Her Tycoon Lover

by Sandra Field

  ‘Naturally, of course,’ he confirmed mockingly. The lift arrived and they stepped inside. ‘Which floor?’

  ‘The top.’ As she had known she wouldn’t have a garden, she had settled for a view.

  The doors closed and they began the nearly silent ascent.

  Gray’s lips twitched. ‘How do you resist calling it the penthouse? I would have thought it would add to your mystique.’

  She rolled her eyes heavenwards. ‘I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your notice that there are only six floors, Gray. To call the top the penthouse would make me look ridiculous.’

  He didn’t allow her to get away with that. ‘So, what do you call it?’

  Shelby frowned and shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. She didn’t want to tell him, for she knew in her bones he would laugh and call it pretentious. ‘Who says I call it anything?’

  ‘Because I know the way you think. To your father it’s the top right apartment, but to the clients you want to impress you’d call it something much more upmarket,’ Gray eyed her consideringly. ‘It would have to be something arty. Something like…pied-à-terre.’

  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as he hit the nail squarely on the head. ‘You knew. Dad told you!’ she exclaimed, unwilling to believe he would think of it himself.

  As ever, he found her vastly entertaining, and laughed. ‘Not a bit of it. I had a lucky guess. But you’ve disappointed me, Red. I didn’t imagine you would be so predictable.’

  For an instant Shelby would dearly have loved to give him a predictable thump on his big head! Fortunately for him, she wasn’t given to physical violence. ‘My clients like it. That’s all that counts.’

  ‘Aren’t you afraid for your immortal soul?’ he asked dryly and, goaded, Shelby snapped.

  ‘I’ll hit you in a minute!’

  Gray laughed even more heartily. ‘Now that sounds more like the Shelby I know. You never used to go in for all this pretentious nonsense.’

  ‘True, but then I wasn’t trying to earn a living,’ she told him caustically, wondering how she was ever going to get through the next few days with her sanity intact.

  The lift arrived at the top and deposited them on to the landing. There were three doors leading off the small area. Two were clearly to apartments, the other was the fire escape. Gray examined it carefully, then nodded, satisfied.

  ‘Who lives opposite and below you?’ he wanted to know next, and Shelby quickly got herself together.

  ‘Opposite are a married couple in their thirties. They both have high-powered jobs. I don’t see much of them. Tim lives below me, but he’s abroad for the next few months. You’re parking in his space. Why?’

  Gray didn’t look too happy with what she told him. ‘That leaves you pretty much isolated up here. Let’s go inside so I can have a quick look around.’

  Shelby reached into her bag for her keys, feeling ever so slightly on edge. She had felt perfectly safe up until he started shaking his head at what he saw. OK, she still didn’t believe anything was going to happen, but he was certainly putting the wind up her. Opening the door to apartment 6A, she would have walked in, except that Gray quickly caught her arm and held her back.

  ‘I’ll go first, to be on the safe side.’

  Jittery or not, so far as Shelby was concerned that was going too far. ‘Oh, come on. There’s nobody in there,’ she protested, and drew a cool look from her companion.

  ‘You’d better start thinking defensively, or you’re asking for trouble,’ Gray advised sternly and walked past her, dropping his bag just inside the hallway before switching on the light.

  No doubt to have both hands free to deal with whatever came his way. Shelby thought irritably. Trust him to talk about her being pretentious, when he was acting like some comic book hero.

  She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and when she turned round again all thought of intruders—real or imagined—vanished. Shelby found she had an unobstructed view of Gray striding away from her and, quick as a flash, her mouth went dry as a wave of heat swept over her. The cause of this rush of longing was totally unaware that, with his leather bomber jacket resting on his hips, she had the perfect view of his long legs and extremely sexy physique. His walk had an animal quality about it, and it made her decidedly weak at the knees.

  Oh, boy, she thought as he disappeared into her lounge, and groaned helplessly. She couldn’t recall ever being turned on so quickly, and he hadn’t even touched her. Yet she had known for years that Gray had that certain something which no other man had. Just being near him was enough to set her pulse racing. Out of necessity she had become adept at hiding her reaction, but the situation she found herself in was far beyond the norm. She was going to have to be on her guard not to let anything slip.

  Shelby was bracing herself to walk forward when Gray reappeared in the hallway as if he had been magicked there. Whereupon Shelby was struck by another pulse of awareness. She hadn’t felt it so keenly at her father’s house, but now they were alone in her apartment it was another matter. The instinctual female side of her was vitally aware of the pure maleness of him. He exuded a particularly potent brand of sexuality that struck a chord, and her whole body thrummed in reply. She pulled a face as she acknowledged that functioning naturally might be a problem.

  Gray’s expression, however, was stony. ‘I told you to stay outside.’

  Shelby tensed immediately, not caring for his tone. ‘I heard you, but this is my home and you can’t order me around in it.’

  Unimpressed, he took a step closer. ‘I give the orders here, and you will do what I say when I say. Is that clear?’

  Anger surged inside her, and Shelby instinctively took a step back. ‘You can’t browbeat me. I’m not scared of you, Gray Compton!’ she raged, and his lip curled.

  ‘Trust you to get things backwards. It’s the man out there you should be afraid of and, until you get that through your thick head, I’m going to be doing my best to keep you safe in spite of yourself!’ he growled back and stooped to pick up his bag.

  When he straightened up they were virtually nose to nose. Quick as a flash, Shelby found her heart was suddenly going at a gallop, and almost groaned. Get a grip, you idiot, she thought, taking herself firmly to task. You don’t want him to see how strongly you’re still attracted to him.

  Meeting his gaze, she noted there was a glint in his eye which she didn’t like the look of. ‘By the way, if you’re still hungry, try looking in the kitchen. I’m not on the menu tonight,’ he drawled mockingly, and her heart lurched as she realised she hadn’t acted swiftly enough. He had seen far too much.

  ‘I wouldn’t want you even if you were,’ she denied at once, only to find herself being observed in sardonic amusement.

  ‘That’s not the message your eyes were sending out a minute ago. You still want me.’

  The very fact that she knew it was true meant she had no option but to fight a rearguard action. ‘Why would I do anything so puerile?’

  He shrugged. ‘Probably because I’m the one who got away. That’s not supposed to happen. You have to put the record straight.’

  Appalled that he could think she would have to have him solely to salve her pride, Shelby hastened to deny it. ‘You’re out of your mind!’

  His lips twitched, revealing his hidden amusement. ‘Shame. I was toying with the idea of maybe letting you catch me this time,’ he said as he turned away. ‘Do you have a security system?’

  Stunned into silence by his offhand remark, Shelby followed him as he retraced his steps, switching on more lights as he went. ‘What do you mean, you might let me catch you?’ she charged, finding her voice at last.

  ‘It was just a thought. I’d have to decide whether the joys of sharing a bed with you would be worth all the aggravation of dealing with you out of it before I made up my mind,’ he enlarged mockingly.

  That was a red rag of the largest kind. Of all the…! She was beside herself. How dared he assume she’d simply fall int
o his arms. ‘Oh, you would, would you? Well, let me tell you something, Gray. It isn’t up to you. If I caught you I’d throw you right back! Do you know why?’

  He tipped his head as he looked at her. ‘I’m sure you’re about to tell me.’

  ‘Because, after what you did, I could never trust you again. You lied to me, and you used me,’ she declared fervently, feeling the pain of betrayal even as she spoke, and he smiled grimly.

  ‘I regretted having to do it, but it was necessary,’ he countered tersely and she laughed harshly.

  ‘Is that an apology?’

  Blue eyes searched hers. ‘Would it make a difference if it was?’ he asked and her chin went up.

  ‘No,’ she said with cutting finality, and saw a muscle tense in his jaw for a moment before he sighed heavily.

  ‘You speak with absolute certainty, yet it doesn’t appear to have stopped you wanting me,’ he reminded her, bringing a faint wash of colour to her cheeks.

  As he knew already, there was no point in denying it. ‘Obviously not, but I’m not about to give in to temptation. However attractively packaged.’

  That had him shaking his head. ‘So it’s a case of looking but not touching, is it?’ he asked mockingly. ‘Think you can keep to the rules?’

  A cruel smile curved her lips. ‘Oh, yes. All I have to do is think back to that night, and there’s no problem. So dream on. I’m not for sale at any price!’

  Gray smiled back. ‘Everyone has their price, Red. I’ll just have to find yours. If I decide I want to take the matter further, that is. For the moment just try and keep your mind on the matter at hand. You can dream about me later. Now, let’s get back to the security system. Do you have one?’

  It irked her no end that he had to have the last word. But there was no real harm done. So what if he knew she was still physically attracted to him despite everything that had happened? It wasn’t the end of the world. He didn’t know she loved him, and that was how it had to stay. Taking a steadying breath, she concentrated her mind on what he had asked her.

  ‘Security system? Yes, there is one, but I never use it. The man on the desk is supposed to stop unwanted guests,’ she told him, and Gray stared at her incredulously.

  ‘Mercy, but you’re not safe to be let out without a keeper! Do you have any sense of self-preservation? Uninvited guests don’t arrive by the front door. From tomorrow you start using it,’ he decided for her.

  She didn’t see the point, but no doubt he’d be reporting to her father and he’d blow his top, which wasn’t what she wanted, so Shelby took a deep breath and nodded. ‘All right, but I wish to goodness you’d stop barking orders at me. Don’t you know you catch more flies with honey?’

  ‘Your point being?’

  ‘You could try asking me instead of telling me. After all, I’m only doing this for Dad, not because I take it seriously.’

  Gray folded his arms and observed her thoughtfully. ‘I can’t make up my mind if you’re being wilfully stupid or you really are that naive. What will make you take it seriously?’

  ‘Nothing you could possibly say. The value of your word has been seriously devalued by your actions,’ she told him with a belligerent lift of her chin.

  Anger and something else she couldn’t name flashed in his eyes and he gritted his teeth. ‘OK, Red, I’ve said it before and this is the last time I’ll repeat it. After that, all bets are off. This is what we do. We compromise. Until this proves to be the damp squib you insist it is, we play the game my way. Agreed?’

  ‘And if I don’t?’

  His smile was grim. ‘You won’t be leaving this apartment any time soon. It’s up to you.’

  Knowing he would do it too, Shelby eyed him scathingly. ‘So, you’d add kidnapping to the list of your crimes, would you? It doesn’t surprise me. I know the lengths you’ll go to for Dad.’

  Blue eyes flashed dangerously. ‘You know nothing, Red. Maybe I have a vested interest in keeping you alive.’

  She shrugged indifferently. ‘Course you do. You want to keep your job!’

  Gray muttered something dire under his breath. ‘If you want to find out how far you can push me, sweetheart, keep this up,’ he threatened darkly and, having got the result she wanted, Shelby subsided.

  ‘I had no idea you were so touchy,’ she murmured, dropping down on to the nearest couch. ‘Well, this wasn’t how I planned to spend the evening.’

  ‘Sorry if I’m cramping your style, but it brings me to my next point,’ Gray responded as he walked to the windows and closed the curtains. Turning to face her, he folded his arms across his chest. ‘I was going to suggest you tell your current boyfriend not to come calling for the duration. You can do without for a few days, can’t you?’ he enquired with less than subtle irony, and Shelby tensed instantly.

  She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Was he really asking what she thought he was? ‘What exactly can I do without?’ she demanded to know in a voice icy enough to do serious damage to brass monkeys.

  He had the nerve to quirk an eyebrow at her. ‘I was referring to male company in general. Look at it this way. A couple of days abstinence could do wonders for your love life.’

  Shelby closed her eyes and counted to ten. ‘For your information, there’s nothing wrong with my love life,’ she told him through gritted teeth and he grinned.

  ‘I’m happy for you. Truly,’ he returned sardonically, and she very nearly threw something at him. ‘So, can you put the boyfriend off?’

  She stared him squarely in the eye. ‘You know, two can play at this game. How’s your love life, Gray? Can you do without female company for a few days?’

  His response was to wince dramatically. ‘Ouch, I think I hit a sore spot. Something tells me you’re between men right now.’

  She shot to her feet in righteous wrath. ‘And you’re dicing with death!’

  Gray rocked back on his heels, blue eyes gleaming mockingly. ‘It never takes long to get that volatile temper of yours to ignite, does it?’ he said, and Shelby balled her hands into fists at her sides.

  ‘Not where you’re concerned, no,’ she agreed snappily. ‘I think you delight in doing it.’

  ‘You’ve discovered my secret,’ he confirmed lazily. ‘It always fascinated me to see what happened when I lit the blue touch-paper.’

  This time she raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Maybe you should remember the warning advises you to retire immediately.’

  ‘Oh, I’ve fantasised about that many a night,’ he revealed huskily, holding her gaze, and a wave of heat surged through her. Suddenly the air between them was charged with electricity and her wayward senses couldn’t help responding. This was how it had been that other time, when she had fallen for his charming brand of lies. He had made her believe he was really interested in her and, because she had wanted it to be true, she had plunged headlong. Now, as then, she could no more be indifferent to him than she could stop breathing. Yet she wasn’t about to fall under his spell, no matter how much she still wanted him, for she was wise to the games he played. With Gray, nothing was as it seemed.

  ‘I don’t wish to know that!’ she said with a shudder.

  ‘Have you never fantasised about me?’ he went on, amusement dancing in his eyes.

  ‘I might have once, but now it would give me bad dreams!’ she declared, and he smiled wryly.

  ‘God forbid that dreams of me should give you nightmares!’ Gray exclaimed mockingly, walking over to the sideboard and leaning against it. ‘I must be losing my touch.’

  ‘Not really. I know what you’re capable of. There’s no length you wouldn’t go to.’

  ‘To keep you from harm I’d even walk through fire,’ he confirmed, and her heart contracted, for she knew it was his loyalty to her father that drove him, not any finer feeling for herself.

  ‘I doubt even Dad would expect that of you,’ she retorted scornfully. ‘So you’re saved.’

  ‘Actually, Red, I expect it of myself,’ he countered a
tad sharply, then pushed himself to his feet, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers. ‘Getting back to where we were, I was serious about putting off the boyfriend. Can you do that?’ He was all business again, and that tiny moment of exasperation was forgotten.

  Shelby wished she didn’t have to answer. She could see his point. A boyfriend entering into the equation could make things awkward. It was just that her answer was going to make him even more obnoxious. Not that she had a choice.

  Squaring her shoulders, she admitted the truth. ‘Actually, I’m not seeing anyone just now.’

  Which response brought a flash of amusement. ‘That must have been hard to say,’ he commiserated. ‘That’s one problem solved.’

  She could have let it go at that but she didn’t. ‘How about you? Can you forgo a few days of slavish devotion?’

  His smile took on a rakish edge. ‘Just so happens, sweetheart, that I’m in the same boat you are. Nobody to miss me. Nobody to share those special little moments with.’

  Shelby’s heart was pleased to hear it, which just proved how besotted she was. Aloud, she made a scoffing noise. ‘My heart bleeds for you.’

  ‘Careful, Red. Your claws are showing,’ he retorted. ‘Well, now we’ve settled the major issues, perhaps you’ll show me to my room? By the way, I like the décor. Did you do it yourself?’

  Shelby was torn between wanting to black his eye for him and feeling a sense of pride that he liked her work. She had spent a lot of time on it. The main room had a sitting area and separate dining area. She had decorated each differently, yet so that they complemented each other. ‘Every last brushstroke. Are you surprised?’

  One eyebrow quirked. ‘That you could do something useful with your life? Not at all. I always knew you had it in you,’ he answered dryly and she ground her teeth.

  ‘How come every compliment you utter ends up as an insult?’ she asked aggrievedly.

  He sent her a lopsided grin. ‘Takes practice, Red. Plenty of practice.’

  Shelby sniffed. ‘Well, you can stop practising. Trust me on this. You’re good enough already,’ she told him with heavy irony. If he got any better, he’d probably reduce her to tears. Glancing his way, she found him watching her and her brows rose.