Robert promised himself never to enter into another relationship based on anything other than attraction. Lust he could handle; love was a different story. Robert thought that overwhelming feeling and total lack of control were more than anyone should have to deal with. That was, until he’d fallen hard for Farrah Blake. Now the only woman he wanted to be with was her, totally destroying his “bad boy” reputation. Unfortunately, Farrah had seen him at his worst when it came to his appetite for the opposite sex, and now she didn’t believe he could ever change. Trying to convince her that he had wouldn’t be easy and Robert just hoped that his plan wouldn’t backfire.
“What was that?” Momma Penny asked, snapping him back to the present and making him realize she might have overheard something she wasn’t meant to.
“Nothing... I need your nurse focusing on you and not me,” he said, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
“Yes, but sweetheart, you really do need someone, a wife to take care of you...to cook for you when I’m gone,” she explained.
“First of all, we both know you’re not going anywhere,” he said, and the thought of losing the older woman sent a piercing pain through his heart. “You promised, remember?”
Every night for three years after his parents died, in order to help him get to sleep at night, Momma Penny would promise she’d never leave him. As he became older, her promise became monthly, then yearly, and had substantially changed to “always being with him even when she wasn’t because she’d always be in his heart.” Those constant promises had gotten Robert through some very dark days and he’d always be grateful to her for that.
Momma Penny sighed. “Yes, I remember.”
“Second, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. With the exception of our weekly date night, where you insist on cooking for me, I eat quite well on my own. My housekeeper makes and freezes meals for me every week. She ensures that I have plenty to eat,” he declared.
“Yeah, most of which you don’t eat,” she scolded.
“And how would you know that?”
“I hired your housekeeper, remember? Besides, nobody can cook like your Momma Penny,” she said.
“True,” he said, smiling to himself, picturing Momma Penny’s look of gratitude after he’d cleared his plate.
“You still need someone special in your life. Preferably a wife,” she insisted.
“I do need someone and I’m working on it.” Robert was surprised at how honest he was being and just how good it felt.
Momma Penny gasped. “Really, who is she?” she asked, her voice filled with excitement, but not letting him answer. “I know she’s beautiful since that’s the only way you walk...no, wait, it’s roll. Which is it, walk or roll?” she asked.
“It’s ‘roll,’ and Momma Penny, please stop watching all those reality TV shows,” he said, chuckling at her new obsession with housewives shows, celebrity dance competitions and anything that started with yelling and ended with fighting.
“When can I meet her?” she pressed. “I only know your male friends. I never get to meet any of your lady friends. They never stick around longer than a few weeks.”
“How do you know...? Never mind,” he said.
“So, when can I meet her?”
“Soon. I just have to convince her that she needs me, too,” Robert promised.
I will convince her, too. Although she’s going to be really pissed when she finds out the truth.
“Convince her? Who is this person? She must be crazy. Doesn’t she know how lucky she is to have your sights set on her?” she asked, not bothering to keep the shock from her tone.
Robert chuckled at how animated she’d gotten. He could picture her five-foot frame straightening in her favorite chair, where she would be sitting and looking out the big picture window in the living room of the three-bedroom house he’d had built for her several years ago. Momma Penny had always been a lion when it came to her only child, her blue-eyed wonder—the nickname she’d given him as a baby and still used today.
“Momma Penny—”
“You know who I really like?” she asked, that familiar excitement returning to her voice.
Robert sighed, wondering if it was another one of her church members’ daughters she was always trying to fix him up with. “Who?” he ventured, but braced himself for the answer.
“One of those pretty, dark-haired girls you work with. They’re sisters. Only I don’t know which one is which. That could be a problem...not being able to tell them apart,” she concluded.
Oh, I can tell them apart.
“The Blake sisters. And I agree. One would be perfect for me,” he murmured, too low for her to hear. The dull ache in his chest that he’d been carrying around for days expanded into something that was spreading through his body like a virus. Last year, Meeks had almost lost his mind when Francine had constantly put herself in danger. And right now, Robert was slowly losing his, because he was in danger of losing the one woman who made him feel alive. The phone fell silent for a moment and Robert knew he’d given himself away. “Wait, how do you even know about the Blake sisters?”
“You’re not the only one that can use a computer, you know. Which one is it? Which one’s got you all twisted up in the game?” she asked.
“Momma Penny, you’re killing me with all this slang,” Robert said, laughing.
“I’m waiting,” she said, as he heard her take a sip of what he figured was her favorite drink, masala tea.
“Farrah. Her name’s Farrah Blake and she’s the middle sister...the one with the blue eyes,” he explained, inwardly adding, The color of the deepest part of the ocean.
“Like my baby boy, although I’m sure yours are much bluer and way nicer, as far as I’m concerned,” she stated proudly.
Robert heard a familiar sound entering the garage. He checked his rearview mirror and confirmed his suspicions.
“Momma Penny, I have to go. Take your medicine and I’ll call you later,” he promised. “And don’t give that nurse a hard time, either. Have to keep an eye out for you with these younger men.”
“Okay, but you should have thought of that before you hired him,” she shot back. “He is kinda cute.”
“Momma Penny!”
“Love you, my blue-eyed wonder.”
“I love you, too,” he replied.
Robert disconnected the call, unplugged his phone and dropped it in his jacket pocket. He exited the car, strolled to where Farrah had parked and was opening her door before she’d barely cut her engine.
“I told you I’d see you later,” Robert said, presenting her with a sexy smile. “It’s later.”
Chapter 6
“What the...? Robert, you scared the hell out of me,” Farrah yelled, looking up at him. Her right hand had already reached for the handgun she kept on the side of her seat. “Not to mention you could get shot sneaking up on me like that.”
Farrah’s dress was pulled up and gathered between her legs. From Robert’s vantage point, he had a clear shot of her thighs and legs and she knew he could see that her breasts were rising and falling a lot faster than normal. Farrah could only hope that he thought the adrenaline spike from his sudden appearance was the reason instead of the arousal he always provoked in her whenever he was around.
Robert laughed, as though he found the idea of her shooting him funny. He took Farrah’s hand, helped her out of the car, taking her keys in the process and locking her door. Instead of returning her keys, he pocketed them, intertwined their hands and led them toward an area in the garage she recognized immediately. It was a space that was both crazy and special to them both. They would rendezvous there when they wanted to take a few private moments without so many eyes or cameras on them.
“Where are we going?” Farrah asked, only to confirm her susp
icions as they passed the bank of elevators leading to their offices.
Robert stopped and pulled her against him, allowing her to feel what she was doing to him. He gazed into her eyes and said, “You know where we’re going,” before taking her mouth in a kiss that demanded so much more. Robert ran his hand up her back and under her hair. He released her lips, raised her hair and began to kiss and suck gently on her neck. He kissed his way along the edge of her jaw and ran his tongue across her lips before capturing her mouth again. He reluctantly released his hold and pulled her along with him.
“We can’t,” she said breathlessly.
“Yes, we can.” Robert retrieved his security card key from his pants pocket and swiped it in front of a black security box that unlocked the door to a small storage room.
Robert pulled Farrah inside and closed the door. He switched on the light, gently pushed Farrah against the door as he lowered his head and consumed her mouth. Farrah never felt so overwhelmed and out of control as she did whenever she was with Robert. She pressed her body against his and her arms flew up and around his neck. Farrah’s fingers buried themselves within his silky, blond-streaked, sandy-brown hair and her hips led Robert’s in a synchronized dance that soon had her body screaming for the barriers between them to be removed...quickly.
Robert picked her up and out of her shoes, raising her dress in the process and allowing Farrah to wrap her legs tightly around his waist. With little finesse, Robert unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, freeing himself. With manhood in hand, Robert slid past the lace that covered her core and thrust deep inside of her, but stilled instantly. Farrah’s instinct to move was stamped down by Robert’s applied weight.
“Damn it,” Robert said as he started to pull back.
“What?” Farrah asked on a frustrated gasp, gripping his waist to keep him in place.
“Please tell me you’re still on the pill.”
“Of course I am,” she said, raising her hips and forcing him into a downward thrust.
Robert took Farrah fast and hard, whipping them both into an out-of-control frenzy just the way she liked it. As she felt her body build into what promised to be another amazing orgasm, Farrah moved her hips in a manner that had Robert picking up the pace, ensuring that they would both reach their peak simultaneously. As they both tipped over that blessed cliff, Robert captured the sounds of their release with another mind-blowing kiss.
Robert rested his forehead against hers as they waited for their breathing to return to normal.
“That was—”
“Insane,” Farrah supplied on a gasp.
Robert raised his head and gazed into her eyes. “That was incredible, and you are so beautiful.”
Farrah felt Robert start to come alive again. “Put me down,” she whispered.
Robert extricated himself from her body before he reluctantly obliged her request. Farrah pressed down her dress while Robert adjusted himself back into his pants.
“I can’t believe we’re here again,” Farrah murmured, shaking her head.
“Why? It’s perfectly private. You know I’m the only one with a key, and there aren’t any cameras here,” he explained.
“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it,” she snapped, reaching down to pick up her bag. “This is why we have to stay away from each other.”
“Why?”
“This can’t happen anymore,” she said.
Keep it together...keep it together.
“I don’t understand why not. We obviously still want each other.” Robert took a step toward her, but she threw up her hands to stop him.
“Physical attraction only lasts for so long, and we still have to work together. We can’t let any bad feelings that may come from our...from this situation between us,” she said, waving a finger back and forth between them, “affect our ability to work together.”
“It won’t—”
“I know, because we’re ending it now before we get in too deep, something neither of us wants,” Farrah said, fighting hard to keep the emotion out of her voice. “Once the divorce is final, we can forget this ever happened. Just go back to the way things were.”
“You really think that’s possible?” he asked.
“Of course. We’re adults...not to mention professionals. We’ll get past this and things will get back to normal. My keys, please,” she said, gripping her bag’s handle with her left hand, while offering the palm of the other. “After all, we have clients to protect, not to mention a pretty big case to prepare for. Besides, it’s just sex that’s between us, right?”
Robert looked down at her and offered up a small smile that disturbed her because it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Right, it’s just sex,” he conceded, placing the keys in her hand.
Farrah gave a wordless nod, turned and walked out the door, leaving Robert standing in the middle of the small storage room.
Who are you kidding? It was far more than just sex...at least to you, anyway.
Farrah made it up to her apartment and into her bathroom, where she quickly removed her clothes. She opened the shower door and stepped under the warm spray, thanking her lucky stars for the automated shower system. Farrah didn’t care that it had cost her thousands of dollars. The body jets, the ability to pipe in music, and the fact that the shower turned on at just the right temperature thirty seconds after she pushed a button made it money well spent.
Farrah stood under the oversize showerhead as the water rained down and the side sprays pelted her body. She relaxed into the wonder of wetness for a few moments, when she suddenly felt another presence in the room. Fear was not something that entered her mind. Her nipples tingled; an instant later, moisture pooled between her thighs. Her body knew exactly who the newcomer happened to be.
Farrah smiled and without turning and delivering the scolding that she knew she should, she simply said, “You just going to stand there and watch, or are you going to join me and loofah my back?”
Robert’s deep baritone laugh set her body on high alert, anticipating what was to come.
Farrah turned to face him as she continued to wash herself. She watched his utility belt hit the travertine floors, followed by his boots and socks. His shirt was next, then the pants and finally his Calvin Klein underwear. Robert opened the door and joined her under the spray.
“I came by to drop off my copy of your house key,” he said, taking the soap out of her hands. “I figured you’d want it back.”
“So, instead of waiting for me to get out of the shower, or better still giving it to me later—like at the office or in a couple of days when we leave for New York,” she asked, snickering as she enjoyed the sensation of his hands roaming all over her body, “you decided to watch me take a shower?”
“Yeah, that basically sums it up,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.
Farrah covered his mouth with her right hand. “It’s just sex...an almost-divorced couple just saying goodbye kind of thing. Closure, so to speak...agreed?”
Robert stared into her eyes, and the corner of his mouth curved upward slightly. “Two people finding a little closure tonight. We’d better not waste a second.”
Robert kissed Farrah gently on the lips. He used his index finger to raise her head skyward. “Close your eyes, sweetheart. Enjoy the sensation of me and the warm water,” he said, kissing the corner of her mouth and down her chin to her neck. He nibbled and licked where her neck and shoulder met, one of her favorite spots. Robert ran his tongue along her collarbone before moving down to the valley of her breasts.
“Hmm...yes...” Farrah caressed his hair and slid her hands down his back.
Robert greedily pulled and teased her nipples as though his life depended on it. He raised his head and stared into her eyes. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Robert said softly, his
voice cracking slightly.
“I want you,” Farrah whispered.
“And you’ll have me...all of me,” he promised before dropping to his knees. He placed her right leg over his shoulder, gripped her butt with both hands and began kissing and stroking her center. Farrah’s head fell back; she seized his shoulders, flexed her muscles to stay upright as she enjoyed the most sensual shower she’d ever experienced. She knew she shouldn’t allow this to happen because her heart would pay a heavy price for it, but if this was it for them, Farrah was determined to savor every second.
* * *
The next morning, Farrah was so busy reading over several reports regarding Alexia’s activities that she didn’t even notice when Robert entered her office. Wordlessly, he handed her a large manila envelope.
“What’s this?” she asked, putting the pen back in a holder and taking the envelope in her hands.
“It’s what you wanted...our divorce papers.”
Farrah felt a sharp pain in her heart.
“Oh,” Farrah replied, swallowing the lump that had mysteriously lodged in her throat. “So Fletcher got them filed okay,” she said, trying to keep her tone as flat as possible.
“Yes. That’s your copy.” Robert placed his hands in his pockets. “It’s been signed by the judge and everything. Now we wait.”
“Wait?”
“Yes, thirty days...well, twenty now, and it’ll be done. The divorce will be final,” he explained nonchalantly.
“Yes, of course,” she said, shaking her head.
“So that’s it,” he added.
“No more Mrs. Gold,” Farrah murmured.
“You were never Mrs. Gold...not really,” Robert responded.
Farrah fought to keep her emotions under control as she felt tears well in the corners of her eyes. She rushed over to the bar and removed a small bottle of water from the mini-refrigerator.
Seducing the Heiress Page 5
