by Lori Foster
“I know what it is! Leave me alone.” Another bout of nausea seized her as her stomach heaved again. Luckily nothing came out this time, only dry heaves, but the awful sound mortified her. She was dying of embarrassment and James wouldn’t budge from her side. Suddenly everything started to go black before her eyes. She was dimly aware of being lifted up in strong arms and carried to the bed.
After placing her on the bedcover, James gently tapped her face a few times. “Hey, don’t pass out on me.”
“Wha … what do you want?” Sofia moaned between panting breaths as she gained consciousness. Her chest felt squashed, compressed beneath the binding fabric of her dress and the restrictive strapless bra.
As if guessing her dilemma, he quietly turned her over.
“Stop it! What do you think you’re doing?” she asked when he unzipped her dress all the way down to just below her panty line. Grreat. Now the hateful man knew that she wasn’t wearing panty hose and that she’d been wearing pink thong underwear to avoid ugly panty lines beneath the silky fabric. This would only augment his image of her as a hussy. With a practiced flick of his fingers, he unsnapped the tight bra, giving her instant relief, even though her face was squashed into the pillow.
“There, now you can breathe,” he said, his gruff voice sounding strangled.
“Get your hands off me!” She struggled up on her elbows in hopes of turning over but noted with disgust that she had the strength of an infant.
James’s strong hands casually flipped her over again face upward. Incensed, Sofia’s hands flew to her chest to make sure the front of her dress wasn’t gaping open.
“How dare you manhandle me,” she fumed.
“I was gentle and you know it,” he said through taut teeth. “You shouldn’t wear such tight clothes.”
She wanted to retort, They’re tight because I overindulged in my aunt’s delicious food, you cad! But she felt too weak to argue. She couldn’t bear to spend another moment with him, especially after what he had just witnessed in the bathroom.
It was time to regain her dignity. “I just need a few moments to settle my stomach; then I’ll leave,” she said.
“Sure, lie still until it settles. We don’t want you puking again.”
Sofia closed her eyes against the rude indelicacy of his remark. Even though he had been decent enough to tend to her, he was no gentleman beneath the sophisticated facade of evening wear. Through half-closed eyes, she watched him cross over to the table. He poured bottled water into a goblet and returned to her side.
Taking a seat beside her on the bed, he nudged her hand. “Drink a little of this.”
She pursed her lips and shook her head. “No. I won’t be able to hold it down.”
“I’ll get a wastebasket just in case.”
“Forget it.” She really was worried that she’d be sick again if she took a sip of water. She pressed her lips tighter lest he think he could force a drink on her. “Please leave me alone,” she demanded, pushing his hand away so vigorously that water sloshed over the rim and drenched his pants leg.
Leaning forward to drive home his point, he growled low, “Stop being childish. You’re confirming my belief that Dad is getting saddled with yet another brat.”
That did it! Why should she cooperate when he was flinging insults? When she mutinously didn’t budge, he lifted her upper body by the shoulders and plumped up the pillows behind her head. She purposely went limp in his arms. No need to make things easy for him. Undeterred, he held her up easily with one hand as he used his other to place the goblet in her hand.
“Open your mouth and take a tiny sip,” he ordered, his forceful look daring her to argue. His rough tone softened a notch when he spoke next, catching her by surprise. “You’ll feel better. I promise.”
She thrust her chin out belligerently, knowing that would irk him something fierce. “You’re just in a hurry for me to sign the prenuptial.”
“Damn right I am,” he growled again.
Sofia squelched a small triumphant smile that kept threatening to surface. There was only one useful thing coming from this debacle. James was being forced to spend unpleasant time with her while her aunt and Daniel enjoyed the Broadway revue on board. Served him right for coming to the wrong conclusions about her and his father!
“Quit stalling.” His calm command drew her attention back to the moment. “The sooner you take some water, the sooner you’ll be able to swallow some of this medicine and be out of my hair.” Even though he struggled to keep his tone level, she noted the strained look on his face. He was clearly out of patience, but she had no intention of drinking anything just yet. Not if it meant throwing up again.
When she didn’t take the glass from him, he warned, “Don’t confuse me with my father. I have no inclination to put up with your stubbornness. You just threw up in my bathroom and now you’re taking up space in my bed.”
She lifted her chin at a haughty angle. “You are nothing like your father. He’s a gentleman.”
“Yes, he is, and you’ll do well to respect that.”
“I do,” she said wearily. They were getting nowhere fast. It was obvious he meant for her to take that sip of water and he’d sit there all night if he had to. “Give me the damned glass. If I get sick, it will be all over your nice suit,” she said with a nasty grin.
“I’ll take my chances.”
Now that her nausea seemed to be subsiding a bit, she took a sip of water and waited. When nothing vile happened, she sighed with relief. Handing the glass back to him, she sank against the pillows. “Satisfied?”
“Not yet.” He walked into the bathroom and returned with a small bottle in his hand. He quirked one dark eyebrow and gave her a penetrating look. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“Of course not, you idiot!” There was no end to the man’s rudeness.
“God forbid,” he muttered darkly. “Take one of these.”
She eyed the pill with distrust. “What is it? Poison?”
“A motion sickness pill,” he replied, ignoring her smart remark.
“My, my. The barracuda lawyer is prepared for everything, isn’t he?”
A flicker in his hard-eyed stare was the only reaction she got to her taunt. “Swallow one; then close your eyes and relax,” he said evenly.
If she remained nauseated, she wouldn’t gain a thing, being the weaker party. Anxious to feel better soon, she dutifully obliged. He didn’t have to urge her to close her eyes; they did so of their own accord. But relaxing was going to be impossible, just knowing that he sat there, scrutinizing her every move.
“I’ll rest until I feel a bit stronger. But only if you give me some privacy,” she said, slyly peeking at him beneath lowered lids.
To her surprise, he rose from the bed. “As soon as you feel stronger, I’ll walk you back to your cabin. Dad is probably worried and searching for you everywhere.”
“I doubt it. Daniel urged me to spend this evening getting to know you.”
“Any other man wouldn’t be so generous with his fiancée on a pleasure trip.”
“He’s self-confident and he trusts me,” she retorted, her eyelids feeling heavier by the moment. “Besides, you’re his son. Why should he have anything to worry about?”
“Humph.”
Her eyes shot open at the extreme displeasure in his tone, and she found herself spellbound by the blue fire blazing in his eyes.
“Rest now,” he said, not taking his fiery gaze from hers. “I’ll be back in a little while. If you need anything, ring for the valet.”
James left the room in a hurry and stepped outside to pace the deck. If he had to sit there one more moment arguing with a half-dressed, tousled temptress he was liable to go crazy. All evening long when she had lifted her chin to defy him, he’d been tempted to kiss the sass from her rosy mouth. Most people backed down from an argument with him, especially women.
But not Sofia. The little nuisance had done her damnedest to provoke him, and she
had succeeded too well. In one short evening, her brazen manner, sultry dark eyes, and sinfully curvaceous body had sexually frustrated him more than he’d ever been.
Against his will, he remembered how her full breasts had taunted him, straining against the confining bodice of her dress. Once he had unzipped her, he’d caught a glimpse of a tantalizing cleavage rising above the loosened neckline. Forehead beading, he swallowed hard, trying to block out a mental image of pale, round breasts peaked by tightened, dusky rose nipples.
Damn her sexy little hide! She was his father’s fiancée and he had no business fantasizing about what her naked bosom would look like. It was wrong to be lusting after her. His hands fisted at his sides, trying to deny the potent arousal she’d stirred in him.
James’s necktie suddenly felt tight around his neck, not to mention how snug and confining his pants felt. He had seen Sofia at her vulnerable worst, bent over a toilet, spilling out her guts. But somehow that hadn’t diminished her appeal. Just moments later, he had felt poleaxed by lust when he’d pulled down her zipper and gazed at the bewitching indentation of her utterly feminine spine.
His palms grew sweaty just remembering the velvety softness of her skin when his fingers inadvertently brushed against her bare back. She’d been wearing a lacy strapless bra. And that pink thong. His eyes nearly misted with the arduous effort not to picture it. It had barely encircled a curvy bottom that lay bare beneath the thin fabric of her dress.
Groaning out loud, he suddenly smacked his palm against his forehead. Damn! How could he have been so blind? It was the perfect solution. Why hadn’t it occurred to him sooner? If he succeeded in seducing the little temptress, his father would be convinced that she had only been after his money. There was no time to waste. It had to be done swiftly, before the old softie fell harder for Sofia and before she made further plans for his money.
Sofia’s obstinate behavior earlier had convinced James that she wasn’t planning to sign the prenuptial agreement he’d drawn up. Even weakened by seasickness, she’d been feisty as hell.
It wasn’t the money or his future inheritance that James was most worried about. He had a lot more money and investments than his dad had at his age. He just didn’t want to see his old man made a fool of over a little hussy young enough to be his granddaughter! Someone had to look after him; he was seventy years old. James could only hope that his father would someday forgive him and understand that he had acted in his parent’s best interest.
He returned to the room at once. Stalking toward the cabin, he flung open the door once he reached it. In mounting disbelief, his gaze zeroed in on the bed before searching the darkened room.
The little witch was gone!
CHAPTER 4
James rushed out of his room the following morning intent on intercepting his dad before he entered the dining hall. If he knew Dad, he’d be having breakfast at 8:00 A.M. sharp. Despite his haste, James didn’t arrive until 8:05. He found Daniel already inside, having an animated conversation with the older woman, Mrs. Sanchez.
“Morning, Dad. Mrs. Sanchez,” James said, nodding in her direction when he approached the table.
Mrs. Sanchez smiled. “No need for formality, James. You may call me Lucita. Everyone does.”
“OK, Lucita.” James couldn’t help noticing how pleasant the older lady was, with her sparkling green eyes and friendly expression. So unlike her unruly niece, he thought with a flash of irritation. “Where is your niece? Has she gotten over the seasickness?”
“Sofia?” she said absently. “Oh, yes. She’s feeling chipper this morning. So much so that she’s taking her morning jog.”
He should have known she wouldn’t stay down for long. James turned his attention to his dad. “How are you feeling, Dad? No more stomach pain?”
“Not yet,” Daniel said, giving James a meaningful look. “I plan on taking it easy today. I’m sticking to a light breakfast and then I think I’ll play some bridge. What are your plans for today?”
James shrugged. “I haven’t planned anything yet.”
“Good. Sofia has her heart set on the eleven o’clock swing dance class that I had promised to join her in. I don’t want to disappoint her, but since my ulcer acted up last night, I don’t dare indulge in dancing until I feel much better.” His wise blue eyes zeroed in on James as he gave him a persuasive smile. “I was wondering if you’d step in for me.”
“Me?” James asked, making an effort to sound civil.
“Yes. I’d like you to be Sofia’s dance partner,” Daniel announced.
That was what James had been afraid of. “Can’t she find something else to do?” He was well aware his tone had turned sharp, but wasn’t that just like Dad, to want to please his young fiancee at all costs? “After all, she is your guest and you have to take care of your health.”
“That’s not the point.” Daniel shook his head at James as if he thought his son was dense. “This is the first cruise the little one has ever been on and I want her to be happy. You don’t know how much she loves to dance. And she’s good at it, too,” he said, chuckling indulgently.
That was precisely the problem, James thought bitterly. His dad would always have a penchant for putting the royal “little one” first and catering to her every whim—until she wiped his bank account clean. If he’d had his doubts late last night about his plan to seduce Sofia, they were wiped out by his dad’s naive statement. Too bad James had lost sleep over his new venture. The sooner Dad was rid of the pampered little one, the better.
“Fine. I’ll do it,” he said abruptly before turning his attention to Lucita. “Do you play bridge, too?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve played bridge for years at the country club,” she said.
“Great,” James said. “Then you won’t mind being Dad’s bridge partner?”
“Since when have you become my social secretary, James?” demanded Daniel before Lucita could respond.
Lucita smiled at Daniel with the warmth and self-confidence of a mature woman. “I’d be delighted if you’ll have me as your partner.”
“I’d be honored,” Daniel graciously replied.
Good; that would keep Dad and the nice old lady out of his hair so he could concentrate on wooing Sofia. “Then it’s settled,” James said in vast relief. “You and Lucita will play bridge while I play dancing partner to ‘the little one.’”
“James …” Daniel’s tone held a note of admonition.
James turned to the approaching waiter, intent on feeding the sudden wolfish appetite inside his gut. “I’ll have orange juice, black coffee, a mushroom-and-cheddar omelet, skillet potatoes, and whole-wheat toast. Oh, and bring me a small fruit plate as well. I’m going to need all my strength to dance with the little …” He paused when he caught Daniel’s raised-eyebrow look. “Chita Rivera,” he finished, opting not to rile his dad unnecessarily.
“You’d better be nice to her, James,” Daniel warned.
“I will, Dad. You can count on it,” he said with wicked relish.
From a distance, Sofia watched James stroll into the ballroom in khakis and a short-sleeved cotton print shirt. His penetrating gaze surveyed the room until he found her. Daniel had already warned her that James was to be her dance partner, but she was startled when her pulse quickened at the mere sight of his imposing good looks. Suddenly she wasn’t sure she was up to dancing with him, but it was too late to change her mind, since he was heading straight at her.
When he approached her side, he leaned over and kissed her cheek, surprising her with the casual gesture. “Hey, good morning. You look good, considering what you went through last night.”
Heat crept up from her neck to redden her cheeks as she blushed against her will. “Don’t remind me of last night. I’d rather forget about it,” she muttered, taken aback by the affable way he regarded her. It was a dramatic change from his earlier bulldog demeanor.
The corners of his firm mouth kicked up slowly and revealed strong white teeth. She stared in
awe at the transformation of his face. He had a charming, almost boyish grin. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that James’s stern face could metamorphose into something so … so utterly appealing. But it had, and she could only stare at him, mouth agape in astonishment.
There was no denying the nice way he was looking at her, as if he was anxious to make amends for last night. Maybe he had a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde personality, she thought nervously. Or maybe Daniel had read his son the riot act this morning about being rude to her.
Coming to her senses as she thought of Daniel and Lucita, Sofia snapped her gawking mouth shut and reminded herself that James was the killjoy standing between the older couple’s happiness. He had to be using his courtroom tactics on her, she decided wryly. James thought he could conquer her by grinning at her with such aplomb that she’d forget what he was about when all he really wanted was for her to sign the prenuptial agreement. That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
She would string him along and not sign until Lucita and Daniel were safely married. From what Lucita had said, the captain planned on marrying them at the end of the week. Even though it wasn’t really a long time, it seemed like an eternity to have to fib just to keep James from ruining their plans.
There was one little problem, though. His disarming grin had wiped out her short-term memory and she couldn’t seem to remember what he’d just said, or what she had, for that matter!
“Um, what did you say?” she asked, her gaze inexorably drawn to his.
“I didn’t. You were saying how awful last night was for you.”
“Oh. Well, I feel much better now. The motion sickness pill you gave me helped a lot. I took another one this morning. I hope you don’t mind that I kept the bottle. You didn’t need it, did you?” She flashed a bright smile.
“You can wipe the sassy grin off your face.” His mouth curled up at one corner in dry amusement. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t get seasick. My secretary bought it for me and stuck it in my briefcase before I left.”
