Tempting Christa: An Irresistibly Mine Duet - Book 1

by Delaney, Tracie

  I swiped two glasses of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and handed one to her. “To us.”

  She raised her glass. “To you getting your very first girlfriend at the grand old age of thirty-two.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Mental note made to slip a laxative in Oliver’s drink once he’s too inebriated to notice.”

  She giggled. “He was joking.”

  “No, he wasn’t.”

  She tilted her head to one side. “I’m not your first girlfriend. You’ve had loads of women.” She blushed. “Not that I’ve been checking you out or anything.”

  “If it’s on Wikipedia, then it must be true.” I cradled her jaw, encouraging her to meet my gaze. “I’ve had companions, escorts, women who meant very little and who I used for my own selfish ends. I’m not proud of how I’ve behaved in the past but,” I shrugged, “it is what it is. However, a relationship with someone I’ve introduced to my friends as a girlfriend…” I shook my head. “You’re the first.”

  Her mouth dropped open momentarily, and then she clasped a hand to her chest. “I don’t know what to say.”

  I chuckled. “Another first.”

  “Dayton,” she said, her tone holding a hint of warning. “Be serious.”

  “I’ve spent my whole life being serious. I’m ready for some fun.”

  Her eyes misted over. She raised herself up on tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. “Then dance with me.”

  I set our champagne flutes on a nearby table and led her onto the dance floor. The party was already in full swing, and I caught sight of Nina wrapped around Orin Henderson. I averted my eyes. No brother needed to see his sister get it on with a guy. I did catch the look on her face before I turned away, though. Pure happiness. Maybe Orin was the man for her after all, provided he got his shit together.

  “Let’s go outside,” I whispered in Christa’s ear after we’d danced to a few numbers. “I want you to myself for a while.”

  She smiled. “Now you’re talking.”

  I weaved through the crowds, towing Christa behind me. We ended up on the back porch. I slipped my arm around her waist.

  “Wow, that’s beautiful,” she said, her attention on the view.

  My eyes, though, were on her.

  “It certainly is,” I murmured.

  She turned to me, eyes shining, but before she spoke, her face paled, and she staggered back a few steps, clasping a hand to her throat.

  “Rochelle?”

  I frowned. Who the hell was Rochelle? I followed the direction of her gaze. She was staring at a couple who’d decided to get some fresh air, too. As they got closer, Christa’s shoulders slumped.

  “Angel, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head and reached for me unsteadily. “Sorry, ignore me. That lady reminded me of someone I once knew.” She laughed. “I’m seeing ghosts tonight.”

  Hmm, ghosts tonight, spooked in the park the other day. Something was very off, but now wasn’t the time to probe.

  “As long as you’re okay.”

  She smiled. “Of course I am. I’m with you.”

  My heart stuttered. This woman… I’d spent my New Years at the Henderson’s for the past several years, but not once could I remember enjoying myself as much as I had with Christa by my side. In no time at all, the countdown to midnight began. I slipped my arms around Christa’s waist and gazed into her eyes. On the stroke of midnight, I leaned down and kissed her.

  “Happy New Year, Dayton.”

  I kissed her again. “With you and Max in my life, I know it’s going to be the happiest ever.”

  17

  Christa

  I shuffled from foot to foot, impatiently waiting for Dayton to appear in the VIP arrivals hall. He’d been in South Korea for more than three weeks negotiating a big deal, and even though we’d spoken on the phone every night and video called several times, it wasn’t the same as being able to hold him and kiss him—and do stuff with him.

  Today marked our three-month anniversary since I’d agreed to be his girlfriend. Everyone at work now knew I was dating the boss, but all my fears of reprisals and recriminations had gone unfounded. I’d had the odd inappropriate question, but no real bitchiness—at least to my face. If gossiping was taking place behind my back, so be it. I couldn’t do anything about that.

  “Out!” Max shouted at the top of his voice, indignant that I wouldn’t unbuckle him and let him run around the lounge. “Out, now.”

  “God, hurry up, Dayton,” I muttered, aware that Max was about thirty seconds away from a full-on tantrum. During the last couple of months, it felt as if the Devil had stolen my previously angelic child.

  I averted the looming crisis by giving him my phone to play with. He liked to look through the pictures. It still amazed me that a child of not yet three seemed to instinctively know how to use a cell phone, almost as if they were born programmed to understand modern day technology.

  Passengers began to arrive, and I stood on my tiptoes trying to spot Dayton. The second I did, I waved madly, my heart pounding at the sight of him striding toward me. And then my gaze slipped south. He was wearing a pair of jeans. Black jeans, but still…wow.

  “Christa.” He pulled me into his arms and hugged me, his lips finding mine.

  I could sense the hunger within him. It definitely matched my own.

  “You’re wearing jeans,” I said, laughing. “Challenge accomplished.”

  He joined in my laughter. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you,” I said. “It’s felt like you’ve been away for a lifetime.”

  He reluctantly let me go and crouched next to Max’s stroller. Greeted by my son’s broad grin and chubby arms reaching for him, Dayton unfastened Max’s buckles and lifted him out, swinging him high in the air.

  “There’s my Max,” he said, covering his face in kisses.

  My heart doubled in size watching them and listening to Max’s adorable giggles. Dayton might not be Max’s biological father, but he filled that role in every other way imaginable.

  “Dada,” Max said, his chubby fists hanging onto Dayton’s sweater.

  Dayton caught my eye, his mouth parted in shock.

  I stroked Max’s hair. “Max, this isn’t your dada.”

  He pouted. “Dada,” he reiterated, more firmly this time.

  Oh, my poor baby. He didn’t understand. How could he? Dayton had been the only constant male figure in his short life. Of course he’d be confused.

  “Max—” Dayton began, but I laid my hand on his arm and shook my head.

  “It’s okay. He’s too young to understand. You’re worth ten of the man who fathered him anyway.”

  Dayton’s arm came around my waist, and he kissed my hair. “Are you ever going to tell me?”

  I nodded. The time was coming—but not yet. I needed to sift through the right words in my head before I could hope to say them aloud. Things were so good between us, despite still not having actually slept together. It was testament to the wonderful man standing in front of me that he hadn’t pushed me. Not once.

  “I will. Soon, I promise.”

  He smiled, pecked my lips once more, then put Max in his stroller. The little monkey didn’t even murmur as Dayton refastened his straps.

  Paul was standing beside the car as we approached. “Sir,” he said to Dayton, shaking his hand then putting his bag in the trunk.

  “Everything in order, Paul?” Dayton asked, drawing a nod of assent from his driver and a frown from me.

  “Yes, sir. To your exact specifications.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What specifications?” I asked.

  Dayton ignored me. Instead, he popped Max into the car seat. I planted my hands on my hips, waiting for him to finish.

  “Are you going to answer my question?” I asked.

  “No,” he said, collapsing the stroller and putting it in the trunk. He walked around to the driver’s side, and it was only then I realized Pa
ul had disappeared.

  “Where’s Paul? What’s going on?”

  Dayton winked. “Get in.”

  He climbed into the car, giving me no choice but to follow suit. “What are you up to?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

  He picked up my hand and kissed the back. “Trust me.”

  We left JFK behind us and joined the freeway, but instead of heading into Manhattan, Dayton turned north onto the I-87.

  “Why aren’t we going home?” I asked.

  He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “We are going home, in a manner of speaking.”

  I huffed. “Stop talking in riddles.”

  “Why, when it’s so much fun to see the indignation on your face?”

  I glared at him then twisted in my seat to talk to Max. “I think we’re being kidnapped, Max. Should Mommy call the police?”

  “Police,” Max said, then proceeded to make the sound of a siren.

  “You’re no help,” I muttered, slumping in my seat.

  Dayton laughed. “Sulking is a very unattractive quality, Christa.”

  I stuck out my tongue, which brought on more laughter.

  We’d been driving for a while when I spotted the turnoff for Poughkeepsie. Where on earth is he taking us?

  “There’s a rest area a couple of miles ahead,” Dayton said. “We’ll stop there. I could do with stretching my legs and grabbing a drink.” He glanced in his rearview mirror. “That okay with you, bud?”

  Max nodded and grinned. “Yep.”

  I laughed. ‘Yep’ with an emphasized ‘P’ was a new phrase Max had started using in the last week or so. I had no idea where he’d picked it up from—probably daycare—but every time he used it, I chuckled, which in all likelihood encouraged him to say it more often.

  I took the opportunity to change Max while Dayton bought something to drink from the vending machine. In fifteen minutes, we were back on the road.

  After another hour of driving, Dayton turned off the narrow single-lane highway. Ahead were a set of black gates that opened inward as we approached. All around us was dense forest and mountains. I’d never seen anywhere quite so beautiful except, maybe, the Sound back in Seattle. But this place was nature at its finest.

  “Where are we?”

  “My place in the Catskills.”

  Excited, I fidgeted in my seat as Dayton’s house came into view. Now, when I say house, I do, of course, mean mansion. It brought to the forefront precisely how much money Dayton had. His penthouse in Manhattan was impressive enough, but this place must have cost a fortune. Sutton’s bank account was sizable, but I’d bet Dayton could buy him out several times over.

  Weirdly, though, his riches didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. When I was with him, I forgot he was a gazillionaire. To me, he was just Dayton, the guy I was seriously close to falling in love with.

  Wow… Was that how I felt? Did I love Dayton? Was it possible to love a guy I hadn’t slept with? That I couldn’t allow to see me naked, to show him what Sutton had done to me? To know that once he saw, he might be repulsed—as repulsed as I was. He’d certainly have questions, and I’d have to explain and relive memories so horrific, I’d barely slept for months afterward. Even now, I occasionally woke up drenched in sweat, my heart beating scarily fast.

  “Christa, you okay?”

  I dragged myself back to the present, to right here with Dayton, and forced my lips into a smile.

  “Sorry. I’m blown away by the size of the house. It’s huge.”

  “Yeah. It’s ridiculous. A monolith if truth be told, but I bought it for the view out back. If it had been a one-bedroom shack, I’d still have bought it.”

  I put Max down and held his hand as we followed Dayton into the house. Hmm, it might be gorgeous from the outside, but the inside seriously lacked a woman’s touch. I’d go so far as to say it was cold, all dark wood and even darker floors with no color on the walls, nor a scatter cushion to be seen. I trailed after him, suppressing a shiver. But when we reached the back of the house, I saw what Dayton meant. I didn’t love the house, but oh boy, the view was… breathtaking.

  “Oh, wow,” I said. The house backed on to an enormous lake, and a large mountain still covered in a dusting of snow acted as its backdrop. Sunlight sparkled off water so clear, I bet I’d be able to see my face in it, and tied up against the dock was a large boat.

  He slipped an arm around my waist and ruffled Max’s hair.

  “What do you think, Max? Want to go out on the boat tomorrow?”

  “Boat. Go on boat,” Max said, pointing excitedly and jumping up and down.

  “We will. But tomorrow. It’s too late to go now.” Max pouted, but was quickly appeased when Dayton added, “Besides, we have to go into town for hot chocolate and marshmallows today.”

  Max beamed. “Me like chocolate.”

  Dayton grinned. “Me, too, buddy. How about I grab the bags from the car, then we can go.”

  “Oh no,” I said, a problem suddenly coming to me. “If we’re staying here overnight, where will Max sleep? And what about our things?”

  “We’re staying here the whole weekend, not just tonight.” He gave me a sheepish look. “I had Cassandra go out and buy enough clothes and shoes to last you and Max for a few days. I’d have brought your own things but I couldn’t make that happen without spoiling the surprise.” He took my hand. “Come with me.”

  Dayton led us up a large staircase. At the top, it sloped both left and right. He went to the left. A short way down the hall, he stopped outside a door. “Go on in.”

  I pressed down on the handle and opened it. I gasped. Inside was the kind of bedroom I’d love to have for Max. Painted in a duck-egg blue, it had a white crib in one corner, beside which sat a rocking chair with colorful cushions adorning the seat and the back. On another wall was the word MAX in large navy-blue letters, and a five-drawer dresser was pressed up against a third wall. In the center of the floor lay a circular rug atop polished hardwood, and there was even a wooden toybox overflowing with more toys than Max could ever play with. The bright, airy space was in direct contrast to the rest of the house.

  Max struggled to be let down, so I put him on the floor in case he threw himself out of my arms. He raced over to the toybox and dug around inside.

  “Oh, Dayton,” I said, stunned. “It’s too much.”

  He encircled my waist and kissed me. “Nothing is too much for you and Max.” He pointed to a door I hadn’t noticed. “Through there is your room. I thought you’d like it to adjoin Max’s.”

  My heart squeezed. Even after all this time, he still didn’t press me on the whole sex thing. He always gave me an out, a place of safety.

  “And where is your room?” I murmured against the shell of his ear.

  He pointed to a door across the hall, opposite Max’s bedroom.

  I sucked in a deep breath. It was now or never. “Then that’s my room, too.”

  His eyes widened, and he took my face between his hands. “I didn’t bring you here to force the issue, Christa.”

  I nodded. “I know. You’ve been so patient, Dayton, but it’s time. Tonight, you’re mine, and I’m yours.”

  He kissed me once more, and I melted into him. This could all go horribly wrong, but I had to try. I owed it to myself. I didn’t like this version of me Sutton had created. I wanted the old me back.

  “What time does Max go to bed?” Dayton asked.

  “Depends how tired he is,” I replied.

  “All this fresh air. It’s bound to have an effect.”

  I nodded sagely. “Especially if he has the promised chocolate and marshmallows.”

  He grinned. “Then what are we waiting for?”

  18

  Dayton

  I put another log on the fire and rejoined Christa on the couch. She snuggled into my side, nuzzling against my chest.

  “Tell me how you started your company,” she said.

  “Ah, that’s a long story.”

/>   She peeked up at me. “I have time.”

  I let out a soft sigh and kissed her temple. “Christa, if you’ve changed your mind about tonight, it’s okay. I’d never force you into something you didn’t feel comfortable doing.”

  She sat up straight. “I haven’t changed my mind. I’m genuinely interested. Besides,” she ducked her head, gazing up at me through her lashes, “we have all night.” She tucked a finger between the buttons on my shirt and grazed her nail over my chest.

  My stomach clenched. I’d waited this long. Another hour or so wouldn’t make a difference. And perhaps if I told her my story, she’d be more inclined to open up about hers. Mine wasn’t pretty, and I’d hazard a guess hers wasn’t either. Sharing the painful truth of my childhood could bring us even closer together.

  I leaned forward and topped off our wine glasses then settled back on the couch. I sipped the wine, staring into the flames, and allowed the memories to come.

  “The reason my company exists starts way back in my childhood. To the outside world, Nina and I led a charmed life. We lived in a huge house, had every luxury money could buy, the best schooling, holidays abroad. But the one thing our home lacked was love. My mother passed away when I was five and Nina was one. Nina doesn’t remember her at all. I vaguely remember her as this pretty lady with long black hair and a dazzling smile who liked to read me stories at night. After that, we were raised by a series of nannies, none of whom stuck around very long because of my father’s legendary temper.

  “Dad was a very successful businessman with fingers in lots of pies. As the years went on, he started spending a huge amount of time in Washington with aspirations to join the ranks of the elite and become a senator. To him, Nina and I were little more than accessories he could trot out when necessary, to show him in a good light in front of his fancy political friends. He had no interest in us as children. Don’t get me wrong, we were well cared for, but there was no love, no warmth. No laughter or fun.”