Irresistibly Dashing

by Victoria Arabpour Pinder

  His face turned red like he was embarrassed. “That was rude of me.”

  She sighed. Throwing words back like that when they’d both been angry wasn’t fair on her part. She shrugged and offered a smile. “You apologized. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  He gave her a cautious glance like he wasn’t sure he trusted her smile. “Third, you’re the type of girl-”

  “Woman. I’m twenty-four,” she interrupted and stared at him, daring him to argue.

  Instead he swallowed and then showed off his dimples. “You’re the type of woman who needs to be prepared for what happens next.”

  Hmm. Those dimples were too cute. This wasn’t good. She sat straight like her spine had a metal brace around it. “I don’t like surprises. They never work out for me.”

  Those brown hues twinkled. Her heart pattered--she definitely didn’t trust twinkling. “Okay. So four, I need to let you know that I intend two things.”

  Sarah glanced down. She could ignore all the hotness of Beau Bentley so long as she wasn't looking at him. She asked in a more snide tone than she meant, “All these points are to tell me two more things?”

  He reached under her chin and lifted her face so she had to meet his gaze as he said, “Yes. One. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you.”

  Whoa. Her heart stopped and then blood rushed through her. “That’s impossible.”

  His dimples were both dashing and sexy. “And two, I intend to do way more than kiss you soon.”

  She imagined herself naked near him. Sarah blinked and stood. The plane was suddenly too small--she paced, sending glances to the bedroom. Steam came out of every cell as she turned away and asked, “Why?”

  “I told you. I love you.”

  She relaxed and saw that he'd headed into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator like he was thirsty or hungry, totally under control, as she called out at the top of her lungs, “You can’t just say that and walk away, Beau.”

  He took out a bottle of water and closed the door. “We’re about to land. We’ll go home, pack and get ready for the long flight ahead of us.”

  All she could do was stare at him as he drank that water down. This wasn’t fair. How on earth could he be so calm and cool after such a pronouncement? She was the absolute opposite. Nothing had prepared her for this moment. And she knew better than to believe him. All her life she’d aimed to be alone… alone was safe. Love was way too dangerous.

  Beau Bentley sat at his desk in his office later that afternoon, typing on his laptop that was networked to the family database. He scanned for any electronic threats, using the Hawke security program, and stored the information in his soon-to-be brother-in-law’s backup drive.

  Unlike his brothers, he’d always known he was the most expendable Bentley. The sixth son in the old days would've been sent into the military. All his life, Beau had imagined that he’d die for his family’s honor.

  In prison, he’d spent every night wondering when he’d have to jump in front of a bullet to protect the others.

  He'd never expected to meet a fiery-tempered woman who made him wish that in the end, he didn’t have to get shot in the line of familial duty.

  The only people Beau trusted these days was his immediate family, his about-to-be brother-in-law, who was clearly in love with his little sister, and Sarah, who fit into his life perfectly.

  Until he’d met her, no woman had ever yelled at him. His mother tended to spoil him. His sister helped her. He'd literally lived a charmed life.

  Beau was prepared to pay the price for that with his own blood.

  Sarah's defenses had been high when she'd moved in with him, but he’d worn her down. He knew he’d won something special a few weeks back when she'd laughed at his joke about surviving a zombie apocalypse.

  After that moment, she’d started watching for him to come home so they could share a meal, or something that had happened in her day, and then one morning she'd brought him coffee and he'd known he was in love.

  Now he needed to show her that together, their life could be amazing. As his wife, she’d have anything she ever wanted at the snap of her fingers, but more than that, she could trust him.

  He’d have to prove it. But he also needed to ensure all the files he’d been collecting against his aunt Mariam made it to official hands that were not corrupted by her power-grab in Hoskell. The American justice system couldn’t arrest a woman who wasn’t in the country, might never return, and wasn’t some military threat.

  Tomorrow he would campaign for his father and personally oversee Mariam's arrest.

  Part of his heart whispered that Sarah should stay here, where it was safe. Taking a bullet to the chest might not be enough to save her in a foreign palace.

  When he’d brought up the idea of her staying last week… she’d balked. Beau grinned at the memory--she'd said he needed defending though she had zero physical skills. Now intellectual skills, Sarah excelled. She was probably smarter than him in many ways.

  Beau was good at computers which is why he’d been in charge of gathering all the electronic files and he would be the one to deal the final blow--in the event something went wrong.

  If he survived this revenge scheme then he would offer Sarah whatever honeymoon she wanted. If he was killed, she’d be settled as a rich widow and never have to return to her parents.

  The idea of parents not protecting their own confounded him.

  Finished, he checked his backup discs, his USB, his air files and that his multiple laptops were all packed separately. As he put the last piece of hardware in a bag, his office door squeaked open. He glanced over and saw Sarah's thin brown hair fall forward over her face, hiding dark brown eyes. He stood taller and smiled at her. “I’m packing my computer and everything. Are you ready to go?”

  She paced in and then away from him with her arms crossed as she said, “Almost but I could use more time.”

  Perhaps this concern from her was a means to keep his hellcat of a wife away from danger. He scratched his neck. “I don’t know how to fix that. You can stay here.”

  She stopped pacing and her hands fell to her sides. “You need me.”

  No. He knew more about protecting himself than she did. When the end came, he was going out with a fight. In hand-to-hand combat, let the best man win. He’d taken defense classes, trained with his Navid, aka the former ninja, and knew how to shoot straight. He closed the bag with his laptop and shook his head. “I need you safe.”

  She grabbed his wrist, and his attention, as she said, “I won’t let you get hurt, Beau.”

  One day soon, he’d show Sarah that he could be a good husband and together they had a chance at happiness--if he survived this last hurdle. For now, he brushed her hair out of her eyes until she backed away, letting him go. “What do you want?”

  Her face was flushed. She was either upset or happy or both--it was possible she didn’t know. His Sarah had been a tiger locked in a cage all her life. “For you to tell me you were lying and that you don’t care about me.”

  He brought her hand to his heart. “Ah. Sarah, I can’t do that.”

  Her fingers traced his chest like she wanted to run them up and down his body but she stopped and peeled her hand away. She asked, almost hopefully, “Why not? It’s okay to tell the truth.”

  A sigh escaped his lips. In the movies when the guy told the girl he loved her, trumpets played and the couple kissed and lived happily-ever-after.

  Unless it was one with a tragic ending, but he avoided those movies, preferring Christmas tales with a hint of magic. His own fate was so sure in his brain that he didn’t need to relive it in every drama.

  He hadn’t known that love could happen before even kissing the girl. Sex had been easy to get, until he’d met and married Sarah. But he’d fix that situation, when she was ready. “I already told the truth. I love you.”

  Her lips turned up as she shook her head while her hands went into fists. “Why? I’m nothing but rude to
you… all the time.”

  And there it was--the hint of vulnerability. Despite her seriousness, his heart tugged that she needed him. While he was alive, he’d give her whatever he could. His reaction to her still confused him, but no woman before had made him more aware of her, and that counted. “I’m glad you realize you have a temper.”

  Her eyes widened and her sigh exhaled fire, if that was possible. “A temper? Seriously? That’s an understatement. Why would you love me?”

  He moved his bag to the office door for his staff to pack in the limo for the plane. “Because under that hard exterior of yours I know three things.”

  She threw her hands in the air and gave a small shout. “I hate your habit of list-making. It’s really annoying.”

  Interesting. Sarah hadn’t been this emotional about anything since the day she'd arrived and threatened to find a way to slice his throat if he came near her when she slept. Her willingness to do battle had somehow turned him on.

  Beau stood by the door and stared down his nose at her as he calmly said, “One. You care more than you admit. You tried to save your sister from marrying a bad man and that one act forced you to marry me, a stranger at the time. Then you’ve done nothing but help me find evidence against Kirno since you arrived.”

  She backed up like his words were weapons, and a flash of mist crossed her eyes. “But that’s just my own defenses. I hate my uncle.”

  Did Sarah know how to cry? While he hoped he never pushed her to break, a good cry helped everyone. Tears and sweat helped him push harder in a physical way--on the track, or at the gym. He didn’t move so as not to rattle her cage. “Two. You’re adorable when you’re not yelling at me.”

  Sarah covered her lips like he’d said something she couldn’t believe. Her tone turned sharp. “I’ll have to stop that from ever happening again. It’s better for both of us that we keep each other at arm's length.”

  Or, eventually he’d win this one. She’d see that it was okay to love him back. Arguing wasn’t the path to success so he just said, “I disagree." And moved on. "Three.”

  Sarah almost pleaded, “Can’t we get back to arguing?”

  Beau briefly brushed his hands against her slim shoulders until she pulled away like she’d never been touched in her life. “I’d rather tell you the third reason that I love you.”

  Her face paled and she covered her eyes as if she could disappear. “I don’t want to know. Forget it.”

  He leaned close enough to smell her lavender soap. “You asked why.”

  A whimper escaped her lips as she trembled, but Beau would never tell her that she was shaking. She’d hate knowing she was human. “I made a mistake.”

  He realized then that Sarah avoided him, and everyone, because she was afraid of being hurt. There were times she looked at him with bravado to mask her apprehension. He’d seen fear in wounded animals and in many ways Sarah was like that. Beau stood near her, without touching, and told her an absolute truth. “Third. I figured out I loved you the day you brought me coffee and helped me send articles about my family’s innocence to the world, like you were proud to be my wife.”

  She hugged her waist and quickly said, “Pride is a sin.”

  Now, that wasn’t her despite being raised by religious extremists like her uncle Jensen. She was quoting someone else, someone else who clearly hadn’t cared for her. He squeezed her elbows like he would a child. “Don’t quote that to me when we both know you don’t agree.”

  Her face flushed pink again as she crossed her arms higher to her chest and met his gaze. “Beau, stop, coffee? That is not a reason to love me.”

  Her strength was there. One day she’d see that they were on the same side in life and not enemies but for now he opened his office door. “Love is funny. It’s just small moments that make us stop and realize the bigger picture.”

  She didn’t blink as he waited for her to cross into the hall and then walked beside her. “That sounds like rich-boy talk and not realistic.”

  He handed her the black flats she usually wore. “Maybe it is. Normally I don’t even have to talk to a woman to get her to kiss me. Are you ready to get on the plane?”

  “Sure.” She slipped her shoes on and watched him with his loafers as she backed into the front door. “But I’m never going to kiss you.”

  “I won’t force you, Sarah.” He reached for the handle. She jumped off the door like she’d caught fire.

  But then as he opened it, she said softly, “I know you won’t, Beau. It’s why we’re friends.”

  He closed the door in security’s face and turned toward her. Her brown eyes reflected her soul which was beautiful, unbroken and strong as he said calmly, “We’re not friends, but it would be good if you could start trusting me.”

  She brushed his shoulder and pulled herself closer, just for a moment. “Why can’t we just be friends? It’s easier that way.”

  When she’d first arrived, she’d have never reached for him. Her simple touch meant he was winning. “Because I know you care but you’re scared to love me back. I get that you need time. We have the rest of our lives.”

  She let him go but her lips pursed in disagreement. “Your pursuit of me is a fool’s errand and Beau Bentley, you’re not a fool.”

  At least she hadn’t asked for a divorce because once he finished with his aunt and the authorities, the reasons why he’d asked her to stick around would no longer apply. Without touching her at all his skin was alive with awareness of her. “No. I’m not a fool, but I am in love with you.”

  Her eyes widened, but she hadn’t moved away. Her lips parted and for a second he wondered what she tasted like. When they’d first met he assumed battery acid, but now… now he saw that she had a sweet side and hoped her kiss tasted like cream filling. “Why do you think it’s okay to lie to me? It’s impossible a guy like you might ever love a girl like me.”

  Sarah had no clue to her charms--her hidden sweetness and loyalty being just two of them. He lowered his head and noticed how her hands trembled at her sides as she looked at her shoes. There was no reason to fear, so he teased, “You mean a woman like you, Sarah Bentley?”

  She met his gaze fast. “Only a technicality there.”

  Beau's lips curved into a smile as he shrugged. “Sarah, no one’s ever dared me to do anything in life. I’m the youngest of six sons, rich, spoiled, ex-royalty. I get anything I want from the snap of my fingers. Until I met you I never needed to prove myself. You inspire me and I promise one thing.”

  “Because I was nice and brought you coffee once?” she asked in disbelief. She let out a long sigh. “Don’t answer that. What do you promise, Beau?”

  He waited for a moment and then very briefly pressed his forehead to hers. “That it will be you who kisses me, and it will be soon.”

  She pushed him away as he suspected she might and shook her head. “Don’t go wasting your words on things that won’t come true.”

  Yet she didn’t stomp off and flip her hair with some slick comment like she'd have done in the past. He winked at her, knowing he’d pushed a button. “Sarah, we both know you want me. I see it in your expression.”

  Her lips twisted and then she did it--she flipped her hair and argued, “That’s just hunger.”

  One day she’d know that together they had a shot. He leaned over her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “We already ate.”

  He slipped his shoes off to agree with her. Owning the plane meant they could leave whenever they wanted.

  “I’m starving today…” Her words trailed off at the end.

  She removed her black flats and walked with him into the kitchen as he gently pushed into her shoulder with his own. “It’s not food that makes your eyes big and wide. You know you can trust me… with your heart.”

  Her face filled with color and she sighed. For one moment it seemed she was calm but then she pressed her lips together and he knew she was fortifying her usual defenses. “I know I need to find new ways to stop you f
rom coming near my heart.”

  Beau took out the iced tea from the fridge and poured them each a glass. “Time’s on my side. Why don't you check to see what's for dinner? We can leave whenever you finish.”

  She selected a tray of food labeled lemon chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. The chefs always left gourmet offerings that just needed to be warmed up for them. Sarah turned the oven on as she said, “I… I’ll let you know what I want to do. Soon.”

  “I trust you, Sarah.” He got out the plates.

  Dinner was just a start. He would ensure his aunt suffered the way his family had suffered. Once he dealt the final blow to his aunt's plan, Sarah, his family and everyone else he loved would be safe. Then if he lived through this, he’d just have one goal left… win Sarah’s love.

  Sarah imagined that her stomach must be huge, though she was slender. She figured she was making up for lost meals. The lemon chicken was finished, but there was still dessert. She was completely, one-hundred percent full and couldn’t swallow another bite, even if those cream puffs were staring her in the face.

  If she didn’t eat them, they’d be given to staff or tossed out with the trash and that seemed such a shame. The chef had spent time making them, especially for her.

  She licked her lips, remembering the sweet powdered sugar. Beau’s chair scraped against his bamboo floor as he pushed away from the dining table. She glanced up at him as he said, “I’m getting a coffee. Is there anything else you need?”

  Her heart beat faster. This wasn’t good. “For you to tell me that you lied.”

  He made two cappuccinos and the sound of the machine drowned out his words. She watched his strong backside and body until her skin grew warm and she stared again at the cream puffs. Maybe if she ate enough of them, she’d lose Beau’s interest in her entirely.

  However, Beau was the most straightforward person she’d ever met.

  He had no reason to lie. Which meant he wouldn't care if she ate dozens of cream puffs. She let out a sigh but then he shoved the cappuccino he’d made for her in front of her and took the seat opposite. “Sarah, why is it so hard for you to believe I might love you?”