Irresistible

by Shara Azod

Oh God, what had he done? He’d only planned on monopolizing Delilah’s time; his only goal was to turn David’s attention elsewhere, and only because David’s mother had begged him. The very last thing he’d expected was to end up in bed with Delilah.

  This was not exactly the kind of establishment he frequented. Although he knew down to the bottom of his soul Delilah didn’t sleep with her customers, this club was little more than a modern-day bordello. Against everything he was, everything he believed, he had taken her right here and enjoyed every second of it. He had no regrets, though he knew he should. The only thing off was a tingling in the back of his mind that he had forgotten something, something essential. His body and mind were too sated, swimming in more gratification than he’d ever felt. Or perhaps the truth was he had never really been satisfied before. Whatever it was, his brain was foggy, not allowing him to think straight just yet.

  “Get. The. Fuck. Off. Me.”

  Edward blinked down at the woman beneath him. Get off her? Was she kidding?

  Although he had come harder than he’d ever done before, he was still rock hard and aching for her. Her vaginal walls were still holding on to his dick so tight he could feel then pulsating around him. No matter how angry she might have been, she still wanted him; at least her body did. Outside of this place, in his normal life, Edward would’ve apologized profusely and gotten off of her immediately. But that was all before he’d met her. That world seemed far away now, like a dream he’d walked through, never touching anyone or anything.

  Stretching over her, he leaned down until they were nose to nose. He flexed his hips, causing his erection to thrust deeper inside her. He watched her eyes widen, capturing the soft groan in a kiss.

  “Are you sure you want me to stop, Delilah?”

  Two more thrusts were followed by a roll of his hips. As he expected, she moved with him, opening herself to him.

  “You want me to get the fuck off you, baby? You want me to stop?” Edward didn’t know who this man was, this lover of Delilah’s. She made him primitive, his base self. There was no stopping the deep, methodical thrusts.

  “Answer me, Delilah. Do you want me to stop?” Had she said yes, he would have, no matter how much he wanted to do otherwise.

  But she didn’t.

  “No, please.” It was barely a moan, but it would do. “Faster, harder, Eddie, please.”

  It was unimaginable to do anything less than comply. Gathering her close, he moved faster.

  “Fuck, baby, you feel so good. Move with me just like that. Give it all to me, Delilah.”

  Her nails dug into him as she arched against him, doing exactly as he ordered.

  “Oh God, I’m coming! Please, please don’t stop!” Her teeth nipped his ear and tugged as her cunt spasmed around him. “Yes, Eddie! Gawd, yes!” She clamped down on him a little too snuggly. With a roar he followed right behind her, pumping his seed deep inside her. It was heaven, it was so right. Without thought Edward rolled over, taking Delilah with him. All he was thinking was he didn’t want to break the connection between them, at least not yet.

  “I promise to stop seeing David if you swear to never come back here again.” That was the last thing he expected to hear. She knew who he was; he should’ve suspected that before now. What was worse, she knew why he was here.

  “Delilah—” What the hell could he say” He was sorry? He wasn’t. “I want to see you again, I need to see you again, and I will see you again.” It was as simple a statement as he could make it. This would be happening again and again as long as he drew breath. Never had he felt so alive, so human. It wasn’t a fluke; there was a real, tangible connection between them.

  “I’m not a whore, no matter what you may think.” To her credit, she didn’t try to get up or move away. Her body was relaxed, half sprawled on his.

  Edward just didn’t like the sound of her voice. She sounded defeated, and that pissed him off. He wasn’t angry at her—he was angry for her. And this was his fault.

  Shit, he hadn’t meant to do this, to break her down.

  “I know you’re not.” He really did, but there was very little he could say to get her to believe it.

  She snorted, rolling on her side to face away from him. “You have two hours left.

  Would you like that massage now, sugar?”

  That again—a way to push him away, as if he’d gotten close in a way that left her vulnerable. And he had, he supposed. What had happened between them had been real, not some sordid backroom fuck, certainly not a transaction of any kind. He needed to make sure she understood that. His brain kick-started, running a mile a second.

  “This will stay between us. That is to say, it wasn’t business—I know that.” Well that was a good way to bungle it. He sounded guilty as hell.

  Delilah let out a laugh lacking any real mirth. “You worried about the bill, sugar?

  Too late for that. This particular room is wired for sight and sound. Your credit card has already been charged. Twice.”

  Edward sat up slowly, a strange sense of calm settling over him. She was hurt, badly. Whatever it was, this went deeper than his fuckup tonight. He probably couldn’t fix it. Not right away, anyway, but he could make damn sure it didn’t go any deeper.

  “Get dressed.”

  Climbing to his feet, he gathered his clothes and began dressing himself. Casting a look over his shoulder, he noted Delilah hadn’t moved. There was a single tear trailing down her cheek. It tore him up inside, worse than he’d thought possible.

  “Delilah, get dressed.” He needed to get her out of here. “Now.” She moved slowly, methodically like a robot, slowly making her way to what he guessed was a restroom. Running water confirmed that guess. She returned a little while later, dressed in the barely concealing costume. That wasn’t going to do.

  “Where are your real clothes?”

  She looked up, confused. Good. He didn’t need her questioning just yet. “In the locker room. Why?”

  “We’re going to get them.”

  There were privileges to being a Prichard. Surprisingly, one of them was to walk into a stripper’s locker room with a dazed dancer—no, former dancer—on his arm. He waited while she changed, refusing to look away. No one said a word. As soon as she gathered her things, he guided her back out into a dark hallway.

  “How did you get to work?” If she drove, her car would have to stay here.

  She was incredibly vulnerable right now, in shock over what had transpired.

  Edward knew he had a very small window of time to get her out of here without her fighting him on it. His name wouldn’t do him a bit of good then.

  “I got a ride—my car needs some work.”

  Good. That was excellent. She allowed him to escort her to his car and bundle her inside. She wasn’t coming back here if he could help it. And he could. It was all too tempting to have the damn place razed and burnt to ash.

  “There’s something you should probably know, Eddie.” Delilah was now sounding detached, as if she had no part in their little drama. “I’m not on the pill. It’s a deterrent from ever doing anything stupid—like I did tonight—and you, Professor Prichard, didn’t wear a condom.”

  Chapter Four

  Delilah had no idea where she was. She cracked open one eye, trying to survey her surroundings without moving. The last thing she wanted was to let him know she was awake. All that was clearly visible was an antique-looking chair sitting next to what she guessed were floor-to-ceiling windows, due to the heavy brocade curtains that reached as far. They happened to be drawn shut so she couldn’t make out a thing outside, but it certainly didn’t sound as if they were in the city anymore. Of course, this could be the Garden District, or some other part of town she had no reason to ever be in. David had mentioned his uncle had a place there, but then his uncle had more than one home.

  As hard as she tried to recall details from the night before, she couldn’t really see anything in her mind’s eye. After the initial euphoria wore o
ff, everything seemed to be moving in a haze. It had shocked her, allowing herself to get swept up like she had. The moment she’d come to her senses and seen those gray eyes staring down at her had crystallized every mistake, ever misstep she had ever made in her life. She clearly saw the path that had led to her working as a stripper, employed by two buffoons who wanted to bring back the days of the infamous Storyville.

  Delilah had fallen apart. There was some money saved, but not a lot. To move away now and start over would be pushing the very limits of her savings. Her only hope was that management didn’t know what had happened in the club last night. The room she’d used was one of the few without hidden cameras, unlike what she’d told Edward. If either Bull or Red, the owners of that and several other clubs, found out what she’d done, there would be no turning back for her. They would force her to turn tricks now, and Bull especially wouldn’t take no for an answer. She was fucked, and all because—well, she really didn’t have any idea why she’d allowed herself to get swept up with David’s uncle. The lie she’d told herself last night didn’t bear up in the cold light of day. The music made her do it her ass.

  Sure she’d been pissed about Edward showing up at the club as if he had no idea who she was. He could’ve just come out with the real reason why he was there. He may have run the risk of her laughing in his face, but he had money and power, while she had none. A man in his position had a hell of a lot more options than she’d ever had.

  Instead of using some more upfront way to stop his nephew from spending his precious trust fund on a stripper, he’d come in as if he were an average customer. Why, she still couldn’t figure it out. Maybe it was to see what kind of woman David was spending so much time with. Maybe it was to affirm his own suspicions. She’d been pissed, understandably so, but that didn’t really explain sleeping with him.

  Maybe in some perverse way she’d wanted to confirm his worst suspicions about her. It was twisted as hell, but for the life of her Delilah couldn’t think of any other excuse. Sure, she’d been attracted to him, there weren’t may red blooded women who wouldn’t be. Edward Prichard didn’t look like the average silver spoon academic. He was taller than most, much like his nephew. However, whereas David was gangly and more than a little awkward, Edward was all filled out. Whipcord lean and hard with well-defined muscles, the older man moved with the confidence of a man who knew his place in the world—on the top. His gray eyes were damn near hypnotic, especially because his gaze was direct and unflinching. The light eyes were accompanied by light blond hair, worn longish without being the least bit feminine. With a face that looked almost cruel in its beauty, Edward was the ideal man in every way.

  Delilah was no spring chicken. Life had taught her the hard way not to fall for a fine body, a handsome face, or a big wallet. Edward may be magnetic, but he was trouble. The man was so far beyond a normal hot guy it wasn’t even funny. She had no experience dealing with men like him; they weren’t the kind who frequented her place of employment.

  Why had he brought her here? Better yet, where was here? What did this man really want with her? Bringing her to God knows where couldn’t be his way of keeping her away from his nephew, could it? Oh, right, then there was the condom thing. She could kick herself a thousand times for telling him that, no matter how true it was.

  “Good

  morning.”

  Delilah jumped, completely forgetting she was supposed to be faking still being asleep. Why did his voice have to be so sexy? The Prichards weren’t original Louisiana stock, having moved here after The Purchase of 1803, quickly marrying into the French elite. Edward had that lazy, French/Southern accent unique to Louisiana and some small parts of Eastern Texas. A native herself, Delilah never learned to be immune to a man who could use that languid drawl. The deep, seductive sound of a man born and bred in Louisiana could be a dangerous weapon.

  “I should be going home.” The sentence sounded odd to her own ears, but she didn’t have a clue what else to say. She certainly didn’t want to look in his direction.

  Having just woken up, her face free of her war paint, there was very little to hide behind. There was no way she could stand up to his raw, sensual beauty right now.

  “You must be hungry.”

  There was movement behind her, and the mattress sprang up where he’d been lying. Delilah held her breath, hoping he’d leave the room so she could search for a bathroom. She needed to get herself together. The last thing she wanted to think about was how cold she felt after he got out of the bed. It was like her body craved his heat.

  Oh God, she had to get out of here. She waited, listening to the movements he made around the room. It was hard to discern what he was doing, and she refused to look.

  For a second she thought he was gone when she heard the distinct sound of a door opening. Unfortunately, she could hear soft footsteps approaching the bed not long after.

  “Here, this will do until we get something for you to wear.” Unbelievably, the man stood next to her stark raving naked, holding out a thick terry cloth robe. She really shouldn’t have opened her eyes. In the dark club last night Edward had been devastatingly handsome. This morning he looked like hard, lean, muscled sin.

  “Are you going to put something on?”

  Something flickered in his eyes, not really anger, not annoyance, not desire. It was more along the lines of determination. Determination to do what? He’d unwittingly forced her to come to a crossroads she knew she would have to face one day, but was trying to avoid. There was no question she’d have to find another line of work, and soon. The thought of being forced to have sex with the pathetic customers that stumble into a strip club turned her stomach. Sleeping with this man should’ve done the same. Why was it that even now, just looking at him made her stomach quiver? Why couldn’t she look away from those stormy eyes?

  Edward turned, finally releasing her from his captive direct gaze. The power one look had over her was disturbing on so many levels. Delilah had worked as a dancer off and on for the majority of eleven years; she was a professional, so to speak. Never, ever had she ever allowed herself to be attracted to a customer—not since she was a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old newbie. A dancer learned quickly, customers didn’t see you as

  “a woman,” not really. You were a fantasy for them, a plaything. Twice she had found out the hard way her so-called boyfriends were very married, once she had gotten caught up with a dangerous wannabe gangster who was as free with his fists as he was with his money, and once an especially smooth customer turned out to be a pimp.

  Never again, she’d promised herself.

  With Edward, she had flown past attraction and plunged headfirst into captivation. And he hadn’t done a thing to lure her. One look and Delilah felt more exposed than standing in the middle of a bunch of drunk clubgoers in full costume. Yet she still wanted to give in. She wanted to get swept away in him. Everything she had learned about life taught her she should run in the other direction, but she had an urge to never leave this bed.

  Trying to gather her scattered thoughts, she grabbed the offered robe, putting it on under the covers. Thank God he’d taken her to the locker room before they left last night. That much she did remember. He simply cast a wry grin in her direction before slipping into a pair of jeans she hadn’t noticed he was carrying. No underwear, just the jeans.

  “Come on. Let’s get you something to eat.”

  When she looked up she found he had his hand extended, looking pointedly at where the robe gapped open. She wasn’t about to snatch the top part closed to show she was unnerved by his obvious interest. Besides, her hands were shaking too much to bother. She did place a hand in his and allow him to help her to her feet. Wasn’t it just a kick in the pants that the hand encased in his warm embrace stopped shaking.

  “You know what? I’m not hungry.” Inhaling deep, Delilah faced him squarely. If there was one thing she’d excelled at over the years, it was faking bravery when she felt none. “I want to know whe
re I am and why.”

  Why? Because she’d wigged out completely last night—no way that confession would ever be forthcoming. There was a hell of a lot more she wanted to know, but this much would be a good start.

  Edward didn’t move. Delilah couldn’t say she was surprised. David had always said his uncle was a man of few words. The younger man had often groused that his uncle had zero interpersonal skills, being only interested in books, research and the continued study of anthropology. She had no idea what anthropology was exactly, but she could see where David had gotten that mistaken impression. It would be more true to say Edward didn’t talk much because he found it unnecessary. She could read what he was saying in his stance. Why she was so certain this man was nothing like his nephew portrayed him to be, she couldn’t put into words. There was just a certain knowledge lurking in those granite eyes of his, a knowledge far too intense to be unaffected by the human condition. Edward saw and felt a hell of a lot more David ever dreamed.

  “You will eat.” The words were as startling as they were abrupt. But then he seemed to pull back, as if he knew it had come out all wrong. “But perhaps you’d like to freshen up first?”

  This time she didn’t argue. Following him into the bathroom, she had to smile.

  He really did have no clue how to say what he wanted to, but at least he was thinking twice about it. She stopped smiling as soon as she took a look around her. The bathroom was obscenely large, flooded with a lot of natural light. The air was fresher and cleaner than any bathroom she’d ever been in before. Not even her mother’s Lysol and Comet-scented bathroom appeared so pristinely clean. The welcoming quality was weird coming from a place she’s always equated more with necessity than anything else. There were even glossy green real plants scattered about throughout the area.