by Leanne Banks
“We’ll see,” he said with a sliver of doubt in his voice.
“What do you mean? Are they in trouble?” she asked.
“They’ve asked me to invest both my money and my expertise, but the collective board votes on final decisions.”
She watched him studying the house and staff. “Does that mean you wouldn’t get to rule?” she asked and shook her head. “Good luck to them.”
He chuckled. “We’ll see. At least I’m here.”
“I should have known this involved business,” she muttered, wondering why she felt let down. Why should she care that Michael was motivated by business for the evening? Sure, it was Valentine’s Day and many other couples might view it as a romantic affair, but she shouldn’t.
“You sound disappointed,” he said, searching her face.
Embarrassed that he’d read her so easily, she shook her head. “There’s still dessert,” she said, forcing a smile.
A balding man approached Michael at that moment, earning her a reprieve. “Mr. Medici, I’m Clarence Kiddlow. We spoke on the phone. I’m glad you decided to attend. We’re the hottest ticket in town tonight,” the man said proudly.
Michael nodded. “Mr. Kiddlow, this is my date, Bella St. Clair.”
Clarence extended his hand. “My pleasure to meet you.” He waved toward a server. “Have some wine,” he said. “We’re starting with a white from Virginia of all places. But it’s very smooth.” He turned to Michael after he’d tasted the wine. “What do you think?”
“Bella is the white-wine drinker. What do you think?”
Surprised he’d deferred to her, she nodded. “Very nice, thank you.”
The server then poured her a full glass.
“I’d like to show you around and tell you about some of our plans,” Clarence said. “I think you’ll find them interesting.”
“Thank you,” Michael said. “Later, perhaps. Bella and I would like to look around on our own first.”
Surprise crossed Clarence’s face, but he acquiesced. “Of course. Tell me when you’re ready.”
Bella felt surprise of her own as Michael ushered her away. “I thought you were here to investigate the possibility of working with The Essex House.”
“I didn’t come for a sales presentation,” he said, impatience flitting across his face. “I’m not an idiot. Given the choice between Clarence’s company and yours, which do you think I would choose?”
Bella blinked and fought a rush of pleasure. “I don’t know what to say. The mighty Michael Medici just paid me a compliment.”
“Don’t let it go to your head,” he said and led her through a crowded hallway. He nodded in the direction of a room to the left. “I think I’ve spotted what you’re looking for.”
“A delicious dessert, but I wonder, Michael, what are you looking for?” she couldn’t resist asking.
He turned back to her, giving her a second and third glance. “I have everything I need and more. If I want something else, I find a way to get it. You should know that.”
Her stomach dipped at the expression on his face. “I suppose I should, but I was speaking of dessert.”
He smiled. “I’ll enjoy watching you have yours. Come on,” he said and tugged her into the room. The throng around the serving table made it difficult to get close. “Wait here,” he said and positioned her in a corner. “I’ll get it for you.”
She watched him walk away and wondered how he managed to part the crowd with such ease. It was as if they knew they should defer to him. Bella wondered if his tough upbringing had instilled him with that quality. She couldn’t deny that he fascinated her. She wanted to know more about him. She wasn’t in love with him and never would be, but she cared about him far more than she’d planned. She wasn’t sure how that had happened.
A moment later, Michael appeared, carrying a plateful of the most decadent dessert Bella had even seen in her life. She looked at him and the chocolate and wondered if he had any idea how much he had in common with that treat. Decadent and forbidden, both could cause a woman to pay for indulging.
He approached her and lifted a spoonful to her lips. “Tell me what you think of it,” he said.
Nine
A ccepting the dare in his gaze, but telling herself it wasn’t at all significant, Bella opened her mouth and slowly savored a bite of the decadent dessert. “Now, that is good,” she said, reaching for the spoon. “Really good.”
Michael playfully pulled the spoon from her reach. “Not so fast.”
She met his gaze and scowled at him. “No teasing allowed.”
“That’s the pot calling the kettle black. You’re a walking tease.”
She fought his flattery. After all, it wasn’t necessary given their arrangement. “Hand over the chocolate and no one will get hurt,” she threatened.
He chuckled and lifted the spoon to her mouth again. She took it, but a familiar face shot into view. The chocolate stuck in her throat as she stared into her ex-fiancé’s eyes.
“Bella?” Stephen said, clearly shocked to see her at such an event. His new fiancée came into Bella’s view and the two wound through the crowd.
Her stomach gave a vicious turn.
“Bella, what are you doing here?” Stephen asked, then looked at Michael and gave a double take. “Michael Medici,” he said.
Britney smiled broadly. “Michael, it’s great to see you again. We met a couple years ago at the heart disease charity dinner.”
Michael nodded and glanced at Stephen. “And this is?”
“Stephen, my fiancé.” She giggled. “We’ve set the date for our wedding in August. We would love for you to come. You know my father thinks so highly of you.”
“Send him my best,” Michael said. “How do you know Bella?”
“I could ask the same,” Stephen said, glancing from the chocolate dessert in Michael’s hand to Bella.
Bella felt a rush of self-consciousness. “Stephen and I met in college.”
“Ah,” Michael said and turned to Steven. “Bella and I met through business.”
“Really?” Stephen said. “Bella and business?”
“I’ve been working with my aunt in her spa.”
“Oh, I thought she had some problems…” Stephen said, faltering under Michael’s hard gaze.
“She did, but the business is now booming,” Michael said. “Best wishes on your marriage. Don’t let us keep you from the event.” His dismissive tone quickly sent the couple on their way.
“Thank you very much,” Britney said.
As soon as they left, Michael turned to Bella. “What’s the real story about Stephen?”
She swallowed over the bitterness in the back of her throat. “Water over the bridge, under the dam, whatever. Old news. I wonder what the next kind of wine will be,” she said, skirting his gaze. “Let’s go—”
Michael caught her hand. “Bella, I have excellent instincts and my instincts tell me you’re holding out on me.”
“Well, it’s not the best kind of story for this venue. Can we please just shelve this and enjoy the rest of the evening?” she asked.
“The question is can you shelve it?”
“Since this is probably the only time I’ll be at The Essex House, I’m going to give it a damn good try,” she said.
A sliver of approval shot through his dark eyes. “Okay. Let’s see about that wine.”
Michael successfully kept Bella away from Britney and Stephen. It wasn’t difficult. The Essex House was packed. He noticed men taking long glances at Bella throughout the evening. He also noticed that Bella didn’t notice. She was too busy taking in her surroundings, reading the biographies of the ancestors who’d built and occupied the house.
She sipped wine and sampled little bites of the desserts, but her whole demeanor seemed muted since their interaction with Stephen. Again, he wondered about the two of them. He knew they’d been lovers and the knowledge made him burn with surprising jealousy. Michael had never thought of h
imself as the possessive type. He couldn’t recall any other woman who’d inspired the hot coal of jealousy in his gut.
Why should he care about her romantic history now? He knew she was attracted to him. She couldn’t fake the sensual response she gave him in bed. She was his for now, for as long as he wanted her. That was the bargain.
Suddenly, the way he’d persuaded her to accept her attraction to him made him feel vaguely dissatisfied. Given the choice, she would have denied herself and him. From the beginning, though, he’d known they should be together until the passion between them became less intense, until it burned away.
He watched her cover a yawn. “Ready to go?”
She gave a wry smile. “I guess the day is catching up with me. Maybe you should go see the man who greeted us. He’s going to be disappointed if he doesn’t get a chance to talk with you further tonight.”
“He’s a big boy. He’ll get over it.”
“But you came for business purposes. Don’t you want to talk with him?”
“Not tonight. I’ll page the chauffeur to pick us up. It won’t take but a moment.” He ushered her toward the front door and they collected her wrap.
The limo appeared just as they walked down the front steps. Once inside, she leaned her head against the back of the seat, closed her eyes and sighed. He pulled an ice-cold bottle of water from the ice bucket, lifted her hand and wrapped her fingers around the bottle.
She opened her eyes and blinked, then smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You want to tell me about you and Stephen now?” he asked. “You turned as white as a sheet when he showed up.”
“I could remind you that you wouldn’t tell me what was bothering you that night you were sitting in the dark by the fire,” she said.
“You could, but it wouldn’t be wise,” he said.
“So, you’re allowed to have your touchy subject, but I’m not allowed to have mine?” she countered. “You don’t have to discuss yours. I don’t have to discuss mine.”
Frustration stabbed at him. He wasn’t accustomed to being pushed back with such nonchalance. “You could have fainted. I should have had a heads-up so I could take care of you.”
“We have an arrangement, remember? You don’t need to take care of me. You can’t do anything about this anyway. No one can.”
The despondence on her face ripped at him. “How do you know I can’t do anything about it?”
Her eyes turned shiny with unshed tears. “Stephen and I were going to be married. He fell in love with someone else and now he’s going to marry her.” Her voice broke. “See? What could anyone do about that.”
Michael stared at her, feeling a sick, sinking sensation in his gut. His reaction surprised him. “You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”
She closed her eyes and he watched as one telltale tear traveled down her cheek.
It shouldn’t bother him. Their relationship was primarily physical. He avoided emotional scenes like the plague. The fact, however, that the woman who’d shared his bed for the last few weeks was in love with another man bothered the hell out of him.
He lifted his hand to her face and rubbed his finger over her wet cheek. He looked into her sad eyes. “He chose unwisely. Britney will drive him up a tree with that shrill voice of hers.”
Her lips twitched with a flash of humor then she closed her eyes again releasing another tear. Filled with a crazy combination of emotions, he pulled her into his arms. “If he gave you up, then he’s not worthy of you.”
She took a shaky breath as if she were trying to compose herself. “Easy to say. My heart says something different.”
“What does your heart say?”
She lifted her gaze to his. “He was the one.”
He felt as if she’d stabbed him in the gut. His pride quickly rose in defense. “If he was the one, if you were in love with him, why did you agree to an affair with me?”
She looked away. “I’d already messed up my chance for my future, and I’d let down my aunt by not being here when she was so ill. If I agreed to your bargain, I could at least make things right for Charlotte.”
“And desire had nothing to do with it,” he said in disbelief. “You hated every minute you spent in my bed.”
She bit her lip. “I didn’t say that.” She lifted her gaze reluctantly. “I can’t deny there’s a strong passion between you and me, but I knew it wasn’t love.”
He’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted. Her passion with no emotional complications. Why was it suddenly not enough?
Michael didn’t sleep with her that night or the next. Bella wondered if he’d changed his mind about her. About them. If he didn’t want her anymore. She felt a strange combination of relief and emptiness at his absence.
His passion had been so consuming she found it hard to breathe, let alone think. Without him, she was left with her own thoughts and feelings. Her own loss.
Running from her pain, she worked overtime at the spa to keep herself busy. She went in early and left late wondering if Michael would abandon his support of the spa since his interest in her had waned. He, too, left the house early and didn’t return until late. After the fourth night of this routine, she decided to sleep at her apartment instead of his house. Perhaps he wouldn’t notice. Perhaps she would be able to sleep better if she wasn’t in the same house.
At ten o’clock, a knock sounded at her door. Startled, she muted the basketball game she’d been half watching and ran to her door to look through the peephole. Her heart dipped. Michael stood outside, and even from this microview of him, she could see his impatience.
She opened the door.
“Why are you here?” he asked and strode inside, closing the door behind him.
“Um, well I’ve been working late at the spa and you’ve been working late, so I just thought I would sleep here tonight.”
His gaze felt like a laser trained on her. “Is that all?”
She cleared her throat, finding his scrutiny nearly unbearable. “Well, we haven’t really—” She swallowed.
He lifted an eyebrow. “Really what?”
“Um. Talked.”
“You were very upset after the incident at The Essex House. I thought I should give you some time.”
Surprised at his consideration, she stared. “Oh. That was thoughtful.”
He shot her a wry half smile. “You sound shocked,” he said, then waved his hand when she opened her mouth to respond. “No need to defend yourself. Mind if I stay awhile?”
Surprise after surprise. “Uh, no. Would you like something to drink? I don’t have much,” she quickly added.
“Beer?” he asked as he pulled off his leather jacket and sat down.
“Sorry, no. Water, juice and soda.”
“Water’s good.” He looked at the TV. “You’re watching the Hawks. How are they doing?”
Bella pulled two bottles of water from the refrigerator and put a bag of popcorn in the microwave. “You tell me.”
“Up by five. Not bad. I didn’t know you were a fan.”
The microwave dinged and she poured the popcorn into a bowl. “I have a new appreciation for Atlanta sports. I missed them when I was out of the country.”
He nodded. “Ever seen them live?”
She shook her head as she joined him on the sofa.
“I’ll have to take you sometime,” he said.
She almost asked why, but managed to stop herself. This was a different side of Michael, one she’d glimpsed before that first night together when the two of them had shared casual conversation and she hadn’t known what a workaholic he was. So much had happened since that night that it now seemed ages ago.
They ate popcorn and watched the game. When it was over, Michael turned off the TV and met her gaze.
A familiar, but forbidden ripple of anticipation curled in her belly. She’d seen that look in his eyes often enough to know what happened next. He would take her to bed and for a short time make her f
orget everything but the passion they shared.
Leaning closer and closer until his mouth took hers, he kissed her with a lover’s knowledge of what pleased her. Her body grew warm under his caress. She wanted closer. She wanted more.
He deepened the kiss and she felt herself sinking, drinking in his taste and scent, feeling the ripple of the muscles of his arms beneath her fingertips. Her body buzzed with want.
He pulled away. She felt the tension inside him. Reluctance and need emanated from him. His eyes glinted with passion. “I had a good time. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and rose.
Bella watched in shock as he pulled on his jacket. Her knees still weak from the promise of his passion, she stiffened them and stood. “Tomorrow?” she echoed.
“Yeah, I’ll call you. Lock the door behind me. Okay?”
She mutely nodded and watched him walk away. What was going on?
Michael called her the following day, but he didn’t ask to see her. More confused than ever, she stayed late again at the Spa.
“You should leave,” her aunt said. “You’ve been working too hard lately.”
“No, I haven’t,” Bella said. “Business is booming and I’m here to make sure you don’t work too hard.”
“Well, you can only do inventory so many times before you wear the labels off the products.” Charlotte narrowed her eyes as she studied her. “I haven’t seen Michael the last few days.”
Determined not to squirm beneath her aunt’s scrutiny, Bella wandered to the front desk and unnecessarily tidied it. “He’s very busy. You know he’s always got a deal going.”
“Hmm,” Charlotte said and moved closer. “Are you still seeing each other?”
“Sure, I saw him last night. He came over and watched the basketball game,” Bella said.
“Hmm,” Charlotte said again. “There’s something you’re not telling me. Something’s not right.”
“Everything is fine,” Bella insisted. “Everything is great. My wonderful aunt is thriving and even dating. The spa is doing great. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
“And maybe if you keep saying it, you’ll believe it yourself,” Charlotte said and took Bella’s hand. “I’m worried about you. You’ve sacrificed your professional plans for me.”
