And somehow, God knows how, she’d managed to beat back the growing panic inside her.
So many people crowding around her.
So much temptation.
The heat of their bodies had surrounded her, enveloped her in a living, breathing blanket of need. The echo of their heartbeats had pounded in her head, had vibrated all the way through her, touching, arousing, tormenting the darkness deep down inside her. Their emotions, their innermost thoughts had clamored through her mind, demanding attention. Demanding to be used against them.
How easy. How very simple to single one out, to use his admiration and his secret desires to lure him closer and closer and closer….
She thought about Roland Sutton, about his greed and jealousy and ambition, emotions that could so easily be used to manipulate. Sutton hated Zach, and that would have made it even easier for Anya.
Disgusted by her thoughts, she leaned against the wall, steadying her breathing. Control, she ordered herself. She’d had ten long years to learn it, but being put on display had been every bit the ordeal she’d feared it would be.
She’d agreed to one public appearance, and now that part of the bargain was over. She could relax. She could breathe again. She could go somewhere dark and cool and quiet. She could put in check once again that growing restlessness inside her. That darkening need. That insatiable yearning.
The hunger.
A wave of dizziness washed over her as she put a name to her desperation. Her vision blurred, and Anya lifted a shaking hand to cover her eyes. Her stomach rolled sickeningly. She’d been too long in the light, and it had left her weakened and vulnerable. She had to get out of here, now, before it was too late.
Voices sounded at the end of the hallway, and Anya looked up in fright. She didn’t want to see anyone right now. Didn’t dare. She felt too exposed. Too…needy.
A doorway opened from a small recessed area near the other end of the hallway. Anya hurried down the corridor and quickly stepped into the shadows of the alcove. The knob turned noiselessly in her hand and the door swung open. As silent as a breeze, she slipped inside, closing the door softly behind her. The voices grew louder in the hallway, then subsided as the group walked on by. Anya let out a sigh of relief as she leaned against the door.
And then she saw him. The one person who could so easily make her lose her discipline. The one who aroused her passion. The one whose blood tempted her the most…
He stood silhouetted against the window, his back to the door. The dark concealed him, but Anya didn’t need lights to know who he was. Somehow, in her desperation, she’d managed to stumble through a side entrance into Zach’s office.
He didn’t turn around, and she wondered if he’d even heard her come in. The solidness of his shoulders and back and the masculine tapering of his waist were highlighted in the moonlight. He stood gazing out the window, lost to the world, and once again Anya sensed—felt—a bitterness as dark as her own.
His emotions were a mate to hers and, therefore, twice as dangerous. Anya was feeling too susceptible tonight. Too vulnerable. And she wanted him with an ache that made her feel dazed and weak. With every ounce of her willpower, she made herself reach out and grasp the doorknob once again. She would leave before he saw her, before—
“Anya?”
She looked up, surprised to find that his back was still to her. Yet he had known it was her. Had sensed her presence. Had felt the bond. Her mouth went dry. Her knees felt like water.
Leave him! Leave now!
But she stood there and waited for him to turn toward her. She stood there and gazed at him in fascination.
He smiled at her in the moonlight, and her heart thundered in her ears. He took a step toward her. Oh, God. Oh, dear God…
“I thought it was you.”
She closed her eyes briefly, willing her control. “How? How did you know it was me?”
“Your scent. I smelled the Seduction.”
“Every woman in the room was wearing that perfume tonight. How could you be so sure it was me?”
“Because Seduction smells unique on you. More…powerful.” His voice was deep and low, blatantly masculine.
Did he know what his own unique essence was doing to her? The scent of warm male, rushing blood…
Anya’s senses spun out of control.
Danger, danger, danger! Her internal alarms were screaming the warning. But another part of her, the darker side, the side she tried so hard to deny, made her hand release the knob, made her return his smile.
“Seduction is a powerful scent on anyone, Zach.” Her own voice was breathless. She sounded desperate and wanting, and she hated it. Loved it. Her pulse hammered in her throat. She blotted her damp hands on the sides of her dress as she continued to stare at Zach. Then slowly, very slowly, she crossed the room to stand beside him.
He studied her warily, as though battling his own inner demons. Suddenly, he shuttered his expression, and his face became hard to read in the moonlight, even for her. “I see you made a new conquest tonight.”
She moistened dry lips as she stared at his mouth. “Conquest?”
“Roland Sutton. He’s a senior member of the board, and one of my most vocal opponents. As a matter of fact, he wanted my job. Had every reason to expect to get it.”
“He doesn’t like you,” Anya agreed, then winced at her bluntness.
But Zach didn’t seemed offended. He stared down at her in the darkness and grinned. “An understatement, if ever I’ve heard one.”
“He’s jealous of you. You have everything he wants—money, power, respect. But mostly you have youth.”
“Youth,” Zach scoffed, turning back to the window. “Sometimes I feel a hundred years old.”
“You have a lot of responsibilities and challenges for someone your age. It must all seem a little overwhelming at times.”
Zach seemed surprised by her intuitiveness. He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “Maybe. But I don’t run from my responsibilities.” He placed a soft emphasis on the last pronoun, then added, almost regretfully, “Or challenges.”
“No,” Anya agreed. “In fact, I would guess that you thrive on challenges.”
They were discussing generalities, but Anya knew, by the subtle gleam in Zach’s eyes, that the conversation had turned personal.
A dangerous thing.
She should leave. Now. Before her emotions raged out of control again. She didn’t trust herself tonight. Not with Zach. Not with him looking at her the way he was looking at her. Not with the sound of his heartbeats echoing through the room. Not with the knowledge of the sweet, warm blood racing through his veins.
And how easy it could be! How very simple to reach up and trace the golden streaks of sunlight in his hair, to gaze deep into the verdant depths of his beautiful eyes, to touch his soul.
How extraordinary it would be to walk into his arms, to feel his heart beating against her breast, to feel the warmth of his skin against her coolness as his blood heated them both.
How exquisite it would be to feel the throb of his pulse against her lips, to taste his skin with her tongue. How simple and extraordinary and exquisite it would all be….
And then what? When her emotions became untamable? When her desires raged like wildfire? What would be the result? Paradise, to be sure, but oh so fleeting…
And then darkness. An eternity of darkness. Of shame. Of guilt and grief and bitter remorse.
An eternity without love. Without Zach.
The last thought surprised her. She had known from the first she was drawn to him, but something stronger seemed to be building inside her. Something wondrous and beautiful and frightening. Frightening because of the possibilities. The visions.
What about eternity with Zach?
Anya closed her eyes as the thought ripped through her. An eternity spent dancing through the years, drifting endlessly on the oceans of time. Not alone anymore. But with Zach.
The power of the moment stunned
her. He could be hers. He could be hers forever. How simple and extraordinary and exquisite an idea….
Slowly she turned and gazed up at him, letting him see the naked hunger in her eyes. She stared deep into his eyes, willing his devotion to the surface, coaxing his passion, touching his deepest needs.
His eyes darkened with desire. He stared down at her in fascination as his hand drifted upward, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. It was a gesture infinitely tender, and it made Anya’s ache grow even stronger. He could never know the bittersweetness of his touch. She reached up and her hand closed over his, trapping him to her.
His head lowered, and his lips were only inches from hers. Oh, the torment! The divine agony of anticipation, the exquisite prolonging of the moment that would bind them together forever. The moment that would end her yearning, her hunger.
That perfect kiss…
She could feel his skin hot against hers. Burning. Searing. Blazing a path all the way to her heart. His mere touch filled her with elation, with glorious sensation. The emptiness inside her exploded with fire. The blackness that was her soul flamed with color.
What would his kiss do to her? What would—
Oh, God, what would it be like to always have him so near? To always feel his tender warmth, his blazing passion just a breath away from her?
What would it be like to take from him what had been taken from her?
“Anya…”
His voice whispered through the fire inside her. A mist, dark and thick and cold, began to descend over her once again. She gazed up at him, watching him as if from a distance, seeing the golden light that seemed to surround him grow dimmer and dimmer as the essence of who he was slowly drained away.
You can never know the love of a man.
He reached for her again.
“No!” Anya flung his hand away from her face. For just one second, she had let down her guard and the insidious darkness had betrayed her. The evil inside her knew her weaknesses, fed on her desires and emotions and had used them against her. Just as she had almost done to Zach.
She stepped back, away from him. Inside, her body cried out in denial, in desperation, but still she held herself back.
Zach stared at her for a moment, looking dazed and confused. Then the haze of desire in his eyes quickly melted, only to freeze in anger. In disbelief. Slowly, he shook his head, as though to clear the remaining clouds. “I don’t believe this. You did it to me again.”
She swallowed past the aching lump in her throat. “Did what?”
His eyes narrowed. “You know damned well what I’m talking about. What’s the matter with you, Anya? Can’t you make up your mind?”
“I…don’t know what you mean.” She’d backed away from him even farther until a glaring chasm separated them. Neither of them moved to bridge it.
Zach brushed an impatient hand through his hair, the same hand that had touched her so gently only moments before. “You say one thing, but your eyes tell me something very different. I’m getting a little tired of the game.”
“No one asked you to play,” she cried bitterly, her control no more than a thread now. “You came to me, Zach. You pursued me until you got the answer you wanted. You’ve no right to expect anything else of me. We have a business arrangement.”
“Then, damn you, don’t look at me like that,” he snapped, his eyes like frosted bits of jade. “Stop looking at me as though you want to…” His voice trailed off as he exhaled sharply, putting a hand to his temple. He turned to the window and gazed out at the darkness. “You’re lucky you pulled that routine on me. Someone else might not be as understanding.”
His anger tugged at her. His confusion taunted her. And yet there was nothing she could do about either. All she could do was convince him that he had been mistaken about her intentions. She took a deep, shaky breath. “You wanted me for Seduction,” she said wearily. “You wanted a certain look, a certain attitude. I gave you exactly what you wanted. I think it’s you who can’t make up his mind.”
“You’re telling me that was simply a preview of coming attractions?” Zach asked incredulously.
“I’m telling you that what you saw is who I am. It’s nothing personal.”
“Nothing personal,” he repeated. He laughed, but there was no warmth in the sound. “You come on to all men that way?”
Anya felt her own anger stir at the harshness of his words. “‘Coming on’ is your perception of me. Other men, other people, have their own perceptions. You see what you want to see.”
“That’s bull.”
“Is it? Think about it. Think about why you felt so compelled to have me. What would it prove, Zach?”
For a moment, Anya thought she had gone too far. His jaw hardened, and his eyes flashed with…what? Anger, to be sure, but something else, something that looked a little like uncertainty to Anya.
He whirled back toward the window, as though unable to look at her any longer.
“Zach.” She put a tentative hand out to him. Not that she would really touch him. She didn’t dare.
“Just go, Anya,” Zach said, his voice devoid of any emotion now except weariness. “I’m not up to being psychoanalyzed twice in one night. Having my dear mother do it was quite enough, thank you.”
Anya paused, staring at his rigid profile. Just go, she repeated to herself. But something held her back. Not hunger this time. Not passion. Just deep, deep regret.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He shrugged, not even bothering to look at her. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll be relieved to know that I’m quite adept at handling rejection. But for what it’s worth…” He did glance at her then as she started moving toward the door. “I think you were right the other night. The farther away we stay from each other, the better off we’ll both be.”
He turned back to the window then, closing her out. Even if Anya had wanted to explain, she knew she couldn’t. There were no words to make him understand. No way he could ever accept the truth.
And besides, she’d run out of time.
It would be daylight soon.
Anya stared at his back for a moment. Then she turned and fled his office.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“A little to the left, Anya.”
“Like this?” Anya moved slightly at the top of the stone steps that had been erected in Julian Sindel’s cavernous studio. A fan blew her hair back from her face and swirled the crimson chiffon layers of the strapless negligee she wore.
“That’s good,” Julian called. “Now, slowly walk down the steps. Remember, this is the beginning of the story, Anya. Each picture we use will be a continuing chapter, until the final one when you’ll be united with your lover. You’re waiting for him now. The night’s calling to you, Anya. There’s Seduction in the wind. Will this be the night he returns to you?” His voice lowered as he guided her down the steps. “Come to me, Anya. Come to me now.”
Anya moistened her lips. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the bright lights, the searing heat, the dozens of crew members who stood watching her work. Without effort, she conjured up an image of a moonlit garden and of Zach Christopher standing below, waiting for her.
Her heart began to beat in her throat as slowly, ever so slowly, she descended the steps toward him.
Come to me, Anya.
If she concentrated hard enough, she could hear his voice, the beating of his heart as he waited for her. She could sense his presence so strongly. Was he thinking about her tonight?
Do you want me, Zach?
God, yes.
Then I’ll come to you. Now. Forever.
“Beautiful! Perfect! That was great, Anya.”
With a start, Anya realized she’d already reached the bottom of the stairs. Her feet seemed not to have touched the stones at all. She’d floated on memory, glided on fantasy. For a moment, for one powerful second, she could have sworn Zach was there in the room with her, calling out to her.
But days had passed s
ince the night she’d walked out of his office. He hadn’t come anywhere near Julian’s studio during the photo sessions, and in a way, his absence had been a relief. As much of a relief as it had been a disappointment.
Nevertheless, the raging emotions inside her had quieted. Even here in the studio, with so many heartbeats pounding around her, with the scent of humanity swirling in her head, Anya remained in control.
No one could tempt her as Zach could.
A man who arouses your passions will also unleash your hunger.
Soon, she reminded herself. Very soon she would have her answers. The money had been wired to Dr. Traymore days ago, as quickly as Zach had given her the advance. Now all she had to do was wait.
“Let’s take a break,” Julian called, handing his camera to his assistant. He turned back to Anya and smiled. “I don’t think I have to tell you how well this is going, do I?”
Anya returned his smile. “You make me look good, Julian.”
He shook his head. “I’m not shy about taking well-deserved credit, but not in this case. I have to hand it to Zach. He knew exactly what he was doing when he went after you. The results have been well worth it. These ads will become classics—precisely what he predicted.”
Anya hesitated, then asked, “How well do you know Zach Christopher?”
Julian shrugged, but his gaze seemed speculative. “I’ve known him for years, but even after all this time, I still don’t know him well. I don’t think anyone does.”
“But he has a family. Surely he’s close to them?”
“He’s estranged from his father, although I gather they speak from time to time. He and his mother aren’t particularly close, either, but she was instrumental in getting his appointment as CEO approved by the board. There was a lot of opposition. Still is.”
Anya thought about the bitterness she’d glimpsed in Roland Sutton the night of the press conference. She thought about the man’s anger and jealousy, the seething rage festering inside him. She thought about how much he hated Zach, and it made her blood run even colder. Zach had enemies. So many enemies all around him. And she had brought him one more.
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