“We’re moving forward, closer to a deal than before. My gut tells me there’s a real possibility I can land this one.”
“If he hasn’t ended the negotiations, that’s got to be a positive sign.” She settled into the professional discussion, thinking of how far she’d come from her teenage years of insecurity.
“That’s my take.” He nodded, then something shifted in his eyes. “It appeared you had fun with Victoria today.”
More memories of his interest at the pool, of his kiss last night steamed through her as tangibly as the heat rising from the paved road. A cooling breeze rolled off the harbor and caressed her shoulders, lifting her hair the way his fingers had played through the strands.
Her hand lifted to swipe back a lock from her face. “I feel guilty calling this work when it really has been more of a vacation.”
“You’ve had twins to watch over. That’s hardly a holiday.”
“I’ve had a lot of help from you and Victoria.” The carriage driver tugged the reins at a stop sign, a towering adobe church on the corner. “Not that any of us could stop that oatmeal incident.”
He chuckled softly. “Thank goodness Javier’s more laid back than I would have given him credit for.”
“It was gracious of him to acknowledge that the breakfast with toddlers was his idea.” She shuffled Owen into a more comfortable position as the baby settled deeper into sleep. “What made you think of taking a carriage ride to help the twins wind down?”
“I spent so much time outdoors growing up.” He patted his daughter’s back softly. “I try to give that to my kids when I can.”
“Well, this was a great idea…” The moonlight played across the water rippling in the harbor. “The night air, the gorgeous scenery, the water, it’s been quite a break for me, too.”
“I never get tired of the year-round good weather here.” As he sat across from her, he propped a foot beside her on the seat.
“What about January through March?” She shivered melodramatically. “The cold wind off the water is biting.”
His laugh rode the ocean breeze as he opened up more as the evening wore on. “You’ve obviously never visited North Dakota. My uncle would get icicles in his beard in the winter.”
“No kidding?”
“No kidding.” He scratched his chin as if caught in the memories. “My cousins and I still went outside, no matter how far the temperature dropped, but it’s a lot easier here when it doesn’t take a half hour to pull on so many layers of clothes.”
“What did you like to do in North Dakota?” she asked, hungry for deeper peeks into this intriguing man.
“Typical stuff, snowmobiling, hiking, horseback riding on the farm. Then I discovered flying…” He shrugged. “And here I am now.”
Yet there was so much more to him than that, this man who’d come from a North Dakota farm and made billions off his interest in airplanes.
The carriage shocks squeaked as the large wheels rolled along a brick side-road. How was it she felt tipsy when she hadn’t even had so much as a sip of alcohol?
He nudged the side of her leg with his foot. “What about you? What did you want to do when you were a kid?”
“Art history, remember?” she said evasively.
“Why art history?”
“An obsession with creating beauty, I guess.”
And now they were dancing a little too close to uncomfortable territory from her past. She pointed to the old-fashioned sailboat anchored near the shore with the sounds of a party carrying across the water. “What’s up with that?”
He hesitated for a moment as if he understood full well she was trying to redirect the conversation. “It’s a pirate ship. The Black Raven. They do everything from kids’ parties to the more adult sort.” He gestured toward a couple in buccaneer and maid costumes strolling down the sidewalk. “Then there are regular bar hours. People come in costume. I thought about having a party for the kids there someday—during regular hours, of course.”
“I can envision you in a Jack Sparrow-style pirate shirt so you wouldn’t have to tug at your tie all the time.”
“You’ve noticed that?”
She shrugged, staying silent.
“There are lots of things I hope to teach my kids.” He pointed toward the sky. “Like showing them the Big Dipper there. Or my favorite constellation, Orion’s belt. See the orange-looking star along the strand? That’s Betelgeuse, a red star. There’s nothing like charting the sky.”
“Sounds like you have a pirate’s soul. If you’d been born before airplanes…”
“Star navigation can be helpful if you’re lost,” he pointed out. “Betelgeuse saved my ass from getting lost more than once when the navigational instruments went on the fritz during a search.”
She thought back to her research on him from when she’d put together her proposal. “You started your company doing search and rescue.”
“I’m still active in that arena.”
“Really?” Why hadn’t she seen information about that kind of work? That could have been useful in her proposal. She wanted to kick herself for falling short. “I didn’t realize that.”
“SAR—search and rescue—was my first love. Still is,” he said with undeniable fire.
“Then why do you do the corporate charter gig?” The image of Seth Jansen was more confusing with each new revelation. She hadn’t expected so many layers, so much depth.
“Search and rescue doesn’t pay well. So the bigger my business…”
“The more good you can do.” And just that fast the pieces came together, the billionaire, the father, the philanthropist. And on top of everything he was hot?
God, she was in serious deep water here.
His gaze slid to hers, held and heated. In a smooth move, he shifted off the seat across from her to sit beside her. The scent of his crisp aftershave teased her nose, while his hulking magnetism drew her. Before she could think, she swayed toward him.
They still held both sleeping children, so nothing could or would happen. But the connection between them was tangible. His eyes invited her to lean against him and his arm slid around her shoulders, tucking her closer as the carriage rolled on.
How far did she want to take this? She hadn’t forgotten his request that she extend her stay, even if he hadn’t brought it up again. Then there was the whole tangle of her wanting to work for him…
And there were these two beautiful children who obviously came first with him, as they should. She understood how deeply a child could be affected by their growing up years. She carried the scars of her own childhood, complete with fears about opening herself to another relationship, making herself vulnerable to a man by baring her secrets as well as her body.
The carriage jerked to a halt outside their hotel, and her time to decide what to do next came to an end.
Seth set his iPod in the hotel’s docking station and cued up the twins’ favorite Mozart for tots music. The babies had been too groggy for baths after the carriage ride, so he and Alexa had just tucked them into their cribs, each wearing a fresh diaper and T-shirt.
Leaving him alone with Alexa—and completely awake.
Their evening together had given him an opportunity to learn more about her, the person, rather than the businesswoman. Guilt tweaked his conscience. She had a life and a company and a tender heart. She also had some misguided notion she could persuade him to sign a contract with her cleaning service. He’d told her otherwise, but he suspected she believed she could change his mind.
He needed to clear that up now, before things went further.
While he would do anything for his kids, he had other options for their care now and he couldn’t deny the truth. He was keeping her here because he wanted to sleep with her, now, away from Charleston, in a way that wouldn’t tangle their lives up with each other. Because, damn it all, no matter how much he wanted her in his bed, he didn’t have the time or inclination to start a full out relationship. He would not
, under any circumstances put his children through the upheaval of another inevitable breakup.
He plowed his fingers through his hair. He was left with no choice. He had to come clean with Alexa. He owed it to her. If for no other reason than because of the way she’d been so patient with his children, more than just watching over them, she’d played with them.
Rolled a ball.
Kissed a minor boo-boo.
Wiped away pudding smudges from their faces.
Rested her cheek on a sleeping baby’s head with such genuine affection while they rode in the carriage like an honest to God family.
A dark cloud mushroomed inside him. He pivoted toward the living room—and found her waiting in the open doorway. She still wore the tan capris and flowing blouse she’d had on for their picnic, except her feet were bare.
Her toes curled into the carpet. “Earlier tonight, you mentioned extending our stay. What was that all about?”
He should be rejoicing. He had achieved exactly what he wanted in enticing her to stay.
Yet now was his time to man-up and tell her the whole story. “There’s been a change in plans. I’m not returning to Charleston in the morning.”
“You’re staying here?” Her forehead crinkled in confusion.
He glanced back at his kids, concerned with waking them, and guided Alexa into the living area, closing the bedroom door behind him.
“Not exactly.” He steered her to the blue velvet sofa and sat beside her. “Tomorrow, Javier and I are moving negotiations to the king’s island to peruse his landing strip and discuss possibilities for increasing security measures.”
“That’s great news for you.” She smiled with genuine pleasure.
Her obvious—unselfish—happiness over his success kicked his guilt into high gear. “I need to be up-front with you.”
“Okay—” her eyes went wary “—I’m listening.”
“I want you to come with me to the island.” He tucked a knuckle under her chin, brushed his mouth over hers. The connection deepened, crackled with need. “Not because of business or the kids. But because I want you. I want this.”
He hesitated. “And before you ask, I do still intend to introduce you to the contacts just like I promised on day one. And I will listen to your business proposal and give you advice. But that’s all I can offer.”
Small consolation to his burning conscience right now. He truly wished he could do more for her and for her business.
Realization dawned in her eyes, her face paling. “I’m not going to land the Jansen Jets contract, no matter what I say.”
“I’m afraid not. Your company is simply not large enough. I’m sorry.”
She gnawed her plump bottom lip, then braced her shoulders. “You don’t have to apologize. You told me as much that first day, and I just didn’t want to hear you.”
“The way your service is growing shows promise, and if this had been a year from now, the answer might have been different.” That made him wonder what it would have been like to meet her a year from now, when his kids were older and the sting of his divorce had lessened.
“Then I go home now.”
Was that anger or regret he saw chasing across her expression? It looked enough like the latter that he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to press what little advantage he had. “Or you could go with me to the island. Just for the weekend.”
Her lips pressed tightly, thinning. “You may always get weekends free, but Bethany and I trade off every other one. I’ve already taken two days off work in the hope of a business proposition you never intended to fulfill. I can’t keep imposing on her indefinitely.”
“I meant what I said. I do intend to make good on introducing you to new connections and helping you beef up your presentation. Damn it, I’m trying hard to be honest with you.” He reached to loosen his tie and then realized he wasn’t wearing it anymore. “I’ll pay the difference you need to hire temporary help while you’re away—”
Her eyes went wide with horror. “You’ve already paid me enough. It’s not about the money.”
“Take it anyway. Consider it an exchange for your help with the kids. And I do need your help.”
“You want me to stay for the twins?” She crossed her arms defensively.
“It’s not that simple. I can’t untangle my kids from what’s going on between us. So yeah, they factor into this decision.” They had to factor into every decision he made. “My children like you. That counts for a lot. They’ve seen too much upheaval in their lives already. I try to give them as much stability as I can.”
“They’ve only known me for a couple of days and then I’ll be gone.” Her fingers dug into her elbows.
She had a point there. The thought of them growing too attached…
Shaking his head, he refocused. His plan for the weekend was solid. Second-guessing himself would only derail things. He loosened her grip and held her soft hands in his. “I like how happy Owen and Olivia are with you.”
“I adore them, too.” Obvious affection tinged her words, along with regret. “But even if I agree to this crazy proposition of yours, I’ll be leaving their lives when we all go home.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Where had that come from? Only seconds ago he’d been thinking about how he needed to have an affair now because indulging in more once they returned home wasn’t an option.
Was it?
She tugged her hands from his. “I’m not ready for any kind of relationship, and I’m still not happy about the business end of things between us.”
He should be rejoicing at those words. Should be. He cradled her face in his palm. “Then consider having a fling with me.”
“A fling?” She gnawed her bottom lip slowly as she repeated the word. “Fling? No attachment or expectations. Just pure indulgence in each other?”
Already her suggestive words sent a bolt of lust straight to his groin. If she could seduce him this thoroughly with just a few words, what more did she hold in store with her hands, her body?
“That’s the idea,” he growled softly in agreement. “We pick up where we left off last night at dinner.”
So he waited for her decision, the outcome more important than it should have been for someone of such brief acquaintance. But then she smiled, not full out, just a hint of possibility.
She reached, skimming her fingers down the front of his chest lightly as if still making up her mind. The feel of her featherlight touch made his erection impossibly harder.
Her hand stopped just shy of his belt, her eyes assessing, yet still holding the briefest hint of reservation. “For how long?”
He clasped her hand and brought her wrist to his mouth. Her pulse leaped under his kiss.
“For the weekend.” Or more. He wasn’t sure of a hell of a lot right now. But he was certain of one thing. He wanted Alexa. “Starting now.”
Six
Alexa leaned into the restrained strength of Seth’s touch. He was such a giant of a man with amazing control. She’d been aching for the feel of his hands on her skin since she’d first seen him. Yes, she was angry over the doused hopes of signing a contract with his company. However, in other ways, she was relieved. The end of their business acquaintance freed her to pursue the attraction between them.
As much as she wanted to attribute the power of her desire to months of abstinence, she knew she hadn’t felt anything near this compulsion for other attractive men who’d crossed her path. She wanted him, deeply, ached to have him with such a craving it was all she could do not to fling herself onto him.
Even in her spoiled princess days, she’d guarded her body closely. She’d only slept with two men before her husband and no one since. Each relationship had come after months of dating. This was so out of character for her, which emphasized the tenacious attraction all the more.
The prospect of a no-strings affair with Seth, especially now that she wasn’t trying to win a contract with him, was more temptation than she could resist.
>
She angled her face into his hard hand, turning to press a kiss into his palm. A primitive growl of desire rumbled from him in response, stirring and stoking molten pleasure deep in her belly.
Without moving his hand from her face, he leaned to kiss her bared neck. The glide of his mouth sent delicious shivers down her spine. Her head lolled back to give him fuller access.
He swept her hair aside with a large confident hand that skimmed down to palm her waist. Nipping, kissing, his mouth traced along her throbbing pulse. His chin nudged aside one shoulder of her blouse, his late-day beard raspy and arousing against her flushed skin.
His body hummed with restraint. Straining tendons along his neck let her know just how much it cost him to go slowly. His meticulous attention to detail sent a fresh shiver of anticipation through her.
She grabbed his shirt, her fist twisting in the warm cotton as she hauled him closer, urged him on. He shot to his feet and scooped her into his arms. Her fingers linked behind his neck as she steadied herself against his chest. Part of her warned that she should stop, now; but an even more insistent part of her urged her to see this through. Then maybe she would be free of the frenetic lure of this man. She could get back to the carefully planned, safe life she’d built for herself.
Seth angled sideways through the door into the spare room. Gauzy curtains hung from rings around the wrought-iron canopy frame overhead. He lowered her gently into the poofy white spread. Stepping back, he began unbuttoning his shirt while she watched—not that he seemed the least concerned with her gaze clinging to him.
In fact, he appeared all the more aroused by her appreciation. He shrugged off the shirt and unbuckled his belt, the low lighting from the bedside lamp casting a warm glow over his bared flesh.
One long zip later… Oh, yeah, he was most definitely as turned on as she was. The rigid length of his arousal reached up his rock solid abs. Golden hair sprinkled along his defined chest. He was a sculpted god of a man, and for tonight, he was all hers…
But as she devoured him with her eyes, unease skittered up her spine at the prospect of turning the tables. While she’d conquered the eating disorder of her teenage years, her body still carried marks and signs of how close she’d come to dying.
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