And what of Clarissa? They sat so politely every afternoon, knowing what Keely was going back to. Visions of her lying under that man sprung into his head and he closed his eyes tight trying to blot them out. Then the memory of the bruises, ignited the fury that had been building. It wasn’t until he heard his front door open that his reflexes kicked in and he ran after her, stopping for a moment when in blinding clarity, he realized who the man was she’d been with that day at the mall.
Barefooted, he ran down the balcony walkway sheer determination to make this right somehow pushed him.
“Wait!” He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back up against him. “Derik Fulton. It’s Derik Fulton, isn’t it?”
He put her down, she turned slowly and he could see it in her eyes, she already knew, what he just figured out.
“Derik Fulton is my father’s age. He’s one of the senators from California and one of my father’s main adversaries. Oh my God, Keely, that man fights my father on every good initiative that come along, he has more dirty politicians in his back pocket than anyone should have a right to and for the past three years he’s been laying his bid for President. He’s the main reason my father is considering the nomination from his party, and you’re his mistress?”
He ran his hand up over his head as all the ramifications sank in.
“Good God, Keely. We’re fucked.”
Chapter Eight
“We’ve met before, Keely. Several times. Though it was a while ago, wasn’t it?”
Now he remembered why she looked so damn familiar when he’d first seen her. She was the mysterious woman he’d seen on Fulton’s arm at the memorial service for a family friend. That must have been five years ago, at least. Nick remembered staring and having his mother chide him for it. He remembered instinctively knowing she wasn’t his wife even though the funeral had been just before the divorce proceedings began. Fulton v. Fulton, one of the messiest divorces the political world had ever seen.
He’d been with Angie that night, but still remembered the strong pull he felt towards the sexy blonde. She was with Fulton and he’d known at the time what that made her, but he hadn’t cared. Still, he had Angie, so he consciously fought to pay little attention to the woman that was doubly off limits. His gut told him that if he didn’t, they’d all be in trouble. So he avoided her and now he understood why.
He knew when he looked back on this moment later he’d wonder if rage made a man dumb, or if he’d always had this level of stupidity in him.
“Did you play me?”
He couldn’t stop the burst of anger that rushed through his veins, anymore than he could have stopped the next incredibly stupid words from leaving his mouth.
“Trying to set yourself up with something better?”
He saw the hurt flash across her eyes, saw her hand flicker as if she wanted to slap him, but she didn’t. She stayed perfectly still. Coldness like he’d never experienced before seeping into her voice when she spoke.
“Yes, Nick, that’s exactly right. I figured maybe if I fucked you once or twice and got you hooked, I could have a few more years on the gravy train. Or maybe, if not you, your dad would be interested. You know Derik had me fully trained in pleasing a man in the first two years we were together. It was considered my education.”
She ran a silken finger along his cheek and down his neck. He shivered from her touch.
“I spent six months with another woman. We made love day and night until I pleased her exactly right, then she brought in another man and we took turns…”
He couldn’t take it, not from her. He turned, walking away from pain tearing him apart only to have her yell after him.
“I could make you burn for me, Nicholas. And girls like me, we’re always on the prowl for the next big catch. Lucky you found out in time.”
He’d only gotten a few steps from her, but the damn pull was too strong. He turned back, yanking her into his arms, and forced his lips on hers. Yes, he was angry—damn angry—and in a way he wanted to punish her, hurt her if he could, but she met his passion with her own and in seconds he was hard and in need and didn’t give a damn about his vow of celibacy.
“I want you, Keely. Any fucking way I can get you.”
She jerked herself out of his arms, breathless, her eyes darkened with lust. He could imagine fucking her right here in the view of anyone who walked by, but she turned and ran for the elevator. Nick took a minute too long going after her and the elevator doors closed in his face. He ran for the stairs, not catching up with her until she crossed by the pool. The pool was understandably crowded and he did not want to have this conversation here.
“Keely, come back to the apartment. What I said before, it was incredibly asinine and I didn’t mean it.” He shook his head and added for clarity, “the part about you playing me, I thought I knew what was going on with you and I was…I was shocked, and behaved like an idiot, and was inexcusably unkind and rude to you. Please forgive me. Please, come back upstairs, we can still figure something out.”
She looked at him with very little emotion, he figured that was how she’d survived being sold, which was what it came down to no matter how she wanted to sugarcoat it.
“No, Nick. We can’t work this out. Don't even try.”
She started moving away from him again he reached out to grab her and found himself being grabbed from behind.
“Leave the lady alone. She obviously doesn’t want to be bothered by you.”
Nick turned to see a huge hunk of a guy, reminiscent of the guy they’d saved Frannie from on his honeymoon cruise nearly two years before. He jerked his arm out of the guy’s grasp.
“This is really none of your business.”
He was slightly panicked, not over the brute in front of him, but because his interruption was giving Keely a great opportunity to escape. The man had the audacity to restrain him again.
“You just go on, honey. I’ll keep him here for you.”
He nodded and smiled over Nick’s shoulder, so Nick knew Keely was still back there. He still had time.
“Keely, tell him everything’s cool, would you?”
Jerking his arm free as he spoke, he went for Keely, only to once again be grabbed from behind. This guy was unbelievable. Nick figured it served him right for not getting to know his neighbors better.
He started to turn, planning on giving the guy a brief explanation, because the bottom line was, his future happiness was being interfered with right now and he didn’t have the time for it.
“Look...”
He saw the fist coming too late, felt it connect with his jaw.
Man, the guy had power behind his swing.
Nick also realized too late that the blow had knocked him off balance. The next thing he felt was the cooling, chlorine-scented water swallowing him whole. He sunk fast to the bottom and a random thought crossed his mind.
Wet denim is not a good thing.
As he fought his way to the surface of the crystal-blue pool, he seriously regretted he hadn’t put on a pair of cotton shorts instead. Of course, then again, he hadn’t planned on taking a dip in the pool this afternoon. His head broke the surface of the water and he swam to the side. Using his one hand to wring water from his hair and face, his other arm held him against the side while he contemplated his choices.
“I think we may have had a miscommunication of sorts.”
He held one finger in the air as he spoke to the large man that had plowed him into the pool only moments before. Nick wasn’t a weakling by any standards—standing six three and weighing in at two thirty, he could easily have held his own with the man—
but that wasn’t his style. He smiled briefly as he thought it was West’s style, but he had no intentions of taking a page out of his friend’s book.
He caught Keely from the corner of his eye, standing by the pool’s edge looking stunned, both hands covering her agape mouth. He winked at her, she was still just so damn cute he couldn’t bear it. S
he dropped to her knees and reached for his aching jaw.
“Oh, baby, are you okay?”
He gave her a wry smile and almost laughed.
“So now it’s ‘Baby’. You couldn’t have said something to Muscles here a few minutes before his fist impacted with my jaw?”
He jerked his thumb in the direction of the man who was still standing by the pool, but now looked truly bewildered.
“I’m sorry. I was just so damn mad at you.”
She brushed wet locks from his forehead, and Nick began to think it was all worth it. He touched her cheek lightly with his thumb.
“I know. And this was the least that I deserved after what I said to you.”
The water lapped around his chest as he clung to the pool’s edge. If he had to be honest, it was cool and refreshing. It would have been better in the proper attire, however. Nick looked up as “Muscles” bent down over him.
“Sorry, man. I thought you were harassing her.”
He looked Keely up and down and Nick found he didn’t like that one bit. If he weren’t already in such a precarious position, he might have felt the need to take him to task for his conduct. As it was, he couldn’t do much other than seethe quietly.
“A girl like that shouldn’t be hangin’ with a mere mortal. No offense, dude.”
He was shaking his head, Nick knew the feeling. They shared a knowing look before the man reached down and easily yanked Nick out of the water. Nick glanced around, most of the other pool crowd had gone back to their own business by now, which was good, because he didn’t want them in his. Especially as he stood on the cement, dripping a puddle of water half the size of the pool all around him.
“Sorry, man.”
Muscles held out his hand and Nick shook it. He left and Nick turned his focus on Keely who was standing precariously close to the pool’s edge herself, biting her thumbnail.
“I’m really sorry.”
Nick looked down at himself thinking he looked like a drowned rat, but at least he was cooled off. Emotionally and physically. He started to laugh, the laugh grew and grew until even Keely got pulled into it and joined him. The people around them probably thought they were nuts, but he didn’t care. He took two steps towards her, pulling her from the pool’s edge and into his arms while smashing his wet body against hers, in effect covering her with the pool’s water. She let out a small sound of distress, then seemed to change her mind as she melted against him.
He pressed his lips to the top of her head.
“I think we need to start over. Come upstairs with me?” He pulled back and looked down at himself. “I think I need a change.”
He looked at her, also soaking wet now thanks to him and cringed.
“Geez, sorry.”
She laughed once more and put her arm around his waist and her head on his shoulder as they started to walk back towards the elevator.
“I don't suppose you keep women’s clothes up there?”
“No, but I’ll bet you’ll look damn sexy in mine.”
He raised both brows at her in a quick movement and depressed the up button on the elevator. They entered the metal box decked out in tile and glass and as the doors closed Nick pulled her close.
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
And he didn’t want a damn argument.
“Uh huh.”
He wanted to laugh at how weak she sounded, but kept himself in check. She whimpered as he lips touched hers and he knew right or wrong, they both were lost.
• • •
He was right, she looked damn hot in his clothes, or what she had on of them. She shrugged up one shoulder in a sexy, shy fashion.
“There was no way the shorts were going to stay up.”
He swallowed hard as the implications of her innocent statement hit him.
“Uh, sorry. That’s the smallest I’ve got.” He scratched at one eyebrow. “But your stuff’s in the dryer, won’t take long.”
She nodded and sort of side stepped him over to the couch. He sat down beside her as she yanked at the hem of the shirt, obviously trying to get it to cover more than it was, and bless its soul, it didn’t budge.
Nick cleared his throat and squirmed like a fourteen year old on a first date as he sat beside her, but not too close. For crying out loud, just last night he had inside her and his mind was trying desperately not to focus on that now. He cleared his throat again and placed his hands under his thighs, which were now clad in shorts just in case he somehow decided to take another dip in the pool.
“So I, uh, ordered us some lunch.” He tugged at one ear then slid his hand back under his thigh. “Since we sort of missed breakfast, I thought you might be hungry.”
“Starving, actually. Thank you.”
She sat primly as ever, looking straight ahead. She coughed.
“Is the air conditioning too high for you?” He was halfway to his feet. “Because I could turn it down.”
“No. I’m fine. Thanks.”
This was ridiculous. Last night she came apart in his arms and now she wouldn’t look at him. Last night he held her all night long, and today he wasn’t sure if he could even touch her.
“Keely, I have a deal to offer you.”
He moved closer, sitting right beside her. This was no time for foolish shyness. He stared directly at her, but didn’t wait for her to meet his gaze, in fear she never would.
“I want to take the three weeks you offered. If it’s still available.”
Her face lit up as she turned her smile on him. He hated how he was about to wipe that glorious smile away within the next two heartbeats. He held up one finger to hold her.
“On two conditions.”
He saw the leery expression glide over the happy one that had been there before.
Just wait, darlin’.
He knew he had to say this just right. She was like a timid horse around him, which was so crazy because he was the one person he thought she should trust. But the reality was what it was and he had to work with it.
Luckily he loved horses and had spent a great deal of time around them in his life and he knew exactly how to handle a skittish one. He let out a breath and narrowed his eyes on her and ran three fingers up over her bare knee and thigh. When he reached as far up as he intended to go, he curled his fingers around her thigh and rested them casually against her skin.
“One. You stay here with me the entire time. If I’m only going to get three weeks, I’m not going to be ripped off on my time by commuting and sleeping apart.” She went pale. He quickly added. “We’re not going to having sex…” her face began to color, “but we are going to fool around. A lot.” The color fled her face again.
He couldn’t help a brief smile at her expense, but he did look away in the hopes she wouldn’t see it, then took one of her hands in his.
“This man and woman you spoke of recently, not to mention Derik…” He sneered unavoidably. “They obviously didn’t know what the hell they were doing. They may have taught you the moves, the mechanics, but no one has taught you about the emotion that goes into it. I can do that. I’m going to teach you, Keely.”
His fingers made a small circle on her inner thigh and she let out a sigh that made his heart sing.
“A woman like you shouldn’t live without the passion she was so obviously born to. It should be in every area of your life, especially your sex life.”
He brushed back golden strands off her face, hoping what he’d really teach her was that no other man could give her what he could.
“That day at Nature Company, I saw something I never knew existed. You were in a different place, bliss maybe.” He chuckled. “Nirvana? I don’t know. I want what I sense bubbling right beneath the surface in you all the time to be free and I’ll be honest, Keely, I’m really hoping some of that spontaneous passion you’re capable of rubs off on me. I’ve never had that kind of passion. My life has been planned and guarded from my birth. Organized and orchestrated. I want more than schedu
les and to do lists and a travel secretary.”
He brushed her cheek with his other hand and couldn’t stop the smile. “I came to California to discover the real me and I think you’re the one to help me bring him out.”
He paused giving her a minute to object, but by the look in her eyes, he thought he might have stunned her. He almost wanted to ask if she were okay. It was strange that when she was with him, she seemed so different from the confident, passionate woman he’d been watching. He still saw that side to her, but it was as if on some level she felt safe to be herself with him, good and bad. Whether she knew it or not, she let him see her fears and hesitations and he loved that about her.
Finally he felt the need to prod her. “Do you want to know what the second condition is?”
She nodded warily at the same time his phone rang. He rolled his eyes. “The machine can get it.” Carefully he moved, crouched down by her feet, looking up and taking both her hands, he kissed them softly.
“The second condition is this: I want a promise that at the end of the three weeks, you won’t run away. That we’ll have an honest discussion about us, about Derik and about the future.”
Her mouth opened, to object he was sure, so he rushed on.
“I’m not going to force what I want on you, sweetheart, if that’s what you’re afraid of, but there’s something between us and I know you feel it as well as I do or you wouldn’t even be here right now. If it burns out in three weeks, we’ll be friends. If it doesn’t, I want an assurance that you’ll talk with me like an adult with freedom of choices. This is the United States, Keely. There are laws against what your mother and Derik did.”
She started another protest, he raised his hand to cut her off.
“I’ll admit that I don't understand enough about your circumstances to put in my two cents right now, but in three weeks I will, and you’ll hear me out. Now do we have a deal?”
After all her attempts to object, she sat remarkably quiet now. Nick sat on his heels waiting, hoping she’d agree. He didn’t know what he’d do if she didn’t. If she felt half of what he did, he couldn’t imagine she’d be able to walk away, even if the price was honesty and possibly the end of her secrets.
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