Braden glanced at her. “Don’t say anything.”
Stunned, Zara nodded. What would she say?
Braden put his window down as the officer approached. “Evening, Officer.”
The trooper leaned down and looked into the car. “The roads are at a level two now, and they’re getting ready to up that to a three. Are you folks out because of an emergency?”
“No, sir. I’m giving my employee a ride home because I didn’t think it was safe for her to be out alone.”
The officer’s eyes scanned over Zara, and she offered a slight smile.
“How far away is her house?”
“Just right up the street,” Braden said, pointing. Zara had given him directions before they’d started out, and they were actually only a few houses away from hers.
“I suggest you plan on staying put once you drop her off. Any drivers caught out once the level three goes into effect will be ticketed,” the officer stated. “I’ll follow you to make sure you get there all right.”
The full impact of the trooper’s words hit Zara fast. Braden had to stay put? As in...stay the night? At her house? A ball of nerves quickly formed in her stomach. Her boss was spending the night? Her boss, whom she found utterly sexy and nearly irresistible, and there was already crackling sexual tension charging between them? Sure, this would be no problem at all.
“Thank you, Officer,” Braden replied “We appreciate that.”
Braden rolled his window up as the officer went back to his car. Silence filled the vehicle, and the weight of what was about to happen settled between them.
Zara risked a glance at Braden, but he didn’t seem affected one bit. He kept his eyes forward, occasionally checking his mirrors as he pulled right into her drive. The cop gave a honk as he passed on by. Braden maneuvered the SUV around the slight curve that led to the detached garage around back.
Once he parked and killed the engine, Zara couldn’t take the tension another second. She unfastened and turned to face him.
“I’m so sorry,” she started. “Had I known you’d have to stay, I wouldn’t have let you bring me home.”
Braden threw her a lopsided smile. “No reason to be sorry. I don’t mind spending the night with a beautiful woman.”
* * *
Braden was well aware of his power. Hell, everyone who’d ever heard the name O’Shea knew the authority this family possessed. They even had a few of the local cops and federal agents in their back pockets...which had kept them out of the proverbial hot water more than once.
But even Braden couldn’t have planned the timing of this snowstorm better, or the condition of the roads. Under different circumstances, he probably would’ve chanced driving back home regardless of the officer’s warning. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d gone against the law. But why would he want to leave? A forced stay at Zara’s home was the green light he’d been waiting for, and it had come so much sooner than he’d ever intended. No way in hell was he leaving now. Not when this sexual chemistry between them had skyrocketed since he’d held her in his arms.
As he pulled his vehicle up to the garage, the streetlights went out. He cursed under his breath as the entire street was plunged into black. “Looks like the power went.”
“Great,” Zara muttered. “I don’t have a generator. But I do have some heat that isn’t electric. I’ve only used those gas logs once in my bedroom, and I’ve never tried to light the ones in the living room. Guess I’ll have to figure it out in the dark.”
Braden didn’t know what got his blood pumping more: the fact he’d be able to fulfill his father’s dying request and search this house, or the fact he’d be all alone in the dark with his sexy new employee.
He pulled to a stop by her back door. “Stay there. I’ll come around to help you in.”
He didn’t wait for her to agree as he hopped out into the freezing temps to round the hood, using his phone to light a path. Even though he was still wearing his suit from the party, he’d thought ahead and changed from his dress shoes to his boots.
Jerking on the frozen handle, Braden opened the passenger door and took Zara’s gloved hand as he settled his arm around her waist. The second she slid down from her seat, her body fell flush against his—well, as flush as it could be with the layers between them. Zara tipped her face up to his. Snow drifted onto her long, dark lashes, framing those rich chocolate eyes. Her unpainted mouth practically begged for affection as flakes melted against pale pink skin.
Damn it. That punch of lust to the gut was going to get him in trouble if he wasn’t careful. He had a goal, and Zara was merely a stepping-stone. Harsh as that sounded, he had to remain fixed on the objective his late father had been adamant about—finding the family’s lost heirlooms. Braden was near positive they were hidden somewhere inside Zara’s house...a house that used to be in his family up until they lost everything in the Great Depression.
“You know, I can walk,” she laughed, holding up her heels. “I swapped shoes, so I’m good.”
“Maybe I’m holding on to you so I don’t go down,” he retorted as he closed the door behind her and locked his vehicle. “I’ll hold the light so you can get your keys out.”
He kept an arm around her as they made fresh tracks to her back door. The snow was already well past their ankles, and the fat flakes continued to fall.
Zara pulled a set of keys from her coat pocket and gestured him into the house ahead of her. Once inside, she turned to the keypad and attempted to reset the alarm. With a shrug, Zara said, “Habit to come in and enter my code. Guess that’s out, too.”
Braden ran his light over the room, noticing how spacious the kitchen was and the wide, arched doorway leading into the living area. More light would be nice, now that he was actually inside. Somewhere his father was laughing at the irony of Braden finally getting in...and not being able to see a damn thing. But a power outage wasn’t going to stop him from making use of this opportunity.
“Do you have flashlights and candles?” he asked, bringing his light back around but careful to keep it from shining in her eyes.
“I know where my candles are, but I’m not sure about the flashlights. I’ve only been here a few months. I haven’t actually unpacked everything, yet.” Zara removed her coat and hung it by the back door. “Let me hang your coat up since you’re staying.”
Braden removed his coat and started to hand it over when Zara reached out, her hand connecting with his cheek. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to punch you.”
Braden welcomed the impact, as her fist caused no damage but reminded him that he needed to focus. “I’m fine,” he stated as he maneuvered out of his coat while holding his light. “It’s hard to see, so I’d say we’ll be bumping into each other.”
Not that he was complaining about the prospect of randomly brushing against her. Braden actually welcomed the friction. So long as he kept his goal in the forefront of his mind, bumping into Zara was definitely not a hardship.
“I know I have a candle in here and one on the coffee table in the living room. The matches are in the drawer beside the sink.” She placed his coat on a hook beside hers. “I should try to figure out these gas logs in the living room first with the light of your phone.”
She eased past him, her feet shuffling along the floor. Braden held his light over to where she was heading. Pulling open a drawer, Zara grabbed a box of matches before coming back to him.
She started forward but stopped. “You better stay close so you don’t bump anything. I have several boxes in each room that are left from the move.”
Stay close? No problem at all. Braden slid his hand around the dip in her waist and gave her a light squeeze as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “How’s this?”
Beneath his touch, her body trembled. Just the reaction he’d wanted...except now he was on the verge of
trembling, too, because damn, she smelled so amazingly good and her silky hair tickled his lips. Wait, wasn’t he the one who was supposed to be seducing? She wasn’t even trying, and she nearly had him begging.
“Well, maybe not that close,” she murmured as she attempted to put distance between them.
He moved with her, keeping their contact light so as not to freak her out right off the bat. Let her get used to his touch, his nearness. He planned on getting a whole lot closer.
“You realize this isn’t a good idea?” she asked.
“Lighting the logs is the best idea. It’s going to get colder in here if the electricity doesn’t come back on.”
Her soft laugh filled the darkness. “You know what I mean. I work for you.”
“I’m aware of your position.” With his hand on her waist, Braden held his phone toward the living room. “I know we need to get heat in here, and if it’s not with the logs, then we’ll have to use a more...primal method.”
Zara slowly started forward. “Acting on any desire because of the circumstances is a bad, bad idea for both of us.”
“I’ve forgotten nothing, Zara.” He allowed his body to move with hers, making sure to stay close. “Why don’t we work on keeping warm and finding more sources of light? Then we can discuss the circumstances and what’s going on between us.”
Zara threw him a look over her shoulder. “We can settle this right now. I need this job and even if I was attracted to you—”
“Which you are.”
“If I was,” she countered in a louder tone to cut him off. “I wouldn’t risk sleeping with you and damaging our working relationship.”
He could barely make out her face in the darkness, and his light was facing ahead. But the way her body slightly leaned against his, the way she continued to tremble beneath his touch told him that her little speech was as much for her as it was for him. A slight obstacle but nothing he couldn’t handle.
At first he’d been all about searching her home, and he still was, but there was no reason a little seducing couldn’t come into play. He was an expert multitasker, and having Zara plus finding his family’s heirlooms would be the icing on the proverbial cake.
After a fun romp and hopefully discovering his family’s scrolls, Braden would be on his way, and she’d never even have to know his true intentions. Nobody would get hurt, and everything about this situation was legal. See? He did have a moral side, after all.
She could deny wanting him, but he was a master at lying and recognized that trait in others. So, let her think what she wanted...he knew the truth, and he’d completely use her attraction to his advantage.
“Fair enough,” he told her. “I’ll not mention it again.”
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t touch her or seduce her with his actions. The darkness provided the perfect setting for seduction, but it could make it a bit harder to snoop. Granted, the darkness could also provide him the cover he needed to look without being seen.
So, as far as he understood, the nine scrolls, which had been in his family since his ancestor transcribed them from Shakespeare himself, were last known to be in this house. The history ran deep with his Irish family, and the precious scrolls were lost in the chaos of the fall of the O’Sheas during the 1930s. The trunk that had been recovered from this home after the Depression had shown up empty, so it only made sense the scrolls were here...somewhere.
Decades had passed, and Braden’s family had attempted to purchase the property, but Zara’s family had owned it since the O’Sheas lost it and they were adamant about not being bought.
Several attempts were made by Braden’s father to purchase the place, but the efforts were always blocked. Eventually Patrick opted to go about things the illegal way. Ryker had even broken in a couple of times when Zara’s grandmother had been alive. The old lady had been sharp, and Ryker had been forced to dodge the cops, but they were still left empty-handed. Patrick O’Shea had even mentioned waiting until the elderly lady passed and trying again to purchase the property, but Patrick had passed before Zara’s grandmother.
So, Braden would get the job done himself. Failure was not an option, and buying the place wasn’t necessary at this point.
Would the scrolls be somewhere obvious? Doubtful, or someone would’ve found them by now, and if those scrolls had been found, they would’ve made headlines around the world. His ancestor, a monk, had transcribed original works, supposedly plays that never came to be.
Zara sank to her knees in front of the fireplace. “Shine that light a little closer.”
He did as requested, waiting while she fidgeted with getting the pilot light going.
“Need help?” he offered.
“Damn it.” She sat back on her heels and shook her head. “This one isn’t working. It was always causing Gram issues, but I’d assumed it was fixed. I know the unit in my bedroom works fine because I’ve used it.”
Braden shouldn’t delight in the fact her bedroom had gas heat and nowhere else in the house seemed to, but he was a guy, and, well, he couldn’t help himself.
“Then maybe we should find those flashlights and more candles and head upstairs.”
Zara threw him a look over her shoulder as she came to her feet and turned to fully face him. “Get that gleam out of your eye. I’m on to you.”
Not yet she wasn’t.
“What gleam?” he asked. “It’s dark, so how can you see anything?”
“Oh, I can see enough and this can’t get any more awkward than it already is.”
“I’m not feeling awkward at all.” He focused back on her eyes and offered a smile. “Are you?”
“Damn it, you know I am. Even if this—” she gestured between them “—wasn’t making me nervous, you’re my first overnight guest in this house.”
Surprised, Braden shifted. “You mean Shane—damn. None of my business.”
Zara crossed her arms over her chest. “After rescuing me tonight, I’d say this is your business. Shane never stayed here. We were dating when my grandmother passed, but he wasn’t there for me much during that time. That’s when I started reevaluating our relationship.”
A pity Braden couldn’t have gotten away with punching Shane in the face, but he hadn’t wanted to cause any more of a scene at his home during the party. This was his first appearance as head of the family; he needed to hold tight to that power, that control.
What man wasn’t there for his woman during a difficult time? Shane had always been a bit of a stuffed shirt, a man who probably polished his cuff links and didn’t even know how to pleasure a woman properly. Braden knew for damn sure when he got Zara into bed, he’d know exactly what to do to her, with her and for her.
Seduction hadn’t been a key factor in his grand scheme, but he wasn’t looking the gift horse in the mouth. He couldn’t deny the attraction, and why should he ignore such a strong pull?
“I don’t want to talk about Shane.” Zara maneuvered around him. “Let’s go find the flashlights. I suppose you’ll have to sleep in my room, but that is not an invitation to any other activity.”
“I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” He’d have her begging before the night was over. “You won’t have to worry about a thing.” Except that he’d be snooping through her house once she fell asleep, and he’d be stealing back what was rightfully his.
Braden shone his light toward the steps and watched her head up. Like a predator after his prey, he followed those swaying hips snug in that killer dress. If he were totally honest with himself, he’d admit that Zara had the upper hand here. Even though she had no idea why she’d been hired and why he was so eager to be in her home, she had completely taken him by surprise with her professionalism, her kick-ass attitude and her sliver of vulnerability. She’d worked his party with a smile on her face and a firm hand where her assistants were con
cerned, all the while trying to keep Shane silenced and take on the difficult situation herself.
He tamped down his frustration. No personal emotions were allowed to creep in on his plan. A fling was all he’d allow.
He was on a mission, and Zara was in the crosshairs.
Three
Zara stepped into her bedroom, even more aware of the crackling intimacy. The intense stare Braden had offered, the way his eyes had darted to her lips more than once...she wasn’t naive and she wasn’t afraid of the rumors of him being such a bad boy.
Although he’d felt very bad in a delicious way when he’d been dancing with her earlier.
However, she was fully aware that he was her boss and no matter how much she ached for him to make a move, she knew anything beyond a professional relationship would be a mistake. Besides, she couldn’t commit herself to anything other than a physical relationship with any man, so that definitely left Braden O’Shea out.
Zara suppressed a laugh as they stood just inside her bedroom. Yes, this was totally professional, especially since she had a stack of bras on her dresser she’d yet to put away. Thankfully he hadn’t shone the light there yet. At least the unpacked boxes were lining her walk-in closet, so that was helpful.
“My room is the only one with a king bed, but I can sleep on the chaise and you can have the bed.”
Her face flushed. Why had she said anything about a bed? Why talk about the elephant in the room? She’d been so worried about this situation becoming awkward, but she was the one making it worse. Clearly Braden wasn’t nervous. And why should he be? He was well aware of how jittery she was, which only proved he held the upper hand here.
“I just meant that you’re a big guy and you’d be more comfortable in my bed—er, a bigger bed.” Great, Zara. Keep babbling. When one foot goes in the mouth, throw the other one in, as well.
Trapped with the Tycoon Page 3
