by Jenna Chase
“That’s usually the case with the women I date,” he laughed, “that and an interest in my money.”
“You do surprise me. You really ought to be keeping better company.”
“I’m trying, but all that my current woman is interested in is getting me to buy her ice cream.”
He expected her to explode. She didn't even take the bait. Here in the park, on neutral ground, she was different. She’d begun teasing him and he liked it. He’d have to suggest they do this again tomorrow.
“Tevis Drummond, firstly, I am not your ‘current woman’ and secondly, I’m only warming you up. I also have an expensive taste for well-made milkshakes.”
He noticed when she smiled, small dimples appeared at the corner of her mouth.
“What flavour?” He wanted to know everything about her.
“Strawberry.” She took another lick of her ice cream.
Tevis watched her in fascination. How could she make it look so damned sexy, the way her tongue dove into the cone trying to get the last little bit? What he wouldn’t give for her to treat his body the same way.
“Frothy, with ice cream floating in it?”
“How did you guess?” Claire sounded surprised.
“Just lucky,” he grinned.
“What’s your favourite flavour?”
“I haven’t had a milkshake since I was a small child.”
She stared at him in mock horror. “You were deprived!”
“Definitely,” he agreed. “How about remedying it tomorrow? We could get away early and find the ultimate milkshake.” He held his breath. For most of his life, people had done whatever he wanted. He’d never be able to guarantee it with Claire.
She brushed him off. “Not possible, my Dad makes that.”
Tevis wasn’t about to give up. “Okay, what about second best?”
“That might do. I insist you line them up and try each flavour.”
“Deal, it’s a date.” He held out his hand to her and waited to see what she would do.
“Tevis Drummond, that was sneaky and manipulative,” she said firmly but grinned as she held out her hand to him. “Agreed, it’s a date… but I hope you throw up!”
They continued walking for a while in silence. Tevis finally broke it.
“We came out to discuss my family and I haven’t told you anything yet.”
“You don’t have to tell me much, only enough to get through tonight. They won’t expect me to know everything, we’ve only just met.”
“They’ll expect you to know what gets reported in the press.”
“I have zero knowledge,” she grinned at him. “I don’t read gossip. You could be a serial murderer and I wouldn’t have a clue.”
“Damn, you’ve guessed my secret,” he laughed. “No seriously, Claire, you must know something about me?”
“I hate to disillusion you, but you are not that interesting. I’d never heard of you until yesterday.”
He held his hand to his heart. “Ouch! Claire, that hurt.”
“Tell me what I need to know,” she laughed.
“I’m a womaniser, loaded, and a bastard.”
“Correct, that’s easy enough to guess.”
“Seriously, I am a bastard.”
“So you’re saying you’re not a womaniser or loaded?”
He gave a dramatic sigh. "Woman, I’m trying to prep you for tonight.”
She grinned at him. In that moment he wished he could keep her like that forever; free and easy with him and happy in his company. He took her hand and she didn’t try to pull away. “Let’s find a bench and sit and talk. I want you prepared.”
From the bench they selected beneath the trees they could watch people going by. No one took any notice of them, other than the squirrel searching for food around their feet. He stretched his arm out along the back of the bench. Not touching Claire, but it still felt good.
“My mother gave me up when I was born. I wasn’t adopted. My father is my genetic father, but my mother didn’t want to be burdened by a child so early in her career. It was an accidental pregnancy and she and my father came to an arrangement. He kept me. She went on to be a famous soprano, world famous. No one knows she has a son.”
“Did it hurt, knowing she didn’t want you?”
He smiled at her. “No, my father loves me and so does Emma, my stepmother. My mother lost out, I didn’t.”
“So, Boyd is your half brother?”
“Yes. Emma married my father over a year after I was born. She’s the love of my father’s life. I think you’ll like her.”
“Okay, that’s all I need to know. I won’t step on any toes.”
“How about you? Anything I ought to know.”
Claire stood up. The spell was broken, the teasing gone. Her face closed up and her smile fixed.
“My father is alive. I have a stepmother and five-year-old half brother. We all love each other.” The words came out stilted and it appeared there would be no elaboration.
“What about your mother?”
“She’s dead. That’s all you need to know.” She held her hand up to stop him as he tried to speak. “Don’t ask for more. I’m not going to tell you. I think it’s time we went back.”
She walked away before he’d even had a chance to stand. He realised from the expression on her face that whatever the history was about her mother, it had cut a path through Claire’s heart.
Chapter Three
CLAIRE
The dress hugged the curves of her body and swept down into flowing skirts. The hem brushed her ankles as she walked in the three-inch heels which matched the dress to perfection. Christine was a wonder. She’d not only managed to get her the perfect dress overnight, she’d arranged for a hairdresser and makeup artist to come to the house to give her a complete make-over.
When she looked in the mirror there stood a Claire she almost didn’t recognise. And thank goodness she didn’t look the image of her mother as she feared. Having dark hair rather than blond, and a curvier body helped.
She walked through from the dressing room as Tevis walked out of the bathroom, his hair still wet from the shower.
“Gorgeous.” He tucked his towel firmly around his hips as he studied her.
Oh, my.
Tevis in just a towel was almost as bad as Tevis naked. She wanted to walk up to him and unwrap the present beneath. She lifted her gaze from the towel, travelled up his firm muscled chest, and finally stopped at those hazel-flecked sexy eyes. The laughter lines around them deepened as his grin widened.
“I suppose I ought to get dressed. Do you want to come and help me?” His voice was teasing but the invitation was clear.
If she did, there was a danger she’d end up naked because every nerve ending in her body was responding to that look he was giving her. The one that said, ‘I want to fuck you.’
She rejected the invitation. “No, I’ll wait in here.”
It was safer staying away from him. Not that she’d had much chance. Even when she’d distanced herself from him after he asked about her mother, he hadn’t taken the hint and left her to her own devices. He’d been considerate and not asked any more questions, but he continued to chip away at her defences in other areas until they’d become comfortable with each other again.
Too comfortable.
She watched him go into the dressing room, unable to take her eyes off him. Just before the doors closed behind him, he whipped off the towel and flaunted his taut bare ass.
Nice.
If she hadn’t had her makeup done, she would have licked her lips. If she wasn’t already dressed for the party, she might, just might, have broken down and followed him through to the dressing room.
God, this was worse than last night. Yesterday she’d fought against him because she was sure she knew his type. Arrogant, cocky, and confident of his ability to get any woman into his bed. She didn’t know why he’d chosen to chase her, but she'd fought him all the way based on those assumptions.
And I still begged him to fuck me.
Sexual attraction. It had to be. He had a body that held all the aces and he’d used every one on her.
But today? Today had been different.
He’d helped her relax.
He’d made her laugh.
He’d shared his secrets.
He hadn’t demanded that she share hers.
All these ‘nice guy’ things challenged every belief she’d had about him yesterday. And to make it worse, even though he’d manipulated her to stay with him for four days; she hadn’t once regretted her lost photography time.
He was getting under her skin in a way no man had ever done. And it was getting harder to fight the attraction. Difficult to resist his teasing offers to join him in bed.
Walking over to the window, she gazed out at the view below. The guests were due to arrive shortly, but waiting for Tevis gave Claire the opportunity to look at the buildings around them. This was an affluent area of London. Even on a warm summer evening, there were few people walking down the street. Occasionally an expensive car would exit from a property through remotely operated gateways. This was the lifestyle of the wealthy. Cosseted. Safe.
Tevis exited the dressing room while she was still by the window. She turned and smiled at the sound of his soft footsteps on the carpeted floor.
Deep breath, keep breathing.
Lord, he brushed up well. Wearing a white button down shirt with a three piece suit, he shouted elegant and expensive with capital E’s. Worse, they fit him to perfection, outlining that perfect body of his. If he got any closer she’d be unable to stop herself from flicking every one of those buttons undone.
He took another step forward.
Oh god, please stay back.
“I have something to finish that dress off,” he said softly.
Now his voice was seducing her.
“I don’t need anything else.” Her voice trembled. Why the hell couldn’t she control herself?
“It’s just a little something, perfume and some jewels,” he responded, as he pulled some small boxes from his pocket. “Christine picked them up for me.”
So that was what the secrecy had been about. If she’d known she’d have told him not to bother, there wasn’t any point. She was only there for a few days. He’d spent far too much on the clothes and she’d never be able to pay him back.
“You’ll be able to return them?” she queried.
Tevis laughed. “Not really, besides they are a small gift from me. I wanted to buy these for you.”
He took a small bottle from the box and removed the stopper to dab perfume on her wrists. The aroma of delicate flowers drifted around them. Claire quivered as he touched the stopper to her neck, all the time looking deep into her eyes.
“Beautiful.”
How could he put so much emotion into the way he spoke a single word? Warmth curled slowly down through her body. She tried desperately not to slip into the persona of lover. She couldn’t, mustn’t—even though every emotion running through her cried out for her to do it. They weren’t battling like last night, he was getting to her. This Tevis was intoxicating.
“What is it?” she asked, trying to break the mood. She loved the perfume but knew she would never be able to buy it.
“Clive Christian No. 1.”
“Expensive?”
“Claire, didn’t your parents teach you not to ask the price of a gift,” he laughed. “Let’s just say it’s exclusive.”
He focused on the other two boxes which were elegantly monogrammed ‘Cartier’.
“No!” Even Claire knew the name of the jeweller.
“Don’t even go there,” Tevis warned. “If you refuse these I’ll be deeply offended.”
Claire stared at him. There was no way she was keeping them, but she didn’t have to say it and start an argument. They’d come so far today and he’d made an effort on his part. She’d wear them but not tell him she’d be leaving them behind when she left.
“Okay.”
He looked at her suspiciously, as if he’d been expecting a fight, but continued to fix the diamond earrings on her ears. As he brushed her hair back from her face, he smiled and dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead.
For Claire, that kiss was anything but chaste. Deep inside she wanted him to continue placing little butterfly kisses down her neck. Disappointment flooded through her as he placed his hands on her shoulder to turn her round and fasten the catch of the delicate diamond necklace.
Elated, her body sang as his fingers stroked her skin and he finally dropped a kiss on her sensitive neck.
It was going to be a hell of a long party.
Claire already knew what the outcome of the evening was going to be.
She was going to ask Tevis to fuck her again.
Chapter Four
TEVIS
He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. When they’d entered the room Claire hadn’t complained when he slipped his hand round her waist. She'd moved closer, allowing him to slide his hand down to rest on her hip. He didn’t know if she was enjoying his touch or taking comfort from his support. When he parted from her it had been with reluctance, but he had to mingle with the guests.
From across the room, he watched as she took a small sip of wine, her tongue darting out to catch a drop of the liquid on her top lip. His cock twitched. It was taking all his willpower not to harden when around Claire, most of the time he failed. Here, in the middle of a crowded room of family and friends, he was in danger of acting like a damned teenager in heat. He didn’t know when his control had last been stretched to the limit by a woman. If ever.
Claire was charming everyone she met. Watching her, he felt a hit of jealousy for every person on the receiving end of her smile.
Fuck, he only had three more days. Seventy-two hours. He had to make every minute, every second, count. He’d never lost a prize yet and he wasn’t about to let it happen with Claire. It wasn’t only that he wanted her, and he did with a passion he’d never felt before, he needed her. Needed her in his life.
Instinctively he knew it wasn’t the life she wanted.
Somehow he had to convince her otherwise. Loss wasn’t something he was prepared to contemplate.
Putting his glass down on the tray of a passing waiter, he excused himself from the small group around him with a smile. Determinedly, he walked across the room to stand by Claire’s side, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her tight to him. She looked up and before she could say a word, he dropped a kiss on her lips.
Damn it, he knew he was marking his territory, but the way some of his friends were looking at her, he was doing it whether she liked it or not. Besides, he wanted to touch her again, feel her soft skin beneath his fingers.
“Tevis?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve left you alone for too long.”
“It wasn’t a problem, darling,” she responded with light laughter. “Roddy is keeping me entertained.” She waved her hand at his blond-haired, blue-eyed, cousin who was eyeing Claire as if she was forbidden candy he was about to steal. Which she was. Forbidden, that is. Claire was his.
He tilted his head at Roddy and narrowed his eyes. If he couldn’t read the message then he’d reinforce it later.
Roddy grinned back. He understood alright. After all, he was a Drummond. If he couldn’t read body language he shouldn’t be part of the business.
“I’ve fallen for this beautiful woman but she tells me she isn’t interested. I’m heartbroken.”
Roddy’s eyes didn’t leave Claire’s face, but she wasn’t watching Roddy, instead she looked up at him.
You fucking touch her and I’ll have you transferred. To Outer Mongolia if we have an office there. If not, I’ll create one just for you.
“I’m hoping she’s planning on staying with me,” Tevis responded, but his words were intended for Claire and not for Roddy.
She must realise she was playing with his mind and driving his body to distraction
.
“You know how important you are to me, Tevis.” She stood on tiptoe and pulled his head down. He would grovel on the floor for more than the tentative kiss she gave him. Her breath fanned his lips and he wished everyone in the room would disappear.
If the party had been for him he would have cancelled it and spent the evening alone with Claire. But it wasn’t, Boyd and Ellie were the star guests and this kiss from Claire was for their benefit and not his. Her acting was impeccable and for a moment he had a taste of what could be. Then it was gone.
“One day, you’ll find out how much you mean to me.” He hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, hadn’t wanted to rush.
Claire looked at him in confusion and then smiled again as Ellie joined them.
The intimacy was gone. Tomorrow, when they had time to themselves he would build it again. He wanted it back, wanted more of these moments with Claire.
He turned his attention to Ellie who appeared to be asking for something from Claire.
“Say you’ll do it…please!”
God, what had he missed? “Do what?” he asked.
“Take the wedding photos… weren’t you listening?” Ellie accused.
“No. I was thinking.”
“Then stop thinking and back me up. It would be perfect if Claire could take some photographs. She told Boyd she loved photography.”
“I thought you’d decided against it? That you wanted to protect yourself.”
“Claire would never sell them on. She’s family—one of us,” Ellie laughed.
Across the room, his father looked up. The old man didn’t miss much.
He felt Claire stiffen at his side. “I don’t have my equipment with me.”
“You have a camera with you,” he responded.
“I only have lenses for outdoors work, I’m afraid.” She was still trying to give him a way out.
“No, that’s perfect. The wedding is outdoors. You’ll do it for us?” Ellie looked at Claire expectantly.
He knew Claire was holding back because of him. Because the reason for her being here this weekend was all about the camera in her bag—that, and keeping Ellie’s whereabouts a secret. His actions had implied he didn’t trust her to keep that secret, and on Friday he didn’t. But now?
