by Dawn Ryder
Of course, her billing address was attached to the card.
“If you want to give me the slip, better learn to cover your tracks, Celeste.”
His words rose from her memory and sent a chill down her spine. She felt cornered but there was still that undeniable twinge of appreciation for his skill.
“I think that’s a tad bit…illegal.”
He stared straight at her, his stance unwavering. She ended up choking on a laugh.
“You’ve got no shame, Nartan Lupan.”
“Not a scrap,” he confirmed. “I left it behind when I went to Alaska. Along with those who laughed at us. I’m successful because I go after what I want and don’t take much time worrying about what other people think of my methods.”
In a single sentence, he’d changed the mood back to one that had her shifting away from the overwhelming stimulus he radiated. He was aggressive, but it was attractive.
“Admit it. You enjoy knowing I tracked you down.”
Maybe…
Oh, who the hell was she kidding?
The air-conditioning flipped on and Celeste reached over and pushed the back door shut out of habit, grateful to have something to focus on beside her unexpected guest. She flipped the lock and tapped in her security code while still on autopilot.
When she turned around, Nartan was watching her with a frown on his face. “Sorry, guess I shouldn’t have locked you in. Habit.”
“I noticed.” He contemplated her for another long moment. “You don’t have a cleaning service because you’re restricting access.”
She didn’t care for the way he had switched over to all-business mode. His razor-sharp gaze swept across her small kitchen, pausing on the decorative iron over every window. The key was still dangling from a bungee cord around her wrist.
“You’re drawing conclusions without evidence.”
His gaze narrowed before sweeping the kitchen again.
“You must have only a third of your available resources tied up in this place.” He turned and looked out the kitchen window at the tiny backyard and the neighboring unit rising above the fence. “Privacy is very limited.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
He returned his attention to her, and she found herself staring at the side of his personality that had helped him build the lodge out of a gold strike. There was directness in his gaze and a sense of focus she couldn’t help but admire, as much as she wanted to hide from it.
He opened his arms and gripped the edge of her kitchen counter. She got the feeling that he was holding himself back, and her belly twisted with anticipation.
“You ran.”
Two little words had never sounded so incriminating. She stiffened, determined to maintain her composure.
“You were clearly finished,” she countered but flinched at how sharp the words were.
He slowly shook his head. A flicker of need in his eyes sent her body into meltdown.
“Nowhere near finished. Neither of us were. I was an idiot for taking the call.” He stepped away from the counter, sending a shiver down her spine. “I might even admit that it’s a habit to keep from having to deal with messy good-byes. But I am not finished with you.”
Sometime during his speech, she’d forgotten to breathe. She felt like she was poised in the open doorway of an airplane, trying to decide if she really wanted to jump and trust the fragile fabric of her parachute.
“Well, I’m finished.” There would be no jumping for her.
He slowly shook his head. “Not by a long shot.”
She backed up, the heat in his voice scalding her. Even with the air conditioner pumping cool air into the room, she felt overheated and trapped inside her clothing. “I’m not interested.”
“Yes, you are,” he shot back.
That was an argument she wasn’t going to win, so she switched tactics. “Is your ego really so inflated that you can’t deal with the fact that I left before you decided you were ready for me to go?”
He drew in a stiff breath. “That thought crossed my mind.”
“Good.” Except she was disappointed. There was a ring of truth in his tone that snagged her attention.
“Which is why I’m here.” He extended his hand, palm up, the invitation clear.
Celeste looked at it and shook her head. “What do you think showing up here is going to prove?”
“Maybe the same thing you’re worried it will—that walking away isn’t going to be easy for either of us. That there was more to what happened than either of us wants to admit. Maybe I am jaded enough to admit I keep my sex life casual, but I think there was more to the spark between us. At least, that’s what’s driving me insane enough to swallow my pride. Question is, are you going to let it slip away because you’re too busy avoiding the issue of trusting a man?”
She stiffened, her fingers itching to take his challenge. “It might have just been the moment…” Maybe it had just been the wine and the Alaskan air that made him seem so devastating.
“That’s what I want to find out…” He extended his hand a little further toward her.
Tempting.
So tempting.
She extended her hand and laid it on top of his. His skin was warm and smoother than she’d recalled. He didn’t close his hand around hers. Instead, he drew his fingers over the top of her hand in a slow stroke that made her knees go weak. His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned in a purely sexual way. She remembered the look, felt like it was seared into her memory.
In fact, she was sure her face mirrored his.
Nartan smiled in victory.
He stepped back and leaned against the kitchen counter once more, looking like the effort cost him a lot.
“Have dinner with me,” he said.
Her composure was cracking, threatening to desert her in a shower of broken glass at any second. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“You’re selling us both short, Celeste. I want the chance to make my argument.”
She liked hearing that. There was no way to deny it. It seeped into the cracks in her shell. “Last time I was at Angelino’s, there was no shortage of attractive women clustered around you.”
“None of them give me the same charge I get when I touch you.” He challenged her with a hard look. “At least I’m honest enough to admit it.”
“Only because you want me to throw caution to the wind,” she answered. “You’re daring me.”
He shrugged and replaced his shades. “True but you didn’t strike me as a woman who’d let fear paralyze her. Maybe I misjudged you.” He pulled a business card from his wallet and placed it on the kitchen counter. “If you don’t burn this one, maybe you could let me know before five.”
He reached over and punched in the code to her security system and it chirped. Her eyes widened with horror at just how keen his sight was. He touched his fingers to his lips in a silent kiss before disappearing onto her back patio. She caught a glimpse of him as he passed the side of her townhome, and heard the side gate open and close.
She cut through the house and peeked out the front door as he slid behind the wheel of a recently polished Jeep with the top down. The sun glistened off his black hair, and he grinned as he grasped the gear shift and put it into drive.
Her mouth went dry as she watched him disappear down the short cul-de-sac she lived on. That Jeep was sexier than any sports car. It fit the image she had of him, one supported by the memory of him in that low crouch, halfway down a rock incline in Alaska. Strong, hands on. Competent. She closed the door and found herself caught in a vivid memory of the way he’d stroked her clit.
He was arrogant, but his attitude left her craving more.
And he had a point. A very valid one that stung more than she’d realized it would.
She was letting herself be paralyzed.
> Caspian shouldn’t be able to do that to her.
She wasn’t sure when she’d stopped getting back to doing what she wanted. But the hard truth was that Sabra had been her sole friend for the past few years. Sure, there were business functions and mild flirtations that she’d never allowed to grow into anything more.
She stopped in the kitchen and stared at the personal card he’d left.
To be dealt with…
Nartan had a more…direct way of asking.
Well, he wasn’t the only one who enjoyed a challenge.
And sometimes, it was a case of now or never.
***
He had things to do.
Lots of important matters that would increase his profit margin. But Nartan found himself waiting for his cell phone to buzz.
More to the point, he was waiting for it to buzz with a message from Celeste. The little piece of technology lit up and buzzed, but he sent the incoming calls to his voice mail. He was only interested in hearing from one person.
He hit the interstate at seventy-five, but the wind in his face wasn’t strong enough to carry away the delicate scent of her skin. His cock twitched, hardening as he recalled just how green her eyes were.
He’d wanted to know if a week would make a difference, and he had that answer now. It had made a difference.
She was worming her way even deeper beneath his skin.
It was both a balm and an irritant, leaving him poised on the edge. He didn’t want to admit how infatuated he was with her.
He took the cutoff toward the ocean. The air became thick with the scent of water and salt. In the distance, he could see the glitter of the sunlight on the water. Inside his pocket, his phone vibrated and he dug it out in defiance of the law. A surge of primal enjoyment went through him when he found a text message from her.
Touché. I have been hiding. What time do you want to connect?
Chapter 5
I’ll drive myself.
Celeste waited for a reply. It didn’t take long.
Making sure you have an escape plan?
She glared at the screen of her smartphone but didn’t hesitate when she punched in yes. If he didn’t like her terms, too bad.
One step at a time, she added.
Wear jeans, was his response.
Nartan’s Italian restaurant was located on the Southern California coastline, overlooking a stretch of the beach. It was definitely not the place for jeans. She felt odd getting into her car wearing denim, even if she’d dug out her best pair of jeans.
Caspian had demanded designer dresses at all times.
Fuck Caspian.
That made her smile, so she mouthed the words a second time as she smoothed a hand over her thigh.
Denim was perfect.
She headed toward Malibu. The freeway became crowded and expensive cars were more common as she neared the coastline. Drivers talked on their cell phones in spite of the hands-free law, watching the road through designer shades. Angelino’s boasted a clientele that enjoyed the best. Sunset was still an hour away when she pulled up in front of the posh establishment. A valet jogged around the hood of her Corvette and pulled open the door for her. She gave him a five and a sweet smile.
“No scratches.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered before sliding behind the wheel with a grin.
“Somehow, I never pictured you driving a cherry-red Corvette.”
Nartan appeared from one of the elegantly landscaped areas off to the right of the main entrance. He wasn’t wearing the suit she normally associated with his five-star establishment. Instead, he had on a pair of jeans and a button-down, brushed-denim shirt. He was shaking his head.
“I’m divorced, not dead.”
His lips split into a grin as his gaze swept her from top to bottom. “Nice choice.”
“You said jeans.” Hers were forest green, and she had on a flowing, goddess-type tunic in a soft ivory that complemented her fair skin. She hadn’t realized how turn-of-the-century it looked until she was facing Nartan. With his long hair and bronzed skin, it was hard to remember just what year it was.
“We tried the dinner-table thing, so I thought we might try something a little less private to begin with.”
He offered her his hand. Reaching for him took more effort than she anticipated. But the moment her fingers connected with his, he pulled her against him, slipping his arm around her back and clasping her hip. The grip sent a ripple of excitement through her pelvis.
Damn. Hard and primal and instantaneous.
“Less private?” Her voice had turned husky, her heart hammering away inside her chest. Every inch of him was enticing. She flattened her hands against his chest, unable to resist the temptation to touch what had been filling her dreams.
His breath teased her jawline before he pressed a soft kiss over the same spot. “Trust me, half a dozen of my employees are peeking out the windows at us.”
“What?” She arched back, but he held her at the waist.
“One kiss,” he demanded, one of his hands beginning a smooth slide up her back to press her more tightly against him.
“Is that a ransom demand?”
He’d reached the center of her back and pressed her forward so that her breasts yielded to the hard planes of his chest.
“Yes,” he breathed through his teeth. “I think it is.”
He was forceful and demanding, which pressed a button inside her that sent her core into meltdown. Nothing mattered except the surge of anticipation lifting her up toward his kiss. The phantom memory that had kept her company in her dreams wasn’t enough anymore.
But she pressed one finger against his lips to stop him from taking what he wanted.
“If it’s a demand, then you have to wait for me to give it to you.”
There was something about teasing him, making him wait on her whim, that sent a charge through her. His eyes darkened, dilating as she stood her ground and refused to bend. He bit her finger gently and she pulled it back.
“I’m waiting…”
She tapped the center of his chest. “That’s half the fun.”
He didn’t agree. His expression tightened as she sent him a challenging look and pushed against his chest. It was both triumph and torment when his arms opened, because moving away from him left a dull ache between her thighs.
But the surge of control was enough to make her smile.
“Bitch,” he accused softly.
“Arrogant,” she countered.
He laughed and offered her his hand again. “Only because you make me crazy.”
“Right. Like I believe you don’t enjoy all the benefits of being rich.”
“Financially solvent,” he corrected briskly. “A rich man has a loving family who stays with him no matter how few possessions he owns. I’m not rich.”
His words surprised her. He was dead serious, and for just a moment, she felt like she had gotten a glimpse at his unguarded personal feelings. He covered the opening quickly, closing his hand around hers and leading her along the side of the restaurant. It was already filling up, the staff uncorking expensive bottles of wine as people prepared to enjoy Saturday night with a view of the sunset over the ocean.
A soft nicker reached her ears. They turned around the edge of the building and stepped onto a perfectly manicured lawn. A pair of Appaloosa horses stood there with two grooms holding their bridles. One swished its tail and tossed its head when it spied Nartan.
“Ever been on a horse?” he asked as he released her hand and stroked the horse’s neck. The animal nuzzled him, earning a chuckle from Nartan.
“Sure. Caspian—” She shut her mouth. “Yes, I see why you told me no dress tonight.”
Nartan’s eyes narrowed just a touch before he gestured her forward. “I grew up with horses. My grandf
ather bred these two and the two he brought up to Alaska for the wedding.”
“It must cost you a fortune to keep them here.” But the animals were majestic. White with brown spots and light-colored manes. They watched her with large, dark eyes.
He shrugged, enjoyment clear in his eyes. “What’s the point of being financially solvent if I can’t have the lifestyle I enjoy?”
“That’s very true,” she muttered as a memory rose up from her past. She tried to cover her lapse by running her hand over the horse’s mane.
“Your ex had a taste for expensive art.” Nartan refused to let her shut him out.
She set her teeth into her lip and considered avoiding the topic. Oh well, might as well air some of the dirty laundry. Maybe she could finally put it behind her.
“He enjoyed possessions he could arrange into collections for his friends to view and be impressed by,” she answered. “I was just another one of those.”
She shot him a hard look. Nartan stared back at her for a long minute before he pointed at the stirrup. She lifted her foot and slipped it in before gripping the saddle. Nartan helped boost her up and she swung her leg over the back of the animal. It snorted softly as it adjusted to her weight.
Nartan took the opportunity to stroke her from hip to knee before withdrawing his hand with a naughty grin.
He mounted the second horse, and the groom tossed the reins up to him. He turned the animal around with a confidence that was undeniable. She had to think about how to keep her knees pressed in and her weight slightly forward, but Nartan did it with a natural ease that spoke of a long history with riding.
He started down a path that wove through the scrub brush on its way to the shoreline. Angelino’s was above them, but they soon left it behind and the sound of the surf drowned out everything else. Nartan didn’t stop until they reached the sand. He looked back at her before easing his command on the reins. His horse flung its head back and raced into the water.
Her horse snorted and let out a shrill sound as she pawed at the sand. Nartan turned around and watched to see what Celeste would do. She surrendered to the look of mischief in his eyes, and a moment later she was wet from ankle to hip.
