She looked at him…really looked at him this time. “You have muscles!” she exclaimed, shocked by the power in his body. She’d felt it earlier, but looking at him gave her a much better understanding of what was underneath those expensive suits.
“Of course I have muscles,” he teased. “Everyone has muscles.”
“Yeah, but yours are…a bit more obvious!” Significantly more obvious! How dare he be rock-hard-buff?! That just seemed like he was cheating somehow!
He chuckled, a pleased masculine sound. “Should I take that as a compliment?”
She pulled herself up and out of the pool, ignoring the heat as she felt his eyes on her back and bottom. Quickly, she walked over to the towel he’d dropped onto one of the chairs and hid herself within it.
“You know that you’re a gorgeous man, Sebastian. And you’ve probably heard women compliment you over and over again. There’s no need to add me to your fan club.”
He laughed, then pushed away, swimming down to the other end of the pool. She watched in fascination as his arms sliced through the water. He made it down to the other end of the pool in a fraction of the time it would have taken her. She might be a good swimmer, but Sebastian Hughes was a really good swimmer!
She realized that she was just standing there, watching him swim because he was right back at the other end and lifting himself up to rest his arms on the side of the pool. He grabbed a towel, then walked closer to her. “Thank you for dinner tonight. If I could have figured out how to get you out of it after Chloe asked, I would have. But she enjoyed herself tonight. And for that, I’m grateful.”
Deni wasn’t sure what to say. The thanks was so unexpected, she was speechless for a long moment. But then she rallied and nodded slightly. “You’re welcome. Chloe is a beautiful girl, inside and out. It was a fun dinner for me as well.”
He tilted his head slightly. “Really? You…enjoyed her silly comments?”
Deni smiled, relaxing because this man’s daughter was a much safer topic than the man himself. “Yes. I thoroughly enjoyed her silly comments.”
“They didn’t annoy you because they were so childish?”
Deni rolled her eyes. “Sebastian, she is a child! Her comments should be childish. And no, they didn’t annoy me. Chloe is adorable. I love it when she smiles and it’s even more exciting when she giggles.”
“I agree. It’s just that…” he shrugged and her eyes were drawn to those yummy muscles there.
Pulling her eyes away, she turned her head so that she was looking at the chaise lounge. “She’s delightful. She has an intelligence about her that counters her childishness, but when she laughs, she’s all girl and all child and that’s one of those sounds that the world needs more of.”
He wiped his face with the towel, then moved on to other parts of his body. The chair wasn’t nearly as interesting and she couldn’t stop herself from watching.
“I agree. I love hearing her laugh. Which is one of the reasons I had such a nice time during dinner. She doesn’t laugh enough. From what I can tell, whenever she’s with Meredith, she’s been cooped up with her nannies or her tutors. She doesn’t get to socialize with other kids her age enough. I think she’s been around adults too much. And even when she’s with the adults in Meredith’s house, Chloe is only brought out as a sort of show and tell for my ex-wife’s friends. Meredith would dress Chloe up, parade her around and, when everyone had said the appropriate comments, Meredith would then send her back up to her room. Meredith only wanted the numerous accolades for producing an exceptionally pretty child. She never cared about Chloe’s feelings or what it was like to be alone for so long during the day. She was…”
He stopped, but only because Deni put a hand to his arm. He stopped, his anger dissipating with her touch.
“She’s safe. She’s with you now and she seems to be happy. I don’t think that there will be any lasting damage done by your ex-wife’s callous treatment.”
There was a tense moment while they stared at each other, then Deni stepped backwards. “I’ll just…well, I’d better get to bed.” That sounded like an invitation and she stammered out. “I mean, I have an early morning meeting and…I just…I need to sleep,” she clarified.
Sebastian tossed his towel onto the chair, his hands fisting on his hips, but there was a hint of a smile to his hard lips now. “Early meeting tomorrow.”
She nodded. “Yes,” she backed up again, tightening the towel around her chest. “Well, it’s one of those hard meetings and I need to get in early to more fully understand the numbers. Some of them are…I didn’t quite…” she realized that she was talking to the head of the bank. The big boss. She was admitting that she didn’t know something required for an important meeting to the man who could fire her for just about any reason.
She sighed, feeling a bit defeated. “I’m leaving now,” she said firmly, adding a nod for emphasis. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Deni.”
She walked out, wondering why his words felt almost like a caress. And as she turned the corner, heading towards the staircase, she looked behind her and realized that he was still watching her. Since the towel was still wrapped tightly around her body, there wasn’t much for him to see. Her butt probably looked like it was encased in a burlap sack.
Still, she hurried out the door, praying that he couldn’t see the blush that formed on her cheeks from the look in his eyes. Or maybe it was caused by the ideas flashing behind her eyes and had nothing at all to do with whatever he was thinking.
Or maybe it was because Deni knew what she was thinking, and possibly hoping that he was thinking the same thing?
Deni slammed the door to her bedroom, wondering what in the world she was doing! Boy, her mind had wandered into dangerous territory! She couldn’t have sex, or even sexual thoughts, about a man like Sebastian! If he wasn’t being driven by a chauffeured limousine, Sebastian drove a top of the line Mercedes! She drove a ten year old SUV that needed new tires! He wore suits that were specifically tailored for him. She sometimes made her own clothes! Her bank account was currently at zero. Possibly even less than zero if the bank noticed and applied the low-balance fees. His bank account was…well, she couldn’t even imagine what his bank balance looked like.
Just comparing the places where they lived told her that they lived in two different worlds. Literally! Her entire apartment would fit into this bedroom with room to spare! The man didn’t just have a staff at his office. He had a household staff. Not just a housekeeper or a team of cleaning people who came in every other week, which is what the rest of the world might be able to afford if they were lucky. The man had an entire staff of people dedicated to making his life run more smoothly.
In fact, Deni was part of the man’s household AND business staff! She might have a wedding ring on her finger, but there was no mistaking her position in this household. She was a member of his staff and she’d be smart to remember that!
After showering and changing into a soft, well-worn tee shirt, she slipped between the sheets of the enormous bed. Every time she slipped into this bed, she was surprised by the unparalleled softness of the sheets. Plus, the mattress was amazingly comfy. But even though she was exhausted after a tense weekend and a long day of meetings, she couldn’t get to sleep. She kept picturing Sebastian as he came out of the pool, the water dripping down those muscles that were much more pronounced than she ever would have guessed.
The man looked so cold and…benign in a suit. But all of that power was hidden and she thought the difference was…tantalizing.
Chapter 11
“We’re going camping!”
Deni had just stepped into the foyer after a long, exhausting day and an almost sleepless night. So she wasn’t prepared for the energy of a five year old. He swallowed a chuckle when Deni practically jerked backwards as the exuberance of Chloe’s announcement and energy hit her full force.
“Chloe!” he admonished. A moment later, Sebastian stepped into the foyer.
“I said we’d consider it. This isn’t a done deal.” He bent down and picked her up, trying to contain her energy so that Deni could come inside and take a breath. He knew that she’d had a hard day. The meeting she’d referenced last night hadn’t gone well and he wondered why.
He watched Deni’s features soften and something inside of him softened as well. Stiffening, he reminded himself to keep his distance. Women were not to be trusted when it came to marriage. Deni was his wife in name only and even a pretty, if exhausted, face shouldn’t affect him. Chloe was his priority now. He’d never make the mistake of trusting a woman again. The contract with the lovely Deni was still in place and he wouldn’t do anything to violate the terms, nor would he allow Deni to renege on her end of their bargain. It was imperative that Chloe be protected!
He hastily swallowed his chuckle at the icy glare in Chloe’s grey eyes. It was a look that he’d perfected over the years. She was a fast learner. “Daddy, you said that we could go camping, just like Deni did when she was little.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “I told you that we might go camping. I made no promises, honey.”
“But…!”
“And I never said Deni would be coming.”
Chloe’s jaw dropped and she stared beseechingly at Deni. Deni looked just as confused and stunned as he felt. Because Deni looked so tired, his first thought was to go to her and wrap his arm around her, kiss her forehead, and ask her what had gone so wrong. His second thought was to pour her a glass of wine, take her hand, and ask her what had gone so wrong.
Chloe was oblivious to his distraction.
“But she has to come!” his daughter pleaded. “She’s the only one who knows how to make s’mores! You even said you’ve never even heard of them before.”
Deni smiled and he rolled his eyes in her direction. “Chloe, I said we’d talk about it later.”
“At dinner?” she asked. “Dinner is later.” She turned to Deni. “You’re eating dinner with us tonight, right? You’re not going to…”
Sebastian saw her chin wobble slightly and he couldn’t help it. “Of course Deni is joining us for dinner. Why wouldn’t she?”
Chloe dropped her head onto Sebastian’s shoulder and he felt his heart ache. Even Sebastian realized that he was completely wrapped around her tiny finger. Controlling her manipulations when she got older was going to be a challenge, he thought.
Turning to Deni, he was just about to say something to her, willing to offer her more money if she’d agree to dine with them. But Deni was already there, stepping in and laying a hand on Chloe’s back. “Of course I want to eat dinner with you! Where else would I eat?” Her nose squinched up and even Sebastian wanted to laugh. “And I would be delighted to go camping with you!” She leaned forward slightly, looking into Chloe’s grey eyes. “Could you imagine your daddy trying to make s’mores alone?” In a conspiratorial whisper, she continued, “I doubt he even knows how to make a camp fire.”
The girl giggled, lifting her head back up, and Deni smiled. Sebastian relaxed, then Deni stepped back. For the first time today, he saw her. Really saw her. She was wearing a pencil skirt that hugged her hips and legs, with high heels that caused his mind to go blank for several moments. The sweater was loose, but in his mind, he was picturing her stepping out of the pool and his mind wandered back to the too-brief glimpse of her lush, full breasts.
His mouth watered. Abruptly he remembered that Chloe was there, watching them and he quickly hid his lust behind a bland expression.
“I believe that dinner is ready,” he announced. Turning to Deni, he said, “We’ll wait until you’re ready, of course.”
She beamed and his mind blanked again. From a smile? Hell, he was getting damn irritated by his pathetic lack of self-discipline. A woman’s smile should not be enough to turn him on, he told himself resolutely.
“I’m starving so, if dinner is ready, then let’s head on into the dining room.”
She moved ahead of them and it took Sebastian several moments to remember to walk. The only reason he’d forgotten was because Deni walked towards the dining room and he got a good look at her backside in that tight skirt. It was incredible! He’d seen her butt last night and it had been wet and beautiful. But he’d convinced himself last night that he’d exaggerated its beauty.
Obviously, he was lying to himself.
Her butt wasn’t just nice, it was magnificent!
“Daddy?” Chloe prompted.
He ripped his eyes away from Deni’s rear. “Right,” he replied with self-deprecating humor. “Dinner.”
Sebastian carried Chloe into the family dining room where his housekeeper had set one end of the table. Deni waited until Chloe was settled before sitting down in her chair.
She watched the father and daughter together, noticing that Chloe had a bit more sparkle in her eyes today. Personally, Deni had spent her day trying to catch up. Her lack of sleep last night had prevented her from being on top of her game during the day and she’d messed up on several questions asked of her during her meeting.
But Chloe looked as if she’d had a wonderful day and Deni wondered how much of that was because her dad had taken the afternoon off to be with her. Had they spent the afternoon playing? Swimming? What had they done? She wanted to ask, but felt it wasn’t her place. She felt more like a guest here at this house, despite…or maybe because of…her interlude at the pool last night with the fabulously aloof, irritatingly confusing, and shockingly muscular man sitting at the head of the stupidly large dining room table.
Deciding that a change of topic was needed, she straightened her shoulders, pasted on a smile, and asked, “So what’s this about a camping trip?”
The housekeeper appeared, setting a plate down in front of each of them. Chloe looked down at her plate and frowned. “I don’t like this,” she announced.
Sebastian already had a knife and fork in his hand. “What don’t you like?”
She sighed. “None of it.”
“Sounds like we can’t go camping then,” he announced with a shake of his head. Chloe looked up from her plate, her mouth hanging open in horror. “Why?” she whispered, dismay in her pretty, grey eyes.
He sliced some of the chicken with a rich, creamy sauce on his own plate. “If you think this is gross, then you’re really not going to like s’mores.”
“I’m not?”
Deni wondered where he was going with this. Not like s’mores? Was he nuts? Everyone liked s’mores! And even if they didn’t like parts of the delicious camping dessert, they were still fun to make.
He shook his head slowly. “I looked them up online today. They look disgusting.”
Chloe pulled her gaze away from her father and looked at Deni, silently asking for confirmation. Deni suddenly understood where Sebastian was going and played along.
“He’s right,” she said, stabbing a crisp green bean. “S’mores look pretty gross. But they are good. It takes a strong person to try something that looks so…gooey.”
Her eyes widened with horror. “I thought they were made from marshmallows and chocolate.”
“They are. And graham crackers. But when you smoosh them all together and the marshmallow comes out the sides, melting the chocolate, it gets all ooey and gooey,” she sighed and shook her head. “Well, it doesn’t look appealing. It looks horrible and you probably wouldn’t like it.” Deni bowed her head, trying not to laugh at the devastated look in Chloe’s eyes. “It takes a very brave person to try things that may not initially look like they would taste good.” And to emphasize her point, Deni took a bite of the creamy chicken. It really was amazingly good. Deni suspected that the dark flakes of cracked pepper were what Chloe thought she might not like. Although, the sweet child ate the salmon and asparagus last night. Was it a good or a bad thing that she was asserting herself and her preferences today?
“I will! I promise!”
Sebastian picked up the conversation from there. “If you’re going to be adventurous,
then you’re going to have to learn to eat lots of things that you might not think you like.”
Deni stepped in again. “I remember making pancakes over an open fire too. And biscuits. The outsides were black because some of the fire’s ashes got into the pan. But once we tasted them, they were the best biscuits we’d ever made! We put real butter and lots of honey on them and forgot to make the eggs because the biscuits were so good.”
Deni could practically see the gears turning as Chloe thought about it. Then she looked down at her plate. She picked up her fork and took a bite of the uncovered chicken, her meal already cut up into child-sized bites. The next bite, she dipped into the peppery, cream sauce. There was a tentative taste, then a bigger one. Finally, Chloe chewed and swallowed. By the way her shoulders pulled back and her spine straightened, Deni could tell Chloe was proud of herself. A moment later, Chloe nodded seriously. “Okay, I’ll eat it.”
Sebastian looked over at Deni and they shared a conspiratorial smile. She felt a small flare of…something hit her with that connection, but she dismissed it. She wasn’t going to have another sleepless night. No way!
The rest of the meal was just as delightful as the previous one and Deni struggled to keep her eyes away from Sebastian. The more he interacted with his daughter, the more intense the longing became. This was crazy! She refused to be attracted to the man.
When the housekeeper removed the last of the dinner plates, Chloe pushed up onto her knees, eagerly looking to her father. “So can we go this weekend?”
Deni thought that was a great idea. Being out in the fresh air, away from computers and phones, roughing it in the outdoors, away from makeup and razors and anything that might make Sebastian look good, she’d get over this fascination with the man.
“I’m up for it,” Deni announced, shocking even herself.
Sebastian sighed, resigned to his fate by the dual attack. “I’ll clear my schedule.”
Wanted: Wife for Hire (The Diamond Club Book 8) Page 8