Desire Part Three (The Desire Series Book 3)

by Alexia, Ava

  Contents

  Desire: Part Three

  The Desire Series

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Desire

  Desire Series Part Three

  Ava Alexia

  Copyright © 2014 Ava Alexia

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and situations are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent of the author.

  This book is Part Three of “The Desire Series”

  Desire

  Desire Part Two

  Desire Part Three

  Chapter 1

  Matthew Edelston trotted down the curving grand staircase whistling a merry tune. He knew that he was pretty much tone death but that didn’t stop him from voicing his happiness in song. He crossed the gleaming marble tile in the foyer and entered the salon. He wandered through his newly designed home with a sense of pleasure and pride. Maddie McClain had done an excellent job in decorating the lavish house; inside and out. He moved to the floor to ceiling windows in the living salon and looked out at his expansive lawn. He was startled to see someone taking pictures of the house. He bristled. Matt had not given anyone permission to photograph his property. He valued his privacy and would not tolerate its violation. He stormed out onto the portico.

  "Get off my property. You're trespassing. You have no permission to be here," he yelled.

  The photographer turned to stare at him in consternation. He walked across the lawn purposefully. He stood on the paved circular drive and pulled off his baseball cap in irritation. Long, shiny dark hair tumbled from its confines. Matt caught his breath. The photographer wasn't a 'he' but a 'she'. She impatiently pushed the thick, wavy locks away from her face.

  "I absolutely have permission to be here and I'm not leaving until I've finished," she snapped.

  Matt was intrigued that the photographer was a woman and flabbergasted at her gall. He needed to put her in her place and send her packing. But the fierce, determined look on her beautiful face made him want to invite her in for tea instead of booting her off of his property. Who was she? Why was she here? Matt determined to find out.

  "In that case I shall have to teach you some much needed lessons in proper etiquette," Matt said. "When one is asked to leave, they should leave."

  He slowly descended the portico steps. He saw the flare of fright in her stunning cheery brown eyes and thought this was going to be fun.

  “Stay away from me,” she ordered as she backed away from his approaching figure.

  Tessa Zepler saw the saw his determined stride and wondered if she had come off a bit too arrogant and cocky. Maybe she should have tried a softer approach. After all, she was trespassing. Matt saw the myriad of emotions cross her face in mere seconds. Bravado. Arrogance. Uncertainty. Fear. What emotion would she display when he caught her in his grasp? He drew closer and she backed further away. Matt saw the pending doom and tried to catch her before it was too late. She screamed as she fell backward. Splash! It was too late. Tess came up sputtering from the shallow depths of the magnificent water fountain. She looked like a wet rag doll as she wiped water from her dripping face. Matt was hard pressed not to laugh. He felt the rumbles of mirth gurgling in the back of his throat, insisting on release. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He roared with laughter much to the photographer’s anger.

  “Shut up! How dare you laugh?” she yelled.

  “I’m sorry. It’s quite ungentlemanly of me to do so but it’s damn funny,” he choked out in his fit of humor. “I tried to prevent your Olympic dive but I was not fast enough. I would give it a score of four point one. Your form was horribly off.”

  Tess sat in the fountain in rage. She was about to blow the biggest gasket of her life. She scrambled to her feet and clenched her fist as she stepped out of the fountain. She raised her clutched hand to jab him but Matt caught her wrist before she could make contact.

  “Oh no. That’s not going to happen,” he smiled. “I understand your anger but I will not sustain a sucker punch to soothe your damaged ego.”

  Tess tried to yank her wrist from his grip. He easily held her wrist hostage.

  “Let me go!” she demanded.

  “I will when I know you will not try to attack my person. Are we in agreement?” he asked.

  Tess tugged on her hand but could not remove it from his iron clasp. She stared murderously into his glittering grey eyes. Matt thought she looked stunning in her anger; fierce, wild, beautiful and desirable. More than anything in this world he wanted to kiss her but knew that was out of the question….for now anyway.

  “Alright, Mister Edelston. Now let me go,” she conceded begrudgingly.

  Matt reluctantly released her small wrist. Her skin was soft and smooth to his touch. He could only imagine how the rest of her body felt; his cock immediately responded to his erotic thoughts. Matt breathed deeply and channeled his thoughts.

  “You obviously know who I am. Who are you and why were you photographing my property?” he asked sternly.

  Tess moved to picked up her camera that had slipped from her hand before she landed in the fountain. Thank goodness it hadn’t gotten wet. She stared at the camera as she formulated her thoughts. Tess was on assignment to take scenic shots for World Travel magazine she was freelancing for. But she had heard about the fabulous Edelston property and since she was on Aruba Island she decided to take some shots of it and submit them to a home magazine as bait to get a real assignment that would feature the house. Her actions may have been a bit unethical but they wouldn’t hurt anyone and it might land her a prestigious assignment and large commission. Tess decided to tell the truth. There really was no other option for she never lied.

  “I am Tessa Zepler, a photographer on assignment for World Travel magazine,” she said.

  That explanation had not addressed why she was taking pictures of his property but it wasn’t a lie either.

  “Zepler? Of Zepler Oil?” he asked in astonishment.

  “Yes. Zepler Oil is my family’s company,” she admitted.

  He whistled in amazement. Tess grimaced. It was the typical reaction she received when people found out who she was. It was strange but she had unconsciously hoped that he would react differently. But she should have known better. Her name brought out the vultures. She was heartily sick of the scheming people who wanted to use and profit from her. It was the primary reason why she wanted nothing to do with the operations of the family business. The competition and constant wheeling and dealing to strike an agreement just weren’t in her DNA. She wanted a different kind of life and she’d found it in photography.

  “And why are you taking pictures instead of making oil deals?” he asked curiously.

  “Because taking pictures is what I want to do,” she snapped.

  It really was none of his business. She chose the career that she wanted; not the profession that her family wanted for her.

  “Point taken. But your assignment for a travel magazine does not call for photographing a private estate. What plan are you hatching?” he asked bluntly.

  Matt knew the content was for the World Travel magazine for he owned the publication company. She had an angle for taking pictures on his estate and he wanted to know w
hat it was.

  “I took the photos in hopes of landing a prime assignment with another magazine,” she replied honestly.

  “What magazine?” he questioned.

  He knew people in the publishing field and could probably help her. But he wasn’t sure why he wanted to.

  “Why?” she retorted.

  “Just answer the question,” he barked. His tone probably could have been nicer but she really could be irritating.

  “I’ve answered enough of your questions. You wanted to know why I was here and I’ve told you,” she said sharply. “Now if you will excuse me I need to change as I am drenched.”

  She started to walk away.

  “Wait!”

  She turned to look at him in irritation.

  “What, Mister Edelston?” she snapped.

  “I can dry your clothes. We can have coffee while they’re drying,” he invited.

  He held his breath and watched the emotions flit across her face. She was wary of him. He probably would be too if he were in her place. But he didn’t want their encounter to end just yet.

  “Alright,” was all she said.

  It was enough for Matt. He turned to the side and gestured for her to walk to the house. He didn’t know why she’d said yes and he didn’t care. She was staying and that was all that mattered.

  *****

  Matt led her into the house. They paused in the huge foyer. Tess looked around in amazement.

  “Your home is extraordinary. It’s special,” she said in awe. There was an element of elegant serenity in the house that even her family’s home did not have.

  “Thank you,” he replied. Matt was surprised by her choice of words. He wondered what she meant when she described his home as special. He made a mental note to ask her as he crossed to the wall panel and buzzed his housekeeper. “Ana, would you prepare a coffee tray and snacks? I have a guest.”

  “Right away, Matthew,” Ana replied.

  Matt turned to Tess and smiled warmly.

  “Now, I’ll show you to a guest room and you can get out of those wet clothes,” he said.

  As he led the way up the splendid staircase Tess wondered what she was going to change into. She had read up on his background and knew that he was a confirmed bachelor. Did he keep women’s clothing available for his mistresses? They moved down the hall where exclusive artwork graced the walls. She knew expensive art when she saw it; she’d lived around it all of her life. Her dad considered himself to be an art connoisseur. They stopped at a room and Matt threw open the door.

  “You can change in here. I’ll be right back,” he said.

  He left the room and Tess looked about her in pleasure. The color scheme of the room was pink, grey and cream with pops of floral accents throughout the room. She moved about the room, admiring this and that and knew she would be totally comfortable in this beautiful space. She wandered to the bay window and stared out at a lovely rose garden below. She wondered what she was going to wear in the place of her wet clothes.

  “Here you go. You can wear this while your clothes are drying,” Matt said as he entered the room. He held a very large, fluffy dark blue robe. It was obviously a man’s garment. “You will assuredly be dwarfed in it but I do not have any female clothing. Ana’s robe would not fit you. You’ll understand why when you see her.”

  Tess reached out to take the robe from him.

  “This is fine. You are very kind,” Tess smiled humbly. “Thank you, Mister Edelston. You certainly do not have to offer me any assistance at all. I was wrong for trespassing and I’m sorry.”

  Matt was moved by her sincere apology.

  “It’s not a problem. Let’s forget about it and begin anew, shall we?” he smiled engagingly.

  Tess smiled and nodded.

  “I guess I’ll change,” she said pointedly.

  She wanted him to leave and he knew he should; but he wished that he could stay.

  “Come down to the salon when you are ready. Oh, by the way, call me Matt,” he said.

  Matt left the room and went down to the kitchen. He saw Ana preparing the tray and explained Tess’s situation; asking her to go up and get Tess’s wet clothes and launder them.

  “Of course Matthew,” Ana smiled.

  Ana left the kitchen humming off-key. He smiled. He didn’t know what he would do without the very short and slender middle-aged woman. Ana was probably only four feet ten in height but she seldom asked for help in reaching things. She preferred to figure out a solution on her own. She was efficient and loyal, loving and kind; all priceless attributes. Matt left the kitchen and moved into the salon where he began pacing. What was it about Tess? He smiled wryly as he had unconsciously shortened her name. But for some reason he already felt familiar with her which was quite odd. All things considered he should’ve had her escorted off his property by security. Instead he was washing her clothes and inviting her for coffee. What was up with that? Maybe his instant attraction to her was dictating his actions. Her unforeseen dunk in the fountain had given him a clear vision of her alluring curves. Those wet clothes had clung to her like a second skin. Her sexy body would fit him perfectly and his penis was already up for the occasion. He stopped in front of the fireplace and braced his hands on the mantel. He focused on relaxing his sex. She would run for sure if she saw him cocked and ready. He breathed deeply and felt his organ relax. He certainly found her attractive but that wasn’t his only reason for inviting her to stay. He was intrigued by her. He wanted to know who she really was and what made her that person. She could have been working in her family’s billion dollar company but she chose not to. Why? He had so many questions that only she could answer. He heard someone clear their throat. He turned to see Tess standing before him.

  *****

  She looked a bit forlorn in the oversized robe. He probably could have found something a little smaller for her but he irrationally wanted her in his robe. She had rolled up the sleeves and tied the belt tightly around her waist. She’d pulled the robe up and over the belt so that she wouldn’t trip over it. She looked adorable.

  “Hi,” he smiled. “Come in and sit. Ana should be here soon with the coffee.”

  She padded to the sofa and curled up on it, tucking her bare feet under the robe. Tess felt extremely uncomfortable for she didn’t have a stitch on under the robe. The housekeeper, Ana had insisted on taking her underwear to wash as well. Tess had protested to no avail. Now she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. She just knew that Matt was aware of her nakedness.

  “I really shouldn’t have stayed. I’ve given Ana additional work,” she said softly.

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a problem,” he said. Matt moved to sit with her on the sofa. He sat at its end to calm her nerves and to control his lust. He was fairly sure she wore nothing under that robe. “Tell me about your work. Why did you choose photography? I suspect your family assumed you would join the family business.”

  “Your assumptions are correct,” she smiled wryly. “They were not happy about my decision, to say the least. My dad was downright mad. But as usual my mom was able to calm him. She knew that his anger would only make me more determined to have my way. You see, I’m considered to be the stubborn rebel.”

  “There’s always one in every family,” he joked.

  She laughed as she began to relax.

  “I am the Zepler maverick. The nonconformist that wanted something different for my life. Is that so wrong?” she asked wistfully.

  “Not at all. I admire you for striking out on your own. It would have been so much easier to go along with the program,” he said.

  “But I would have been miserable. At least this way I may be poor but I’m a lot happier,” she said.

  “Poor? Don’t tell me you’ve been disowned?” Matt said in shock.

  “No. I’m not my dad’s number one child at the moment but he still loves me. He would never do that,” she assured him. “The money is there for me; I just don’t make use of it. I w
ant to make it on my own.”

  Matt could see how proud she was. She was determined not to accept anything from her family; and that most likely included him as well.

  “And how’s that been going for you?” he asked.

  “A bit rough at times but I’m okay. I’m building my portfolio and the jobs are coming more readily. I’m actually rather proud of my progress,” she said.

  “I’m glad. Hard work always pays off,” Matt responded.

  Ana rolled in the coffee cart with considerably more on it than just coffee.

  “Thank you, Ana. It looks delicious,” Matt said.

  “You’re welcome. Enjoy,” she said.

  Ana smiled at Tess then left the room. Tess watched her small frame walk away.

  “I understand why Ana’s garment would not have fit me,” Tess smiled.

  He chuckled.

  “No, they would not have,” he smiled.

  Matt removed the tray from the cart and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. Tess scooted forward on the couch.

  “Let me help,” she offered.

  She made up a plate of chicken salad, cheese and fruit and placed it before Matt. He poured the coffee for the two of them. They then settled on the sofa to eat

  “How long will you be on Aruba?” he asked.

  “Only one more day. Then I’ll fly back to New York for a few days before going on my next assignment,” she said.

  “So you live in New York?”

  “Yes. I love it there. But I could definitely get used to living here. The island is breathtaking,” she sighed.

  “I love it here as well. One day I plan to make it my primary residence,” he said. “But business keeps me in New York and abroad much of the time.”