As she showered Kara wished with all her heart that she had been able to get out of this conference. Blake could quite easily have managed without her. All the arrangements had been made, the paperwork was done—there was nothing he needed that he hadn’t got. She had seen to everything.
She found herself scrubbing at her skin more energetically than was necessary, and asked herself whether she was trying to rid her body as well as her mind of him. Which was laughable! Blake Benedict was not a man anyone could forget easily, and she’d had more than her fill of him over the last eleven months.
It was a wonder she didn’t dream about him. Actually, now she remembered she had—the very first day of her job. After a gruelling eight hours she had convinced herself that she would never be able to do the job to his satisfaction, and had gone home to bed to experience a dream that had disturbed her deeply. Not because it was erotic—thoughts like that hadn’t entered her mind—but because he had assumed the mantle of the devil.
After that she used to tell her mother that she was working for the devil. She had never learned a job so quickly in her life. She had taught herself always to be prepared—and she had been. Always ready with an answer to his quick-fire questions. Until he’d changed from Blake Benedict, business tycoon, to Blake Benedict, human being. A human who was interested in her!
Dressing for dinner, Kara chose the skirt from her black suit, teaming it with a red blouse with a deep V-neck. Her mother had bought it for her last Christmas, but she had only worn it once, feeling that it was too pretty and too feminine to wear for work.
When she walked into the dining room, taller and more elegant than ever in her black high-heeled sandals, every eye turned in her direction. But the only person she saw was Blake, watching each step that she took.
‘You look stunning,’ he said softly as he stood to hold out her chair. ‘Red suits you. You should wear it more often.’
Kara smiled her thanks, not trusting her voice. He looked particularly handsome too, in a handmade navy suit and a pale blue silk shirt. His red and navy tie, also silk, was as immaculate as always, and as he bent over her, ensuring she was seated comfortably, his cologne—the one he always wore and which was an integral part of him—drifted beneath her nostrils like an aphrodisiac.
And when his hand touched her shoulder, when it lingered longer than was necessary, she felt a shiver of sheer pleasure run all the way down to the tips of her toes. ‘You smell divine, Kara,’ he whispered in her ear.
So do you, she wanted to say, but could not—dared not. It would be far too intimate. She was not sure that she liked him complimenting her either—not here, not with so many eyes on them.
She was relieved when a waiter placed a napkin on her lap and handed her the menu. Now she could breathe! Except that every breath she drew seemed to bring her nearer to Blake, and when she stole a glance at him from beneath her lashes she saw that instead of studying his own menu he was watching her.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, trying to make light of it, which was practically impossible when her heart had just leapt. ‘Do I have a spot on my nose?’
‘Your nose is delightful. It’s a very kissable nose.’
Kara’s eyes widened in shock.
‘You do not like compliments, Kara?’
The truth was that she was not used to compliments. What made her nose kissable, anyway? It was just a nose. She didn’t answer his question.
‘As are your lips.’
Kara refused to listen. She did not even look at him any more. She concentrated on the menu instead, ignoring the fact that her stupid pulse had begun to race again and heat was prickling her skin. One of her downfalls was the way that she blushed so easily, and she prayed that her cheeks did not colour now.
Even when their order was placed there was no escape. There was just the two of them. For no reason at all everyone else had faded into the background. Wine was poured and Blake proposed a toast. ‘To my most efficient PA—long may you continue to work for me.’
Kara could not drag her eyes away from his. She had never really noticed before how thick his lashes were, or how the grey of his eyes seemed to change colour according to his mood. She had seen them turn a light silver at the office, when someone was being less than efficient, but at this moment, when his attention was concentrated solely on her, when his thoughts were deep and unreadable, they were much, much darker. And they held an expression that she could not read but one that both scared and excited her at the same time.
Here in this beautiful hotel, in this beautiful country, something was happening to her. It was as though her old life in England was being slowly erased. Memories were fading and something far more exciting was taking over. It was a transitory thing, she knew, but it would surely be foolish not to make the most of it.
He made her feel as though they were the only two people in the room, commanding her attention in such a way that everything except him was blotted out. And for the moment this was all right with her. It was a new experience—one she would treasure when they got back home and everything returned to normal.
She took a sip of her wine and smiled shyly at him. ‘You’re very kind.’
‘It is no more than the truth.’
‘I enjoy the job.’
‘And are you also enjoying the conference?’
Kara nodded. ‘I’ve never attended anything like this before, and I have to confess I was a little nervous, but, yes, I am enjoying myself.’ Except when he paid her too much attention!
‘Every man here envies me. And why not, when you are a very beautiful woman?’
This time colour really did flood her cheeks. ‘It’s very kind of you to say so.’
In response he simply gave her a smile that caused a further skittering of her senses.
The waiter returned with their food and Kara was glad of the respite. It gave her time to take a few deep breaths and tell herself she was in control. That having a man flatter her like this should be a joyful experience, not scary.
And somehow it worked. Gradually she began to relax and enjoy the evening. She drank more wine than usual, unaware that her eyes were brighter and her cheeks flushed with happiness. They talked incessantly, and Kara laughed out loud at some of his anecdotes.
It was not until the end of the meal, when he passed her an envelope and then watched her face closely as she opened it, that she was suddenly stuck for words. Inside were tickets for Faust the following night. Kara blinked twice and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat.
‘Think of it as a thank-you from me to you for all the hard work you’ve put in,’ he said, watching the changing expressions on her face.
‘I—I don’t know what to say. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t think that you would be able to—’
‘But you are pleased?’ He looked suddenly anxious, not something he usually did. ‘And hopefully a little excited?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘But nothing, Kara,’ he said, his voice firm now. ‘All I want is for you to enjoy it.’
Privately Kara doubted whether she would remember anything of the opera. Sitting here talking to him when the room was filled with other people was one thing, but going to the theatre, seated so close that their bodies would touch, when there would be no escape, was another.
She would be far too aware of Blake, of the emotions he was amazingly managing to arouse in her. Alien feelings that sometimes made her feel happy and at others scared her witless.
Admittedly she was beginning to feel more at ease with him. He had never done or said anything to alarm her; he was in fact always the perfect gentleman. So perhaps she was worrying for nothing. It was just that she was not used to being treated so kindly. To have Blake make this generous gesture brought a lump to her throat and tears to her eyes.
Immediately he frowned. ‘Now what is wrong? You are still not happy?’
‘Of course I’m happy. It’s just that no one’s ever done anything like this for me before.�
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Blake reached across the table and took her hand, enclosing it gently with his other one. ‘That is such a pity. You are a gracious woman, Kara, and you should be treated accordingly.’
His sympathy, the look of compassion in his eyes, completely overwhelmed her, and it was a big struggle to control her tears. She swallowed hard and smiled. ‘I’m being silly. I’m sorry.’
Blake lifted her hand to his lips. ‘I am the one who is sorry. Sorry that you have not enjoyed the pleasures in life that a beautiful woman like you should. But now I think it is time we retired to our rooms.’
Before she made a complete fool of herself in front of everyone—that was what he was saying. Kara smiled weakly and allowed him to take her elbow and lead her upstairs.
CHAPTER FOUR
JOINING Blake for a nightcap went against every one of Kara’s self-imposed rules. The trouble was he had a way of making her break them. He had made her laugh tonight; he had been fun company—something she had never imagined her employer being. He had made her almost cry as well, with his generosity.
‘What would you like? More wine, perhaps, or coffee? A brandy, even?’
‘Coffee, please,’ she answered. ‘I’ve already drunk more than I’m used to.’ Not that she was drunk or anything like that. She’d only had two glasses, but that was one more than normal. In fact she rarely drank alcohol. Christmas and birthdays were about the sum of it.
Expecting him to lift the phone and order their drinks, Kara was pleasantly surprised when he crossed to the open-plan mini-kitchen at the other end of the immensely spacious sitting area and proceeded to make the coffee himself.
It gave her time to look around the sumptuous suite. Soft cream leather sofas, deep-piled cream rugs gracing American walnut floors, original paintings on the walls, crystal chandeliers. No expense had been spared. The room she was in was furnished well, but this was something else. And she knew what it had cost just to book it for a few days! Almost more than she earned in a year.
Floor-to-ceiling glass doors opened onto a wide balcony, allowing views across the spacious gardens. Well-manicured lawns were softly sculpted by trees and shrubs, and she could see a water fountain in the distance. The swimming pool was not visible, but she knew from the brochure that it was as stunningly attractive as everywhere else.
‘Here we are.’ Already Blake was joining her, setting out a coffee pot and two china cups on the low table that sat between two of the sofas. Cream and sugar followed.
‘I’ll pour,’ Kara said quickly. It would give her something to do and would stop her from looking at him—at those large capable hands with their perfectly manicured nails. She did not know what had got into her but she could imagine those hands on her skin, holding her, touching her. Arousing her!
Alarm bells rang in her head. Perhaps she ought to leave right now; perhaps it had been a mistake allowing herself to enter his room. When her hand shook as she lifted the pot Blake immediately leaned forward and took it from her. ‘Careful, it’s very heavy. I should hate you to scald yourself.’
Their coffee safely poured, they both settled back on their seats—opposite each other. Another mistake! He never took his eyes off her. ‘I think it’s about time that you told me something about yourself, Kara. You’ve been evasive for far too long.’
A swirl of unease circled her stomach. ‘There’s not really much to tell that you don’t already know.’
‘I know you’re very wary of men. Who did that to you?’
It was such a direct question that there was no escaping it. But she was silent for so long that he spoke again.
‘Was it a boyfriend? Someone who let you down badly? Is that why you—?’
Kara drew in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then let it go quickly. ‘My father didn’t allow me to have boyfriends. I told you he wasn’t very nice, didn’t I? The truth is that—that he used to beat me.’ There—the words were out, the confession made. The hardest thing she had ever had to do. She looked down at her hands twisting on her lap and did not see Blake’s frown, the shock in his eyes. ‘I’d really rather not talk about it.’
Her heart began to race and she started shivering, and the next second he was on the sofa beside her, his arms around her, saying nothing but making the sort of shushing noises one would make to a crying baby. It was not until her heart settled, until her body stilled, that he began to murmur words of comfort.
‘It’s all right, Kara, you’re safe with me. No harm will come to you. I will never hurt you, I promise. You can relax. Just close your eyes and relax.’
She heard the words through the thick blanket of her mind. And gradually, as he kept repeating them like a mantra, her father was, for once, amazingly forgotten. She was aware only of Blake’s warmth, of the strong arms holding her, of his heartbeat against her body.
And when he touched his fingers to her chin and turned her face up to his she saw not her employer, not Blake Benedict tough businessman, but warm, human Blake. A Blake whose grey eyes were soft with concern. Without even realising what she was doing she snuggled up closer.
Never in her life had she felt as safe as she did now. No man had ever held her like this, made her feel secure, as though her whole world had turned around and no one would ever mistreat her again. She had not believed it possible. And for it to be her employer, of all people! Her father had always drummed it into her that she was a worthless creature whom no man would ever look at twice. He had said it so often that she had believed it.
Kara knew that she ought to move now that she had recovered, but pulling away from Blake was the last thing she wanted. And Blake seemed in no hurry to let her go either.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?’ he enquired softly. ‘It might help.’
‘No, I’m sorry. I couldn’t.’ It was too humiliating by far. Even though her father was dead she still did not want to talk about him. ‘I never will. And I’m sorry I—’
‘Do not keep apologising, Kara. I’m glad that you’ve told me. It helps me to understand you.’ He trailed a gentle finger down the side of her face, pausing a moment before tracing the outline of her lips. Then he touched her fingers to his mouth and kissed them before placing them against her lips again. ‘You’re a beautiful lady, both inside and out, and you do not deserve to have gone through what you have. I reiterate my promise that I will never do anything to hurt you.’
Kara let out her breath slowly, feeling her body relax. She liked him holding her, she liked him touching her, she liked what he was saying to her. It was almost as though she had been transported into a different world—a world where everything was beautiful and sensual and no one ever hurt anyone. A world she had never known before.
‘Maybe you should drink your coffee,’ he said, ‘before it gets cold.’
‘I’d rather you held me a little longer.’ The words slipped out before she could stop them and she was horrified. ‘I’m sorry. I’m being silly. I shouldn’t have said that.’
‘My beautiful Kara, I’m glad that you did. It proves that you trust me.’ His eyes had darkened but they still held the softness, the tenderness, and Kara guessed that he had never held a woman like this before and not kissed her.
She was grateful to him. And she actually experienced a sense of relief that she had told him about her father. It felt cathartic—as though a whole weight had been lifted from her shoulders, finally giving her permission to move on.
He continued to stroke the side of her face, gently sweeping back tendrils of hair that got in his way, and Kara enjoyed the touch of his fingers so much that when he again traced the outline of her lips they parted of their own volition, the tip of her tongue coming out to touch and taste him.
She heard the faint groan in the back of his throat and had no idea what it meant. Was he saying please don’t do that? Or, if you do I won’t be responsible for my actions? It was embarrassing to be totally innocent in the ways of men.
And the troubl
e was that the longer she remained in his arms the more intense her emotions became. She reached out and touched his cheek, feeling the faint rasp where his strong black hair was already growing again. He put his hand over hers, holding it there for a few seconds before moving it slowly so that he could press his lips to her palm.
Then he folded her fingers over the kiss and gave her her hand back. ‘Especially for you, my troubled one.’
Kara did not want her hand back; she wanted to continue to touch him. She wanted to trace the outline of his face, his beautifully sculpted lips. She wanted—When she suddenly realised exactly what it was that she wanted it took her breath away. She wanted him to kiss her—really kiss her. Something she had shied away from all her life. She had shied away from any sort of contact with a man.
But Blake was more than just a man! She closed her eyes and thought about what it would be like for him to kiss her. Would it be light and sweet, or deep and tempestuous? Would it fill her with pleasure or dread? She felt him move and guessed that he was going to put her away from him, move back to the other sofa—with the coffee pot between them. And her heart suddenly ached.
But then she discovered that he was simply positioning himself more comfortably in order to kiss her. It was a gentle kiss, an experimental kiss, but the touch of his lips on hers was like lighting the touchpaper on a firework. It fizzed quietly at first, but then exploded into a galaxy of sparks and showers, of crackling noises and body-tingling sensations.
Sensations such as she had never experienced before. Stimulation such as she had never experienced before. Whoa! she thought. What was happening here? How could a simple kiss create such strong feelings? Except that it was not simple. It was a complex kiss, one that spun into every corner of her body, creating tingles and hunger and all sorts of crazy emotions. It was like pins and needles everywhere.
She was afraid to open her eyes and look at him. This was a man of the world who had made love to endless women. Experienced women. Women who would readily respond. Whereas all she was doing was submitting. It would hardly be enough for him.
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