He cupped one breast, and she moaned his name. If she’d come anywhere near that sound the first day they had met, he’d have been her slave for the past three months. He slipped his hand inside the neckline of her dress, thrumming his fingertips over her nipple. It tightened in response, and he groaned in true pain.
He kissed her mouth again, trying to appease the raging storm within him. His hunger was raw, his need intense. The desire to push her back on the makeshift bed and bury himself was almost overpowering.
In another second, he’d…
He sucked in a breath and forced himself to pull back, breaking the kiss. “We have to stop,” he rasped.
Her emerald eyes blinked up at him in confusion, her face soft and vulnerable in the flickering candlelight. “What was that? Did we hit ten?”
“That was me hitting break point.”
He let her go and raked his hand through his hair. “Either we back off right now and take up neutral corners, or I grab a handful of condoms and we go for it.”
He held his breath, hoping against hope she’d go for the condoms. It would be crazy, stupid, irresponsible, but he wanted her more than anything in his life.
She slowly nodded, taking a step back.
She swallowed. “Right.”
Right what? he nearly screamed.
Her hand went to her forehead. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
He was pretty sure that meant no condoms, but he waited on tenterhooks for another second.
She shook her head. “We have to forget all about this.”
Crushing disappointment shot through Derek, before he sucked it up. “Of course.”
She moved to the table and blew out the candle.
Derek stayed frozen, afraid his tense muscles would shatter if he tried to move.
She slipped the strap back up on her shoulder. “We’ll go to sleep. We’ll get out of here tomorrow morning. And everything can go back to normal.”
“And our deal?”
She turned to gaze at him in silence, and he longed to close his eyes against the temptation she presented.
“Carte blanche for an introduction to your family?” he elaborated.
“Deal’s a deal,” she whispered.
5
CANDICE DESPERATELY NEEDED a way out of the damn deal.
She pedaled her bike for all she was worth, stretching out the distance between her and Jenna as they headed up Briar Hill on a cool, sunny Saturday morning.
It had been two weeks since the construction crew liberated them from the Quayside, and she hadn’t seen Derek since. With him out of the picture, things were moving smoothly on the renovation.
Too bad the same couldn’t be said for her life.
Derek’s kisses had left her tense, humming with nervous energy. She couldn’t seem to sit still during the day. And when she closed her eyes at night, his image danced in front of her eyes. Instead of sleeping, she saw his face, heard his voice, felt his touch.
It was everything she’d ever feared, and worse. When she was twenty, she’d watched in shock and disbelief as her best friends fell for cold-hearted business sharks. She’d begged them to walk away, but they’d flittered around the wealthy objects of their infatuation until their hearts had been trampled into the dust.
Candice had sworn it would never happen to her. And she wasn’t about to let it.
Her thigh muscles burned as she approached the crest of the hill. But she kept on pumping, kept on pushing. Maybe if she pushed hard enough, she’d sleep tonight. At some point, sheer physical exhaustion would counteract the mental torture. Wouldn’t it?
Too soon, the road ended at the Briar Park parking lot. Leaving the traffic behind, she slowed to a stop, dismounting onto shaking legs before pushing her front wheel into the iron bike rack. She drew deep, rapid breaths, walking in small circles on the grass while she waited for her heart rate to get back to normal.
She should have regretted their close call. Instead, the memory turned her on. So much so that she knew she had to stay away from him or risk becoming a moth to his flame.
Which meant she couldn’t set up the meeting with her family. Which meant she wasn’t living up to her end of the bargain. Which meant sooner or later, Derek was going to figure that out and get angry.
She pushed her sweaty hair back from her forehead. She’d already blown off several of his phone calls, one three days ago and another yesterday morning. Call her crazy, but she suspected he was about to run out of patience.
Jenna pulled up to the bike rack. “You training for the triathlon, or what?” she gasped.
“Ate too many cookies last night,” Candice lied. She hadn’t shared the details of the restaurant kisses with Jenna or anyone else.
Jenna parked her bike. “I think you just wore off an entire dozen.”
“I wish.” Candice stretched from side to side, the ocean breeze cool against her bare limbs.
Jenna stretched, too. Then she nodded at the Java Hut, a popular coffee shop that sat in the middle of the small park. “You up for oatmeal-raisin?”
Comfort food sounded good to Candice. “Sure.”
They locked their bikes and headed down the gravel pathway.
Risky or not, Candice knew that avoiding Derek was her only hope. She couldn’t imagine sitting through an evening with him at her parents’ house. And Lord help her if he actually managed to cut a deal with her father. She’d never get a decent night’s sleep again.
Jenna pointed toward the octagonal coffee shop. “Oh, good, there’s Tyler.”
Candice’s gaze darted down the pathway. Her heart slid to her toes and her mouth went dry. Derek.
“You told Tyler we were coming here?” she squeaked at Jenna.
“Of course.”
And Tyler had told Derek. Two degrees of separation. Derek could find her any old time he wanted. And it looked like he wanted.
Jenna glanced at Candice’s expression, then did a double take. “What’s wrong?”
Candice didn’t answer. Derek was here. In a few seconds, she was going to have to face him, talk to him, lie to him….
“You look like you saw a ghost,” said Jenna.
“It’s nothing,” said Candice.
“You and Derek fighting again?”
“How could we fight? He hasn’t been on the job site for two weeks.”
Jenna tightened her ponytail. “You seen him outside of work?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
Candice focused on the pathway directly in front of her. The wind picked up off the ocean, and a few cars zoomed by on the side streets as their footsteps crunched on the gravel. “Nothing.”
“Here they come,” Jenna whispered in her ear. “Give, or I’ll ask Derek.”
Candice slid a glare in Jenna’s direction. “Fine. I promised I’d take him to my parents’ house. Something about an electronics deal.”
Jenna looked disappointed. “That’s it?”
“I haven’t gotten around to it yet, and I know he’s going to be upset.”
“He’s not an ogre, you know.”
Candice compressed her lips. Yeah. She knew that now. Which only made things worse. “I don’t think our relationship is ever going to be easy.”
Jenna patted her on the shoulder. “Well, work on it, will you? You’re my best friend and he’s my brother-in-law. I want you to find some common ground.”
If you asked Candice, they had a little too much common ground at the moment.
“I’d hate to have to lock you up again,” said Jenna.
“Like that’s ever going to happen,” Candice scoffed, though she shrank a little inside at the thought.
“Okay, I’ll admit, Tyler got a little carried away.”
“A little?”
“It worked,” said Jenna.
“Not exactly.”
“Things are a whole lot better now.”
Candice supposed that depended on your definition of b
etter. A shape suddenly loomed in her peripheral vision, and she stopped short before running squarely into Derek’s broad chest.
Tyler reached for Jenna’s hand, drawing her up against him. “Hey, sweetheart.”
Candice could feel Derek’s intense stare.
When he spoke, his tone was strikingly formal for someone who had nearly found her tonsils. “Hello, Candice.”
She scrunched her eyes shut, putting it off for a heartbeat, but then she had no choice but to turn and face the inevitable.
He was angry all right. His blue eyes were crystal-hard, his lips pursed tight, and a small muscle ticked in the top of his right cheek. Apparently, people didn’t often ignore his phone calls.
“Hi,” she returned on a forced breezy note, tipping her chin, refusing to acknowledge his mood.
Beside them, Tyler wrapped Jenna into a tight hug. The two laughed and whispered in their embrace, like they’d been apart for weeks instead of hours.
Candice caught Derek’s eye, and their gazes locked. An instant avalanche of emotion swept through her and she was catapulted back two weeks. For a bizarre second, she imagined herself walking into his arms.
“You didn’t call me back,” he said.
She shook off the unruly feelings and squared her shoulders. “I tried.”
Derek’s mouth curved into a cold half smile. He gave his head an almost imperceptible shake, and his eyes called her a liar.
He probably had a receptionist, a secretary and voice mail. Like she wouldn’t have been able to leave a dozen messages if she’d tried.
“Can we talk inside?” asked Jenna, pulling back from Tyler. “I’m starting to get a chill.”
The wind had freshened and Candice’s damp T-shirt clung coldly to her stomach, reminding her she was sweaty and smelly. She was also lying through her teeth. She hated it when Derek had the upper hand.
Jenna and Tyler started ahead.
“Arranged the meeting yet?” asked Derek, turning to walk toward the Java Hut.
“Not yet,” said Candice, falling into step.
“What’s the holdup?”
“Haven’t had time.”
“We had a deal.”
She rubbed her rapidly chilling arms, keeping her focus face-forward. “You didn’t say anything about timing.”
Derek snorted. “Yeah right. Like I can afford to sit around and wait—”
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Candice jumped on the opening, trying for the offensive instead of the defensive.
He drew back, squinting in confusion. “What’s it?”
“It’s all about afford for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
She gave her head a pitying shake. “I know your type. You’re obsessive, fixated on money. You have to break everything down into dollars and cents.”
He came to a halt on the coffee shop porch, where the building blocked the wind and the September sun instantly felt warmer. Instead of taking up the argument, he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
“Call them, Candy.”
She glanced up in disbelief. “Now?”
“Now.”
“But…”
Tyler and Jenna had disappeared through the heavy front door.
Derek cocked his head and stared down at Candice—immovable, implacable and in the right.
Resigned, Candice snatched the phone from his hand. “Fine.”
She flipped it open and dialed her parents’ house, glaring at Derek the whole time. She hated his confident posture, his cocksure expression, the way he simply expected the world to do his bidding.
It wasn’t fair that the world fell at his feet. It also wasn’t fair that he could act like a jerk and give her butterflies at the same time.
“Hammond residence.”
“Anna-Leigh? It’s Candice. Is Mom around?”
“She sure is. Let me get her for you.”
Candice turned away, but it didn’t help. She could still feel Derek’s stare penetrating her skin. She felt like an over-revved engine about to blow.
“Candice?”
“Hey Mom.”
“How are you, dear?”
She forced herself to calm down and focus on her mother. “I’m great. How about you guys?”
“Not too bad.”
Candice nodded. “Good. Good.”
“Your dad just got back from Texas.”
“Really?”
“He bought a bull.”
Now that seriously distracted Candice’s attention. “A what?”
“Captain Fantastic.”
She could hear the resignation in her mother’s tone. Her dad prided himself on quickly spotting and acting on good business opportunities. It had led to some interesting periods in their lives. But buying a bull was strange, even for him.
“Why’d he do that?” she asked.
“Apparently the owner was willing to deal, and the semen is very valuable.”
“Semen?” asked Candice.
Derek shifted around to stare at her, forehead furrowing.
“It’s a breeding bull,” her mother explained.
“Right…And you’re going to keep it…”
“This is where it gets interesting,” said her mother.
“I can’t wait,” said Candice.
Derek made a hand motion, telling her to move it along.
She ignored him.
“He wants to buy the ranch,” said her mother.
“In Texas?”
“Saves moving Captain Fantastic.”
“Well, as long as he’s thought it all through.”
Her mother laughed. “I told him there’d better be air-conditioning if he expected me to visit.”
“What did he say?” asked Candice.
Derek rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.
“He’s installing air-conditioning.”
“Oh, Mom.” Candice tried not to laugh.
“Not to worry. Couple of weeks. A month, tops. Then he’ll have worked out his bull lust, and we’ll get back to normal. On the bright side, I’m sure the ranch staff will appreciate the air-conditioning long-term. Now, what can I do for you, honey?”
Candice shook her head. She loved her father dearly, and she had no doubt the bull venture would make money. But there were times when she didn’t know how her mother put up with his impulsive schemes. “I was wondering if you and Dad are free next—”
“Tonight,” said Derek.
Candice blinked at him.
“Tonight,” he repeated.
She gritted her teeth. “Tonight,” she said into the phone.
“You thinking of dropping by?” asked her mother.
“Yeah. I have this—”
“Oh, do. Come for dinner. Your father’s dying to tell somebody all about Captain Fantastic.”
Discuss bull semen over dinner?
Candice felt her body relax for the first time in two weeks. A slow grin grew on her face. It would serve Derek darn well right. “I was thinking of bringing along a friend.”
“Does your friend know anything about cattle breeding?”
“I’ll ask.”
“See you tonight, then.”
“Bye, Mom.” Candice clicked off the phone and handed it back to Derek.
“We’re on?” Derek asked.
“We’re on,” she announced as she headed for the coffee shop door. This was perfect. If her dad was bull-obsessed this week, he wasn’t going to be the least bit interested in making a wireless communications deal with Derek.
As soon as the renovation was done, Derek would be out of her life.
“What’s so funny?” Derek asked, falling into step behind her, grabbing the top of the door panel as she pulled on the handle. The weight instantly disappeared from her hand.
“Nothing,” she said and walked into the brightly lit coffee shop.
Plants decorated every nook and cranny of the octagonal room. The furniture was light, the color
s crisp, and big windows overlooked the ocean.
“What was that conversation all about?” asked Derek as they started toward Jenna and Tyler’s table.
“Girl talk.”
“Semen?”
Candice nodded. “Sure. Mom and I talk semen all the time.”
Derek choked out a disbelieving laugh.
“What do you and your dad talk about?” she asked.
“The NASDAQ index.”
“You need a life, Derek.”
“I have a life, Candy.”
DEREK HAD a perfectly fine life.
Contrary to what Candice and Tyler might think, he didn’t need a steady girlfriend, and he didn’t need to discuss reproduction with his parents.
What he needed was to keep all the divisions of Reeves-DuCarter firmly in the black. And right now that meant nailing down a wireless agreement with Chuck Hammond.
It also meant keeping his focus. Which meant keeping his craving for Candy under control. Which was going to be a whole lot easier to do once tonight was over.
He watched from his car as she walked out the front door of her apartment building. Her low-cut khaki jeans clung to the curve of her hips. They were topped with a short olive-green jacket—its double zipper revealing the curve of her breasts at one end and a wink of her navel at the other. It was obvious she wore nothing beneath.
Gritting his teeth, he opened the driver’s side door and rounded the hood to meet her. Was she doing this on purpose?
“Casual?” he drawled, refusing to acknowledge how sexy she looked in the simple outfit. The only jewelry she wore was a teardrop silver necklace and two pairs of stud earrings made of emerald-colored glass. Her blond hair was just tousled enough to scream sensuality.
She reached for the door handle of his black Porsche, but he beat her to it.
“It’s a nice night,” she said sliding into the passenger seat. “They’ll probably barbecue.”
Derek glanced down at his white shirt and charcoal jacket. “You could have said something.”
She grinned, unrepentantly. “Are you kidding?”
As he rounded the car again, Derek tugged at his tie. He stripped off his suit jacket and laid it behind the front seat. Then he unbuttoned his collar and rolled up his sleeves.
He folded his body into the driver’s seat and pulled the door shut. “That do?”
High Stakes Page 6