“It’s called fighting fire with fire, Penny,” he’d said.
And using people’s desires against them was a very Selina Royale thing to do.
“Probably laughing his bloody head off,” she said aloud. “Well to hell with him. To hell with them both!”
* * * *
The door slammed shut, the bang drowning out the sound of the tinkle bell above the door. Penny stalked to her office and flicked on the light. It was only six o’clock. The shop didn’t open ’til nine but she couldn’t sleep, and she didn’t want to sit at home doing nothing, and so she had come to work.
The boxes had been cleared out of her office, ready for Karen to put on the display this morning, so she didn’t have to climb over or squeeze past anything, but that didn’t improve her mood. She flopped into the garden chair and glared at nothing in particular.
She felt angry. Very angry.
In fact Penny hadn’t felt this angry in eighteen months—not since she’d confronted Selina about the Cassidy Holdings takeover. Selina had been so proud of herself, but Penny had been appalled.
Her aunt had used the news of Cassie’s illness to convince other Cassidy Holdings shareholders to sell up and get out—as long as they sold to Selina, of course.
It hadn’t taken long for panic to set in. Share prices began dropping dramatically, shareholders dumped stock, deals that had been in the pipeline fell through and existing suppliers started looking elsewhere for distributors. Cassidy Holdings had collapsed so fast it made the market spin.
The mystery was, how did the story get out?
Penny remembered meeting Luke during the whole saga, remembered vividly the day the man of her dreams stormed the enemy bunker. Of cours, in her fantasies he’d been coming to rescue her from her desolate life of abuse and fear, not to yell at her in Selina’s stead.
It was the first time she’d come face to face with the man she’d adored for years. And he’d completely overwhelmed her. He’d towered over her and dominated her personal space with his broad shoulders and muscular chest. His large, strong hands had been fisted by his side, his handsome face contorted by rage, and his voice—
After the yelling had stopped his deep, smooth voice had softly spelt out his ultimatum: Stay away from his family or there’d be hell to pay.
Luke’s was a voice that could be so fierce it was truly frightening, or could be, as she discovered last night, so gentle and warm that it held you captivated and lulled you into a false sense of security.
That was exactly what Luke had done to her last night. As soon as he’d found out Penny had signed a confidentiality agreement, his voice had lost its threatening edge and took on a more sensual tone. A dark, velvety I’ll-be-your-best-friend-in-more-ways-than-you-can-imagine tone. A seductive, fantasy-inducing tone. One that had made concentrating on lease agreements near impossible.
Penny closed her eyes and tried to focus on her anger, to let it seep into every cell of her being and dominate her feelings towards Luke, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t do it. It simply wasn’t in her to think that way. Not about him. So she sighed and resigned herself to riding her usual train of thought where that man was concerned.
Luke Hardcastle. Builder.
Penny couldn’t stop the smile that always accompanied Luke when he entered her daydreams. She pictured his tanned, sweaty body, smeared with dirt and sawdust and dressed in ratty denim shorts slung low on his hips, scuffed leather work boots on his enormous feet and a sensual smile of his own playing around his wide, kissable mouth.
“Miss Royale,” he said as he handed her a hardhat. “Shall we begin?”
Penny Royale, building inspector, followed Luke around the half-finished house with her clipboard in hand, absently ticking items off her list, barely listening to a word he said as her eyes devoured his muscular back and perfect ass. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to bite that ass!
“Any questions?”
“Huh?” Penny quickly snapped her wayward attention back to her clipboard. The clipboard that was now being plucked from her trembling hands.
“How long are we going to play this game, Miss Royale?”
“What?”
“Every inspection it’s the same thing, this unspoken…wanting.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr Hardcastle.”
Luke grinned as he walked forward, forcing Penny back against a wall. “Really? So you weren’t undressing me with your eyes just now?”
“No, I wasn’t! Now please, give me back my notes.”
“You mean these official-looking pieces of paper,” Luke taunted as he held up the clipboard, “that I notice you’ve cleverly decorated with tiny hearts and the initials LH. Hmm…”
Penny lunged for the clipboard but Luke held it out of reach. She tried again and collided with his chest. His hard, dirty, masculine chest. Her hardhat fell to the ground and her hair tumbled over her shoulders in wild disarray.
“Give that back!” she snapped as she primly straightened her suit jacket.
Luke grinned wickedly as he held the clipboard out to her and then snatched it back, laughing at her ever increasing frustration. “You can have it back on one condition.”
“And what’s that?”
His smile became seductive again, his golden eyes shimmered with lust. “One kiss. On your lips.”
Penny’s eyes narrowed. “That’s all? Just one kiss?”
“On your lips.”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. One kiss on my lips and then you give back my− What are you doing?”
Luke had sunk to his knees and begun sliding her skirt up her thighs.
“Stop that! You said a kiss on my lips!”
“But I never said which lips…”
Before Penny could think Luke had her skirt around her waist and her knickers around her knees. He blew warm breath across her exposed mound, making her gasp, making her grip his shoulders to stop herself from falling to the ground.
Then he kissed her.
His lips pressed against hers, his tongue delved deeper into her hot, moist flesh, licking and sucking, nibbling and probing, making her writhe like some demented belly dancer, grinding her hips back and forth as she tried to reach that seemingly unreachable state of bliss. Closer and closer, she was almost there—
“Luke! Oh, yes, Luke! Just a little more…”
Luke grabbed her ass in both hands and pulled her forward, forcing his tongue deeper and deeper, greedily lapping her sweet liqueur.
Penny grabbed his head in both hands, her nails scoring his scalp, and held him against her as she came.
“Luke!”
Penny’s body shook the garden chair as her orgasm washed through her. Slowly her breathing calmed to normal. She opened her eyes and pulled her fingers from her knickers.
“I’m so pathetic.”
As if Luke Hardcastle, the real one that is, would ever go down on her.
But then he had kissed her.
Actually he’d done more than that. He’d felt her up and kissed her. He’d grabbed her ass and stabbed her in the belly with his very obvious, and large, erection. Had she done that? Had she given Luke Hardcastle an erection?
A heady thought if ever there was one.
She couldn’t deny the feeling of being wrapped in his arms as he kissed her socks off had been wonderful. And terrible.
It wasn’t that Penny hadn’t enjoyed the kiss; it was just that she’d basically given up where men were concerned. She’d already decided she was fated to be a lonely old spinster who would never go anywhere or do anything, and would only be missed when the junk mail started spilling from her letterbox and caused some sort of safety hazard on the footpath.
Being kissed by her fantasy man had never come into the equation.
Penny stared at her watch. It was almost seven. She sighed loudly and forced herself to her feet. She flicked on the shop lights and put up the new book display, then counted the tills,
cleaned the counters and mopped the floors just for good measure, the memory of Kit’s hot lips and strong arms keeping her company while she worked.
By eight o’clock she was sipping a cup of tea and staring vacantly out the window at one of Luke’s enormous construction cranes, the giant phallus just one of many that dotted the ever-expanding cityscape. This one had a Hardcastle Construction banner flapping from it, a larger-than-life reminder of her Lord and Master.
“I thought I was opening today,” Karen said as she skipped up the stairs.
“You are,” Penny said as she continued staring at the banner, distracted as her insides were being twisted by conflicting emotions of loathing and lust.
Luke had kissed her. He’d really kissed her. And it had been amazing. But why did he kiss her? Was he simply doing as he promised and fighting fire with fire, using her own desires against her? What else could it possibly be? More to the point, was she really going to let him get away with it?
No. When she saw him next she would make certain he knew. He might be able to blackmail her into doing his dirty work, but no way was Luke Hardcastle going to blackmail her into bed.
No matter how unnervingly tempting the possibilities might be.
“So why are you here?” Karen pressed.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Pen, you look terrible. Is everything alright?”
Penny forced a smile. “I’m fine. I was up all night with Luke.”
“Oh, really?” said Karen with sudden interest and a cheeky grin. The bubbly blonde quickly pulled up a chair and propped her chin in her hands. “Tell me everything.”
Penny rolled her eyes. “It was nothing like that. We were discussing new lease agreements.”
“All night?” Karen asked sceptically.
“Yes, all night. He wants to call a proprietor’s meeting so he can be introduced and assure everyone that their businesses are safe and blah, blah, blah. You know, the usual stuff.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Good. Go home and get some sleep.”
Penny smiled sleepily. “Can’t just yet. I have some other stuff to take care of. But then, then I will go home and leave the shop in your capable hands.”
By lunchtime, Penny had phoned all of the businesses on their tiny block, informed them of Luke’s request and was now riding the elevator to his office.
She stood patiently in front of Sandra’s desk while the blonde took down a message, then got annoyed for being made to wait when she would rather be asleep and moved for Luke’s door. Sandra threw the phone down and jumped to her feet to stop her.
“You can’t go in there, Miss Royale. Mr Hardcastle is in a very important meeting and cannot be disturbed.”
“I only need a moment of his time, Sandra,” Penny said as she grabbed for the doorknob.
Sandra blocked the door. “I simply cannot allow it. He’s with a very important client. He said he was not to be...disturbed,” she finished with a sigh as the door opened.
Penny’s eyes opened wide and she swallowed down a whimper of desire as she took in the vision of Luke. The crumpled, unshaven, half-dressed vision of Luke. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed after a night of sex. She shot a scathing glance at the skinny blonde standing by his side and hated herself for the spear of jealousy she wished she could wrench from her heart and stab through his assistant’s.
“Sandra, continue holding my calls. Penny, come in.” He stepped aside to let Penny walk past and then shut the door behind her. “Sorry for my appearance but I haven’t been home yet.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Luke. I should have called…or made an appointment or…something,” she stammered, distracted by the tantalising glimpse of the finely muscled chest she could see between his unbuttoned shirtfront.
“Yes, you should have. What can I do for you, Penny?”
As she continued staring at Luke’s chest, Penny struggled to remember why she’d come to his office in the first place. Oh, yeah, that was it. To tell him her body was off limits.
She swallowed hard. “I’ve set up the meeting you wanted with your new tenants,” she said as she dragged her eyes up to meet his, only to be greeted by a thinly veiled smirk. “Tomorrow at seven at Mama’s Table,” she added quickly as her cheeks heated with embarrassment.
“Good. Anything else?”
“Yes, actually, there is.”
Luke waited. “Well?”
Penny took a fortifying breath. “I’m not having sex with you, Luke,” she stated firmly.
Luke frowned. “Okay,” he said slowly. “And why exactly do you think you need to tell me that?”
“Because you kissed me last night.”
“So?”
“So I think we both know it wasn’t just a kiss, and I’m not going to fall prey to this fire versus fire thing you have going on. I would like to get through this…whatever this is, with at least some of my dignity intact.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “You want to lecture me about dignity? When you’ve been gawking at my body this whole time?”
Penny gasped indignantly as she realised it was her daydream all over again. But she held her ground and planted her hands on her hips. “Well, I’m not the one walking around half naked looking like I just screwed my−”
“Besides,” he snarled, “I thought I apologised for that kiss.”
Penny straightened. “You did.”
“Then why are we discussing this?” He yawned.
She watched as he moved to the couch, lay down, stretched out, and tucked his arms behind his head. His shirtfront fell open and revealed even more glorious muscle, tanned, hard, hot muscle, and Penny wondered what it would feel like pressed against her own naked flesh.
She began gnawing on her bottom lip as she tried desperately to ignore the sudden flood of heat that washed through her entire body and came to rest between her thighs.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s commonly known as sleeping, Penny. Care to join me?”
Penny gasped again as she wondered if Luke had read her mind, then glared at the broad grin on his face. “Didn’t you listen to a thing I just said?”
“Honestly?” Luke chuckled, then shrugged. “I just meant you look tired, like you didn’t get much sleep last night either. Why is that, I wonder?”
Penny couldn’t believe Luke was teasing her. “You’re a pig.”
“Why, because I find you attractive and I’m too tired to be bothered hiding it?” he said, and sighed. “I’m sorry I kissed you, okay? It won’t happen again. Now, if there’s nothing else, Miss Royale...” Luke threw his arm across his eyes, dismissing her.
Penny turned to leave, her mind in a spin as she tried to process Luke’s words—he found her attractive?—but stopped as she remembered something else he’d said.
“Why didn’t you go home last night?”
“What?”
“You said you hadn’t gone home yet. Why not?”
She chewed on her bottom lip as Luke settled his golden gaze on her again. She hated how much she liked seeing him like this, how much she didn’t want to leave his office because it meant leaving him.
She felt like a love-struck teenager. Stupid.
“I came back here so I could go over the papers you gave me.”
“And?”
“And Selina has very good lawyers,” he said as he sat up again. “I couldn’t find anything that would allow you to share information with me. I’ve sent the agreement to my legal department for a fine combing, see if they can find something I missed.”
“So…does that mean I’m off the hook?” Penny asked cautiously. “No more blackmail?”
“No.”
“No?”
“Penny, I need you, and if I have to blackmail you to keep you, then I will.”
Penny spoke through clenched teeth. “Did it ever occur to you to ask me for my help?”
Luke stared at her thoughtfully. “Would you?”
“After you’ve already blackmailed me, are you kidding?”
Luke grinned as she threw that back at him. “I realise this is probably just my exhaustion talking, but you’re in very real danger of earning my respect, Miss Royale.”
Penny feigned incredulity. “Luke Hardcastle respect a Royale? Wonders will never cease to amaze.”
“I so enjoy how you mock the situation, as though it were nothing out of the ordinary.”
“That’s because it isn’t out of the ordinary for me,” she said with a sigh. “Maybe this is just my exhaustion talking, but to tell you the truth, Luke, it almost feels like I’m back at Royale Industries.”
Penny may as well have slapped Luke’s face again. She couldn’t have insulted him more completely if she’d tried. She knew it, too. The look on Luke’s face was disturbing. Penny wasn’t sure if it was rage, contempt, or disgust she was seeing but she knew it was time to leave.
“Get some sleep, Luke. You’re going to need it. I have a feeling you’re about to head into unchartered territory.”
Chapter Four
Penny sat at the table at the rear of the busy Italian restaurant with the other proprietors, waiting for Luke’s meeting to begin.
He was late.
Angie Campioni, the proprietor of Mama’s Table, sat down beside Penny and huffed impatiently.
“He’s not impressing me so far, amica,” she said, her thick Italian accent the type that brooked no opposition.
“He’s a very busy man, Angie. I’m sure he won’t be too long.”
“He’d better not be. I hate waiting.”
“I know. But just think, the last landlord didn’t bother meeting us until he wanted to jack up our rent. At least Luke wants to be on good terms with his tenants.”
“I suppose so,” Anglie grumbled. “Of course, he could just want to lull us into a false sense of security for when he wants to jack up our rents.”
As much as Penny feared for her own business, she believed at least that Luke was on the level about the other leases. She shook her head. “He’s a better man than that, Angie.”
Revenge and Redemption Page 3
