Tempting Christa: An Irresistibly Mine Duet - Book 1

by Delaney, Tracie

  I clutched my chest and pretended to faint, but in reality, I was hit with a rush of intense joy. I slung my purse over my shoulder and went to leave, blowing a kiss over my shoulder. “Later, lover.”

  His answering grin warmed my insides for the rest of the week.

  * * *

  I checked myself out in the mirror, really pleased with my appearance. I might have told Dayton I wasn’t concerned that some of his myriad previous lovers were going to be there tonight, but that didn’t stop me from making extra effort. I’d had Cassandra, or Cassie as she now insisted that I call her, come over to help me choose exactly the right dress, and the silver gown—with deep slits up both sides that showed off my legs—hit the mark. She’d paired it with a purple clutch bag to add a dash of color and kept my jewelry light, adding a very thin silver chain with a teardrop amethyst pendant and matching stud earrings. My hair was piled on top of my head in a stylish up-do, and Cassie had added silver and lilac crystal hair pins to complete the look.

  Chic and elegant, that’s how Cassie had described me and, as much as I found it difficult, tonight I was inclined to agree with her. I looked like I belonged in this world that Dayton inhabited so effortlessly. I’d had some practice with Sutton, I guessed, but with him, I’d always felt more like an accessory, a pretty necessity on his arm, whereas with Dayton, we were a partnership. It might not have started out that way, but even when he was paying me to attend as his companion, he always treated me like an equal, never a lowly employee.

  I heard a knock on the door, then Mrs. Flannigan called out, “Your man is here,” from the living room.

  I took a final glance in the mirror, grabbed my clutch purse, and walked out of my bedroom. The second I did, Dayton’s eyes latched on to mine, his gaze hot with intent. My overnight bag stood by the door, a stark reminder of the decision I’d made to stay the night at Dayton’s penthouse, leaving Max in the capable hands of Mrs. Flannigan, albeit with strict instructions for her to call me should my son need his Momma. Dayton had promised to have Paul on standby in case I needed to rush home at a moment’s notice.

  See, tonight, after the party, I was going to tell Dayton everything, and I didn’t want to run the risk of Max overhearing. I’d finally built enough trust in Dayton and his feelings for me to take a chance. Make no mistake, it was still a risk, but I couldn’t continue to hide forever. I’d prepare myself for a level of disgust. After all, I still had those same feelings whenever I looked at it, hence why I tried not to.

  Dayton’s lips brushed the shell of my ear as he bent his head. “You take my breath away, Christa,” he murmured.

  I held back a shiver of bliss and smiled up at him. “I had to put in an extra effort to make sure I could fight off the wannabes.”

  “There could be a thousand beautiful women there tonight, and I’d only see you.”

  “Oh my,” Mrs. Flannigan interjected, her hand clasped against her breastbone. “I think I just melted. If I were twenty years younger…”

  Dayton chuckled. “Thank you for taking care of Max, Mrs. F. It’s good of you to stay the night.”

  “I’m happy to do it. He’s no trouble, are you, Max?”

  Max shook his head, his eyes fixed to the TV as he drank his milk.

  I kissed the top of his head. “Be good, Max.”

  He nodded but barely gave me a second glance. In a way, I felt better by his lack of clinginess. I’d have hated for him to cry as I left. On the other hand, his obvious closeness to Mrs. Flannigan sent a flush of jealousy racing through me. Contradictory and stupid, but true all the same.

  “Rip off the Band-Aid,” Dayton said, correctly reading my inner turmoil.

  I clutched his outstretched hand. “Get me out of here before I turn into a blubbering mess.”

  By the time we reached the event, I’d composed myself and was looking forward to the evening ahead. From the second we entered the ballroom, Dayton was constantly stopped by people he knew. He introduced me to each and every one of them, pride thickening his voice as his arm encircled my waist and he held me close. Over these last few months I’d learned to gauge whether he liked someone or not from the inflection in his voice, so the moment one of his ex’s, Caroline, made an appearance, I didn’t need to be introduced to her to know. His cold tone along with the stiffness in his spine gave me all the non-verbal clues I needed.

  As it turned out, Caroline had found a new man and, after a brief eye sweep over me and a triumphant glare in Dayton’s direction, she glided away without causing any trouble.

  “One down,” I said to Dayton as he set our empty champagne flutes on the tray of a passing waiter and grabbed two more.

  Dayton grimaced. “I’m hoping to avoid a repeat with ex number two. Anyway, enough of that. Here’s to you, and your bravery in leaving Max overnight.”

  I gave him a wry smile. “Deep down, I know he’ll be fine. He loves Mrs. Flannigan, and I’m a short drive away if he needs me, but yeah, it wasn’t easy.”

  “I’d have been more than happy to have Mrs. Flannigan and Max stay at the penthouse. That way you’d have been right there.”

  I shook my head, my earlier reasoning for keeping Max at home returning to my mind. “He’s better off staying at home where it’s familiar. Besides, you don’t have the right setup for a two-year-old.”

  “Speaking of which, I wanted to talk to you about turning one of the spare rooms into a bedroom for Max. That way, you could stay over more often.”

  I widened my eyes. “Are we there?”

  Dayton cradled my jaw and tilted up my chin for a kiss. “I think so. Don’t you?”

  Yes! The reckless part of me screamed, but the more sensible part didn’t think it was fair to commit until Dayton knew about my past.

  I took a deep breath. “When we get home tonight, I want to talk to you. Afterward, I’ll answer that question. Fair?”

  His breath hitched, and his eyes bored through mine. “Are you going to tell me?”

  I nodded. “I’m going to tell you everything.”

  He drew his knuckles down my cheek. “I want you to know there is nothing you could say that would change how I feel about you. I love you, Christa.”

  A thrilling shiver coursed over me at his admission. I opened my mouth to tell him that I loved him, too, but I didn’t get a chance because I heard a name I’d hoped never to hear again.

  “Hello, Sienna.”

  21

  Christa

  Horror congealed in my chest, and my knees buckled. Dayton managed to catch me before I hit the floor. Almost paralyzed with fear, I forced myself to breathe as my eyes met those of the man standing to my left, his eyebrow quirked in surprise.

  “I think you’ve got the wrong person,” I said, my voice wavering as adrenaline flooded my body.

  He guffawed, raising his champagne glass in mock salute. “Oh, Sienna, I could never forget you.”

  I risked a glance at Dayton. Confusion raged on his face as he looked between me and Arek, Sutton’s right-hand man, someone I prayed I’d never see again.

  “Who the fuck are you?” Dayton asked, his tone dripping ice.

  At first, I thought the question was aimed at me, but his cold stare was set firmly on Arek.

  Arek’s eyes sparkled. The bastard was enjoying every single second of my agony. “Do you want to tell him, Sienna, or should I?”

  My temper snapped. “Stop calling me that!” I shouted.

  Several nearby guests turned to stare at the commotion, their interest piqued by the chic, elegant woman falling apart. And that’s what it felt like—as if I was coming apart at the seams and nothing and no one would ever be able to stitch me back together.

  Arek feigned bewilderment. “Why would I? That is your name.”

  “That’s enough!” Dayton barked, standing between me and Arek. “I think it’s time you left.”

  Arek held his hands in the air in mock surrender. “Don’t worry, I’m going. Sutton is going to be so happy when
I tell him I’ve found you, Sienna.”

  All pretense left me. I grabbed Arek’s forearm, digging my nails through his jacket into his arm. “You can’t. Please, I’m begging you, don’t tell him where I am.”

  Arek’s lip curled, his mask slipping. “After what you did, damn straight I’m gonna tell him. He may be banged up because of your lies, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still running things. He’ll be very interested when I tell him about this.”

  “Oh God,” I mumbled, my legs giving way once more. Ice water filled my veins, and time stood still, the only movement my fading vision. I couldn’t faint. Not now, not here in front of Dayton’s business associates. I pulled air into my lungs and willed my head to clear.

  “Good luck with this little whore,” Arek sneered at Dayton. “Better watch your back.”

  Dayton’s fist smashed into Arek’s jaw, sending him sprawling across the dance floor. I screamed as Dayton hauled Arek to his feet then struck him again. And again. And again. Blood splattered over the skirt of my dress, and still punch after punch rained down, the violence so sudden, so horrifying. The entire room fell silent, the guests, like me, frozen to the spot, too shocked to move.

  A man to my left recovered first. He grabbed Dayton around the neck, dragging him backward. “Somers, chill the fuck out,” he hollered.

  Dayton easily wrestled free as if the other guy weighed nothing. “Get the fuck off of me!” He loomed over a bloodied Arek, his face pulverized, barely recognizable from the man who’d taunted me not two minutes since. “Call my girlfriend a whore again, and I’ll kill you,” Dayton roared, his face contorted with anger, a vein pulsing in his forehead.

  I’d never seen anyone so furious, not even Sutton the day I’d told him I was pregnant. A shiver ran through me. History repeating itself, right in front of my eyes. Violence, so much violence.

  I bent over, bracing my hands on my knees, my head spinning, my stomach tied in knots. Hot tears sprang from my eyes, dripping onto my cheeks. I was in the middle of a nightmare, as bad as the ones I’d had right after the attack, except now, I was fully aware. I couldn’t wake up from the terrors this time.

  I’d have to move. America was a big country. Arek turning up like this was bad luck, but I could salvage a life from this mess. I had to, for me and for Max. Washington could be a possibility, or maybe I’d head to Texas. Yes, that was where I’d go. I could lose myself in the wilderness for years.

  Arek stumbled to his feet. He spat blood on the floor. The left side of his face was swollen, the eye already closing. His lip was split wide open, and his jaw looked broken.

  “Bad move, asshole,” he muttered. He pushed his way through the crowd and staggered away.

  “Let’s go,” I whispered to Dayton, tugging insistently on his sleeve. “Please.”

  Dayton glared at the shocked faces of the people surrounding us. “Show’s over,” he barked, grabbing my hand.

  He strode from the room, his long legs eating up the floor. I had to jog to keep up with him, but he didn’t slow his pace. He pressed his cell phone to his ear.

  “Paul, get the car around the front, now.”

  By the time we got outside, Dayton’s car was idling at the curb. I hesitated before climbing in the back. Dayton followed me. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm the storm twisting in my gut.

  “Put your seat belt on,” he snapped, wincing as he clipped in his own, the skin on his hand torn and bleeding.

  I reached out a hand, tentatively, resting it on his arm. “You scared me, Dayton. Back there. I’m not sure what to do about that.”

  He twisted his head, his mouth parted, his gaze incredulous. He paled. “God, angel, I’m sorry. I never meant to scare you.” He cradled my cheek, his thumb wiping what remained of my tears. “I’d never, ever hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”

  I leaned into his hand. I knew that, of course I did. I’d never felt anything but safe around him. He lacked the underlying malevolence that Sutton loved to display when the mood took him. The cruel taunts, the slightly too-tight grip on my wrist, the way he’d pinch my waist when we were in company if he thought I was talking too much. No, Dayton had gone for Arek because he was protecting me. Just like he protected Nina by rescuing her from their father. But was violence justified when at its heart lay the fierce need to defend those you cared about?

  “I know,” I said softly.

  He blew out a breath. “Thank God. You’re my world. My everything.”

  Paul turned into the garage beneath Dayton’s building and parked. We got out and walked over to the private elevator, my hand firmly in Dayton’s. I sagged against the wall and closed my eyes, a brief respite from the stinging brought on by holding back tears. As soon as we entered Dayton’s penthouse, he crossed to the kitchen and poured two large glasses of whiskey. He returned to the living area and handed one to me.

  “Please talk to me, Christa.”

  I nodded, relieved he didn’t call me Sienna. I wasn’t her anymore. I hadn’t been her since that night. She’d died while rain had battered against the windowpane and a sharp blade had sliced through her skin.

  I took a deep breath and willed my speeding heartbeat to slow. “My real name is Sienna McAdams. Christa is my middle name. When I was twelve, my parents were killed in a car crash, and I was taken into foster care. I was bounced around several foster homes. No one wants to adopt a twelve-year-old. They all want a baby, or at least a toddler, someone closer to Max’s age.”

  My heart twisted as I thought of my baby. I’d have given anything to hold him in my arms right this second, but I didn’t want him hearing any of this. He was innocent, untarnished, and I was determined he’d remain that way for as long as humanly possible.

  “When I was eighteen, my foster parents told me I had to move on. I landed a job flipping burgers. The pay was terrible, but I got free food, and the rest of my paycheck went toward renting a room in a house. It wasn’t much, but it was mine. I did that for a couple years, but I wanted more. The only problem was I didn’t know how to get it. That’s when I met Rochelle Atwood. The Atwoods are a pretty big deal on the west coast, although I doubt you’ve heard of them.”

  Dayton shook his head. “We haven’t crossed paths.”

  “You’re lucky,” I muttered. “Anyway, I was walking home from a late shift one night and I saw this girl, well, woman really, standing on the corner of the street, crying. I asked her if she was okay, if she needed anything. She told me she’d split from her boyfriend. She was freezing cold, so I took her to a nearby coffee shop and bought her a hot drink, one I could scarcely afford. We talked for ages, and when I put her in a taxi a few hours later, she promised she’d be in touch again soon.

  “She kept her word, and we started hanging out. It was obvious we were from completely different worlds, but that didn’t matter to us. We used to talk about everything. I’d tell her how determined I was to drag myself out of poverty and make something of my life, and she’d tell me how one day she was going to break away from her controlling family and strike out on her own. I guess we were kindred spirits in a way.” I shrugged. “Over time I learned that Rochelle came from a wealthy background, and her brother headed up the family business, but despite her obvious riches, to me she was just Rochelle, my best friend.”

  I sipped my whiskey, the welcoming burn warming my chilled insides. Dayton didn’t press or push me to get to the point. He didn’t say anything at all. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good or bad omen.

  “A few months later, Rochelle and I met up at our usual haunt. She was super excited, literally bouncing in her seat. When I asked her what on earth was the matter, she blurted that her brother’s PA had quit and he needed a replacement. She’d told him I was perfect for the job. I remember being stunned because I didn’t have the right skills for a job like that, but she simply dismissed my half-hearted objections and told me her brother was expecting me the following afternoon.”

  I massaged my fo
rehead, my head pounding already, but I still had so much more to tell. Dayton cradled his drink, his eyes refusing to leave mine. At least he was listening.

  “I called in sick at work and spent the next morning looking around the charity stores searching for a smart suit or a dress, something that’d be suitable to wear to an interview. I found a cheap black skirt and blouse that I hoped fit the bill and found myself outside the Atwood building with an hour to spare. I didn’t have any cash for a coffee, so I walked the streets until it was time for me to go in.”

  Memories flooded my mind. How my heart had beat furiously as I laid eyes on Sutton Atwood’s handsome features. How flattered I’d been when he’d raked me with his hungry gaze. How I couldn’t believe my luck when he’d offered me the job on the spot.

  “I started working for Sutton the very next day. Within a week, he asked me out on a date. He took me everywhere, showing me off as if I was a prized cow at a market. Of course, then, I’d been flattered. I thought he cared about me. I thought I was something special to him.” I grimaced. “Boy was I about to learn a harsh lesson. Talk about the stupidity of youth.”

  Dayton got up from where he’d been sitting opposite and came to sit beside me. Maybe he’d seen a level of desperation in my eyes, or perhaps he sensed I was getting to the crux of the story. Regardless, when he knitted our hands together, a tear plopped onto my cheek.

  “Take your time, Christa,” he said gently, swiping his thumb under my eye.

  I wiped the back of my hand under my nose, sniffed, took a deep breath, blew it out slowly then repeated a couple more times. Eventually I felt calm enough to carry on.

  “We’d been dating for about a year when I found out I was pregnant. We hadn’t talked about kids. Hell, we hadn’t talked about anything that mattered, but I was certain Sutton would be as thrilled as I was. I always wanted a big family, and having my first child at twenty-three felt right. I waited until he had a break in his calendar, then with sweaty palms, I went into his office and locked the door so we wouldn’t be interrupted.”