His Toughest Call

by Joss Wood

  Annoyed by his introspection Seth placed his coffee cup on the table and willed Leah to look at him. Within ten seconds, she lifted her eyes and met his and something—a mixture of heat and desire and understanding—flashed between them. Sensing he wanted to leave, Leah nodded quickly and flipped the album closed and placed it on the table in front of her. She stood up and bent over Fatima Khan, giving her a quick hug and whispering something encouraging in her ear. Leah repeated the action with Fayed’s sister.

  She was warm and empathetic and kind. Those were traits he didn’t come across often in his line of work. And damn, they were almost as sexy as her tiny waist, long legs, and perfect breasts.

  She’s trouble. Big, fat, messy trouble. Squared.

  Leah imagined sinking her head into her crème brûlée. On the boredom scale of one to ten, Philippe rated a hundred and twenty seven. Leah sighed as she lifted her cup of espresso to her lips. She now had a precise breakdown of all the properties he owned throughout the world, a detailed description of every piece of art he’d ever bought, sold, and bartered, and was even told the pedigrees of the Borzoi champions he’d bred and raised.

  Since there was, simply, something so sexy about conversing in French across a dinner table, Leah was still disappointed that, despite the Gallic pronunciation of his name, he didn’t speak French. That was just, well, wrong. As was this date. All their previous conversations had been business-like and she’d never thought Philippe could be so damn dull.

  Shoot me now. She sighed as Philippe launched into a monologue detailing his extensive wine cellar.

  “So, how often do you sneak into your cellar and enjoy a bottle?’ she asked during a brief pause.

  Philippe looked at her as if she’d suggested he stand on the table and strip. “The wines are for collecting, not drinking!”

  Leah shrugged at his scandalous expression and wished she was anywhere but here. But preferably with Seth.

  Philippe reached across the table to take her hand and Leah sighed. It was past time to bring this evening to an end.

  She wished she could tell him she’d rather stick fire ants in her eyes than go on another date with him but she suspected he would take that badly. He might be an arrogant bore but they did business together and she didn’t want to antagonize him. She’d need to let him down gently and in a way that was no threat to his ego...

  Her mobile rang in her evening bag and Leah sent Philippe an apologetic smile.

  She yanked her phoneout and frowned at the display. Seth.

  “You done?” he demanded, his voice rough and sexy in her ear.

  Leah flashed Philippe a small smile and shrugged her shoulders apologetically and launched into a gabble of French. Neither Seth nor Philippe would understand but she could, at least, vent her frustration at him and the situation. “Yeah, this was a really bad idea. He’s boring and annoying and he definitely wants to take me to bed to comfort me. That’s a bit problematic since all I want to do is to go home and strip you naked and find out if sex can be as good as they say it can be.”

  There was a long silence on the other side of the phone before Seth replied in English. “Time to go, princess. My butt is numb and I’m tired of watching his ham-handed attempts at seducing you.”

  Leah quite liked the idea of emotionally erupting so she let loose with another gabble of fast French. “You just need to walk into a room and I want to climb you like a vine. How can I feel like this about you so soon after Heath? It makes no sense, I should be wailing and weeping. Yet, all I can think about is that you are so damn sexy and what you would feel like, in me”

  “Je ressens la même chose.”

  He felt the same way. Leah pushed the tips of her fingers into her forehead. And...oh, crapdammithell, he spoke French! Oh...shitohshitohshit.

  Leah placed her hand over her eye. “I think I want to die I’m so embarrassed.” She whimpered. “How come you speak French? Why do you speak French?”

  “If it helps, I also speak fluent Spanish, Farsi, Arabic and a smattering of Mandarin.”

  “Are you human?” Leah muttered.

  Seth laughed. “I just have an ear for languages.”

  “Can we ignore what I just said?” Leah asked. Seth didn’t reply so she assumed that was a solid “no.”

  “Where are you?” she eventually demanded, resting the backs of her bent fingers against her flushed cheeks. She’d blushed more around Seth that she had her entire life.

  “I am watching your ass from these deeply uncomfortable bar stools while you eat lobster and flirt with that moron,” Seth muttered. “Wrap it up...and why are we still speaking French?”

  “Look, I know I’ve just made a huge fool of myself but can you extricate me from this situation?”

  “Explain?”

  “Hot hands, bad innuendos, wants to take me home.”

  “Just tell him you’re not interested.”

  Leah sneaked a look at Philippe, who was stroking the inside of her wrist and looking impatient. “I don’t want to offend him.”

  Seth sighed. “Sure. I’m coming in, act surprised to see me. I’m an old friend. We haven’t seen each other in ages.”

  “Merci.”

  “You owe me.”

  Leah disconnected and sent Philippe one of her megawatt smiles. “Sorry, about that.”

  Philippe waved her apology away and immediately launched into a long and boring story about shares he’d just purchased in new cell phone technology. Leah swiftly ate the rest of her crème Brûlée and she’d just finished her last spoonful when Seth entered the dining room and held a brief conversation with the maître d.

  She faked her surprise and thought she was a damn good actress. “Why, that’s Seth. Good grief!”

  Philippe turned, looked at Seth and his back went steel straight. “Seth? Who is he to you?”

  “An old family friend. I haven’t seen him for years!” Leah laid her hand on her chest and fluttered her fingers. She didn’t have to fake the appreciative look on her face as she took in his open neck black dress shirt, untucked and sleeves rolled up, the faded jeans and the scarred boots. Letting out an excited, feminine squeal, she bounded to her feet and, when he reached her, she wound her arms around his neck and lifted up on her scalpel-sharp heels to reach his mouth. She felt his hesitation, his jolt of surprise, and then his hands grasped hips and yanked her closer. His mouth took control of hers and the brief smooch she planned on giving him flipped over. Philippe and the restaurant faded away, and she and Seth...Seth’s body, mouth, hands...were all that were important.

  She’d never really been kissed before until Seth laid his mouth on hers, Leah decided. He kissed with confidence, with...abundance. In addition to his strong hands, his firm lips, quick tongue, and hard body she felt like she’d landed in a place of utter safety, complete contentment. Nothing else mattered but living, owning, claiming this moment, this spot of time.

  Nothing else could.

  Seth broke the kiss and Leah teetered on her ridiculously high heels. Note to self, do not kiss Seth when wearing heels. The possibility of falling off the damn things was stratospheric. She dimly heard Seth introducing himself to Philippe, vaguely took in that Philippe was calling for the check, his face sullen and set.

  Leah clutched Seth’s arm and sent him a rueful look. Her smile faded as she picked up the heat in his eyes. Yeah, her earlier comments in French had ignited a firestorm within him and he was trying to talk himself out of walking her out of the restaurant and straight into his bed.

  She wished he wouldn’t; talk himself out of it that was. She wanted his heat, his fire. And not because she wanted to forget about Heath—God, since Seth’s arrival she’d barely thought about him at all—her need for Seth was all about him and the craziness he ignited inside her.

  Leah bit the inside of her lip. It didn’t matter he wasn’t long-term material, that he probably wasn’t what she needed in a life partner—or what she thought she needed—that she couldn’t v
isualize him in her life in even a casual way, but she felt like she needed to take this chemical connection to the wall, to roll with him, rage with him, shudder as she tipped into orgasm.

  He was bad and bad for her. But, why was she so convinced she needed a little bad again?

  Chapter Five

  Leah stepped onto the uneven pavement outside the restaurant and, annoyingly and again, felt unsteady on her scalpel-sharp heels. Grabbing Seth’s sleeve for support, she found her footing and ambled towards her car, inhaling the clean scent of the summer squall that had blown through earlier. She ignored the exhaust fumes and food smells from the restaurants and concentrated on the combination of brine and rain and Seth’s masculine cologne. She’d picked up vanilla and sandalwood, maybe a hint of citrus? Grapefruit? Lemon...

  Jerked from her musings by a car passing through the puddle below the pavement, she grimaced as water soaked her heels and splashed her bare calves. Looking down, she cursed. Her suede, nude babies would now be permanently stained with mucky puddle water.

  “Problem?”

  Leah didn’t bother to explain. Seth was so damn masculine; she didn’t think he’d understand a woman’s deep and abiding relationship with a special pair of designer shoes.

  Leah tossed a glance up and sighed at his inscrutable expression. His hands were loose at his sides and his eyes were watching the street, the people, flicking over buildings and cars. He was prepared for anything but Leah knew, with one swipe of her mouth across his, she could have all of his attention on her. They were that combustible.

  Whether Mr. Stoic-but-Sexy liked it or not—and she was going for not—it was what it was and what it was was flammable.

  They reached her parking spot and Leah ignored his attempt to open her door. Instead, she placed her butt on the handle and crossed her ankles.

  Seth’s hand darted past her ear to grip the roof of her Jag. For a brief second the hair on his arms glinted in the passing lights of a car exiting the parking lot before they were plunged back into the shadows of the parking area. The street light on the other side of the lot didn’t reach this part and she, reluctantly, admitted if she was alone, she might be a tiny bit nervous...but she was with Seth who would never let anything happen to her.

  “Let’s get going, Leah. It’s late and standing around isn’t smart.”

  “There are people, cars, going past all the time,” Leah calmly replied.

  She couldn’t pretend she hadn’t spoken those words in French, couldn’t ignore the fact she’d told him, very graphically, that she wanted him in the most biblical way possible.

  “I’m sorry if what I said earlier upset you,” Leah said, her voice low.

  Seth finally pulled his attention away from their surroundings and really looked at her. “Why would I be upset by what you said?”

  “If I’d known that you spoke French, obviously I would’ve kept my mouth shut.” Leah told him, staring at the tanned skin of his neck, the masculine vee at the bottom of his throat.

  Seth’s knuckle across her cheekbone was a soft as a butterfly’s kiss. “Honey, I’m not upset. And, for your information, having a sexy woman lusting after me is a compliment and certainly nothing to be upset about.”

  Leah bit the corner of her bottom lip. She wanted to ask him how he felt, whether he was feeling the same but she’d rather chew her own wrists off before allowing herself to sound needy.

  “Okay, then.” She turned and tugged at the locked door handle. “No need to discuss that again.” Leah pulled the handle again and frowned at Seth. “Will you please open the door?”

  “Not just yet,” Seth replied.

  Leah threw her handsup in the air. “It’s dark, it’s dangerous, you want to get going.”

  Seth placed his hands on the side panels of the door on either side of Leah’s hips. “As you said, we’ll be fine for five minutes.”

  “But—”

  Seth’s mouth covered hers and when her mouth opened in surprise, his tongue slipped inside to touch hers and her brain switched off. There was just Seth and his clever mouth, one hand on her butt pushing her stomach into his erection, his other hand sliding up her rib cage before skimming his knuckles over her breast, rubbing her nipple in a move that sent heat and moisture between her thighs. Leah wiggled and Seth shoved his thigh between her legs, pushing her dress up her thigh so his knee could push into the thin fabric of her panties. Leah groaned into his mouth and wound her arms around his neck, wanting to slide inside him, needing heat on heat, skin on skin.

  Needing more, she dropped her arms and shoved her hands up and under his loose shirt, looking for skin and finding his rock hard abs. Unable to stop, she allowed her fingers to dance over his hard erection, swallowing Seth’s moan.

  Oh, yeah, he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Leah moved her hands to his belt buckle, needing to have her fingers on him, to feel him between her palms, hot and hard and ready.

  Seth slapped his hand on hers to keep her still and she pulled back from him, not understanding why they were stopping. She wanted him, he wanted her...what was the problem?

  Seth held her wrists at her side and rested his forehead against hers. “We’ll get arrested for public indecency.”

  Leah heard the sound of a car passing, laughter, footsteps. God, they were standing in the middle of a busy carport and Seth had just kissed her and she’d lost track of time and space. This wasn’t good, this was so, so, not good.

  “This is crazy,” Leah whispered.

  “Tell me about it,” Seth replied.

  “God, all I’ve done tonight is embarrass myself.” Leah pulled her wrist from his grip to push her hair out of her eyes. “Sorry. Again. I’ll stop throwing myself at you.”

  Seth’s harsh sigh dropped into the warm air. “Nothing to apologize for,” Seth muttered, stepping away from her. “And I was the one who started that kiss.”

  God, did he have to sound so together, so unaffected? So cool and in control?

  “Leah, you are old enough to know that you and I have hectic chemistry and that it looks like we will, at some point, end up in bed.” Seth’s eyes gleamed in the low light. “I don’t think either of us is strong enough to resist. So, yeah, at some point we are going to end up in bed. Or up against a wall or on the nearest horizontal surface.”

  “At some point?’ Leah asked. That didn’t sound like tonight...Dammit.

  “At some point, probably not soon.”

  Well, hell.

  Seth pushed his hand through his hair and shoved his hands into the pockets on his jeans, hunching his shoulders as he looked around. “I’m really uncomfortable standing out here, having this conversation with you out in the open. Can we go home and continue this discussion there?”

  Leah narrowed her eyes. She gestured to a group of people approaching them from a distance. “Lots of people around, we’re fine. Explain why us sleeping together isn’t going to happen soon.”

  Seth glanced at his watch. “Two weeks and six days ago your life got flipped upside down. In the space of six hours you got married, were cheated on, and were arrested. All your dreams and plans came crashing down around your head. You feel betrayed and angry and hurt and all those messy emotions that normal people feel. I’ve wanted you since you walked into Jed and Mac’s engagement party wearing a fire engine red top, denim shorts and fuck-me shoes.”

  He sounded like he was ordering breakfast, like them discussing sleeping together was the most normal thing in the world. It wasn’t normal, not in her world. Couldn’t he sound a little flustered, a wee bit out of his depth? It would make her feel less gauche, not so inexperienced and naïve.

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  Seth gave her a what-the-hell look. “Oh, maybe because you were engaged to be married! And because you’re Jed’s sister.”

  Oh, right. Fair point. “Well, I’m still Jed’s sister and my marriage never started.” Leah frowned. “Does it worry you that I’m still legally married?�
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  “It doesn’t excite me but I know that it’s over. I know exactly what happened, I was there when it happened.” Seth sent her a steady look. “It’s all going a bit fast, don’t you think? I’ve only been here for three days. For both our sakes, let’s try and slow this down, okay?”

  Three days? That wasn’t possible. “No way. You arrived on...Tuesday.”

  Seth smiled. “And today is Friday. Three days.”

  Leah groaned. “I’m losing my mind.”

  Seth pulled the passenger door open and gestured her inside. He sent her a grim smile. He looked down at her and muttered a phrase which she knew was Spanish. She understood “loca” and “pasión” but little else.

  When Seth settled himself behind the wheel, she demanded to know what he said.

  He grinned as he started the engine and flicked on the headlights. “Yeah, no. Learn Spanish.”

  Seth heard the alert sound on his phone and he was instantly awake and groping for his phone. It took him a moment to make sense of what his screen was telling him: Leah’s phone was more than two hundred yards from his and that it was on the move.

  Seth cursed, immediately grasping that Leah was on the move with it.

  Seth threw back the covers and looked at the face of his watch, grimacing when the luminous hands told him that it was just past two in the morning. He’d been living across the hall from Leah for not even a week and this late night alert was the first odd occurrence since they’d found that mannequin in the pool. He was no closer to finding the mystery person claiming to be his father and Fayed Khan was still in the wind. This wasn’t the way he liked his operations to go. It was still early days, something would break soon. It had to.