerful and most likely get out of control. He wouldn’t mind that, but not in the back of his car.

  Viktor thought back to their initial visit. This yearning for Hayden had been powerful then, but he’d resisted, sensing that she wouldn’t be receptive. Everything about her at this moment was telling him that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, although he also suspected that she wasn’t acknowledging her desires.

  No, kissing her for the first time wasn’t going to happen in the back of his limousine. He doubted he would be able to stop once he kissed her. In fact, once he got her into his bed, he didn’t think he would ever want to stop.

  What was it about this woman? She was certainly lovely and her eyes pulled him in deeper. But there was something more. Something he couldn’t define. On one level, it bothered him that he wasn’t figuring it out. On another level, he was too distracted by her allure to care.

  He was just about to say something when she looked out the window.

  “Oh no,” she sighed.

  Viktor looked out as well, realizing that his driver had already pulled up outside of her house. The first thing he noticed was that she needed a new door, her front porch needed sanding and painting, and one of the windows on the second floor was broken. The overall impact of the damage was mitigated by the stunning landscape. Hayden might not have the money to repair her home, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with the flowers that were starting to bloom with the spring warmth.

  “What’s wrong?” he immediately demanded.

  She didn’t answer him, instead stepping out of the limousine and smoothing her hands down over her hips one more time. He loved watching her do that because it only emphasized her tiny waist and the femininity of her hips. But he was starting to understand that it wasn’t a conscious gesture, it was one of her nervous affectations.

  Realizing that, he looked around, prepared to battle whatever was making her nervous.

  Unfortunately, another man was standing off to the side, looking down at a row of bushes that were for sale. Why Hayden had set up her plant nursery so close to her house, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t a good idea, allowing strangers to browse so close to her private space. It was a dangerous precedent that he was going to talk to her about, as soon as he got rid of the buffoon walking through the evergreen section.

  “Hi Harry. What can I do for you today?” Hayden asked, hiding her hands behind her back. She really didn’t like Harry Simpson. He was one of the biggest landscapers in the area and was a steady customer, but he didn’t pay his bills. She’d sent him several reminders over the past several months because he owed her thousands of dollars. That balance alone would solve several of her immediate problems.

  But the man continued to have financial problems of his own, so he couldn’t pay his balance.

  Now he was back for more plants? And she’d thought she was a bad businesswoman!

  “Hi Hayden!” Harry called cheerfully, turning slightly and she almost groaned out loud when she saw his clipboard. That meant he was back for more inventory. More inventory that he wasn’t going to pay for!

  Darn it! She wished he would get his clients to pay him so that he could pay her!

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Harry smiled at her, that cheesy, annoying smile that came across as smug and condescending. “I got a big job. Need more greenery for this one. You ready for this order?” he asked, waving the clipboard at her. Hayden reluctantly took the clipboard and quickly skimmed down the paper, her eyes widening as she noted the large number of plants on the list.

  Hayden hesitated, dropping the order to her side as she looked back at him. “Harry, have any of your clients finalized their bills with you? I really could use some of the money you owe me from the last few jobs.”

  Her heart sank as soon as Harry’s eyes changed. Was that…pity?!

  “You know how these things go, Hayden. I promise I’ll pay you as soon as I get paid. But I can’t stop working. If I stop, then there’s no chance of any further money coming in.”

  Hayden understood. She’d had this conversation with a few of her other landscapers but none were as bad at collecting outstanding balances as Harry.

  “Yes. You’ve mentioned that issue.” She bit her lip, looking up at Harry. “The thing is, Harry, I can’t afford to keep this up. I’m just…”

  “What’s going on?”

  Both Hayden and Harry turned at the interruption.

  Harry reacted automatically, instinctively perceiving a threat as Viktor approached. Harry’s defensive manner had his chest puffing up, shoulders widening as if he might be trying to make himself bigger. It was almost amusing to see the two men face off. A bit like what two competing bears might do in the wild.

  “Mr. Chenko, this is Harry Fisher. He’s one of the landscapers that wo
rks in this area.” She turned to Harry. “This is Viktor Chenko. I’m…” she hesitated, not sure how to explain the other man’s presence. No way could she tell Harry that this huge stranger had actually proposed to her less than an hour ago. It was too crazy to even contemplate.

  Nor did she really think that Viktor Chenko’s proposal was real. Surely it had been a joke. Most likely some silly way to trick the foolish country woman into believing that he’d actually proposed. No, he was more than likely going back to his boy’s club tonight and they’d all get a huge chuckle out of her silly fantasies.

  “Mr. Chenko, I don’t believe we have any additional business to discuss.” She turned her back on the man, determined to show him that she wasn’t intimidated by his size or that dangerous aura that surrounded him. Oh, she was intimidated. Terrified actually. But she wasn’t going to let him know it. He could just head on back to his big office and have a great laugh tonight with his friends. She was pretty sure that he would have a great story to tell at his next dinner party.

  Harry dismissed the taller man as well, focusing all of his attention on Hayden. “So can you fill this order? Or do I need to go down the street?”

  “Harry…” Hayden started, only to shake her head with a sigh. “I don’t think…”

  “Hayden, you know that I’m good for the money. I keep sending you whatever I can as soon as my clients pay me.”

  Still she hesitated. She felt Viktor walk away, heard him talking on his phone in a language she didn’t understand. She suspected it was his native Russian, but it could be anything for all she knew. She’d taken a few years of high school French, but she wasn’t very good at languages. Looking around, she felt her heart break at the realization that she wasn’t very good at many things. If she’d been a better businesswoman, she wouldn’t be in this position.

  “What do you need?” she asked, lifting the almost forgotten clipboard.

  Harry’s smile widened. “You won’t regret this, Hayden. And I think I can send you a few hundred dollars today.”